shots v rovers

[Cowshed Kid]

Hold on to your hats.
AM has still to post yet.
Sorry for my earlier post suggesting Harris was taken off for McElvey.
Resigned now to Cookie going.
Until when/if we get back into the league we won't see a centre forward of his calibre. Jeez, Parkin is still putting himself about and scoring for York.
Keeper, centre half, centre forward used to be the backbone for a team.
We have all three on paper,, though none were MM signings.
Yet another one step forward and two steps back.
Pools away on Tuesday does not look like a point gainer.

 

[Sparky]

You do wonder what Palios thinks of all this. He backed Mickey to bring Alabi to the club on decent wages as numerous clubs wanted him, including L2. We can't get a system to suit him and off he goes to Dover.
Waring is still a youngster so Mickey can say he's one for the future.

Wallace given an 18 month deal. Rokka injured now but beforehand not ready for first team football. Dawson given a deal when there were risks with him. McEveley signing which hasn't been a success.

Added to that MP is a big fan of cookie and won't agree with mickeys treatment of him. It's madness

 

[Cowshed Kid]

One of the first lessons I had in football as a lad was "the best form of defence is attack". If you pose no attacking threat, they can throw everyone forward and put you under tremendous pressure.

Not wrong BBTC, a motto I've always rembered and not limited in life to football!

 

[Cowshed Kid]

You do wonder what Palios thinks of all this. He backed Mickey to bring Alabi to the club on decent wages as numerous clubs wanted him, including L2. We can't get a system to suit him and off he goes to Dover.
Waring is still a youngster so Mickey can say he's one for the future.

Wallace given an 18 month deal. Rokka injured now but beforehand not ready for first team football. Dawson given a deal when there were risks with him. McEveley signing which hasn't been a success.

Added to that MP is a big fan of cookie and won't agree with mickeys treatment of him. It's madness

Spot on Sparky.
Squad is full of either hangers on and crocked.

 

[aldoes mustache]

Well have to say are weekend started all good . But have to say the first half was ok . The second half was shit . Think we stayed in the changing rooms and sent a team of strangers out . Norwood worked hard but had no help . Harris was lucky to stay on . But we got to deep and got pushed back . And didnt have a clue what to do .. off out now depressed to hell but a few beers will soon sort it .

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Just a few more thoughts on today's game.

I don't have a problem with us setting up to be solid away from home against a decent team, but in the second half the balance between defence and attack was all wrong, and both the manager and the players on the pitch are culpable in failing to address the problem.

In the first period we were cautious, but we did have an attacking outlet through Norwood and Mottley-Henry and Aldershot rarely troubled us. However, I did wonder at half time whether we could sustain such a defensive approach for an entire ninety minutes and the expected onslaught from the Shots came in the first ten minutes of the second half. Unfortunately, instead of weathering the storm we sat deeper and deeper and our football deteriorated to the point where we could not string two passes together.

I thought MM was right to sacrifice Henry who was not contributing at this stage, but I thought Jennings should also have been replaced by Cook when we switched to 352. Playing against the wind it was impossible for Norwood to latch on to long balls as he usually does as a lone striker, and we should have been intelligent enough to pass out from the back rather than hitting it long on every occasion and give up possession. There was a real lack of leadership on the pitch, and the manager did nothing tactically to encourage us up the pitch.

To give Aldershot their due, they played some excellent football in the second half and fully deserved the win. We defended brilliantly for long periods and Davies only had to make one difficult save prior to the late goals, despite the dominance of the opposition. McNulty made an error in the build up to the equaliser, but was otherwise outstanding in my view. However, for Mellon to come away to Aldershot and give them the freedom of the pitch as we did in the second half, and hope to cling on for a result, is completely unacceptable in my view. We made them look like Real Madrid with the amount of territory we ceded.

It made me smile reading his post match comments about Aldershot 'building superbly from the back' given that their two centre halves could wander into our half at will with only one centre forward to contend with and a midfield that sank on top of the back four. Our approach invited pressure and the defeat was pretty much inevitable.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

The morning after and I'm still feeling the same. Looking at the table, we are surprisingly still in touch but what worries me is the effect on the team's morale. We have the best defence in the league but MM disagrees and brings on another defender. Cook would have been ideal to hold the ball but he doesn't play and has fallen behind McDonagh in the pecking order. I'm sure many in the team will share Andy's frustration. Tuesday is now a big, big game. They have got to bounce back or we are back in trouble.

 

[Ian]

Unfortunately I think this is how the season is going to pan out. Horribly inconsistent and as RLC mentions above decisions by the manager such as yesterday will make sure this happens.

We’ve tried for years and years to hold onto a lead and it’s just something we don’t do well. I agree that attack is our best form of defence. Not saying gung ho but certainly not pushing back so far that we don’t get out of our half.

 

[Boz]

Things started to go wrong for Brabin when he put out a fairly adventurous line-up (by his standards) in last season's game at Aldershot, which we lost, though those who went felt it was unfortunate. This season, Micky puts out a very defensive line up, which I can understand, given the Shot's attacking strength and the relative inexperience of the full-backs. However, as RLC highlights, as the second half unfolded, just putting on another defender for DMH did nothing to redress the balance and by all accounts this defeat was thoroughly deserved. It was hard to understand the logic of putting an inexperienced youngster, McDonagh, on ahead of Cook late on, although bringing Andy on earlier as suggested would have made more sense.

Have the loanees shown enough to try and extend their deals? I haven't seen Mottley-Henry play away, but if he's prone to drift out of games, maybe we're better reverting to wing-backs and having him on the bench on our travels. On the strength of his Chester performance, I would like his deal extended. I've read some negative comment about McDonagh's attitude yesterday, although a tad sceptical, given he only had 6 minutes. With Waring not due back until Macclesfield, we're down to the bare bones in terms of forwards and it may be there is no option other than to extend the McDonagh deal, though he has not impressed to date.

