I didn't go yesterday but I listened on CAFC Player, as I always do. I think it's time for people to remember that this team was put together by Parky at virtually no cost, after something like 19 players left in the close season. I thought Parky worked wonders to get a team together at all and to then push us up to 5th in the league was exceptional.
Since the change of ownership not a lot has really happened to change the team. We have a new (very inexperienced) manager, a new (injured) left back and two new strikers. The core of our team is still basically the same and at the start of the season I could only see us finishing somewhere around mid-table. It's going to take a long time and a number of better players to turn this pretty average team into one that can realistically chase promotion. The last two games have probably been a wake up call, that we are nowhere near as good as some thought. We just need patience.
Why do we keep singing Semedos name? He was dreadful yesterday, whether he was having to do 2 peoples job or not. No concentration, SO SLLLOOOWWW at making the right pass, like a rabbit in the headlights. If Francis had played like that, the boos would be ringing out. Some players get so mucch leeway from fans while whipping boys make one mistake and the crowd get on their backs immediately.
Abbot was man of the match for me. Great hold up play, workrate and unlucky not to score.
Semedo, Fry and McCormack were dreadful, Francis reminds me of Bailey sometimes, plays when he can be bothered.
BWP and Eccleston out of sorts and should have been replaced earlieer with Waggy and Reid imo
This isn't going to be popular but in my opinion SCP f****d it up totally today. The 4-3-3 formation meant our 2 best strikers - Eccleston & Wright-Phillips - were wasted for much of the game both playing out wide instead of in the centre. It was obvious at half-time that we were struggling and that was the time to change things - sticking Abbott & W-P up front, playing Ecclestone as a right winger (as in the Peterboro game), bringing on Racon for a totally out-of-sorts McCormack and Reid to give some width and get some crosses in to the front 2. By the time some of these changes were made, it was all too late.
I wish SCP nothing but success and good luck. But he is certainly going to need the good luck in abundance if he continues to send out such lop-sided teams.
Large: agree totally. Was saying this to Mrs Large from about 15 minutes in. Could Messrs Peacock, Matthew, Dyer and Powell not see this ? Seems like most of us could. Are the others yes men ? I certainly hope not. Seems to me that Powelly is trying to fit players into the team as opposed to picking the best team. And McCormack? We'd be better off playing with ten men. Not a total disaster but certainly not good. Still think we'll make the play-off's but to make automatics we need a creative central midfielder to complement Jose and a pacy centre half. And soon. If we are waiting so that they are eligible for the play-off final we might not even get enough points to make the play-offs.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- I totally agree with the above. The formation was all wrong for the players on the pitch. McCormack was overun in midfield against Peterborough, and overrun again today. Things were changed around and we got away with it, why wasn’t things changed again today ? Bradley Wright Phillips needs to be the lead striker in the centre of the box. Abbott needed to drop deeper to help out the midfield and provide a better link. The defending for the first goal (and goalkeeping) was dreadful, as was Doherty's back pass for the second, it was never a penalty for the third goal, Elliot's challenge was outside the box.
I too have a great deal of respect for Chris Powell, but on a day of the £5 promotion, a more solid formation was needed.
I also feel the owners need to back Chris Powell with some decent emergency loans – centre midfield, right centre back and a fit left back. We should not be waiting for Bessone to get over his hamstring, we need a specialised left back now. I am not that impressed with Bessone so far.
In the summer, the owners need to make sure that the spine of the team is permanent and not built around loans.
The owners need to prove that they have the resources to invest in the areas of the team that are lacking in quality. Part of having a full Valley, is having a decent product on the pitch. If they do that, the Valley yesterday showed that there is potential for a full stadium.
I think that you need top class players to play 433 well.It demands technical ability, and mental discipline. Fine for the likes of international class players, but not the third rate players that we have. We have to go 442 and stick the two in form strikers up front, play a couple of wide men and keep it simple. I think Abbot played as well as he is capable of playing. The truth is that his best is just not good enough.
