The thing that gets me, is our style and tactics of football at the moment.. It is like the players and manager are doing two difference things.. They fully deserved the result, and the two CB were very impressive.. But talk about playing to there strengths! Stockley just got bullied and schooled by them.
My biggest worry is, Adkins doesn't know how to set us up to play any different. No excuse of not being backed, we have spent more money now, then we have done in the last 4 seasons.
I am not sure it is the lack of player quality, but we are going from back to front way to quickly. I think Adkins has a max of 5 games to turn this around, or I think he will be out of the door, if not sooner.
If NA can't get this squad to do better he won't last. We've a better squad than last season yet we look terrible and disorganised.
If I were Sandgaard I’d be calling a crisis meeting today. That WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH. The set is all wrong, both on and off the pitch. Even TS isn’t off the hook completely as we need a proper CEO for starters.
It’s a shambles at the moment.
Stockley needs a break. He’s providing the players with an option (hoof ball) that gives players an excuse not to work hard off the ball. Why bother making yourself available when the defenders can smash it over your head for Stockley.
I agree with Golfie, Washington and Lee up top, or maybe Washington and Leko (our only outfield positive yesterday).
Kirk is (so far) a massive disappointment. One of the only highlights of the season so far has been Elerewe, but they say he’s too young to play regularly.
I normally find positives after a defeat, but that’s hard on this occasion. Perhaps the fifteen minutes or so after half time offers a glimmer. But this season looks like being a struggle to stay in a league that none of us wanted to be in in the first place.
NA was booed quite loudly when taking to the tunnel after the game. Half of me could understand and the other half just doesn't want us, as a club, to go through another season of panto. If it's not Ownership, its managerial. We are becoming the lower league Tottenham or Arsenal and that's fuelling opposition more than ourselves.
Can't we just blame the youmg Roddy who is not even on the bench anymore.
The worst first half I can recall. Defending was far too narrow and the wingers weren’t tracking back to support with any energy or purpose. The whole team looked disjointed and as if they weren’t playing for each other, certainly not for Adkins.
As manager he should have addressed these issues - end of
Getting to the point now where I wish Jackson had been given the job. Adkins record is good and his a very positive man, but if he leaves I hope Jackson gets it because it’s the only way I can see him wanting to stick around, if he is number 1.
Anyway, on to today. It was one of the worst first half performances I’ve seen. It was horrible and they were crap.
I don’t know how Morgan continues to get so many people defending him, he’s had long enough now. He can’t defend, he continuously losing his man or gives up tracking him, he offers nothing offensively, he doesn’t score, he doesn’t have dribbling ability or take players on, he doesn’t get stuck in, he doesn’t show for the ball, and what is meant to be his strong part of his game, his passing is inconsistent.
Stockley was awful today. If he plays up front on his own again this season, Adkins will have shown he does not learn. He said he must reflect and take responsibility, well do the basics yourself and put a team out to get the best out of each other, play to your strengths.
Washington and Leko have to start next week, we are a much better team with Washington playing and Leko brings us something no one else in the squad can do.
Thankfully, we still have a number of players to come back or into the team properly. Inniss, Purrington, Souaré, Gilbey, Arter, Clare, Davison, Schwartz. 6 of them I would have in the squad, 100%.
I don't disagree with you at all but Adkins has previously described Stockley as the best centre forward in the division so i can't see him dropping him. What is abundantly clear though is that him on his own isn't working and he needs a partner to play alongside him.
Not saying I would drop him, just that Washington and Leko have to start next week.
Saying that though, I don’t think Stockley works the opposition enough, he never drops off, he doesn’t look to run in behind, it’s just a constant back into the defender to either win a flick on or hold it up.
We need to get the ball to the midfielders and push the team around him 15 yards higher up. It will then allow us to sustain pressure and he can focus his time on being in the box and getting on the end of crosses, as that’s what he is most effective on.
Getting to the point now where I wish Jackson had been given the job. Adkins record is good and his a very positive man, but if he leaves I hope Jackson gets it because it’s the only way I can see him wanting to stick around, if he is number 1.
Anyway, on to today. It was one of the worst first half performances I’ve seen. It was horrible and they were crap.
