Match Thread Away v Harrogate Town - Sat 17 April 2021 12:30 pm kick off

I'm no RoD fan, but neither goal was on him yesterday. What is becoming increasingly hard to dispute though, is that as a side we look much less solid since he came back in for Hornby

 

I got the impression from Truemans after match interview that he had no intention of playing Rowe yesterday,and that Rowe had probably either been told that,or worked it out for himself.Just watch,Rowe will leave at the end of the season,and score a shedfull for a team who know how to use him.

 

Agree his comment was about being physical with their two centre backs and I can understand that, but league two central defenders are usually big physical players.

 

Unless they play for us.

 

So as the dust settles, time to take stock on another season of failure, and what exactly needs to be done to take us forward. I think its safe to say there are too many passengers in this side, too many who command a spot by living off past reputations, and too many who are relied upon yet are still too raw and need further development.

It really is time to be ruthless as we enter the closed season. For all their past achievements, its definitely time to say goodbye to ROD as our number 1, although contracted he needs to be replaced with better.

Clarke is finished sadly, hes dreadful with his decision making and his final ball these days, the Don has held is own but now needs replacing with better. AOC, a constant in our continued demise and failure, needs replacing with better. FCD is a good prospect, as is Scales, yet should be used sporadically at best. They both need upgrading on and have them as back up. Hope we can hang onto Wood, but if its not to be, I wouldn't be too disappointed, he is definitely replaceable

I like Sutton, Watt and Cooke in midfield but we need at least 2 more central midfielders, who can control games. A Gary Jones type has to be a priority in the summer. Out wide, i like Crankshaw, think there's more to come from Vernam, yet Evans looks like a passenger. Id try to offload him.

Up front, I like Rowe but needs to be played in a 2. Cook and Novak are too similar, id keep 1 of them. We need a couple more in up front for me, but of a different type to what we already have.

Think its safe to say Burrell, Stevens, Foulds have not done anything to warrant an extension so there's plenty who should be heading out of the door for me come June.

 

Can't dispute that !!
With the very poor start we made, but Stuarts era had been rectified and surpassed
The facts are well done to T&S they saved us from certain relegation and had us well placed for a play off spot as you say "job done" nothing to lose what has cost us a play off spot is not changing the system from a team needing points for survival to a team needing points for a possible promotion, not many would have blamed them for the Crawley and Harrogate defeats if we had gone all out to win those games and lost but to play negatively and still lose is galling to say the least
T&S must now have doubts over them whether they can build a promotion winning side however next season will give us the answers

 

I think Stevens in particular can count himself unlucky at some of the shite that's been getting minutes ahead of him. After his first very suspect cameo, he played better every time he came on after that, and a couple of times gave us more impetus in ten mins than vernam/crankshaw/clarke/evans did the entire game. not a single one of those four could really say they're ahead of him on form can they .

Agree with everything else though, need a complete clean break with all the Edin era players now however much they flatter to deceive

 

The weird thing is Rowe is the only striker remaining on City's books.
Donaldson,Novak contracts are up, Cook is on loan and Mansfield can choose to keep him.
Burrell will go back to his club and we have no idea if he shows any promise as T&S dont even want to put him on our bench.
With our current managers favoured formation,maybe they dont see the need for many strikers at City.

 

Trev Yashin reckons he was at fault for both. Even though the lad was clean through for the first when 3 of our defence were holding a private meeting somewhere near the half way line.

I mean, I get he's not been great but the back 4 have been arguably worse recently yet seem to escape unscathed time and time again.

 

The full back is at fault for the second goal, I can't understand how people can't see that. I didn't see the first goal.

 

Correct, the standard will be the same and so will we.
If we don’t get out next season we will become part of the furniture in the basement league for a long time to come.

 

Your last paragraph answers your own statement.
The back four have been worse since ROD got he place back because, they haven't a clue what he is going to do and obviously don't trust him.

 

I agree with almost all of that. I think you're being very charitable to our midfield though. Watt has never convinced me and is playing terribly at the moment. Sutton has tremendous energy but little craft, and as well as Cooke has played at times his lack of goals as an attacking midfielder is a worry. Furthermore Sutton and Watt are not that tall and I think height is needed in league 2. And all three are very inconsistent. I'd be looking to improve on them and wouldn't be bothered if any of them left.

 

He also made two goal saving tackles and almost scored with an overhead kick

 

I'm not sure how people don't see this, I mean it isn't like it hasn't happened before. It was the same in the season we were relegated when the confusion and lack of trust at the back filtered it's way through the whole team.

 

He had to play well as he was exposed all the game and needed help down that side, How T&S let that continue is baffling as it would eventually lead to the winner for them, No disciple in front of him and two managers watching stood apart with arms folded,

 

Yeah I get your point, I think at this level they are more than capable, if as you say, frustratingly inconsistent. The midfield definitely needs adding to

 

We were pushing for an equaliser and then a winner that’s the pay off for pushing forward you are exposed at the back

 

Did ROD make 3 of them stand in a line with Paudie 10 yards deeper to create the 1 on 1 for the first goal? Or did ROD show his man inside onto his stronger foot for a free shot at goal?

ROD isn't making the defence play poorly, the defence ARE poor.