Honeymoon over ?

[Gone_Shrimping]

Hard to explain really.

Cambridge were not a patch on Plymouth yet we played so well 2nd half against Plymouth and should have won. Last night a very ordinary team stopped us having any real goal-scoring opportunities.

Honeymoon not over and if Stephen can get some decent points in the games this month and beat Newport on Saturday he could be back in the honeymoon suite !.

[KenH]

I think we need to stop clearing it up the pitch when there's no one there. All that happened last night was that the opposition just hoofed it back again straight away, not giving us time to regroup/reform our positions at a time when they were already in an attacking formation. We'd be better just kicking it out for a throw-in, which would usually give us time to get back into formation/positions. Yes, I know it's conceding possession, and yes, there is the risk of a fast throw in to catch us out, but it's what is happening anyway.

[Alan]

I think we need to stop clearing it up the pitch when there's no one there. All that happened last night was that the opposition just hoofed it back again straight away, not giving us time to regroup/reform our positions at a time when they were already in an attacking formation.

Fully agree, but I would rather keep someone with a bit of pace (Ayounga ?) close to the centre circle as a target for clearances, in the hope that this slows down the ball coming straight back on to our defence.Varying his position (right-centre-left) could keep the opposition unsure of their options.

Also think that as Cole is now a well marked man, a switch to one wing or the other for a few minutes could confuse the oppositions well worked out marking plan. Cole seems to have been negated in the last few games, but a player of his quality needs other options rather than being clattered every time he touches the ball. A lot depends on the positivety of the other players. Good to see Freddie getting more game time.

[sandgrown]

sadly Mc Donald IMO looks completely out of his depth in L1 all stepovers and no end product, and Wooton looked terrified every time he got the ball in our half.
we missed Cooney and Phillips until he came on late on, they are two of our best by far.

[BerlinWaller]

sadly Mc Donald IMO looks completely out of his depth in L1 all stepovers and no end product, and Wooton looked terrified every time he got the ball in our half.
we missed Cooney and Phillips until he came on late on, they are two of our best by far.

You can justify a poor performance, it happens to all players but you can't justify a player hiding. I felt Wes hid last night, he didn't want the ball and when he got it he did nothing with it. He never beat his full back or challenge for any headers and i cant remember him making a tackle. He has ability but is not a team player

[redrobo]

sadly Mc Donald IMO looks completely out of his depth in L1 all stepovers and no end product, and Wooton looked terrified every time he got the ball in our half.
we missed Cooney and Phillips until he came on late on, they are two of our best by far.

You can justify a poor performance, it happens to all players but you can't justify a player hiding. I felt Wes hid last night, he didn't want the ball and when he got it he did nothing with it. He never beat his full back or challenge for any headers and i cant remember him making a tackle. He has ability but is not a team player

Sounds as though he was like that at Walsall prior to joining us on a 2 year contract.

A number of the new signings are on 2 year deals.

[fulwoodshrimp]

IMO I would give Freddie Price an extended run in the team. Unfortunately McDonald is one of several players not up to League 1 standards. I also think we need a goalkeeper capable of playing in League 1.

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

After we signed Wes I went straight to the the Walsall Forum for a fans view. I try to do this with all our signings to get a fans viewpoint because you'll usually get a more accurate indication of what you're getting rather than the player interview at the new club where they'll always big themselves up. They mentioned the step over thing and no end product but to be fair they also didn't know who would produce any creativity after he left. What I've seen of him so far has been very disappointing. No real creativity and last night he appeared a soft touch losing the ball in defensive areas twice which could have easily resulted in goals against. For me no where near a league one player!!

Unfortunately several others fit the same bill and despite signing 20 players we are desperately short on true league one quality.

If it wasn't for Cole I dread to think where we would be in the league right now.

Really hope Mr Foyle can identify available gems in January but it's not the best time of the year for this and to be honest we are up against several NW 'non-league' clubs who probably have far more spending power than us. Wrexham, Stockport and Salford to start with.

Difficult times but whatever happens we will still be in the Football League next season.

