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Post by horseshoegas47 on Jul 18, 2016 12:17:20 GMT
IMO Easter could play in CM or as a number 10, he is still quick, strong and has a great brain with enormous experience. I am not saying he should play there and he certainly wouldn't be my first choice but he could and I wouldn't be uncomfortable. My priority is a GK to really challenge Mildy, an experienced LB as cover for Brown and another striker who has the potential to score 15+ goals. I would be comfortable to start the season with that squad and we have a few credible U21's to fill the bench in an emergency. Getting excited now!!
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Jul 18, 2016 9:44:02 GMT
Darrell works with these players day in day out, between him and his management team they have improved the players and they need to have a balanced squad if everybody was a "1st choice" we would never keep a 'happy' squad. Any squad needs a blend of senior pro's, developing stars, reliable cover and youth potential. We are football fans hence we can be fickle & quick to judge. I have seen every friendly and whilst things haven't clicked (Weston was the best, Exeter 1st half the worse) we haven't used the right blend of players yet. Darrell will know that and it was probably due to several senior players being unavailable Saturday (Brown, J Clarke, Lockyer, Hartley, Sinclair, Mansell, Easter, Taylor etc). I think we will sign another keeper (needed), a left back as cover for Brown (don't expect a star more a reliable cover as Greenslade continues his learning out on loan), and possibly another striker. Personally I don't think we need another CM, we have enough options in there we have Lines or Lawrence as a playmaker plus I believe Easter could player in there if necessary and Malpas at 18 looks a good prospect (although like Broom and Kilgour he is not ready and need a year or two out on loan in the conference or league 2).
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Jul 14, 2016 12:55:34 GMT
A special mention to the new pitch at Weston, looked outstanding.
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Jul 14, 2016 12:54:13 GMT
Having watched all 4 friendlies to date this was the best and whilst I accept we were against a Conference South team they played some good football and were probably the strongest team we have played to date. Agree on comments re Hartley, Leads looked strong as did Sinclair, Moore, Easter and Gaffney worked hard taking his goal well. Even Lawerence was comfortable and composed and I thought Greenslade impressed yesterday, he has steadily improved with each outing. The changes at half time didn't impact too much, Brown always adds something, Oli Clarke and Malpas took over in central midfield and totally dominated possession, finally Lucas showed his natural goal scoring ability and I would like to see more of him. Others youngsters Broom and Kilgour were very quite on the night and whilst the latter made some mistakes both have impressed in previous outings so I suspect it was a bit of fatigue from pre season training plus games. All round a good show and looking forward to seeing us against some stronger teams and seeing the inclusion of other senior players such as Mansell and McCrystal.
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Jul 6, 2016 10:08:26 GMT
From my perspective I have no interest in Oxford, Northampton or anyone else, Darrell has already brought in two new recruits, I believe Luke James has signed today as an attacking midfield/striker, I have no doubt he will bring in a goalkeeper and another striker at least.
We must not forget we have some great potential youngsters who need a chance and it's important the club invest big money on the training ground and stadium for the next period.so no need for a so called marque signings for me.
There is not a huge gap between League 1 and the top of league 2 so I think we can compete and I have faith in Darrell and his management team. Different if and when we ever take the next step as there is a big gap between division 1 and the Championship.
one of our greatest assets is the continuity and spirit of the group, to make too many changes in one go could damage that, I suggest we trust Darrell's judgement.
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Jun 15, 2016 17:15:41 GMT
I think Kilgour will go out on loan along with some of the others (Broom, Lyttle etc). Hopefully now we are in L1 these young pro's could be loaned at a higher level i.e conference (as Lucas did last year). Kilgour looks a prospect but think it is too early for him and can't see him making an impact next year, a season of playing mens football (on loan) will help him. Given the new loan rules Darrell may be reluctant to loan some of the other younger lads Lucas, Greenslade and Malpas he may want to keep them with the squad but they need games. Much will depend on the 4/5 new signings I guess. Getting excited now!!!