Having said that, the first goal was important. If we had got it, the chances are that we would have found more space as Exeter drove forward looking for the equalizer. Until they scored we looked untroubled.
One point on corners. It is important to attack the ball. It's a simple piece of coaching - you all line up on the edge of the area, and as the corner taker begins his move to swing it in, you spin and attack the ball as it comes over. In a prearranged move, some go for the near post, some to the far. What I noticed yesterday was that we were all stood still. Really easy to defend against as the attackers have no momentum even if they do get a head on it.
Great 24k turnout - but an opportunity missed on many levels. It's still tight, but div 3 football looks likely for next season.
Disappointing in terms of performance and result, but I'm not going to slit my wrists just yet. We had our chances; nine shots on target, a dozen corners and twice hitting the crossbar. Their 2nd goal was more than a bit unfortunate. I don't know whether Doherty was unaware of O'Flynn's positioning or was scared of putting it in his own net. Either way it would have been better just thumped out for a corner. I don't think he'll be making that mistake for a while.
One of the positives for me was Jenkinson's performance. He looked more assured at the back than Francis. Yet I still feel we missed Francis going forward. One of the problems today was the poor quality of our crossing with most of them either going too near the keeper or behind our forwards. Given the massive improvement we've seen in respect of this from Francis since CP took over, I wondered whether we might benefit from seeing both Francis and Jenkinson making starts. Jenkinson at rightback; Francis pushed forward on the wing?
when are we going to actually go for someones throat ?
Same old Charlton----same as we have been for decades big crowd no bollox. Many of us oldies feared the team wouldnt turn up and thats what we got.
Naffing angry for all the hard work that Airman and the rest put into geting such a great turn ut thats been pissed against the wall by yet another awful display.
CP -----------if he wasnt sure before then he knows now its going to be along job. There was something about "rabbit in headlights" in the first half against P/Boro and again against Exeter, im sure he was thinking " jesus we are crap".
SPINELESS ------------ Abbot was geting balls hit at him 100MPH and behind him etc ,but he aint good enough. Massive whole right down the middle of the midfield, pooring through it in the last few games -how the hell can the management team not see that ? Mac and Smedo can not play in the same team. Then jesus im 50 and im sure id do better then Docherty, hopless and at least 14,000 people knew he as going to kak that header up. How can you blame Elliot when he has that in front of him?
Thanks to Airman and his army--- great job. Sadly next time will be much harder thanks to the spinless/timid bunch of crap that wore the red shirts today.
Now i rate Dailly and Docherty,or should that be rated, but surely everyone was aware that their final seasons were fast approaching.Dailly got away with it last year and Docherty had a fine season for Norwich,but that day was ALWAYS going to come when they lost too much pace,an eye for a pass or tackle,and general awareness of what's going on around them.
Well now it's here and i'm amazed no real cover was signed in January.I don't see Fry as real cover.He's a rookie that i'm sure will come good but not now.
We needed a kind of Eddie Youds signing.Captain of his club and at the peak of his powers but no.so either we didn't have the dough to go out and do it or Powelly is putting his faith in two pensioners who USED to have it.
Concerned.
For the second home match running we weren't set up properly to deal with the oppostion's system. Exeter came with a 4-4-2 Diamond, out-numbered us the midfield (4 v 3) and we failed to adjust. Although there were a number of poor individual performances, the team is only partially to blame. We need to be better tactically, pay attention to how the opposition is set up and adjust if necessary. With the no.8 Noble free all afternoon at the base of the diamond, Exeter controlled central midfield, and took full advantage. As I said in the preview thread, this game was always going to be won and lost in Central Midfield against a hard-working and well organised opponent.
