Time and time again we are led into a false sense of security into thinking we match actually be able to pull away from the relegation zone and then we mess up. We have one of the most leakiest defence's in the league and Taylor still continues to persevere with Legge and Barrett as a partnership. Why? If they concede that many goals then maybe you shouldn't play them???? Martin has not been anywhere near the player he was last year, he hasn't been the freedom to attack down the wing and have a winger in front of him willing to track back and support him. Hewitt for me sounds pretty inconsistent too, I know he had a decent game yesterday but why keep the same defence week on week if they aren't performing? Harriman is waiting in the wings for a return to his natural position and why Callum Davies hasn't had a look in this year is beyond me. Taylor still isn't the man for the job, yes you can argue we have to make do with what we've got but Barrett has probably been our most costly player this season. If the ball is hoofed up in the air, its his bread and butter. However we aren't playing against many hoofball teams this year, players like Assombalonga, Donaldson, Lowe and even Aneke yesterday must look at our defence and have a field day knowing that they will be able to out sprint them so easily. So why bother to play the same poor player time and again? He's the captain you could argue, and? His tactical nous of football apart from hoofing the ball up is about as diverse as a ream of white A4 paper. He offers nothing in League One and all the Bournemouth fans did warn us. Also thought I would just add that Mad Dog won his first game back as Barnet manager yesterday
Got to be honest before the match even kicked off and seeing the team selection, I lost any faith I had remaining in Taylor. Wished we could be told the team sheet 24hrs in advance so I can decide whether its worth turning up or not. Even a donkey could have predicted that dreadful dross yesterday. Sorry I've given up playing on words, that was truly awful yesterday.
It's no coincidence that since Bournemouth have offloaded the likes of Barrett and Gregory (plus no doubt a few others), they have gone from league one stragglers to mid-table in the Championship... And I see them as a similar sized club to us... IF (and that's still a big IF) we survive this season, then some very tough decisions will need to be made, not only on playing staff, but of the management as well. I would only like to see Cody, Bayo/Kedwell (not both), Nelson, Dack, Hessy jnr, Linganzi (if can prove fitness), and Whelpdale (fitness again) here next season. The rest can go. This is the only way to progress, otherwise it will be continuous battles to avoid the drop... and that'll be a battle we will eventually lose! Has PT got the bottle to do this... Time will tell...
I think you can add Cody to the "see ya later aligator" list, he simply is too inconsitant at this level.
Usually I like to think I stick up for our players and try and argue against posts of this nature but I have to admit I agreed with pretty much everything that has been said. The only thing I would say in Taylors defence is that he did bring in Inniss and started him against Sheffield United but injury stopped him very early on but with him coming back towards fitness he might add a different dynamic? I'm still willing to let Taylor have a go at building his own team next year but I must say my optimism is decreasing week on week. Still think there are 4 worse than us in this division (Notts County, Shrewsbury, Carlisle and Tranmere) and they will go down and mean that we stay up but steps really need to be taken to shake things up, hate to seem petty but a lot of the stick that Taylor is getting is due to the short sighted nature of a lot of Allen's signings in League 2 but I guess that topics been gone over again and again. Good post and maybe it might be worth getting through this year and starting again with a new manager and new ideas. Billy Davis is out the job I note, very unlikely but maybe someone might see potential in us!
Bring in billy daviesfrom forest now theyve sacked him. A bit hot headed andmay not get on with scally but imo a good manager who knows what hes doing
Gees, I nearly spat my tea out then vinney. Bring in Billy Davies? Really ? You mean this guy? http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/football/competitions/championship/10718866/Billy-Davies-was-destined-for-failure-at-Nottingham-Forest-after-a-year-of-drama-fallouts-and-media-blackouts.html
As for the original post. It's frustrating isn't it that we just seem to get our heads above the pack, only to fall in a game we should do ok in. My only response is that, that is exactly what mid-table teams do. Win some, lose some. Beat top teams, lose to bottom teams. And we seem to do it better than most As for PT's team selections. I reckon he is just rotating players with a view to next season. Seeing who can do a job, who can't. It's not as if he is rotating players out that have played poorly. He demotes some players after a good game. That's happened to Hess, Gregory, Lingazi & Dack I think. Maybe more.
Problem is by dropping the players after playing well doesn't enable the players to continue that form. Especially for the young players like Dack and Hess. Continuity improves confidence and enables the players to play more freely. Thats why Bayo and Cody were doing so much better until Bayo was being rotated for Pigott.
Looking at the Crewe game the big thing you noticed was a lack of passion from some and worse still a lack of caring, whilst I realise all the players have their "big" clubs that they support if they play for us and take the money then we deserve their loyalty. If you look at Kedwell, Hess, Dack, even if not the best on the day you always get the passion, you can see that a poor performance or result seems to bother them and they care. Let's drop the back 4 and stick our development defenders in their place, they might not prove better but they will try and it might give the others the kick they need.
I agree regarding Bournemouth and Barrett and Gregory however they may have a similar size ground to us but they now have rich investors who have backed the club hence why they are where they are right now. Secondly Billy Davies like we could afford him. I thought it was a cracking first half on Saturday but the second was woeful we really do struggle when we go behind. I love the doom and gloom as soon as we lose a game again. I think Crewe are a better side than their league position suggest and they were a typical Crewe team who knocked the ball around well. They also have Chucks Aneke who is one of the best strikers in this league and his second goal was superb.
They got stuffed by Notts County at home tonight and if Taylor had managed the same then we would be vying for the playoffs with the Posh losing again! I've been hoping that Notts County stay up and maybe they might just manage it. I was working tonight so can't comment on our game.
I can't comment on the game either, but we won away against a top 10 side I think tonight's game showed what we are. A mid table team that will win some lose some. We had much the same team out (as the Crewe game) that everyone thinks is hopeless, with no Dack, Hess etc. But they battled gamely and got a very unexpected win against a side that is desperate to make the play-offs. MK Dons fans on their sites are as frustrated as we are that their team is capable of beating the best sides and losing to the lower teams (us). Me? I'll just live with it for this season and enjoy the ride and relative safety we no have. Maybe next season we might move up a little and flirt with the top 10 or top 6. Maybe. I'll be disappointed, but I won't keep slating them every time we lose a game we think we shouldn't.
