Match Thread Away V Carlisle Saturday 13th March 3.00pm

I'm looking forward to the summer recruitment, I think both the loans will go as will the two sicknotes (The invisible man Ismael and his near invisble friend Pritchard), Billy Clarke, Donaldson and maybe sell one of Cooke or Watt. I'm hoping we keep Novak f he can prove his fitness and would love to see a 4/3/1/2 with Cook & Novak upfront and Rowe playing off them. That would need a revamp of the "three" with a genuine ball winner/ general and some decent understudies. The mark of how we sign for me will be if Vernam/ Evans & Crankshaw all become squad players rather than starters, with FCD/ KS & RS making up the bench with a keeper.

 

None of what you said is unique to us in the slightest.

 

That sounds as bad as when Bowyer played Donaldson and Vaughan upfront with Doyle in behind. Neither Rowe nor Doyle are 10s and Cook and Novak aren't mobile enough to be the only forwards on the pitch. T&S have the 4-2-3-1 correct for me, its just the balance, without Cooke especially, thats not quite there in the front 6 atm.

 

He was manager, of course he had an input. He also had the choice to walk away if he's being undermined as it was his reputation on the line.

Blaming Lawn and Christie smacks of similar excuses that were made up for Abbott during his "shambolic" efforts here.

 

Never said it was. My point is that some on here refuse to even countenance that fatigue is a reason for our recent performances. They trot out the same mantra - 'it's the same for every team'
Yes it is, to a point, but that only holds up as an excuse if every team.... well I've said all of this already. There's too many variables between teams as to how much or how little fatigue is a factor.
Look; short example - would you say that if we'd travelled to Exeter on a Tuesday night and then travelled to Southend on the following Saturday and played on two God awful pitches in a force ten gale and driving rain that none of this would have an affect on our fitness levels for the following Tuesday night game? And that our opponents for that game might have a slight advantage given that they had just had played two home games on a bowling green of a pitch? Most people would. Others would say the world is flat and that it only took seven days to make.

 

And walk away he did, exactly because his reputation was being undermined. He was put in an untenable position by Lawn's reliance on Christie. That ended well didn't it with Christie leaving the building as soon as Parky walked in. I think history shows exactly what I'm saying to be right.

Jackson wasn't manager at all, he was a head coach and nothing more.

 

Yes you make a good point, with that formation we would accommodate Danny Rowe better but the midfield three would need to be strong especially the guy in the middle of that three who I think we would need to recruit. I think Elliot Watt is a good player who will get better but I don't see him playing that role.
I think we are seeing why Danny Rowe was at AFC Flyde for so long. A lot of clubs probably looked at him and thought: good player with goals in him but where do you play him? Not a target man which he himself admits, if he plays up front on his own the ball needs to be into his feet or chest, could he play in a two up front?
I think AFC Flyde gave him a bit of a free roaming role which at league level isn't so easy unless you have a strong midfield three behind him.
It may help us for next season if we were to get good offers for Watt and Callum Cooke in the summer.
I don't think we will keep Andy Cook, although if he gets enough goals he may earn himself a contract. I like Lee Novak but his injuries are a problem. Turnbull, Trueman/Sellers and Sparks are probably working on next season already. Ever the optimist I hope we go on a run that means they need to change their plans but realistically I think we will be planning for a 2021/22 League Two promotion push.

 

Which effectively means we can never play Rowe and Cook in the same team. Rowe isn't a target man. Cook is and Novak is the poacher. You can't compare Rowe to Doyle, for one you would be hard pressed to find any example of Doyle scoring from outside the box. Doyle & Vaughan together would have worked well, but the the issue was we had paid Donaldson a big wage to sign and Bowyer had a silly idea that Donaldson & Vaughan were the best strike force and Doyle was the one to suffer being played out of position.

Perhaps Cook and another with Novak as a sub, but for Rowe to be effective he can't play as a lone striker.

 

No mate he is right about the Jacko situation.

 

Carlisle fan in peace.

Commented earlier in the season after we played you about the fact did you not scout us ? We came massively out of form and you played very much into our hands (Melish bar a few goals is quite ineffective) but again we used him to take Watt out the game (can’t deal with runners beyond him). Again set pieces were very strong at, and we seemed to be unchallenged for our goals from them.

thought the ref was disgraceful for both teams and ruined two teams trying to play the right way. For the record I actually think our 2nd was a goal your Cb pinned the keeper who spilled it (in very windy conditions) - clear from the keepers reaction he knew he’d messed up.

one thing I will say is id be getting your captain out your team ASAP, defiantly looked the weak link with poor discipline.

good luck for the rest of the season, Bradford shoudnt be in L2.

 

I think you've hit my point right on the head. Perhaps selling one of Cooke or Watt is the way forward, I think Watt could play slightly to one side in a midfield three, not sure about Cooke. To play a three we need the "gary Jones" type player in the middle who anchors the lot. I can't see Vernham or Crankshaw being a permanent fixture in the team, but would be very nice to have off the bench. Stephens is doing nothing for me that Crankshaw doesn't do and I struggle to see where Evans could fit into anywhere apart from as a wingback, god forbid we ever play that awful system again.

 

Youre bang on about the second goal. Our keeper wasnt impeded by the Carlisle player, I think it was Paudie O'connor who was between them both. Our keeper just got his positioning wrong.

 

Personally i wouldn't be building my team around Danny Rowe, I agree about needing a decent midfield anchor though.

 

Building around Rowe as a striker, I'm guessing, as opposed to an attacking midfielder?

EDIT: That questions is confusing. I'm guessing you wouldn't be building around Rowe at all?

 

Assumimg Rowe, Vernam, Crankshaw and Evans are under contract next year I'd only consider them as backups, based on what I've seen so far. If possible I'd try to offload Rowe as he's a maverick who doesn't fit any formation and I think we made a mistake signing him. I wouldn't offer Cook a contract either and it's thank you and goodbye to Clarke, Donaldson, Ismael and Novak. Sutton I'd keep but only as backup and if we're offered silly money for Watt I'd take it. Our January business has stabilised us in midtable. To kick on we need another serious rebuild.

 

I think we'd be bonkers to try to get rid of Cook, Rowe AND Novak.

All three can score goals, they're just a bit old; we're extremely unlikely to sign three better forwards.

 

Didn't notice this.

Obvious three match ban for Paudie.

 

I love this Forum we have gone from Guthrie and glass legs Ismail to one of the best strikers we have had in a few years and now he has to go...…. love it ….

 

That is shocking !!!
Obviously his head went but no excuses from me a 3 match ban looks inevitable and deserved

 

I did say Jacko and Christie and agreed most were the charlatan Christie signings. Although you can add Ross Hannah to Jacko list.