[Exharboroughspireite]

Bluekent, on 01 March 2025 - 07:21 PM, said:

The amount of times this needs saying is astonishing.

Sorry, but that doesn?t work. He is overweight and slow. This isn?t top layer championship, or premier league. This is 100mph in your face lower league football. Especially away from home. He?s been working with us since September and has yet to start a game. This isn?t personal, this is business. No way in a million years should he be here next year unless he can put together 15 games as a starter and plays the majority of minutes. A 25 minute cameo pinging the ball around when the opponent is comfortably 2-0 up and job done does not count. Let?s see if he starts on Tuesday, lasts 90 minutes and then the next 3/4 games after and then I will reconsider. Until then fleck, for all his talent, looks what he is - an injury prone player in his 30s who hasn?t done anything for us at all.

[azul]

Westbars Spireite, on 01 March 2025 - 07:11 PM, said:

I quite liked the Bob Marley song.

And did they sing that god awful song ?football in a library?, would have been justified because for long periods in really was.

This post has been edited by azul: 01 March 2025 - 07:39 PM

[Westbars Spireite]

azul, on 01 March 2025 - 07:35 PM, said:

Will Fleck become a regular, he looked ok when he came on, unfortunately Crewe were just letting us play so hard to judge.

I might give him start next week because surely he can be as bad as the midfielders we fielded today


He was always chunky that is for sure

I'd be starting him on Tuesday. Then or never really.

azul, on 01 March 2025 - 07:38 PM, said:

And did they sing that god awful song ?football in a library?, would have been justified because for long periods in really was.

I didn't hear it if they did.

[warfey is a spireite]

Bluekent, on 01 March 2025 - 07:31 PM, said:

You definitely are but come on. Who would you want in charge next season? Throw a name out there. He doesn?t need to be 6 foot either.

I was watching these when u were in nappies do u still wear them?

[Bluekent]

Exharboroughspireite, on 01 March 2025 - 07:37 PM, said:

Sorry, but that doesn?t work. He is overweight and slow. This isn?t top layer championship, or premier league. This is 100mph in your face lower league football. Especially away from home. He?s been working with us since September and has yet to start a game. This isn?t personal, this is business. No way in a million years should he be here next year unless he can put together 15 games as a starter and plays the majority of minutes. A 25 minute cameo pinging the ball around when the opponent is comfortably 2-0 up and job done does not count. Let?s see if he starts on Tuesday, lasts 90 minutes and then the next 3/4 games after and then I will reconsider. Until then fleck, for all his talent, looks what he is - an injury prone player in his 30s who hasn?t done anything for us at all.

Not arguing with you, we?ve not seen enough of him, he?s not stayed fit , he has looked quality on the ball in his brief moments , as you say tho , can he do it for a sustained period of time , who know, but whether you like it or not that?s how he holds himself. He looks plump and always has done.

[hilly81]

Games are going to be tough with the options we have through the middle of the team. If Palmer hadn?t got injured in the summer, he would have left. He wasn?t even in the thinking for this season. He?s only still here because of the injuries. Grimes would not be playing if we hadn?t lost Dunkley and Araujo. He?d be on the bench at best. Central defence is so, so important and we had two players there today who tried their best, can?t fault the effort, just miles of the standard required.

In midfield neither Oldaker or Metcalfe will ever dominate a game. Take it by the scruff of the neck. Neat and tidy short passing yes, but they both need a beast (Morsy type) next to them to dominate and drive forward. Fleck looks class (He?s always been a stocky lad) but we?re not going to get many 90 minutes out of him. I like Banks but again, he?s never going to dominate a game. Naylor has been poor. He looks a shadow of the player he was last season but I?d bring him back in on Tuesday for sure.

Pepple has something, but he?s never going to be a goal scorer. He works hard and puts himself about but he lacks that instinct in the box and is poor in the air. I think Grigg might be our biggest miss.

We are just weak right through the spine of the team and we make far too many hideous mistakes that almost always lead to goals. The season is fizzling out but consolidation was always the aim. We need to get another couple of wins as soon as possible so we can relax about the trapdoor and look towards an interesting summer.

[Bluekent]

warfey is a spireite, on 01 March 2025 - 07:43 PM, said:

I was watching these when u were in nappies do u still wear them?

I?m hopeful you do when we lose. So who do you want in?

This post has been edited by Bluekent: 01 March 2025 - 07:47 PM

[HaslandBlue58]

birdman, on 01 March 2025 - 03:54 PM, said:

As they changed end for the kick off, a fair bit of the North stand crowd booed him.

Don't go much then?The elongated Boooooot has been the call for Boot since day one.

[warfey is a spireite]

Where did I say sack him

[Bluekent]

warfey is a spireite, on 01 March 2025 - 07:49 PM, said:

Where did I say sack him

Sorry , thought your constant criticism of him meant you thought someone else was better suited for the position.

[Blue5]

60s 70s Spireite, on 01 March 2025 - 06:52 PM, said:

I cant recall any of central midfielders, starters or subs, winning one turnover. We were swatted away like flies. And our lack of pace in most areas is frightening.
Its ok saying we can rebuild on the summer, but we will be needing 9 or more new recruits, and whats the chance of such a number gelling enough to challenge for promotion in their first season together?