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Jun 15, 2016 16:31:26 GMT
Agree with everything said, good to have Macca signed up, great influence on younger players and a massive help to Tom. I think his form in the last 10 games was critical in getting us over the line last year but I still expect us to sign an experienced CH to play with Tom with Macca as cover. BTW I suspect Parkes has played his last game for the club, just a feeling but I don't think Darrell will be desperate to hold him!
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Post by horseshoegas47 on May 17, 2016 23:03:04 GMT
I think the club are obligated to offer Thomas something due to his injury and the fact he is not back to match fitness hence the non contract offer (Bodin had a contract just 3 months initially) but I think it unlikely that he will make an impact with some of the CM competition already at the club and I expect Darrell to add one more quality signing in there. I was surprised to see Preston released, for me he is a better option than Puddy now, on the other hand I was surprised to see Lyttle and Greenslade get an offer. Lucas needs to make the breakthrough this year or else I fear it wont happen for the lad. I am excited about Broom, from what I have seen he can be very frustrating but has good pace but also Malpas, whenever I watched the U18 he was the stand out player, even when he was 16 plus like Lines, Clarke and past hero's like Holloway he is a Bristol Boy and I love seeing Bristol Boys make it at our club
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Post by horseshoegas47 on May 8, 2016 8:17:02 GMT
Mildenhall 7 been generally excellent since returning to the team Lead bitter 7 his pace is such an asset, will be even better in League1 Brown 8.5 excellent, calm under pressure was calming Lockyer down in first half and took his goal very well McChrystal 8 tower of strength, a natural captain Lockyer 7 uncharacteriscally nervous first half, got caught once or twice and missed several headers but improved as the game progressed Bodin 8 took his goal well and was a threat Mansell 8 workhorse, never stopped running, Mansell/Lines work well together Lines 8 soom sublime passing, some great runs and worked very hard, even tidying things up at the back once or twice in the second half Montano 6.5 some good crosses in the first half Taylor 7 worked hard, some good link up play, unlucky with one shot in the first half but should have done better with that header!! Gaffney 6 doesnt work hard enough when not in posssession, gets away with it when he scores but doesnt contribute enough when he doesnt score. How did he miss that chance?
Easter 7 love this player, pace, power and class would like to see more of him Gosling 7 did well when he came on, brought creativity and him precise slide passes almost opened them up Harrison 7 great impact sub, pace, power and seems to have a good attitude
Ref 8 Crowd 10 DC 10 cant argue with the man, he got it right today
D&G I was quite impressed, they were up for the game and looked a decent side, better than their league position suggests
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 24, 2016 6:54:31 GMT
Mildenhall 7 one or two dodgy kicks but other than that was composed and did everything right Leadbitter 7 started well and his pace is such an asset, in the second half we gave their winger too much space McChrystal 8 MOTM for me, battled well and a real captains performance. I thought in his pre match interviews DC was too emotional about this game, clearly it was a big game but some times telling everyone how big it is can add to the pressure, when he (DC) walked out for the start you could see how pumped he was and early on he was shouting and screaming at his players and at one stage Macca told the bench to calm down! Lockyer 8 another strong battling performance Brown 7 good defending, some good runs and a great free kick. A silly booking, we dont want to pick up too many bookings with key players in case we have 5 games left! Bodin 8 just pipped for MOTM by McCrystal but if I could have shared it I would, a great performance by Billy, a good strike for his goal, lively, creative with both feet but faded for a 20 minute spell in the second half