[Frank Thacker]

MP-Spire, on Jan 1 2008, 06:57 PM, said:

First of all, what a festive period it's been for us, we're really back in the mix now.

However, after today's 2nd half performance, alarm bells should be ringing in the corridors of Saltergate. First half, we had a game plan which the players implemented perfectly, the big plus for me was Roachie using Gregor & Cider as outlets instead of opting for the long ball gamble to the forward line. Second half, either the plan was changed at half time or it went out of the window, we gave the ball away far too easily and we made a very poor side look half decent.

Quite a few players were very close to issuing their own P45s today, sadly little guidance came from the bench when the players were up against it.

Happy, but clearly room for improvement!

They seemed to take on more of a 3-4-3 and we didn't seem to read it until the substitutions. (Which took an age to complete again!) The lack of composure was worrying; hopefully we'll have Gray back against Grimsby to help in that respect. What do you reckon - was the situation helped by the replacement of Del in midfield? Everyone - bar Rochey, we must say - looked like they might s**t enough bricks to build the new ground in that last half hour. I think I'd sooner have Hursty in the 87th minute versus Luton every week, than have to watch us defend a lead against a poor side!

This post has been edited by Saltergate Stu: 01 January 2008 - 07:11 PM

[Doughnut]

Have I read the match report correctly that O'Hare came on as a sub and played left midfield, whilst Robertson remained at left back? Surely it would've made more sense to have played O'Hare in the back four?

[Bugerov]

MP-Spire, on Jan 1 2008, 06:57 PM, said:

First of all, what a festive period it's been for us, we're really back in the mix now.

However, after today's 2nd half performance, alarm bells should be ringing in the corridors of Saltergate. First half, we had a game plan which the players implemented perfectly, the big plus for me was Roachie using Gregor & Cider as outlets instead of opting for the long ball gamble to the forward line. Second half, either the plan was changed at half time or it went out of the window, we gave the ball away far too easily and we made a very poor side look half decent.

Quite a few players were very close to issuing their own P45s today, sadly little guidance came from the bench when the players were up against it. Happy, but clearly room for improvement!

This post will be too negative for some to stomach.

[PositiveOmen]

MP-Spire, on Jan 1 2008, 06:57 PM, said:

First of all, what a festive period it's been for us, we're really back in the mix now.

However, after today's 2nd half performance, alarm bells should be ringing in the corridors of Saltergate. First half, we had a game plan which the players implemented perfectly, the big plus for me was Roachie using Gregor & Cider as outlets instead of opting for the long ball gamble to the forward line. Second half, either the plan was changed at half time or it went out of the window, we gave the ball away far too easily and we made a very poor side look half decent.

Quite a few players were very close to issuing their own P45s today, sadly little guidance came from the bench when the players were up against it.

Happy, but clearly room for improvement!

..And yet it may be too positive for most

[Bugerov]

Saltergate Stu, on Jan 1 2008, 07:10 PM, said:

They seemed to take on more of a 3-4-3 and we didn't seem to read it until the substitutions. (Which took an age to complete again!) The lack of composure was worrying; hopefully we'll have Gray back against Grimsby to help in that respect. What do you reckon - was the situation helped by the replacement of Del in midfield? Everyone - bar Rochey, we must say - looked like they might s**t enough bricks to build the new ground in that last half hour. I think I'd sooner have Hursty in the 87th minute versus Luton every week, than have to watch us defend a lead against a poor side!

Some will say 'We won, stop being negative'.
But I agree, to have to cling on to victory at home to a poor Wrexham side is a concern. Why the panic among our players? Do we need a 4-goal cushion to prevent headless chicken syndrome setting in?
I wonder if Rico will drop Downes for Gray after the ban ends.

PositiveOmen, on Jan 1 2008, 07:34 PM, said:

..And yet it may be too positive for most

The main thing is we won, we got 3 points while playing badly (second half). If we are to go up, we have to win matches like this regardless of performance

[geoffmitchell]

I think if it was the same old story we would not have won three points. The extra resilliance instilled into the team since Accrington Stanley is key in my opinion.

