To put it simply we are not as good as we all thought. We got found out big time against another well organised side.
The management do not know their best 11 this is proven with the amount of half time subs we have had to do in the last three games. Changes need to be made before the season tails off.
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Not fluent first, last from third, ridden after three out, soon weakened.
Well you cannot blame the keeper, he played well, but the guys just in front looked tooo slow to me, I wonder if Coyle will be in the starting line up next week? Midfield was non-existent, apart from Jo who showed his class on occasions, as for the attack - well lost S of running around but way too much of it was to little purpose.
for me we were outplayed in every department as as stated elsewhere we are obviously not as good as we thought, with the games coming up I can't see us gaining any points, on this performance, until after New Years, so we will be sliding down the table again.
I think playing Archie as a winger rather than left back was a bad move.
He has only recently secured a first team start and today's performance will do nothing for his confidence.
I am as guilty as the next man, because I thought his ability to put in a decent cross made this position ideal.
However, it clearly isn't and the management should have realised this and had a plan B, by being able to drop him back.
Goldburg plays well when he has someone to play off of/alongside.
We are a thin side and when people are absent it hurts.
As for the Monakana doubters, it wouldn't have been so severe today if he was playing.
This conitinual change with players week in week out needs to stop.
I couldn't care less who we are playing, just start with your most effective eleven.
Thought Nanetti put in a decent shift today compared to the rest of the outfield.
He is never going to be a World Cup star, but at least he was prepared to take the ball and run at a player.
Spot on above re Archie. He had a poor game but he was no worse than most of the others. Harry Phipps was awful first half. I feel we are a better side with Bradbrook in it and it showed in the second half as up to the red card, we had a better shape and looked a better side. Dymond was an idiot with his first yellow, charging over to the ref. Totally avoidable and ultimately put an end to any comeback with his second yellow. Sloppy today and need to get back to basics quickly.
To put it simply we are not as good as we all thought. We got found out big time against another well organised side.
The management do not know their best 11 this is proven with the amount of half time subs we have had to do in the last three games. Changes need to be made before the season tails off.
As i have said after those games, tactically poor. We need one formation and to stick with it. All this setting up differently home/away at this level is nonsense at this level.
I cant remember the last time i see us dictate a game, we just let the other team do what they want, far to easy for opposition every week, how about we play football and make the oppo have to react!!!
I don't think we won a second ball all game either which is a joke when you are pumping balls up to a 5"6 striker, the midfield should be expecting it back at them every time!
Distribution from the back is terrible, and fullbacks constantly giving the ball away 5 yards from our box when trying to clear from corner flag area.
Goldberg actually had a alright game today got the ball down well, couple decent chances and worked hard, just nobody with 10 yards of him half the time and 2/3 of there players around him
JP was terrible today, hot potato every time ball come near him from in the air when he had time to bring it down and more often or not straight back to opposition. I think the only time he completed a pass was sideways, coyle says about changes well there are two CB's on the bench and maybe he needs dropping for a kick up the arse.
At the meet the manager evening Parky reckoned that he and Coyle were the 1 and 2 best central defenders at the club. Maybe its time to try out 3 and 4 because 1 and 2 were poor on Saturday. Surely they cant be any worse.
Parky may be at top qualified UEFA coach but his decision making, passing and heading on Saturday were shockingly poor. Time to have a seat in the stand and get a better overall view of the game and apply his skills to coaching rather than playing.
Whatever formation we are trying to play doesnt work. Time to change it and forget about picking a team best suited to the way the opposition play. Up front Bradbrook and Goldberg or Eli Phipps and Goldberg will cause teams problems. I may be wrong but was every shot Goldberg had on Saturday on target? With a wee bit of luck he could have scored a few. Players need a few games playing along side a regular partner to gel. Weve seen glimpses of what Bradbrook and Goldberg could do together, at Bath they were tearing the defence to shreds before injuries forced both out for a good 4-6 weeks. Okay they might not have scored in that match but if they had stayed on the pitch then Im sure they would have.
