Tonight

[David Holden]

Originally Posted By: nazer07

Is there any news on Bazza hope he aint out for to long think we might need to bring in a couple more players hopefully a centre back to cover gary mac and does anyone know how long mark ricketts is going to be out for

His ankle isn't broken, but he will probably need a scan to check for ligament damage.

[Riverview Red]

Predictable result

 

We lost our one fast centre back, Ross, so other guys will get out-run by quick forwards. We lost our two main strikers, so we will find it hard to score.

 

Shame about the other injury, I though he looked very promising.

 

Unfortunately we never replaced like for like in the summer, so its going to be a difficult season unless LD can sign some real replacements before the window closes.

 

Fingers crossed now for some good luck, we need it !

[Gordon T]

Originally Posted By: Riverview Red

Predictable result

add it on with the rest of them, some things never change...

[Ray ellingham]

glad to see the early season promise already shattered by some of our so called supporters. What next a Daish Out thread.

 

come on lads it is only 2 games in

[Riverview Red]

As "so-called supporters" are there every week cheering the guys on , whoever wears the shirt.

 

This forum is to exchange frank views

 

LD done a great job last year, but has failed to replace key players.

 

Any quick centre forward will out-pace Mac, Smithy or Hawkins - Ross used to cover for them.

 

And, Luke, Chucki and Nade are not out and out goal scorers so we will struggle to get goals.

 

These are facts Ray and not any form of non-support for the Fleet

 

Have another leek !

 

 

[Gordon T]

my post was observational rather then negative. We're supposed to be a full time top/mid table established conference side? Yet every season we let ourselves down at teams who i feel (maybe wrongly) that we should be beating in order to progress, its the same with cups...

 

[Hirsty]

"LD done a great job last year"

 

Well b*gger my old boots....a positive comment, and nearly a compliment ! However, don't recall you voicing that opinion during last season ?

 

...and who is Frank Views ? and why should we exchange him ?

 

Cheers,

 

[KShep]

Originally Posted By: Riverview Red

Predictable result

We lost our one fast centre back, Ross, so other guys will get out-run by quick forwards. We lost our two main strikers, so we will find it hard to score.

Shame about the other injury, I though he looked very promising.

Unfortunately we never replaced like for like in the summer, so its going to be a difficult season unless LD can sign some real replacements before the window closes.

Fingers crossed now for some good luck, we need it !

1) The result was sh*t, but I fail to see how it was predictable?

2) Neither goal could have been prevented by Ross. McCarthy slipped in the driving rain, as Ross has done before, for the second, and I think only Thierry Henry's pace would have caught the striker, and the first goal, a ball was lost in the air against (I think) McCarthy, who is as good a header of the ball as Ross.

3) You are writing all of our strikers and midfielders off before they've been given a chance together. MacDonald had stages in his career when he has the same scoring record as Luke Moore- he hasn't been a 30-goal a season man since he left Charlton. Give them a chance and the goals, I am certain, will come between them. No single one will score as many as Charlie, but together they'll get their fair share.

[Riverview Red]

I hope you are right and I'm wrong, I am purely looking at their previous goal scoring records.

[Andy Y. (G&NFC)]

Lets get things straight here.

 

Ross Smith was a good defender, not a great one and had a tendancy to act like a headless chicken and panic when put under real pressure. He was good in the air but like many others at this level, his distribution was average.

 

To be a good defender he needed a steady hand next to him, which is why I wasn't too upset when he left.

 

I liked him a lot and he did wonderful things for the club on and off the pitch

 

BUT

 

I get the feeling that certain memebers of this forum are going to start painting a picture of him being a cross between Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Wayne Rooney!

 

MacDonald as his replacement was good business and, (if you care to look R.R) a "like for like" replacement!

 

Who else did we lose?

 

Charlie Mac... A quality act who "ANY" side at our level would miss. However Chucky and Nade alongside Moore, doesn't look that bad to me PLUS its changed the way we play as we aren't relying on one bloke!

 

Sodje? Great talent but never really made it as a first team regular. As far as I could see, he had trouble as a team player. Fantastic work rate butthe rest of the side sometimes had trouble working out what he was doing.

 

Quinn? I liked the bloke, but others didn't and Barrett appeared (until his injury) to be a more than able replacement.

 

So overall Riverview Red. Replacements HAVE been brought in "like for like" and I for one would be keen to see what your agenda is on this forum as you are extremely slow to praise the club but as fast as a rat up a drainpipe in having a go at pretty much everything to do with it.

