Match Thread City vs Stevenage | League 2 | 26/09/20

And I'll stand by that comment, as his general game was very poor. However, like I said, it can be ignored if he keeps scoring.

 

Agree. I wonder where @Fordy117 is. Unusually quiet? His bezzie Clarke had a stormer today.

Maybe he is on the Bolton forum telling their fans that comments like this are wrong as they are gonna storm the league:
"We look like a very weak side. Our best player to me is Doyle but nothing is coming up to him. Our midfield is weak, slow, predictable and easy to defend against. No penetrating passes, not picking up the runs of our forward players, focused on possession and not penetration. Are they playing to instructions? The defense.. well what can I say? ball watching, reactive instead of reading the play, dreadful positioning when marking.

Forget promotion. Start looking at what's happening to our relegation rivals."

 

Funny game today. The general standard of play was pretty poor, even by League Two standards, but I've said before that we're in uncharted territory and I suspect many sides will be even worse than what we saw today. But a win's a win and we'll take that all day long. What frustrates me, as it always does with Stuart, is the lack of a consistent pattern of play. I really feel for Cooke who has been asked to play out of position all season and is really suffering as a result. His natural position is that occupied by Clarke who impresses people because he's tidy on the ball. I must have been watching a different game today from many on here because for me he was just the same as ever. Tidy, no end product. I'd like to see what we'd get with Cooke in the no 10 position. And why not play Clarke on the left if we've nobody else. Swopping the two around today would have been much more logical. Defence generally did ok but always looked shaky. Novak looked terrible except when he scored but we can certainly live with that in this league. Guthrie, well what can you say? Just about as ineffective as you could possibly be. Anyone, literally anyone, would have been more effective. How he stayed on is beyond me. But for all my criticisms of Stuart, it probably wouldn't take more than two or three additions to give us a decent chance of going up. That's assuming the season finishes though and, at the moment, that's a big if.

 

Frustrating in parts, bit nervy at the end (6 mins?!), but overall enjoyed that. Played some really good football at times and 2 good goals.

Novak - gets in great positions, misses a few but scores enough. His all-round play is decent too. 6 in 10 all from open play - that's 28 goals a season. Not bad at all for someone who is not good enough. 8.5/10
Guthrie - speaking of not good enough... I want him to do well, looked like he had a decent pre-season but I just don't know what he brings. Doesn't look like scoring, doesn't put himself about enough, not quick enough. Would be happy if we can bring a young loanee in to add something different. Someone else mentioned it, but Remi Oteh would've done really well in this team I think. 5/10

Clarke - played really well and good assist for the second, great yellow card late on, something we've been missing - 7.5/10
Watt - quickly becoming my favourite player, gets on the ball and good range of passing 8/10
Sutton - got stuck in today and looks to have a bit of an engine on him. Decent first game 7/10
Cooke - OK in patches, should've done better with the 2 chances he had 6/10

French - played well, great assist. Defensively not yet convinced but he seems to be improving 7/10
Wood - played really well, but was at fault for the goal, he simply has to cut that out 7/10
BRE - thought he had a really good game 7/10
Staunton - couple of times he lost his footing and could've stopped the goal. He will need to improve if he is going to be a long term option but he has plenty of time on his side and overall a really impressive start - 6/10

ODonnell- solid - 6.5/10

Donaldson - I know he's past it but would like to see him get a few more minutes, especially when seeing out games. He's good at getting us up the pitch and winning silly free kicks off the opposition.

 

It is what good strikers do, The only time you really notice them making a contribution to the game is when they score

 

I'm not sure, I don't think he is really being played out of position, he is generally a LCM. When he's got in good positions he seems to waste too much. Clarke's playing well there, keep Cooke in CM

 

Happy with the result today, a couple of things to say though.
Stuart, sort that feckin defending out of set pieces, some of it was like a comedy show. Everyone needs to know their jobs but to be fair the youngsters have a bit to learn.
Up front, when we create the chances we need to be sharper and more ruthless, we can’t rely on the opposition gifting us openings to score goals. Guthrie for me today was a passenger for most of the game, but to be fair he lacks confidence and only games and goals can give him that.

 

Novak is in the right place most of the time he may miss some but he scores more

 

Good win and important to get the 3 points.

Guthrie can have no complaints if he’s playing rock, paper, scissors on the bench with Donaldson this season. Cooke has yet to convince me because he’s just not bringing anything to the side. It’s no coincidence Stuart either drops him or brings him off. Could be vulnerable to Evans if he doesn’t pick up. I’m yet to see anything from him and that includes last season.

 

How shit must Donaldson be in training if he can’t even get on to replace a desperately poor Guthrie for five minutes?

 

Totally agree fredm good managerial decision from Stuart to keep Guthrie on we got the three points.

 

Also good to come from behind to win, something that's been non existent in the last few years. Promising signs.

 

Keep him there...Loving how real everyone is at this moment.

 

But of pace up top in Hiwula or a decent forward and things in the squad might look different. However, if we don't then this squad will struggle.

 

Back tomorrow I'm told.

 

You been on the Bolton fans forum tonight? Don't think they share your view about them going up, Quite the opposite. They have hit their lowest league position in their history today.

 

FFS

Guthrie is better than Messi! Bradford City are perfect

 

No mate I haven't. I am sure the Plymouth fans were saying the same early last year.

Bolton will be up there.

 

What makes you so sure?