One of Warney's boys on here said our manager isn't an idiot. Well why did he play Jones at left back when Olosunde did nothing wrong when he played there. January transfer window did us. I didn't want Tilt & two wide man brought in on loan bring nothing to the side. Unlucky with Ihiekwe being injured but Mattock not been good enough this season, needed a left back in. We'll be lucky to make play-offs but we never wanted to go up that's obvious.

TC I'm not rejoicing. I want us to be the best we can be. As I've said January transfer window was a non-event. What can you expect when you have the chance to improve the squad & you don't.

here here TC he is poison.

Shocking performance today,,I've seen nothing the last 4 weeks that remotely suggests we are good enough to be where we are. I said it last week about Smith & Ladapo, once again the class above Ogbene is made to look like he can't cross cos these guys haven't a clue how to gamble and get on the end of crosses. Time to seek other solutions than Smith, that was schoolboy what he did today and at a crucial stage in the game. We'll be lucky if we scrape the play offs

Is Mattock still doing his dj job ?

A poor result yesterday of that there is no doubt. A strange looking bare pitch which they appeared to adapt to better than us. We fielded a back four that struggled with balls over the top all day. When you have players like Ihiekwe, Olosunde and mattock out you have lost the pace that can deal with it. Mattock is much maligned on here but when he is in the left back position he can get it down the line first time and can also hit a wide left cross in. We had neither of that yesterday. Tilt looked well off the pace and needs time which we haven't got. He was only on the pitch up to 1-0 so cannot field much of the blame. Thompson looks better as a full back than central defender. In the centre he appears to see things a bit late and it all looks a bit rushed.

Ogbene had a good start and looked a real threat. He faded in the second half. The worrying fact is what has already been said. Our two strikers today just couldn't either read his crosses or were not prepared to gamble to get on the end of them. Gwru states Warney wanted to get rid of Vassell. This of course is not true. We actually turned down a very good offer for him because our manager sees him as something different to what we have got. I will leave Gwru with this fact( i know he ignores them). We have not won against Coventry, MK, and Rochdale, without Vassell starting. Our last win against Accrington we started with Vassel l!!

our midfield (middle of park) looked to get out muscled, Crooks had very little influence and Lindsay although willing looked like a boy against men. He was badly out fought for their second goal. His balls into the box from wide were very poor. He is a work in progress. We missed the calmness and the precision of Barlaser yesterday.... I have to give credit to Rochdale, They had a game plan,closed us down quick, won more second balls than us and defended very well. They also took their chances well. We had more of the ball, more shots and more corners. However, apart from the poor decison by Smith we never really looked like we were in total control or any control really.

Obviously facts and gwru do not mix Whiston, as you observes and predicted. I agree with Whistons overall assessment other than that I thought Crooks did ok and won the ball quite often, particularly in the first half, to get us on the front foot. The Vassell/Ladapo thing is a paradox. Ladapo scores more often when he plays fewer minutes. That leads to calls for him to start, which I understand, but really it is about us doing what we need to do to win games and Vassell starting and Ladapo coming on was working. Lindsay is playing in the same side that Barlaser has been playing in. He might be a bit ring rusty and he isnt the same sort of player as Barlaser so comparisons might be a bit unfair, but we certainly missed Barlaser and Lindsay certainly struggled to impact the game much. I felt for him a bit with the second goal. He was caught on the ball and out muscled but it fell to him under a bit of pressure in a little part of the pitch that was particularly sandy and more pudding like than the rest. The pitch was awful but that is no excuse. Rochdale adapted to it and deserves their win. I'm not one for blaming individuals when we lose (I'm not suggesting Whiston is either- he is one of the most rational posters on here). Collectively we fell short yesterday.

splinter wrote:

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Is Mattock still doing his dj job ?

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 ...it does make you wonder splinter... I'm probably doing him an injustice, but as I've said before, he does seem like the "person you know at work who has too many days off with 'a poorly tummy' "...

We have though let ourselves down in the January transfer window as it was plain to see that left back was a position that only Mattock can play a decent game, and without him we are very very poor on the left (take a look at their 1st goal yesterday..)

I wasn't there, but on the highlights , we looked half the team we've been lately and shocking at the back. If Mattock isn't fit for next game I'd put Wiles back there, he's no full back but he has some pace to get back in position. I'd also put Olusunde alongside Wood and Thompson at right back, and hope Barlaser is back to play alongside Crooks...

We really really need a win Saturday, players need a lift too to get back in winning ways.. There are no easy games, but this is a test for the manager and players to respond after this worst performance for a long while.

We are in a great position if we can get back on track.

UTM

 

We knew that they would play over the top and we had no pace in our CB so why not play two of our fast players at FB.