Match Thread

Half time, pretty dire. Thomas is looking flipping dreadful, Hearn is wasted on the left and Colbeck hasn't been great either.

We started awful, we slowly came into the game more but still not good enough. Amongst the names you have said, Disley despite the goal line clearance has been rubbish also, hopefully the second half will improve.

BT share price down first thing Tuesday after that display

Well taken goal by Rodman and a good cross by  Colbeck, lets have another now.

It seemed to me Colbecks cross was spooned but LJL should have squared it for Colbeck instead of shooting

Fitness paying off in the last 20, not a very pretty performance by Town but a gritty one, Colbeck man of the match for me.

That'll do for me....scrappy game but the three points is what counts!  

OK watching on the PC: pleased we won, could easily have been another egg on face day.

Too many individually poor performances but we won so I'm sure everybody will forget about that and not have anything to say about excrement performances until we lose again. Not good enough for me, too many players just aren't working in a 4-3-3. Last season we came on here every week and said we wasn't good but we still won so it didn't matter. Well for me it did, because when we started to lose those games we suddenly didn't know what to do with ourselves. For too long we hid behind victories when we had massive flaws in our side and if we don't sort it out it's going to happen again.

We won today but I'm massively underwhelmed.

Just glad we won

Not pretty but 3 more points in the bag. Also nice to watch it on a professional looking tv channel, very slick.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Too many individually poor performances but we won so I'm sure everybody will forget about that and not have anything to say about excrement performances until we lose again. Not good enough for me, too many players just aren't working in a 4-3-3. Last season we came on here every week and said we wasn't good but we still won so it didn't matter. Well for me it did, because when we started to lose those games we suddenly didn't know what to do with ourselves. For too long we hid behind victories when we had massive flaws in our side and if we don't sort it out it's going to happen again.

We won today but I'm massively underwhelmed.

Can't disagree with any of that. Thought Hearn was anonymous, Thomas was awful, Shop was offside, Jobeck can run all day but can't cross a street, Thanoj wasn't in the game at all, Hatton can leave with my blessing. in fact I'll take him wherever he wants to go. He was like a excrement Tom Newey today. Can't see how 4 3 3 can be persevered with because the players simply don't know their roles. Hearn and Colbeck are not wide forwards, Thanoj, Disley and McLaughlin are virtually the same player! there's no creativity, nobody willing to get a foot in the ball and take his man on or away from the danger to create space. Can't see this side being champions.

Not that different to Welling, the only difference is we got the goal. More or less got the points total we deserve from 5 "easy" games though.

Quoted from Biccys

Can't disagree with any of that. Thought Hearn was anonymous, Thomas was awful, Shop was offside, Jobeck can run all day but can't cross a street, Thanoj wasn't in the game at all, Hatton can leave with my blessing. in fact I'll take him wherever he wants to go. He was like a excrement Tom Newey today. Can't see how 4 3 3 can be persevered with because the players simply don't know their roles. Hearn and Colbeck are not wide forwards, Thanoj, Disley and McLaughlin are virtually the same player! there's no creativity, nobody willing to get a foot in the ball and take his man on or away from the danger to create space. Can't see this side being champions.

For me it's strange decision after strange decision and it is concerning.

Building a front 3 round a guy who can't score goals (I really rate LJL but at the end of the day he has to score at some decent rate to warrant 46 games). Yet refusing to build it round Hearn. 4-3-3 can work but not at the minute, we don't have the personnel out their on the pitch. Let's face it we are trying to copy York, it was clear from the off that S&H were keen admirers of their side. For some barmy reason we started the change of the squad at the back by deconstructing the best defence in the league. I like the middle 3. Up front York played with 3 quick strikers, we play with a Lump in the middle, an out and out winger more suited to a 4-4-2 and a striker who is half the player out wide as he is in a 4-4-2. We then decide to keep the two wingers more suited to a 4-3-3 in Rodman & Nielson (the fact he's in the stands when they claim he needs match fitness is dumbfounding) out of the starting 11 all together.

It's a bit of a mess at the minute, they signed the right players for the job yet gave the wrong players the wrong positions. As I said, they will all see it as going brilliantly until we lose a few and they'll be wondering where it's all going wrong. Hearn has two goals, granted but he's no way near the threat he was but is still quite blatantly as good.

