Pre season friendlies

I can't remember the last time we had a midfielder who could play a "slide rule" pass to our forwards. Name the last time one of our strikers had a one on one. I don't even see any of our players even playing the relatively simple, "inside the full back pass". As much as I love Stu, and as much as I love Kennys beard, our coaching is terrible.

 

Leigh Palin was probably the best in my time a very skillful player
Very underrated

 

Cooke did quite well in that regard in patches. He was certainly the one looking to pass forwards and run forwards with more intent than the others. Trouble is, none of the forwards are quick enough to run on to through balls. Most of the time he was looking for Wood or Ismail/Dylan. The forwards had their backs to goal too much.

 

Exactly, and he got us promoted. I don't understand why Stuart - who was playing in the same team as Palin, aswell as later on with Whalley, Beagrie, and to some extent Blake and Carbone, can't see that it's not just forwards who make goals, but those who play the balls to them.

 

Agree, but he was really the only one. And call me negative, but I've seen it all before, and soon his head is gonna go down each time a forward misses his pass, or each time he's the only one looking to play forward. He was the stand out player on our team this afternoon imo.

 

Isn't that why he signed Billy Clarke

 

oh youuuuuu x

 

Another of our perennial failings is allowing opposing midfielders to run at our central defenders who then back off and let them have a free shot. That cost us several goals last year and it was in evidence again this afternoon. I'm not alone in seeing this as others on here have seen it too. Why can't our coaching staff?

 

You need forwards who can actually run, for that sort of thing.

 

ok, then let's change it -the last time we had a forward who can make a run for a through ball I know it's silly, but I still think of us as a higher league side Delusional my shrink calls it.

 

Nakki Wells...

Problem now is when was the last player that can play a decent through ball? Gary Jones?

This is how backwards the club as gone.

 

Main problem is you need both

 

I’m sure as a midfield player with 900 games under his belt he can see this.

 

The type of player we've missed most in the last few seasons is a Josh Cullen. Not blessed with scoring goals but always seemed to be everywhere. Breaking up attacks, receiving the ball from defenders, switching play and taking the quick free kicks which didn't allow the opponents time to set up.

Find that general and we might have a chance.

The last few squads have also lacked leaders, especially at the back, which is probably why most of the team are looking at their boots when things go wrong, instead of dishing out constructive bollockings..

 

This why barring one person understood Jay Spearing would have been a perfect signing for us.

Let's be honest though we have lacked leadership since Rupp and Edin walked through the down.

Are we all at a point now to understand that Rupp is as bad as Edin?

 

Fitness looked to be a problem yesterday despite what was reported about levels being "through the roof" Donaldson in particular needed a "third lung " after about 5 minutes
1st half looked like we may have something to build on but again we looked to run out of steam very quickly Second half we were taught a footballing lesson by an academy side naive on our part when playing younger fitter teams you use your experience keep your positions /possession and let the ball do the work
Can't remember how long we have been back in training proffesional footballers should have kept themselves in reasonable shape through lockdown closed season could then be used to develop tactics yet again we seem to be starting the season on the back foot without the addition of a mythical RB/Striker who will also need time to bed in

 

Jordi Hiwula. He made run after run but most of the time he ended up pulling his hair out because even Law and Cullen in midfield never saw the pass

 

I agree but if it is gonna be Cooke in the more advanced role it becomes too easy to stop. Teams will stick 5 at the back of 3 center backs and a DM sitting on Cooke and he’s out of the game. Then we’ve got to go out wide which we don’t really have an out and out winger aside from Ismail who looks poor to me. Then we need some pace up top to have that other option of a flick on or a ball over top, we don’t have it.
I said at the time in the second half, it felt like they switched it a little bit and we just lost control of the game so easily. Nice passing and we were devoid of ideas after that.
For me we need 4 more minimum bodies in. A right back so we can play a back 4 from the get go.
A winger with some pace. I know he will be inconsistent at this level but an out ball would be nice as we currently don’t have one if under the cosh a bit.
another center forward who is different to what we have. Someone who’s got some skill or pace again. I’d have Hiwula all day in this league. I don’t want a raw kid up there who will only be chucked on when we are losing.
Also a tough DM who can get his foot in and push people around the pitch. Spearing would have been ideal for me for this level. But this has been missing for the last 3 seasons and no one signs one for some reason.

 

this happened a lot in the doncaster game as well from the bits ive seen. its one of my footballing pet hates when nobody even has the bollocks to put a foot in and put the guy carrying the ball under pressure