[hilly81]

h again, on 14 February 2018 - 04:17 PM, said:

I thought it was a good idea playing with Dennis and O'Grady up front, but I see now why Jack hasn't been doing it - we need 5 in midfield and even then we can't boss it. To be fair Coke looked good but they got steadily on top as he tired, and the last twenty minutes were embarrassing - they looked faster and fitter than us by some distance. At least Stevenage paid us the respect of feigning injuries and playing for time - Cambridge kept coming at us because they knew we were crumbling, and got what they deserved.
So where next? O'Grady shouldn't be playing on current form, so get Dodds and Dennis up front and play four proper midfielders, Reed, McCourt, Coke and Weir. Forget the exotic wingers who can't beat a man or cross a ball and get the fullbacks going forward. That means JBW, who I'm less than ecstatic about but Weir should be in midfield,certainly not left back to give more penalties away with his wrong foot.
There's still hope, but it relies on Jack overcoming the beaten mentality rather than any vast improvement in football. There's still enough skill out there to stay in this division.

[gordon_brittas]

Bowzer spirey, on 14 February 2018 - 01:52 PM, said:

I think it will get a lot higher than that now.

Not long till it reaches 4 figures mate. I physically cannot see how this club will financially compete next season in non-league with the dastardly duo in charge. Attendances will nearly half, and away support your looking at less than 3 figures every week, under 100, unless Tranmere and Wrexham stop down.

The end game is not far off I think.

[h again]

hilly81, on 14 February 2018 - 04:19 PM, said:

Yes, thank you. I nearly changed it to make it clearer, but then I thought, surely anybody will grasp what I mean.
Still, try again. We've needed five in midfield to even compete this season, which is why the best striking partnership, on paper, hasn't played together. However, lack of goals being another factor, it needs somebody to take the weight off Dennis, and since O'Grady looks a spent force, it has to be Dodds. Therefore we're back to four in midfield, so make them proper midfielders, as I've indicated, and not luxury items.
I realise this also means leaving out Joe Rowley, who certainly isn't a luxury item, but the need is for strength, battling and taking control of midfield.
If you still have trouble following that I don't mind explaining over again. Thank you for your interest.

This post has been edited by h again: 14 February 2018 - 04:44 PM

[Lincs Spireite]

h again, on 14 February 2018 - 04:17 PM, said:

I thought it was a good idea playing with Dennis and O'Grady up front, but I see now why Jack hasn't been doing it - we need 5 in midfield and even then we can't boss it. To be fair Coke looked good but they got steadily on top as he tired, and the last twenty minutes were embarrassing - they looked faster and fitter than us by some distance. At least Stevenage paid us the respect of feigning injuries and playing for time - Cambridge kept coming at us because they knew we were crumbling, and got what they deserved.
So where next? O'Grady shouldn't be playing on current form, so get Dodds and Dennis up front and play four proper midfielders, Reed, McCourt, Coke and Weir. Forget the exotic wingers who can't beat a man or cross a ball and get the fullbacks going forward. That means JBW, who I'm less than ecstatic about but Weir should be in midfield,certainly not left back to give more penalties away with his wrong foot.
There's still hope, but it relies on Jack overcoming the beaten mentality rather than any vast improvement in football. There's still enough skill out there to stay in this division.

You know what H I believe you're right. Spot on in fact, except instead of JBW at left back I would play Smith who allegedly can bomb forward at pace and put good crosses in.

[hilly81]

h again, on 14 February 2018 - 04:40 PM, said:

Yes, thank you. I nearly changed it to make it clearer, but then I thought, surely anybody will grasp what I mean.
Still, try again. We've needed five in midfield to even compete this season, which is why the best striking partnership, on paper, hasn't played together. However, lack of goals being another factor, it needs somebody to take the weight off Dennis, and since O'Grady looks a spent force, it has to be Dodds. Therefore we're back to four in midfield, so make them proper midfielders, as I've indicated, and not luxury items.
I realise this also means leaving out Joe Rowley, who certainly isn't a luxury item, but the need is for strength, battling and taking control of midfield.
If you still have trouble following that I don't mind explaining over again. Thank you for your interest.

Fair do's.

Bowzer spirey, on 14 February 2018 - 04:49 PM, said:

You know what H I believe you're right. Spot on in fact, except instead of JBW at left back I would play Smith who allegedly can bomb forward at pace and put good crosses in.

How far off is Smith though?

[Lincs Spireite]

hilly81, on 14 February 2018 - 04:50 PM, said:

Fair do's.


