Match Thread Away V Carlisle Saturday 13th March 3.00pm

Its a tough one tonight (as was the Newport game) but for different reasons - Tuesday we should have closed the game out and today we didnt do the basics as well as we have been doing when we have been grinding out results.
I am not as down as some on here simply because I can remember where we were 4 months back, I said in the 'where will we finish' poll top 10 would be a great result from where we were, and most importantly T&S still have much to learn.

I worried when posters were saying 'we are going up now, just you watch' because I honestly felt it was a step (or 2) too far - and some of the postings appear to have lost a bit of perspective. There is still a lot of work to do on this team, and not just the back up squad, we have to be better in the first eleven we put out. But as I said, we are doing as well as I hoped when T&S came in so not too down tonight. We could still make a push for the play offs but the key is finishing the season well and then getting it right this summer.

To those who are already having a dig at some of the new players - you are the same ones who said it was 'our best transfer window for ages' You cant have it both ways! What I want to see now is do we have some leaders at the club who will not accept the drop off - the likes of Canavan come to mind. This week has probably been a reality check for everyone at the club who have experienced nothing but praise (on the whole) since November - time to ensure the roots are being put firmly in place and not just in some flimsy top soil

 

As I said when they started with Rowe and Cook in the previous match, it should be 4-3-3. The back four as it is, Watt, Sutton, and today Evans in midfield with Cook as target, Rowe playing off him and one of Vernham, Crankshaw or Stevens providing width and pace.

 

It's nonsense, though.

Cook and Rowe are our best players and haven't even come from good sides at our level - but look at their effectiveness in our recent upturn in results.

How can you stand by this logic when it's obviously incorrect?

 

I think if we don't crack on this season then we would start the next on the back foot unless we strengthen (long time problem) that shaky jelly like midfield...

 

The defensive side including our defence were shocking up to December and the season before. I agree the players in front of them need to pick up their game offensively. I still think the only disappointing thing about the Jan transfer window was we did not sign a good central midfielder with leadership as one has been needed over the last few games. Whether that was down to the cap, we could not afford or one was not available we will not know.

 

Very easily. They're very average players which is what their previous clubs, all around our level, decided too.

 

Sorry mate but that is an extremely naive comment, we were working within heavy constraints and were near the bottom of the League 2 table - who on earth were you expecting to come in? We strengthened as best we could, it is far from the finished article but we do need to keep some reality to the situation this season has been played in

 

People don't realise just waht Callum Cooke does off the ball as well as on it. Without him Watt and Sutton look horribly exposed, as a three they are a handful without Cooke and as a two they look fairly ordinary.

 

Not just exposed, but very ordinary. Sutton is full of energy, but not much else.

 

What exactly are you wanting from him? Imo Sutton has done brilliant of late so disagree, bit of a screamer goal in there too. he prevented a great chance for them today in the box , he was a bit anonymous today granted. I think Tuesdays humdinger and struggling against Bolton has rocked them, just hope the confidence we built up hasn’t ebbed away but fear it might have.

 

You could yes, however they both have the potential to improve, unlike GE & BC.

 

What constraints?

 

Yes I have posted that crankshaw and Vernham haven’t done much in a reply to a poster that evans and Clarke shouldn’t play for our team again,which is fact if you take the Exeter game out is a fact.

I wasn’t one of the posters on here saying what a great transfer window because I’ve learnt my lesson of wait and see first on players that come to our club because of the overhype of some of our fans on how great players are.

 

With Cooke in front of him you can allow him free reign as Cooke invariably mops up, similar but to lesser extent with Watt. Its the whole jigsaw that works, take one vital ingredient out of the 4-2-3-1 and a few players suddenly look quite average. Rowe isn't the player to replace Cooke because he doesn't have Cookes workrate or movement.

 

Its not so much what I want from him, he's playing to the best of his abilities. We just need better, to trouble the top 3 next season

 

It was more than that today though, it seemed a hit and hope strategy for large parts of the game to a very isolated Cook. I get it though, Cooke has made us click and his omission has changed the whole dynamic in midfield.

 

Totally fair comments. We didnt sign world beaters but did strengthen the team we had, which is what we had to achieve in January, but you cant transform a whole team in one window. There will be a further evolvement this summer

 

Are you for real?

 

I give you BRE, DMH and Guthrie for starters.