I don’t know how Morgan continues to get so many people defending him, he’s had long enough now. He can’t defend, he continuously losing his man or gives up tracking him, he offers nothing offensively, he doesn’t score, he doesn’t have dribbling ability or take players on, he doesn’t get stuck in, he doesn’t show for the ball, and what is meant to be his strong part of his game, his passing is inconsistent.
Stockley was awful today. If he plays up front on his own again this season, Adkins will have shown he does not learn. He said he must reflect and take responsibility, well do the basics yourself and put a team out to get the best out of each other, play to your strengths.
Washington and Leko have to start next week, we are a much better team with Washington playing and Leko brings us something no one else in the squad can do.
Thankfully, we still have a number of players to come back or into the team properly. Inniss, Purrington, Souaré, Gilbey, Arter, Clare, Davison, Schwartz. 6 of them I would have in the squad, 100%.
Was thinking the same @Sage about Jacko. Adkins absolutely deserves and should get more time. But if things don’t improve the right man is already at the club imo.
When Adkins does leave, it will tell me they don’t know what they’re doing if they go for someone other than Jackson. He wants the job, he’s worked under 3 managers and has huge experience of others too. He knows and gets the club. It’s no coincidence that those successful at our club have a connection already. We are different to other clubs and that’s just something people have to understand.
But how do you explain that? There’s no logic to the idea that we can only be successful if the manager has a link to the club.
The main reason other managers have failed in recent years is because they haven’t been very good.
I do see Jackson as an option, but should we go out and find the best upcoming manager we can attract?
Cheltenham come here up from L2 and were playing out from the back. Football at this level has changed with more teams playing that way. We didn’t attempt anything like they did, yet they most have done it on a much smaller budget than ours. It shouldn’t be impossible with this squad, I feel it’s more about belief and coaching than ability.
We don’t need to be a tippy tappy team but we’ve gone too far the other way, the players are uncomfortable passing the ball from the back and our long balls are ineffective and easily dealt with.
Is Adkins trying to use what worked with Scunthorpe and Southampton but is behind the times?
how do we go from 2 up front 23 shots and First win of season back to one up front and 1 shot on target it’s not rocket science is it.why would you change it
If we don’t pick up a minimum of 7 points from the remaining 4 games this month, I think Adkins will be off.
Even then, if we got 7 from the next 4, we would have to get around 78 points from the remaining 36 for automatic promotion, or another 65 points for play-offs.
Looks scary already where it’s pretty much really strong promotion form for the rest of the season just to be where we should be as a club.
All I'm going to say this morning is that if NA doesn't start the next game with 2 up front - playing close too each other - then my confidence in him is draining fast. When he did it against Crewe, giving Stockley a partner, it is the only time this season we have looked dangerous.
Hate to say it but if we’re going to persist with Stockley he really needs to start going down more when he’s pushed. He just gets fouled out of games and as soon as he gives it back he’s penalised
Getting to the point now where I wish Jackson had been given the job. Adkins record is good and his a very positive man, but if he leaves I hope Jackson gets it because it’s the only way I can see him wanting to stick around, if he is number 1.
Anyway, on to today. It was one of the worst first half performances I’ve seen. It was horrible and they were crap.
I don’t know how Morgan continues to get so many people defending him, he’s had long enough now. He can’t defend, he continuously losing his man or gives up tracking him, he offers nothing offensively, he doesn’t score, he doesn’t have dribbling ability or take players on, he doesn’t get stuck in, he doesn’t show for the ball, and what is meant to be his strong part of his game, his passing is inconsistent.
Stockley was awful today. If he plays up front on his own again this season, Adkins will have shown he does not learn. He said he must reflect and take responsibility, well do the basics yourself and put a team out to get the best out of each other, play to your strengths.
Washington and Leko have to start next week, we are a much better team with Washington playing and Leko brings us something no one else in the squad can do.
Thankfully, we still have a number of players to come back or into the team properly. Inniss, Purrington, Souaré, Gilbey, Arter, Clare, Davison, Schwartz. 6 of them I would have in the squad, 100%.
Was thinking the same @Sage about Jacko. Adkins absolutely deserves and should get more time. But if things don’t improve the right man is already at the club imo.
