So many of the new players lacked sharpness/match fitness.
Ladapo didn't have a good game, could/should have scored a hat trick but he was constantly involved. He's not a hold up player though and we still need that.
Why with 10 men and drawing against a team that had settled for a draw did we go gung ho for a win, especially when we know how poor we are in the last 10 minutes? At that point a point was "OK" if not great.
REG was good but think he was at fault for the last goal.
Sending off was a terrible decision even in real time. Once you've seen the replay it is even worse.
Why with 10 men and drawing against a team that had settled for a draw did we go gung ho for a win, especially when we know how poor we are in the last 10 minutes? At that point a point was "OK" if not great.
The same reason we did the same at Oxford away for Holden’s last game. Both knew if they didn’t win, they were out the door.
Ref had it in for Edun. Said first half he'll find a way to send him off. Normally we just have incompetent refs but this guy was malicious. We were ok at times but defensively so frail.
I was semi joking about Ladapo. But our first goal came from his air shot, which shocked their player into blasting into his own goal. He seemed unable to control the ball, which makes me wonder what training he's been doing. But he was still there at the end, along with the Man City guy who looks equally unfiit. Brownie in the studio post match said once again we are signing unfit players we need to bring up to speed. And Appleton played them in a win or bust match, and lost his job. He showed last night he keeps repeating crass errors. The referee was shite, butApples did much more damage and refused to correct it. Now we get to watch to see if the SMT repeat their mistakes in giving him the job.
Ultimately the manager falls on his sword if he fails to get results.I dont know what goes on in the dressing room or what is said,but the nature of the goals we continue to concede are far beyond the power of the manager to stop. 1) Basic through ball,both cbs looking for offside,no one near their guy(Not off side by the way),who should have been on that man,didnt they talk about it pre game. 2)How much time did that guy have,on the penalty spot,nearest defender on the 6 yard line,with bakintosh standing there holding his hands up just behind. 3)Sucker punch,TC crap control they break away,Fiorini has a look stops running hey ho another 5 yard tap in in the last minute.
Yes Appleton was not the right choice,but all the players he has selected this year should be made to watch videos of all the games he has managed and ask themselves what part they played in his demise.And also have a look at the difference in attitude to the Northampton players when defending,how many free shots did we get.
It's almost regrettable that we didn't hear from Appleton afterwards to try and justify some of his decisions.
Like starting Jones instead of Thomas. Letting Asiimwe play for the U21s today instead of being a like for like swap at wing back instead of the hopelessly out of form Campbell. Letting L Watson rot on the bench, and instead again bringing on the unfit Fiorini. Not bringing on Kanu for the knackered Ladapo. Playing Dobson as an attacking midfielder in the second half. It was frankly bizarre to see him on the shoulder of the last defenders, and bending a run to stay onside.
spot on.
Appleton has been a nightmare, but some of the players also need to stand up and take responsibility - they've been shocking.
I'll say it again but we aren't good enough (and neither are our players clever enough) to play a 3-5-2 formation. Smacks of shoehorning 3 midfielders in and we've not got any wingbacks.
Edun is definitely better in that role than T Watson, how on earth Asimwe can't get a game at RWB ahead of him.
Dobson had probably the worst game I've seen him have for us last night (out of position and he's still massively in credit though)
back to basics 4-4-2 please
I think (hope) we've got enough quality in the squad to stay up once they are organised - we should score enough goals.
That was, yet again, a loss made of Appletons own wankness, questionable line up with 3 DM's, dropping Thomas and keeping Jones in, the lack of early subs.... He really should have gone before last night as that would have been the perfect bounce back win we could have done with, Northampton were shite, we, managed to be worse at times. Saying that the art of defending is a book thats been absent from sparrows line for quite some time now.....
First half we made Northampton look like world beaters thanks to, yep, thats right atrocious defending. Twice our defence left a man free and twice they scored as a result. We got lucky with an own goal, but our equaliser came from a neat move, proof that there IS some sort of ability in the squad.
