Post by stevek192 on Oct 22, 2017 11:32:24 GMT
This was a game that we should have won because Rochdale were no better than the Northampton team we hit for six a few weeks back and the only difference was that we set up with a team not to beat the opposition but to stop the opposition scoring and that objective had failed very early on due to another Lockyer error. The problem is that when you have selected mainly personnel with the main ability to be defensive it is not easy to change things around. Playing Partington as part of a back three centre halves is not suddenly going to change the game by moving him forward into the midfield. All it is going to do is give you another defensive player in the midfield . That would be OK if you then released one of your midfielders to attack but when two of the other players in the midfield have little creative ability ie Ollie Clarke and Sinclair then all it does is makes you a little less likely to be torn open but not any more likely to score a goal. Its basic football and if I had to describe our game at the moment it would be over complicated with players confused into making bad decisions whether that be when to pass and when to shoot or when to give a short pass or when long. I would add at this stage the strong winds and rain which made the poor decision making not only clearer to see but also to magnetise the effect that a lack of confidence can have., You could not fault the effort of any of the players but the lack of creativity in the side was clear to see.
We beat Northampton because we were set up to attack them and they were not really good enough to beat us and Rochdale yesterday were no different and should have been exactly the same "project". It was Shrewsbury away that we should have set up similar to yesterday!! The problem now is that even supporters are confused by what is happening because they are getting on players backs when it is not necessarily the players fault. There were supporters shouting at Leadbitter for not getting down the wing when it was clear we had changed to him being a full back rather than a wing back and moved Partington forward.
Anyway on to the individual performances.
Smith 5.5 Did nothing wrong other than playing behind petrified defenders, took what few crosses there were pretty well. No chance with the goal
Partington 5 For a reasonably tall player he does not dominate in the air the way he should. Did better in the midfield role but is he the best in that position I am not so sure.
Lockyer 4 Sorry but captain he is not, mistake ridden he is at the present time. His slip exposed the weakness of the wing back system and his form is clearly getting to him now as he tries to do things he is not good enough to do..
Broadbent 5.5 For such an inexperienced player he did well and was the best of the back three or four although found himself unnecessarily pressurised by being given the ball when he shouldn't have been. A brilliant long diagonal pass set up Gaffney with a great volley chance which he put the wrong side of the post.
Leadbitter 5 Not a good enough crosser of the ball to excel as a wing back but did OK when we changed formation after the goal.
O. Clarke 3 If we had a suitable replacement then wouldn't be anywhere near the team IMO he has failed to reach anywhere near the heights of last season and for me is the biggest disappointment. Volleyed over with a clear chance around the penalty spot in the first half.
Sinclair 4 Can never fault his efforts but there are times when quality on the ball and a bit of creativity are needed and yesterday we seriously lacked those qualities and perhaps that represents the Manager as well at the present time and the squad he has assembled.
Sercombe 4 Three shots on target which is more than any other player but the truth is that on two of those attempts there were players in far better positions and although he worked hard he gave the ball away too often.
Brown 5 Wasn't needed defensively because Rochdale were so poor down that side but he never really influenced much as an attacking player but was it his fault as he was probably told to be careful defensively.
Gaffney 5 Hard working performance but probably should have done better with the volley into the side netting but in the conditions it was far more difficult than it looked. for me he just doesn't get into scoring positions enough and seems happy to spend a lot of time out wide making space for........Nobody
Harrison 6 MOM Only really for the effort and commitment and restraint when being continually fouled and getting nothing fo9r it even when clearly in the vision of both referee and linesman. Despite his recent form I am not convinced that under DC he will be a top goalscorer because we have no pace, creativity or conviction as an attacking unit.
Subs:
Lines 5 We looked better when he came on but that was not difficult as until he arrived despite having more of our fair share of possession we rarely looked like troubling a keeper who looked dodgy to say the least on the few occasions he was involved in the second half.
Nichols 4 Devoid of any confidence whatsoever and definitely not a replacement for Taylor and at the present time I would welcome Easter back with open arms! He should have scored with a clear opportunity from a few yards but at the present time I wouldn't be confident that he would score with an open goal and no keeper.
Telford Not on long enough as per usual. He should probably have scored with a clear opportunity but at least he takes up a position to have a chance unlike Ellis or Gaffney
Crowd 6 In horrible weather there were good numbers but the frustration with the Manager and his team is clearly showing on the terraces now and it is not nice. I must admit that I am seriously thinking about missing a few games now as I question whether the cost involved is providing sufficient entertainment.
Ref 1 Another one of those that fails miserably to give blatant decisions and with ineffective linesmen ruins the game. I still feel that the only goal of the game was a yard offside and what Ellis had to do to get a free kick or penalty god only knows
Rochdale 3 No better than Northampton but they did win the game which tells you everything.
DC Has he lost the plot? Yet another "project" that went horribly wrong. Whilst the golden rule is to tighten at the back when things are going wrong surely you have to take into account the standard of opposition. this was ;without doubt; the worst Rochdale team I have seen in all my visits. We dominated them without ever looking like scoring but is that surprising with 7 defensive players and strikers having to work their socks off to even get the ball. Darrell needs to pick a team and stick with it for three or four games against whatever opposition and see how it does. At the moment we are learning nothing. IMO if we had kept the Northampton team together over the four games we would have learnt if it was a one off. At the present time we are very much looking behind us in the League and until we get reinforcements plus Bodin back we will struggle.
No way is this squad as good as last season and based on what I have seen Montano, Easter and McCrystal all gave us more than players that are getting picked far too often.