Quoted from GrimRob

Not that different to Welling, the only difference is we got the goal. More or less got the points total we deserve from 5 "easy" games though.

Losing at Welling and winning tonight is funnily enough better for our points tally....agree we should maybe have more points in the bag than we actually do but 10 from 5 played is still not too bad a return

I think it's a master stroke to play the best striker in this league out wide. This tells me all you need to know about these two. They could get us promoted, but I'd still think they were a pair of idiots, and I'd be right.

Three points burgled really. They were quicker to the ball, closed us down, ran through us - all the things we are supposed to do with 4-3-3 and they played 4-4-2! It was only after the goal that we got some control.

The passing was terrible for most of the match and some players looked brainless. All 3 in midfield went up or went back together so the only ball out from defence was route one or down the channel. They got caught out too often and ended up chasing after their bloke. A better side would have punished us for it. Thanoj has the ability but he needs players to move around a bit for him to pass to. They don't seem to know where to play him. He needs to be either in front of the back four as a quarter back or up in front of the other two to supply the strikers. He spent most of the game wandering about.

Hearn just cannot adapt to 4-3-3. I thought he could but he can't. Rodman could be an asset because he at least knows when to come inside. Colbeck was alright. OK his crosses are not brilliant a lot of the time but he will do a couple of decent ones in a game and we scored from one. If he was any better than that he wouldn't be playing at this level. The Shop would do better to hold the ball up more to let the midfield join in instead of looking to flick it out wide so much but to be fair he got a load of rubbish hoofed up to him.

The back 4 were reasonable. The full backs looked bad because they had nobody to pass to either so they just  kept lumping it.

3 points, not convincing at all, worrying seeing hearn's reaction when he was brought off, looked fuming

Quoted from Hagrid

3 points, not convincing at all, worrying seeing hearn's reaction when he was brought off, looked fuming

I suppose a win bonus might make him feel a bit easier about being subbed

Well that was a frustrating game to watch.   Hatton and Aswad need to get closer to the winger and not give them 5 yards to cross the ball.  Paddy looked good and never stopped running.   Thanoj did ok and continued to keep the momentum going by passing it around without causing them problems.  Colbeck played ok and although some of his crossing was awful eventually he got one right although rodmans movement was good I like the look of him ever since seeing him against Aldershot.   I just dont know whats happened to dizza seems a different player to last year his passing and shooting was terrible.  Lenny did well when onside and eventually he'll find his shooting boots.  For me liam is wasted on the left.  The centre backs seem fine although Doigs pace worries me.

its still early and the more they play the better they will get.  However I dont think now is the time to change to 433 I think we have players that can play in the 442 anyway what do I know lol.  Still a vital win roll on Nuneaton.

I dont like this 433 because it doesnt look 433. We have the wingers to play 442 and feel we always look better with this formation. With LH on the left it makes us look lopsided IMO. The midfield looks better with Thanoj in it but he needs players on the same wavelength. Disley clearly isn't.
Scrappy win but a win non the less

Radio Humberside made it sound a much better game than you lot, said Town dominated after a poor first 15 mins, sounded like we had chances.

Lets just get the points and get out of this damn league.

Quoted from marinerian

Radio Humberside made it sound a much better game than you lot, said Town dominated after a poor first 15 mins, sounded like we had chances.

Lets just get the points and get out of this damn league.

Who was the commentator? Can't have been Tondeur...

I must admit, I watched on BT and thought we were a bit better than some comments above suggest.

LJL - good again, true he gets offside too much (actually some poor decisions against him today) but he is an excellent target man, bringing it down and involving others.

Midfield 3 - thought they looked better together than last Saturday

Colbeck - a number of bad crosses, but kept going and was always a threat

Hearn as left of front 3 - may not be his chosen position, but he was central on occasion and doesn't seem to want to run at defenders like he did previously. I still think he's not yet fit, or has he lost a yard with the injury.  He's 28 now, hard to regain his pace?

