Match Thread Most liked posts in thread: Home V Forest Green Sat 30 Oct @ 3.00

FGR were better at the dark arts than we were. That's why they got the draw. Managed to waste tons of minutes when they didn't have possession, rotationally fouled our players so that more of theirs didn't go in the book or get sent off. It's what they have always done really well. They may be vegan but they're bloody conniving too. It does though seem to me ironic that a club that strives to have such high values in terms of being green and taking big moral stances has a team that's so cynical and pragmatic.

 

Thanks for that. I won't bother going now.

 

Meanwhile, back to the game tomorrow, I predict a narrow win.

 

Possession stats mean nothing. They are just a percentage of passes your team made, successful or not, against the total passes made. Pass the ball between the keeper and right back nine times out of a ten pass sequence and you have 90% possession.

 

right decision by ref, covering defender coming over. But it was another example of Sutton being positive.

 

Was surprised Vernam didn’t come on. Robinson had a good game but was tired for the last 10-15 mins. Perhaps for at least the last 10mins his pace could have caused them issues.

Decent game - Sutton, Foulds and actually the whole back line had very decent games.

Draw fair result.

 

Easier to moan about the officials and approach of the opposition than our own deficiencies i suppose.

 

To be fair to Kiwomya he said the same after the game.
Whether Gillead was fouled or not there was a lot of distance for the ball to travel before their player rolled the ball in from about 8 yards out.

 

He's actually not that good, NM. Without a strong partner alongside him he's very hit an miss, some good games, some poor games, often loses his head and is overly aggressive. No problem with him leaving for me. I'm sure we'll find an able enough replacement.

 

Yet there only real attempt on goal came from us not playing to the whistle I thought whilst they had a lot of the ball we always looked comfortable the loss of Lavery was a blow because he was looking promising and we badly lack a second striker but I thought it was a decent point agains a good (for this level) side

 

Yes yet another hamstring injury, there is something wrong with the conditioning regime at this club

 

The problems we had two weeks ago haven’t disappeared, it’s still a squad light on quality, the last two results shouldn’t be allowed to paper over the cracks and allow Rupp off the hook.

 

Yes I heard Suttons post match interview and he said he was knackered but 4 minutes + injury, I didn't know why Adams didn't bring Vernam on around 70 minutes fresh legs and on his day is very difficult to stop.
I have my worries about Adams we're at home they scored after 54 minutes the game was there for wining and he left it until the 86 minute to try and change it, I have faith in him but can't see why a double sub around 70 minutes was not used, if we had got beat at least we would have been trying to win the game.

 

Their change of tactics at the start of the second half yesterday seem to involve not challenging Cook for the first aerial challenge and just mopping up his flick ons. Not massively impressed with Robinson and agree that we need a bit of quality in January.
Whether we get it or not will remain to be seen but like most I’m not holding my breath.

 

I don't think its just a one off with POC. He always looks like he's got a mistake in him. He was the main culprit for the goal yesterday and last week he's given away a soft penalty. OK, that pen didn't cost us, but that's 2 big mistakes in the last 2 games leading to goals. He just doesn't look solid to me.

 

Barton did the same for Bristol, Changing what wasn't working. Unfortunately Derek seems a little set in his ways and isn't proactive enough, like you mentioned earlier bringing on vernam could have swing the game back in our favour, however we kept the same shape all the second half gradually allowing more and more ball and space to forest green

 

For some interesting insight on this game, @Jordan made a good post in the points poll thread. Copied it in its entirety so its easier to read.

If anyone wants some optimism to cling onto for Saturday, Forest Green play 3 CBs and two of them have been injured in the last week. Dan Sweeney is out for 3 weeks with a knee injury. On Saturday, their best defender of the year so far Jordan Moore-Taylor went off with a pulled quad it seemed like according to their local paper, scanning this week but highly likely he wont be fit for Saturday. Two lads who came in haven't played much this season.

They play a 3412, with the wing backs playing more like wingers from looking at their highlights. Seems the CBs need some pace as they often get pulled out wide, with the 2 sitting mids dropping very deep. Hard to break down side, needs width to pull them out of shape. Two big lads up top too and both on form, both Matt and Stevens have 7 in 14 with Matt also adding 6 assists.

So hopefully they wont be able to be as aggressive as they are away from home! A part of me does think they will play compact for the draw so who knows!

 

I was there for their first visit - jeez, cynical didn't come into it. Total anomaly - touchy feely vegan football club owned by a green energy eco-millionaire, but on the pitch their players were absolute nasty, dirty, clogging match disrupting bar stewards. Was Mark Cooper in charge then?

 

Horrible cynical manager who continually tries to piss on the idea that football is the beautiful game. Which of course it isn't - but it's not as bad as he tries to make it.

 

I see Forest Green have hired a former England youth coach as their new head coach.

Interesting, progressive appointment, hopefully that means they've changed tactics since the Mark Cooper days - although that could make it more difficult for us.

They've only conceded 1 goal in their last 5 away days, so we're going to need something special from our attackers on Saturday... I haven't seen anything to suggest that will be the case though, as we're far more miss than hit this year...