Match Thread Away V Scunthorpe - Tuesday 23 March@ 7pm

Maybe but if we have plenty with concerns on the team,management and recruitment surely these must be up for discussion.

 

Let’s hope so.

 

What's the main question we all want to ask then? I suppose mine would be: "Where did you see Danny Rowe fitting into the team when you signed him? "And at 30 years old, do you think he will remain happy coming on with twenty minutes to go each match?".

 

He's 32!!

 

The couple of chances we created tonight will paper over the cracks of what was another dire performance. It was only until the last 20 or so minutes that we attacked with any sort of purpose and got some crosses into the box. But by that time we were two down after having created nothing for the other 70 minutes in the game.

Going forwards we look a side genuinely devoid of any ideas. If someone isn't pinging one in from 30 yards or an opposition defender isn't putting it on a plate for us, we're screwed. The movement amongst the front four is non existent, the passing is all safety first, backwards and sideways to feet. Very rarely, if ever, do we turn defences and get balls in behind.

We're very good at passing it in triangles between Paudie, Canavan and Watt but in order to go forwards, its either Watt or Paudie launching a diagonal. Nobody seems to be willing to make that incisive pass in behind the opposition midfield or defensive line. The diagonals are so predictable and both fullbacks dealt with them with ease tonight. The little attacking patterns we do have in that regard have been found out and Curle got it right on Saturday - we're so predictable.

The likes of Vernam and Crankshaw are just not seeing the ball in the right areas. Both of them spend more time defending than attacking. Scunthorpe played half the game with a winger at left back but it was only in the last five or so minutes that Crankshaw started to receive the ball out wide to get at him.

T&S did a great job of steadying what was a fastly sinking ship, but I'm not seeing the signs I'd expect from them in terms of being able to take us to the next level. The attacking play is just so so poor.

I'll probably get pelters for this but I wasn't one of the people begging for them to get the job. Sparks should have waited until the end of the season to see how everything played out. I think most would acknowledge we had a lot of fortune during that good run and were lucky to be on the right end of some tight games. It was all about how we'd respond when that luck ran out and its fair to say the response has not been good at all.

I do hope this improves between now and the end of the season because its neither successful nor enjoyable to watch. And playing like this next season will not see us get promoted.

 

Yep, I was for the permanent appointment of T&S and fully back them now. I still think January was a good transfer window with the ins and outs.

I can be a negative so and so but with balance, much more positives to take since McCall left. The summer is a key to kicking on and challenging for nothing less than promotion.

If I had been asked in December, we would be mid table come the spring, I would have accepted that. A lull at the moment but I'd prefer the learning curve for T&S (I'm backing them to learn and evolve, then be thrown to the lions) at the end of this season, when the play offs was a real outsider, then when next season commences or is well under way.

 

Or sell tickets..

 

The devil in me would ask Sparks if he’s worried about the numbers of paying customers on I follow dropping with some of the dross served up The money question usually hits the spot

 

Games like tonight are STILL way above what we were getting under Stuart.

We could have easily scored four or five, does that mean we ripped Scunny to shreds, of course not - but we hit the woodwork twice and missed sitters that were pretty surreal to witness.

Even when we were winning, the games weren't so dissimilar - we were never controlling games and outplaying opponents from whistle to whistle, but tonight was a really strange 2-0 defeat. I have no idea how we didn't score.

Under Stuart, however, there were games when it was blindingly obvious why we weren't scoring and/or coming close to taking a point.

The problem we have is, the weaknesses are pretty obvious and there's a TON to work on. It's very unlikely that Trueman and Sellars are the right people to lead us into NEXT season, but they have every right to close out this one.

Sparks got it wrong delaying the six month contract this year (with a clause to extend by a further 12), and got it wrong again offering an 18 month deal.

However I'll eat my hat if there's talk of it being too expensive to bring a new man in ahead of the Summer. I'd be talking to Wellens, myself, and seeing if he won't join us in June.

 

Yes we were unlucky not to score but Scunthorpe were unlucky not to score another 2 or 3.

 

With the season truly done at this point, the management team need to get their act together an try something new. this current system does not work without cooke. it is baffling to say that we had to put on two strikers on near the end of the game to get a grip of the midfield. Rowe probably played more forward passes than the rest of the midfield combined.

What we have learnt though (some albeit is bleedingly obvious)
⚪️ Both fullbacks need upgrading. AOC is decent defensively an will provide good cover but isn’t adept enough to be an attacking influence. Wood on the other hand is either well off the pace (for some time I might add) or hes reached his limit. hopefully its the former.

⚪️ 1 Up top doesn’t work but we already know that

⚪️ Crankshaw can actually put in a decent cross, but He's limited too much by his defensive duties. he has potential; I just think the system we play is limiting him from showing that. Vernham on the other hand is a more finished article, if he could be given a free-er role, similar to what McCall gave Mark Marshall than I think we could get the best out of him. similar to cranshaw though, the system doesn't get the best out of him an he ends up going missing in games.

⚪️Our midfield is a shambles. Watt has gone off the boil, cant string a pass these days, leaving Sutton who isn’t the sort of player to play defence splitting passes, neither are. we need to upgrade, massively in that area come summer time, cus without it; we may as well assume we’re being managed by a younger an more naive version of PP. Have McCardle (Paudie) hoof it up the pitch to Hanson (Cook) and hope for the best. only unfortunate thing is we haven’t got a player like Wells to latch on to these knock downs; on the rare occasion we win em. speaking of which, give that lad from boro a go. hes been brought here for a reason, may as well at least try something new. ANYTHING new besides what we’re doing right now


Think thats about it. Management learn from your mistakes before it costs you. an get the summer window right. it’s imperative we do otherwise we’re gonna be stuck in this shithole of a league for years to come.

