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Post by lastminutewinner on Dec 30, 2022 1:21:02 GMT
He changed it for the good at half time but started the match with an insane attacking formation to be fair , or at least that’s how the players performed it. Sometimes you can’t tell whether it’s the managers fault and the players haven’t played to the managers instructions or if they’ve followed them. Whatever it was tonight it started terribly got better after half time and we threw it away once we got in front. I suppose everybody has to take the blame it’s a team effort. I agree, first half he got it horribly wrong. I just don't understand how some people can see that, yet can't see that things improved after half-time. As for people suggesting that we need to replace Belly, he plays the way that JB wants, he's not some gung-ho maverick who rushes off his line of his own accord. The majority of the time it works, and he's made some cracking saves, both this season and last. At this level, a keeper will always have a few mistakes in the them each season, otherwise they'd be playing higher up the pyramid. I personally feel Belly needs to be a bit more disciplined at a higher level as he wont get away with as much as he did in L2. There is a difference between playing a 'sweeper style' keeper role and rushing out for balls that you really don't need to come for. He almost got caught again midway in his own half after their winner. The higher you go the more you will be found out, but I guess thats why you dont see it at the very top level.
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Post by oldie on Dec 30, 2022 1:22:52 GMT
Barton is responsible for the tactics Would that be the tactics that brought us back from losing 0-2, to be winning 3-2 with 5 minutes left to play? Some of the players cocked up in the remaining minutes, Barton cannot literally pull their strings to execute his instructions at all times. It's so easy to predict when you will post on a matchday thread, you seem to thrive on the negatives and are oblivious to the positives. Yep And that would be the set up and tactics that made us look woeful in the first half and a 0-2 deficit. Half time revisions and lo and behold we are 3-2 up. But then, with less than ten minutes to go we don't change again and manage the game out. Admittedly Barton cannot be accountable for the utterly inept goal keeping, but we were caught out, 3-2 up, with long balls over the top because our backline was so far upfield. Why? I am out of the country and watched this on IFollow. From behind the camera all this was so obvious and painful to watch. Here is the rub (for me). I think Barton has put together the best squad of players we have had in years. The exam question is, can he get the best out of them? In how many games so far this season has one half of a game contrasted so much with the other? It's the same squad of players after all. Tonight, the disappointment is that I had hoped we would be knocking on the door of the playoffs by the end of 2022. Now doubts resurface.
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Post by Tilly's Thighs on Dec 30, 2022 1:44:32 GMT
Would that be the tactics that brought us back from losing 0-2, to be winning 3-2 with 5 minutes left to play? Some of the players cocked up in the remaining minutes, Barton cannot literally pull their strings to execute his instructions at all times. It's so easy to predict when you will post on a matchday thread, you seem to thrive on the negatives and are oblivious to the positives. Yep And that would be the set up and tactics that made us look woeful in the first half and a 0-2 deficit. Half time revisions and lo and behold we are 3-2 up. But then, with less than ten minutes to go we don't change again and manage the game out. Admittedly Barton cannot be accountable for the utterly inept goal keeping, but we were caught out, 3-2 up, with long balls over the top because our backline was so far upfield. Why? I am out of the country and watched this on IFollow. From behind the camera all this was so obvious and painful to watch. Here is the rub (for me). I think Barton has put together the best squad of players we have had in years. The exam question is, can he get the best out of them? In how many games so far this season has one half of a game contrasted so much with the other? It's the same squad of players after all. Tonight, the disappointment is that I had hoped we would be knocking on the door of the playoffs by the end of 2022. Now doubts resurface. Yes, the first half was woeful. Then you just use 11 words to dismissively describe the turnaround, when we scored 3 goals. Followed by a whole paragraph of negative stuff. Being at the ground, I saw a mainly poor first half, followed by an exciting second half. No reason to assume that we cannot continue to aim towards the play-offs. We have the January transfer to come yet, I seem to remember that we made a decent loan signing last year, so who knows - it's a long way to go until May. UTG
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Post by socrates on Dec 30, 2022 2:04:14 GMT
Yep And that would be the set up and tactics that made us look woeful in the first half and a 0-2 deficit. Half time revisions and lo and behold we are 3-2 up. But then, with less than ten minutes to go we don't change again and manage the game out. Admittedly Barton cannot be accountable for the utterly inept goal keeping, but we were caught out, 3-2 up, with long balls over the top because our backline was so far upfield. Why? I am out of the country and watched this on IFollow. From behind the camera all this was so obvious and painful to watch. Here is the rub (for me). I think Barton has put together the best squad of players we have had in years. The exam question is, can he get the best out of them? In how many games so far this season has one half of a game contrasted so much with the other? It's the same squad of players after all. Tonight, the disappointment is that I had hoped we would be knocking on the door of the playoffs by the end of 2022. Now doubts resurface. Yes, the first half was woeful. Then you just use 11 words to dismissively describe the turnaround, when we scored 3 goals. Followed by a whole paragraph of negative stuff. Being at the ground, I saw a mainly poor first half, followed by an exciting second half. No reason to assume that we cannot continue to aim towards the play-offs. We have the January transfer to come yet, I seem to remember that we made a decent loan signing last year, so who knows - it's a long way to go until May. UTG You’re right there’s half the season left and even though we lost the game horribly in the last few minutes tonight and played terribly in the first half the one thing that stands out to me is that it wasn’t from lack of effort or belief and our defeats never are. The squad Joe has built gives 100 % in every game and to think we’re just behind the likes of sheff weds , derby Ipswich etc compared to where we were as a club when he arrived it’s one hell of a turn around and to be fair he’s probably taken us as far as he can without major investment.
