Colchester 21.01.2020 away.

Didn’t look like that from where I was sat he just badly miss hit volley

 

We actually don't need a dramatic change in tactics. We simply need more of what we saw for 20 minutes on Saturday and that will only come when there are players in the team with better ball retention. That extra ability could be slight, but it would have a dramatic affect, with Donaldson occupying two defenders, on us been further up the pitch

 

In fairnes to Park, this is a fair point. First few games, like all our relegated rivals we were finding our feet - the Cambridge and Forest Green matches, were that of a team simply not used to the divisions footie standards

Then, just before Donaldson's injury we started to look better

 

You really haven't got a clue, jesus christ.

"Doyle and Vaughan have been available for two matches in 3 months" What? What point are you making here chief? If your making the point of them playing together, I'm not sure where you got that inference from. I never said that at all. I said Donaldson has been injured but we still have had Vaughan. And now, we also have doyle. Two of the best strikers in the division to cover for Donaldson. Hope that clears that one up.

I never mentioned Ismail so I dont know where that one has come from.

Cooke is an attacking midfielder. Devitt is an attacking midfielder. Pritchard, whilst he came as a winger, is now also firmly an attacking midfielder. Just because Bowyer plays Cooke as the deep lying midfielder doesn't mean it's his game.

McCartan playing behind a front two? When? You've just made that one up. Please show me when he has ever regularly played in a system behind two strikers, whether that be with us, Lincoln or Accrington.

 

Alright because standards are low.

We don't know what good looks like anyone. Bowyer zapping the life out of us.

 

Alright not a volley but it was set up perfectly he go under it

 

You keep telling yourself that. Meanwhile in the real world...

 

It was not a volley by any stretch of the imagination. ED side footed the ball in to the upper kop somewhat impeded by JR.

 

We do not have, or didn't have any creative players available, in the same category as Prichard, Devitt or Ismail - who all when they're at their best can cause havoc to defences

Having one of them missing is fine, two even, but they've all been largely unavailable for two months and to think that Cook or even McCartan would be able to give us such performances, we wouldn't notice the difference is folly.
Cook is a CM player, who can distribute the ball very well, but he's not a 'go to' creater

McCartan, is best playing behind a striker in a CAM role. He actually played this role, very well in that excellent win against Oxford in December 2017 - arguably our last great performance

You'll argue this is not his role etc, but he is not the creative force of any team, but someone who revels playing with creative players, such as Paul Taylor - who showed glimpses of his own creative powers in that half season he had

 

Here's a sobering thought, Dave ............... Imagine ............

A Club drawing all it's fixtures 0 - 0 ?
That's 46 Clean sheets, and no defeats (outside of the PL).
WHAT a record to behold, huh ?

But then reality kicks in ............. A Club holding those records will still (IMO) be relegated.
And that is where my annoyance begins, regarding City. WE have already drawn too many games to achieve promotion. Goals can get you more points, and more points will hopefully get you promotion.

 

No

 

A decent point, and a clean sheet.

Need to beat Mansfield though, they’re awful.

 

How would Hopkin have known anything about him when he was injured?

 

Palmer and Reeves were missing for months, are 2 senior players who should be more than accomplished at this level and they’ve not improved our midfield in the slightest. We’ve also recalled the most prolific striker in the land who hasn’t scored since he’s been here.

That’s the type of impact our returning players have made this season but you’re still using the injury situation as an excuse.

 

Something to consider here: our own history. We had promotions in 1968 with 20 draws and 2012 with 15 draws, and in 2016 (19 draws) were a poor shot/great save away from possibly another promotion. Draws won't necessarily stop you, provided that the other results are favourable. But, true enough, we've had more high-draw seasons when that hasn't been the case (e.g. 2005 / 1991 / 1988 / 1975 etc. etc. etc.) And also, true enough, a few draws converted to wins in 2016 and we wouldn't have had to worry about getting through the playoffs. A few more goals would certainly make things easier.

I wouldn't lose hope just yet because of the draws -- there are other more worrying aspects to our side/results! E.g. can we keep up our club-record-setting defensive pace? Can we get our trends trending in the right direction again?

RCB

 

Another way of saying what you just said is that our manager is incapable of setting up a team to win a match when just one key player in a squad of 25 is missing.

Awful managing.

 

I'll be honest. I was going to go but after we have recently turned into the most boring team in history I just couldn't face the 4 hour round trip and arriving back after midnight freezing cold.

 

City have only lost once in the last eleven league matches !!