[HaslandBlue58]

Cartman, on 21 April 2025 - 02:41 PM, said:

We don’t have injuries?

Dunkley, Sparkes, Banks

We have been lucky at times and we’ve been decent in some games and poor in others, the unlucky comment would relate to the injuries that however you try and frame it have had a massive effect on the season

Correct,but Town Fan (debatable) has such a pervasive personal vendetta against certain individuals at the club that tunnel vision takes over distorting the majority of his posts.

[Mr Mercury]

stainlessstephen, on 21 April 2025 - 05:17 PM, said:

Just got back home. Yes, fully agree with that short summary.

Metcalfe and Mandeville the standout players today.

When they went 2-0 up I feared a hiding, but credit to all for the fightback and never giving up.

And nice to send Bradford back up the M1 with tails between legs.

I had a fiver at 18/1 when we went 2-0 down, thought I might sneak it but time ran out.

[dart in the crossbar]

Getting anything out of that was a very, very decent result. As has been said, we could have even pinched it in the end.

A few random early thoughts. I'll possibly tweak or change these after watching it on the telly.

The less than good stuff

Boot looked worryingly shaky at times today. With Palmer, McFadzean, Naylor, Fleck and Grigg on the pitch it was surprising that we seemed at sea for the first 50 or so minutes. I'd have thought that these very experienced players could have sorted out who was picking up who in midfield for example. Colclough flitted in and out a bit more than usual. McFadzean looked tired and laboured today. I'm still not seeing it for Fleck. Decent passing when he's on the ball; we'll need a young Mike Jones to win the ball and give it to him or he might become a luxury perhaps. The officials were very poor. Ref especially poor. I thought that it probably was a penno, but there were several more that weren't a whole lot different. I thought that the late one on Gordon (ref gave a yellow) possibly warranted a red. Oldaker added very little. Madden didn't do as well as I'd have expected with his header chance

The good stuff (including that we didn't lose and are still in with half a chance of the play-offs)

Mandeville was superb. He makes the odd mistake because he gets involved so much. A very impressive game from him again today. POTY for me. Metcalfe was immense in the second half, especially given that he had to get stuck in a lot. Grimes did the head it kick it stuff well when he came on. Grigg did well over the game. Gordon had a good cameo. Good to see Duffy getting some time. And we didn't lose

When we got good towards the end we got very good. Some fairly odd line-ups at times, but we put them under real pressure and made a very decent side look ordinary towards the end.

The score could have been anything from 3:2 to us .. or 5 something to them or 5 something to us. It's hard not to see that as a point gained after the first 50 odd minutes. COYB

[Spireiteboy155]

Metcalf had a very good game.
The game changed for us when Mandeville got forward.

Why on Earth did Araujo start ahead of Gordon? He was diabolical and is never a left back.
The Gordon and Grimes subs made us far more solid at the back and allowed us to get on top.

This post has been edited by Spireiteboy155: 21 April 2025 - 05:34 PM

[Mr_Pleasant]

Spireiteboy155, on 21 April 2025 - 05:33 PM, said:

Metcalf had a very good game.
The game changed for us when Mandeville got forward.

Why on Earth did Araujo start ahead of Gordon? He was diabolical and is never a left back.
The Gordon and Grimes subs made us far more solid at the back and allowed us to get on top.

I'm wondering the same as to why Gordon didn't start. I don't like to call out players but Araujo had an absolute mare. The whole back 4 did until Grimes and Gordon came on. Bradford had worked us out, so why they declared at 3-1 I've no idea.

[CFC91]

Nearly posted on here at half time but glad I didn’t because talk about game of two halves. Men against boys 30 mins, but we were a much better side for the remaining 60. Felt pretty gutted we hadn’t won it at the end with the Grigg chance or others we had in the last 15.

Enjoyable game though in the main, and we’re just about still in it. Metcalfe was class, as was Mandy. Thought we got it wrong first half with Naylor CAM and Araujo LB particular areas we struggled, Naylor was much better deeper in the second half

[lindave]

Bluekent, on 21 April 2025 - 04:54 PM, said:

Very very disappointing for 70 mins then started playing. Happy for metcalf , had a good game and great first goal, our second was a beautiful goal finished by grigg who I also thought did really really well with little reward for the first 70 mins.