To me we are 2 players short of a good team.  A fast CB to play with Pearson.  I like Doig and want to give Big Mac a chance, but at best, in my heart I really can only see them as useful cover.
We STILL need a strong box to box midfielder to add steel and let some of the others play, as mentioned previously Diz, Paddy, and Thanoj are virtually the same.  I'm beginning to think that the best long term bet of those 3 is Thanoj

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

Who was the commentator? Can't have been Tondeur...

Me!

Quoted from lee65

I must admit, I watched on BT and thought we were a bit better than some comments above suggest.

LJL - good again, true he gets offside too much (actually some poor decisions against him today) but he is an excellent target man, bringing it down and involving others.

Midfield 3 - thought they looked better together than last Saturday

Colbeck - a number of bad crosses, but kept going and was always a threat

Hearn as left of front 3 - may not be his chosen position, but he was central on occasion and doesn't seem to want to run at defenders like he did previously. I still think he's not yet fit, or has he lost a yard with the injury.  He's 28 now, hard to regain his pace?

To me we are 2 players short of a good team.  A fast CB to play with Pearson.  I like Doig and want to give Big Mac a chance, but at best, in my heart I really can only see them as useful cover.
We STILL need a strong box to box midfielder to add steel and let some of the others play, as mentioned previously Diz, Paddy, and Thanoj are virtually the same.  I'm beginning to think that the best long term bet of those 3 is Thanoj

Andi Thanoj is the best footballer at the club by a country mile. If only he'd grab hold of games by the scruff of the neck and impose his quality on games a bit more, maybe he needs to believe in himself. Perhaps a good run in the side will see him kick on.

I'd seriously have Thanoj in the side over Disley, he looks like he's taken massive steps back in his game.

Quoted from BIGChris

Me!

Quoted from pontoonlew

I'd seriously have Thanoj in the side over Disley, he looks like he's taken massive steps back in his game.

Disley was my man of the match on Saturday! His pass to Colbeck for the 3rd goal was superbly weighted.

Why can't both Thanoj and Disley be in the side? I dont understand why it has to be one over the other??

Taking away the fact that we won the game and got the three points.....which should always be the aim,.............. I thought we were poor....sorry!

Quoted from BIGChris

Disley was my man of the match on Saturday! His pass to Colbeck for the 3rd goal was superbly weighted.

Why can't both Thanoj and Disley be in the side? I dont understand why it has to be one over the other??

It doesn't, I'm just saying given the choice I think Thanoj has been more consistently good for the last 6 months.

Quoted from pontoonlew

It doesn't, I'm just saying given the choice I think Thanoj has been more consistently good for the last 6 months.

Really? He hasn't played much in the last 6 months

Disley is the best all round player at the club IMO.

Thanoj has potential but isn't ready to replace the club captain.

We beat a pretty rubbish team quite comfortably. The first half was fairly even but we certainly dominated the second half and were worthy winners.

MOM for me was John-Lewis. Won almost all his headers and held the ball up so well. Top performance. Can't hide the fact that he never looks like scoring but that's excusable if he plays like that.

McKeown and the centre backs were rarely troubled but looked good. Aswad was rubbish. Poor first touch and has forgotten how to cross. Hatton did ok.

Our midfield was fairly anonymous but would say Paddy was the only one who didn't really contribute anything.

In attack Hearn started well but drifted completely out of the game and was rightly subbed. He is wasted wide left as he is one of the best strikers in the league. Colbeck had a very good game and put in a real shift. Always wanted the ball and constantly got his crosses in. As always only about 1 in 5 of the crossed are accurate though.

Credit to the managers for an inspired substitution. Brave to take Hearn off but it really worked.

Onwards and upwards.

Quoted from psgmariner

We beat a pretty rubbish team quite comfortably. The first half was fairly even but we certainly dominated the second half and were worthy winners.

MOM for me was John-Lewis. Won almost all his headers and held the ball up so well. Top performance. Can't hide the fact that he never looks like scoring but that's excusable if he plays like that.

McKeown and the centre backs were rarely troubled but looked good. Aswad was rubbish. Poor first touch and has forgotten how to cross. Hatton did ok.

Our midfield was fairly anonymous but would say Paddy was the only one who didn't really contribute anything.

