[lesgeo]

Green – below par. 5
Hippo – patchy but far better. Worked hard. Contributed. 6.

The main problem with Hippo’s corners was that they were not often attacked.
Not sure that I can recall a single corner that the GK took. For us that’s quite an improvement.

[lesgeo]

That sub winger of theirs would still have got that cross in if marked by a lot better than Pugh.
Can’t imagine why he didn’t start.

Think Hippo looks to be clearly ahead of Green in our pecking order – contributed more.

Defenders looked as if they hadn’t been formally introduced to each other.

[lesgeo]

Not at all.
We opted for an old favourite – taken down, dusted polished and set loose – the infamous headless chicken impersonation.

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alcazar

[lesgeo]

Back to back decent games from Rory creates a nice problem for Neil.

[lesgeo]

Actually BS, if that’s how you read it – little wonder that you are confused.
6 average, 5 below average, 7 above average. Those are the main three.

[lesgeo]

Isn’t Tyrone O’Neill now fit?
Guessing that Jessop will be eased gently into the side – over time.

[lesgeo]

Thought Neil said GK not as bad as first thought.

[lesgeo]

I meant Taft not Loft, of course.

[lesgeo]

As good as we could hope for, I think.
Now prepared to say that if we do not get too many more injuries, feel happy to plan for lower mid-table.
Interesting to see which CB goes if we go 4-4-2. (Loft for me.)
If Tyrone is fit – think Devarn might not make the 11.

Still a strong chance that it will be 5-3-2 in which case the 11 virtually picks itself.

Anybody know if he has trained with the team yet?

[lesgeo]

I’d stick to 4-4-2, Cass.
4-3-3 you play too narrow and I don’t fancy all those crosses coming into our box.
(If we’re trailing … maybe.)

Nice topknot, Jake.

If he can hold the ball up on the edge of the box – I almost consider that as important as scoring in this side.

Have the best year of your life at the SVS, Jake!

I reckon we have to start with him on his debut tomorrow. I know it’s not the done thing with us but needs must.

[lesgeo]

I see him ending up as a wide left player. He’s the best crosser we’ve had in a while.
Green or Mason? – No brainer. And you’d probably get a bit of extra defensive cover when under the cosh.

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alcazar

[lesgeo]

A propos of nothing in particular …
Read recently that with gardens, parks etc – Worthing is the worst town/city in the UK with regard to greenery, flowers and vegetation.
(I do have friends there but they don’t write excellent articles on football.)

[lesgeo]

I would be perfectly happy to go along with your system, Alcy – it does take out the finer shades but – no matter.
But all marks in a system based on 10 can still be used. I have given a zero to refs three times but have never given anyone a ten . One day …
(Bet you did your fair share of initial agreement trials in your day – didn’t you?)
Not trying to control opinions – rather make sure we understand what we are doing and saying.

I had predicted the zero you awarded. (Spooky, eh?)

[lesgeo]

Interestingly, Lesgeo – Number One son said that it was the first time in a very long time that he had felt that, man for man, we were actually the better of the two sides.

[lesgeo]

I do not think we were all that defensive last night. We won the first half.
Lost the plot for a short while after conceding and then took control again.
Tom Newey was spot on pointing out that we sometimes passed back in advanced positions when pushing forward would have been better but we are getting there.
Delighted that we may have Tyrone back for Saturday and possibly the new loanee.
Am disappointed that Green’s efforts seem so very sporadic.

[lesgeo]

After the game, Neil said that our target forward is still likely to be coming.
One half decent forward last night and we would have marmalized Walsall.
There was a lot to like: guts, intelligence, working for each other, good passing. With a few final touches and a reduced injury list – this will not be a relegation side.
These guys are showing a team spirit the like of which was totally absent last season. This team seems greater than the sum of its parts. If that can be maintained … we’ll do fine.
Okay, the goal conceded was not pretty, that I have to admit. Perry seemed rooted to the spot but his tremendous passing skills were beginning to show through.

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inspector

[lesgeo]

Well put together.

[lesgeo]

Green came to as a centre forward/wide player.
My issue is that he drifts out of games for long periods. Decision-making is a real issue with him. Like so many – there is a player in there but …

Still in the team tonight. We seem to have run out of options. Looking incredibly threadbare.