When Adkins does leave, it will tell me they don’t know what they’re doing if they go for someone other than Jackson. He wants the job, he’s worked under 3 managers and has huge experience of others too. He knows and gets the club. It’s no coincidence that those successful at our club have a connection already. We are different to other clubs and that’s just something people have to understand.
But how do you explain that? There’s no logic to the idea that we can only be successful if the manager has a link to the club.
The main reason other managers have failed in recent years is because they haven’t been very good.
I do see Jackson as an option, but should we go out and find the best upcoming manager we can attract?
Cheltenham come here up from L2 and were playing out from the back. Football at this level has changed with more teams playing that way. We didn’t attempt anything like they did, yet they most have done it on a much smaller budget than ours. It shouldn’t be impossible with this squad, I feel it’s more about belief and coaching than ability.
We don’t need to be a tippy tappy team but we’ve gone too far the other way, the players are uncomfortable passing the ball from the back and our long balls are ineffective and easily dealt with.
Is Adkins trying to use what worked with Scunthorpe and Southampton but is behind the times?
Jackson’s style of play will be far closer to that of Cheltenham’s than Adkins. He’s been at the club for a long time and he gets us. History also tells us we are more successful with managers who have a connection to the club.
I would say Robinson was actually a good manager but it didn’t work here, but it’s working for him at other clubs.
Adkins seems behind the times. He focuses so much on the spirit of the team that it makes it look as if he has to to hide his coaching ability. Whether that’s true or not is another matter.
We have one of, if not the most, qualified set of coaches at the club with UEFA Pro Licenses. But we have no identity in how we play and that starts and ends with Adkins.
He has made Stockley undroppable. Building a team around him but not playing to his strengths is madness. Making him captain and saying he’s the best striker in the league says he will be in the team no matter what. If that’s the case, play to his strengths. I don’t see him as a leader on the pitch, he gets frustrated too easily, doesn’t gee players up or show leadership skills, making him captain was a strange move. But it was one to say he is my main man and he is playing every week. Fine, but give him and the rest of the team the tools to get the best out of him and each other. Adkins seems completely incapable of figuring that out right now.
One a side note, what I find interesting is that when Bowyer was here, it was very much Bowyer and Jackson giving instructions on the sideline. Now Adkins is here, it’s nearly all him and sometimes you might see Euell doing it. Jackson rarely moves from his seat now and I find that interesting as to why.
I would give Stockley a rest next game . Pair Washington and Leko up top , with Lee just behind with Arter Dobson and Morgan in the centre in a 4-3-1-2 formation. Midfield was so overrun yesterday , yet Adkins refused to change things .
On Robinson he never had the players to make his system work. The right striker might have changed that, but even Lyle Taylor wasn’t suited to that lone role - it’s hard to find the right player, even more so at this level where you’ll struggle to find a player that’s well rounded enough for the role. Somehow Hull made it work with Magennis.
Adkins needs to try something different, 4-4-2 seems the obvious way to go given we don’t have the players for a diamond or to play with wing backs. We’ve had a weak central midfield all season but it can’t be entirely to blame. I’m never one to blame coaching when we don’t see what goes on, but all these smaller clubs playing better passing football than us can’t have top L1 midfielders. A lot of it has to be down to coaching and tactics.
Very hard to judge any players until they are set up properly - tactics are the biggest issue at present. The players looked as clueless about the formation as the fans did yesterday.
On yesterday's performance Matthews is well down the list of players not good enough, namely Watson, Morgan, Gunter, Kirk, DJ. I though Matthews was one of our better performers though he wasn't helped in the second half with the narrower shape when he was isolated on the right with little help.
My son and I are not sat too far behind NA and I was keeping as close an eye on him in the first half as I was the sh*t first half performance that was unfolding.
For whatever reason, the players were not executing their pre-match plan. It was apparent from the highly frustrated body language and what was being said by NA to Craig, Adam, Sam, Akin, DJ and Stockley (who knew already and was having a go at his team mates before NA started).
The two key points I could pick up were 1 NA wanted early release to the fullbacks fo exploit the wing, bearing in mind they were playing 3-4-3 that makes sense, overload the wing areas and have the other wing side and CAM join Stockley in the middle for crossed chances.
