Saturday 13th January 2024

[GTFCfish]

We didn’t look like a team who will get into the top 7 today.

That strike partnership was terrible. That won’t work - it won’t work with Gordon and/or another either. Another striker needed. DJ was anonymous and DJT completely ineffective. The style of football doesn’t suit them at all.

Daniels was clearly told not to push into midfield today - bad call. He was also awful.

We have no replacements for Earing and Hutch if they go off. We actually went more defensive with Stirk on for Earing. An 8/10 is desperately needed.

Gordon was really poor today. Taylor Allen is even worse.


Knowles is absolutely dreadful at defending.

Hnmmm. But aside from that… we have the perfect chance now with 3/4 games at home. I’ll give us the benefit of doubt after that today - time for Sadler to put us back on track.

I do think we need some proper investment in this January window for the squad to be effective. All going well - our first 11 is very good when we want to be brave. However… the changes and depth of the squad in key positions is really obvious and lacking.

A disappointing passive perfomance.

Yeah you were pretty shit going forward against us too.

 

[AR27]

Decent first half, dreadful second. Colchester were hopeless but we weren't much better in all fairness.

 

[Reginald Fodstain]

Horrible team, MK. Still, pressed us really well all game whilst we sat off and played for a point. Only one team deserved to win that. Dean Lewington is evidently immortal and put up a quality display against Rob Apter, class is permanent. Still very much what we round here would call a "narky little blert." And don't get me started on their bench straying water into the crowd after they scored the winner!

 

[Alfie]

 

[Chris FGR]

We already knew that we can't pass the ball, close people down, stop crosses or string many decent attacking moves together, but at the very least under Deeney up till now we showed a bit more fight and passion. None of that today, went down with an absolute whimper. Gorrin, the new supposedly experienced calming presence in midfield stupidly sent off and our new loan youngster in goal looking nervous as fuck.

Oh well I'm sure we'll bounce back on Tuesday in a nice easy trip to Mansfield.

 

[chief]

We were absolutely shit from start to finish. National League awaits

The natural order prevails.

 

[Casey]

To say that should have been six or seven is to do it an injustice. Thing is it should have been six or seven to Salford!

Their keeper is the main playmaker. He just smacked the ball towards the channels and we couldn't cope. OK Matt Smith but we couldn't cope with any of it.

No complaints about the result. About the performance...!

Casey

 

[WhiteRussian]

Horrible team, MK. Still, pressed us really well all game whilst we sat off and played for a point. Only one team deserved to win that. Dean Lewington is evidently immortal and put up a quality display against Rob Apter, class is permanent. Still very much what we round here would call a "gnarky little blert." And don't get me started on their bench straying water into the crowd after they scored the winner!

I'm amazed we won that with Kelly in goal. He was utter utter dros when we got tonked by Brighton kids in the pizza cup. I presume MacGillivray must be off though if that's the case I don't know why he would be on the bench. SAulking he hasn't got his move maybe? It's a good win for us though as Tranmere have been hot at home for the past half a dozen or so games. Very pleased.

 

[jacobncfc]

Embarrassing from everyone involved. Loads of fun, but that was kids’ football, neither team with any kind of shape or plan or anything. You know something’s gone wrong when it finished 5-5 and that’s basically a fair reflection of the game.

 

[Optipez]

We're throwing the season away. You can't score as many as we do and not pick up wins. Midfield was powder puff, we lost so many 50/50s in the first half.
They show real spirit and the front five must be completely pissed off with the rest of the team and their inability to just hold a lead for three minutes.

 

[jacobncfc]

We're throwing the season away. You can't score as many as we do and not pick up wins. Midfield was powder puff, we lost so many 50/50s in the first half.
They show real spirit and the front five must be completely pissed off with the rest of the team and their inability to just hold a lead for three minutes.

They must, but also the words ‘front five’ give a good idea of what the problem is haha.

 

[Limerick Mariner]

The league's entertainers take it up a notch or two with that one.

Those extended highlights should be great.

I do fear with the head coach departed likely preventing the obviously needed signing or two we may quietly put of the playoff race to settle comfortably and entertainingly in mid table.

I also fear for lowly Grimsby , 11 conceded in last two games and both games at home!

But look the progress we’ve made since the last game. Tranmere next up at BP will get 9-6 pasting

 

[dan_wrexhamafc]

Shocking first half. Would of been atleast a goal behind if they had Ali what's hid name up top.

Much better 2nd half, pushed up to make it harder for them to play out from the back. Fletcher is quality, genuinely dodged a bullet with Armstrong not getting done an picking him up on a free

 

[WilsdenBantam]

Dreadful game of football, only really bothered about trying to get a visit to Wembley in the tinpot trophy, but no doubt we’ll balls it up. Colchester were appealing as well. They’re lucky both below them can’t buy a win.

 

[Optipez]

They must, but also the words ‘front five’ give a good idea of what the problem is haha.

True. I'd happily take a dour 361 formation at the moment because I'm getting tired of watching us play like amateurs.
I'm actually away so watched the livestream and am a bit more dispassionate from a distance and defensively we're just pathetic and seemingly don't care as nothing changes.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

We're throwing the season away. You can't score as many as we do and not pick up wins. Midfield was powder puff, we lost so many 50/50s in the first half.
They show real spirit and the front five must be completely pissed off with the rest of the team and their inability to just hold a lead for three minutes.