In attack Hearn started well but drifted completely out of the game and was rightly subbed. He is wasted wide left as he is one of the best strikers in the league. Colbeck had a very good game and put in a real shift. Always wanted the ball and constantly got his crosses in. As always only about 1 in 5 of the crossed are accurate though.

Credit to the managers for an inspired substitution. Brave to take Hearn off but it really worked.

Onwards and upwards.

To be honest I think the only positive was the fact that we won - albeit against a side of limited ability themselves who are part time and had played 2 games against former league opposition in 3 days.

In the ground on Saturday it didnt look too bad, but watching on the TV with neutral commentators it seemed to show up our inadequacies all too well.

We simply dont look like promotion material and it is a worry that we dont have many / any of the attributes the managers keep banging on about.

BUT - football being what it is I hope that some decent results will bring its own kind of confidence and I am proved wrong over the season.  

I'd like to know the opinion on LJL actually. Nobody disagrees that he's playing well but that comment about forgiving him for not scoring is interesting. Because how long do you forgive that for before you realise a side playing a guy up front who doesn't actually score goals is never ever going to win you a title. I am a great admirer of the guy but I think we're kidding ourselves a bit because there are plenty of good target men who also score goals. I'd rather have a decent scorer and target man than a guy just excellent at being a target man. If it was a front 2 with Hearn scoring from his knock downs it's slightly more forgivable. But when it's essentially a lone striker at times it's hard to justify 46 games surely?

Why dont they just play Hearn in his favoured central role and put LJL on the left.

They've shot themselves in the foot when it comes to formations. Hearn would benefit from going in a forward 2 with LJL but we won't play 442 now I don't think. The midfielders in the squad, in my opinion, couldn't form an effective centre mid partnership between them plus it would mean the managers dropping two out of the four which I think they'd be reluctant to do. So I think it's 433 for a while yet and we have to hope they can get it working properly on the training ground.

We don't have a goalscoring target man though do we? I'm hoping we'll get better at playing 4-3-3 as I do think we've been outnumbered in midfield too often over the past few seasons. We clearly have to find a way to get Liam more involved but maybe we're looking at a handful of players contributing 10-15 goals rather than someone getting 25+? Maybe LJL's finishing will improve as well - those professing to be big fans now were labelling him a joke who contributed nothing a couple of months ago so things can change. I certainly think he's one of the first names in the XI at the moment.

Towns best start for 10 years but to read some of the comments you would think we were pointless.
I am not suggesting we are firing on all cylinders but if we do we will be very well placed!!!

UTM

Someone on the GO has made a great point: on bank holiday monday last August we beat Mansfield 4-1. Who would've thought that shabby looking team would go on to be champions? They looked terrible that day.

If we keep improving, the new players settle in and we all get comfortable playing in this system, there's no reason why we can't mount a title challenge.

Quoted from Tommy

Someone on the GO has made a great point: on bank holiday monday last August we beat Mansfield 4-1. Who would've thought that shabby looking team would go on to be champions? They looked terrible that day.

If we keep improving, the new players settle in and we all get comfortable playing in this system, there's no reason why we can't mount a title challenge.

Why thank you Tommy!  

It's true though...Mansfield on that performance were never going to do anything but then look at how they played from Christmas on

As Scott is keen on saying it's a marathon and not a sprint so there's a long way to go but 10 points already in the bag is going to help us out in the scheme of things

My worry is what I alluded to early on in the thread.

Mansfield knew there were issues to be addressed and they did just that, if anything a shocking start helped them. With us I fear we still have similar shortcomings to last season yet S&H aren't acknowledging them because they see 3 points as enough. Which is fine up to the point your luck runs out somewhat and you get into the habit of losing games. Which is why we played Hyde & Alfreton this weekend and not Portsmouth. I'm not saying we won't click but what I'm saying is adjustments need to be made and I seriously can't see them being put into place because they want the points and not a performance.

The managers make some very strange decisions sometimes and I seriously think the odd 3 points helps them get away with it. I'm convinced had we not scraped a goal (at a point when we arguably looked at our worst yesterday) more would had been made of it, which is the point I'm trying to make. Personally i'd like to see Nielson get on the pitch and that current situation is barmy imo.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Personally i'd like to see Nielson get on the pitch and that current situation is barmy imo.

