[lesgeo]

Ref was singularly mediocre second half; first half had me reaching for the swearwords. (Not something which is all that common.) I gave him a 3 overall.

Great defensive performance and Howard showing good GK skills.

Sadly, all the wonderful hard graft on the other parts of the pitch was cancelled out by some truly dreadful retention of the ball. Can’t blame the pitch for that – they kept the ball far better than we did.

We deserved to score one goal – which we did.
They deserved to score zilch which they did.
3 points to us? – Fair result.

[lesgeo]

Decent.
Which were the absolute shockers – was it the commentators at Sarfend?
Harrogate were not so hot.

[lesgeo]

Only featured four times all season. Crocked or legs have gone, I’d guess.

[lesgeo]

How often has a single striker ever really worked for us other than in the odd game?
Not all that many other League Two clubs do it – even away from home.

[lesgeo]

Cox said we are not interested.

[lesgeo]

In both halves, the ball was pumped into our box with scary regularity.
The GK played well but the CBs were terrific which is why we got away with a clean sheet.
If I had to guess, I would say that the ball was lifted into our penalty area, on average and at the very least, once every three minutes. In part, we got away with this because the Vale strikers were not all that good.
A reasonably competent attack might well have given us a thrashing.
When the ball is in your crowded box that often you can always expect ricochets and the like.
It is easy to blame the FBs but Vale were really good at pushing crosses towards the penalty spot from a variety of different angles and varied positions on the pitch. We had no idea how to stop this. The formation change hardly helped at all in that respect.

[lesgeo]

Who is that player up front with some support around him?
Obviously can’t be Lofty coz so many people have insisted that he has no talent whatsoever.

WHY has the manager taken so long to figure it out???

[lesgeo]

What is the source for all of this?

[lesgeo]

Now resigned for The Terriers.

[lesgeo]

Yeah. Tom Newey gave MOTM to Loft.
I am happy enough with that but surely Lofty must start heading really good crosses below the level of the crossbar.
With support – he looks a totally different player.

Glad if anyone can work out what the formation turned out to be … but, it was forward-minded and that meant that I was happy.

Stuffed cod all round if you are feeling peckish.

[lesgeo]

” … this has destroyed my love of football outside of Scunthorpe.”
Yup. Me too, DSGM.
Fortunately, no damage done to my love of cricket.
By the way – dunno how many have got Sky Sport.
Expensive, innit?

PS. If you are able to play it – then use the old fart card.
I rang ’em up about my £56 pcm package a few months back and told ’em I was too old to afford it and was going to have to cancel.
Whaddya know? – Am now paying £26 for the same. Smile.

[lesgeo]

Yeah. Right players but I’d swap Hippo and Eisa. Nothing to stop the two switching throughout the game – provided that we can inject a little bit of imaginative thinking, of course.

[lesgeo]

Ah yes, those halcyon days of Dickie Rooks managing the team to glory.
I sigh with a profound nostalgia.

Rather more seriously, Norris, Sproates and Charnley could not have made it into our present team. The late Alan Sproates was a decent Division 4 player for Darlington but had precious little to offer us at the end of his career.
Simpkin was a has-been and Collier was a slow-moving, slow-thinking plodder who could pleasantly surprise you every now and again.

I could not see any one of these being considered fit to replace any current first team player in our present setup. The big question would have been how many could have made it onto the bench?

The top end of our current squad are simply better. They may not be playing better; they may not be being played intelligently; they may not be played to their strengths but – generally superior.

A modern day Sproates to replace Spence? – No thanks.
Norris better than Howard? – Get real!
McGahey – our best CB to be replaced by Simpkin?
Collier to replace Beestin or Karacan? – No, ta!
Charnley to replace KVV or Olamola?- Hardly! – I would even take Loft ahead of that lad.
But, a Dud Roberts to replace Loft? – Ooh. Yes, please.

[lesgeo]

You should not have published this!
A side with 4 CBs in it might give certain people ideas.

