Match Thread Most liked posts in thread: Bolton Wanderers (a)

Not the biggest issue tonight but can we please get rid of Kiwomya.

Just making random squeals and claiming every penalty is nailed on......you're supposed to be explaining the game you muppet!

 

Okay, I accept it - this season looks like a write off with these forwards.

 

The most damning thing is Stuart saying he is more than happy with what he has got player wise - truly embarrassing by all involved at the club, you should be ashamed

 

I won't be coughing up a tenner on Saturday again.... I'd rather shove it into that fund for the Tonbridge Angels.

 

Pathetic, O'Donnell could see the ball in front of him a simple call was all that was needed, another poor call and this guys our Captain.

 

Understandable that survival as a club is now the number 1 objective imo. I can't decide if Rhodes has been over cautious in releasing the said transfer kitty, whether McCall was in cahoots in keeping below budget, or has he just been undermined by present Covid developments. The problem I have is the present squad falls way below expectation. So now we are drifting and the question is who is really to blame.We have a rich owner who isn't close enough or keen enough to push the boat out to propel us up the leagues.(Although he is propping us up with loans to protect his investment) We all knew a branch and root sort out was needed to stop the rot and to progress, a good backroom staff, coaches and scouting system needed to be assembled. With all in place there could be no excuses, but the necessary cash injection and backing hasn't apparently happened.It's all soundbites and fits and starts..no cohesion, no plan, no framework to act as a catalyst for successful redevelopment. I am dismayed and concerned because ALL the Club Management collectively are responsible for the direction in which we are heading.Sustainability is paramount, even more so in the present circumstances, but decisions have been taken earlier which have placed the football side of the business in jeopardy. Someone has to pick up the reins and take charge.

 

Seems Bowyer may have been right in not playing him when fans were calling for his inclusion. Had Bowyer still been here I doubt he’d have extended his contract.

On another note, how short sighted was it to ditch Connolly? He might not have had the best crossing ability, but he had pace and put us on the front foot and quickly turned defence into attack. I’d love to hear why the club decided against signing him.

 

Looking back I did not rate Connolly but now given the state of things I agree at least he might have carried a threat ? DMH (missing last night) is poor and Ismail is always injured and useless to us. I didnt get Cooke last season ? and when came over to the crowd at Salford was roundly booed off ! Thought we seen last of him ? Then Stuart bizzarely calls him back ? Same with DMH ?.

No idea where we go from here. We could call time on Stuart but whats that achieving ??? Unless we get rid of this truly all time in my 50 years worst group of players. Only Watt; Wood; Staunton and Hosannah are near good enough. The rest do need to go before there is any possibility of moving forward.

It truley is depressing not withstanding its being played out against a soul destroying "back drop" of Covid. I sense it is dragging Stuart down; you only have to look at the body language. The one set of people he does not like failing in front of is us !. And by the same token we do not want to see him fail. He is the one single thing we have left to hang on to at this club. Other than that there is nothing absolutely nothing left down there the place is a complete mess.

It needs someone to come in on the football side who can support Stuart properly. To me Stuart is and always will be too close to it. It nigh on broke him first time around and I sense that happening over again. Its not going to happen but for me if there was the slightest chance Rupp should bail out. Hopefully to a more local buyer ???. Bring the club back to basics and try and ride out this season staying in the Footbsll League.

I do think thats what we have to focus upon rather than worrying points are being lost in the chase for a promotion ?. Rather its a week to week affair seeing how far we can get away from the fall into Non-League football. That actually takes some pressure off Stuart and the players if we are honest. In a sense Stuarts "we can afford to lose 10-15 makes some logic then ?. You can lose 10-15 and stay in this league. We have to accept how poor this squad is; yet trust that Stuart & Kenny can galvanise them sufficiently in the end to keep the club in the Football League.

If we could at the same time move on from Rupp and Rhodes then that to me might be another step forward ? So its about survival now for me plain and simple.

 

As the saying goes, you're only as good as your strikers and ours are, well, shite.

Still, at least Samuels was the last part of the jigsaw.

 

Don't think you are alone in that sentiment

 

I have no faith whatsoever in Stuart as a manager. He isn't a poor manager, he just isn't a manager. He should never have tried to become one because his failings are there for everyone to see. He doesn't seem to have learnt anything from his long years in the game and makes the same, well-documented mistakes time and again. But we're stuck with him and, other than being in danger of going out of the league, I can't see any reason to get rid of him. The club clearly has no ambition to go up this year and there's no point replacing Stuart, at some expense, for someone else who would have the same problems with the players we have. Having said that, I have to agree with WW to some extent. Like everyone else I missed the first half last night but after the break I thought we were much the better side for long periods and really deserved an equaliser. It's true that Bolton had their chances too but if the penalty goes in there was every chance we could have gone on to win. And once or twice there were occasions when a slightly different break of the ball might have led to a goal. The formation is fine for me and worked apart from two things.
The first is Billy Clarke. He has been a skillful player in many ways, good ball control, decent passer, but he's never had a true position or an end product. In fact, for me, he is the antithesis of creative. Our attacks, such as they are, grind to a halt the minute he gets the ball. All momentum disappears and the opposition have ages to regroup. In addition, he now has lost a lot of what he had and regularly gives the ball away. He's a liability. Why on earth he was brought back I'll never know but he should only be used from now on in an absolute emergency; and never be allowed to take a penalty again.
The second is our strike force (sic). We all know we're dire there and that our recruitment has been hopeless, but given where we are Samuels has to be given a run. He's young and raw but he has to get the chance to improve and he won't do that sat on the bench. While Novak is out it has to be him and Donaldson, who I didn't think was quite as bad last night as many on here make out.
So there's some room for a tiny bit of optimism. If Stuart sticks with this formation, gets rid of Clarke and gives Samuels a fair crack we might see some improvement. It would also help if he notices something that myself and others have gone on about for ages, namely our propensity to allow the opposition to drive through our midfield unchallenged and have a shot. It happens over and over again, but then attention to detail has never been Stuart's strength.
And I think we'll struggle when the grounds get heavy as our midfield is just too lightweight.

 

Think he ll revert to the back 3,with wood and Hossanah as wingbacks. Watt,cooke &clarke and Novak partnering who ever pulls biggest straw

 

Wish we had Andrew Davies.

Wouldn't mind seeing him run through Doyle to win headers all game.

 

That’s another big part of our problem , not enough nasty beggars who would give everything out there. we miss an outfield skipper like Davies big time, a goalie ain’t a captain.

 

McCall is tinkering with the TV Mass. Just wait.

 

Audio messed up now. Andy sounds like a robot.
Oh wait a minute....

 

I've never seen what people are trying to achieve by posting outlandish predictions like this.





You actually think we'll score?

 

Our 4 'strikers' must be the worst set in our history. Not a single one of them is even remotely average.