Second half and much of a muchness, there does seem to be a lack of real leadership out there but we grew into it (more than them at east yay!) and for large parts of the second played well, but our old friend defending failed us right at the death.
The ref was a standard 5, got 2 big decisions wrong in sending off Edun and then waving away a stonewall pen against us, some people will jump on the ref hate and use that as an excuse to ignore how utterly shite we are. Bring on the new man ASAP.
Special mention to REG and Gilie didnt make much a difference at the back, but will wait a bit longer before writing either off. Ladapo - again showed signs of what he can do but looks knackered on 60 odd mins so we need better game management there before we break him like Camara.
A lot of risks being taken across the club at the moment (top to bottom) and the size of stadium we play in and average fan numbers do not immunise us from total free fall. The Board and Scott need to make some better decisions very very quickly.
The Board should have acted already but backed Scott’s man with players from the league or higher above while he did his best to shoot himself in the feet.
The formation was actually OK 3-1-4-2 is a front footed one if played correctly and with the right personnel but it is here where lies last night’s result becoming inevitable.
You simply cannot play 2x natural CDMs in that formation nor a right sided player who naturally passes back or side rather than be progressive (a trick in his locker and all). Utter naivety! The only way to play Dobbo and Coventry together is in a 3-4-1-2 with the 2x CMs primarily focused on protecting the back 4 and covering right and left pockets to free the right and left sided players to kick on and create a 5x forward threat.
Dobbo did as well as he could in an unnatural position and role while T Watson will do well in League Two some time soon. The latter’s movement, positional awareness, choice of pass and its weight are simply not league one standard.
It all just felt inevitable and when we neither saw Fiorini until >70 mins and L Watson at all, we just knew that a win would be a struggle. The game has arguably gone soft over the last 5-10 years, refs blowing their whistle and carding for the slightest things, but this is not August and despite the inconsistency Edun should have known better on a yellow already that should he go to ground, he might be in trouble. Think! (Agreed it was not a bookable offence btw, but go to ground the way he did - risk taken - another risk which materialised in a bad outcome for us).
Outside the result I took away a fair few positives. Reg (pace and comfort on the ball) and Gillesphy looked good overall, Coventry will be a gem for us when settled (he is a Cullen mark II) while Ladapo’s ability to create an extra yard for shots and crosses will pay off before long. The ingredients are there and thankfully the chef who was creating a bowl of sick from those better ingredients is now looking for a new restaurant. Hopefully the next will be the type who comes out of his/her kitchen and asks whether their clientele are enjoying their meals…with a smile.
Onwards and upwards as long as Scott and the Board do not fcuk this recruitment up!
Shame we couldn’t get one more post match interview with Apples, we’ll never know what he thought about the game
The thing is, we were still in the game up until the last minute, and against a top, top side. And as long as we keep doing that, we'll give ourselves every chance.
Referee and Lino shocking again. Their first goal was surely offside, their player must have handballed it in that block, Edun not a second yellow, Maynard brewer should have been sent off and a pen given. At least that's what it looked like from the stands, haven't seen the replays yet.
Your right it looked a nailed on Penalty but keepers don't get red cards in that situation now unless it occurs outside the area and it's only a free kick. As AMB made a genuine but failed attempt to win the ball.
The shame was AMB made some decent saves in the game but made a clanger for the penalty that wasn't given.
It would've been better if the cock up ref had compounded his mistake by giving Tayo a straight Red as at least we could have got it overturned. Two yellows and you have no redress.
Shame we couldn’t get one more post match interview with Apples, we’ll never know what he thought about the game
The thing is, we were still in the game up until the last minute, and against a top, top side. And as long as we keep doing that, we'll give ourselves every chance.
