Swindon town V Hartlepool United official matchday thread

[THE FLASH]

Piss Poor!

We could still be out there now with Hartlepool eating thier sunday lunch and we still wouldnt score.

Everybody was shite - maybe Lucas, Greer and Macnamee scored average points.

Revell cannot head for a big fucker.

Ferry couldnt seem to pass.

Kennedy couldnt tackle.

AND that Topey couldnt do anything right......fucking woeful. Lads near me reckon he is played out of position but that doesnt excuse the inability to judge headers and receive a pass.....woeful.
I stick to my first assessment that i splashed on here about him.

Ref had a shite fifteen when he gave them everything but it equalled out, especially Ferry getting away with a blatant kick/trip.

I was just hoping that Monkhouse would score in the second half and see if he would run to the Town End.....I had half a bottle of coke with his name on it!  I thought he behaved a bit cuntish, i for one was sorry to see him go and cannot understand why he behaves like he does?

All in all, a Mapasesque performance.

I think we got found out yesterday.

A finisher is required if this season is to bear any fruit....

Not going to Norwich....Maybe Tranmere....If not....roll on Leeds!!

[jonny72]

Here's what I'd go with for Norwich;

GK - Lucas

LB - Jean-Francois
CB - Greer
CB - Morrison
CB - Cuthbert
RB - Amankwaah

LM - Timlin
CM - Ferry
RM - JPM

ST - McNamee

ST - Tope

The 5 man defence will make us stronger at the back, allows JFL and Amankwaah to operate as wing backs and will enable the midfield to push up a bit more. McNamee to have a free role, to go down either wings or push up the middle to support Tope.

[Rustle]

Here's what I'd go with for Norwich;

GK - Lucas

LB - Jean-Francois
CB - Greer
CB - Morrison
CB - Cuthbert
RB - Amankwaah

LM - Timlin
CM - Ferry
RM - JPM

ST - McNamee

ST - Tope

The 5 man defence will make us stronger at the back, allows JFL and Amankwaah to operate as wing backs and will enable the midfield to push up a bit more. McNamee to have a free role, to go down either wings or push up the middle to support Tope.

I think Ferry and timlin would make us to weak in midfield and will leave us exposed,I would rather have easton for timlin or ferry,Im not sure macca sat behind tope either that leaves us lightweight in the front,  Paytner or Revell would make more of nuisance of themselves than macca.

Maybe five at the back would invite to much pressure aswell.

One things for sure Dannys got his work cut out,after yesterdays performance i would't know who to start with or which formation to go with,but surely it's time easton got his chance.

[Reg Smeeton]

Here's what I'd go with for Norwich;

GK - Lucas

LB - Jean-Francois
CB - Greer
CB - Morrison
CB - Cuthbert
RB - Amankwaah

LM - Timlin
CM - Ferry
RM - JPM

ST - McNamee

ST - Tope

The 5 man defence will make us stronger at the back, allows JFL and Amankwaah to operate as wing backs and will enable the midfield to push up a bit more. McNamee to have a free role, to go down either wings or push up the middle to support Tope.

Playing three centre halves is a recipe for disaster, with anything other than top grade players, even then it's dodgy (see Scousers yesterday)

Next Sat is damage limitation already, I fully expect a loss, but thought we might have nicked a point v the Monkey Hangers.

Back to one up front and pack the midfield...I'd start with Paynter, then sub him for Tope after 70 mins.

[Arriba]

a big no to jonnys team from me.
with wing backs you'd want to have plenty of crosses created.fucking pointless with macca and tope upfront.also no height with the midfield either.
i like wing backs, but the personel looks all wrong to me jonny.

[Batch]

Personally I'd have left it as it was last week but with Timmy/Easton replacing Douglass. We'd have undoubtedly been worse without Douglass, but at least the system wouldn't have to change.

That said, all teams have off days. Lets hope we just got ours out the way.

[jonny72]

I thought Kennedy looked ok the other day when he was moved in to midfield with Jean-Francois at left back, the Wycombe game I think. Kennedy is fast and his crossing and shooting power is pretty good. Not sure he is there yet to play in midfield or as a wing back but he has got potential.

One thing I've noticed with McNamee this season is his passing, he's played a number of excellent through balls and I'd rate him as one of our best passers. Maybe in a central position we could take advantage of it more.

None of that solves the main problem, the lack of goal scorers. Having strikers that only score every 3 or 4 games isn't a problem if you've got midfielders and defenders that make up for it and we don't. Cox hasn't been playing, let alone scoring, at West Brom so you'd hope Fitton has been on the phone to see what it would take to get him back on loan. Would be a good move for everyone as Cox's confidence must be shot to pieces at the moment.

[Iffy's Onion Bhaji]

McNamee created as many chances as Topi yesterday, none. He was rubbish and doesnt do a single bit of defending. Hartlepool had loads of joy down both sides. Both their wide men scored! He hasnt delivered in many games this season and is a luxery player. Away to Norwich isnt going to be an easy place to go.

I'd keep faith with the defence because they've been good all season, apart from 2 games. Dropping them would be knee jerk. Plus apart from Sean Morrison who do we have to come in for them?

