Match Thread Away V Newport Tue 9th March. 7pm kick off.

This is the real dilemma. For all his spectacular goals he doesn't seem to fit our current system and it's hard to imagine one in which he would fit. In an effort to accommodate him we risk disrupting our whole team pattern. It's him or Cook up top for me and, to be honest, despite the goals they've scored recently I'm not too impressed with either of them in that role. Novak might be a better bet if he ever gets fit.

 

Finally, some truth!

Yes, everyone would love us to go but but bottom line is we are not good enough.

We shouldn’t be scared of any team in this league but if we go up we need to stay up and I don’t think we will.

Something tells me that if clubs come in for the likes of Watt then we sell. I remain unconvinced about the long term plans for the club and our operation. Hear nothing about building an infrastructure.

You only need to look at the the div 1 table now to see Swindon and Northampton in the relegation zone.

For me T & S let themselves down recently but it’s good learning experience and we have a strong base to build on for next season. Hopefully with crowds back I see no excuse why we can’t finish automatically next season a build a strong that can mix it in div 1.

 

Let themselves down? We've lost 2 in 16, automatic promotion form. Only you could put such a negative slant on whats happened since T & S took over.

 

Jumping up and down over a draw against Bolton and the Wood coming out saying it was must not lose game. Needs to be a must win. We need to believe we can win any game.

Sitting back on a one nil yesterday.

In truth the defeat has been coming for a while.

 

Some were and are blind to this. Both have some ability but its what fits your set up best. As a centre forward Cook offers more simply because he's an out and out forward. Rowe is someone you are going to have to build your team around.

 

Thats simply wrong, our defence has generally kept the opposition down to one or two efforts on goal. Our inability is the other end of the field. Please don't say the managers have let themselves down when they were nominated for the motm award.

 

Nominated on results but performances have been poor.

I can say they let themselves down because they have but it doesn’t mean that they haven’t done a good job.

Think as a club we have to learn to be disappointed not winning.

 

I am enjoying the ride under Trueman and Sellars and I was one of those banging on early doors that they should be made permanent whilst many others said we should wait until the summer. I think we have a talented coaching and managerial duo on board. However, I stand by my opinion that the squad is not quite good enough to be promoted this season.

Now I'm not sure whether we tried in January, but the lack of any central midfield additions was always going to come back and bite us, and I think that has been apparent during the last few matches. I'm sure this will be rectified in the summer along with some other additions to make us a force to be reckoned with right from the start of the season.

 

Let’s get over this blip, I really enjoyed watching a free flowing city playing last night for most of the game. The next 4 games are definitely winnable. Onwards and definitely upwards, we are good enough to go up automatically.

 

Free flowing...?

I thought we had 20 mins or so in the 2nd half where we looked comfortable, had plenty of possession in their half, but didn't create much. I wouldn't say we were free flowing. And the best player on the pitch was Matty Dolan.

 

I don't think we did enough to win but don't think we deserved to lose. We offered nothing going forward and had it not been for their player handing the ball to Cook on a plate then we never looked like scoring. I'm confident we will get a decent result against Carlisle.
One thing I will say is that this squad isn't good enough for promotion yet. It would need significant investment and I'm not convinced by some of the players like Vernam. Where are the likes of Foulds and the lad from Boro? I think T&S are keeping pretty much the same side week in week out to try and preserve this unbeaten run but the players are shattered. Newport looked very leggy to me. Its not been a normal season and we have a large squad that we should be making the most of.

 

Vernam was one I had in mind last night when I suggested that the gloss has fallen off some of our January signings. Of the nine, three, Foulds, Burrell and the keeper haven't featured at all. Canavan has proved a superb signing, but the remaining five have hardly given us the sharp cutting edge we need despite an encouraging start and some occasional bright moments. Perhaps I'm being unfair to them given the hectic fixture list, but it seems that Cooke is the only one who can knit this team together in an attacking sense and he's looked shattered and off-form for a few weeks now.