This is a bit of an issue for me as it is for you.

At this stage of the rebuild/recruitment process, we shouldn't be talking about wholesale changes, but how do we tweak the squad with three of four signings.

[tomjoad]

gordon_brittas, on 01 March 2025 - 03:28 PM, said:

Really sad actually. Season has collapsed into an absolute sham. We will finish 17th or 18th below the mighty Accrington and Harrogate.

You are a nob

[lindave]

Blue roan lily, on 01 March 2025 - 07:08 PM, said:

Well atleast we beat them 6-3 on aggregate

I said that on the way out.lol.

[Looker-on]

azul, on 01 March 2025 - 07:38 PM, said:

And did they sing that god awful song ?football in a library?, would have been justified because for long periods in really was.

Three minutes and eight seconds in - the fastest at our place this season.

[1978blue]

azul, on 01 March 2025 - 07:38 PM, said:

And did they sing that god awful song ?football in a library?, would have been justified because for long periods in really was.

Yes they did! Only time the crowd got going was after we had scored .

[spireitetoo]

Looker-on, on 01 March 2025 - 08:00 PM, said:

Three minutes and eight seconds in - the fastest at our place this season.

I commented on the new record at the time..

[Cheshireblue]

DMU Blue, on 01 March 2025 - 04:56 PM, said:

Looked well offside when the original ball came over.

Shame to see some of the kop mongs letting us down when they were celebrating

If a away team go and celebrate in front of the home fans what do you think they will do hope there player enjoyed the pint that got thrown over him .
The team today was shocking.grimes at fault yet again

[dtp]

Well, when you support a team you go through good and bad.

And, that was bad today.

We have had a full week to work out our team selection, formation, and tactics. None worked. More to the point they were not working from the first minute but it took until the 70th minute for any changes to be made apart from the earlier expected enforced one of Donacien going off. I expected a change after their 2nd goal - it did not happen. I expected a change at HT - it did not happen. I knew there would be a change around the 70th minute - easy call.

Crewe came out with a plan, it worked. They knew how we would play and took full advantage by just allowing us to go sideways and backwards at a snails pace then pouncing on the inevitable errors they knew we would make. Let us be honest, losing just 1-3 flattered us. We could and should have conceded 6 and would have done had it not been for Boot and some poor finishing.

Team wise, Boot did not let us down and, for me, would be our No2 next season but we certainly need better as a No1.

RB remains a problem, CB positions have to be improved upon, Sparkes did alright but few of his crosses found a blue shirt and defensively he was at sea. Our midfield was non-existent in any battle and only noticeable when in space passing sideways and backwards. A total lack of urgency was evident throughout. Now, when Fleck came on the difference was there for all to see, one or two touches at most then an excellent forward pass to put us on the front foot. Just hope he can eventually play 90 minutes in one game rather than one month.

Pepple worked hard up front but the build up play was so slow he rarely got their No26 out of his shirt. However, he has a lot to learn, particularly about making space for himself. Dobra, as usual, gave his all, Madden was played nearly where I have wanted to see him but disappointed yet again, whilst Olakigbe was never released early unlike Duffy was later in the game.

So, yes it was bad today, but if ever a game showed us that when we have been tactically sussed this was it, we need a Plan B, even C, and we need to recognise that we have to implement much earlier in games. Had we got back to 2-1 by HT or even the 60th minute we might have got a point out of the game as we showed for a few minutes that we had got them worried once we scored. Too little too late from the players and management I am afraid today.

However, I did enjoy the bit of Bob Marley the Crewe fans gave us and, whilst it was bad today, I do think EVERYTHING IS GOING TO BE ALRIGHT.

This post has been edited by dtp: 01 March 2025 - 08:40 PM

[HaslandBlue58]

frearsghost, on 01 March 2025 - 05:18 PM, said:

I thought the initial team selection was poor. I agree with Dave Waller. Cook should have made the changes at half time because there was no motor. That would have given us more time to pull the goals back. Another poor performance as we seem to be cementing ourselves in the botton half of the table. I'll be glad to get to 50 points to be honest.

I understand the situation we have been/are in, I do not understand how Madden and DJ came back out for second half.I do not understand why it is OK to hold Pepple around the neck all the game.I do not understand how Dobs gets the same punishment as the player that dragged him to the ground and kept him held down.I do not understand the new rule book now in use.
As stated recently I am also concerned regarding upcoming games and the way we usually perform against lower clubs, but I suppose that is better balanced now that we have joined 'the lower clubs'.
I don't understand the waiting until the last 15 minutes to introduce subs either, when a game is getting away from us and it is so obvious which two or three need pulling.
Plenty of proof I have no idea about managing.

[HaslandBlue58]

Painted Wagon, on 01 March 2025 - 05:25 PM, said:

Did their number 26 get Pepples shirt at the end, he was trying for it all game. Am so livid at the moment for many reasons. Failing to show up in first half, too many mistakes, useless ref, dark arts Crewe, was the 3rd offside? Crewe inciting crowd. Rant over

Not to forget the Dobs booking.