[lesgeo]

If Cox has learned from Tuesday about the need to create chances – there is some small cause to be a tad optimistic.
I hope Manny is fit!

[lesgeo]

Wootton was rarely played as a CF but pushed out wide – something which ruined better than he.

As for the Chairman departing – it is most difficult to see us ‘out of the frying pan and into any fire’.
We are a club dying on its feet. We have a wealthy owner, uttering platitudes when bottom of the 92 and losing fans for fun – who to me, seems unbothered by this current disastrous situation.
If this assessment is in any way correct – it is hard to see what type of new chairman might be expected to do worse.

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Iron-awe, Sanfran49, alcazar

[lesgeo]

Always cover your back. Cass is right.

[lesgeo]

Still this total anti-Hippo stuff. He’s certainly no world-beater – we all know that but – give the lad some credit when it’s due.
Never having seen him before, there’s more than a few who’d have praised him for last night.
He’s an honest player who, if he can be a bit better with the final pass, can be an asset.
He has surely outplayed Green this season but I certainly do wonder how he gets away with all of the foul throws when hurling it a distance.

Loft. Same issues with those who gave him no credit last season. I saw a pretty decent-looking CF last night.

I suspect, however, that this may have all happened as the higher division side perhaps offered a bit more space than we tend to get in the 4th Division. We shall see at Harrogate.

[lesgeo]

If Cox wants to play 3 CBs – and we need a holding midfield player – let’s try Davis in that role.

[lesgeo]

Yeah. Good performance from the team – it may sound daft – but 4 – 1 was very unfair on us.
Ref was below standard and demonstrated double standards.
Hippo best display of the season.
Loft held the forwards together.
Movement and forward passing movements were the best of the season by far.
Hallam showed some real intelligence up front and crossover movement of Hippo and Green confused defenders. When did we last do anything like that?
Match fitness approaching for Loft, Thompson and Hallam.

A small shoot of optimism sticking its head up from below ground?

[lesgeo]

I thought that with the second goal, it was a question of CM leaving defenders stranded.

[lesgeo]

BFB makes a very strong point – one we have become all too familiar with in recent seasons.

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alcazar, BarnardFoxtonBarker..

[lesgeo]

We weren’t terrible but, yet again, incredibly ordinary.

[lesgeo]

How can the manager fail to resign?
What other honourable course has he remaining to him?

Mr Swann – please put the club up for sale. It appears to be the only thing which can save us. On our current path, the club is not heading just for another relegation – but extinction.
Everything you touch seems to be turning to ashes.
Perhaps you may care to read my advice to the manager.

(Incidentally, as with 80%+ of our loan signings over recent years – they are adding precious little to the team.)

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inspector, bartonscorpion, BarnardFoxtonBarker.., Peter Promise, Iron-awe, alcazar, vader, iron64

[lesgeo]

I tend to agree, BLT.
Taft would not make it into my 4-4-2 when all are fit.

[lesgeo]

Somebody who can organise and motivate, please.
Am not asking for a genius – just someone who can do the basics – and preferably, before the next match.

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bartonscorpion, alcazar

[lesgeo]

Okay. Very bad timing but I’ve come to the end.
I said originally – Neil was entitled to stay til October – well the next league game IS October.
Time’s up.
Not a great team but a willing one. They just need to be organised and we’ll escape the drop.
Anybody who is capable of organising out there?
McMahon?
Andy Crosby anyone?

[lesgeo]

The balance may well end up being better than last week.
At least Millen has 90 minutes under his belt. Improvement.
Hackney out. Improvement.
A likely 442. Might well be an improvement.

Injury list creeping up. Seriously need a high power game behind closed doors to improve a number returning and needing game time.

[lesgeo]

There are many hundreds of AWGs out there – all using their democratic right to stay away.

[lesgeo]

You do make a sound point.

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Ferrite

[lesgeo]

IF (and a truly giant IF, I admit) the three CBs stay fit, the defence will be basically okay.
I confess to being a bit underwhelmed by Taft whose form does seem to have slipped since he arrived.
I do sometimes wonder, however, whether the extent of damage to players is jointly a confidence thing and the systems played.
The FB issues should, hopefully, soon be remedied.
Loft and Scrimshaw may well work to at least a reasonable extent.
We have decent enough midfielders and yet we always look as if the opposition is going to have either a field day or 60%+ possession – or maybe both.
Non-functioning midfields create unnecessary pressures on the defence and fail to supply chances to forwards. Familiar?
The biggest single problem we have is in the organisation and selection of our midfield.
Trying to to be a bit logical – I can’t see why this squad should not survive with a bit to spare.
One way or another, systems need to be better geared to the players we have.

