Fan's View - Rochdale away
- Thread starter Paul B
- Start date
Level: Callum O'Dowda
Manorlounger
Level: Phil Whitehead
(238 Apps)
Thanks Paul, nice to know that there were some redeeming features!
Still, a very sobering report and an almost resigned to doom attitude?
Still, a very sobering report and an almost resigned to doom attitude?
WALLY OX
Level: Mateo Corbo
(13 Apps, 8 Yellows, 1 Red)
Good read as usual.
For a long time I have been telling people we do have some top players at this level; Eastwood, Nelson, Henry, Brannigan and Whyte, but we are a poor team that is extremely fragile. Glad to read that you think the same.
Don’t think we’re down by a long chalk. Conditions dictated. Thought Kashi was terrible. Slow and weak. Long is short of L1 quality. Brannigan anonymous
On the plus side Henry had a decent game, Mackie appeared well up for the battle and Nelson was, as the writer said, majestic.
Curates egg of performance - like our season.
Still feel there are 4 or 5 worse teams in L1 though.
On the plus side Henry had a decent game, Mackie appeared well up for the battle and Nelson was, as the writer said, majestic.
Curates egg of performance - like our season.
Still feel there are 4 or 5 worse teams in L1 though.
Some good players poor team is spot on description of us this year. Curtis Nelson has been a perfect example of a professional, I have lost count of the times this year I have muttered to myself and those around me. "God were going to miss him when he's gone"
Last edited:
In fine (to drag Henry James kicking and screaming onto the forum) - while I agree with master
the Fan's view has it "if we can’t beat a team like Rochdale who are below us it’s a pretty poor old show". A season that promised us the golden bowl looks like being the awkward age; I predict next season in the other house and the season ending with the outcry. I can't see how the acting manager can endue the confidence that we will take the wings of the dove. The story of the year, a tragedy of error; a most extraordinary case with the [last*] turn of the screw at Luton leaving us on the bench of desolation.
* The last turn of the screw is, from memory, the final chapter of William Gaddis' 'The Recognitions', a book about fraud, better than anything James did, IMO.
the Fan's view has it "if we can’t beat a team like Rochdale who are below us it’s a pretty poor old show". A season that promised us the golden bowl looks like being the awkward age; I predict next season in the other house and the season ending with the outcry. I can't see how the acting manager can endue the confidence that we will take the wings of the dove. The story of the year, a tragedy of error; a most extraordinary case with the [last*] turn of the screw at Luton leaving us on the bench of desolation.
* The last turn of the screw is, from memory, the final chapter of William Gaddis' 'The Recognitions', a book about fraud, better than anything James did, IMO.
Paul B
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
We see things different regarding Kashi & Long.
Kashi I thought was instrumental in getting us playing at a faster pace. First time passing to Whyte was excellent. I thought he did fade though.
I can't see what Long did wrong. He has played the last four games in a defence that has let in just two goals in that time and the one at home to Scunthorpe should never have counted because he'd been fouled. Against Rochdale he produced a great bit of skill by beating an opponent with a drag back just in front of us and it was him (I think) who played the ball to Sinclair when he got that shot away.
Brannagan's legs had gone long before the end and should probably have been replaced.
The more I think about it the better I realise Henry was. Perhaps overlooked because of Nelson's performance.
You might be right but who are the 4 or 5 worse teams? Form comes and goes. Wycombe have picked up 3 points from the last 24 available and Southend 4 from 27. Those two obviously have worse current form than us.
See you on Saturday for more unbearable tension. UTM
NottsYellow
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Thanks Paul, watching on IFollow, it seemed to be a game full of throw-ins, whether when being at a game I don't notice it as much but watching it on computer it struck me how many throw-ins there were, how long it took to take them and how many yards Rochdale nicked at each one.
North Wales Yellow
Level: Chris Maguire
(79 Apps, 22 Gls)
I also went to the Baum pre-match. Cracking pub with a great choice of ales. The marshmallow porter was spot on.
Agree with most of your write up also. I do think that Sinclair is much more of a threat than Mackie and needs to start.
Agree with most of your write up also. I do think that Sinclair is much more of a threat than Mackie and needs to start.
You surely also noticed that we lose possession from 90% of all the throw-ins we take.
