An interesting take on the Play Offs hopes of all clubs

[ballboy]

Sattsy said 'A 95th minute winner against Woking and a 1-0 victory by way of a penalty against Chester, are results that are just papering over the cracks John, surely you can see that?
We are not about to go on an 8 game unbeaten run. Not much has changed, not really. Only an injury to Beano forced Toddy to change his strike partnership. He won't drop Beano once he is fit again and we'll see Beano & Tubbs upfront together in at least 6 or 7 of our remaining games. That to me, would identify a managerial weakness and i doubt we would win 4 games with that partnership'.

I agree that the Beano/Tubbs partnership is not working and needs to be changed but as you have admitted you didn't go to the Woking or Chester games and the 1 goal difference could easily be have been more with outstanding saves by the opposing keepers so the chances have been there and on another day we could have had 4 to 6 goals so i can't see any reason why we are not about to go on an unbeaten run.
I would definitely keep Yemi as, although he may not score, he creates goals/wins penalties etc. Midson also has made a big difference coming on so i would like to see him given more game time.

[blackie]

I agree with Sattsy's assessment of what we are likely to need to push on next season.
Greener and Yemi would only be squad players if we are seriously going to push for promotion or make a mark in L2.
Yemi is a good impact player but doesn't score enough and Greener is not at the same level defensively as Harding.

Ballboy: I agree we dominated Chester and could have had a hatful but if Woking had not also gone down to 10 men we would have been pushed to get 1 point from the game.

If we take 9 points min from the next 12 then we have a chance of the PO's, anything less then it's likely to be season over.

[Deleted]

I don't get all this on another day we could have got 6 kind of comment...Facts are, its all about what happens on the day and we only got 1... and that was a penalty. I wasnt at the game, but one goal against a mid table side at home, doesn't tell me we are on top form and are about to smash all teams out of sight...
We are struggling through games and up to last weekend, have been devoid of any real attacking threat because of the front 2 we have been picking and the fact that we were playing our most creative player (Jai) out of position. Because of injuries to Beano & Dury and suspension of Strevs, we have only stumbled into picking a different pairing upfront and having to move Jai to his favoured central role. Sadly, that's not been down to any great change of managerial know-how, or wanting to play a different way, its down to being forced to pick Yemi and playing Jai centrally. The trick is has the manager now seen what works best?
I suspect Beano will be on the bench on Tuesday night, but i bet he starts the game after that and once Dury is back, i bet Jai is moved out wider again....and we go back to creating 3 half chances per game with a conversion rate of 1 goal per game (at best) but conceding 1.5 per game in the process. I've taken that from our form over the last 8 games, which i do not see changing if we revert to type with Beano up top.

[Deleted]

Jack Midson might start up front on tuesday. I thought he made a good impact coming off the bench in the last two games.

[efcspitfire]

Midson won't start another game this season unless there is nobody else.
Great impact sub but Toddy doesn't really seem to rate him.

[tenacres]

It might be just me but I really find myself hoping Beano starts one of the next couple of games with Tubbs, gets MOM and smashes in a hattrick :0)

[back4more]

Not sure how you arrive at an opinion on games you weren't at Paul.

I can tell you having seen the last 5 games that your opinions don't match what everyone at those games actually saw. I think you were at FGR and we have been improving steadily since then including the win against the mighty Cheltenham.

[Deleted]

What everyone saw, really?

I arrive at that opinion because i feel i know and understand football very well. I can see what works and what doesnt work from the games i have been at.
Still, lets take your opinion as you have been at all games and stick with Beano Tubbs, shall we?.
I'll take a wager with you that nether of them get more than 3 goals each in the remaining games that they are paired together.
Beano might get 3 in 9 games if he's lucky & Tubbs 1 (a penalty) & that isnt good enough is it?

I really dont need to have seen the last 3 games to work that out & form my own opinion....i have seen that pairing plenty of times and ive never even seen one half decent move between them. Opposition defences have them firmly in their pockets.