How far off is Smith though?

Only a small ankle injury I heard 2 to 3 weeks.

[h again]

Bowzer spirey, on 14 February 2018 - 04:49 PM, said:

You know what H I believe you're right. Spot on in fact, except instead of JBW at left back I would play Smith who allegedly can bomb forward at pace and put good crosses in.

I'm a bit doubtful about the wisdom of starting yet another new player, especially one that's been out injured for a while. Time for a bit of stability if possible.
On the other hand if Jack signed him in that condition he must have a lot else to recommend him.

[dtp]

Left back has been a problem for a few seasons now.

Caldwell released Jones (rightly so in my opinion) but signed Binnon-Willliams as a LB (he's unsound defensively) then when he got injured he signed Flores (who he worked with before) saying he could play LB (he couldn't) so he signed Kellett (who he'd worked with before) saying he was a LB (he isn't) now JL has signed Smith who I believe is a LB (but he is injured).

Going back in time Cook signed Jones who was good going forward but not so good defensively (he got injured). I believe his injury prone RB (Talbot) ended up playing LB because Darikwa was a better RB. Similarly Clucas (record transfer fee) a midfielder played LB for Cook. Now JL has resigned the RB (Talbot) but as soon as he was able to play he covered at LB in one game then got injured. Before then we had Wiseman (a RB) covering, when available, at LB, under both GC and JL. Since we've utilised a CB (Whitmore) and a right footed CM (Weir) as LBs.

In between all this we had, Donahue (he felt he wasn't a LB HT a midfielder) signed by DS as a midfielder, who some rated some didn't, but he didn't see eye to eye with GC (surely, we all understand his thought process there) so he was sold on.

Not sure what I've missed but has any other club struggled as much as we have under four managers to actually sign a LB who is good both defensively and offensively? And, please don't tell met that JS's (the manager before the last four) signing of Griffiths was the answer.


Really do hope Smith proves to be a proper LB because, it seems, forever since we had one.

Surely, we have learned that number 3 is an unlucky shirt for us and should be retired and replaced with number 13.

[ELTON 2020]

dtp, on 14 February 2018 - 09:20 PM, said:

Left back has been a problem for a few seasons now.

Caldwell released Jones (rightly so in my opinion) but signed Binnon-Willliams as a LB (he's unsound defensively) then when he got injured he signed Flores (who he worked with before) saying he could play LB (he couldn't) so he signed Kellett (who he'd worked with before) saying he was a LB (he isn't) now JL has signed Smith who I believe is a LB (but he is injured).

Going back in time Cook signed Jones who was good going forward but not so good defensively (he got injured). I believe his injury prone RB (Talbot) ended up playing LB because Darikwa was a better RB. Similarly Clucas (record transfer fee) a midfielder played LB for Cook. Now JL has resigned the RB (Talbot) but as soon as he was able to play he covered at LB in one game then got injured. Before then we had Wiseman (a RB) covering, when available, at LB, under both GC and JL. Since we've utilised a CB (Whitmore) and a right footed CM (Weir) as LBs.

In between all this we had, Donahue (he felt he wasn't a LB HT a midfielder) signed by DS as a midfielder, who some rated some didn't, but he didn't see eye to eye with GC (surely, we all understand his thought process there) so he was sold on.

Not sure what I've missed but has any other club struggled as much as we have under four managers to actually sign a LB who is good both defensively and offensively? And, please don't tell met that JS's (the manager before the last four) signing of Griffiths was the answer.


Really do hope Smith proves to be a proper LB because, it seems, forever since we had one.

Surely, we have learned that number 3 is an unlucky shirt for us and should be retired and replaced with number 13.

I remember Sean O Neil as the last proper left back - er...how many years ago?

[h again]

dtp, on 14 February 2018 - 09:20 PM, said:

Left back has been a problem for a few seasons now.

Caldwell released Jones (rightly so in my opinion) but signed Binnon-Willliams as a LB (he's unsound defensively) then when he got injured he signed Flores (who he worked with before) saying he could play LB (he couldn't) so he signed Kellett (who he'd worked with before) saying he was a LB (he isn't) now JL has signed Smith who I believe is a LB (but he is injured).

Going back in time Cook signed Jones who was good going forward but not so good defensively (he got injured). I believe his injury prone RB (Talbot) ended up playing LB because Darikwa was a better RB. Similarly Clucas (record transfer fee) a midfielder played LB for Cook. Now JL has resigned the RB (Talbot) but as soon as he was able to play he covered at LB in one game then got injured. Before then we had Wiseman (a RB) covering, when available, at LB, under both GC and JL. Since we've utilised a CB (Whitmore) and a right footed CM (Weir) as LBs.

