Saturday 9th December

[Meadow]

What a pathetic excuse for a football team. Offered absolutely nothing. Wimbledon weren’t that great - they didn’t have to be to beat our shower of shit. Fucked off with the owner, manager and players.

Just fuck the fuck off - the lot of them.

You weren't that bad. The difference was that we took our chances and you didn't. Omar did what JJ asked of him, Armani scored a worldie and Ali, say no more.

 

[Indian Dan]

On another forum you’ve indicated that you didn’t go to the match but we’re on the piss in Bath unless I’ve mistaken you for someone else. If that’s the case how do you know we offered absolutely nothing?

Cos I watched the entire game on iFollow and I was in Bath during the evening. That OK with you?

we’ve conceded 7 goals without reply in the last 100 minutes of football, got a manager who has won 8 games out of 26 and a host of players who don’t appear to give a shit.

We‘ve been told by our CEO that ST holders are freeloaders cos we get 9 ‘free’ games a season, we’ve got dodgy goings on in Pakistan, no investment in the team, a convicted drug money launderer stinking the place out who got beaten up on his doorstep - and that’s the fella Clem had as Vice Chairman.

The club stinks from top to bottom.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

We

Cos I watched the entire game on iFollow and I was in Bath during the evening. That OK with you?

we’ve conceded 7 goals without reply in the last 100 minutes of football, got a manager who has won 8 games out of 26 and a host of players who don’t appear to give a shit.

We‘ve been told by our CEO that ST holders are freeloaders cos we get 9 ‘free’ games a season, we’ve got dodgy goings on in Pakistan, no investment in the team, a convicted drug money launderer stinking the place out who got beaten up on his doorstep - and that’s the fella Clem had as Vice Chairman.

The club stinks from top to bottom.

We hit the post at 1-0 down at the start of the half. That goes in and the result "could" have been very different so hardly "absolutely nothing". Unlike yourself, I and Meadow were there and we've seen the game differently to those that watched it on a laptop or phone. I also watched the interview with the CEO and whilst he came across as ignorant, arrogant and disinterested he didnt mention the word "freeloaders".

 

[womble76]

Harsh on us imo. We were sharp all over the pitch. Solid at back and organised with a goal threat. That's all you need to succeed at this level

What a pathetic excuse for a football team. Offered absolutely nothing. Wimbledon weren’t that great - they didn’t have to be to beat our shower of shit. Fucked off with the owner, manager and players.

Just fuck the fuck off - the lot of them.

 

[Alfie]

Casey


Edit: jyst watched the after game manager interview and Lindsey is taking full blame for their goal. Seems he shouted to Maguire to leave it believing it would run through to the keeper. Said he will be playing the clean sheet bonus.

 

[Indian Dan]

We

We hit the post at 1-0 down at the start of the half. That goes in and the result "could" have been very different so hardly "absolutely nothing". Unlike yourself, I and Meadow were there and we've seen the game differently to those that watched it on a laptop or phone. I also watched the interview with the CEO and whilst he came across as ignorant, arrogant and disinterested he didnt mention the word "freeloaders".

Well, if you’re happy with how things are going that’s fine and dandy. And it really is bollocks saying the game was different ‘live’ than on TV. How do you take the comment that ST holders are getting too many ‘free’ games then.

It is obvious that nobody at the club has a clue on how to run it - apart from into the ground. Are you happy with a convicted money launderer being so closely associated with the club. We’ve got the outcome of the Power/Standing civil case to be heard which will expose more dirty washing as to the previous funding of the club plus, now, the money Abramovich supposedly put in Power’s pocket in return for God knows what.

 

[Cloudy]

Shite performance, manager got his starting tactics woefully wrong and the players just looked tired from about the 5th minute onwards. Deserved nothing, got nothing. Artell set up Grimsby in a simple way, didn't do anything that fancy, they just wanted it more and had more about them in every department.

Driscoll-Glennon was outstanding, as was Conteh. Front 3 were a handful, midfield 3 the same. They just looked more up for it, which is inexcusable from our point of view.

Nobody from the Alex stood out. They were all dreadful in various forms. Burn the match tape and move on to Bristol Rovers on Tuesday.

Liked the look of O’Riordan ( 15) and one of the subs Rowe. Unfortunately one or two Crewe players looked disinterested or, in the case of the number 2, woefully unfit!
Grimsby were fully deserving of the points and perhaps 2-1 flattered Crewe.

The pitch was far from perfect but also clearly playable. Grimsby managed to try and play passing football whereby Crewe, surprisingly to me,were far more direct than I expected.

 

[Son of Cod]

Liked the look of O’Riordan ( 15) and one of the subs Rowe. Unfortunately one or two Crewe players looked disinterested or, in the case of the number 2, woefully unfit!
Grimsby were fully deserving of the points and perhaps 2-1 flattered Crewe.

The pitch was far from perfect but also clearly playable. Grimsby managed to try and play passing football whereby Crewe, surprisingly to me,were far more direct than I expected.

When we ghost into the playoff spots on the final day of the season and get Notts or Crewe, hopefully Stockwood we do doughnuts in a tractor all over Blundell Park the day before the home leg.

