League Two Rovers (2) v Shrimps (3)

[bigmart]

Invite pressure all game, inevitable outcome, tactics of sitting back at home shocking

 

[Boz]

It was all too predictable. Morecambe looked a decent side, but we let them play. How many might we concede playing the same way against a better Stockport side? Then games against both bottom sides. Lose all those 3 and Rovers right back in the brown stuff again. Worrying.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

In the last hour I would have taken a draw. They looked a division higher. No particularly bad performances just outplayed. Lewis took one for the team they had us outnumbered, bit of a worldy but they deserved it.
Cue meltdown elsewhere. Thought Jenno and Hendry were good, not sure why Morris goes off all the time. Saunders won't get that much help often and take his pace out of tonight and you have little.

 

[drwhoman]

Almost beyond words. When they equalised I thought that we will lose this and sadly I was right! The season cannot end quickly enough!

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought it was a very jaded performance and we can have no complaints about the result.

After the bright opening ten minutes we looked well off the pace and Morecambe had a complete grip of the game. Jennings and Morris again looked tired, and Hawkes should surely have started the match, but our problems went beyond one player. We badly missed Walker in midfield, both his ability to keep possession and the protection he offers the back four, which was lacking all game. We did not show enough composure in possession, resorting too often to aimless punts into the channel for Saunders, and Morecambe were able to play through us far too easily.

I thought the back five had decent games, and kept us in the match longer than we deserved to be, but I agreed with the sponsor's choice of Saunders as man of the match. He created both goals and had Apter returned his earlier favour in the two v one situation in the second half, we might have had an (undeserved) victory.

I think recent matches have simply shown up the inadequacies in the squad. We have plenty of bodies but not enough quality. Yes, Hawkes can be brought into the side, but when Jennings, Walker and others are tired or injured, there are not enough options to refresh things. McAlear, Lewis and several others are not good enough in my view.

 

[Am on mobile]

I will be glad when this season is over apart from our spell in December we have been piss poor and starting to get sick of it. Ues we have been better under Nigel adkins but its not great and if you take apter out of it we dont have much to play with. And with Stockport at weekend you have to think another defeat

 

[Sparky]

A small issue but Yarney on for LOC again late on. Can Lee not last a full 90?
Walker again missing - can we afford these part time players who can’t make two games in three days?

Some major surgery needed to the squad if we’re to challenge next season. Apter will go back to Blackpool. Hawkes will leave. The likes of Turnbull and LOC may want a move away. Dennis and CJ will be another year older.

 

[Ian]

I had an inkling that if it went to 2-2, there was only one team going to win. There were on top for long periods and were the much better side. The bubble has burst with us and these performances and results are very frustrating. To lose again in the last minute of the game, dear me..

Lots for Adkins to think about as we head into a pretty meaningless remainder of the season. We are bang average in this division and it will take a lot of hard work and good luck to get this team challenging for promotion any time soon.

 

[Sparky]

As I left the lower kop at full time there was this bald chap, fully tracksuited up giving the players loads of abuse when they were clapping the kop.

Totally over the top but it got me thinking that even though we won’t go down, a poor end of season will result in lower season tickets and players like LOC and Turnbull less likely to stay.

New season ticket prices out this Saturday apparently…

 

[Am on mobile]

Yea and they will be going up again. Our new bar manager works at the club had one or two things to say about the catering like getting caterers in to do weddings and things like that. And i can tell you the club wont be making much money from at it. Costs an arm and a leg doing that. Its a stupidly crazy way to run it but nothing surprises me

 

[Am on mobile]

Again i forgot about tonight's match but then again I am run off my feet with party's every day and I have another one tomorrow and thi week is my 3rd 6day wek in a row

 

[Ian]

 

[Boz]

This season is not yet over, we still need a couple more wins to secure L2 survival.

I agree that the back five generally played well, although there was an element of switching off for the first Morecambe goal. Also agree that Walker was missed. Saunders allowing for his limitations did well, but Apter was too selfish tonight. Jennings played steadily, Morris and Hawkes were both poor for different reasons, Kieron kept picking the wrong ball resulting in some promising attacks breaking down. Josh not for the first time this season kept slipping and needs to get some boots better equipped to deal with the damp conditions. In central midfield, Hendry did some decent attacking play, particularly in the second half, but after another wasted free-kick, he should never be allowed to take one again for us. McAlear was fairly anonymous, but didn't do anything wrong. Lewis played a more attacking game, with little impact and perhaps was unfortunate to concede the winning free-kick. However Adkins obsession with using bigger playing units has to be questioned. I can't help thinking that having a Merrie option on the bench tonight, with his ability to break up play was lacking. James Norris might have done a similar job and he was a more obvious choice than Yarney to replace O'Connor at right-back. Yarney's clumsy, needless foul was the pre-cursor to the free-kick winner too.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree that Merrie is a better footballer than either McAlear or Lewis, but in reality I don't think any of them are good enough.

Quantity rather than quality, and that is without considering Hughes.