 

I agree.
Sat back Saturday until we were 1 down then committed everyone 20 yards higher up the pitch.
Complacency was the issue yesterday.
Think mentally the players thought it was a doddle.
We gave away too many cheap free kicks and were rash when in decent positions.
As many on here have stated, hopefully lessons have been learned and we embark on an easier on paper set of games before FGR in early April.
The gap between Carlisle and Oldham will give us time to get out on the training pitch too.

 

How can two managers who have acquired 34 points from 16 games have let themselves down? Sorry, I can't let this one go. Because the way I see it, that's automatic promotion form. And any management team that has that record clearly ain't letting anyone down never mind themselves.

 

Truly disappointed with last night but I want to curtail this love in with the back 4.
We have conceded 3 goals in the last 10 mins of these games.
Some may say it was a free kick a penalty and the result of good Bolton pressure to cover the fact that our esteemed back 4 had backed off into their
comfort area and allowed limited opponents to dictate terms when row Z should be in play.
Ive already mentioned we are weak in the air in our box from crosses,corners and particularly long throws.
On set plays who is the leader and first header?
It is easy to say Sutton made a mistake but where were Canavan,POC and Donaldson?
We look weak at the back when big hearts and guts are needed to clear our box having won the duels that really matter.
By the way I think we have played to very well managed oppo in the last 2 games who have out managed us off the pitch when needed.

 

They deserve the praise they have received for sure.

Sometimes when you get a job you relax and change a mindset. I heard Ryan say he liked how they went into every game wanting to win but get the job and jumping up about just because we drew with Bolton at home.

Then last night sitting on a 1-0 and hoping.

Performances have slipped. I am not too fussed about that but I want the mindset that we go in to every match to win to stay and be disappointed if we lose.

I said before a draw needs to feel like a defeat and jumping up and down because we drew with Bolton isn’t going to get this club far! They let themselves down!

To be a winner you need to stay a winner! This club needs to stop with poor losers mentally that some drive!

 

We've lost 2 games in 16. That is not a poor losers mentality. A poor losers mentality was losing 6 on the bounce. The last game we lost against Exeter, what happened? Yeah thats right we won 5 on the bounce. I think that knocks your losers mentality well truly out of the park.

 

Dream on mate, teams like Bolton and Tranmere are better than us, not to mention those already up there. But I do still firmly believe the playoffs are on, and winnable should we get there.

 

Well no it doesn't when jumping up and down for a point at home. Then Wood coming out and saying it was a must not lose game then holding on to a 1-0.

Look, these managers are new to the game and I want them to be around for years to come but for me the Bolton match/result was a perfect one to say look we are not happy with a draw. We aim to win all matches blah blah blah Then last night was disappointing.

The whole club needs to change its mindset on and off the pitch. Too many settle for failure. Too many fans don't care. We need to start feeling the pain. The pain of not owning our training ground. The pain of not owning our stadium. The pain of not winning.

I look at Millwall for example. Awful club in my mind but they created this us against the world mindset. I look at Burnley and when they beat Liverpool(not hard these days I know) managers said we did come here to win you know.

I just don't like to see managers jumping up and down over a draw then next game trying to hold on to a 1-0. It's poor that.

 

I'd agree. I think we're a better team than Newport, to be honest. If we'd started this season with this setup, we'd certainly be top 7. Bolton looked a cut above anything I've seen in this league this season, and Tranmere look to be in great form, but that aside, its a poor league. With 3 or 4 of the right additions in the summer, we'd be top 3 material. In particular, we need a top Central Midfielder, more creativity from the wide positions and I expect we'll need another striker, unless Cook and Novak both stay, but we're not a million miles away. I also think we've got 3 or 4 gears yet to go through as a team. Defensively, we're usually excellent. The spirit in the side is top notch too, and we finally have goalscorers in Cook and Rowe. Its the cohesion and build up play that needs work. We had a spell last night where we looked so comfortable between our goal and their first, but that control didn't really create any chances. That sort of control over a 25 min spell needs to create 3 or 4 good chances. If we go 2-0 up, they don't get back into it.