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Post by oldie on Dec 30, 2022 2:28:18 GMT
Yes, the first half was woeful. Then you just use 11 words to dismissively describe the turnaround, when we scored 3 goals. Followed by a whole paragraph of negative stuff. Being at the ground, I saw a mainly poor first half, followed by an exciting second half. No reason to assume that we cannot continue to aim towards the play-offs. We have the January transfer to come yet, I seem to remember that we made a decent loan signing last year, so who knows - it's a long way to go until May. UTG You’re right there’s half the season left and even though we lost the game horribly in the last few minutes tonight and played terribly in the first half the one thing that stands out to me is that it wasn’t from lack of effort or belief and our defeats never are. The squad Joe has built gives 100 % in every game and to think we’re just behind the likes of sheff weds , derby Ipswich etc compared to where we were as a club when he arrived it’s one hell of a turn around and to be fair he’s probably taken us as far as he can without major investment. That sounds like Pearson's excuse
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Post by socrates on Dec 30, 2022 3:18:31 GMT
You’re right there’s half the season left and even though we lost the game horribly in the last few minutes tonight and played terribly in the first half the one thing that stands out to me is that it wasn’t from lack of effort or belief and our defeats never are. The squad Joe has built gives 100 % in every game and to think we’re just behind the likes of sheff weds , derby Ipswich etc compared to where we were as a club when he arrived it’s one hell of a turn around and to be fair he’s probably taken us as far as he can without major investment. That sounds like Pearson's excuse I tell it how I see it and I’ve got my opinion. If you can’t see that Barton has totally transformed this club in the last couple of years then you either need your eyes tested or don’t understand football or both. To come out with a short meaningless sentence such as “ that sounds like pearsons excuse “ when reacting to my overall summing up of the last couple of years here then actually you sound like Pearson. Old ,past it , full of crap and should probably move on from football.
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Post by gulfofaden on Dec 30, 2022 4:49:31 GMT
It’s happened. Have to accept it.
Credit to Exeter. They played very well, and they did so unlike Wycombe so this defeat hurt less than that did. At least they came for a game of football.
We had it all our way last year, at least for the second half. Late winners all over the shop. Now it’s our turn to have to build a bit of character.
Joey said himself the objective this year is consolidation. Playoffs are a nice idea but let’s get real, another back to back promotion? With a league of this strength? Some big teams in with us.
A good Jan window to stop the rot at the back and who knows.
It’s hard to take Gasheads, but take it we must, the team must learn from it, Joey must learn from it, and we return stronger, wiser, with the crowd belting out behind them.
Let’s not turn on Belly, or anyone. They are heroes, they got us promoted with swagger. They have delivered mid table L1. Our historic average.
Every one of those players, especially the back line, are in a world of hurt right now.
Stay strong and keep the faith. This team has goals, we just need adjustment at the back and we will be a force to be reconned with.
UTG and let’s stick together through this.
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Post by Deleted on Dec 30, 2022 7:24:29 GMT
I think we’ve seen too much tinkering with players and formations and need to keep a settled defence and have a defined way of playing. Last night the first half was yet another defence and a back 4 at that, before playing another defence second half and a back 3 / 5.
I go back to the derby game as being the catalyst for that. We had a good October until that derby game where we saw mistakes galore and everything we had at the back got ripped up after that. For me that was a knee jerk reaction and I feel we need to be more settled as a side and settle on an identity of being either a 4 or a 3 at the back side. I totally agree with others that we have a strong squad and I believe in where we are going, but I don’t think the managers tactics or the constant changes are helping us all the time.
Take last nights game, we started with a first half playing exactly the way that the manager wants, with us just playing keep ball at a slow tempo trying to unlock the opposition. That way of playing to my eyes does not get the best out of the full backs in an attacking sense and it doesn’t get the best out of players like Sinclair and evans either. We saw the best of Sinclair second half when he was allowed to attack and we committed players forward and played with more tempo. We just don’t usually set up and start games like that.
