The Pre Season So Far

[Apollo11]

Deereyme66 wrote:

‘The defence looked all at odds a couple of times’.

I’m intrigued by this point Apollo as, according to Stuart Maw, the defence looked ‘solid and composed’

Would you say apart from those couple of times, it was okay?. Or is ‘strong and composed’ over positivity talking?

Perhaps I am being slightly pessimistic or am harder to please? Or perhaps what Maw says is PD wristband talk?

[Deereyme66]

Your takes are appreciated MKI and Apollo. Obviously defence was an achilles heel last season and needs to tighten up early doors this one.

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alcazar

[Apollo11]

Deereyme66 wrote:

Your takes are appreciated MKI and Apollo. Obviously defence was an achilles heel last season and needs to tighten up early doors this one.

I’ll stop some way short of saying we looked “off it”, but there appears to be quite a bit of work to do in all departments. We made quite hard work of things at times.

[cassidystash]

Rene Artois wrote:

MK Iron wrote:

To get to last seasons levels we have got to somehow replace the 20 ish goals Roberts typically contributed.

Start Dec in every game – play him for the full 90 mins … and he will smash your 20 goals target!

Not if he misses the kind of chances he missed last night. He could have played himself out of a starting spot.

2 users thanked author for this post.

alcazar, Rene Artois

[Cliff Byrne’s Right Peg]

Got a feeling we may line up 4-2-3-1 next Saturday as a way of accommodating Beestin/Gale in the 10 role. Reduces the urgency of bringing in another centre mid if we have Rowley/Richards/Butterfield/Rose competing for 2 positions too.

Only attended 1 friendly and never look to take anything serious from them,
must admit I was impressed with the strength in depth we had in both halves, as alluded too above Butler has a task choosing a starting 11. If there is one area I’d like to see strengthened it’s some competition up front for Whitehall/Howe.

Some sides have splashed the cash but that’s got to be mitigated by York/Rochdale both being promoted- on paper the league is as open as any for quite a number of years. I doubt we have the quality to be worrying about a title charge but reaching the playoffs should certainly be the ambition once again.

[Rene Artois]

Cliff Byrne’s Right Peg wrote:

on paper the league is as open as any for quite a number of years.

The bookies have Carlisle as the clear favourites for the title.

They are 9/4 with Bet Victor & Billy Hills.

Their second favs are both listed at 5/1… Hartlepool (BV), Boreham Wood (WH)

They flip those two for their third favs.

We are odds on for a top 7 finish.
I think Stan and the Board would be happy with that?

Last seasons NLS Champions, Worthing are 100/1 to win it. 1/4 the odds for a top 3 finish.

Likewise the NLN Champions, Fylde are the same price.

Fylde bagged 112 goals, had a plus 61 goal difference, finishing with 100 points.

A top 7 finish for one or maybe even both is probably more realistic, as 2 (Iron & Wood) of the play off teams were freshly promoted to last season’s NL.

I think I’ll have £2.50 ew on the two newcomers … 25/1 for finishing 2nd or 3rd is ‘tasty’

[Iron-awe]

Don’t remember the bookies having us down as finishing fifth last season although I’m sure you will correct me Rene if it’s wrong 🤔 my point being the bookies don’t always get it right.

[Rene Artois]

Iron-awe wrote:

Don’t remember the bookies having us down as finishing fifth last season although I’m sure you will correct me Rene if it’s wrong – my point being the bookies don’t always get it right.

Absolutely IA!
It’s played out on grass, not a bookies ledger.

[PhilAnders]

Looking at this and other threads where a Season Starting line up has been proposed, no one has advanced an argument for wingbacks, people have suggested 433, 424 or even 42121. All have looked positive and attacking. People have their favourites and different players have been suggested. I could not argue against any of the proposed line ups for they all have one thing in common, they play to our attacking strengths not try to cover our defensive weaknesses. With 100 points plus the target, that’s the way we need to play, with a “we are going to score more goals than you” attitude. I think AB will start that way on Saturday. He’ll want a high tempo game with us quickly and accurately moving the ball into the final third to whip it into the box or create a scoring opportunity from outside. From attacking set pieces he will require us to be much more of a threat. What could derail us, is lots of near misses and scraping of the woodwork, and a Yeovil keeper having a Worldie. And then, completely against the run of play, a Yeovil break out wide, a good ball into the box and a strike to take us 0-1. The reaction of the players and crowd after this will be crucial. Positivity Dave will have his hands full at that point methinks!

[cassidystash]

PhilAnders wrote:

Looking at this and other threads where a Season Starting line up has been proposed, no one has advanced an argument for wingbacks

Could be because we don’t have any?

[alcazar]

Butler may START with an attacking lineup, but we all know that he’s phone to trying to sit on a one goal lead… often with the expected result: the opposition equalise, or even get two.
Cowardly football.

[Iron-awe]

Butler is no different to any young manager learning the job he will try things he believes to be correct and will learn from things that don’t work. Not every opponent fits into a neat little box which suits us just playing one way all the time, he will make mistakes and make correct calls just like any manager,I will judge over the season and not preempt before a ball is kicked in anger.