Think he needs to lose weight get fit before getting in to the team.

Have you seen Neilson recently?. He makes me look like a stick insect! (Well not quite but he is terribly out of condition).

Quoted from psgmariner

Think he needs to lose weight get fit before getting in to the team.

Agreed. Have heard the 'How can he get match fit without playing?' argument but from what I've seen he needs to get fit before we worry about getting him match fit.

Quoted from pontoonlew

My worry is what I alluded to early on in the thread.

Mansfield knew there were issues to be addressed and they did just that, if anything a shocking start helped them. With us I fear we still have similar shortcomings to last season yet S&H aren't acknowledging them because they see 3 points as enough. Which is fine up to the point your luck runs out somewhat and you get into the habit of losing games. Which is why we played Hyde & Alfreton this weekend and not Portsmouth. I'm not saying we won't click but what I'm saying is adjustments need to be made and I seriously can't see them being put into place because they want the points and not a performance.

The managers make some very strange decisions sometimes and I seriously think the odd 3 points helps them get away with it. I'm convinced had we not scraped a goal (at a point when we arguably looked at our worst yesterday) more would had been made of it, which is the point I'm trying to make. Personally i'd like to see Nielson get on the pitch and that current situation is barmy imo.

I agree with that summary.

Promotion winning teams (at least 99% of the time) look just that - and I dont think ever in the 2 and a half years have we really looked like a promotion winning team and still dont as things stand at the moment.

It might all click but on current evidence I think we will fall short again but I desperately hope Im wrong and we suddenly start playing and winning convincingly.

Quoted from BIGChris

Towns best start for 10 years but to read some of the comments you would think we were pointless.
I am not suggesting we are firing on all cylinders but if we do we will be very well placed!!!

UTM

Yes Chris, that's true but you know as well as anyone that we have been lucky to get the points, especially yesterday. I can't believe that Scott was serious in saying we always looked like winning and we were in charge and so on. The game I watched wasn't like that at all. We should be creating far more chances against teams like Hyde who hadn't much to offer except effort. We scraped a goal. All it will take is for a couple of other teams to scrape similar wins against us and the wheels will come off.

Quoted from psgmariner

Think he needs to lose weight get fit before getting in to the team.

How on earth is he meant to get fit sat in the stands? They seem clueless on how to deal with players fitness. Not once have I seen anybody elsewhere respond to players needing match fitness by not playing them, it just defies all logic. Last season they played weakened teams because 'the players weren't fit' and in my mind it cost us a potential promotion. Why was it every other club in the league (inc part time sides) could go out and play full strength teams (and beat us in the process) but we couldn't?

We went top last season without really getting out of first gear and when we stumbled after Christmas it took us to long to get some sort of form going.  This is what concerns me, I don't see enough zip in our current team, you don't just need a midfield general you need the whole team to be up for it.  We should be putting teams under pressure from the off and fighting for every blade of grass.  Hyde were the better team overall and a fair result would have been a draw.

I know it's a long haul from now until the end of the season but if you want to go up automatically you have to be up for every game.  Our home support which is vital for our playing budget should be 3,500 to 4,000+.  The only way we will draw that sort of crowd in is being in the top 3 and the team fighting for every blade of grass, especially at BP.

If H&S want a roaring partisan BP then the players have to deliver the sort of performances we use to expect before the decade of crap.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Yes Chris, that's true but you know as well as anyone that we have been lucky to get the points, especially yesterday. I can't believe that Scott was serious in saying we always looked like winning and we were in charge and so on. The game I watched wasn't like that at all. We should be creating far more chances against teams like Hyde who hadn't much to offer except effort. We scraped a goal. All it will take is for a couple of other teams to scrape similar wins against us and the wheels will come off.

Sorry but the game i saw we definetly deserved to win, were the better side other than the first 10 minutes or so. We deserved the 3 points on Saturday and definetly at Gateshead.
IMO we have not been lucky to get the points we have

Quoted from BIGChris

Have you seen Neilson recently?. He makes me look like a stick insect! (Well not quite but he is terribly out of condition).