They must have been playing out of their skins because every time I've seen them (including our away game) they've not been anything to write home about. They overran us time and time again ,especially the first 30 mins. Can't believe how bad we were to be honest. Just glad we battled to stay in it and unbelievably looked more likely to go on and win it.

Metcalfe was brilliant, he had a great game.

[Zigsuk]

dart in the crossbar, on 21 April 2025 - 05:29 PM, said:

McFadzean looked tired and laboured today.

Not quite sure what all the raving over him is. Maybe he's still hampered by injury but from what I've seen he's no real improvement over Jaimie. And one thing's for sure he's not going to get any better at his age. Then I suppose neither is Jaimie.

[Mr Mercury]

Zigsuk, on 21 April 2025 - 05:41 PM, said:

Not quite sure what all the raving over him is. Maybe he's still hampered by injury but from what I've seen he's no real improvement over Jaimie. And one thing's for sure he's not going to get any better at his age. Then I suppose neither is Jaimie.

Tbh he’s more of a leader than Grimes and has a good head and eye, expected at the level he’s played at, but the bog standard L2 defending Grimes is on par.

[h again]

Everybody looked very puzzled when Naylor was apparently the choice for the 'number 10' role, and sure enough it cost us the first half. Good player though he still is, it unbalanced both attack and midfield and they ran through us as if we weren't there. I imagine it was Naylor's frustration at the way things were going that led to that horrible foul and penalty - how else to explain sheer stupidity.
We were dragged back into it by Metcalfe, and Naylor found a bit more time and space in midfield and we got back on top and made them look very wobbly at the back, but playing a defender as an attacker was barmy in a game we had to win.
Metcalfe is worth his weight in gold, Mandy's incredible fitness levels got us the equaliser, but there's now a question mark over Fleck when we've got backs to the wall. Superb passer and organiser, but sadly short of pace. A good pre-season might sort it, touch wood.

[Goku]

Zigsuk, on 21 April 2025 - 05:41 PM, said:

Not quite sure what all the raving over him is. Maybe he's still hampered by injury but from what I've seen he's no real improvement over Jaimie. And one thing's for sure he's not going to get any better at his age. Then I suppose neither is Jaimie.

He’s much better, come on

[prolurker]

Gordon has to play last 2 games, we looked so much more balanced when he came on.

[Mr Mercury]

Goku, on 21 April 2025 - 05:44 PM, said:

He’s much better, come on

He is and he isn’t, paradoxically.

[Waller is my hero]

https://www.theteleg...w-chesterfield/

[Goku]

Waller is my hero, on 21 April 2025 - 05:44 PM, said:

https://www.theteleg...w-chesterfield/

Excellent spaffing, Mandeville

[Osborne again]

Well, we didn't even turn up first half, although it didn't help when the officials were so biased towards Bradford you'd have thought they'd travelled by the team coach.
I know we're short on the right back position,but as soon as Mandy moves further forward, we start to play football and it drives others on.
Great comeback and we were unlucky not to win at the end, although 7 minutes extra time should have been more like double that. Some good performances, mostly in the second half, including Metcalf, Mandy, Grigg and Grimes when he came on. I daren't check my blood pressure after that.

[dim view]

prolurker, on 21 April 2025 - 05:44 PM, said:

Gordon has to play last 2 games, we looked so much more balanced when he came on.

Correct. Araujo is not a better LB than Gordon so that experiment needs to stop. I hope today also marks the end of the 'Mandy at RB' era. Sent forward second half he was simply superb. He's irreplaceable.

[Exharboroughspireite]

dim view, on 21 April 2025 - 05:56 PM, said:

Correct. Araujo is not a better LB than Gordon so that experiment needs to stop. I hope today also marks the end of the 'Mandy at RB' era. Sent forward second half he was simply superb. He's irreplaceable.

Problem is we don’t have another right back at the club who is currently fit. Mandy is there to stay I think for the last 2 games.

[azul]

dim view, on 21 April 2025 - 05:56 PM, said:

Correct. Araujo is not a better LB than Gordon so that experiment needs to stop. I hope today also marks the end of the 'Mandy at RB' era. Sent forward second half he was simply superb. He's irreplaceable.

He is wasted at right back but who are you replacing him with?

[Lincs Spireite]

azul, on 21 April 2025 - 05:59 PM, said:

He is wasted at right back but who are you replacing him with?

So what's up with VDC. He played in a reserve game.