Stanley v U's Revisited

[Habbinalan]

I considered repeating the birding theme for this visit - Black Grouse and Dotterel could be within reach. However, East Lancs is a hotbed of Secondhand Vinyl Record Shops so a pre-match visit to Burnley, Huncoat and/or Great Harwood beckons to spend my £25 refund of petrol money from SkyBet. I wish I had time to get up to Nelson and Colne.

As one of the few (possibly sole online) supporters who is relatively accepting of how Derry has been playing his, striker-compromised, hand since the end of September, I'll be travelling in hope AND with a little bit of expectation. Unfortunately for those who demand entertainment and have had to suffer our dire home performances with no awayday relief, the best way to maximise our chance of winning when we can't field a fit and effective striker is to not concede. It has rarely worked at the Abbey but my own take is that we might well have been even more points adrift if we'd been more "adventurous."

I'm guessing a hard fought 0-0, perhaps even a set-piece 1-0 lead, by half time will be the plan ....... before we release the Corr. Six points from this week's away trips may be a stretch but it's not out of the question. No forecast from me but bullishness not yet completely deflated. That said, a point will not be enough.

Norris
Halliday, Legge, Wharton, Taylor
Dunne, Lewis
Mingoia, Berry, Dunk
McDonagh

Subs: Gregory, Carroll, Roberts, O'Neil, McGurk, Corr, Maris

The subsidised coach might boost travelling numbers but not by much - perhaps 158?

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Looks like a bit of rain due again in the afternoon, and the pitch still looked shit on their highlights from the weekend, so I travel up in fear of that first and foremost rather than the game itself.

I'm like you with Derry Alan, whilst I have absolutely no doubts that we haven't been utilising everything we have available to us, we are probably only underacheiving by 6-8 points, and when you factor in the amount of time that we have been missing both of our two main strikers this season (and factor in the disastrous diagnosis of Corr which has completed screwed us over) then that probably accounts for the gap. We should've done better at home in the meantime, and we've made plenty of mistakes that could've made up that gap without the assistance of the strikeforce, but the level of perspective needed from some of our fans about this being the worst they've ever seen, craving for "entertainment" and about refusing to renew season tickets is striking, a reflection of 21st century society sadly. It's our 3rd year back in the league and we're 5 points off the playoffs with a game in hand having had barely any strikers for 60% of the season, it isn't that bad. Reverse our home with our away form, not even accounting for better performances, and you wouldn't get half of the shite being spoken at the moment. That's not to say I'm convinced he'll do it long-term, but talk of the sack now is absolutely ridiculous, an average manager can still get you into the top 7, a very bad one however could get us back into the bottom 7, and that's a darn sight worse than what we have now, we have to be careful what we wish for.

Tomorrow is probably make or break for the playoffs, a draw doesn't really do us much good with only one real "6 pointer" left against Exeter. I imagine it will play out similar to Cheltenham with the playing surface as it is, difference being that we're playing against a team in form this time rather than horrendously out of it. We did a very good job of containing Stevenage Saturday whilst not parking the bus completely, but we need more threat up top, and assuming Elito hasn't recovered then we have to start gambling with Corr. Start him, try and get a goal, if we do we can get him off at half time, or if not then at least play it by ear with him. He hasn't looked unfit when he's come on, much like the first return, the risk is through re-injury, but I'm not convinced that's that much more likely now than if he had 20% more match fitness, let's take a chance because if we win tomorrow we are properly in it.

Having said that I expect the same XI that started Saturday except with McDonagh in for Williamson.

1-1.

 

[Laker]

I'd start Corr too. We've got eight games left so if we're resting him then you have to question what for? If he gets injured then so be it. Not winning tomorrow night would make the play offs very unlikely anyway.

I don't think this season has been a disaster at all though I think the 6-8 points Tom speaks of - are crucial - frankly we should have them in the bank but have been far too negative in too many games. I don't disagree that Derry has been missing his three best strikers for much of the season (and you can't just buy a new one every time one gets injured - this isn't FM) but we have been beyond impotent, at home in particular.

Entertainment isn't the be all and end all (if push came to shove I'd take promotion on playing attractive football all day). But when neither are achieved it is bloody frustrating and it's easy to see why a lot of people are fed up.

We've won 6 out of 20 at home. For a side with play off ambitions, that's dreadful. Factor in the fact we haven't really deserved to win many more than that and it's a pretty damning stat.

Anyway I reckon we'll win tomorrow night and our season will continue. 2-0 U's.

 

[huddsmoose]

Certainly having Corr fit all season would've helped our play off ambitions - as would signing an experienced striker in January, when it was obvious Corr and Mcgurk would be little or no use for the run in.

I can see that it has made Derry's job harder but what I can't excuse is his response to this inconvenience.

We have a collection of attacking midfielders that most sides in this division would be delighted with, yet we continue to pretend that Corr is on the pitch each week, wellying the ball beyond Berry, Dunk, Mingoia et al and asking a broken Williamson to chest down the ball and hold off several defenders.

Net result - bugger all chances and failure to break down woeful sides such as Hartlepool, who we would've beaten if we'd just got the ball down, passed it around a bit and shown a little movement.

Our away form is great - Derry seems to now how to play a game when we're up against it but also seems to have no idea how to take the game to the opposition.