[alcazar]

And last season?
Did he learn?
Of did he repeat his mistakes?
Was he humble when it was OBVIOUSLY costing us points?
Or was he arrogant?
Did he tell a supporter who shouted at him to “sort it out”, to **** off, or not?
No.
I’ll NOT give him the benefit of ANY doubt.
He cost us the champions spot last season and never acknowledged it, nor apologised.
Needs to be gone.

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Rene Artois

[Rene Artois]

alcazar wrote:

He cost us the champions spot last season…

We were 26 points behind York – they had a plus 73 goal difference, ours was a mere plus 15!

A 58 goals positive differential in York’s favour.

We were miles adrift!

[Iron-awe]

He was still learning last season in fact in truth you never stop learning unless of course certain people are arrogant to think they know it all, which they don’t.

[MK Iron]

I think Alcy was referring to the season before.

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alcazar

[Northumbiron]

alcazar wrote:

Needs to be gone.

Which boils down to the same old question, “who do we get to replace him.”

We can’t afford a decent set of football strips never mind a decent manager!

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alcazar, Rene Artois

[Iron-awe]

MK Iron wrote:

I think Alcy was referring to the season before.

Can’t have it both ways it was last season he is meant to have told the fan to f*** off but the season before we got promoted. Either way both of Butlers seasons in charge have been deemed a success particularly finishing fifth last season budget wise , just can’t please some folk.

[MK Iron]

Looks like Fitz is third choice now at Northampton. Time for a cheeky loan request?

[alcazar]

Northumbiron wrote:

alcazar wrote:

Needs to be gone.

Which boils down to the same old question, “who do we get to replace him.”

We can’t afford a decent set of football strips never mind a decent manager!

Oh come on!
This sort of comment is on a psr with, “If Steve Wharton leaves, no one will come”.
And then there were two…

[Iron-awe]

As I have said before his first two seasons in charge have been successful and that is how the board and the majority of fair minded fans will be seeing it IMO. Why sack a guy who is doing well in his job?

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steelworks iron, cassidystash

[Apollo11]

PhilAnders wrote:

Looking at this and other threads where a Season Starting line up has been proposed, no one has advanced an argument for wingbacks, people have suggested 433, 424 or even 42121. All have looked positive and attacking. People have their favourites and different players have been suggested. I could not argue against any of the proposed line ups for they all have one thing in common, they play to our attacking strengths not try to cover our defensive weaknesses. With 100 points plus the target, that’s the way we need to play, with a “we are going to score more goals than you” attitude. I think AB will start that way on Saturday. He’ll want a high tempo game with us quickly and accurately moving the ball into the final third to whip it into the box or create a scoring opportunity from outside. From attacking set pieces he will require us to be much more of a threat. What could derail us, is lots of near misses and scraping of the woodwork, and a Yeovil keeper having a Worldie. And then, completely against the run of play, a Yeovil break out wide, a good ball into the box and a strike to take us 0-1. The reaction of the players and crowd after this will be crucial. Positivity Dave will have his hands full at that point methinks!

Only just caught up on this thread so just read this. Absolutely agree – and, furthermore, I think there could be no finer tribute to Kevin Keegan than a season of all-out attack (the “we are going to score more goals than you” attitude mentioned).

[alcazar]

Iron-awe wrote:

As I have said before his first two seasons in charge have been successful and that is how the board and the majority of fair minded fans will be seeing it IMO. Why sack a guy who is doing well in his job?

First season, his cowardice cost us promotion.
Second season, should, and COULD, have been champions.
His arrogance cost us that.
Yes, we got promoted, but that last game could have gone either way.
If it had gone to penalties, who believes we’d have won?
Not I.

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Awaywego

[Awaywego]

Didn’t work at Newcastle though, but I’m fully behind the We’re gonna score more goals than you attitude.

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alcazar

[Iron-awe]

My take on AB is based on facts not maybes or could have done, promotion plus top 5 finish in a higher league over some teams with bigger budgets is a good return for most I’m guessing.

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Rene Artois, steelworks iron

[Awaywego]

I’m afraid his first season we got promotion Alcy, your thinking the Jimmy Dean one which we can’t blame Butler for.
But with you all the way with the rest, threw the championship on the run in Kidderminster, Radcliffe and Kings Lynn being the prime contenders.
Good return no doubt Ironawe if that’s all your happy with, but then again you may as well like watching paint dry.

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alcazar

[Iron-awe]

Guess a person who doesn’t deal in facts is prone to mistakes, bit like knowing your hosepipe ban from your commercial exemption. If watching paint dry brings a promotion and a top five finish against the odds then what colour wall do you want to watch dry would be my question.

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steelworks iron

[Awaywego]

Against your odds maybe but not mine, I fully expected a playoff position last season, explained so many times that watching paint dry is not for me.
Fully understand different fans want/expect different things, your in the PD Positive gang side of things and I’m happy for you, at Marine you’d have creamed your pants coming away with a win where others saw it differently.

[cassidystash]

Marine this time, Chester in an earlier post!! These were 2 seasons ago and you’re still using them as reasons to moan. I didn’t like it when we sold Barrie Thomas to Newcastle when we could have been promoted but I’m not still banging on about it.

[Awaywego]

Not moaning just pointing out that some fans even with a win it’s not the football we want or expect to see coming up against a 2 bit piddle outfits.
Quote, Butler “we won didn’t we”
Marine will live with me forever as the worst performance ever imo from a Scunny team so expect it to be brought up some more whenever it suits.

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