Yeah obviously but we spent our budget on the attacking players so it's hardly a surprise. That added to our style of play results in what we've seen this season. Loads of goals scored loads conceded. The balance is all wrong.

Yes frustrating, Sunday league defending at times, championship attacking at others, very entertaining, madness.

Its simple you can't play this approach away from home with who we have in defence and goal and consider promotion. Saying that it's our first season, I never thought we would be ready. Take out two of the front five and upgrade two at the back and i wouldn't be surprised if we weren't in similar position in the table.

It's certainly better than watching dreadful 0-0 or 1-1s and getting the same number of points.

Oh and Jodi Jones....Gold. Assist machine.

 

[mightyshrimp]

Happy with a 1-1 draw against Mansfield ,was an entertaining game both teams had there chances ,we also had a goal disallowed ,after this week when all of the loan players including our top scorer left it wasn't looking good ,we are not going to get any funds from our tosspot owner this transfer window so any positive result is a bonus

 

[Master D]

Shocking first half. Would of been atleast a goal behind if they had Ali what's hid name up top.

Much better 2nd half, pushed up to make it harder for them to play out from the back. Fletcher is quality, genuinely dodged a bullet with Armstrong not getting done an picking him up on a free

Fletcher is a different class, oozes quality. Teams are still not picking up on that run to the back post from corners he does, it's criminal really.

It was quite a scrappy game and we were not at our best at all really but the workrate was there and that saw us through. The shorts on the Wimbledon 31 were obscene, he was essentially wearing hot pants.

 

[saddler78]

Also thought Stockport were good today way too strong for us in the second half and just to add any team in this division that can Bring Powell and Madden off the bench in League 2 shouldn't be moaning about injuries that squad Is good enough to cope with it.

 

[jacobncfc]

True. I'd happily take a dour 361 formation at the moment because I'm getting tired of watching us play like amateurs.
I'm actually away so watched the livestream and am a bit more dispassionate from a distance and defensively we're just pathetic and seemingly don't care as nothing changes.

It’s just very frustrating, partly because our problem/what makes us so good in attack is the same thing - the wing backs. Jones got five (!) assists today, taking him past anyone in the top four leagues’ total for the whole of last season, and Nemane two goals. But they offer so little defensively that we scored five and still didn’t win… so is it worth it!?!

If a new manager can crack making us a bit more solid within this system and those two at wing back then we’ve cracked it and will take some stopping, but god knows if it’s possible.

 

[pontoonlew]

4-5 would’ve been an absolute travesty. Yet again a side come here and score with pretty much every chance they had.

We could’ve had 2 or 3 more as well, mental game.

 

[TheEndIsNigh]

Stupid game. We have no full backs, nothing in the middle but a league 1/maybe even championship strike force. I couldn’t even try to comment on Grimsby after that.

The ref was definitely a wanker as well.

 

[womble76]

We were decent enought at wrexham today. Thought they were bang average.. shame we didn't face them with a full side. Missing a one on one start of second half cost us badly. Anyway on we go.

 

[Amber Nectar]

You'll bounce back on Tuesday.

We'll make you look like Barcelona

 

[FGR-Star]

We'll make you look like Barcelona

We have a bunch of gutless clowns! You will be fine!

 

[Ellis]

Expected a lot more from Walsall given their recent form. With only 13 outfield players fit and no right back any decent side would have had us today. First half we were lethargic and playing exactly like a team down to the bare bones. Missed opportunity from Sadler the way he set Walsall up - looked defeated before a ball had been kicked.

Second half was a return to our old performances and a glimmer of light that we might be able to hang in the top three by our fingernails until March when we should see most of our midfield and MSH back.

 

[saddler78]

Expected a lot more from Walsall given their recent form. With only 13 outfield players fit and no right back any decent side would have had us today. First half we were lethargic and playing exactly like a team down to the bare bones. Missed opportunity from Sadler the way he set Walsall up - looked defeated before a ball had been kicked.

Second half was a return to our old performances and a glimmer of light that we might be able to hang in the top three by our fingernails until March when we should see most of our midfield and MSH back.

We were far too passive today can't understand why we've played miles better than that recently we seemed happy to sit back and allow you to have the ball.The good thing is we've done our tough run of fixtures now we should be picking up more points after today.

 

[EnglishRed]

We were decent enought at wrexham today. Thought they were bang average.. shame we didn't face them with a full side. Missing a one on one start of second half cost us badly. Anyway on we go.

You were good, we were 'bang average' but yet you still lost? funny that.

We didn't play well - flattest we've been for a while in the first half. But playing poorly and still winning comfortably bodes well.

 

[Master D]

Nobody thinks we're any good, it was the same last season.

 

[JJ1990]

Very so-so performance today. Had a great first 30 minutes, scored a cracker, looked dangerous and like we were going to run away with it. They scored from basically their first attack and we just lost confidence for the final 15 minutes of the first half.

2nd half was a strange one, they had more possession but created nothing, we scored from a rare attack and saw it out fairly comfortably. Lots to work on and improve, still need bodies in a few areas. But still, deserved win and takes us 3 away from the magical 50.