Match Thread Most liked posts in thread: Home v Oldham Athletic 3pm Saturday 20th March

4-2-3-1 doesn't really work without a pivotal number 10, Evans isn't a 10. No one else in the squad really is.

 

These players are better than they're showing. We've looked a poorly coached side today. Not saying we are, but we've looked it.

 

Poor this by us!

Making Oldham..Yes Oldham! Look like a div 1 or Championship side.

 

Like for like though. These two definitely favour the missionary position with all the lights off.

 

I'll be honest, I'm getting worried. They came in and did a great job of establishing a more solid and pragmatic framework. A bit of a new manager bounce too, most probably and we won games mainly by fine margins. But we look a poorly coached side right now.

 

Another bad day at the office. We were just slightly better than last week but only just.
This result and performance must now have put to bed all the hype around the play-offs.
Our conservative approach is now starting to feel like Bowyer football. Too many times we stop and look for a square ball or go backwards when it would be easier to drive forward.
We as fans may stomach it this season given the start we had but the honeymoon period is over for T&S. Next season, with fans in the stadiums, performances like this won't be tolerated for long.

 

Exactly. Too much sense of entitlement on here. We've been rubbish for seasons. Going to take time to turn it around. Certainly more than one transfer window.

Expectations are way too high.

 

Definite wum

 

He is right though, rather than going out into near post touch it means there is a chance of a tap in

 

Trueman said it in the first few words there - "important not to lose". Thats how we set up in games, zero interest in taking the game to the opposition and trying to win the game.

 

I think it was important not to lose that, and under Stuart we'd have been too focussed on desperately chasing an unlikely win.

That game postpones my own personal judgement for another match; if we win, stopping the rot was ideal, if we don't win, we're only extending our run without a victory.

I can accept today's scoreline (if not performance) but only if it leads to something better.

I notice I'm not the only one getting tired of the join-the-dots, paint-by-numbers mid-game tactics and substitutions, though. Come on, T&S, you've got a mega platform here, don't let it become too big for you - show the world what you can do and that you've got ideas.

 

Bolton are going to win this league. 9 wins in 10. We should have been on their coat tails

 

We have really missed Cooke. Another 3 points and we are safe. Shame for Cooke as he made us tick.

T&S have maintained that safety is the first step and then maybe change formation to have a late stab at the play offs?

We are looking really solid at the back and didn't really have much to worry about from an industrious Oldham side who also created very little from their possession. Interestingly the stats say that we had a better ratio of shots on target in the game.

Not too worried like others have expressed. We could be Grimsby.

I trust the club to have seen how we have missed that midfield general type in Cooke, and make that a priority for next season. I would keep Sutton but Watt has fallen off a cliff form wise. Terrible ball distribution today.

Fair result today from two teams who can expect to be playing each other again next season.

 

I like 4231 as a formation and system, your front 4 need to be flexible and not static however. Our biggest problem is that it’s a possession based formation and we aren’t great in possession, passing it side to side for a bit then lumping it long will get us nowhere fast. That said you also need a plan B and C in football, a saying in boxing is styles make fights so sometimes it just won’t work like today therefore it’s criminal to just make like for like subs and let the game drift to with a draw or narrow defeat. It’d be nice to see a City side that’s proactive rather than reactive for once even if it doesn’t always work. Imran Khan once said I’d rather lose going for a win than play for a draw and a win and a loss is better than two draws.

Now the season is all but dead I’d like to see us give Scales a run in Cooke’s position, we’ve nothing to lose and he can’t do much worse than Evans has there. We should bring FCD back in as well, he’s signed a 4 year deal so there’s no point giving up on him now and these games will be good for the younger players development.

 

My dad always goes by the BBC online stats and I have to tell him just this. The only stat that makes any real difference is the xG stat that some bang on about and that had predicted our run would grind to a halt somewhat. As an attacking side we don't create a great deal, Oldham yesterday looked the only team likely to score. Our defence has been the key to the good run and Cooke has been a big part of that as well as being the only creativity in the side. Yesterday answered a few questions I had about the team and none of it boiled down to physical fatigue. Mentally we've run out of steam, the likes of Bolton and Tranmere haven't. We at least have a solid platform for next season but attacking wise they are going to have to work out how to get the best from the likes of Crankshaw, Vernam, Rowe and Evans because managers deciding to sit deep has pretty much negated anything attacking we do.

 

Strikes me the signing of Rowe is starting to look less thought out by the week. Cant play a lone striker role, can't play a target man role, isn't a number ten and hasn't done well played in a two with a target man?

Where do we play him ?

That seems to leave him only fitting into a 433 and surely in this day and age we are past the point where we have to change formation to fit one or two players.

Of the three main strikers we have, Novak is by far the most effective.

 

They've got the worst defence in the league and shipped 4 last time out. I really hope we attack this lot from the off and don't let up should we go one up.