Wasn't there obviously, but from listening to the commentary, reading these posts and from my own observations over the xmas period, we badly need an injection of pace at the back. Semedo is an excellent player, as is Racon, but the question has to be asked, why do we so often get over run in midfield ? Perhaps we need to look within the squad for solutions. Who else can play at centre back? perhaps revamp the midfield and move Semedo back. How about a strong powerful midfielder who can pick a forward pass in the Mark Aizlewood or Graham Moore mould, could Simon Francis or Matt Fry be converted. Fry certainly scored a cracking first goal for us after a strong midfield run. Perhaps the answers are within the current squad but require some creative thinking to discover them!
very big week or so for the board/club if the club are serious about winning promtion this season or do we wait till the summer and back powell properly and let him bring in his own players.if its the first we must bring in a centre half and a centre midfielder who can create chances for our forwards.trouble with doherty is he can a really good game and still cost us the game. you never feel safe with him in the side.its not a new thing with him hes being doing all season for us but hes still better than what we have at the club bar dailly.if we decide to bring a couple of players in they must be better than what we already have to have any chance off making the play offs
Gutted as everyone else is at the result but to be fair we could/should have been a couple up by half time and that changes the whole match. When you don't take your chances you are alwasy at risk of individual errors costing you and sure enough between the Doc and Elliot we gifted them the game really. As others have said don't reall see what Mac is adding to tnhe team at the moment, not really getting his foot in there breaking up the oppo and offers nothing going forward. Semedo was poor yesterday too IMO giving them control of the midfield as the game went on. Think we will see Racon back asap and we are desperate for someone who can unlock a defence from midfield when teams sit back.
As others have said it seemed a waste to have both BWP and Eccles in a 4-3-3 as they were dropping off further and further away from Abbot to get involved in the ineffective midfield. Thought Abbot did as much as you could expect a player of limited ability playing in the final third totally on his own. Really unlucky not to score too.
I'm sure none of this is news to CP and I would have liked to see him bring on a proper midfielder and go to a 442 with a partner for Abbot rather than persist with BWP (who looked lost in there) but ultimately had we put our chances away, not hit the bar twice and not made the individual errors we'd be looking at a completely different outcome.
Man City v Notts County on ITV. Notts County are playing 4-4-1-1, with Gow in behind Hughes. It may be a system designed specifically to play at Man City, as KP did for us at Spurs. I assume the Manager and/or Chief Scout are there, and they'll have a video of the game to show the players, so no surprises on Friday. They will have a scouting report from last week's Notts County match to add a further clue.
Like LargeAddick and vff I totally agree with Fortune 82nd Minute when he said:
'This isn't going to be popular but in my opinion SCP f****d it up totally today. The 4-3-3 formation meant our 2 best strikers - Eccleston & Wright-Phillips - were wasted for much of the game both playing out wide instead of in the centre. It was obvious at half-time that we were struggling and that was the time to change things - sticking Abbott & W-P up front, playing Ecclestone as a right winger (as in the Peterboro game), bringing on Racon for a totally out-of-sorts McCormack and Reid to give some width and get some crosses in to the front 2. By the time some of these changes were made, it was all too late.
I wish SCP nothing but success and good luck. But he is certainly going to need the good luck in abundance if he continues to send out such lop-sided teams.'
We were so much a better side once we had Reid and Racon on. The team had a far better balance and some creativity. I think Powelly is going to need to learn fast if we're gonna make anything of this season.
As an aside I also can't help but wonder what the reception would have been like at the final whistle if Parky had still been in charge. Somewhat different I think!!
Our team certainly seems to have a soft underbelly. We've seen it a few times at home this season. We could have still got something out of the the game if we'd kept our composure after going a goal down but the individual errors completely killed us off. You wonder if they try too hard to get back in the game and end up making rash decisions?
Love it. A couple of defeats and the FIFA 11 experts/doom merchants are all out again. Seems that just about every player and the management team has been slagged off post match, so I will start on the ball boys. Far too slow - get rid of them, not good enough, yardy yardy yar.
Third division team, third division players - yet some people turn up expecting to watch an Arsenal-like performance. Jeez, get a grip.
Right - but it's one third division side against another, so what does that make us? Not good enough for the championship, so we stay where we are till we are better.