2 he didn’t like the passing backward mentality and was doing his nut at them to press and get forward.
I think NA is likely feeling the need to play 4-2-3-1 or a 433 with the third midfielder being a CAM rather than 442, because he doesn’t believe that any combination of Watson, Morgan, Clare & Dobson have sufficient capability to protect the back four and support the attack, unless we are playing what he believes are a less threatening opposition.
What was behind the players abject performance and lack of will to execute the plan, I have no idea, but it was there for all too see and needs to be dealt with.
As soon as Arter is sufficiently fit, Gilbey too for that matter, I can see an Arter/Gilbey or Arter/Clare combo being used in a 442, but I’m afraid today’s Watson (appreciate his pedigree of the past), Morgan, Dobson just can’t be trusted in a combo, as they are coming up against more athletic, hungry and capable midfields.
We need Arter and Soare fit ASAP and do need to move to a 4-4-2 or a 433 with Lee/Gilbey as the CAM, BUT with whichever wing is not in play far closer to Stockley for knock downs, if a front 3 is being used.
At this stage, the only people I would boo (but I didn’t yesterday, as the second half was better than the first) are the players that don’t graft hard and show us what we know they are capable of. Gunter, Kirk and DJ were definitely in that camp, Watson and Morgan not far behind. Thankfully no midweek game, so fitness and planning all week ahead of next Saturday, which will be tough, but look at the results yesterday, everybody can beat everybody in this tin pot division, so we have to go there and get 3 points, no more complicated than that. If we don’t get at least a draw, it’ll all be getting a lot more twitchy than it has so far.
Good luck to NA, JJ and JE this week, I hope the let down players start to pull their fingers out to give us a better fighting chance.
NA was booed quite loudly when taking to the tunnel after the game. Half of me could understand and the other half just doesn't want us, as a club, to go through another season of panto. If it's not Ownership, its managerial. We are becoming the lower league Tottenham or Arsenal and that's fuelling opposition more than ourselves.
Can't we just blame the youmg Roddy who is not even on the bench anymore.
Considering what happened on the pitch yesterday especially the first half performance i thought the supporters were excellent in keeping up the singing and getting behind the team.
Curbishley said you have to manage what you've got. Not dream about other players. Not imposing a system but using the strengths you have. I'm sorry but 1-2 at home to Cheltenham is appalling.
Matthews plays like a reluctant player. That cross he put in that the goalkeeper missed (and so did Stockley's radar) was excellent but he dallies about when can do that 5/6 times in a game.
If Stockley was not our captain, it would have to be Watson, or a loanee! The alternatives are more than thin.
Get Stockley off he’s hopeless, we’ll play better without him in the side
Someone has lolled this, but the second point is spot on. A few of us said we didn't want to sign him again, as the brand of football with him up top is so painful to watch.
Comments
We need to improve quickly...
The set is all wrong, both on and off the pitch. Even TS isn’t off the hook completely as we need a proper CEO for starters.
One of the only highlights of the season so far has been Elerewe, but they say he’s too young to play regularly.
Can't we just blame the youmg Roddy who is not even on the bench anymore.
As manager he should have addressed these issues - end of
Saying that though, I don’t think Stockley works the opposition enough, he never drops off, he doesn’t look to run in behind, it’s just a constant back into the defender to either win a flick on or hold it up.
We need to get the ball to the midfielders and push the team around him 15 yards higher up. It will then allow us to sustain pressure and he can focus his time on being in the box and getting on the end of crosses, as that’s what he is most effective on.
The main reason other managers have failed in recent years is because they haven’t been very good.
I do see Jackson as an option, but should we go out and find the best upcoming manager we can attract?
Cheltenham come here up from L2 and were playing out from the back. Football at this level has changed with more teams playing that way. We didn’t attempt anything like they did, yet they most have done it on a much smaller budget than ours. It shouldn’t be impossible with this squad, I feel it’s more about belief and coaching than ability.
Is Adkins trying to use what worked with Scunthorpe and Southampton but is behind the times?
Even then, if we got 7 from the next 4, we would have to get around 78 points from the remaining 36 for automatic promotion, or another 65 points for play-offs.
Looks scary already where it’s pretty much really strong promotion form for the rest of the season just to be where we should be as a club.