 

[Am on mobile]

Our season is wimping out we are poor and the sooner the club see it and stop messing around its an entertainment business not a bored sh##tles one sorry ian but at times i hate the clubwill love it again to tomorrow

 

[dollar'sbloke]

We were beaten by a better side and even now it is hard to see what you could do to stop them. Saunders and his pace got you two goals, aided and abetted by very poor defending, but we still lost. On the other hand the weekend loss was as good a performance as some of the more fortuitous wins during the golden patch.
People always exaggerate our form in both directions. Apter should have squared it, even if he had scored he should have squared it but few would contemplate that once the ball goes in. If Walker had taken one for the team not Lewis, it would be commended but because they hit a stunner it was Lewis's fault as he is a fall guy. Lewis did everything you would want from him, Hawkes did not even match a tired Morris.
Recycling failed players is not the answer. The question is which County is coming or maybe can we get more out of the that match than we deserve.
Harsh but fair Saunders would have done little but annoy them if it wasn't for their help. County won't help him, if Walker is back maybe bring Dennis in as he more likely to score from the odd opening. Use Saunders as a wide sub.
Bristow may get exposed by Apter?

 

[bigmart]

The worrying thing is we were comfortably second best to a team who will have a smaller budget than us, its one thing when the likes of Wrexham and Stockport outplay us snd are up the top but when you add Crewe, Morecambe and Accrington who are in the hunt for top 3 or play offs it just shows what a mess we have consistently made of recruitment

 

[Goody Two Shoes]

Definitely beaten by the better team and always felt like a matter of time before they equalised. Hoped we’d cling on to the point, but a superb free-kick put an end to that. We started extremely positively, but were then ground down by a relentless Morecambe side; probably the best Morecambe team I’ve seen us play in terms of quality across the board, at least on that showing alone. I am not going to detract from their performance by picking holes in ours.
“Saunders and his pace got you two goals”….”Saunders would have done little but annoy them if it wasn’t for their help”; not sure what they could have done when defenders started on right side of him and it was sheer pace that outdid them; good counter-attacking play. They were a team playing on the front foot, which paid dividends in the end. The irony is that if they’d have played a more conservative brand of football, it‘s highly likely to have been a different outcome and we wouldn’t be lauding them. It’s a situation where I think credit is due for our goals, rather than detraction, just like we’re crediting them.
Lewis did everything you want from him”….”recycling failed players is not the answer”. I’m confused.
Lewis is a fall guy…….”Hawkes did not even match a tired Morris”; is Hawkes your fall guy, or is it Bristow or McGee or Saunders?
Not sure how we can judge what we deserve from the county match before it occurs; we may well deserve anything we get; can we be pleasantly surprised!

 

[Sparky]

Definitely beaten by the better team and always felt like a matter of time before they equalised. Hoped we’d cling on to the point, but a superb free-kick put an end to that. We started extremely positively, but were then ground down by a relentless Morecambe side; probably the best Morecambe team I’ve seen us play in terms of quality across the board, at least on that showing alone. I am not going to detract from their performance by picking holes in ours.
“Saunders and his pace got you two goals”….”Saunders would have done little but annoy them if it wasn’t for their help”; not sure what they could have done when defenders started on right side of him and it was sheer pace that outdid them; good counter-attacking play. They were a team playing on the front foot, which paid dividends in the end. The irony is that if they’d have played a more conservative brand of football, it‘s highly likely to have been a different outcome and we wouldn’t be lauding them. It’s a situation where I think credit is due for our goals, rather than detraction, just like we’re crediting them.
Lewis did everything you want from him”….”recycling failed players is not the answer”. I’m confused.
Lewis is a fall guy…….”Hawkes did not even match a tired Morris”; is Hawkes your fall guy, or is it Bristow or McGee or Saunders?
Not sure how we can judge what we deserve from the county match before it occurs; we may well deserve anything we get; can we be pleasantly surprised!

Some strange comments indeed including suggestions of using Saunders as a wide sub this Saturday??

Nigel has decisions to make for Stockport but one of them won’t be dropping Saunders. We know his limitations but he was deserved MOM last night as basically created two goals.

 

[dollar'sbloke]

The centre half was lighting a fag rarely seen someone get their pocket picked so easily outside pub football. Saunders did well to spot the pass, unlike Apter, but he doesn't always do the simple things well. The pass and run for the second were great but he wasn't scoring from there on past form, the clip was stupid.
Lewis is our 4th CM as we have an injury he was needed, we use 3 normally. He won't be staying but is needed and there is a reason others are behind in the pecking order.
Hawkes has one trick step inside and hit it. Morris wins the ball back, can come inside and score with both feet or go outside and put a cross in. Bristow can't defend other than scrap for the ball, Apter should present big problems. McGee chose to appeal for offside rather than try to save the ball which wasn't far way, the player was nowhere near offside had to trap it and turn; a keeper might respond? As I have claimed before Saunders brings a huge speed and industry but few footballing skills, he will leave I guess.
Hardly radical to suggest County may not be the side who were clear top form until recently? They have been better than Morecambe and if they turn up like that, we may struggle however well we play by our own standards. That is reality. Others teams we play soon, we should beat however well the opponents do.