[cite]Posted By: Off_it[/cite]Love it. A couple of defeats and the FIFA 11 experts/doom merchants are all out again. Seems that just about every player and the management team has been slagged off post match, so I will start on the ball boys. Far too slow - get rid of them, not good enough, yardy yardy yar.
Third division team, third division players - yet some people turn up expecting to watch an Arsenal-like performance. Jeez, get a grip.
Sorry mate - I just can't see how criticism of SCP isn't valid in this instance. That game was there for the taking and with the right tactics it was 3 points in the bag and a step nearer automatic promotion. Nobody expects to see Charlton & Exeter turn on a performance like Arsenal & Barcelona did the other night but surely the fact is our third division players, properly organised and set up, should have beaten Exeter's third divison players comfortably. But as I've said, the team wasn't set up properly - it was a complete mish-mash of a team, players were being played out of position and efforts to rectify the situation were made far too late to have time to be successful.
I'll be the first to offer praise when its due. But equally when someone gets it so wrong as SCP did yesterday, surely it's right to offer criticism?
I'm all for constructive criticism, and there's no doubt that some very good and valid points have been made on this thread. But then have a look at some of the other comments. Not going to pick out individuals, don't need to because the comments are there for all to see.
Powell got it wrong. 4-3-3 with these players is not the answer - not at the moment.
The midfield was too narrow and this exposed the young full backs who put Dailly and Doherty to shame.
Jackson has to play left midfield - that is where he has scored his goals this season.
Didn't understand Reid coming on for Fry - Jackson is not a left back as we all know. Reid should have replaced Abbott with BWP switching to centre forward.
BWP is not a right winger, he is a centre forward - that is where he has scored his goals this season.
God knows how McCormack gets in that team ahead of Racon.
We have to drop Abbott, McCormack and Doherty.
It has to be 4-4-2 with:
Elliot (until we can find someone better),
Solly (when fully fit),
Llera (best alternative we have at the moment)
Dailly
Fry
Well, the long wait for a “performance” continues and, as we half expected Exeter assumed the role of party poopers on our big day.
I for one did see some merit in Powell's 4-3-3 experiment; Jackson was making some interesting runs that we were trying to pick out with balls over the top. Abbott (my MOM) did everything that could be asked of him in the role he was given.
With a bit more familiarity with the system and the confidence that will probably only come from winning with it it could work for us.
But, and this is the big but, I was just puzzled with the personnel he selected. The system, I would argue, works best when 2 of the front three can offer some natural width; but with BWP this was a nonsense and Eccles was inexplicably on the left.
It rather smacked of trying to accommodate our best forwards rather than the most suitable for the system.
That said, until their first goal I felt we were fairly comfortable and in control and a lucky break in our favour might have swung the match towards a different outcome.
But you can't legislate for individual errors and after their second went in there was only going to be one outcome.
A lot has been made by how much more Racon (in particular) and Reid offered when they came on; but I can't help thinking that that was because the game was stretched and we were also having the chase it. It's a bit different when you start the match facing 2 banks of 4.
Similarly, why did Doc wait until he needed to atone for ghastly errors before showing the determination to get on the end of things in the final third. We need people attacking our delivery into the box at all times. The only thing worse than our defending of set pieces is our own use of them.
Nice to see a full house and I thought the crowd were patient, if a little subdued for long periods.
When the third went in a middle aged guy in front of us turned and headed for the exit saying loudly “Powell should never have been appointed”. Well, that ship has sailed pal, but soon he'll have to start showing his mettle I think.
As for Exeter; well I guess they are entitled to feel pleased with their display and the way they nullified our threat.
But Mr Tisdale, let's see you put Hartlepool to the sword next week.
I notice Hartlepool lost at home yesterday and I find it increasingly annoying how these teams can pass it around like Brazil against us and the revert to mid-table mediocrity the following week.
I suppose it's a hurdle the likes of Leeds had to overcome and it took them 3 years to get out of this league.