But thats not the first game we’ve done that, that’s been our style of play for most of the season. We’ve then conceded a couple of goals and yet again we’ve had to go chasing the game by going for it to get back into the match, (again not for the first time this season).
I definitely think we need to become a little quicker in moving the ball and up the tempo a bit in how we play, just to try and get more out of the wider areas, because that first half and also quite a few other games this season has seen full backs and players like Evans or the centre halves become scape goats for the fans when they have no options but to go backwards and sideways. That’s the way we’ve set up to start games and play, that’s not the players fault for carrying out instructions. But I don’t think we will start a game being so attacking and open like we had to do in the second half last night.
Game management at 3-2 was also key last night and we carried on playing like we were trying to get back into the match instead of calming down and tightening up.
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Dec 30, 2022 7:27:01 GMT
Just got back .. Went in the rain, got back in the rain. What a great evenings entertainment! You pay your money and there can't be anyone whom left the Mem unsatisfied their monies hadn't given them a spectacle of mistakes, sheer wonder, good football, in parts a great atmo and a match that both teams wanted to win - and could've. It kinda summed up our 2022, only this time we fell foul of shooting ourselves in the foot and it didn't end kindly. My m o m Aaza that quite literally could have had a hat trick and still ended up on losing side. It's all been said before, but I'd just like to add he plays his football with such aloof he makes it look easy at times. He's got goals and set ups coming out of his assists.. Obvious elephant hero to zero was our Keeps....but everyone knows that and I'm gonna swim against the tide and stick up for him last night. His credit put into the club far outweighs his debit by mistakes. The defence in front of him was more rickety than Shaun Ricketts or any affliction of the high seas in Napoleonic times. The planets were in alignment, unless you're a flat Earther...you'd be talking Earther Kitt.. www.bbc.com/news/science-environment-64082159#amp_tf=From%20%251%24s&aoh=16723823127763&referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com&share=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.bbc.com%2Fnews%2Fscience-environment-64082159 (thanks to my old school mate chum there, Dr Robert Massey, whom I shared brief debut working jobs with, and both discovered the fruits of life as a growing teenager circa 1984/5 discovering the perils of alcohol and girls at a few southmead parties in the same era ... The girls were more perilous, I can tell thee!) I digress.. His enthusiasm to make amends, cause effect was his downfall. I'm sorry for him that I felt he was partially or fully responsible for all the goals conceded last night, but before the ball got anywhere near him, we had made mistakes leading up to that scenario. I'll not knock anyone for trying, on the night we lacked quality and mostly made the wrong decision when it came to the last ball (that was usually pumped up to the two big ones). Lofty, nice to see you back...worked hard, put in a shift, not his night. Scott Sinclair input being played in his more familiar role had immediate impact! Who'd have thought it? Goal and assist!? He's not a wb. Coutts tried but seems to have lost half a yard of pace. Gibson top of the defence for me. A couple of stray passes to fit in with his teammates, but otherwise solid. Connolly why didn't he start? We could see when he came on....first 3 passes hospital balls and no where near his man for their equalising 3rd goal. Gordon just fails at the last hurdle for me. Willing him to go on. Willing him to go past his man. Willing him to do well...he does in inside and back is your thing. Hoole, not your night me ole mate but there'll be many others to shine in. Finley. For me desperate misses his mate Leonard Rossiter. What an injury in what an inane competition to befall him? Finley form mightily affected, plus losing captaincy too means for me he hasn't hit the heights of pre Ross form. I thought Exeter were one of the best teams I've seen at nullifying us this season at Mem. They held their shape off the ball in a disciplined manner, well organised and soaked up 5 or 6 bookings and us taking the lead didn't phase them. Fair play, on the night they shaded the rights to a win, and missed a few sitters themselves, and hit the bar on an offside that wasn't given. And, in the spirit of school boy football next goal wins, they did. JAB got the starting line up wrong and made effective change in second that nearly stole the show. Exeter were quick to react and held their nerve. It was an interesting encounter and almost worked but well done everyone including an infuriating ref for delivering a night of exhilaration and (at times) seasonal pantomime show.. Well, you've had science and nature wrapped up with a bit of history and nostalgia with a touch of showbiz and weather! What more would you like? Merry New Year, Gas..... wherever you are.
