Match Thread Home v Cheltenham, Tuesday 1st December 7pm kick off.

Think the telling stats in that are “scored in both halves” None. And opposition score first over half of the games. So often we capitulate after going behind and the other team sees out the half with relative ease.

 

Do we care? Serious question?

The owner and CEO don't it would seem. Giving McCall an extra year highlighted that to me.

Why would you give a manager an extra year when in 20th position?

I'm going to watch it in my pants eating popcorn.

 

No zoom from me then!

 

If McCall is going to prove any of his doubters wrong then this needs to start now.

I see his latest comment is that we need to be more solid... Yes and no, we need to be more solid but if by whacking the ball upfield and all it does is come back - then what is the point.

I'm praying for a draw, that in itself is an absolutely disgusting state of affairs.

 

Would absolutely rag your hand off for a draw.Just cant see us stopping them scoring and unless we start taking more chances than 1 in 10 then it’s only got one outcome

 

Strange place to put your laptop but hey ho.

 

Happy with his squad at the beginning of the season..but not so now.You would think a Manager would know a footballer when he saw one. And a couple of additions in January won't help much in our present set up. Need the gods on our side this week.

 

I'm a bit cliche and usually focus on the next game, but that looks pretty frightening right now.

It would be interesting to know what set of results would see the staunchest McCall supporter begin to waver? We could quite easily only pick up 3 points from a possible 18 there. To me that would make his position untenable to everyone - or it should!

 

This is the single biggest reason why he clearly is not the man for the job. Even today he is stating that he hasn't built a team to be solid and grind out results - well just what have you built!

 

McCall had rightly identified we need to be more defensively sound to get results at the minute as our attacking play is woeful. But it’s a worry. What will he have had to drill his players in this new way in terms of time on the training ground? Half a day since the game Saturday?
We can’t just send the lads out and say defend and go direct otherwise as others have pointed out it gets worse and comes straight back and no side can defend for 90 minutes. We need to make sure the players are fit to be be picking up loose balls and know where to be when the goalie goes long etc.

 

Midland Road Block C Row B seats 20 to 30

 

McCall's comments this morning are the sorts of comments he was coming out with in his last spell just before he got sacked. I distinctly remember him saying something along the lines of maybe needing to go 5 at the back and play long ball to try eek out a point. He did that at Oldham away, we lost and he was sacked. He was out of ideas then and he's out of ideas now.

 

Having been involved with coaching for a number of years, junior teams are based around the principles of a 4-4-2 formation dependent on the age group. These players are professional footballers and it is no fluke they have achieved such a status over us mere mortals sat in the stands (or at home with iFollow/dodgy streams!).

Yes I agree that the modern way of playing has seen this formation become outdated to some extent, but when you are trying to simplify things then surely there is no better system to revert back to. The players will know this system like the back of their hands, they should know exactly what their role is and it should not mean that we need to coach 'McCallball' out of them.