UTS.

[Phoenix Shrimp 2017]

After we signed Wes I went straight to the the Walsall Forum for a fans view. I try to do this with all our signings to get a fans viewpoint because you'll usually get a more accurate indication of what you're getting rather than the player interview at the new club where they'll always big themselves up. They mentioned the step over thing and no end product but to be fair they also didn't know who would produce any creativity after he left. What I've seen of him so far has been very disappointing. No real creativity and last night he appeared a soft touch losing the ball in defensive areas twice which could have easily resulted in goals against. For me no where near a league one player!!

Unfortunately several others fit the same bill and despite signing 20 players we are desperately short on true league one quality.

If it wasn't for Cole I dread to think where we would be in the league right now.

Really hope Mr Foyle can identify available gems in January but it's not the best time of the year for this and to be honest we are up against several NW 'non-league' clubs who probably have far more spending power than us. Wrexham, Stockport and Salford to start with.

Difficult times but whatever happens we will still be in the Football League next season.

UTS.

[Andy D]

id like to see more of Josh McPake, the amount of Rangers fans at work what ask about him, and i say he’s fast, skilful, but tends to over play it, still learning i suppose.

[Little Shrimp]

SR talks a good game but seems unable to translate that over to the players of late and I'm beginning to wonder if at the initial interview for the job that his ability to say all the right things convinced our excellent BoD that he was the man to replace DA. We've no idea who the other candidates for the job where but from what I've heard in interviews that SR has given that he knows the power of communication can mask a number of failings.

Think you make a couple of fair points RR - personally feel that it's a rugged centre back we more need, but someone in midfield at least as a squad player with similar characteristics would not go amiss. Wonder if we miss Shane McLoughlin a bit - not the biggest but a lot of energy to get in the opposition's faces.

However, the point I've quoted above is nonsense. You've tried to paint Robbo as some sort of snake oil salesman, which is complete rubbish and an offensively ill-informed take.

He had three very successful years at Motherwell. It's obviously not a guarantee that the job he did can be replicated, but to act like he's all talk after taking Motherwell to two cup finals and the Europa League is ridiculous.

Has he gotten everything right? No. I think in hindsight, the recruitment of Wootton (who I think has overall done ok-ish) was a bit shortsighted given he doesn't really replicate any of the characteristics we were going to lose when Lavelle left (physicality, aerial ability etc).

But that doesn't mean he's some charlatan who tricked our board into hiring him with some clever words. Give the board a bit of credit too. Considering we have two people on it who work in recruitment, I think they'd be more than adept at seeing through BS.

I think we're perhaps starting to see a few consequences of a very big summer overhaul, where there was so much to do that maybe some gaps in the squad were underestimated. Hopefully we can find a way to turn form around ahead of January, then fix those issues with a couple of new additions.

[redrobo]

I disagree about the 'snake oil salesman reference'.....otherwise some interesting view points.

Alternate views are always welcome.... even if some disagree....

[Andy D]

Wootton might not be as good in the air as Lavelle but he's better passing with the ball and for speed about the same.

ideally with a touch of hindsight we should of kept Lavelle and stuffed the £200.000 fee and instead secured L1 status.

[Gone_Shrimping]

Wootton might not be as good in the air as Lavelle but he's better passing with the ball and for speed about the same.

ideally with a touch of hindsight we should of kept Lavelle and stuffed the £200.000 fee and instead secured L1 status.

Hindsight doesn't come into it. Sam wanted to move , he nearly went to Wycombe and then Charlton came in and who knows how much his wages will have increased by. Holding onto what would have been an unhappy player is not a good idea.

[Little Shrimp]

Wootton might not be as good in the air as Lavelle but he's better passing with the ball and for speed about the same.

ideally with a touch of hindsight we should of kept Lavelle and stuffed the £200.000 fee and instead secured L1 status.

Yes I would agree Wootton's a better passer - hits a lovely diagonal. Just we already had a couple of decent passers at the back with AOC and Delaney, needed someone with more similar physical/aerial characteristics to Lavelle to compete with him/eventually replace him.