Also at the meet the manager evening it was said that Archie is better going forward with the ball from defence than receiving it with his back to goal further forward, so why play him further forward? Square pegs for round holes. Olu is there to break up the play and give a the ball to those players who can pass it better was also said. Thats all good when there is someone around for him to pass too, too often its a pass back to Parky who just hoofs it up the pitch to no one in particular. We need a solid 3 in midfield with 1 winger given freedom to play anywhere across the pitch. But that winger MUST track back and help the rest of the midfield. We have 2/3 wingers who could go the job, give them 60-70 minutes to run themselves to a standstill then sub him for another who can do the same for the remainder of the match. We all know what JM can do going forward, the opposition know as well so double or treble mark him. That should create space for our other players to exploit.
We have talented individuals in our squad but its time for them to show what that they can do for the team not just for themselves.
I can take losing a match if the players put in the effort but when I see players not prepared to give it 100% effort then get them off the pitch and give someone else a chance.
With the next 4 matches against teams currently 4th,6th and top of the division I fear we will get 0 pts out of a possible 12pts.
I hope I am wrong and we can take something from these games but Im not going g to be holding my breath.
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All postings lubricated by The Door Hinge Ale House 11 Welling High Street
Right where do we start with that drivel we were served up on Saturday....?! Outthought, outfought and, quite simply at times, bullied.
First and foremost we played poorly and East Thurrock thoroughly deserved the win. We started slowly (again) and could have been two or three down but for some great saves from the young keeper. I can't quite fathom what the management brains trust are trying to do with the personnel and/or formation but let's start with the two Phipps lads..
One has been missing for the best part of two months with a serious injury, has played precious little football and yet is thrown in to start the game. I liked the lad in his first spell and, to be fair to him on Saturday, it was not his fault as he clearly was nowhere near ready to start this game. Jebb always seems to be the fall guy when there are changes - is it easier to leave him out and say something about him "not tracking runners" as I saw precious little of anyone tracking runners in the first half hour on Saturday?! And what of the other Phipps - we seem to prefer the formation of one out and out forward with Healy in support. Of the three forward players we have one is tall and good in the air but maybe not the most mobile, one is short and has pace and good movement but needs more support while the third is tall, has some pace and good movement. The third played this role at Havant, played well and we won. He also played the role at Weston, scored and we won. He started the game in that role at Gloucester and we won. He came on in that role at St Albans, set up a goal, nearly scored one himself and we won. He came on against Concord, scored twice and we almost won. His reward for all that..........a start as left wing and then back to the bench the following week! Another case of being easier to leave out than either of the other two...??
Apart from the keeper and Goldberg and maybe Healy nobody should be happy with their efforts on Saturday - it says it all when the keeper gets motm in a 0-3 home defeat! Parky was simply awful - hollywood passes in the first half in the rough direction of a midget centre forward and completely bullied out of it for the second goal. We hardly made a tackle all game and certainly hardly won a second ball - unless you count the "tackle" our skipper made when already on a yellow card for manhandling the referee - we were still in the game at that point but that sort of idiotic behaviour beggars belief. I think we moved Olu to right back and threw on another couple of attacking players although it was difficult to tell what was going on as they all seemed to be chasing after the ball like a bunch of Under 10's over Danson Park on a Sunday. Bradbrook came on at half time and we went long to him but got nobody within 20 yards of him to win the knock downs. Nanetti put two decent balls in second half but was his infuriating self for most of the game - please don't associate work rate with running around like a headless chicken and bottling tackles. Johnson has been better of later but had a poor game as well and turned some promising positions into unpromising ones very quickly and lacked any conviction in his play.
And then to put the cherry on the cake I get to listen to 10 minutes from the assistant manager - half of which were platitudes and tired old clichés and the other half of which was analysis of some of the opposition players and how they did this and that. Listen mate - I am not interested in how they played - I am a lot more interested in what you and the rest of the coaching staff are going to do with our players. I don't buy this square pegs in round holes rubbish either - this is the National South and we don't have squads of 25+ players with two for every position. Every club has to compromise and try different things with formations and tactics week on week. If the round pegs aren't doing the business then try a square peg or change a few of the pegs completely.
We weren't a great team when we won 6 in a row. We aren't a s**t team because we have lost 2 in a row. The management team (and I am not sure 4 different voices on matchdays is a help or hindrance...) need to get a team on the park who will compete week in week out - we know there is the quality but it needs to be backed up by effort and commitment week in week out. This is an ordinary league and we are more than capable of a play off place but not if we get too many repeats of the last two weekends.
Rant over!
-- Edited by Wingnut on Monday 4th of December 2017 10:10:16 AM
