A game when we were second best for long periods though we could have snatched a point in the end. We gave away an awful goal early but Wildig did well on the break to put Woods in for our quick reply. After that we were totally outclassed for the rest of the first half and grateful to Weale for an outstanding save just before half time to keep the score at 2-1. I thought Weale could have done better with the third goal and after that MK Dons strolled around as if they had it won easily so they got a nasty shock when Jacobson popped up in the box to show our strikers how it should be done. We had a couple of half-chances in injury time and might have nicked a point. The problems remain all over the pitch - the lack of a specialist right back, the lack of decent strikers or creativity from midfield have all been apparent from the start of the season and our moribund management have done nothing about them. Schmeltz was a rare positive - he has a bit of skill and pace and can actually deliver a good cross. Woods was the pick of the team with his energy and some good passing and he actually looks as if he cares. Apart from that the team is full of players who are not good enough at this level or are out of form (Taylor put in as poor a performance as I can remember from him). Well done to the very vocal lady who took issue with several idiots who were shouting abuse at their own players after the first goal - places like this forum are the right place to vent our frustrations and I hate to hear our players being barracked by their own fans. Not a terrible performance as we did make a few chances but overall this team has relegation stamped all over it (and has done from the start of the season). The weary resignation from the fans at our end says it all and it has been a season too far for our manager.
Any other manager would have been sacked by now, no sorry by February so that the new one can't use the transfer window to sort things out. I really do hope that something went drastically wrong with GTs plans in the summer regarding players staying / going Stats on players offered new contracts last summer:- Jon Taylor, Aaron Wildig, Connor Goldson, Jermaine Grandison, Tom Bradshaw, Ryan Woods Players not offered new contracts:- Mark Wright, now at Tamworth - 15 games 1 goal Marvin Morgan, Plymouth - 12 games, 1 goal, 2 assists, out with shoulder injury requiring surgery Rob Purdie, Hereford - 14 games, 2 assists Matt Richards, now at Cheltenham - 21 games 4 goals Ryan Doble - no club
Matster, Thanks for the interesting update on the players released - I do not think many would argue with those decisions though players like Richards, Morgan and Wright did serve us well in League 2. It is just that the quality of the new signings has not really improved us much. We can all see the short term loan option is very disruptive and is not working so the question to the club must be what strategy they intend to use to keep the club in and then establish itself in League 1. Look at Rotherham. Port Vale and Bradford and how well they have done this year - Certainly two of those may have financial advantages over us but that is probably not the case with Port vale. I was worried when GT came back he would not be able to work the miracle and would end up tarnishing his reputation. He exceeded my expectations in the first two years and probably should have gone having kept us up last year - unfortunately this year started badly and is getting worse. Lets hope we can still salvage things starting with a much needed win against Rotherham though their away form looks ominously good.
Based on attendances, I would imagine that all of those 3 have greater budgets than ourselves. All 3 are not averse to loaning players. Rotherham currently have 4, Bradford City 2 and Vile 1. It is just a fact of life in the lower leagues.
speaking from afar , i notice complaints are made about GT being slow to react and not using subs early enough. i know we are playing a crop of high flyers but we need a few points soon, hopefully away at blades. and home to vale, although my glass is fast emptying. we have 18 days of the t/f window left, i do not think gt has any money to spend except on wonga loans. given gt lack of success with previous loans, the owd lad must be scared to use rowland's money. come on roland and graham prove us wrong, and /or prepare for lower league life. there is a lot to be said for top 8 football in L2 over a continuous struggle, even with lower gates and wages. the other thing against the geography of shrewsbury is we are perceived as a club in the back of beyond, and no one wants to move here. answer to that is grow your own talent. why are we not? final straw may be our losing weale in 2 weeks time to doncaster. purely a b and a rumour. so come on town, is it time for retirements in the board room and in management. a new player/asst manager would be a step in the right direction, and gt may soon be announcing his retirement in may . we may wish to consider relacements sooner than later. Floreat Salopia!
Good news on Weale....he could be the player to keep us up....if we do stay up! If we get two points from the next four matches I'll be surprised; it looks like a difficult few weeks. Keep the faith, spend some money and floreat salopia. Also, don't get blase about our good goal difference, there are two other teams in our predicament who have good differences.....we must get points!
Weale (who did not have a great game overall on Saturday) will not keep us up unless we can score some goals at the other end!
If Mr.Weale is sold I bet the money goes to the retirement fund.....not a decent striker who fancies the Salopian rural idyll!
on radio 5 last night, it was said that mkd manager is 6th longest serving manager, joining as long ago as may 2010!