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cassidystash, vader, alcazar

[lesgeo]

The tragedy is – this was nowhere near our best team.
Manny back as CB, Rowe to RB (please!), drop Hackney (if at all possible), Beestin AND Perry (I know – not ideal).
Those changes would make a huge difference.

This stinks of mismanagement. The team structure was destroyed and genuine attempts must be made to restore it to the previous dizzy heights of adequacy.

Yesterday was like having only eight or nine men on the pitch. Little wonder so many players ended up with shocking marks.

BTW – great use of the marking system, Samways. That’s how it should be. Really captured the essence of what happened. (Not his fault but I could not have given Millen as high as a 3.)

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bartonscorpion, Sanfran49

[lesgeo]

I thought Davies was at fault for their first but have just watched the highlights.
The forward pass was a simply exquisite ‘assist’ and took both GK and Davies out of the equation – leaving Jaye on for a terrific goal.

No arguments about the other three goals, though. A total disgrace.

What was the thinking over Millen? I’m not blaming the lad himself coz he was knackered half way through the first half but having a quarter fit defender on the pitch was actually worse than having ten men. It was not just match fitness, either.
Another week of fitness training may do it for Millen – but he still needs a full behind closed doors game against tough opposition to get him anywhere approaching match fitness.

An appalling decision. I am assuming Lillis did not pick the team.

If we are compelled to play Hackney every match for half a season – we are done for.

If we can play our best team next week – things should change. BTW – why no news on Loft?

[lesgeo]

I have tried my level best to take an optimistic view. My mistake.
Pessimists are never really disappointed.

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Awaywego

[lesgeo]

Absence of Pugh – inexplicable. Is the lad being punished for showing guts?
Is Hackney really worth a start?
Will Manny’s return make a difference?

I await marks for players with great interest.

[lesgeo]

Okay. Had enough.
Give him two more games.

[lesgeo]

I meant Taft. Sorry. The brain cell is going.

[lesgeo]

I am sorry for Neil feeling that he has to play 5 at the back.
Unless we play 4-1-3-2 with Davis in front of the defence, his options seem more limited this year than last – for some reason.
He really wants to include Davis, Manny and Loft. I get that. (What he does next week may be more problematic with the sending off.) But who is the third CB he can play? – Not Rowe unless things are very bad.

Green staying on looked an odd call.
Hackney did okay in a difficult situation, the like of which he’s never experienced before – but needed to come off at half time.
Questions can legitimately be asked about what he was trying to achieve yesterday with the decisions we witnessed.

[lesgeo]

How many times did Devarn fail to take on a man to get in a cross or a run at goal?
Times-a-many, he would face a single defender. If he is as fast as we think – why not just push the ball past the man and take him on using his speed. If he were able to have outpaced the marker, we might have had a great many more scoring opportunities.
Recycling the ball when you can skin the defender does seem rather odd.

Question – is he really that pacey?

If he’s scared to make a mistake – then he must not be in the side. Forwards have to play the percentages if chances are to be made. Losing the ball up front occasionally whilst trying to mount an attack is just an occupational hazard.

Must now revert to the bench and learn that if he comes on as a sub, he will be required to make a difference. Continuity play is little use to a side not creating chances.

[lesgeo]

I now have a feeling that a four man defence could make us more vulnerable.
Three CBs who generally gel together has worked.
It looks like four at the back is going to be forced onto us for the next match, however.

[lesgeo]

One of the three co-founders in 2015 referred to her and another co-founder as being ‘trained Marxists.’

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billpuntonsghost

[lesgeo]

Using a marxist-originated symbol in a country which spent decades under communist rule was none too bright.
Cricket is one of a number of sports which now often make gestures for decent behaviour without all the baggage.
The first I reject; the second has my unqualified approval.

[lesgeo]

It was good to recapture a little bit of the flavour, Fe. Thanks.

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Ferrite

[lesgeo]

Harper goal was offside. A little hard to tell on that video but still looked dodgy.
For me – both the penalties not given – should have been. The one that was given shouldn’t have been.

[Author]

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