In my view Powelly wisely adopts the pragmatic approach of Curbs - namely you don't over excited by your wins nor over despondent by your losses, and certainly not yet. It was not a particularly good display. But even so we still moved the ball round well at times in the first half and we had a few good chances to put us in the driving seat. But we did not take them. Exeter produced no clear chance in the first half that I can recall? Second half individual mistakes cost us the game. We had a few more chances but they did not find the net. It happens, it was not how it was supposed to pan out but that's football. On to the next game.
[cite]Posted By: 3blokes[/cite]In my view Powelly wisely adopts the pragmatic approach of Curbs - namely you don't over excited by your wins nor over despondent by your losses, and certainly not yet.
It was not a particularly good display. But even so we still moved the ball round well at times in the first half and we had a few good chances to put us in the driving seat. But we did not take them. Exeter produced no clear chance in the first half that I can recall?
Second half individual mistakes cost us the game. We had a few more chances but they did not find the net.
It happens, it was not how it was supposed to pan out but that's football.
On to the next game.
Absolutely right, the game could have just of easily ended 3-1 to us 2 give away goals and our missed chances and hit woodworks. This wasn't comparable to the Brighton, Wallsall and Swindon games, even though it felt like it at 3-0, but that ,as they say, is football.
I know Elliot didn't have the greatest game, but I've seen him make so many good quality saves and his perfectly fine for this division and GK is not a position which we should be panicing about imo. Jenkinson did well, thought we missed franny's crossing a little bit though, having said that, Jenkinson's cross's were decent. Fry hasn't been himself recently,not sure why. Abbott hs been much better recently, faded slightly, but he held up the ball well, and wa sunlucky to hit the crossbar.
[cite]Posted By: Off_it[/cite] some people turn up expecting to watch an Arsenal-like performance. Jeez, get a grip.
I made the same point last night about having been spoilt by watching Arsenal and Barca play in mid-week, and Clem made the very reasonable response that he wasn't expecting that kind of pace, but had hoped that we might at least manage to up the tempo from a leisurely stroll !
I thought the we paid for missing to gilt edged chances first half one that got a decent save from the keeper but he shouldnt have been given that chance.
then Elliot was beaten far too easily for the first goal,
We then hit the bar at the other end with a fantastic footballing move
Doc gives away a goal that highlighted his age, his mind knew what it wanted to do but his body and execution was miles off,
The pen was a team that had lot all confidence firstly it shouldve been dealt with secondly Elliot shouldve stayed and forced the player into a decision not come hairing out like a loon
I agree things wernt great and Sir Chris got it wrong tactically
more worrying for me was the form of Jackson, Fry and Daily all 3 way off the pace of the game from the start.
biggest issue is we slow our own play down when tempo is required constantly turning back and playing a ball into either Daily , Doc or Semedo to switch the play when pressuring into the final third would be a better option.
i would like to see Eccles and Reid wide
with BWP and either Anyinsah or Waggs alongside
Racon done well when he came on but is not the answer to our midfield problems
Comments
Since the change of ownership not a lot has really happened to change the team. We have a new (very inexperienced) manager, a new (injured) left back and two new strikers. The core of our team is still basically the same and at the start of the season I could only see us finishing somewhere around mid-table. It's going to take a long time and a number of better players to turn this pretty average team into one that can realistically chase promotion. The last two games have probably been a wake up call, that we are nowhere near as good as some thought. We just need patience.
Abbot was man of the match for me. Great hold up play, workrate and unlucky not to score.
Semedo, Fry and McCormack were dreadful, Francis reminds me of Bailey sometimes, plays when he can be bothered.
BWP and Eccleston out of sorts and should have been replaced earlieer with Waggy and Reid imo
This isn't going to be popular but in my opinion SCP f****d it up totally today. The 4-3-3 formation meant our 2 best strikers - Eccleston & Wright-Phillips - were wasted for much of the game both playing out wide instead of in the centre. It was obvious at half-time that we were struggling and that was the time to change things - sticking Abbott & W-P up front, playing Ecclestone as a right winger (as in the Peterboro game), bringing on Racon for a totally out-of-sorts McCormack and Reid to give some width and get some crosses in to the front 2. By the time some of these changes were made, it was all too late.
