Where's our Johnnie Jackson or Andy Reid type player... That is what we're seriously lacking.
Berry scored two very tidy finishes last night, but elsewhere on the pitch he is slow to react, doesn't stick a foot in and isn't blessed with pace.
Next game I'd like to see us start in a more 3-4-1-2 (ignoring rumours of time out)
Mannion REG - Jones - Mitchell Small - Coventry - Taylor - Campbell Berry Godden - Leaburn
With Berry more advanced, actually attack sides. If Leaburn can find his passing boots he might even get an assist or two. We also need to be better at shooting from 18+ yards rather than trying to dribble the ball to within 12 yards before shooting. The Barnsley keeper was there for the taking. He was ham fisted at saving almost every opportunity.
Oh Lord no, not Tyreece Campbell (I assume not Allan) at left wing back!
We tried that with Blackett-Taylor and it was a disaster. I have a horrible feeling it would be the same with Campbell playing there.
I just can't get over how bad Gillesphey is. I generally try to defend where possible because I'm a positive person but I can't see a single redeeming quality about his play. Even his long throw is mediocre.
really poor player, worse then Lavelle
Behave! Gillesphey has nearly as many clean sheets just this season as Lavelle had in his whole time with us. I don't know if we've ever had a worse supposedly first choice CB than Lavelle. Gillesphey is a LCB in a 3 or a LB, he's not built to play CB in a two and we're paying for the squad being built up in January with a back 3 in mind. Neither Gillesphey or REG are really the types of CB you want in a Jones-style 4, nor are they progressive enough to be the full backs. Gillesphey did pretty well at the start of the season in that back 3. He wasn't as good as the other two but he was a big part of the 4 clean sheets we had in the first 6 games and he's only really started causing goal leaks since being put in a role where he isn't suitable due to the Lloyd Jones injury. Worse than Lavelle is too big an insult
Gary, I don't quite understand how Gillesphey isn't built to be a CB in a two ? He's 6ft 2in (at least) and the majority of his 183 apps at Carlisle, Brisbane Roar (matches shown early AM on BT) and Plymouth were as a CB though he did play a number of games as a LB at Plymouth I believe plus at CAFC as the LCB in the 3.
Sam Lavelle struggled at CAFC and comparisons are difficult though on a good day I agree with you though Sam is just the Quintessential CB that you see from League 2 and lower down the pyramid.
Gillesphey tries to play Nabby Sarr type 40 yard passes but with a lower success rate !
He's not built for it because he lacks the attributes. He's tall but he's fairly weak, he's not dominant in the air and he's very slow. His passing seems to have abandoned him for us but his skillset is supposedly that of a ball-playing defender who can defend well enough and get attacks started off with his long range passing. His lack of strength is protected in a 3 and should allow him the space to get his foot on the ball. He split about half his games for Carlisle between LB and CB but he was also playing in League Two where his failings were less easily punished. At Plymouth he was CB in a 3 which is where he found success at this level. I'm not really interested in what went in at Brisbane Roar as it's nowhere near the level, but at L1 level Gillesphey doesn't have what he needs to play centrally in a back four.
NJ keeps coming out and saying we were miles off it, didn't go the basics, etc. I always thought the 100% effort was the minimum he got from his teams. He's built this squad and some days they're just not turning up.
He will run out of excuses eventually, especially when he keeps trotting out the same old lines
I would have taken a point at the start so can't complain. But I fucking can because we were 2-1 with 90 seconds to play !!
Looking at the table we are still in touch (along with half the league) with the top 6. But then again we are miles off a top 6 side. Start of the season we were rock solid at the back......now we look like shipping in 3 or 4 every game. Probably because we are missing Lloyd Jones but guess what, when he's back you know he will be as bad as all the rest.
Shame all our strikers seem to get injured all at once. Missing 3 tonight (although Ahadme is no great miss) but at least having options on the bench means......we have options on the bench.
