Formation...

[StuyRandall]

Ours clearly isn't working. If today's game isn't proof enough of that, two 4-0 defeats and a 3-0 defeat in the five games previous to today's surely is...

 

I think it's time for some good old 4,4,2. With the squad that we've got now, I'd say that this is probably the best we could do...

 

Lacy, Young, Smith, Robinson

Lawrnence, Healy, Wilson, Bernard

Pratt, West

 

That's right, no Lewis. Smith should be skipper again, Lewis couldn't organise a boot fair, let alone a defence...

[Franny]

Not sure about that , Id have Blackman ahead of Pratt and West all day long. Have to agree though, for me Lewis is alot of huff and puff and absolutely nothing else. If he is getting paid anywhere near what ive heard then its a waste IMO.

[MummyBunny]

id have Blackman and Pratt up front - from what we saw of them playing together in the PSF's - they looked good and worked well together. It baffles me why TY doesnt play Kenny for more of the game - the crowd were crying out for him today. Was impressed with Nicholls in goal to be fair (even tho i am a mullins supporter) he was very vocal (!) and was sorting out the back line for free kicks and corners etc well - a job that Lewis really should have been doing.

 

I agree tho, 4-4-2 needs to be brought in otherwise we are gonna get thrashed by Sutton in the FA cup game.

 

COYB xxx

[StuyRandall]

I forgot about Blackman! Lol! I would choose him over West too!

[P.W.]

What was the thinking with Dan Young playing midfield? - He was totally out of his depth, especially as Wheatley looked particularly weak at the back.

 

I understand that Blackman is injured, but why was Bernard missing?

[Porka]

In a four, a midfield of Healy and Wilson would get absolutely overrun. Neither of them defends. It's tough enough in midfield at the moment and we're playing with a defensive minded midfielder.

 

We need a real quality defensive midfielder to shore it up. Pouton would have been the man had he signed in pre-season. Without that, we won't see the best of Healy and Wilson. They need to see the ball to feet to be influential.

 

Up front I'd go with Blackman and West for the time being, and use Kenny early on in the second half for West.

 

Not sure we have the quality to go 4-4-2. And as I've already said the biggest problem is that to play 4-4-2 we'd need a better midfield.

 

When the team is constantly being changed I'm not surprised it looks disjointed. Desperately need to settle the starting eleven as soon as possible. Wheatley, Robinson, Millington, Lawrence, West all bring brought into the team today from the side that started at Harrow. TY said it might take us a while to bring in the required quality and he's proving to be right. Hopefully, sooner rather than later he'll get the right balance.

[blue balls]

I agree Re Lewis - I've seen 3 games this season and he hasn't impressed me at all. For a captain he is too quiet and his distribution is awful.If we do sign Nicholls (not sure he'll want to put pen to paper with that shower in front of him today) then make him skipper - at least he tried to organise the defence and was very vocal at times.

[acdc]

I would agree in principle that 442 should be tried if TY thinks he has the right players for the positions.Lawrence should be in centre mid as hopefully he has got the touch and the quality to get the ball down and forward to feed the strikers.

I would like to know if there are any reserves knocking on the door other than those we have seen and who appear with possibly one or two exceptions to be not ready yet.What about McAree who I thought looked good 18 months ago.Is he or any others worth a try.Has anybody been watching the ressies,what do you think.

[michael]

Hopefully, the injury/suspension situation has now peaked though,so we will not need more reserve team players to come into the team.

 

Of course-we don't really know who our squad consists of ?

 

Are west, lawrewnce -permanent 'signings' for example.

 

Lacey, Morris ,and indeed robarto to add to those two and squad looks a whole lot better;even though other injuries /suspensions will kick in.

Has bernard been released ? (would'nt be surprised after saturday )where was he today ?

 

Not there today-but i am guessing we must have missed blackman tremendously

[GEEBEE]

BERNARDS INJURED AS WELL,SO HE BUGGARD OFF ON HOLIDAY (YEA RIGHT)

[bluesteel]

Why dosent anyone criticise the manager on this forum its always the players that get it hes not untouchable or maybe he is in some of your minds.

In my opinion if this was any other manager he would have been slated as ive said before hes had these players long enough and knows what they are capable of so i blame the manager, and what sort of formation was that we were playing ? players out of position all over the pitch .

[michael]

I have every faith that TY will get this right and we will finish mid table.

 

i do agree though that the last 72 hours have not amongst been Terry's finest ,he has made mistakes with playing too many players out of position-despite injuries;and as per his interview with wellsie-has taken responsibility accordingly.

 

He will get it right though-and we do have the players now.

 

i reckon a 4-1 win to margate at Ashford , if we can play a fit West and Blackman up front

[Coffin Ender]

At non-league level you've got to keep things simple. Play people in their normal positions and aim for continuity. I know we are trying to bring more people into the team, but there has been too much chopping and changing. You won't get a cohesive display if there are big changes week after week.