I wish SCP nothing but success and good luck. But he is certainly going to need the good luck in abundance if he continues to send out such lop-sided teams.
Large: agree totally. Was saying this to Mrs Large from about 15 minutes in. Could Messrs Peacock, Matthew, Dyer and Powell not see this ? Seems like most of us could. Are the others yes men ? I certainly hope not. Seems to me that Powelly is trying to fit players into the team as opposed to picking the best team. And McCormack? We'd be better off playing with ten men. Not a total disaster but certainly not good. Still think we'll make the play-off's but to make automatics we need a creative central midfielder to complement Jose and a pacy centre half. And soon. If we are waiting so that they are eligible for the play-off final we might not even get enough points to make the play-offs.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I totally agree with the above. The formation was all wrong for the players on the pitch. McCormack was overun in midfield against Peterborough, and overrun again today. Things were changed around and we got away with it, why wasn’t things changed again today ? Bradley Wright Phillips needs to be the lead striker in the centre of the box. Abbott needed to drop deeper to help out the midfield and provide a better link. The defending for the first goal (and goalkeeping) was dreadful, as was Doherty's back pass for the second, it was never a penalty for the third goal, Elliot's challenge was outside the box.
I too have a great deal of respect for Chris Powell, but on a day of the £5 promotion, a more solid formation was needed.
I also feel the owners need to back Chris Powell with some decent emergency loans – centre midfield, right centre back and a fit left back. We should not be waiting for Bessone to get over his hamstring, we need a specialised left back now. I am not that impressed with Bessone so far.
In the summer, the owners need to make sure that the spine of the team is permanent and not built around loans.
The owners need to prove that they have the resources to invest in the areas of the team that are lacking in quality. Part of having a full Valley, is having a decent product on the pitch.
If they do that, the Valley yesterday showed that there is potential for a full stadium.
Having said that, the first goal was important. If we had got it, the chances are that we would have found more space as Exeter drove forward looking for the equalizer. Until they scored we looked untroubled.
One point on corners. It is important to attack the ball. It's a simple piece of coaching - you all line up on the edge of the area, and as the corner taker begins his move to swing it in, you spin and attack the ball as it comes over. In a prearranged move, some go for the near post, some to the far. What I noticed yesterday was that we were all stood still. Really easy to defend against as the attackers have no momentum even if they do get a head on it.
Great 24k turnout - but an opportunity missed on many levels. It's still tight, but div 3 football looks likely for next season.
One of the positives for me was Jenkinson's performance. He looked more assured at the back than Francis. Yet I still feel we missed Francis going forward. One of the problems today was the poor quality of our crossing with most of them either going too near the keeper or behind our forwards. Given the massive improvement we've seen in respect of this from Francis since CP took over, I wondered whether we might benefit from seeing both Francis and Jenkinson making starts. Jenkinson at rightback; Francis pushed forward on the wing?
when are we going to actually go for someones throat ?
Same old Charlton----same as we have been for decades big crowd no bollox. Many of us oldies feared the team wouldnt turn up and thats what we got.
Naffing angry for all the hard work that Airman and the rest put into geting such a great turn ut thats been pissed against the wall by yet another awful display.
CP -----------if he wasnt sure before then he knows now its going to be along job. There was something about "rabbit in headlights" in the first half against P/Boro and again against Exeter, im sure he was thinking " jesus we are crap".
SPINELESS ------------ Abbot was geting balls hit at him 100MPH and behind him etc ,but he aint good enough. Massive whole right down the middle of the midfield, pooring through it in the last few games -how the hell can the management team not see that ? Mac and Smedo can not play in the same team. Then jesus im 50 and im sure id do better then Docherty, hopless and at least 14,000 people knew he as going to kak that header up. How can you blame Elliot when he has that in front of him?
Thanks to Airman and his army--- great job. Sadly next time will be much harder thanks to the spinless/timid bunch of crap that wore the red shirts today.