I thought the game changed when we brought on TC & Berry.......just as I said it would. Sorry I got it wrong re Godden & Leaburn starting but it still stands... .if we score first we generally don't lose. If we concede first we hardly ever win. But even little ole me thought we had done a namesake at the 93 minute mark.
Lastly.......
Lots of people at the start of the season said "give it 10 or 12 games and then judge" after a few of us had doubts at the start of August. Well, the jury is back in the room and the foreman has said
" not this season son. Be happy with top half but play offs......you're having a bubble".
I thought your marks on the Players’ Marks thread were very generous Golfie. Bit surprising, as I though that apart from the first few minutes, and a ten minute period near the end, we were pretty awful?
I think Barnsley had at least two midfielders who were way better than ours.
In fact that has been the case with almost all the teams we’ve played this season.
Is the issue that giving Jones so much of a say in recruitment would rely on him being fully aware of the talent available in the ‘lower leagues’ but all he really knows about are players in the higher leagues - and the only ones available to him were basically close to (or past) their sell-by dates?
NJ keeps coming out and saying we were miles off it, didn't go the basics, etc. I always thought the 100% effort was the minimum he got from his teams. He's built this squad and some days they're just not turning up.
After a good night's sleep, I wake up feeling good, full of energy for the day ahead.
Then I remember last night.
Not much point in me repeating the same things as everyone else, but I do have to wonder, was the main difference that Jones couldn't be on the touchline dishing out the bollockings when people were being crap? Or have we shown this mediocrity (being generous) once too often for that to be the case?
One thing is for sure, 20,000+ people better see a massive improvement on Saturday if they don't want to leave the pitch under a hail of pies.
I had a good nights sleep and woke up feeling good. Then I watched the highlights. At the end Barnsley equalised. I didn't know that happened until this morning.
Early doors, lovely over lap by Josh Edwards on the left and a pin point cross for Leaburn; problem was it was Anderson in the box not Miles and the cross went a couple of inches over his head.
If we are now playing a back four, which Gillesphey seems incapable of adapting to, is it worth getting Hector back as cover for Jones short term? Potts and REG are too small to play in a two and possibly should be moved on, together with MG.
The missing piece in our jigsaw is an attacking midfielder, like Barnsleys no44, humpries. Until we can get someone that can effectively link the midfield with the front line, we'll continue to struggle.
Was going to say exactly the same. Humphries was strong, powerful, skillful and could shoot. Just the sort of player we've been crying out for, yet didn't see to appear on our radar at all.
Where's our Johnnie Jackson or Andy Reid type player... That is what we're seriously lacking.
Berry scored two very tidy finishes last night, but elsewhere on the pitch he is slow to react, doesn't stick a foot in and isn't blessed with pace.
Next game I'd like to see us start in a more 3-4-1-2 (ignoring rumours of time out)
Mannion REG - Jones - Mitchell Small - Coventry - Taylor - Campbell Berry Godden - Leaburn
With Berry more advanced, actually attack sides. If Leaburn can find his passing boots he might even get an assist or two. We also need to be better at shooting from 18+ yards rather than trying to dribble the ball to within 12 yards before shooting. The Barnsley keeper was there for the taking. He was ham fisted at saving almost every opportunity.
Oh Lord no, not Tyreece Campbell (I assume not Allan) at left wing back!
We tried that with Blackett-Taylor and it was a disaster. I have a horrible feeling it would be the same with Campbell playing there.
Nope. It'd be even worse. While Tyreece has bulked up a bit and is much better at holding off tackles this season, I'm not sure he's actually made any? Blackett-Taylor did manage that reasonably well, even if his positioning was a bit suspect, and he'd get caught upfield on the break a lot.
Their CF Humphries caused us all sorts of problems…plus a couple of their mids ran over us. A worrying performance and if NJ says we were a mile off that is down to him to motivate the players.