In between all this we had, Donahue (he felt he wasn't a LB HT a midfielder) signed by DS as a midfielder, who some rated some didn't, but he didn't see eye to eye with GC (surely, we all understand his thought process there) so he was sold on.

Not sure what I've missed but has any other club struggled as much as we have under four managers to actually sign a LB who is good both defensively and offensively? And, please don't tell met that JS's (the manager before the last four) signing of Griffiths was the answer.


Really do hope Smith proves to be a proper LB because, it seems, forever since we had one.

Surely, we have learned that number 3 is an unlucky shirt for us and should be retired and replaced with number 13.

Chris Perkins? The full back positions were easy to fill at one time, now they're expected to be attacking players, good crossers of the ball, and still be in position when some exocet missile of a winger comes flying at them. Oh, and be two-footed, because wingers often play on the opposite wing and cut inside, and good in the air because they usually end up marking a big bloke on the back post for corners. And extremely quick, obviously.
Apart from that, 'owt'll do.
I hope this Smith lad ticks all the boxes.

[Snowflake McBedwetter]

h again, on 14 February 2018 - 04:40 PM, said:

Yes, thank you. I nearly changed it to make it clearer, but then I thought, surely anybody will grasp what I mean.
Still, try again. We've needed five in midfield to even compete this season, which is why the best striking partnership, on paper, hasn't played together. However, lack of goals being another factor, it needs somebody to take the weight off Dennis, and since O'Grady looks a spent force, it has to be Dodds. Therefore we're back to four in midfield, so make them proper midfielders, as I've indicated, and not luxury items.
I realise this also means leaving out Joe Rowley, who certainly isn't a luxury item, but the need is for strength, battling and taking control of midfield.
If you still have trouble following that I don't mind explaining over again. Thank you for your interest.

Clear as day is that.

We need five in midfield to compete. However, we need to go to a four man midfield. Total nonsense.. but you could have managed it in a couple of sentences.

JL had a system that worked. 4-5-1. Integral to that system were two CB's. Who you wanted rid of. You wanted two CB's to hoof the ball out and take no chances. You got 'em. You want 4-4-2 and us handing the other side possession. You got it. Difference between you and Jack is, he knew how integral Evo and Hird were to the club and to the formation that saw us string together a good run of form and results. He's playing 4-4-2 because he feels he has to with the players available. I don't agree with either of you. But hey-ho, we've probably got enough to stay up.

This post has been edited by KevinArnottsGoldenBoot: 15 February 2018 - 11:31 AM

[essexspireman]

Elton John 2018, on 14 February 2018 - 09:31 PM, said:

I remember Sean O Neil as the last proper left back - er...how many years ago?

Shinner was another good un

[h again]

KevinArnottsGoldenBoot, on 15 February 2018 - 11:30 AM, said:

Clear as day is that.

We need five in midfield to compete. However, we need to go to a four man midfield. Total nonsense.. but you could have managed it in a couple of sentences.

JL had a system that worked. 4-5-1. Integral to that system were two CB's. Who you wanted rid of. You wanted two CB's to hoof the ball out and take no chances. You got 'em. You want 4-4-2 and us handing the other side possession. You got it. Difference between you and Jack is, he knew how integral Evo and Hird were to the club and to the formation that saw us string together a good run of form and results. He's playing 4-4-2 because he feels he has to with the players available. I don't agree with either of you. But hey-ho, we've probably got enough to stay up.

Are you capable of entering a discussion without feeling the need to throw your weight about? There are ways of discussing things without it becoming an argument, still less needing to call other peoples opinions nonsense.

[Snowflake McBedwetter]

h again, on 15 February 2018 - 12:45 PM, said:

Are you capable of entering a discussion without feeling the need to throw your weight about? There are ways of discussing things without it becoming an argument, still less needing to call other peoples opinions nonsense.

Throwing my weight around!? That is nonsense. You're the most argumentative, passive aggressive person on here. You end virtually every post with a sarcastic jibe! (your post in reply above is dripping with it!!!).

I called your post nonsense cos it is. So try playing the ball not the man. Debate me on the footballing points rather than trying to falsely play the injured party. It's nearly as embarrassing as you trying to imply you were getting bullied on here.

This post has been edited by KevinArnottsGoldenBoot: 15 February 2018 - 01:14 PM