Formation

[blue balls]

I have no problem with playing 5 defenders away but not every home game. We need to have more of a goal threat. Whilst we have undoubtedly improved defensively we still seem to be struggling to score. Also is Welford's suspension coming up as with Pinns still not 100% and Kamara possibly on his way it will leave us desperately short of strikers.

 

 

[Porka]

Welford is banned for the Thamesmead game so no problem there.

 

Poor tonight. We seemed to be sitting far too deep and played too direct. An unfit Pinnock isn't going to work miracles and so it proved. We were too reliant on the hoof up the park and it was predictable.

[Bigmacca]

I don't think out wingers are attack minded enough to play 3 5 2. With Osbourne and Lacey being defence minded I don't feel they offer enough threat going forward which hinders a team performance especially the play makers in midfield have no outlet other than to go backwards to a winger or aimlessly hitting 'channels'. 4 4 2 would be much better suited

[Art Game]

 

Poor tonight. We seemed to be sitting far too deep and played too direct. An unfit Pinnock isn't going to work miracles and so it proved. We were too reliant on the hoof up the park and it was predictable.

 

You are being generous in calling it poor. Never looked like scoring but only conceding.

 

Back to the drawing board for Saturday I think.

 

Too many players relying on others to do all the work

 

Sitting to deep some times tonight there was 40 yards between the midfield and Shaun. No wonder the ball kept coming back.

 

Mind you if I had all the answers I would not on this forum.

 

Too many players shirking and pulling out of tackles.

[geoff pay]

Very fair assessment. So poor after Saturdays super effort. Even the crowd seemed quiet and the ground was lacking in atmosphere. A nothing sort of game.

[Jab_n17]

my take on tonights game... is that most of the team looked tired, lethargic, uninterested. It's as though the two cup games and the Sutton game with all the effort they put into those games had finally caught up with them. Lets hope its just a 'one off ' lots of time to put it right starting Saturday!

[michael]

Whilst the arguement is that 'it is the same for both teams', it is a consistent-and imo-understandable theme, that midwek performances-are alot lower than weekend performances.

frankly-we were'nt great at folkestone-but i think we need to understand that these guys are playing football to win (and entertain if possible) after most of them have done a full days work-so do we need to give a bit of latitude with regard to midweek performances ?

 

For me-its simply a case of win-and never mind how we played-especially midweek

Unfortunately tonight-we did not achieve the former

[Cookie]

Agree with most thats been said..Everyone,sometimes even Welford dropping so deep does not help our chances of victory.

We continued to invite them onto us & a goal was going to come right from the off. No one bothered to close them down coming at us (often retreating) & they must have been revelling in the space allowed to them all night.

However despite that we maybe had the better clear cut chances than they when we did somehow manage to break out, up & until their goal, but really territorially they dominated it with skilful football,good ball control & had players running,yes running into those massive spaces we allowed them to play in.

The only negative I can say about Tonbridge on the night was that their fininishing was poor overall. To be honest Turner didnt really have too many shots & efforts,if any to save but we were so deep & on the back foot for most of the game again, chasing shadows at times that we never really gave ourselves a chance.

We need to push up more (bring back the sweeper again I say so that we can push forward more) & try to look like we are out there to win the game rather than just sitting back looking like we just don't want to lose it.

We are lacking pace up front & from midfield.No one runs at defenders in the way that opponents do to us.Some tricky winger,a midfielder that will run at defenders is missing from our game.We are too static. Passes made from stand still positions rather moving forward with them.

Am very,very disappointed with that home performance last night & we can do better I'm sure but at the moment we seem to be deteriorating rather than improving judging on last nights showing.

Oh & finally to end my rant, passing a simple ball wasn't an easy thing for us to do either let alone string various passes together.Like someone in the crowd shouted out last night at seeing Tonbridge pass well .. "Are you watching Margate"!

The only positive that I can give is that despite all the advantages we gave them & even after conceding we could still have nicked a point near the end but we need to be more assertive at 0-0 in our games & work for a goal rather than just thinking a goal will somehow materialise but do that from the off rather than wait till we are behind.

Sort it out chaps & be more positive in your game all round!.

Only ONE player stood out for us & again it was that model of consistency ,the sponsors M.O.T.M & mine by a long way CURTIS ROBINSON. Superb Curtis!

We got what we deserved last night NIL POINTS!

Edited October 6, 2010 by Cookie

[Chris1]

I agree moving Robinson to centre back has been a good move. However, it means we need a left back. Osborne is wasted there and should be sweeper if we are going to play one.

 

Another thing, there was a lot of whingeing at the ground, and a certain amount on here, but people are forgetting we have played the very top teams in the league and only lost narrowly. Tonbridge's new players Piper and England were a class apart on the night. Seania and Collin are also top quality. They looked like potential champions yesterday, and losing 1-0 was no disgrace.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Chris1

[BlueGate Alan]

Spot on Chris, it really riles me when I hear fans whingeing virtually at the start of the game. The players dont go out of their way to underperform so having a go at them hardly helps IMO.

[michael]

Not there-but equally agree with Chris' post.

 

Most of us were anticipating mid table finish-and you don't get a mid table position by winning every game; so we will lose games like last night unfortunately.

[Coffin Ender]

It all comes down to money. Tonbridge must be paying out quite a bit in wages to attract all these new players. They will shoot up the league, no doubt, but let's see if they have to let people go later in the season.

[DEREK]

If TO goes to sweeper then It has to be Lacey who drops to the bench then possibly Groombridge on the left and Ball on the right, Any thoughts before we leave it to the manager.