Thought it was going ever so well. Hated the negativity and thought totally inappropriate. And then he goes on and puts two crap substitutes on which made us worse and we lose the game. If he is sacked, then this will be the reason for me. As for them singing Jason Pearce For manager well isn’t he the one in charge of defence? And isn’t defence the one thing we are really crap at? I would sack jason Pierce if he really is in charge of how we set up our defence. Thought we bossed the midfield and were very good . Thought Ladapo was slow and his passing was poor; maybe he needs a few more games
I thought Jason Pearce was back coaching the youngsters. Didn’t Appleton say something about having Fleming come in gave him someone with more experience of defensive coaching to balance Appleton’s leaning towards the more attacking side of things?
Just done the maths and think we have lost a total of 11 points to goals scored after the 80th minute in games since our last league win back in November (10 games)..... Incredible
Horrible horrible night. Felt like the most flatest its ever been and a scary insight into how our future coudl go.
Jones at fault for both goals I thought and both goals copies of many goals we have seen against us this season. The ball down the side and the cut back with no one picking the man up.
Criminal defending costing us once again. I cant belive MA has not been able to fix that, I thought that he woudl default to being hard to beat but we look worse at the back.
Promosing signs with the middle 3 linking well and the wing backs offered more going forward.
Shame we couldn’t get one more post match interview with Apples, we’ll never know what he thought about the game
The thing is, we were still in the game up until the last minute, and against a top, top side. And as long as we keep doing that, we'll give ourselves every chance.
WTF?
Not a top side but they weren't strangers as they seem to play the same 16 players every week unless they get injuries. A well drilled league one side.
Shame we couldn’t get one more post match interview with Apples, we’ll never know what he thought about the game
The thing is, we were still in the game up until the last minute, and against a top, top side. And as long as we keep doing that, we'll give ourselves every chance.
WTF?
It is what Appleton might have said in his post match interview.
If you defend like we did last night and for most of the season you know what's coming and it did, again. The hardest part of football is scoring goals and we have been gifting goals week in week out. Our defenders don't pick players up, I'm not sure if we play to man mark or zonally, its a shambles we do neither. Their second goal was unforgivable, the guy stood in the middle of the box with no one within 5 yards and lashed it in. Writing on the wall from then. On the plus side very healthy gate of 10,943, if we ever fill the Valley up again they will have to announce a gate of 50,000. I doubt there was half the published amount there last night.
If you defend like we did last night and for most of the season you know what's coming and it did, again. The hardest part of football is scoring goals and we have been gifting goals week in week out. Our defenders don't pick players up, I'm not sure if we play to man mark or zonally, its a shambles we do neither. Their second goal was unforgivable, the guy stood in the middle of the box with no one within 5 yards and lashed it in. Writing on the wall from then. On the plus side very healthy gate of 10,943, if we ever fill the Valley up again they will have to announce a gate of 50,000. I doubt there was half the published amount there last night.
The most criminal thing is I feel like we have
seen that goal against us 3-4 times this season.
I'm not going to comment about team selection or subs as the twat has now, thankfully, left & so it makes no difference.
What I will say is this....
If you are going to play 352 then your wingbacks need to be able to cross the ball. And cross it well. Whoever now takes over needs to be coaching them night & day so that they can deliver effective balls into the box.
As many have pointed out, it's no point signing players who haven't been playing 90 mins week in & week out. Andy Scott specifically said this. And then lied by bringing in at least 3 players who cant play more than 60 mins. I thought at least one benefit of signing a player in January rather than July is that they would have 5 months of football "into their legs".
Call me old fashioned but it would be nice to have at least one midfielder be able to play a killer pass.
On the players themselves.....
Thought Ladapo was ok up until 70 mins & had some decent link up play with May. He then ran out of steam.
Edun unlucky to be sent off. But we were lucky to not give away a pen. And our shout for one wasn't.
Watson (T) looked capable & best player I've seen at RWB.
Didnt think much of Coventry. Bakinson did ok - a few decent passes but it will take time to bed into the team.