[acdc]

Whats the point of criticising the management team when they have had such bad luck with injuries/suspensions and the budgetary constraints which limit their ability to attract players.It may be that they don't make the correct decisions all the time but who does,and with a full squad available I'm sure they would make the right decisions.Also they may not be used to the fact that in pro football a good player is a good player wherever he plays but at this level not many players can play out of position.Criticise the managers,they get peed off and you lose them,where are you then.

We have to look at this in the medium term,we will not get relegated this season,although we may well struggle and results will fluctuate depending on player availability,but when the clubs financial situation is improved if we can keep Terry and Nev then they will attract players who would not normally come and the club can then move forward but you have to be patient.

In the short term we have to keep hold of jamie Lawrence,he didn't get much of the ball on Mon but when he did he looked quality.He could be very useful up front if he gets service otherwise he has to play in CM.

By the way bluesteel I'm not having a go at you,I understand your frustration ie Youngy at RWB,RB,or RM or however you descibe his position on Mon, Lawrence not brought back into CM,but with patience I think we will have a decent season.

[michael]

Its also a different game entirely when the winter months and bad weather set in.

 

Thats when the likes of Lawrence,West,Lewis will make their prescence and experience felt.

 

remember 2 seasons ago-how rubbish Steve Mckimm was until november in his second season with us.Then the pitches and weather turned; he held the side together ,and was a completely different player.

[Cookie]

Snippets of agreement from me from some of the posts above. TY, yes he is a big name & has the experience and yes probably another manager not so well known might have got the bullet after Mondays dreadful performance. But like others I truly believe he WILL get it right,but only if he starts to get a settled side(injuries,suspensions taken into consideration).

Ramsgate went down because Ward was chopping & changing the personnel last season,panic buying at times when things weren't going too well.We need to try & avoid that at all costs. As mentioned & for whatever reason we haven't fielded the same side twice in a row.Not always possible,I appreciate that but as near as is possible. There should be players that are versatile & can fill most positions when called on to do so in an emergency thereby preventing any disruption in that position & in the teams performance.Lawrence is supposed to be such a player we're told.It does seem like TY has brought in some decent players now (budget allowing) so now is the time to start that gelling.

Okay it should have been spot on for the start of the season but it wasn't so we have to start playing a regular(ish) side now,the cream of the crop,those that are in form & playing in their preferred positions,to their strengths. TY needs to weedle out the poor right now & keep the good un's.

Only when an injury,suspension,a complete lack of individual form,or a talented player becomes available should there be a change, but not an entire change from the previous week.

As mentioned elswehere its now quality we need rather than quantity & togetherness brings other qualities into play too.The quality is here I'm sure of it.Pick the best eleven on recent form & stick with them for as long as their form holds up or for as long as other factors will allow even if in defeat.(no-ones going to win every game)

Absolutely pissed off with Saturday but we have to move on and yes we WILL get better results this season I'm sure with both TY & NS at the helm.

[michael]

I'd go along with all of that.

 

Assuming again that we have minimally secured west,lawrence and nichols for the season-along with the other players-we now have got sufficient quality in some depth to ensure mid table security.

 

One of the reasons that i was confident that we would have a better season was that as well as the players having more experience Yorath would equally have more experience of this specific league.-an important factor imo.You can be the best manager in the world-but you need the additional experience of the players/grounds and what is needed at the level you are playing-Yorath has that now from last season-Arguably-he only has 6 months experience at ryman level-but can now add that to other obvious qualities and will do us just fine.

 

I share the frustration that we are 6 games in and first 6 games have been like psf games-getting a decent and settled side with alot of experimentation.

To be fair-TY did say at the onset that it would be a few games before he got his players in-i assume he was referring to west and lawrewnce.

 

equally-notwithstanding any of the above, we are only 4/5 points off the play-offs.

If we had played 36 games and were just 4/5 points off the play-offs we would all be getting excited -so arguably-nothing is lost and we are in a fantastic position !!

(i don't want to be in a play off position anyway as we are a season away from being ready for conf south )

[Coffin Ender]

Let's just first concentrate on getting the 50 points needed to avoid relegation.

[Brickie]

But surely by applying that logic we could be 8/10 points off the play-offs after 12 games, 16/20 after 24 games and so on.

[michael]

Spoilsport !!

 

I guess it depends on whether you see us as an improving side or not.

If you don't change anything-you get the same results.

well changes have been made-and i feel they are for the better.

 

For the first time in 4 seasons-i believe the ingredients for reasonable improvement are in place.

Before-i felt we never had those ingredients.

This season-i fill now we are equipped to minimally be secure in mid table-and maybe just maybe-a bit more