Their CF Humphries caused us all sorts of problems…plus a couple of their mids ran over us. A worrying performance and if NJ says we were a mile off that is down to him to motivate the players.
Clearly a good player and would love him at Charlton but all those tricks...someone should have gone straight through him!
Jon Russell had strong moments when powering a shot against the crossbar and when Leaburn saved on the line. Apparently he hasn't scored in his 6 matches this season but definitely came near to a brace.
MANNION; flapped at too many crosses, made one really good save and culpable for the first goal - can't push shots into middle of 6yd area R.E.G.: truly woeful A.MITCHELL: glacially slow GILLESPHEY: he'd struggle in my sunday morning pub side EDWARDS: poor game for him COVENTRY: he's a shabby Terry Taylor tribute act who can't reliably kick a stationary football TAYLOR: faded, which is understandable ANDERSON: had too much to do with all his midfield colleagues being so shit, sacrificing him for the change of shape was NJ lunacy on a whole new level A.CAMPBELL: shameful lack of effort LEABURN: tried hard to make something of the shitty service he got, understandably rusty GODDEN: looks shagged out WATSON: better than REG - which isn't really a compliment SMALL: enthusiastic but eratic and concedes pathetic stupid freekicks BERRY: in the right place at the right time twice and with the ability to profit, not sure how many other times he actually touched the ball NJ: how he sees a footballer in Alan Campbell is baffling, keeping him on 2nd half last night is flat out not doing his job properly. I know his defensive options are thin but choosing REG over T Watson was mad, continuing to select Gillesphey is madder. If Zach Mitchell's worth a new contract, he's gotta be less awful than MG or REG, hasn't he. NJ would look less ridiculous if picked himself at right back than REG. Defensively the squad is thin and we're still toothless up front, the current injury epidemic makes things worse but NJ is equally part of the problem, he's not taking on board what he sees from match to match, plus any old Luton colleagues get a free pass to be shit and lazy but still get picked. Midtable is the realistic upper capability of this rabble unless NJ starts paying attention to the realities of how thin this squad actually is. Miles Leaburn can't win us games by himself
MANNION; flapped at too many crosses, made one really good save and culpable for the first goal - can't push shots into middle of 6yd area R.E.G.: truly woeful A.MITCHELL: glacially slow GILLESPHEY: he'd struggle in my sunday morning pub side EDWARDS: poor game for him COVENTRY: he's a shabby Terry Taylor tribute act who can't reliably kick a stationary football TAYLOR: faded, which is understandable ANDERSON: had too much to do with all his midfield colleagues being so shit, sacrificing him for the change of shape was NJ lunacy on a whole new level A.CAMPBELL: shameful lack of effort LEABURN: tried hard to make something of the shitty service he got, understandably rusty GODDEN: looks shagged out WATSON: better than REG - which isn't really a compliment SMALL: enthusiastic but eratic and concedes pathetic stupid freekicks BERRY: in the right place at the right time twice and with the ability to profit, not sure how many other times he actually touched the ball
NJ: how he sees a footballer in Alan Campbell is baffling, keeping him on 2nd half last night is flat out not doing his job properly. I know his defensive options are thin but choosing REG over T Watson was mad, continuing to select Gillesphey is madder. If Zach Mitchell's worth a new contract, he's gotta be less awful than MG or REG, hasn't he. NJ would look less ridiculous if picked himself at right back than REG. Defensively the squad is thin and we're still toothless up front, the current injury epidemic makes things worse but NJ is equally part of the problem, he's not taking on board what he sees from match to match, plus any old Luton colleagues get a free pass to be shit and lazy but still get picked. Midtable is the realistic upper capability of this rabble unless NJ starts paying attention to the realities of how thin this squad actually is. Miles Leaburn can't win us games by himself
Slightly rose tinted with Leaburn. He seemed quite selfish and could have laid it off at times to continue attacks but yes I agree, he is rusty for sure.
After a good night's sleep, I wake up feeling good, full of energy for the day ahead.