which is why McCrystal just edged it for me Lines 7 experienced performance, calm on the ball, made a few good runs and I remain convinced a Lines/Mansell combo is our best CM pairing. I love Sinclair's attitude but it is no coincidence for me that our form picked up when Sinc's got injured and Lines/Mansell came together. Sinc's fantastic to have in squad/on bench though and would have been a great addition in the second half Mansell 7 great to have him back, unsung hero, doesnt do anything outstanding but grafts, hassles, presses and closes down. His experience is a huge plus in big games like yesterday Montano 5.5 I have been a fan of Monty and been campaigning for him to get more game time but things didnt quite go for him yesterday on the plus side he kept going and is a threat Taylor 6 gets the 6 for the goal, the first time I saw him play 2 years ago in a preseason friendly at Cheltenham I knew he was a player, his scoring record is unquestionable but for me over the last few games his work rate has not been right, he looks a little disengaged. Maybe his mind is elsewhere or maybe he is watered off because Browner and Locks have got their new contracts and he hasnt yet! Gaffney 6.5 hard working performance without creating too much, I felt he should have been changed for Ellis with 20 to go
Easter 7 not on long but quality. Experienced, looks strong, quick and fit, I would like to see more of him. Clarke 7 I have criticised him in recent weeks and rightly so as he has been poor but he was excellent yesterday, he tightened thinks up in midfield and made a real difference as Exeter were in the ascendency and controlling the game before he came on Lawrence Not on long enough to mark
DC 8 got most things right, as mentioned above he has to be careful not to get too excited and let that pass onto his players as pressure but generally top man who seems to be loving life Crowd 7 Ref 3 as bad as I have seen this season with an equally bad linesman in front of us East Terrace
Exeter 7 I really rate Tisdale and how sets his teams up and gets them playing, at times in the second half their movement and passing was a joy and they looked better than a league 2 side. Its easy to see why they have won a lot of away games which makes the victory all the more impressive
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 17, 2016 10:24:55 GMT
Mildenhall 8 MOTM Leadbetter 7 Lockyer 7 McChystal 7.5 Brown 6 Bodin 6.5 Lines 7.5 Clarke 6 Montano 5 Taylor 6 Gaffney 7.5 Harrison 6 Easter 6.5 McBurnie Not on long enough Ref 7 Crowd 7.5 Yeovil 6.5
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 13, 2016 20:17:15 GMT
Great initiative to show the game live, well done all. Gosling did well (best on show), but also good to see Mansell playing, he had me worried when he went down holding his ankle! Greenslade looked decent and like he has benefitted from regular games at Bath City. Malpas showed glimpses of quality, good range of passing and good on the ball but looks like he needs games (like Greenslade). Agree with much of the feedback on Fallon, didn't see too much else from other young guns but they were against a pretty strong FGR side and will learn from it. The one thing I don't understand is why Parkes didn't play, Ellis didn't get 45 minutes to get game time. With Parkes we would not have conceeded and I have no doubt we would have won this one.
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 10, 2016 11:38:45 GMT
Steve, Great report, similar to my marks. I agree if DC wants to play Lawrence he should be more central allowing Montano to start wide. As others have said there's a risk with a Lines/Lawrence combo but it worked 'ish at Carlisle when Lawrence came on. I don't think Sinclair will be fit but either way I dont think he can come straight in, he hasnt played for too long (unless he plays Tuesday night) so on balance if Mansell is not fit I think we have to go with the Clarke/Lines combo, I dont like it but I think its our best option with what we have available, and should be good enough for this weekend.
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 9, 2016 19:46:35 GMT
Was at the game today.
Thought we started brightly then lost our way until the introduction of Monty and Ellis.