Well now it's here and i'm amazed no real cover was signed in January.I don't see Fry as real cover.He's a rookie that i'm sure will come good but not now.
We needed a kind of Eddie Youds signing.Captain of his club and at the peak of his powers but no.so either we didn't have the dough to go out and do it or Powelly is putting his faith in two pensioners who USED to have it.
Concerned.
Perhaps we need to look within the squad for solutions. Who else can play at centre back? perhaps revamp the midfield and move Semedo back. How about a strong powerful midfielder who can pick a forward pass in the Mark Aizlewood or Graham Moore mould, could Simon Francis or Matt Fry be converted. Fry certainly scored a cracking first goal for us after a strong midfield run. Perhaps the answers are within the current squad but require some creative thinking to discover them!
As others have said it seemed a waste to have both BWP and Eccles in a 4-3-3 as they were dropping off further and further away from Abbot to get involved in the ineffective midfield. Thought Abbot did as much as you could expect a player of limited ability playing in the final third totally on his own. Really unlucky not to score too.
I'm sure none of this is news to CP and I would have liked to see him bring on a proper midfielder and go to a 442 with a partner for Abbot rather than persist with BWP (who looked lost in there) but ultimately had we put our chances away, not hit the bar twice and not made the individual errors we'd be looking at a completely different outcome.
Keep the faith!
'This isn't going to be popular but in my opinion SCP f****d it up totally today. The 4-3-3 formation meant our 2 best strikers - Eccleston & Wright-Phillips - were wasted for much of the game both playing out wide instead of in the centre. It was obvious at half-time that we were struggling and that was the time to change things - sticking Abbott & W-P up front, playing Ecclestone as a right winger (as in the Peterboro game), bringing on Racon for a totally out-of-sorts McCormack and Reid to give some width and get some crosses in to the front 2. By the time some of these changes were made, it was all too late.
I wish SCP nothing but success and good luck. But he is certainly going to need the good luck in abundance if he continues to send out such lop-sided teams.'
We were so much a better side once we had Reid and Racon on. The team had a far better balance and some creativity. I think Powelly is going to need to learn fast if we're gonna make anything of this season.
As an aside I also can't help but wonder what the reception would have been like at the final whistle if Parky had still been in charge. Somewhat different I think!!
Our team certainly seems to have a soft underbelly. We've seen it a few times at home this season. We could have still got something out of the the game if we'd kept our composure after going a goal down but the individual errors completely killed us off. You wonder if they try too hard to get back in the game and end up making rash decisions?
Third division team, third division players - yet some people turn up expecting to watch an Arsenal-like performance. Jeez, get a grip.
Didn't really deserve to lose, but when you defend like idiots and miss open goals there can be no complaints.
He has/has had a knee injury (unless that is a lie and him & Benson had a bust up with Powell, which has been muted).
Sorry mate - I just can't see how criticism of SCP isn't valid in this instance. That game was there for the taking and with the right tactics it was 3 points in the bag and a step nearer automatic promotion. Nobody expects to see Charlton & Exeter turn on a performance like Arsenal & Barcelona did the other night but surely the fact is our third division players, properly organised and set up, should have beaten Exeter's third divison players comfortably. But as I've said, the team wasn't set up properly - it was a complete mish-mash of a team, players were being played out of position and efforts to rectify the situation were made far too late to have time to be successful.
I'll be the first to offer praise when its due. But equally when someone gets it so wrong as SCP did yesterday, surely it's right to offer criticism?
The midfield was too narrow and this exposed the young full backs who put Dailly and Doherty to shame.
Jackson has to play left midfield - that is where he has scored his goals this season.
Didn't understand Reid coming on for Fry - Jackson is not a left back as we all know. Reid should have replaced Abbott with BWP switching to centre forward.
BWP is not a right winger, he is a centre forward - that is where he has scored his goals this season.
God knows how McCormack gets in that team ahead of Racon.
We have to drop Abbott, McCormack and Doherty.