Funny that lots are saying similar to me on here, John, i dont see anyone saying Tubbs & Beano work well and i dont see many other than yourself thinking we are hitting top form?
We are stumbling to the end of the season, and are throwing players and coaches out the club each week, yet not bringing anyone new in that is starting games?
Everything i read on here & online for the games i have missed, confirm my thoughts.
Over the last few weeks, we have moved Lafayette & Kaid out on loan and sacked the assistant manager. Both of those 2 players featured in most games, either starting, or off the bench & both have scored goals.
In that same recent timeframe, we have had Strevens banned for 7 games, Reid banned for 3 games and Turley banned for 1 game & Jai banned for 2 games. All of those players are generally first 11 starters.
Yet all we have brought in is an 18yr old kid (Holland), who hasn't yet stepped foot on the pitch.
We are weakening ourselves week after week, yet are doing nothing about adressing it (we might be trying, but other than Holland, no one has actually come in)?
How are we now a stronger side, how are we really going to put up a fight for a PO place?
We have managed to win our last 2 games, 2 lucky games, that's not form, thats luck.

Its great being positive and seeing things through rose tinted, but when people try and cover things up with pretence or lack of footballing knowledge (not you), its not right IMO.
But it all about opinions, we dont have to agree.


Cant wait for us to win tonight and the rose tinted bridgade to come on hear stating we are going to finish 4th!
Naivety in the extreme, it really is.

[blackie]

We played ok against Cheltenham but it needed an own goal to take the 3 points.
Cheltenham were also the better side in the first half and looking at a balanced view were worth a point.
By all accounts - I couldn't make Braintree we were rank awful there.
We only beat Woking thanks to them also going back to 10 men.
Despite dominating the game against Chester we only won thanks to a penalty.

Yes, we have improved but not markedly and some of the improvement has been down to injuries and suspension which have actually helped the balance of the team.

Rose tinted specs are fine but I prefer to see what's in front of me, I really do hope we make the PO's but we'll have to up our game significantly to have any chance and keep the balance in the team which up front doesn't look like producing enough goals.

[nobadspitfire]

There have been improvements in how we play, but it's not about games in the past. All that matters is the next game and how we play tonight against Bromley.

[back4more]

Paul, nowhere have I said that the front pairing should be Beano and Tubbs as you are suggesting. Where did you get that one from?

I'm not dismissing that option though and believe both players are intelligent enough to make it work. It might or might not be the best choice for some matches and like any set up, when it is used, it needs to be part of a strategy and with the right preparation and support it can be successful.

I am actually always very reluctant to espouse any particular preferences in terms of player selection. The manager and his staff, currently Strevs and Cooky, are working with the players 4 days a week now as well as match days and there are always many factors unseen to us which can influence their team selection. 

I'm also wary of the negative affects on what is still relatively a very small club if supporters start clamouring for players to be dropped, whether the club happens to be on a poor run as we were, or on an upward trend as we have been in recent weeks. 

I haven't said either by the way that we are hitting top form, which is something else you mention. The performances though have been a marked improvement with some excellent football played. We could easily have won more points than we have with better discipline and no sendings off. That is an area we need to improve on without question.

I can promise you I don't wear rose tinted glasses. What I think is important for you to realise is that opinion does not have to be negative to be valid. I make my comments in the context of the challenges and limitations the club encounters in achieving its ambitions and the particular challenges Chris Todd has needed to deal with in his first management job, having taken over another manager's underperforming squad well into a new season with a poor points tally on the board.

Anyone can pick holes in the detail but a bit of respect for what has been achieved should not go amiss.

[back4more]

Blackie,

FYI we were not rank awful against Braintree. They produced their best performance of the season (their manager's words after the game) and the sending off cost us resulting in having to use our subs early. We then ended up playing with 9 when Andy Drury was injured and their second goal came after he was unable to get a challenge in as he was basically playing on one leg at the time.

Against Woking we outplayed them for most of the game when we were playing 10 against 11. they went down to 10 very late in the game.

We deserved the points against Cheltenham. We played the game we needed to against the side top of the table (with FGR) by a record margin.

Against Chester we got the result against a side which had won its previous game 8-2 and which defended like heroes. We also hit the woodwork three times and their keeper made so many outstanding saves that he was picked for the Non League Paper's team of the week. It was the penalty that got the win but if they hadn't have fouled we'd have scored anyway.

You and I must be watching different teams.

[blackie]

Back4more,

We'll have to disagree.

I did say I didn't go to Braintree and its what 1 or 2 who were in the clubhouse thought of the performance - we still lost though!

We could have just as easily lost or drawn against Cheltenham and yes we did outplay Woking but while they had 11 men they looked comfortable and we would have done no better than a draw.

Despite bombarding Chester we only managed 1 goal!

I'll keep my specs off until I see 10 points from the next 12, then I might actually think we can make the top 5 and i'll get the rosie's out of the case.