[Santa]

I suspect McCarthy may not have been out there if there were alternatives. And yes a back 4 may have been alien but from the few objective comments by people attending on here and listening to the second half commentary I think the problems may have stemmed from our inability to get hold of and retain the ball especially in midfield. I doubt if we purposely tried to defend a 1 goal lead. Not dissimilar to Saturdays game....an early goal and rather then pressing for a second we seem to let the opposition back into the game. Sometimes that cannot be avoided as good teams willl not lie down but we play our best when the midfield is firing. In this respect it was a bit dissapointing when Long was substituted. Stacy imo is the one who drives the mid-field and rarely seems to have a bad game.

 

Given Barrett's injury does anyone know whats up with Danny Slatter, I assume he is injured or have I missed something.

 

 

[Stu M]

Slatter had a groin injury before Northwich so guess that's still lingering around.

[KShep]

Originally Posted By: Santa

And yes a back 4 may have been alien but from the few objective comments by people attending on here and listening to the second half commentary I think the problems may have stemmed from our inability to get hold of and retain the ball especially in midfield.

The inability to retain the ball stemmed from playing 4-4-2. When we play 3-5-2, there are three men committed to the centre of the park, who work to get hold of the ball. These three, on Saturday, were Barratt, Long and DeBolla.

However, when forced to play 4-4-2 due to a lack of centre-backs, we lose the extra man in midfield which extremely weakens our ability to win and keep the ball. Also, with no Danny Slatter or Ricketts, and with one less space for a centre midfielder, our greatest playmaker in Stacy Long was forced wide.

Also, the three units across the pitch, defence, midfield and attack, did not effectively work together. I think this is because there were no wing-backs to link defence to midfield, and with only two centre midfielders, we could not deploy one, say Marc DeBolla, as an attacking midfielder, meaning the midfield and strike force weren't linked.

[jc]

Originally Posted By: Andy Y. (G&NFC)

Lets get things straight here.

Ross Smith was a good defender, not a great one and had a tendancy to act like a headless chicken and panic when put under real pressure. He was good in the air but like many others at this level, his distribution was average.

To be a good defender he needed a steady hand next to him, which is why I wasn't too upset when he left.

I liked him a lot and he did wonderful things for the club on and off the pitch

BUT

I get the feeling that certain memebers of this forum are going to start painting a picture of him being a cross between Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Wayne Rooney!

MacDonald as his replacement was good business and, (if you care to look R.R) a "like for like" replacement!

I'm not sure how any of us can comment on MacDonald's aptitude relative to that of Ross, since we've seen so little of him in competitive matches.

[DA11]

Originally Posted By: jc

Originally Posted By: Andy Y. (G&NFC)

Lets get things straight here.

Ross Smith was a good defender, not a great one and had a tendancy to act like a headless chicken and panic when put under real pressure. He was good in the air but like many others at this level, his distribution was average.

To be a good defender he needed a steady hand next to him, which is why I wasn't too upset when he left.

I liked him a lot and he did wonderful things for the club on and off the pitch

BUT

I get the feeling that certain memebers of this forum are going to start painting a picture of him being a cross between Rio Ferdinand, John Terry and Wayne Rooney!

MacDonald as his replacement was good business and, (if you care to look R.R) a "like for like" replacement!

I'm not sure how any of us can comment on MacDonald's aptitude relative to that of Ross, since we've seen so little of him in competitive matches.

W.T.F?

[Graham S]

Originally Posted By: KShep

The inability to retain the ball stemmed from playing 4-4-2. When we play 3-5-2, there are three men committed to the centre of the park, who work to get hold of the ball. These three, on Saturday, were Barratt, Long and DeBolla.

However, when forced to play 4-4-2 due to a lack of centre-backs, we lose the extra man in midfield which extremely weakens our ability to win and keep the ball. Also, with no Danny Slatter or Ricketts, and with one less space for a centre midfielder, our greatest playmaker in Stacy Long was forced wide.

Also, the three units across the pitch, defence, midfield and attack, did not effectively work together. I think this is because there were no wing-backs to link defence to midfield, and with only two centre midfielders, we could not deploy one, say Marc DeBolla, as an attacking midfielder, meaning the midfield and strike force weren't linked.

Yes, spot on.

It's not that 352 is inherently superior to 442. Many people can argue very persuasively, that when mastered properly 442 will be more effective - just ask CG! The problem is, we can play 352 very well; we cannot play 442 & remain a force to be reckoned with. It's not just a training thing -though no doubt with hard work we can become less ineffective when playing this formation - it's down to the players available & their strengths & weaknesses. Just look at how toothless & vulnerable the full England team have looked with players asked to play out of position in order to fit a preferred or enforced formation.

[Slartibartfast]

MacDonald played for 80 minutes before getting his injury, which looks like it will keep him out for the rest of the season, J.C. was probably thinking, and it is hard not to agree with him, that 80 minutes is not long enough to judge a player.