Interesting to see what formation we play. Have a real bad feeling about tonight. Talk about a makeshift team.

O’Malley preferred at LB. Interesting.

[lesgeo]

I seriously doubt that this is an ‘his face doesn’t fit’ type of scenario.
Got to assume that the manager probably has genuine reasons.
We really do know so little about this man.
If the guy could play any sort of a positive role – then, for the team’s sake – he would surely have to include him when we have three other strikers injured.
If he does play the guy and he’s an unmitigated disaster – won’t he be carved up into little pieces on this very site?

[lesgeo]

Liked the ref.
He allowed tackling and was not influenced by stupid shouts for freekicks.
Got a huge percentage of decisions right.

Neil tried something new in formation which failed – he was maybe a bit slow to react to them cutting us to shreds in CM but when he did make his change of style – it was spot on.
Please. Anybody – what system was it?
As far as I could see there were a load of systems it was not …

[lesgeo]

Anybody else see what I saw in Hippo today?

[lesgeo]

Thoughts:
Kenyon should be on the bench.
Green not cutting it for me.
CBs were splendid.
Good game for Rory – had surprisingly little to do.
For first time, I began to see what Neil is seeing in Pugh.
3 – 4 – 3 was a disaster.
I could not work out the formation second half but so much better. (What was it, BTW?)
Some class from Beestin – hope he hasn’t aggravated whatever his injury is.
Perry to take Kenyon’s slot.
Thought Hippo was super coming on as sub: grafted, tackled, passed well, caused trouble. Based on today, I’d put Hippo ahead of Green.
In the end – deserved a point.

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Jackie, mistertonmick

[lesgeo]

I saw a player who wanted to succeed. I liked him from Day One.

As I understand – we met the asking price same as Peterboro – but they are located nearer to London and we could not boost wages sufficiently above their offer to compensate for location.
Just what I’d heard. Can’t say for sure.

[lesgeo]

My problem is how younger and also relatively inexperienced players, especially forwards, are written off by a significant number on this site without being given much benefit of the doubt.
(Hippo almost scored with a dazzling shot at Barrow, BTW.)
There may well come a time when you have to admit that a player is a dud – with kindness, if at all possible – but judgements are reached so very quickly.
If a player has an attitude problem … that may be a different matter. The only player I have ever really taken a pop at was Hakeeb.

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B.gray

[lesgeo]

It’s what I’d do – but he knows Harry far better than I ever could so …

[lesgeo]

Is he …?
a) Fragile.
b) Breakable.
c) Damaged.
d) Ready-injured to save time later?

If none of the above – it can’t be him.

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alcazar

[lesgeo]

BS remembers correctly why Alexander was sacked.
That change of playing system cost us promotion – he did not deserve to survive after that.

I thought that most had agreed on here that we’d give Coxy a chance for at least a dozen games at the start of this season. Injuries (again!) players not through the door early enough etc, etc. No money to bring in a forward.

You do not judge a manager after one league game when he still has a millstone attached to his leg by strong chains.

His formation at Barrow made sense to me. Okay – he could have played Loft and Jessop but that was a risk. And like most on here – I really hate lone forward line-ups.

3-5-1-1 was pretty much inevitable for a game of that type.

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Lord Kitchener

[lesgeo]

I agree with almost every point made.

1 user thanked author for this post.

bartonscorpion

[lesgeo]

In my 55 years as a FAN – I have never felt quite as sorry for any manager as I do for Cox. (Explanations are surely unnecessary!)
There was a point last season where it could have been tried – maybe. I know I certainly got very frustrated with his tactics at one point. But there was more going on off the pitch than we knew, back then.

These are now his players and yey – hit by injuries from before and after Day One!
Squad still incomplete in the second week of the new season. Can that even be arguably his fault?
We are told that he is an ‘incompetent manager’ – this is not evidence when there are other possible explanations.
I argue that, in all honesty, we really do not know.

[lesgeo]

Agreed. I had not seen a disaster on legs – just one more below average footballer.

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Ferrite

[Author]

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