[westendspitfire]

I'm going to wear my specs with pride there's plenty enough doom and gloom without looking for ways to uncelebrate a victory.

[Deleted]

Mar 15, 2016 11:41:18 GMT back4more said:

Paul, nowhere have I said that the front pairing should be Beano and Tubbs as you are suggesting. Where did you get that one from?

I'm not dismissing that option though and believe both players are intelligent enough to make it work. It might or might not be the best choice for some matches and like any set up, when it is used, it needs to be part of a strategy and with the right preparation and support it can be successful.

I am actually always very reluctant to espouse any particular preferences in terms of player selection. The manager and his staff, currently Strevs and Cooky, are working with the players 4 days a week now as well as match days and there are always many factors unseen to us which can influence their team selection. 

I'm also wary of the negative affects on what is still relatively a very small club if supporters start clamouring for players to be dropped, whether the club happens to be on a poor run as we were, or on an upward trend as we have been in recent weeks. 

I haven't said either by the way that we are hitting top form, which is something else you mention. The performances though have been a marked improvement with some excellent football played. We could easily have won more points than we have with better discipline and no sendings off. That is an area we need to improve on without question.

I can promise you I don't wear rose tinted glasses. What I think is important for you to realise is that opinion does not have to be negative to be valid. I make my comments in the context of the challenges and limitations the club encounters in achieving its ambitions and the particular challenges Chris Todd has needed to deal with in his first management job, having taken over another manager's underperforming squad well into a new season with a poor points tally on the board.

Anyone can pick holes in the detail but a bit of respect for what has been achieved should not go amiss.

John - It would appear you don't really give an opinion, and you certainly never want to ruffle any club feathers.
What you do do however, is make a comment about my posts, and the fact you questioned how i could have an opinion having not seen 2 games, is laughable.
I know more about this football club than you could even dream to think about, but i'm not going to wave it around.
There are plenty of others who know more about the club than me and quite of few of them tend to message me acknowledging agreement with most of my posts. Not sure why they dont all post their agreements on here, but we are all different and some don't like to be seen to "talk straight" on an open forum. I have no issue with telling people how i feel about whats going on at the club, or telling anyone straight. Everything i post, is truly what i believe in and will stand behind.

How about you tell us who you think should go and stay, how about you stick your reputation on the line and inform the forum about how we should play?
No? i thought not. That's why your opinion holds less sway for me than many others opinions, because you only say what you believe the club want to hear you say.
Sad really. They may well be your genuine views, but in our recent run of not winning in 12 games, i never once saw you come on here and say this isn't working, something needs to change and this is how i see it. Why Not?  Did you really believe that our form over those 12 games was good enough or acceptable?

 At the end of the day this is a football forum, where people talk about football. Its only natural they will talk about players. I never slag a player off, but i will say that they shouldn't be in the team etc and will give my reasons why, if that's what i think. I couldn't careless if that upsets the player, i'm not here to wipe their bums for them, or suck up to them in any way. They are paid very well and if they don't perform well, then we are entitled to let them know about it. They all read this forum and i have no issue with that, i'm glad they do, and if they see a negative comment from me about them, they are welcome to come find me to discuss and i'll tell them where i feel they are going wrong. There's no hard feelings from me, i love these players, i'll support them, but i wont treat them like untouchable gods, because that, they are not.

Maybe i feel freedom to write what i like as i do not have a relative who works for the club. maybe that's why you don't talk about individual players when they perform badly, maybe that's why you big them up, because Paul Mc is going to interview them next week and you dont want to cause any tension. It's a shame you cant be true to yourself John, and talk more openly about what was going wrong in that 12 game win less run, maybe tell us all how you feel we could improve, or who should be replaced by who etc, rather than just toeing the line for the sake of keeping it sweet for Paul.  Ive brought this up a few times and to be fair, you never bite, which tells me i've hit the nail on the head. Funnily enough, its probably the biggest topic/reason that people have messaged me on. It would appear im not the only one who thinks this way.

I think you have a decent football brain, but surely you dont see every game as a "well played", "we are playing well", "we are on form", "we dont need to make changes", "i'll leave it to the manager" and wont comment on any of that etc?
I'd love to hear what you really think, the rose tinted view is so see through, its not worth reading.

Respect? they need to earn it, then they get respect. But i've written many a post about certainly players who have performed well, so please dont make out i come on here to only slag players off, as that's just not true.