Maybe it's his experience of the game reflected in his management style - hold your position, give nothing away, don't get caught up the pitch.

I think we'll get a result at Accy. They'll want to attack and so we have a chance of keeping it tight and nicking a goal or two.

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Was it obvious that Corr wouldn't be available for the run-in? At the end of January we had Uche fit and we were 11 days away from Corr's return to the first team, you can't go around signing first choice strikers just in case your best two get injured, especially when you only tend to start with 1. Of course you'd have got good odds on Corr being injured again but it wasn't a certainty and for both of them to get injured again at the same time is rather unfortunate. We signed McDonagh to be backup to those two and to play part if one went down, him and Williamson have had far more game time in the last 2 months than Derry would've liked for sure. Whilst I have issues with the other two January signings, I don't have a problem with what we did up top, we're just unlucky with what has happened subsequently.

I would agree with our style of play, and I don't think anyone is doubting that we've dropped some needless points at home this calendar year (Colchester and Hartlepool in particular) and that even with the striker injuries we've not made the most of what we have available to us. Whilst Williamson isn't helping himself at all either we're not giving him enough opportunities (to screw up) when he starts. If Corr isn't fit I'd love to see us start Lewis up top, he's shown he's capable of getting on the end of crosses inside the box and he'd get far more value out of what Mingoia and Dunk can deliver than probably anyone else except maybe Berry.

 

[huddsmoose]

Corr is in his 30s, was recovering from 13 months out and has a history of leg injuries. Any sane assessment of the situation must have considered his availability a bonus rather than an expectation. Uche was our only fit striker capable of playing the Derry way and the reserve we brought in is a teenager who struggled in the conference.

If Derry wasn't prepared to change our style of play we cocked up in January.

Anyway... we are where we are and I agree that I wouldn't start Williamson on what is likely to be a terrible pitch.

I'd give Mcdonagh a start but he needs someone alongside him - Berry the obvious choice. I'd play Lewis as we might as well give him the rest of the year to bed in and I'd like to see Maris in central midfield as I think he'd give us some movement and energy in there.

Norris
Halliday, Wharton, Legge, Taylor
Lewis, Maris
Mingoia, Berry, Dunk
McDonagh

 

[Stanleyfan]

Halliday and Mingoia were brilliant for us last season - big losses for us. Have they been in good form for you this season? I still cant believe those penalty misses at the Abbey - we went on a shocking run after that. Its nice and sunny in Accrington (for a change) so game on at the 3rd time of asking

 

[huddsmoose]

They've both done very well. Mingoia has great technique and would have been an even greater asset if Corr had been fit and feasting on his sumptuous crosses.

Halliday is an excellent full back; he is so athletic and is great to watch when he slalom past several opposition players. I'm certain he'll play at a much higher level.

 

[huddsmoose]

Big respect to the Amber Army that made the trek tonight. I hope that Dezza and the ladz give you a round of applause at least.

 

[huddsmoose]

So playing Williamson as lone striker didn't work. To compound issues Barry Corr picked up an injury, which no one could've foreseen.

Time to start preparing for next season - we've got an opportunity now to plan thoroughly as we did prior to promotion from the conference.

 

[Laker]

Derry out now. Gives us a month to get someone new in before preparing for pre season.

Not good enough.

 

[Youpies]

Accrington are in good form. Could be the team from no where to make a dash for the play offs?

 

[Habbinalan]

One of the flatest away days I've experienced following the U's.

Delay in departing meant it was straight into Accrington for sustenance with no pre-match distractions and heavens opened so ended up in Wetherspoons. Continued downhill from there. Popped into the Crown - no real buzz. At the ground, only the stalwarts put up with the rain and scattered on the terrace, most were dispersed along the 3 deep (actually 2 to keep dry) seated stand - any hint of buzz dissipated. Heard the team with O'Neil and Greg in midfield, no Mingoia, McGurk woke up and pulled a sickie - Williamson up front again, little on the bench apart from BBB Corr . Then we heard that Wharton crocked himself in the warm up. .

I've seen us play worse against worse opposition, more than once, this season but there was no snap, no leadership and a lot of waiting for half time hoping to not be behind. Who'd have thought, back at the 2014 Shay play-off semi-final, that we'd see Matty Pearson imperious in a L2 midfield and contrasting with our plum January signing from L1 Chesterfield. Accrington were very good but we were the perfect opponents for them.

As I've never left early, I stayed to the end - time to see Barry Corr gingerly looking at his knee and hobbling around, an actual display of passion after the final whistle and an over the shoulder glance and quick hand clap from the manager - I interpreted it as a quick ackowledgement of those silently looking on rather than a sarcastic snipe at the Derry/O'Neil beraters.

The M66 was closed so got diverted through Haslingden and Ramsbottom (I think) then couldn't get on the E bound M62 so ended up eventually on the A57 Snake Pass. I've just got my first ever SatNav in the new car - so I had this irritating female voice telling me to turn round and go back for a good 20 minutes before she accepted my better judgement. Then we got on the M1 and she didn't know it was closed at the M18 junction. Headed across to the A1, had a lonely Costa bacon sarney at Blyth Services and then drove home through the rain.

This morning, I've been checking Barrow's final fixtures - but I'll be at Crewe on Saturday. Anyone know a good place to watch the Mersey Derby?