Only a few weeks ago folk were saying how great it would be if we stopped gifting games to the opposition, we seem to be moving on the right lines now and 12 from 12 over Christmas is certainly beyond my expectations.

Well done to Lee, Alan and the lads for getting us back on track and giving us the best set of Christmas results for 75 years.

[dim view]

ChrisSnell, on Jan 1 2008, 08:08 PM, said:

What did i see? Well i witnessed us impose ourselves on a Wrexham side bottom of the league, bereft of confidence and essentially waiting to get beat for two thirds of the game, then we gave them a free header in our box, conceded and pressed the panic button.

Let's be honest; despite our dominance, despite all the opprtunities we created, despite the obvious quality of Lester and, to a lesser extent, Ward, if it wasn't for their poor finishing/Roche's good goalkeeping we'd now be talking about more dropped home points against the worst team in the entire football league.

Look folks, i genuinely celebrate the games we've won, the points we've accumulated and our league position. However it seems to be the same old story of failing to kill off poor opponents whilst being vulnerable to sucker punches.

i'd agree with that. The key question though is what to do to stop it. You say that Ward has obvious quality, yet he missed the chances. Winter, who I thought had been our best player, suddenly either couldn't get or didn't want the ball. Leven, Ward, and Kovacs all looked to be carrying knocks. It seemed like everyone got tired at once. I think it makes a big difference when Picken plays, and we have an effecive RHS man in Lowry. With Barnes on the left, we'll be back to our best balance. Our goalie saved us. That's what he's paid for.

[Spireite-Karl]

dim view, on Jan 1 2008, 08:32 PM, said:

i'd agree with that. The key question though is what to do to stop it. You say that Ward has obvious quality, yet he missed the chances. Winter, who I thought had been our best player, suddenly either couldn't get or didn't want the ball. Leven, Ward, and Kovacs all looked to be carrying knocks. It seemed like everyone got tired at once. I think it makes a big difference when Picken plays, and we have an effecive RHS man in Lowry. With Barnes on the left, we'll be back to our best balance. Our goalie saved us. That's what he's paid for.

For once I agree with Chris
Same problems and they need sorting out NOW, not when the window has closed that's to late!

Niven played well until we conceded and then he was back to his old self! Needs replacing in the window!
Winter is improving fast and along with Niven can do a job this season but wether it's from the bench or not Rico needs to work that one out!

Lowry in the middle (would love to see this one instead of Del!) What fantastic composure he has for one so young! How can you call for Picken back! He made Picken look like a muppet today!
Until his big cock up he was my man of the match! With composure like that he ought to get a game or two in the centre!

[Frank Thacker]

latewinner, on Jan 1 2008, 07:36 PM, said:

Some will say 'We won, stop being negative'.

I reckon I've probably got a bit to go before I get to the point of throwing myself off the multi-storey

Quote

Do we need a 4-goal cushion to prevent headless chicken syndrome setting in?

You answer your own question:

Quote

I wonder if Rico will drop Downes for Gray after the ban ends.

I can see the same failings as Chris but I see those failings in a team that has elevated itself to 4th over the last few weeks, and might be in the automatics next Saturday, if two results go our way. We must be doing more right than we are wrong.

Spireite-Karl, on Jan 1 2008, 08:53 PM, said:

Same problems and they need sorting out NOW, not when the window has closed that's to late!

Patience. By Thursday we will have signed two players within three days of the window opening. That's got to be acknowledged as an encouraging start.

ChrisSnell, on Jan 1 2008, 08:08 PM, said:

Don't be afraid of the "Thou shalt not criticise" brigade, just say what you saw.

I'm not, since I'm usually cast as being a member of that group!

[philtooleycfss]

And how many of the other 91 Premier and League clubs won 4 from 4 this Christmas?

NONE!!!!

Well done lads, 22 poor minutes at the end of 360 generally good ones will do me.

As John Duncan said after the Accrington defeat, "I wish my bad spells had as been as good as this one."