[monte]

I know we need strengthening at Centre Back but Grimes was in the national league team of the season this year.

I guess Cook doesn't know what he's doing brining in players and developing players who were already here...

[Norton Blue]

monte, on 29 May 2024 - 02:56 PM, said:

I know we need strengthening at Centre Back but Grimes was in the national league team of the season this year.

I guess Cook doesn't know what he's doing brining in players and developing players who were already here...

You think Cook doesn?t know what he?s doing?

Personally I?d be replacing the entire back 4. None good enough to ensure promotion next year. Grimes was exposed against the better strikers in the conference, just that there aren?t that many of them, and that challenge will only be more frequent with the step up.

[Cosmo Kramer]

Norton Blue, on 29 May 2024 - 04:41 PM, said:

You think Cook doesn?t know what he?s doing?

Personally I?d be replacing the entire back 4. None good enough to ensure promotion next year. Grimes was exposed against the better strikers in the conference, just that there aren?t that many of them, and that challenge will only be more frequent with the step up.

I may just be mis-remembering but I feel like we actually looked more solid against the better teams and strikers than we did against the lesser lights where we thought we could defend 10 yards in to their half. I'm not saying that we don't need some added quality at the back, we do, but I think it will also be interesting to see what an adjustment in tactics might do to improve our solidity next year. We hardly looked over-run versus higher league teams in the cup, did we?

[RN Blue]

 Norton Blue, on 29 May 2024 - 04:41 PM, said:

You think Cook doesn?t know what he?s doing?

Personally I?d be replacing the entire back 4. None good enough to ensure promotion next year. Grimes was exposed against the better strikers in the conference, just that there aren?t that many of them, and that challenge will only be more frequent with the step up.

We only conceded 40 goals in league 2 when Cooky took us up, big ask to cut out a third of goals against this coming season with our current back 3/4/5.

[Osborne again]

 monte, on 29 May 2024 - 02:56 PM, said:

I know we need strengthening at Centre Back but Grimes was in the national league team of the season this year.

I guess Cook doesn't know what he's doing brining in players and developing players who were already here...

That's what we need to do, develop players. Grimes is more than a decent centre half for league two. I'd like to see Freckleton here and another equally decent right sided defender too.

[JonB]

To be fair on the back four/centre backs this season they didn?t get a lot of protection from midfield or even the full backs at times unless Mike Jones played and we played slightly differently. I suspect cook won?t have us as open next season but like when we had morsy and Ryan in front of the centre backs years ago.

[Norton Blue]

RN Blue, on 29 May 2024 - 05:08 PM, said:

We only conceded 40 goals in league 2 when Cooky took us up, big ask to cut out a third of goals against this coming season with our current back 3/4/5.

Exactly. Half of the national league had a better defensive record than what we managed last season.

[tomjoad]

And we finished Champions

[Norton Blue]

Cosmo Kramer, on 29 May 2024 - 05:06 PM, said:

I may just be mis-remembering but I feel like we actually looked more solid against the better teams and strikers than we did against the lesser lights where we thought we could defend 10 yards in to their half. I'm not saying that we don't need some added quality at the back, we do, but I think it will also be interesting to see what an adjustment in tactics might do to improve our solidity next year. We hardly looked over-run versus higher league teams in the cup, did we?

You might be wanting to take a look at the goals conceded against the top 6-7 sides. We shipped quite a few goals against them.

[HaslandBlue58]

 Cosmo Kramer, on 29 May 2024 - 05:06 PM, said:

I may just be mis-remembering but I feel like we actually looked more solid against the better teams and strikers than we did against the lesser lights where we thought we could defend 10 yards in to their half. I'm not saying that we don't need some added quality at the back, we do, but I think it will also be interesting to see what an adjustment in tactics might do to improve our solidity next year. We hardly looked over-run versus higher league teams in the cup, did we?

A thoughtful analysis of fact may be misplaced with some of our contributors.I have concerns on what we witnessed last season, defensively,as will most Spireites,but surely we are not niieve enough to think PC and his team are not setting up for next season in a way that will bring more success than failure?

[dtp]

Norton Blue, on 29 May 2024 - 06:24 PM, said:

You might be wanting to take a look at the goals conceded against the top 6-7 sides. We shipped quite a few goals against them.

I prefer to look at the number of goals we scored during the season. I believe we scored more than any other team in the league. I also believe we had a better goal difference than any other team in the league.

So, yes, we may have conceded more goals than we would have liked but, tactically, we were set up to score plenty of goals and leave our 2 CBs isolated and exposed to counter attacks.

Cook has said he knows we have to tighten up defensively in the coming season. Whilst this might be addressed with personnel it, no doubt, will be addressed tactically as well. There are very few CB pairings that would have coped with our open plan defensive set up last season. It should be borne in mind that even Jones found himself no longer having nose bleeds when finding himself on the edge of our oppositions penalty area.

Whilst I?m expecting further additions to the squad I am also expecting Grimes to start the season as one of our CBs.

[60s 70s Spireite]

RN Blue, on 29 May 2024 - 05:08 PM, said:

We only conceded 40 goals in league 2 when Cooky took us up, big ask to cut out a third of goals against this coming season with our current back 3/4/5.

And our goal difference was only 31 goals v 41 this last season.
Clearly goals for us come at the expense of goals against. I?m sure Cook will aim to get the balance right this next season, just as he did this last.

[Mr Mercury]

Norton Blue, on 29 May 2024 - 06:24 PM, said:

You might be wanting to take a look at the goals conceded against the top 6-7 sides. We shipped quite a few goals against them.

Over and done, I?ll judge next season next season and if we keep the same defence and get tanked then Cook will deserve any criticism, if we keep the same defence and / or strengthen and have a successful season then I?m sure he?ll get the credit he deserves.

[Brookie]

It never ceases to amaze me the number of experts who know what needs to be done before they know team format, players or tactics to be employed in league 2 as determined by the manager.

I say it every year, give it 10 games in anger before making a judgment

[Osborne again]

 Brookie, on 29 May 2024 - 08:50 PM, said:

It never ceases to amaze me the number of experts who know what needs to be done before they know team format, players or tactics to be employed in league 2 as determined by the manager.

I say it every year, give it 10 games in anger before making a judgment

Correct, I think we'd make a decent go of things in league 2 with what we've got now plus the addition of a few decent under 21 prospects.

[metallilad]

For crying out loud, how many times does it have to be said by the management team that they knew the style of football last season left the defence isolated but went all out to outscore the opponents.
The tactics people, it was virtually all the tactics why we conceded so many goals. You have got to trust a manager that wins championships.

[Phil V 72]

 metallilad, on 30 May 2024 - 06:26 AM, said:

For crying out loud, how many times does it have to be said by the management team that they knew the style of football last season left the defence isolated but went all out to outscore the opponents.
The tactics people, it was virtually all the tactics why we conceded so many goals. You have got to trust a manager that wins championships.

True, but it?s also not unreasonable to think the management team have one eye on an upgrade in all of the back 4 positions. They should always be looking to improve the side, and while loyalty is a factor to players who have served us well, we know they all have weaknesses in their game. If the right player comes along at the right time/price we also have to trust the manager on these types of calls as and when they (inevitably) arise.