Something else that isn’t rehearsed on the training ground.
Paul B
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
This is something I've been banging on about for ages. Plus it always seems very easy for the opposition to retain possession when it is them throwing the ball in. Does my head in. If it's all about fine margins we don't do ourselves any favours.
ZeroTheHero
Level: Phil Whitehead
(238 Apps)
This 'fine margins' stuff is b*****s. It just means 'we don't do things as well as we should'!
werthersoriginal
Level: James Constable
(280 Apps, 106 Gls)
I’ve said this before but look at how many games our forwards and defence have played in their current positions. Apart from Eastwood and Nelson it’s very few. The wingers are all rookies and Mackie wasn’t always a centre forward, plus Ruffels is a midfielder. The midfield is experienced and that’s maybe why we are good in this area but vulnerable at each end. I think Robinson has managed and coached reasonably well but our recruitment over the last eighteen months has been appalling.
Bigfella72
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Exactly, fine margins ?
Bigfella72
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Back in the manor days I’m sure throw ins were much bettter? These days it just seems to be let’s see how far up the pitch we can throw it ?
Do you really think Robinson has coached and managed reasonably well? To be honest I think apart from a striker, the recruitment has been pretty good.its the coaching and management that’s been shambolic.
Brave statement when we have no full backs.
ZeroTheHero
Level: Phil Whitehead
(238 Apps)
What I meant was - you can't use 'fine margins' as some sort of reason (or excuse) for underperforming. Just saying 'Well we lost, but it was only fine margins that made the difference' - is exactly the same as saying 'Well we lost, but only because the other team did the important things better'! It is an admission of failure.
Millman
Level: Ricardinho
(39 Apps, 3 Gls)
I would say the recruitment has been the opposite. 2 rights backs signed both no longer playing for us. 1 left back signed can't get into the team. Holmes, Carruthers, Shearer signed barely played. Hanson sign for big money also can't get in the team. Mackie, and Smith signed no real goal return (Smith now left the club). That's a heck of a failure rate.
Then add to that the timing of the recruitment all last minute (cost us massively in the first few games). The fitness of those that joined us again time wasted getting people fit.
Then consider the squad balance. Defense has no cover (at times we have been playing midfielders there). The strike force is woefully thin on quality and goals.
We have had a couple of disastrous windows in terms of recruitment and this term we have relied heavily on those players already at the club to form the back line and parts of midfield (bar loans they remain our best owned players). Without these players we would be even worse than we are.
In summary no I don't think we have done well in recruitment on the whole and when you add in the coaching and tactics that is why a top 8 budget club is fighting a relegation battle all season.
werthersoriginal
Level: James Constable
(280 Apps, 106 Gls)
Yes to this. We had a disastrous start because the team wasn’t fit and hadn’t gelled. Since Luton we havent been brilliant but we've been good enough to stay up comfortably
Morris Oxford
Level: Dave Roberts
(176 Apps, 8 Gls)
We’re playing all the right players. But not necessarily in the right order.
Paul B
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
I think that was what I was trying to say. But we did hit the woodwork twice at Rochdale. An inch or so could have made the difference. But it didn't. That's the point (instead of three).
Bigfella72
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
And what’s wrong with admitting failure? If we fail, we go down! Simple.
ZeroTheHero
Level: Phil Whitehead
(238 Apps)
There is nothing wrong with admitting failure - it is one way to making sure you improve in the future. But when the manager goes on about 'fine margins', he isn't admitting failure. He is implying that if only we had the rub of the green, the decisions from the ref or the wind blowing in our favour then the result of the matches would have been different. And if that is the case he doesn't need to change anything as there is little wrong with the underlying tactics, formation, skills or attitude of both the players and himself , so - as we have seen all season - we get the same performance rehashed over and over again. Occasionally it succeeds, most of the time it hasn't.
I don't think Robinson admits to failure - even in the light of the league position in relation to his supposed/presumed budget - and that is where a large proportion of our troubles lie.
Bigfella72
Level: Callum O'Dowda
(106 Apps, 14 Gls)
Tbh not picked up on Robinson using the “fine margins”? Thought you were talking about mine or someone’s else’s post/posts?
ZeroTheHero
Level: Phil Whitehead
(238 Apps)
No - talking about the attitude of the club, not people here.