Ermm except the chance that Hutchinson missed in the first half in front of the TE with a point blank header...and that was just one of the chances. Come on Dave, I know you don't like Macca but surely you could see he did more than Tope yesterday.

[Spencer_White]

For me that was a worse performance than Gillingham. We went back to the 4-3-3 that has not worked once this season, although I suppose it was worth a go with that great big chasm missing from the middle of our side.

I didnt think we had anything about us, Hartlepool could hardly believe their luck. We had 3 good players out there, 2 centre backs and a goalie.

Very dissapointing. We are quite near Norwich in the league, in which case you might get half decent odds on a Norwich home win next saturday, in which case I might put a couple of hundred quid on it. Also worried about the Cup game, we are desperate for an easy looking home draw. Another away tie at a team like Histon would probably result in another embaressing Cup exit.

The team looked like they had written off yesterday without Douglas. Lets hope they dont write off the rest of the month as well. 

[RobertT]

Am I missing something?  I've read a few comments about needing to go 4-4-2, but that was clearly the formation we've had for the past 2 games.  The biggest problem on Saturday, beyond being atrocious, was the fact that 4-4-2 with 2 very useless wingers when it comes to defending on top of McGovern being shown up as completely inefectual unless in a 3 man midfield.

I'd revert back to the 4-5-1 we've gone with for at least half the games so far, shore up the midfield with 3 of them again, letting McGovern and Ferry dictate a game rather than watch it bypass them.  Clearly Douglas is a big loss, but with another body in there I think they'll get more control on the game.  You can then afford the 2 wide men to ignore their defensive duties.

Poor old Tope looks lost out wide in a 4 man midfield, and Kennedy (as he will at his age) was left completely exposed to have a defensive nightmare all of his own.  Kev, coming off a turbulent week was equally left exposed meaning we were easily picked off.

So, in summary, I don't think we have the players to go 4-4-2 without Douglas playing.  Lets get back to trying for 1-0's for a bit and ingore the clamour for attacking gung ho ness.  We actually looked more creative with the 4-5-1 anyway.

ps, I attract the worlds worst example of human beings at football.  Had 2 young chavs and their thick dad behind me.  Had to endure the gam plus their constant inane ramblings (not maoning as such, just utter retard efforts at trying to describe the game to each other while ensuring they put fuck in every 4th word or so).  Had to move at half time, game didn't improve, but at least the moaning was more creative and witty.

[Mexicano Rojo]

totally agree with your post rob.

[jonny72]

Am I missing something?  I've read a few comments about needing to go 4-4-2, but that was clearly the formation we've had for the past 2 games.  The biggest problem on Saturday, beyond being atrocious, was the fact that 4-4-2 with 2 very useless wingers when it comes to defending on top of McGovern being shown up as completely inefectual unless in a 3 man midfield.

You say clearly, but for the first 15 minutes I couldn't figure out what the formation was, primarily due to Amankwaah wandering all over the place. Maybe that had a knock on effect with the other players moving round to cover more, not sure, but it was fucking mess. I was convinced we were playing 3 at the back to start with.

I wonder if the players are having the same problem, either not knowing what they're supposed to be doing or being unable to do it and stay in formation. But either way, it wasn't the formation or lack of defending from the wingers that was our downfall, it was pretty much the entire team playing like shit and us not having a striker that can actually score goals. You can fuck about with the formation and players as much as you like, but if they play like shit and can't score goals we're fucked.

[THE FLASH]

Am I missing something?  I've read a few comments about needing to go 4-4-2, but that was clearly the formation we've had for the past 2 games.  The biggest problem on Saturday, beyond being atrocious, was the fact that 4-4-2 with 2 very useless wingers when it comes to defending on top of McGovern being shown up as completely inefectual unless in a 3 man midfield.

I'd revert back to the 4-5-1 we've gone with for at least half the games so far, shore up the midfield with 3 of them again, letting McGovern and Ferry dictate a game rather than watch it bypass them.  Clearly Douglas is a big loss, but with another body in there I think they'll get more control on the game.  You can then afford the 2 wide men to ignore their defensive duties.

Poor old Tope looks lost out wide in a 4 man midfield, and Kennedy (as he will at his age) was left completely exposed to have a defensive nightmare all of his own.  Kev, coming off a turbulent week was equally left exposed meaning we were easily picked off.

So, in summary, I don't think we have the players to go 4-4-2 without Douglas playing.  Lets get back to trying for 1-0's for a bit and ingore the clamour for attacking gung ho ness.  We actually looked more creative with the 4-5-1 anyway.

ps, I attract the worlds worst example of human beings at football.  Had 2 young chavs and their thick dad behind me.  Had to endure the gam plus their constant inane ramblings (not maoning as such, just utter retard efforts at trying to describe the game to each other while ensuring they put fuck in every 4th word or so).  Had to move at half time, game didn't improve, but at least the moaning was more creative and witty.

Fuck off!

Dont ever sit in front of me and my boys again!

[RobertT]

You can construct a sentence, next....

[Arriba]

mcgovern was ace in a 4 man midfield last week.