Brizzle Rovers up next...

Good solid performance. Once again, I was struck about how down to earth and honest Kmc is in post match interviews. Said exactly what I saw, great for 35-40 minutes but really sloppy either side of 1/2 time. Need to eradicate that as next 3 games are far more challenging. Come out if these 3 still top would be a decent achievement but it’s 1 game at a time

 

I don't think the results against our direct competition at the top of the league will make as much difference as us getting points against the rest. This is where we have improved. We can mix it with the rough and tumble teams now and those are the results we were not getting before. Sure we struggled against the better teams but we also didn't get results where we were supposed to, this has been rectified and will help us stay out in front.

 

With 2 very young children I wish I went to sleep 10 mins after the game but I'm too hyped up. Sorry to hear your still dealing with recovery from your accident.

I'm not being too critical of Ladapo, I think its a really tough role to play in this team. We've seen some very good performances as a team and individally under McKenna, you would say some players are flourishing under his guidance and this formation but the striker role (who ever plays it) is usually a 5/6 out of 10 every week as they are generally pretty isolated and certainly is a position it doesnt look easy to flourish in. He's certainly better with his back to goal than what we've had before but feel he lacks that ability/desire/instinct to get across his marker in the box, from the little I've seen of Ahadme he looks to have this. Plus he's in good form this season and feel we should be playing someone who has been in form.

Burns form is a slight concern but as I've said before he doesn't look like he's got as much space as before out there that's partly because players are doubling up on him (they did do that last season and it didn't matter) but also because playing 2 10s and especially Chaplin takes some of that space away from him. I do think KVY and Edwards are decent replacements down that right hand side, plus we've seen Jackson play there so we do have options.

 

It's definitely stepped up a notch this season but you can see the progress being made. Let us not forget despite the decent more consistent performances last season McKennas form would not have been good enough for us to get in the playoffs and our last 14 games of the season we were in worse form than that which got Cook the sack.

 

I agree with the majority of your post although I do still feel we are a little harsh on both Lambert and Cook. McKenna is clearly the better coach but Lambert and Cook are both high achievers in the game and let's not forget apparently Robson and Ferguson weren't the best 'coach's'. If we look back at what Lambert had to deal with in terms of backing and squad I actually think he did well to get us competing at the top of this division for as long as he did, plus we clearly didn't have an environment at the club in which managers flourished.

I'm gutted it didn't work for Cook and I was quite shocked at some of the decisions he made but in hindsight the demolition of the squad was a good one and he signed some very good players. The performances were patchy under Cook but that's only natural with a new manager and so many new players, I think form would've naturally improved as the team 'gelled'. It was also clear there was a clash of personalities at the top which seemed to undermine Cook, so perhaps it would never have worked although based on his previous record and looking at Chesterfield now I still think if he wouldn't have been undermined by Ashton he would've achieved something here. But clearly McKenna fits out set up and it's great that we've gone back to our roots and giving a young up and coming manager the chance to prove themselves, I just think it's a shame we didn't seem to allow a manager of Cook's stature in the game to flourish.

For however well McKenna has done so far, he hasn't proven himself yet and he's taken over the club at probably the most stable with the best backing we've had in years. And he admits that's why he took this job, if we don't achieve some sort of success/improvement this season there are no excuses.

 

If we keep up our form against the 'lesser' sides I'd take 3 draws, would be great to put a marker down though.

 

I reckon Lambert arrived a has been and left a has been. He bullshitted his way through and contributed nothing at all.

Cook on the other hand brought in all the talent that set McKenna up. What an eye for a signing.

 

When you look at the team Lambert inherited though, the amount of has beens and not good enoughs and the backing behind the scenes I'm pretty sure anyone would've struggled and for alot of the time he got results which were above what I was expecting anyway. I mean I'm pretty sure at some point we had a one man strike force of Jordan Roberts who's not even a striker. And at times the team was full of youngsters all of whom have gone on to achieve nothing in the game with the exception of Downes. The long and short of it was we were mismanaged as a club from top to bottom and Lambert was here at the worst time.

Cook on the other hand had financial backing...you think he would've been demolition man if ME was still there not a chance. Unfortunately for Cook he wasn't Ashtons man and whilst he got financial backing it appeared he was undermined in other ways.

McKenna has the luxury of a solid squad to build on, financial support and he's Ashtons man. As I said there are no excuses now for not succeeding.

 

The joys of being a young Dad! I am going to be a Grandpa for 1st time next week.

 

Congratulations!

 

Congrats gaffer, you can do all the things you couldn't as a parent

 

Yeah, like give the baby back at the end of the day

 

Many thanks for all your kind words, you are all the best of forum mates, and I am lucky to have got to a ripe old age and enjoying the best footie at ITFC for years.

Having survived cancer and a serious road accident, and not caught covid, I am simply glad to be alive and living for every day and cant wait to A. Go up to PR again and see a live game B. Go see my grand daughter in Lisbon, that's where they live, work and play!