 

[GTFCfish]

I get the impression that Indian Dan and Dirk Diggler are not the best of friends.

 

[GTFCfish]

Cwe’ve conceded 7 goals without reply in the last 100 minutes of football, got a manager who has won 8 games out of 26 and a host of players who don’t appear to give a shit.

We‘ve been told by our CEO that ST holders are freeloaders cos we get 9 ‘free’ games a season, we’ve got dodgy goings on in Pakistan, no investment in the team, a convicted drug money launderer stinking the place out who got beaten up on his doorstep - and that’s the fella Clem had as Vice Chairman.

But apart from that are you happy?

 

[saddler78]

Worst performance of the season, as bad as Mansfield but the consolation there at least was that Mansfield are a good side. Walsall looked pretty average in all aspects but credit to them for taking their chances.

The defence was largely fine today (defensively, some of the distribution was woeful), we just miss Matty Palmer, Walsall went man for man and we had nothing in midfield. Austin was utterly abysmal, Bostock off it a bit and Gosling and O’Brien came off the bench and were genuinely an abomination. None of them can do the Palmer role of just being always available, laying the ball off etc… and keeping everything moving - kind of the key valve of the team.

Having said all that, never been more convinced in my life that our fanbase don’t deserve anything nice, some real growing melodrama in the stands given where we are and where we were 18 months ago. We’re clearly not good enough to compete at the top but we knew depth was an issue all along, so it’s hardly surprising we’ve dropped off since losing players.

Big few weeks for Williams, he either blindly hunkers down and we probably get no better and then bring 2-3 players in January or he installs a short-term pragmatism until we get reinforcements and can properly play ‘his style’.

from what i saw you have some good technical players for this level but it looks like you may have been found out a little press you high and give you no time and space seems to be the easy way to play against you at the moment.

 

[Indian Dan]

But apart from that are you happy?

As well you know, being a fan you, mostly, take whatever shit is thrown at you. Most can accept being shite if there is genuinely not much money to run a club, but our attendances are high, ticket prices high, no longer pay rent for the ground, have a sparse squad to fund (rumoured budget of well under £2m) and an owner who promised not to take a penny out of the club. So if we’ve got a turnover of £7m+, and a playing budget of less than £2m and the owner not taking anything, where’s the other £5m gone. Our expenses can’t be that much different than any other L2 club.

 

[Optipez]

from what i saw you have some good technical players for this level but it looks like you may have been found out a little press you high and give you no time and space seems to be the easy way to play against you at the moment.

It has been the way last season too but we were plenty good enough to play through it. This year is tougher. We lost Rodrigues who scored and assisted plenty , Cedwyn Scott who scored 14 last season and is a physical handful to a season long injury and now Palmer who's been the absolute kingpin for the season too.
Without Palmer the defence gets little cover and the strikers less service. He makes Bostock and the others look better and can run all day.
It's all about the transfer window for us.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

What an excellent summary.

 

[Dirk Diggler]

I get the impression that Indian Dan and Dirk Diggler are not the best of friends.

I don't know the bloke from Adam and have no wish to meet him and hear his views. Its bad enough reading them on here.

 

[Luke Imp]

Bell has lost his head there if trying to play through the middle when he has no available midfielders is his actual plan.

The pitch was indeed atrocious, but we managed to play football on it. Think you nailed it in your first post in that we were just more up for it than you. Seems I was right about the Artell factor not really being something that would have been a motivating factor for your players.

I noticed on the highlight show that it looked horrendous, was that just from the game?

 

[Son of Cod]

I noticed on the highlight show that it looked horrendous, was that just from the game?

Yeah, the pitch was just sodden, it's been okay otherwise this season. It was bad at kickoff on Sat. We've had pitch problems ever since we furloughed the ground staff back in the COVID season though. Do you remember the penalty box humps? We got rid of them and installed a new standard drainage system that just isn't as effective it seems. Probably didn't help that the youths played in the FA Youth Cup on it on Tuesday and then the rain came. Next home match is not for two weeks now thankfully. To be fair to our ground staff though, Mansfield and Bradford who you'd imagine had similarish weather both had home games called off.

 

[Conker]

We spent a load on drainage but clearly it’s not working very well.

 

[Indian Dan]

I don't know the bloke from Adam and have no wish to meet him and hear his views. Its bad enough reading them on here.

Of course, I couldn't recognise you anyway, what with your head buried in the sand!

 

[Gladders]

We spent a load on drainage but clearly it’s not working very well.

That's because it's programmed to only work when you are in good form and the opposition are not.

 

[Conker]

That's because it's programmed to only work when you are in good form and the opposition are not.

Well I don’t think we fancied 18 days without a game!

 

[jacobncfc]

The injury to Palmer has completely killed our season at the minute, we just don’t have anyone who can do what he does and our whole style of football is built around it.

First half was fine, not vintage but we looked in control and worth the 1-0 lead. Second half Walsall had a go and pressed higher and we fell to bits again because the guy who dealt with that kind of situation and played through it isn’t there. I’m not really sure what we can do for the next few games until we can try and sign someone, try and grind out a couple of results but that really isn’t our way. Absolutely sod all on the bench as well, every sub Williams tried somehow managed to make us even worse.