But is he strapped up in the ankle department as you was on Sunday? Is that you sidelined for a few weeks then?
UTMM

We are a bit hit and miss at the moment imo,

Colbeck works hard but puts one bad cross in to every good one,

Hearn looks a bit lost in this system,

The defence looked ok with Doig directing operations,

BUT

As Scott said after the game, we will get better,

Well we will have to if we want to get out of this league,

Early days yet, as I have said many times before,

Its not how you start, its how you finish,

I thought we showed some promising football yesterday albeit in very short spells, We can only improve in the coming weeks and we are picking up points while not playing so good.

With regards to Neilson why is he is so unfit in the first place? He's a professional footballer for god sake.  :-

Quoted from pontoonlew

How on earth is he meant to get fit sat in the stands? They seem clueless on how to deal with players fitness. Not once have I seen anybody elsewhere respond to players needing match fitness by not playing them, it just defies all logic. Last season they played weakened teams because 'the players weren't fit' and in my mind it cost us a potential promotion. Why was it every other club in the league (inc part time sides) could go out and play full strength teams (and beat us in the process) but we couldn't?

I don't think it's match-fitness he needs really Lew. Before you can get match-fitness you've got to actually be fit. Which as you can tell by looking at him, he is not fit to the level required. And you don't get someone fit in that way by playing them in competitive games.

He'll be getting fitter by training every day, doing extra training (which apparently he is doing) and doing some work in the gym. As well as hopefully sticking to a strict diet.

Once he's in a condition to play pro football we can start looking at introducing him back into the team.

Quoted from pontoonlew

How on earth is he meant to get fit sat in the stands? They seem clueless on how to deal with players fitness. Not once have I seen anybody elsewhere respond to players needing match fitness by not playing them, it just defies all logic. Last season they played weakened teams because 'the players weren't fit' and in my mind it cost us a potential promotion. Why was it every other club in the league (inc part time sides) could go out and play full strength teams (and beat us in the process) but we couldn't?

We can't put him on the pitch yet, he's fat at the minute.

Quoted from cmackenzie4

With regards to Neilson why is he is so unfit in the first place? He's a professional footballer for god sake.  :-

He had a hernia operated on at the end of last season which meant he was out of action for a while.

Quoted from Trawler

He had a hernia operated on at the end of last season which meant he was out of action for a while.

I've known women who have had c section and not put as much belly fat on as Nielson.

Footballers are now considered as athletes and have to eat a balanced diet.  Yes everyone likes a treat but his occupation requires him to be able to be fit enough to run a few pounds off and not sit on the side lines with a spare tire.

Quoted from Marinerz93

I've known women who have had c section and not put as much belly fat on as Nielson.

Footballers are now considered as athletes and have to eat a balanced diet.  Yes everyone likes a treat but his occupation requires him to be able to be fit enough to run a few pounds off and not sit on the side lines with a spare tire.

I saw him come on at Welling.  I don't think he looks as overweight as some are making out.

edit# I guess belly fat is in the eye of the beholder

Quoted from Trawler

I saw him come on at Welling.  I don't think he looks as overweight as some are making out.

edit# I guess belly fat is in the eye of the beholder

I saw him sat down at Hyde, a bit of a chubby face and spare tyre was quite clear but that could be the camera adding 10 pounds  

Neilson has an disproportionately big face which doesn't help matters.

Quoted from Trawler

Neilson has an disproportionately big face which doesn't help matters.

That old one! Is he big boned as well?

Quoted from LH

That old one! Is he big boned as well?

[youtube]jX_xgoo4IBM[/youtube]

Quoted from pontoonlew

How on earth is he meant to get fit sat in the stands? They seem clueless on how to deal with players fitness. Not once have I seen anybody elsewhere respond to players needing match fitness by not playing them, it just defies all logic. Last season they played weakened teams because 'the players weren't fit' and in my mind it cost us a potential promotion. Why was it every other club in the league (inc part time sides) could go out and play full strength teams (and beat us in the process) but we couldn't?

What would defy logic is playing an unfit footballer in a competitive game. Would top managers like Wenger or Mourinho play an unfit player in a Champions League game ? I think not. Players get fit by putting the effort in during training and if necessary doing extra training.