[lesgeo]

As far as I could tell, we defended well, created chances, were always in the game and fell to a spectacular goal. We had improved markedly from the Swindon game. Personally, I would not have played Pugh – but credit to the lad – seems to have had a decent game. (Would perhaps like to know who might have prevented the goal by stopping the cross into the box. Commentators did not name names.)

Irrespective of all that, this second defeat has serious ramifications.

With our very stretched squad, Neil had few options where formations were concerned.

To me, the root cause of the the problems we are facing from now on will be that the chances of us attracting a few decent Championship loanees have almost disappeared altogether.
A team which was in a relegation dogfight has changed its squad. Great. The trouble is that it may well not look strong enough to compete. If I were a decent 20 year old at Bramall Lane – would I be bovvered to drive 40 miles to play for a club which has not only got a leftover poor reputation – but appears not to have improved since last season?

Sorry to keep harking on about that 31st May date – but as other clubs built – we hesitated and on the 11th of August, we are key players short.

The quality of potential loanee signings has now reduced.

Back to crossing fingers and scratting around for OOC players who are not a total dead loss?

Neil’s fault? – I doubt it. Showing faith in Pugh is no sacking offence.

Which established manager – replete with large magic wand in his backpack – might we turn to? This really is a ‘rearranging the deckchairs on the Titanic situation’.

A win against a poor Rochdale side is now getting to be rather desperately needed. A defeat would not be total disaster but would inflict further damage onto a low spec warship already suffering torpedo damage.

[lesgeo]

Hallam to add to the list.

[lesgeo]

UTI99, your little slogan has added zero to this debate – and tends strongly towards being offensive to decent people for having the effrontery to want value for money.
Personally, I would like fans and customers coming through the gates.
Bizarrely, it appears that, in your mind, the two ideas cannot be complementary. Indeed, you seem to find them mutually exclusive.
Surely, bums on (clean) seats is the only measure of any worth, here.
Judging fans/paying customers would be risible were it not such a critical issue.

[lesgeo]

I predicted under 2,000 for the first game and happily, this did not occur as eventually, we began to bring some players in. The 31st May comment had been most deleterious to the club.
I know as an unchallengeable fact that hardcore supporters have been lost forever as they have felt so so let down over the last three seasons. The ones who had told me that they have given up – really have. Getting those on the fringes through the gates now looks extremely problematical.

I am not trying to stick the knife in here; I am just desperate to see the Iron succeed.
Indeed, I urge Iron supporters to give the new team as much of a chance as humanly possible over the coming weeks. Performances, more than ever before in the Iron’s history, will dictate the size of attendances. Goodwill is going to have to be recreated – it has not started well.

[lesgeo]

Play nicely.

Getting ready for the granddaughters coming to stay.

[lesgeo]

So do we now need a new new keeper?

[lesgeo]

There’ll be maybe ten teams with substantially better quality players than those we have.
Swindon today probably had at least 6 players who were a division ahead of our team average.
We need to take the odd point from the better teams and do a number on the ones nearer – or (hopefully) a notch below our level.

My big issue is how do we always manage to get the injuries we do?
Many GKs play every game in a season.

A thought. We have a sound defender wasting on the bench and can’t cover RB. I know we shouldn’t play people out of position but …

[lesgeo]

Neil says that Green was really poorly at half-time but was short of subs so had to leave him on.

[lesgeo]

I rest my case for Jai Rowe.

[lesgeo]

I know Neil wants Rowe as a CB but, at their current levels of experience, dunno if Pugh can nudge Jai out of RB.

Would anyone start with Wilson, BTW?

[lesgeo]

Ach!
Forgot Green!

Sorry, Devarn. You get the left side!

Don’t worry about me – it’s only a touch of old fartitude.

[lesgeo]

Yes. He got on at Grantham for a short while.
Great to hear your opinion about him, BI66.

[lesgeo]

To be fair to Hurst – he seemed to know how to handle Eisa – and MacAtee, for that matter.
I agree, IA. As I suggested the other day – a one in four scoring forward alongside Loft is a real need if the season is to take us to mid-table.

Yes Cass. Got to agree. Last season the sheer awfulness of the squad in the pre-season left me depressed. I do not feel so terrible having seen a different attitude.

[lesgeo]

We got zilch from KVV last season – why we did not sign him on a much reduced contract. Injuries?
I wish him well at Motherwell but …
8 goals from Eisa – but how many conceded because he did not give a rounded performance in umpteen games? Moments which were sublime but long passages of play with a minimal contribution.
Anyway Ferrite – you didn’t rate Gilliead so can’t be too bothered by him being replaced.

