Frickley wrote:
Can't comment on today's performance as not there, but simply looking at first three results (and perf overall vs Matlock that I did see), you've got to question the overall approach in terms of player quality/experience. Biggest mistake so far IMHO is pre season strategy... It's like my lads teaming warming up against teams from age group below, or lower. They're bound to beat them, but come up against teams from your own age/level and the truth comes out. From first three games we must have hoped for 3-4 points at least. A tough season loomed for lots of reasons, giving everyone else three games start isn't going to help.
Onwards and upwards is the only option!!
I would agree with the above, it's what my thoughts were, playing teams at a lower level pre season means nothing. But to be fair to the management team, they didn't come in whilst May, So when most teams had already planned pre-season, we ended up playing whoever.
I don't think Marine were that much better than us, But as a home side i expected us to impose our game more on them, as you should. My opinion for what it's worth, is as it was pre-season. Playing 3 centre backs at this level just does not work for me. You need intelligent footballers who are super fit, especially the wings backs who have a good understanding with each other.
After 6 pre season games and the 3rd league game, to bring 3 players in at short notice and ask them to play in a 3-4-3 system is difficult. It showed today, We looked ragged at the back, Tom Johnson was getting caught for pace on the right of the back 3, where i see him as a No nonsense centre back in a back four , who heads it and clears his lines. also the wing backs didn't know whether to stick or twist, How many times did we see one of the wing backs running at their fullbacks ?. We do miss Gavin Allott big time up front.
Again we seem to putting square pegs in round holes, Cotton is a decent midfielder who was asked to play up front, and Danny South was isolated with nobody playing close enough to him, Although he would probably agree he didn't have the best of matches.
I found some positives in the performances of Jake Picton, who I probably dis-credited for his pace, Indy had a decent knock at the back for hist first game, and Matty Bloor gave a good captains knock winning anything he could, and i like the lad Ghaicham who's busy and always looking to probe, but again he's best playing in the hole behind Allott and South.
Maybe some of the players are just not up to this level ?
I made my feelings known to the manager after the game, and found faith in what he had to say. He's approachable, listened to what i had to say. Whether he agrees or not, does not matter to me. At least i had my say and what he said to me gives me some hope for the future.
I hear what Dove is saying about ref's...but did anyone see a bad tackle today, he issued 9 yellow cards, he's never been a ref, I said that as soon as i saw him walk out, after remembering his performances from last season