Ken McKenna v Jim Bentley

[mrpotatohead]

the money off redshaw might be a factor, and next year the 2 million off spurs.

[George Dawes]

the money off redshaw might be a factor, and next year the 2 million off spurs.

apparently we knocked Spurs back!

[Bryan]

I was at the game and it was extremely poor. The first five minutes we seemed to send every 'pass' or clearance into the stand. The pitch was good. The weather fine, with only a bit of wind. So no excuses about playing it on the deck. With York's record I was amazed we didn't take the game to them until the last five minutes. Roache has got us out of jail two or three times and was the only candidate for MOM.

The system we played is fine (if done properly) but like Dave and Freez said we left twenty or thirty metres of undefended space in front of the midfield who were outplayed and outfought by a team who've lost nine on the bounce! They had time on the ball and were able to get players in wide positions with a free run. It was abysmal and something that has been happening for the last seven weeks. I luv Jimbo, and Ken always fronts up after games - no matter what - so I respect him too. But please: why do we keep doing the same things week in week out?

There's talent up front but the workrate, organisation and desire to win football matches wasn't anywhere to be seen when taken as a whole. Playing on the counter-attack is one thing but you've still got to win that ball back by closing down the space when it's needed. Six or seven out of form? Maybe one or two are already showing their 'journeymen' credentials. Other's I believe are in the comfort zone with little competition for places. Is that the managers, or the Board's fault for not backing him enough so he can change that?

It was horrendous but get behind the team on Boxing Day, whatever your opinion.

[Jettyson]

It will be interesting to see how many changes will be made for Mansfield. Those who don't want to work shouldn't be playing.Defending starts at the front.

[mrpotatohead]

Jim needs to stand or fall by selecting players on workrate and passion rather than past reputation, he has nothing to lose, nothing to spend, and can at least say, 'I played the 11 men that I knew were going to give 100% for me''.

If he stays or goes, in the long term ,he needs to develop a reputation that we all thought he had, motivated by choosing people with passion to work with him.

Someone mentioned award winning pies as being our best recent achievement, well , how many awards would our pies win if our chef had to beg,borrow and scrounge shoddy ingredients that nobody else wants.

[marky No.1]

Yeah but the pie has a value, even at the end of the game

[Posh]

The correct score prediction competition has been nigh on impossible this season but it would be piss easy compared to a 'guess the first 11 competition'. Roche. Yep. Oh f***. He's put Paz at right back and Molyneux at left back lost again!

The sheer amount of tinkering can't be good for the players. Paz was dropped on Saturday yet he's been a candidate for player of the season for the last three years. Up front we started with Miller against his former team who know his style of play well instead of Mullin who started the last game.

Choose a formation that you're happy with Jim and choose your best team for it and stick with them. Don't keep tinkering with it. Yes it might be individual players letting you down at times but don't keep dropping them and then bringing them back a week later. Either stick with them and improve them or cast them aside for the long-term. It's like the bloody hokey-coney at the moment.

[Christies Child]

The correct score prediction competition has been nigh on impossible this season but it would be piss easy compared to a 'guess the first 11 competition'. Roche. Yep. Oh f***. He's put Paz at right back and Molyneux at left back lost again!

The sheer amount of tinkering can't be good for the players. Paz was dropped on Saturday yet he's been a candidate for player of the season for the last three years. Up front we started with Miller against his former team who know his style of play well instead of Mullin who started the last game.

Choose a formation that you're happy with Jim and choose your best team for it and stick with them. Don't keep tinkering with it. Yes it might be individual players letting you down at times but don't keep dropping them and then bringing them back a week later. Either stick with them and improve them or cast them aside for the long-term. It's like the bloody hokey-coney at the moment.

Not sure that the management team actually know what their best team is....

Just watched Ken on Player giving his take on the game. It sounds to me as though he actually believes that we were competitive which is not the thoughts of a good number of fellow SVers on this forum.

[parkyboy]

KEN MCKENNA NOT INSPIRING AT ALL IN HIS INTERVIEW ,TOO MANY EXCUSES AND NOT ANY BLAME ATTACHED ANYWHERE .SO IF MANAGEMENT ARE GOING IN THE DRESSING ROOM AFTER MATCH AND SAYING HARD LUCK LADS YOU WERE VERY COMPETITIVE ,THATS WHY ITS HAPPENING TIME AFTER TIME ,KICK SOME BACKSIDES AND MEAN IT DONT MOLLYCODDLE THEM

[Bryan]

Look. I rarely get on here these days but felt I had to say something after the York game and the last seven weeks. I still stand by what I said in my previous post: FAR TOO MUCH SPACE FOR THE OPPOSITION TO PLAY IN without any real sort of challenge just inside our half and down the flanks.