It has to be 4-4-2 with:
Elliot (until we can find someone better),
Solly (when fully fit),
Llera (best alternative we have at the moment)
Dailly
Fry
Wagstaff
Racon
Semedo
Jackson
Eccleston
BWP
Well, the long wait for a “performance” continues and, as we half expected Exeter assumed the role of party poopers on our big day.
I for one did see some merit in Powell's 4-3-3 experiment; Jackson was making some interesting runs that we were trying to pick out with balls over the top. Abbott (my MOM) did everything that could be asked of him in the role he was given.
With a bit more familiarity with the system and the confidence that will probably only come from winning with it it could work for us.
But, and this is the big but, I was just puzzled with the personnel he selected. The system, I would argue, works best when 2 of the front three can offer some natural width; but with BWP this was a nonsense and Eccles was inexplicably on the left.
It rather smacked of trying to accommodate our best forwards rather than the most suitable for the system.
That said, until their first goal I felt we were fairly comfortable and in control and a lucky break in our favour might have swung the match towards a different outcome.
But you can't legislate for individual errors and after their second went in there was only going to be one outcome.
A lot has been made by how much more Racon (in particular) and Reid offered when they came on; but I can't help thinking that that was because the game was stretched and we were also having the chase it. It's a bit different when you start the match facing 2 banks of 4.
Similarly, why did Doc wait until he needed to atone for ghastly errors before showing the determination to get on the end of things in the final third. We need people attacking our delivery into the box at all times. The only thing worse than our defending of set pieces is our own use of them.
Nice to see a full house and I thought the crowd were patient, if a little subdued for long periods.
When the third went in a middle aged guy in front of us turned and headed for the exit saying loudly “Powell should never have been appointed”. Well, that ship has sailed pal, but soon he'll have to start showing his mettle I think.
As for Exeter; well I guess they are entitled to feel pleased with their display and the way they nullified our threat.
But Mr Tisdale, let's see you put Hartlepool to the sword next week.
I notice Hartlepool lost at home yesterday and I find it increasingly annoying how these teams can pass it around like Brazil against us and the revert to mid-table mediocrity the following week.
I suppose it's a hurdle the likes of Leeds had to overcome and it took them 3 years to get out of this league.
It was not a particularly good display. But even so we still moved the ball round well at times in the first half and we had a few good chances to put us in the driving seat. But we did not take them. Exeter produced no clear chance in the first half that I can recall?
Second half individual mistakes cost us the game. We had a few more chances but they did not find the net.
It happens, it was not how it was supposed to pan out but that's football.
On to the next game.
Jenkinson did well, thought we missed franny's crossing a little bit though, having said that, Jenkinson's cross's were decent.
Fry hasn't been himself recently,not sure why.
Abbott hs been much better recently, faded slightly, but he held up the ball well, and wa sunlucky to hit the crossbar.
I made the same point last night about having been spoilt by watching Arsenal and Barca play in mid-week, and Clem made the very reasonable response that he wasn't expecting that kind of pace, but had hoped that we might at least manage to up the tempo from a leisurely stroll !
then Elliot was beaten far too easily for the first goal,
We then hit the bar at the other end with a fantastic footballing move
Doc gives away a goal that highlighted his age, his mind knew what it wanted to do but his body and execution was miles off,
The pen was a team that had lot all confidence firstly it shouldve been dealt with secondly Elliot shouldve stayed and forced the player into a decision not come hairing out like a loon
I agree things wernt great and Sir Chris got it wrong tactically
more worrying for me was the form of Jackson, Fry and Daily all 3 way off the pace of the game from the start.
biggest issue is we slow our own play down when tempo is required constantly turning back and playing a ball into either Daily , Doc or Semedo to switch the play when pressuring into the final third would be a better option.
i would like to see Eccles and Reid wide
with BWP and either Anyinsah or Waggs alongside
Racon done well when he came on but is not the answer to our midfield problems
He was 31 last month that's hardly old for a centre half these days.