Miss 442 & the lack of wingers/attacking midfielders. Edun & Watson aren't the answer to CBT & JRS not being here. How many goals did those 2 make & score ? Do you really think May & Ladapo can make up for not having all those non goal scoring midfielders. Madness.
I've been calling it for weeks....longer than most on here....that we are in a relegation battle. But I don't think we'll go down. One thing that will save us is our GD. And a new manager will get enough wins to keep us up. But it will be squeaky bum time until Easter.
And woe betide ANYONE who ever posts that picture of Appleton on here again.
Watson may have had a good game but it is an oasis in a run of poor games. Edun has had some decent games recently too and a similar situation. But ultimately, playing that system, you need better. I don't think wingers suit us either except CBT is one of the few players we have (correction, had) who can create and score regularly. What would probably be a good idea is we bring in a pragmatic manager who looks at what we have and tries to play a system to get the best out of them.
Shame we couldn’t get one more post match interview with Apples, we’ll never know what he thought about the game
The thing is, we were still in the game up until the last minute, and against a top, top side. And as long as we keep doing that, we'll give ourselves every chance.
WTF?
Not a top side but they weren't strangers as they seem to play the same 16 players every week unless they get injuries. A well drilled league one side.
yeah they were well organised etc and played ok.....but no disrespect, a quality manager would've had the squad we had last night absolutely smashing sides like that.
The problem, which has been evident for some time is you don't need a master plan to beat us. Work harder, run more and do the basics and that will usually do the trick. We have been second best on 2nd balls for more than this season. We have players that you can genuinely call soft. We are usually good for a mistake or two. Even shite like Cray Vallelly F*ing Paper Mills got a draw at the Valley.
Gillesphey was absolutely honking I thought. Hopefully just a lack of match fitness.
It is a problem in that a defence needs to have an understanding and our defence is crying out to be replaced, but it has to be with strangers. Having said that, Thomas has been playing well and being dropped by Appleton was suicidal IMO.
Can anyone confirm the guy called Lapado we've signed is the one from Ipswich, and not his namesake who scored 2 goals in 232 appearances for 'the Old Bull and Pistle pub' B team in the Hastings and district league?
Not played many games. Same old story incoming player not match fit.
That was Brown's criticism, post match, saying why sign players in January that have to GET FIT in the first team. Season after season. It results in others dragging along with them
Got back to Manchester last night at 2:15 am, never knew Appleton had been sacked until this morning, Just played Radiohead and Jesus and Mary chain cd`s on the way home to cheer me up.
Comments
Thomas was much better than Jones.
So many of the new players lacked sharpness/match fitness.
Ladapo didn't have a good game, could/should have scored a hat trick but he was constantly involved. He's not a hold up player though and we still need that.
Why with 10 men and drawing against a team that had settled for a draw did we go gung ho for a win, especially when we know how poor we are in the last 10 minutes? At that point a point was "OK" if not great.
REG was good but think he was at fault for the last goal.
Sending off was a terrible decision even in real time. Once you've seen the replay it is even worse.
We were ok at times but defensively so frail.
Brownie in the studio post match said once again we are signing unfit players we need to bring up to speed. And Appleton played them in a win or bust match, and lost his job. He showed last night he keeps repeating crass errors. The referee was shite, butApples did much more damage and refused to correct it.
Now we get to watch to see if the SMT repeat their mistakes in giving him the job.
1) Basic through ball,both cbs looking for offside,no one near their guy(Not off side by the way),who should have been on that man,didnt they talk about it pre game.
2)How much time did that guy have,on the penalty spot,nearest defender on the 6 yard line,with bakintosh standing there holding his hands up just behind.
3)Sucker punch,TC crap control they break away,Fiorini has a look stops running hey ho another 5 yard tap in in the last
minute.
Yes Appleton was not the right choice,but all the players he has selected this year should be made to watch videos of all the games he has managed and ask themselves what part they played in his demise.And also have a look at the difference in attitude to the Northampton players when defending,how many free shots did we get.