Unlike some I have a lot of respect for Ken. But have to disagree with him on the fact we were competitive in this match. Or several others recently. Certain players were, but overall as a team, nowhere near. It's cliché land but when we haven't got the ball (which seems a lot these days!) there's nowhere near enough effort put in by certain individuals (and lets be honest that is the problem - playing as individuals...not a team) IN WINNING THE BALL BACK.

It's crazy giving any side that amount of dangerous space to play in. York are crap. But the crowd sensed this was the game in which to turn fortunes around because we WEREN'T competitive. It's ok letting the opposition have the ball in harmless areas then win it back and counter attack like we were at the start of the season. But Jimbo should be reading the bloody riot act with at least six or seven lads (apologies, this is turning into a rant) because they are not putting a shift in to play this style of football.

I reiterate: we've got players up front who can do some serious damage. We've all seen it. But as a TEAM we've got to do much more when we haven't got the ball. Players pulling out of fifty-fifty challenges and not attacking second balls. Tracking back and getting blocks in. Or simply chasing a ball down in order to put a defender or keeper off? This is stuff we should be doing for 90 plus minutes, every week! It was garbage at York. We were outplayed by a team that had lost 9 on the trot. Lets admit that and move on. Then try and rectify it on Boxing Day.

Plenty at the game thought Jimbo's time might be up but I've had a sleep on it and know him to be a good man. But there is no sentiment in this game. He's got to (with the backing of the board - there in lies another story) sort the deadwood out. He hasn't got much room for manoeuvre but surely a lad like Doyle deserves a go. Goodhall seems out of favour when he was the early star of the side. And then there are those that get games when quite frankly they would struggle in many a non-league outfit.

Consistent team selection and tactics. Drop the slackers. And let the real grafters do the work for the talented few up front. Anyone with their comfy Christmas slippers on should be out of the side. Period!

And after all that it just remains to wish my fellow Shrimps fans a very, Merry Christmas! COYS!!!

[John L]

Well said, Bryan. Totally agree!

[Jettyson]

Bryan,
"Drop the slackers. And let the real grafters do the work for the talented few up front. "
Care to elaborate re the talented few as Miller has left his season in October and Forester not exactly covered himself in glory.Neither give the oppositions defence "a hard time" either physically or movement wise.

[Seasider9601]

Look. I rarely get on here these days but felt I had to say something after the York game and the last seven weeks. I still stand by what I said in my previous post: FAR TOO MUCH SPACE FOR THE OPPOSITION TO PLAY IN without any real sort of challenge just inside our half and down the flanks.

Unlike some I have a lot of respect for Ken. But have to disagree with him on the fact we were competitive in this match. Or several others recently. Certain players were, but overall as a team, nowhere near. It's cliché land but when we haven't got the ball (which seems a lot these days!) there's nowhere near enough effort put in by certain individuals (and lets be honest that is the problem - playing as individuals...not a team) IN WINNING THE BALL BACK.

It's crazy giving any side that amount of dangerous space to play in. York are crap. But the crowd sensed this was the game in which to turn fortunes around because we WEREN'T competitive. It's ok letting the opposition have the ball in harmless areas then win it back and counter attack like we were at the start of the season. But Jimbo should be reading the bloody riot act with at least six or seven lads (apologies, this is turning into a rant) because they are not putting a shift in to play this style of football.

I reiterate: we've got players up front who can do some serious damage. We've all seen it. But as a TEAM we've got to do much more when we haven't got the ball. Players pulling out of fifty-fifty challenges and not attacking second balls. Tracking back and getting blocks in. Or simply chasing a ball down in order to put a defender or keeper off? This is stuff we should be doing for 90 plus minutes, every week! It was garbage at York. We were outplayed by a team that had lost 9 on the trot. Lets admit that and move on. Then try and rectify it on Boxing Day.

Plenty at the game thought Jimbo's time might be up but I've had a sleep on it and know him to be a good man. But there is no sentiment in this game. He's got to (with the backing of the board - there in lies another story) sort the deadwood out. He hasn't got much room for manoeuvre but surely a lad like Doyle deserves a go. Goodhall seems out of favour when he was the early star of the side. And then there are those that get games when quite frankly they would struggle in many a non-league outfit.

Consistent team selection and tactics. Drop the slackers. And let the real grafters do the work for the talented few up front. Anyone with their comfy Christmas slippers on should be out of the side. Period!

And after all that it just remains to wish my fellow Shrimps fans a very, Merry Christmas! COYS!!!

Superb post.