[Cookie]

I cant agree that Tonbridge were "that" classy but then it's all about opinions isn't it?

We underperformed on the night & even then they only scraped past us.Their finishing was poor (though it wasn't on Saturday obviously. However the oppositions goalkeeper certainly helped them to a few of those goals having seen the highlights).

Their build up was good last night I have to say & the way they passed the ball at speed was endearing but again when a team, sometimes, gets all 11 players defending in their own penalty area anyone is going to have the freedom that Tonbridge were allowed..They won't be allowed that against too many other sides I'm sure..

I'm not saying that on the night Tonbridge didnt deserve to win because they most certainly did but against a more positive side I can see them being less effective & dropping points quite easily despite their improved squad.

As for pre-match moaning I personally didnt hear any!

Re:mid table:

Yes, I agree with you Michael, a mid table spot is what I was hoping for too at the beginning of the season & I still look for that & no, we won't win every game but Tonbridge WERE there for the taking & if we had performed as we had done in previous games we most certainly COULD & WOULD have taken all 3 points last night. Even with the way we played we werent THAT far short of getting something out of the game. But we came up short & thats that.

Am looking for a vastly improved performance on Saturday & a return to earlier form but the 3 with points to go with it this time.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Cookie

[dannyriding]

I cant agree that Tonbridge were "that" classy but then it's all about opinions isn't it?

We underperformed on the night & even then they only scraped past us.Their finishing was poor (though it wasn't on Saturday obviously. However the oppositions goalkeeper certainly helped them to a few of those goals having seen the highlights).

Their build up was good last night I have to say & the way they passed the ball at speed was endearing but again when a team, sometimes, gets all 11 players defending in their own penalty area anyone is going to have the freedom that Tonbridge were allowed..They won't be allowed that against too many other sides I'm sure..

I'm not saying that on the night Tonbridge didnt deserve to win because they most certainly did but against a more positive side I can see them being less effective & dropping points quite easily despite their improved squad.

As for pre-match moaning I personally didnt hear any!

Re:mid table:

Yes, I agree with you Michael, a mid table spot is what I was hoping for too at the beginning of the season & I still look for that & no, we won't win every game but Tonbridge WERE there for the taking & if we had performed as we had done in previous games we most certainly COULD & WOULD have taken all 3 points last night. Even with the way we played we werent THAT far short of getting something out of the game. But we came up short & thats that.

Am looking for a vastly improved performance on Saturday & a return to earlier form but the 3 with points to go with it this time.

 

 

Agreed Tonbridge will face tougher opposition than us and come unstuck but their industry was good and their mindset was ATTACK ATTACK ATTACK. We however seemed to invite them onto us leaving them with acres of room to manoevre and create chances. Not a good performance by the lads but onwards and upwards I say - BRING ON HORSHAM. On a positive note Curtis is shaping up very well as our best player (best to keep hold of him methinks) and was a well deserved MOM.

[Art Game]

I am sorry IMO (and that of IO'C) the team underperformed last night.

 

Now if that means in your world that you gloss over it and hide it under the carpet then fair enough BUT from where I come from we tell them and if it means kicking them up the backside then fair enough.

 

Mid table is never good enough for me.

 

Success is all about aiming for the top and winning every time.

 

100% effort required in every game.

 

If there is no effort then ship them out (do not care who they are).

 

I will never take second place or pander to the PC brigade.

[Brickie]

I am sorry IMO (and that of IO'C) the team underperformed last night.

 

Now if that means in your world that you gloss over it and hide it under the carpet then fair enough BUT from where I come from we tell them and if it means kicking them up the backside then fair enough.

 

Mid table is never good enough for me.

 

Success is all about aiming for the top and winning every time.

 

100% effort required in every game.

 

If there is no effort then ship them out (do not care who they are).

 

I will never take second place or pander to the PC brigade.

Totally agree with that, why set your sights on second best!

As for those highlighting people who complain, i think its more about the manner of defeat rather than defeat itself, who wants to watch our boys resorting to 90 minutes of long ball kick and rush football while the visitors pass it around and make us look pedestrian?

[Guernsey Tom]

It is about opinion, they were a better side, we battled hard and nearly got a point we didnt deserve, they had width, pace and more energy than us, for whatever reason, I think we will find they will be close to the top at the end of the season, but thinking positievely we, although beaten lost by a single goal to a good side, perhaps our little winning run made us a bit complacent, but we have actually played most of the better teams in this league and not done too bad, big game on Saturday and that will perhaps show us if we are a top half or bottom half of the table team.

[Robfiveo]

Although i agree with most on last nights performance, nobody has mentiond the 4or5 top class saves the angels keeper made.

[michael]

Thats an interesting 'last post' by Rob5

 

Not there-but interpretation of reading most views and indeed the match report is that we hardly mustered a decent shot.

 

Robs post presents it slightly differently-and upon reflection-24hours later-was it really that bad last night ?

 

 

 

Were Tonbridge allowed to 'come onto us' so much and play their football',because it seems we only had 3 in midfield?

For me-the first job is to take control of the game (or nullify the opposition) by having suffiicient quality/numbers in central midfield-invariably-this requires 4 centralish midfield players against all but the very weakest of opponents.

Control midfield and you've got a chance .

Forlorn hope probably-but i'd love to see Saunders,wilson,marsden,rogers across the midfield-and if that means just a sole striker-so be it

Edited October 6, 2010 by michael