I would say Robinson was actually a good manager but it didn’t work here, but it’s working for him at other clubs.
Adkins seems behind the times. He focuses so much on the spirit of the team that it makes it look as if he has to to hide his coaching ability. Whether that’s true or not is another matter.
We have one of, if not the most, qualified set of coaches at the club with UEFA Pro Licenses. But we have no identity in how we play and that starts and ends with Adkins.
He has made Stockley undroppable. Building a team around him but not playing to his strengths is madness. Making him captain and saying he’s the best striker in the league says he will be in the team no matter what. If that’s the case, play to his strengths. I don’t see him as a leader on the pitch, he gets frustrated too easily, doesn’t gee players up or show leadership skills, making him captain was a strange move. But it was one to say he is my main man and he is playing every week. Fine, but give him and the rest of the team the tools to get the best out of him and each other. Adkins seems completely incapable of figuring that out right now.
One a side note, what I find interesting is that when Bowyer was here, it was very much Bowyer and Jackson giving instructions on the sideline. Now Adkins is here, it’s nearly all him and sometimes you might see Euell doing it. Jackson rarely moves from his seat now and I find that interesting as to why.
Adkins needs to try something different, 4-4-2 seems the obvious way to go given we don’t have the players for a diamond or to play with wing backs. We’ve had a weak central midfield all season but it can’t be entirely to blame. I’m never one to blame coaching when we don’t see what goes on, but all these smaller clubs playing better passing football than us can’t have top L1 midfielders. A lot of it has to be down to coaching and tactics.
2nd half they all put a lot more effort in and for while at least, we had a game.
For whatever reason, the players were not executing their pre-match plan. It was apparent from the highly frustrated body language and what was being said by NA to Craig, Adam, Sam, Akin, DJ and Stockley (who knew already and was having a go at his team mates before NA started).
The two key points I could pick up were 1 NA wanted early release to the fullbacks fo exploit the wing, bearing in mind they were playing 3-4-3 that makes sense, overload the wing areas and have the other wing side and CAM join Stockley in the middle for crossed chances.
2 he didn’t like the passing backward mentality and was doing his nut at them to press and get forward.
I think NA is likely feeling the need to play 4-2-3-1 or a 433 with the third midfielder being a CAM rather than 442, because he doesn’t believe that any combination of Watson, Morgan, Clare & Dobson have sufficient capability to protect the back four and support the attack, unless we are playing what he believes are a less threatening opposition.
What was behind the players abject performance and lack of will to execute the plan, I have no idea, but it was there for all too see and needs to be dealt with.
As soon as Arter is sufficiently fit, Gilbey too for that matter, I can see an Arter/Gilbey or Arter/Clare combo being used in a 442, but I’m afraid today’s Watson (appreciate his pedigree of the past), Morgan, Dobson just can’t be trusted in a combo, as they are coming up against more athletic, hungry and capable midfields.
We need Arter and Soare fit ASAP and do need to move to a 4-4-2 or a 433 with Lee/Gilbey as the CAM, BUT with whichever wing is not in play far closer to Stockley for knock downs, if a front 3 is being used.
At this stage, the only people I would boo (but I didn’t yesterday, as the second half was better than the first) are the players that don’t graft hard and show us what we know they are capable of. Gunter, Kirk and DJ were definitely in that camp, Watson and Morgan not far behind. Thankfully no midweek game, so fitness and planning all week ahead of next Saturday, which will be tough, but look at the results yesterday, everybody can beat everybody in this tin pot division, so we have to go there and get 3 points, no more complicated than that. If we don’t get at least a draw, it’ll all be getting a lot more twitchy than it has so far.
Good luck to NA, JJ and JE this week, I hope the let down players start to pull their fingers out to give us a better fighting chance.
If Stockley was not our captain, it would have to be Watson, or a loanee! The alternatives are more than thin.
This.
Nothing wrong with 433, 4231, 1 up top, lone strikers etc etc..... As long as you have the right player(s) for system and roles.
Making him the marquee signing and captain has made it nigh on impossible to drop him, so, we persist and, surprisingly, see the same outcome.
Crewe was a blip and probably more down to them being in a mess than our performance and play.