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Post by bluebiro on Dec 30, 2022 7:32:46 GMT
With the defence being poor for quite some time surely James Gibbons has to be given a chance finally? Our attack and defence could be playing in different divisions, hoping for a productive January. Still a long way to go. UTG From what I've seen of Gibbons I don't think he's the answer. Think we need a new CB, RB and LB. Still think Hoole and Gordon can play a part but we need a bit more solid in those positions. Hoping CT can come back and be the answer in CB. I think Connolly is at his best alongside Connor. both full backs need replacing. Just not up to standard. Will also need a cm to take over from coutts who now seems to play behind the back 3 or on their toes which straight away removes any option of moving the ball quickly. Get those three positions sorted first
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Post by bluebiro on Dec 30, 2022 7:36:54 GMT
Would that be the tactics that brought us back from losing 0-2, to be winning 3-2 with 5 minutes left to play? Some of the players cocked up in the remaining minutes, Barton cannot literally pull their strings to execute his instructions at all times. It's so easy to predict when you will post on a matchday thread, you seem to thrive on the negatives and are oblivious to the positives. Yep And that would be the set up and tactics that made us look woeful in the first half and a 0-2 deficit. Half time revisions and lo and behold we are 3-2 up. But then, with less than ten minutes to go we don't change again and manage the game out. Admittedly Barton cannot be accountable for the utterly inept goal keeping, but we were caught out, 3-2 up, with long balls over the top because our backline was so far upfield. Why? I am out of the country and watched this on IFollow. From behind the camera all this was so obvious and painful to watch. Here is the rub (for me). I think Barton has put together the best squad of players we have had in years. The exam question is, can he get the best out of them? In how many games so far this season has one half of a game contrasted so much with the other? It's the same squad of players after all. Tonight, the disappointment is that I had hoped we would be knocking on the door of the playoffs by the end of 2022. Now doubts resurface. we are knocking at the door. Are you sure you are looking at the right table?
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Post by wallywalters on Dec 30, 2022 7:54:48 GMT
As much as I hate to say it our reigning player of the year has cost us all 4 goals last night. Every single one was down to him along with awful defending and Antony evans having an all too often shocking misplaced pass.
The first his positioning is all wrong you shouldn't be getting lobbed from there.
The second he wasn't even unsighted there was one defender in his line of sight. I can't see for the life of me why he didn't make an attempt to save. Baffling.
The third. Poor poor clearance.
The forth. Needs no words.
He was flapping at corners all night and from a side with no real big units I can't believe how dangerous Exeter looked from corners because of it.
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Post by Windmill Hill Gas on Dec 30, 2022 8:20:46 GMT
First of all what a game of football, a real Christmas cracker under the lights with a full house and a good away following. First half we had a lot of the ball but didn't create much and Exeter scored 2 good goals from outside the box. The away shirt was a nice gesture, but I don't understand why we paired it with blue shorts and socks? If Exeter had played in red and white it would have been fine. Ultimately the change of kit probably helped us psychologically. Credit to Barton for his subs and Collins was fantastic 2nd half. I hope no scouts were watching! The defending for the last 2 goals was poor. I love Belshaw. He is a maverick, and a fantastic shot stopper, but he needs to get back to basics. Our defence has tightened up since the Lincoln debacle, but maybe we need to look at getting Taylor back in January. Disappointing to lose both Xmas games by 1 goal, but we're still only 4 points off the play offs with some very winnable games in January. Altogether a fantastic year. UTG
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Post by matealotblue on Dec 30, 2022 8:56:38 GMT
And just to keep us on our toes Cheltenham won away last night.
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Post by baggins on Dec 30, 2022 8:57:47 GMT
Lack of anything creative from both Coutts and Evans, again, meant the long ball was inevitable first half, and it didn't work. Slightly annoyed that after seeing the impact Harry Anderson made he was only played in twice. What's the point? Belly needs to cut the silly mistakes out, however, before we lynch him we should remember that if it wasn't for him we could and should have been 3 or 4 nil down by halftime.
Other than that, great atmosphere, great goal by Collins, the Mem rocked for 90 minutes, ref and officials were crap, we move on to Sunday where we need to do our bit for the lads.
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Post by stapletongas on Dec 30, 2022 9:03:09 GMT
Where do you start!
Sod it...move on to Sunday...
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Post by Charlton Hayes Gas on Dec 30, 2022 9:22:25 GMT
Aside from one of the most mental games of football I’ve ever witnessed, and this isn’t me blaming them, just an observation, but the ref and lineman next to the uplands terrace genuinely forgot the rules in the first half.
Don’t think I’ve ever heard bigger chants of you don’t know what you’re doing from the entire stadium before.
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Post by Dirt Dogg on Dec 30, 2022 10:06:02 GMT
I’d take 20th right now, that Jimmy Belshawk has cost us big time.
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Post by herbertblake on Dec 30, 2022 10:17:30 GMT
Great to see Rovers return from being two down in first half to ditching that awful green kit and wearing their blue and white quarters and turning round the score by impact substitutions. Sinclair Connolly and Anderson all contributed and allowed Collins more freedom. But the inexperienced defenders and poor goalkeeping cost us dearly late on.
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Post by o2o2bo2ba on Dec 30, 2022 10:28:44 GMT
And.... anyone else know we had some Winscombe Gas fans?
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