So we move on to a home game against an MK Dons side that do have some talented players and that is worrying at the moment. Will DC change yesterdays team?- of course he will but it is very unlikely that those who played poorly will be left out. it will be a case of dust themselves down and start all over again because in truth Darrell has left us with an honest, hard working bunch with a soft centre right through the team and the only pace being Bola and Leadbitter with little physical strength whatsoever.
This report is pretty demoralising but it is the way I saw yesterdays game and most of the last eight or nine games. The signs were there from the start and either DC or the Owners or both are to blame. UTG
We beat Northampton because we were set up to attack them and they were not really good enough to beat us and Rochdale yesterday were no different and should have been exactly the same "project". It was Shrewsbury away that we should have set up similar to yesterday!! The problem now is that even supporters are confused by what is happening because they are getting on players backs when it is not necessarily the players fault. There were supporters shouting at Leadbitter for not getting down the wing when it was clear we had changed to him being a full back rather than a wing back and moved Partington forward.
Anyway on to the individual performances.
Smith 5.5 Did nothing wrong other than playing behind petrified defenders, took what few crosses there were pretty well. No chance with the goal
Partington 5 For a reasonably tall player he does not dominate in the air the way he should. Did better in the midfield role but is he the best in that position I am not so sure.
Lockyer 4 Sorry but captain he is not, mistake ridden he is at the present time. His slip exposed the weakness of the wing back system and his form is clearly getting to him now as he tries to do things he is not good enough to do..
Broadbent 5.5 For such an inexperienced player he did well and was the best of the back three or four although found himself unnecessarily pressurised by being given the ball when he shouldn't have been. A brilliant long diagonal pass set up Gaffney with a great volley chance which he put the wrong side of the post.
Leadbitter 5 Not a good enough crosser of the ball to excel as a wing back but did OK when we changed formation after the goal.
O. Clarke 3 If we had a suitable replacement then wouldn't be anywhere near the team IMO he has failed to reach anywhere near the heights of last season and for me is the biggest disappointment. Volleyed over with a clear chance around the penalty spot in the first half.
Sinclair 4 Can never fault his efforts but there are times when quality on the ball and a bit of creativity are needed and yesterday we seriously lacked those qualities and perhaps that represents the Manager as well at the present time and the squad he has assembled.
Sercombe 4 Three shots on target which is more than any other player but the truth is that on two of those attempts there were players in far better positions and although he worked hard he gave the ball away too often.
Brown 5 Wasn't needed defensively because Rochdale were so poor down that side but he never really influenced much as an attacking player but was it his fault as he was probably told to be careful defensively.
Gaffney 5 Hard working performance but probably should have done better with the volley into the side netting but in the conditions it was far more difficult than it looked. for me he just doesn't get into scoring positions enough and seems happy to spend a lot of time out wide making space for........Nobody
Harrison 6 MOM Only really for the effort and commitment and restraint when being continually fouled and getting nothing fo9r it even when clearly in the vision of both referee and linesman. Despite his recent form I am not convinced that under DC he will be a top goalscorer because we have no pace, creativity or conviction as an attacking unit.
Subs:
Lines 5 We looked better when he came on but that was not difficult as until he arrived despite having more of our fair share of possession we rarely looked like troubling a keeper who looked dodgy to say the least on the few occasions he was involved in the second half.
Nichols 4 Devoid of any confidence whatsoever and definitely not a replacement for Taylor and at the present time I would welcome Easter back with open arms! He should have scored with a clear opportunity from a few yards but at the present time I wouldn't be confident that he would score with an open goal and no keeper.
Telford Not on long enough as per usual. He should probably have scored with a clear opportunity but at least he takes up a position to have a chance unlike Ellis or Gaffney
Crowd 6 In horrible weather there were good numbers but the frustration with the Manager and his team is clearly showing on the terraces now and it is not nice. I must admit that I am seriously thinking about missing a few games now as I question whether the cost involved is providing sufficient entertainment.
Ref 1 Another one of those that fails miserably to give blatant decisions and with ineffective linesmen ruins the game. I still feel that the only goal of the game was a yard offside and what Ellis had to do to get a free kick or penalty god only knows
Rochdale 3 No better than Northampton but they did win the game which tells you everything.
DC Has he lost the plot? Yet another "project" that went horribly wrong. Whilst the golden rule is to tighten at the back when things are going wrong surely you have to take into account the standard of opposition. this was ;without doubt; the worst Rochdale team I have seen in all my visits. We dominated them without ever looking like scoring but is that surprising with 7 defensive players and strikers having to work their socks off to even get the ball. Darrell needs to pick a team and stick with it for three or four games against whatever opposition and see how it does. At the moment we are learning nothing. IMO if we had kept the Northampton team together over the four games we would have learnt if it was a one off. At the present time we are very much looking behind us in the League and until we get reinforcements plus Bodin back we will struggle.
No way is this squad as good as last season and based on what I have seen Montano, Easter and McCrystal all gave us more than players that are getting picked far too often.
So we move on to a home game against an MK Dons side that do have some talented players and that is worrying at the moment. Will DC change yesterdays team?- of course he will but it is very unlikely that those who played poorly will be left out. it will be a case of dust themselves down and start all over again because in truth Darrell has left us with an honest, hard working bunch with a soft centre right through the team and the only pace being Bola and Leadbitter with little physical strength whatsoever.
This report is pretty demoralising but it is the way I saw yesterdays game and most of the last eight or nine games. The signs were there from the start and either DC or the Owners or both are to blame. UTG