Mildenhall 6 he has done well since returning to the team but does not come off his line or command his 6 yard box. He could have done better with their first goal Leadbitter 7 did generally well but at fault for their goal, simple rule as a defender, ensure you are always goal side and ball side of you man, had he followed this schoolboy principle he would have stopped the second goal and got an 7.5/8! Lockyer 7.5 generally solid game, we have come to expect that from Tom McChrystal 8 pick of the defenders for me today, no fuss, no frills and importantly no mistakes Brown 7 as per Leads did well but was at fault for first goal, his man got in front of him, he just needed to stay goal side/ball side, in which case like Leads he would have been a 7.5/8 Bodin 5.5 started brightly but faded and went missing O. Clarke 4.5 feels like I have been on his case lately, not intentional but thought Oli was poor again today. I like Sinclair's energy but we really miss Mansell, in my opinion we play our best when we have a Lines/Mansell combo Lines 5.5 worked hard but things didn't work for him today, that said I felt a little as he was completely overrun due to the performances of Clarke and Lawrence Lawrence 4.5 this guy has got touch and great vision but has no engine and cant play wide, if we are to play him it has to be central allowing Monty to play wide Taylor 6.5 disappointing afternoon but a natural goal scorer and a great goal Gaffney 4.5 just not the same player since his injury, I think he needs a break
Subs: Harrison 7.5 quick, strong, finished his goal well and made a big difference Montano 7.5 again made the difference and should definitely have started the game ahead of Lawrence Easter 6 not really enough time to mark him
Crowd 8 great turnout and decent atmosphere but disappointed with throwing things at the keeper Ref 5 average Northampton 7 decent until the last 15 without being great
I actually expected a loss today, I will take a point especially after being 2 down
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 3, 2016 22:44:55 GMT
Northampton Lose (head not heart) Yeovil Win Stevenage Win Exeter Draw York Win Daggers Win
I hate to suggest we will lose Saturday, I just think we will lose one game between now and the end and if I am right the most likely is Saturday. On the flip side if we don't lose Saturday I think we are a sure bet for automatic promotion. Saturday is a big one, I will take a draw now!
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 3, 2016 22:35:41 GMT
I guess thats the game, it divides opinion. Nobody wants OC to succeed more than me, I want everybody who plays for us to succeed, also as posted earlier I would like nothing more to see local lads playing. There is no doubt OC always gives 100% and I do see that he is a useful squad member who has scored some important goals, he has also had some decent games just not enough from my perspective. I respect other views, several marked him higher than me yesterday, thats why I enjoy this forum and I am always open to challenging my own views! Let's hope he has a stormer at the weekend and makes me look a fool, trust me I will cheer louder than anyone if thats the case.
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 3, 2016 18:57:57 GMT
Agree with your last point
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 3, 2016 14:07:50 GMT
Topper Gas you may be correct re Lines/Lawrence getting overrun but I really think we must find a different solution to Lines/Clarke. I know Clarke tries hard but I cant see he brings enough, for me he has 1 in 6/7 decent games which normally revolves around a decent long range shot. I love Bristol Boys in the team so am honestly willing him on but he just doesnt do it for me. I accept others will dissagree, several rated him at 7 yesterday but I just cant see it, I guess thats the beauty of our wonderful game. For me Mansell/Lines are our best current combination but judging by Mansell's half time interview yesterday he is stil 1-2 weeks away! I was one who felt DC should have brought somebody else in before the window closed but he clearly didnt feel it necessary. Lawrence did ok in the middle with Lines at Carlisle, I was there and the Lines/Clarke combination was. really exposed there and I fear the same will happen at Northampton, lets hope I am wrong!
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 3, 2016 12:27:59 GMT
Hi Steve, as always thx and generally aligned with my thoughts and scores. As you can tell from my marks I was really dissappointed Montano was left out of the starting line up. With Sincs and Mansell out we have struggled in centre midfield, Oli Clarke works hard but he is clearly not the answer, 1 good game in 5. I was hoping DC would have kept the youngster Malpas with the squad as I hear very good things about him, I trust DC and maybe its too much to ask of a 17 year old in which case maybe we would be better to sit Lawrence in with Lines and have Montano wide?
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Post by horseshoegas47 on Apr 3, 2016 12:18:52 GMT
Hi Steve, as always thx and generally aligned with my thoughts and scores. As you can tell from my marks I was really dissappointed Montano was left out of the starting line up. With Sincs and Mansell out we have struggled in centre midfield, Oli Clarke works hard but he is clearly not the answer, 1 good game in 5. I was hoping DC would have kept the youngster Malpas with the squad as I hear very good things about him, I trust DC and maybe its too much to ask of a 17 year old in which case maybe we would be better to sit Lawrence in with Lines and have Montano wide?
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