[cragbankshrimp]

What we are desparate for is a leader at the back to take control. A Jimbo would be ideal.

[marky No.1]

Wootton might not be as good in the air as Lavelle but he's better passing with the ball and for speed about the same.

ideally with a touch of hindsight we should of kept Lavelle and stuffed the £200.000 fee and instead secured L1 status.

Hindsight doesn't come into it. Sam wanted to move , he nearly went to Wycombe and then Charlton came in and who knows how much his wages will have increased by.

£3600 a week according to this, which is a slight increase I would think

https://salarysport.com/football/sky-be ... -athletic/

[Andy D]

but Sam Lavelle would still have given 100% all season long, not for one moment do i think he would of sulked.

[P/T Indie]

Accy turned down a big over for one of their players and told him he had to stay, think it was Peterborough near his family and a big pay rise but Coley said it wasn't right for the club even though he felt for the lad.
For me selling Sam on deadline day wasn't right for us as a club with no replacement lined up.

We could have sold Sam in Jan for a reduced price and had time to get a replacement in, or we could have said have a good season with us and then walk away for free in summer and you will get bigger wages as a free agent and prob more clubs interested.

[fulwoodshrimp]

I am sure Sam would have stayed to see out his contract if we had asked him to. Instead we received a smallish fee and are now struggling to survive in League 1 without him. I said at the time it was bad business and I stand by that.

[Freez]

The agreement as I understand it was Sam wouldn’t sign an extension and his agent was actively seeking a move over the summer. Sam was happy to play and captain while here and did so brilliantly, but he wanted the move as he felt it was the right time.
The board did try and persuade him otherwise but also stood by their promise to not stand in his way should a club come in for him with an acceptable offer.
So both sides acted honourably, Sam got his move and we move on.
To say “We should have kept him and let him go for nothing” isn’t an option as it’s breaking the promise to Sam and also a bad business model for a League 1 club who have the lowest operational budget.
End of.
I agree we do need a beast of a centre back to perform the dark arts, win every header in both boxes and score 6 from set pieces in a season.
Martin Foyle, that and a Yard Dog in the middle alongside Toums will be first on your shopping list mate!!D

[black morse]

Several people on here are blaming the sale of Sam on our resent poor form but Sam went at the end of August and we had a reasonable September so, whilst I have no doubt we are missing Sam, it is certainly not the only reason. I still maintain that generally we were playing easier opposition early in the season than we have in October. That doesn't account for the poor showing against Cambridge......so what do I know?

[redrobo]

Posh recently posted an interesting piece of info around those players who appeared in our Wembley success as part of DA's squad. Hardly any if any now appear on a regular basis for their new clubs including Sam's centre partner who signed for Tranmere and like others is no longer part of their first team.

For me it suggests that DA was able to get the best out of his charges by sticking to a well drilled game plan that proved successful. As much as I don't like DA as an individual i accept he was a master in tactics and one wonders had he stayed where we would be now.....

Hope fully Martin Foyle can work wonders and suggest new squad players to SR especially those skilled in the darker side of our game come the January transfer window. Maybe until then a fresh pair of eyes can offer advice in how to improve in our defensive play.

Just hope that as a result of him joining our club there are no outgoings from the current coaching staff.....

[KenH]

For me it suggests that DA was able to get the best out of his charges by sticking to a well drilled game plan that proved successful. As much as I don't like DA as an individual i accept he was a master in tactics and one wonders had he stayed where we would be now.....

I fully agree with that. DA managed to get the players to over-perform, above and beyond, and that was down to concentrating on basics and drilling. Whenever the opposition had the ball, DA's squad would be all over them, closing them down, tackling, blocking them, etc., basically giving them no time and forcing them into bad decisions & poor passes - you don't need to be a "super star" player to do that, it's about as basic as you can get and any player can do it. Likewise with marking, DA's squad stuck like glue to the opposition players.

[glagys]

Adam Clayton is available probs well out of our price bracket though