Appleton has been a nightmare, but some of the players also need to stand up and take responsibility - they've been shocking.
I'll say it again but we aren't good enough (and neither are our players clever enough) to play a 3-5-2 formation. Smacks of shoehorning 3 midfielders in and we've not got any wingbacks.
Edun is definitely better in that role than T Watson, how on earth Asimwe can't get a game at RWB ahead of him.
Dobson had probably the worst game I've seen him have for us last night (out of position and he's still massively in credit though)
back to basics 4-4-2 please
I think (hope) we've got enough quality in the squad to stay up once they are organised - we should score enough goals.
get Isted back in goal asap
First half we made Northampton look like world beaters thanks to, yep, thats right atrocious defending. Twice our defence left a man free and twice they scored as a result. We got lucky with an own goal, but our equaliser came from a neat move, proof that there IS some sort of ability in the squad.
Second half and much of a muchness, there does seem to be a lack of real leadership out there but we grew into it (more than them at east yay!) and for large parts of the second played well, but our old friend defending failed us right at the death.
The ref was a standard 5, got 2 big decisions wrong in sending off Edun and then waving away a stonewall pen against us, some people will jump on the ref hate and use that as an excuse to ignore how utterly shite we are. Bring on the new man ASAP.
Special mention to REG and Gilie didnt make much a difference at the back, but will wait a bit longer before writing either off. Ladapo - again showed signs of what he can do but looks knackered on 60 odd mins so we need better game management there before we break him like Camara.
The Board should have acted already but backed Scott’s man with players from the league or higher above while he did his best to shoot himself in the feet.
The formation was actually OK 3-1-4-2 is a front footed one if played correctly and with the right personnel but it is here where lies last night’s result becoming inevitable.
You simply cannot play 2x natural CDMs in that formation nor a right sided player who naturally passes back or side rather than be progressive (a trick in his locker and all). Utter naivety! The only way to play Dobbo and Coventry together is in a 3-4-1-2 with the 2x CMs primarily focused on protecting the back 4 and covering right and left pockets to free the right and left sided players to kick on and create a 5x forward threat.
Onwards and upwards as long as Scott and the Board do not fcuk this recruitment up!
Your right it looked a nailed on Penalty but keepers don't get red cards in that situation now unless it occurs outside the area and it's only a free kick. As AMB made a genuine but failed attempt to win the ball.
The shame was AMB made some decent saves in the game but made a clanger for the penalty that wasn't given.
It would've been better if the cock up ref had compounded his mistake by giving Tayo a straight Red as at least we could have got it overturned. Two yellows and you have no redress.
Northampton up, another joyless vlog
Have we ever had a keeper so unsure of his own positioning?
Jones at fault for both goals I thought and both goals copies of many goals we have seen against us this season. The ball down the side and the cut back with no one picking the man up.
Criminal defending costing us once again. I cant belive MA has not been able to fix that, I thought that he woudl default to being hard to beat but we look worse at the back.
Promosing signs with the middle 3 linking well and the wing backs offered more going forward.
Not a top side but they weren't strangers as they seem to play the same 16 players every week unless they get injuries. A well drilled league one side.
The hardest part of football is scoring goals and we have been gifting goals week in week out. Our defenders don't pick players up, I'm not sure if we play to man mark or zonally, its a shambles we do neither. Their second goal was unforgivable, the guy stood in the middle of the box with no one within 5 yards and lashed it in. Writing on the wall from then.
On the plus side very healthy gate of 10,943, if we ever fill the Valley up again they will have to announce a gate of 50,000. I doubt there was half the published amount there last night.
The most criminal thing is I feel like we have seen that goal against us 3-4 times this season.
Has to be the lowest point following this club.
Edit: for me, to clarify I was born in 1991 and don't own a DeLorean, as my history as a fan has been questioned