 

We shifted some deadwood, recruited two wingers who have generally been ineffective, Rowe who has been a mixed bag, Stevens, Burrell and Foulds who are poor, Cook who looks decent but has been starved of service and Canavan who’s been solid.

We’ve made some strides in the right direction, but are going to need a lot lot more if we want to get promoted next season.

 

The worry for me is how long it is taking T&S to realise the problems we have, When they took over they introduce a 4-2-3-1 formation to tighten up the defence, We played a fast moving passing game playing THROUGH midfield and were given credit for both winning and playing attractive football, Since then we have changed to a long ball game playing OVER midfield, This due to a number of factors mainly due to the formation and a weakened midfield but other clubs have realised that by working hard and closing our midfield 3 down that we are forced to play along the back before hoofing it forward in hit and hope balls, It needs a change of formation and emphasis on a more attacking attitude, Clubs realise also that with only one up front they can push a defender forward giving them an extra player in midfield, Playing 2 up top stops this and keeps at least 3 defenders to mark them, I am at a loss that T&S cannot see the faults on display as it is so obvious

 

My concern is that I was really optimistic when Sparks set out his agenda and appointed Bullock and the joint managing duo to address the dire situation we were in.So having been euphoric at the start it gave us I witnessed what can be achieved. However, like most of us, my belief is waning and another flash in the pan doesn't ease my concern. Ultimately we can rightly question T&C, but in my view there is also a collective responsibility to look into our stuttering progress which must also involve Ryan and Lee imo. Too many false dawns of late down at VP so a bit of humility and home truths would not go amiss with the fans right now.

 

I think this is a bit OTT to be fair. We are just in bad form it happens to every club. The players imo are knackered. The likes of Watt and Sutton aren't getting a break. Wood has played 70 constitutive games now. Its been a slog this season and I'm just thankful we aren't dropping out of the football league.
T&S aren't always going to get it right. They are very new to this but they have earnt the chance to have a crack at the job and should have our respect at pulling us out of the shite when not many else wanted the job.
We have a new head of recruitment who has only been here for one window. A January window at that. I'm sure plans will be in place to make sure we have a decent summer of recruitment.
I don't believe that their have been any false dawns. What expectations did we have really? Staying in the league was priority and that job is done. What home truths do you think are going to come out? I don't think there is an issue when maybe some of you are desperately looking for one.
The playoffs would have been an amazing achievement and completely unexpected. T&S would have been heroes for achieving that. They shouldn't be now dragged through the mud because our expectations are over inflated.

 

Good post @Onside87 it was certainly a frustrating night, as fans we see things differently to the professionals and offer our opinions sometimes very unrealistic especially straight after a game.
We have seen over the last 5/6 games we have been struggling and never really looking like we would win games, but certainly should not have been beaten against Newport or Carlisle.
My beef about last night was once again the late introduction of subs, we were 2 - 0 down looking out of the game, although Trueman said we were still creating chances so he didnt think we needed subs until the 73rd minute.
With the chance to make 5 subs that can drastically change the game, but we're so predictable, last night after they scored the second IMO we should have thrown more subs on and tried to get something from the game, 13 minutes +injury when Rowe & Evan's were introduced far too late not giving us time to score twice we had nothing to lose 2 - 0 down, but as I say T&S obviously read the situation far differently to us fans.
Thursday nights forum should be interesting with regards how Ryan and T&S see our club going forward.

 

Very well put..and I agree. I just felt we needed clarity on our sudden loss of form, other than offering fatigue as the sole reason.For instance, the need to get back to basics and keep possession should be high on the agenda. But I still believe that the powers that be will ... in a supportive way, engage with our rookie managers in an effort to get the most out of the squad. 'False dawn' was a nod to the many ups and downs we have endured whilst following the Club and the unfilled promise of players that we had hoped for better from. We are not a wealthy Club and so every piece of the jigsaw has to count.

 

How long is his contract? Bit of a punt taking on an untried 32 year old with only non league history. Of course, in the right formation it may pay off, but do we change the whole team just for one player?

 

Nah, we don't change the whole team for him by any means, but he's already shown he can be useful whether he starts or comes off the bench. He's just not consistently excellent, which pretty much describes every striker at our level.

 

Great post.

What we're seeing, all the dissatisfaction, anger, frustration, criticism of players, formations, coaches, etc, etc, is that we just collectively want out of League Two. We shouldn't be here, we know it, it's ridiculous that we are here, we already had to go through a series of seasons in L2 before and we sorted it all out only for Ding Dong Rahic to put us right back to square one.

As soon as we started winning games people were gleefully placing bets on getting promotion, working out whether we could reach the autos or would be limited to the play offs, we had people wondering if there would be enough capacity for them to go to Wembley, etc, etc, etc.

It's this sheer desperation to go on a blazing run of form and get promoted that now has people so disillusioned and downhearted. Suddenly nobody is good enough because we've very little chance of reaching Wembley this year.

Unfortunately it's going to be a long couple of months as we (probably) limp over the finish line and get ready for another League Two season next year - unless something miraculous happens, of course. During that time I'd encourage the club to pretty much ignore the clamour of fans who just aren't being realistic.