Then I remember last night.
Not much point in me repeating the same things as everyone else, but I do have to wonder, was the main difference that Jones couldn't be on the touchline dishing out the bollockings when people were being crap? Or have we shown this mediocrity (being generous) once too often for that to be the case?
One thing is for sure, 20,000+ people better see a massive improvement on Saturday if they don't want to leave the pitch under a hail of pies.
I had a good nights sleep and woke up feeling good. Then I watched the highlights. At the end Barnsley equalised. I didn't know that happened until this morning.
The other strange thing was looking at the BBC website and seeing our goalscorer was L. Berry. As I'm not that close to our players names as I once was, I did wonder if there is actually a parallel universe.
I really don't like digging youth players out especially as Anderson seems like a really nice lad. But he's really not very good yet. The lack of composure is very frustrating. He' still young so hopefully improves but i'd like to see someone different in central midfield.
I really don't know what is going on with this club of ours any more, I have been around for too many decades, and the demise is Their to see. Their is a real disconnect going on with the players. Is it the manager, his coaching team? Or is it a simple case they are not working as a team, or do most of them lack the basics! We need 11 captains out on the pitch, say what you like about teams like Stockport, but what these have is 100% teamwork, which is clearly missing from ours. By the way Cardiff don't need NJ they are doing really well off late, having seen their results over the last few weeks. Where have the high standards gone from SE7. It is a results business and yes the buck stops with the manager! Rant over.
Comments
We tried that with Blackett-Taylor and it was a disaster. I have a horrible feeling it would be the same with Campbell playing there.
Humphries was strong, powerful, skillful and could shoot. Just the sort of player we've been crying out for, yet didn't see to appear on our radar at all.
Did we..?
However, Hollywood beckons.
Apparently he hasn't scored in his 6 matches this season but definitely came near to a brace.
R.E.G.: truly woeful
A.MITCHELL: glacially slow
GILLESPHEY: he'd struggle in my sunday morning pub side
EDWARDS: poor game for him
COVENTRY: he's a shabby Terry Taylor tribute act who can't reliably kick a stationary football
TAYLOR: faded, which is understandable
ANDERSON: had too much to do with all his midfield colleagues being so shit, sacrificing him for the change of shape was NJ lunacy on a whole new level
A.CAMPBELL: shameful lack of effort
LEABURN: tried hard to make something of the shitty service he got, understandably rusty
GODDEN: looks shagged out
WATSON: better than REG - which isn't really a compliment
SMALL: enthusiastic but eratic and concedes pathetic stupid freekicks
BERRY: in the right place at the right time twice and with the ability to profit, not sure how many other times he actually touched the ball
NJ: how he sees a footballer in Alan Campbell is baffling, keeping him on 2nd half last night is flat out not doing his job properly.
I know his defensive options are thin but choosing REG over T Watson was mad, continuing to select Gillesphey is madder. If Zach Mitchell's worth a new contract, he's gotta be less awful than MG or REG, hasn't he. NJ would look less ridiculous if picked himself at right back than REG.
Defensively the squad is thin and we're still toothless up front, the current injury epidemic makes things worse but NJ is equally part of the problem, he's not taking on board what he sees from match to match, plus any old Luton colleagues get a free pass to be shit and lazy but still get picked.
Midtable is the realistic upper capability of this rabble unless NJ starts paying attention to the realities of how thin this squad actually is.
Miles Leaburn can't win us games by himself
Their is a real disconnect going on with the players. Is it the manager, his coaching team?
Or is it a simple case they are not working as a team, or do most of them lack the basics!
We need 11 captains out on the pitch, say what you like about teams like Stockport, but what these have is 100% teamwork, which is clearly missing from ours.
By the way Cardiff don't need NJ they are doing really well off late, having seen their results over the last few weeks.
Where have the high standards gone from SE7.
It is a results business and yes the buck stops with the manager! Rant over.