[lesgeo]

Some very good points there, BS!
I just couldn’t face listening to it.

1 user thanked author for this post.

IRONINTHEBLOOD

[lesgeo]

Please confirm that you are not hanging on, trying to avoid bringing in a striker and just sitting with fingers crossed that Kev and Fela will be back to repair all the damage.

[lesgeo]

I don’t even live in the town and still know a number of youngsters who have quit because the football is so boring!
The number of adults – if they are not just blowing off steam – could be approaching double figures!

[lesgeo]

Any manager who is top of the league – and by a margin – who then changes successful tactics and doggedly sticks to the then failing model deserves all he gets.
The same flaws brought about his other two sackings.

The man who shouldn’t have gone was Hurst – he was starting to make the squad play and then …

[lesgeo]

With the exception of our need for another striker – which is an absolute must – I believe this team should easily avoid the drop.
3 decent CBs; a CM which would work as part of a functioning unit; FBs and spares; hopefully KVV back and even Olomola; a more or less adequate GK – why would we go down?

The answer is that old chestnut – a failure to play 4 – 4 – 2

[lesgeo]

Do you ever insist that your managers should play positively rather than defensively?
If not – why not?

[lesgeo]

In the 70s our team truly battled – however ordinary they could be.
This season, there have clearly been a few who have not always been truly committed.
The issue though, is more that silly systems have often left players bemused and confused and can make it look as if they don’t care when actually, they are simply not capable of grasping the headless chicken tactics employed.
Take Eisa, as an example. I really do not see him as not caring. Under Hurst, there was some logic. Under Cox, that has been hard to find. Eisa has suffered more than most from this.

Incidentally – I am assuming that the switch of CBs at half-time was pre-planned and not an injury.
Anybody know?

[lesgeo]

Do you recall the 70s?

[lesgeo]

Really dunno why Green has not had a run in the side.

[lesgeo]

As ever, I’ve supported the manager until it is wholly impossible to continue to do so.

That first half was disgraceful. Zero attempts on goal and the reason was because we had determined not to push forward at all. How can that be anything other than the manager’s fault?
On those occasions when we did push forward second half a couple of chances happened.

So, Mr Cox. I wrote to you on here on Day One and helpfully explained what had to be done. I told you what has got a string of managers sacked – and you knew better. You have chosen negativity and you may soon pay the price.

If the Chairman fails to provide a forward before the Cods game, I fear that your time will be nearly up.
As for me – I am ready to demand your head on a platter within the next couple of games.

You had a guy prepared to support you here – I am now alienated!

[lesgeo]

It has been correctly pointed out that Green is an option up front.
If I recall, he was described as a forward when he first arrived – who also plays wide.

[lesgeo]

Dunno why so many problems finding a striker – one only needs to be a jot above mediocre to radically transform the current ‘forward line’.

I’m waiting for the ‘bring back Watson campaign’ to begin. After all if he has better CBs in front of him … which he would have in the next week or two …

[lesgeo]

Sound thinking.

[lesgeo]

It’s probably just an age thing, NI.
Can’t stop. Gotta go for a walk. Need to find my dinosaur.
Sorry. I meant my stick.

[lesgeo]

If Lillis is assistant – well fine. That guy has seen it all. So unless Cox is ignoring him – we have to admit to having significant experience in place at management level.
No. The problem is that we started the season with a raggle-taggle mix of players. (Not as poor in quality as some make out IMHO)
11 good enough? – Possibly. Nine perhaps but when a number get injured on top of that – we end up having to blood players too early.
The balance between experience and inexperience amongst the players was optimistic, to say the least.
Cox? – Too much experimentation we’ll all argue but when you are leaking at the back and have no impact whatsoever up front – maybe you have to try something different.
Going down or staying up – I’m gonna try not to judge for at least 10 months.

[lesgeo]

Wait for the crocked players to recover?

[Author]

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