Cant believe we've won 11 games out of 15 away this season. Now 2 home games against Bury and Rochdale, and then we still have played 1 more game away than at home.
No reflection on the players. They are doing all that could be expected, and more. But they cannot all keep on playing match after match. What have we got this huge squad for if not to give one or two a rest for midweek games? I would bring in Hayes and Hughes against Bury. And if we are winning, bring on Stephens for Hollands. Then if we win that one we could afford to rest BWP and Green against Rochdale and give Haynes and Wagstaff a game. They are just examples of the modest changes we could make without weakening the team or altering the shape. No top manager keeps on playing the same team all through the season. You need a little rotation.
Lads, just on the way home from 3 days hard ski in the alps. Frantically refreshing on the train, when it flicked up with the green goal I couldn't resist shouting out COYR! Don't think rest of the swisses in the carriage were impressed but who cares? We are going up and now ur gonna believe us
I can't believe the 2 away games I went to were the defeat at Stevenage and the draw at Walsall. The club ought to pay me to stay at home
Forever an Addick, so you're a Dartford fan too. Nice to have educated people on the site!!! My computer went down for the whole afternoon, so I missed commentary on the six goals the Darts scored plus the updates on the Beeb showing our first win at Exeter since 1929 (ah yes, I remember it well). Still, who gives a hoot, we're nine points clear, and going well. My daughter was born five years ago, and did'nt know I could be happy about football. Happy days!
I'm in the freshen it up camp. This run of ours is really out of this world but we are doing it without playing particularly well (although we are clearly doing something right!). Time we really gave someone a going over and got back to the silky football. Bury anyone? But if its win ugly I'll keep taking it.
I'm back. I've heard of winning ugly, but this was monkey-butt ugly... This team is looking tired, mentally and physically. We underestimate the pressure of being at the top of the league for so long, at our peril. Bradley Pritchard ran himself into the ground today and really should have come off ten minutes earlier, he had nothing else to prove or give. BWP likewise - he got through a real shift today but didn't get a sniff of goal - his exquisite cross onto Kermorgant's head would have proved a fitting end to his contribution, but the bullet header went just wide. Solly IMO was MoM today, just shading Kermit. In one move he got hustled off the ball in their half, tracked the player 40 yards back to win the ball back, it squirmed to another Exeter player and he won the ball off him as well, tremendous stuff. Stephens should have had way longer. In the short time he was on, he gave two or three lovely glimpses of what we've been missing during his absence. Hamer, despite a couple of point blank blocks was flapping like flag in a high wind. At one bizarre point, he caught a dismal looking cross and simply dropped it in front of him, right at the feet of an Exeter player and it finally took a beautifully timed tackle from JJ to clear the danger. Not even going to vaguely attempt a description of Green's cross/shot/misshit/whatever - it went in and that's all that counted. Another underwhelming performance from The Gel-Meister today - he's playing way too deep - four or five times today he passed forward to Solly to overlap and cross. What's wrong with this picture? Exeter were efficient, neat and deadly dull. They left it until we'd scored to bring on Bauza and Nardiello, who were simply class apart, goodness only knows what they were doing sitting on the bench. If they'd been on from the start, I think we'd have been hanging onto this one by our fingernails. Lovely, helpful and welcoming staff and stewards at what, amazingly is my first visit to St James Park, which despite obvious renovation in certain areas, sorry Grecians, is a khazi. Nine points clear - someone pinch me. COYR!!
I sort of agree with the freshen it up view, but looking at it from Powells perspective, imagine the reaction if he changed a couple of faces and we lost to Bury (Whaddaya doin' changin a winning team ffs?). Give Stephens a run. Give BWP a rest? Sounds good but as the yorkshiremen say, if it ain't broke don't fix it. Alan Pardew would no doubt reply,'if it ain't broke, fix it till it is!
Well, if you want to be over-cautious, we are only 38 points clear of a relegation place and are not safe yet.
It is often cheaper and more effective to service or repair things while they are still working and before they break down. Tewks went to the game and says the team are "looking tired, mentally and physically". The last time we had a comfortable win was Nov 5 against Preston. Since then we have have ten league matches when the boys have had to dig deep to take the lead, or hang on to the lead, or (in the case of Orient, unsuccessfully) try to salvage a point. That takes its toll. Yes, we could field the same team and probably grind out wins against Bury, Rochdale and Chesterfield, but if the wheels then come off in four very physical games against the Franchise, Tranmere, Stevenage and away to Bournemouth, it would be hard to raise the spirits again. I would never advocate many changes (as for the Brentford and Preston Cup matches). It is not that the incoming players are that much inferior. Most of them could hold down a place in other Div One sides (and many have done so). It is the understanding and pattern of play which is disrupted. But to give a couple of players a one-game rest in each of our next three fixtures shouldn't be disruptive and the "reserves" should be up to the job. I am talking about players like Cort, Evina, Hughes, Russell, Wagstaff, Hayes and Clarke, who are all tried and tested at this level. (Stephens' return looks already decided). If they are going to let us down against Bury, Rochdale and Chesterfield, what use will they be in the Championship next season? And I thought that was the goal of our squad building. He is paid big money to do what he thinks is right, not creep about trying to please the fans. Maybe CP doesn't take my view. But if he does, I don't imagine he will hold back from making changes just because he is scared of what the fans think. Bringing in Russell and Ephraim against Huddersfield supports that view.