[lesgeo]

Only mildly optimistic.
From this set up, there ought to be distance between us and 23rd place.
A player attitude transplant since May helps enormously.
Generally, there also seems to be a better overall balance to the squad and with youngsters also desperate to make the grade … I reckon there are a number eager to do what Mason has already done.

[lesgeo]

Yes, IL – that was pretty much the impression given from Twitter.

Two young CBs developing fast.
Two good young forwards in the making.
A super young winger – nice work, Tony!

[lesgeo]

Someone capable of one goal in every four games is what I’d settle for now.

[lesgeo]

I haven’t seen a tremendous amount of Harry Jessop, SF49, but I’d like to see him getting on regularly too.

[lesgeo]

Hi, BS. Cameron Wilson – 18 year old wide right, attacking player. Nippy, quick, gutsy, terrifies defenders, has loadsa footballing ability.
Not scared of anybody.
Came to us from Goole some years ago. Now on his first pro contract.

1 user thanked author for this post.

bartonscorpion

[lesgeo]

As best as I can tell – young Pugh has also done well today.

1 user thanked author for this post.

mistertonmick

[lesgeo]

Depends rather on the nature of the offence.
Here is a range of 5 possibilities ranging from:-

Someone else pretends that a casual remark was heinous. Petty and trivial, even.
Carelessness and stupidity.
A touch of nastiness.
Outright malice.
Intended to cause pain, hurt and damage.

Many shades in between each of the above, of course.
For me, I would agree with you, AWG, if it was a question of the first three above.
Below those I’d not be so keen to be nice.

[lesgeo]

Striker – oh, yes. But a winger?
Green looks two notches better than the player who was adequate in a poor side last year; Bunn looks really good; Cameron Wilson is completely underawed by playing against League One & Championship defenders.
We have Hippo for emergencies and Thompson can also play left side.

[lesgeo]

From our angle, it looked a tremendous goal. Never occurred to us that it might have been saveable.
Hopper outjumped Onariase and set up first goal with a super header.

Musings:
Having Kenyon breathing down his neck seemed to get more out of Beestin who will probably now get the nod.
Kenyon could either be played in front of the back four – or be decent backup.
I like Davis.
Think Roe is developing well.
Bunn is a class act. Keep him fit and he will do great things.
Perry is a terrific signing. (Glad the club took my advice on Saturday night.) How did we get him?
Can we play Loft and O’Neill together?
Perhaps controversial but I would play Jessop ahead of Hallam. Jessop oozes potential and work rate. Could easily have had a brace tonight.
Trialist C from Saturday apparently not needed – we have Wilson!
Jae Rowe coming along nicely.

Lincoln looked classy. Will be in contention again this season, I expect. Great workout. Game was really tough. Terrific. Four good attempts on goal – we usually had to wait a month for that last season.
Again – not casting away possession on every third pass.
The attitude is substantially better.

1 user thanked author for this post.

alcazar

[lesgeo]

Smile.

[lesgeo]

Well. Us septuagenarians need to keep sharp, Alcy. Been out for my daily 1.5 mile walk – that’s the maximum I can do as am struggling with plantar fasciitis.
Hope to be back to customary 2 miles+ very soon.
Cut one quarter of my HUGE hedge before breakfast, this morning. Gasp, gasp.
Keep stores of old Fifteen-to-ones and University challenge to keep the grey cell occupied and busy.

Spend most of the rest of the day doing precious little. Ah. The joys of retirement. Off to Spain soon. Want to add swimming to my daily exercise.

[lesgeo]

Having watched The Iron in recent seasons – it really is going to be hard for many fans to have any belief that there might be improvement but when you are as bad as we were last year, it is extremely hard to expect that anything could be quite that awful again.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Lord Kitchener, alcazar, Sufcruleok

[lesgeo]

On a marginally different track – it does rather seem that Neil might just know what he is doing.

[lesgeo]

My clothes are always sort of ‘timeless’ – I don’t care for the artificiality of the fashion industry and never put any cash their way.

[lesgeo]

Lost 4.5 stone in 2019.
Probably kept 3+ stone off.
I no longer weigh – but old clothes from decades ago do fit rather nicely.
My trouble, IA – has been too many good meals!

2 users thanked author for this post.

alcazar, Iron-awe

[lesgeo]

Quite!

[Author]

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