Thought Walsall looked alright, second half was the worst we’ve played under Williams but even so they took advantage and looked organised.

 

[1862]

The injury to Palmer has completely killed our season at the minute, we just don’t have anyone who can do what he does and our whole style of football is built around it.

First half was fine, not vintage but we looked in control and worth the 1-0 lead. Second half Walsall had a go and pressed higher and we fell to bits again because the guy who dealt with that kind of situation and played through it isn’t there. I’m not really sure what we can do for the next few games until we can try and sign someone, try and grind out a couple of results but that really isn’t our way. Absolutely sod all on the bench as well, every sub Williams tried somehow managed to make us even worse.

Thought Walsall looked alright, second half was the worst we’ve played under Williams but even so they took advantage and looked organised.

Every option I come up with falls down when I realise I have no faith in the defence to hold up. If we had another CB I'd try Cameron and Macari as full backs in a 4 and sacrifice McGoldrick or Crowley. Might still be the best way even if it means playing Rawlinson.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

Every option I come up with falls down when I realise I have no faith in the defence to hold up. If we had another CB I'd try Cameron and Macari as full backs in a 4 and sacrifice McGoldrick or Crowley. Might still be the best way even if it means playing Rawlinson.

Reading those last two sentences just made me feel sick. My faith in Rawlinson disappeared come half time in the opening game of the season, sadly.

 

[jacobncfc]

Every option I come up with falls down when I realise I have no faith in the defence to hold up. If we had another CB I'd try Cameron and Macari as full backs in a 4 and sacrifice McGoldrick or Crowley. Might still be the best way even if it means playing Rawlinson.

I think four at the back might have to be an option for a bit - Chicksen as an orthodox left back would be fine, I think, and work it so Nemane is the one we sacrifice for now.

Definitely having some mistakes from the summer exposed now. The 'two senior goalkeepers' thing has basically just ruined two average goalkeepers' confidence completely, not bringing in a new senior centre back at all looks mad and, while understandable, leaving us without cover for Palmer has been a disaster. Don't think it's all impossible to sort out, but the short term looks a bit messy.

 

[1862]

I think four at the back might have to be an option for a bit - Chicksen as an orthodox left back would be fine, I think, and work it so Nemane is the one we sacrifice for now.

Definitely having some mistakes from the summer exposed now. The 'two senior goalkeepers' thing has basically just ruined two average goalkeepers' confidence completely, not bringing in a new senior centre back at all looks mad and, while understandable, leaving us without cover for Palmer has been a disaster. Don't think it's all impossible to sort out, but the short term looks a bit messy.

If we left Nemane out, I'd be interested to see what playing Langstaff and Jones left and right of McGoldrick would look like. Wouldn't mean much if we can't get the ball to them though.

It's definitely not impossible to fix, it's an interesting show of how much the owners want us to go up this season though. A midfielder is the only absolute must imo (as we should be firing Gosling into the sun), we have bodies in goal and in defence even if they are poor. I wouldn't necessarily be happy but I would understand keeping the powder dry if the alternative is carrying 4 senior GKs and spending a lot to bring in a CB, when equivalent players might be available on a free in the summer.

 

[jacobncfc]

If we left Nemane out, I'd be interested to see what playing Langstaff and Jones left and right of McGoldrick would look like. Wouldn't mean much if we can't get the ball to them though.

It's definitely not impossible to fix, it's an interesting show of how much the owners want us to go up this season though. A midfielder is the only absolute must imo (as we should be firing Gosling into the sun), we have bodies in goal and in defence even if they are poor. I wouldn't necessarily be happy but I would understand keeping the powder dry if the alternative is carrying 4 senior GKs and spending a lot to bring in a CB, when equivalent players might be available on a free in the summer.

I would be tempted to have a look at Brooks in the four/five games between now and the new year. At some point you have to go from extremely promising youth international to staking a first team claim, and if it isn’t when the two more senior ‘keepers have both had a chance and thrown in absolute howlers on the regular, when is it?

 

[Optipez]

I would be tempted to have a look at Brooks in the four/five games between now and the new year. At some point you have to go from extremely promising youth international to staking a first team claim, and if it isn’t when the two more senior ‘keepers have both had a chance and thrown in absolute howlers on the regular, when is it?

The two keepers have proven over half a season not to be good enough. Brooks deserves a chance or release him if he's never going to be given a go.
I'd put Cisse on the bench along with Sanderson now as well as they can run hard for an hour if nothing else, certainly seen more in them than Randall who's having a horrible season.

 

[Son of Cod]

Said on here after our match at your place that Palmer was the best player on the pitch for me, quite clearly a pivotal player for you. Not the type of player you have two of in your squad though so while I don't think Williams should be criticised for that, the lack of replacement system doesn't reflect too well.

 

[The_Viking_Magpie]

He's been the best player on the pitch so often since arriving at Meadow Lane. Huge blow. Any backup version is a huge drop off from Matty P.

Williams is a systems man so I'm not surprised he didn't want to change it after Plan A has been so successful prior to this huge injury loss.