Personally feel very disillusioned about how things are going at Tranmere, to the extent that hassle with next weekend's transport leaves me wondering if it's worth the bother of trying to make the Halifax game.

 

[Brightonian]

What is so really odd is we gave a good solid workmanlike performance in the first half looking quite comfortable and certainly with no indication of any threat that couldn't be handled. The amusing football cliche of a game of two halves was never more true than of this game!
Despite the Shots going for it after the break, having seemingly weathered the storm, we surely surrendered the initiative by removing any offensive threat and reorganising into a shape that allowed them to come onto us. We walked up to the station with Aldershot fans who thought we looked a shadow of last year and thought we played right into their hands.

Usually we can say we had not been outplayed, the opposition just nicked it fortuitously. Not so this time; I can't recall in recent seasons us being so under the cosh for such a sustained period, being impotent to compose ourselves and get hold of the ball and stem the tide.

As we all did, I had thought we would gain confidence from recent better results and build up some momentum and the best squad on paper in the league would start to perform somewhere near to their potential and in so doing make up lost ground. Optimism seriously dented - just too many players are below performing below par asking serious questions about motivation and man management. In my mind we are just too lightweight in midfield - when we have the inevitable end of season clear out we should recall the Shots midfielder Manny Oyeleke who was outstanding, as a potential target. He was full of energy end to end, skilful, combative and had vision.

On the young lads Eddie Clarke looks a real prospect and thought he kept composed and stood up to the buffeting well. Eddie does charge up field with the ball not always just out wide but at times he is a bit cavalier in my mind which leaves KJ or JH covering him a lot. Mitch was ok (ish) but looks more of a handy squad player rather than pushing for a regular first pick position. Very impressed with young Dylan M-H who despite being a bit raw around the edges was dangerous, can get behind the defence and also works hard off the ball.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I agree with brightonian about oyeleke who was the best player on the pitch by a mile. I was not a great fan of Lois Maynard but we probably could have done with him in a game like yesterday's.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

On the strength of his Chester performance, I would like his deal extended. I've read some negative comment about McDonagh's attitude yesterday, although a tad sceptical, given he only had 6 minutes.

McDonagh worked hard when he came on, he is just a convenient scapegoat.

 

[Sparky]

The comments re McDonough came from the Wirral radio commentary. They made specific mention of his lack of tracking and only jogging in the lead up to their winner. He'd only been on a few minutes and should have been full of energy.

Added to the fact he came on ahead of our best finisher in cook made people even more frustrated. Does a loanee care more about the club than cook?

 

[Boz]

Thanks Sparky, I didn’t catch any of the commentary. It doesn’t do McDonagh any favours being introduced in that situation, as he was always going to be measured against Cook, but not good if he didn’t put a shift in.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The Wirral Radio comments are absolute rubbish. McDonagh did work hard when he came on and was no worse than anyone else. Yes, Cook should have been brought on but that is not McDonagh's fault is it ?

Scapegoating a youngster in our current circumstances is pathetic. Total responsibility rests with the manager and senior players.

 

[Boz]

Have now seen some highlights. McNulty was at fault for their first goal, trying the cushioned header back to the keeper in that crowded a penalty box was always a high risk to take. Arguably, he could have put in more of an aerial challenge for their winner too. However, a conundrum, as by all accounts he prevented a couple of goals, not all shown in the highlights package.

I've never been to Aldershot, but it seemed like the crowd built up a decent atmosphere, verging on the intimidating at times. It looked as though the referee did ok, not playing to the gallery as some might do.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Mc nulty was excellent yesterday. It was a case of so many balls going into the box that sooner or a later one of them would result in a mistake. You can't win every header and challenge. Yes, the atmosphere was excellent as it generally is at Aldershot, but the constant goading with the 'Scouser' chants was tiresome.

 

[Brightonian]

Yes agree with RLC that Steve Mc Nulty had an excellent game and despite the first goal mistake made some superb challenges, clearing headers and brave blocks. In particular he organised really well and it is a minor miracle that we kept our lead so long.

Couldn't blame the ref - he made mistakes for both sides sufficient for the Aldershot faithful behind the goal to chant the refs a scouser. Also couldn't blame the pitch as it was like a lush carpet that played like a billiard table and the routine we did not take our chances again could not be used as an excuse as we didn't create any of note besides the goal. Couldn't even blame storm Brian as it was the same for both teams and nothing that the Irish Sea doesn't regularly dispatch across the Leasowe Solar Campus (thought we might even find this to our advantage)
However I often recall hearing that every game poses its questions that we have to answer: we certainly failed the test this time.

 

[Dude]

Just a few more thoughts on today's game.

I don't have a problem with us setting up to be solid away from home against a decent team, but in the second half the balance between defence and attack was all wrong, and both the manager and the players on the pitch are culpable in failing to address the problem.

In the first period we were cautious, but we did have an attacking outlet through Norwood and Mottley-Henry and Aldershot rarely troubled us. However, I did wonder at half time whether we could sustain such a defensive approach for an entire ninety minutes and the expected onslaught from the Shots came in the first ten minutes of the second half. Unfortunately, instead of weathering the storm we sat deeper and deeper and our football deteriorated to the point where we could not string two passes together.

I thought MM was right to sacrifice Henry who was not contributing at this stage, but I thought Jennings should also have been replaced by Cook when we switched to 352. Playing against the wind it was impossible for Norwood to latch on to long balls as he usually does as a lone striker, and we should have been intelligent enough to pass out from the back rather than hitting it long on every occasion and give up possession. There was a real lack of leadership on the pitch, and the manager did nothing tactically to encourage us up the pitch.

To give Aldershot their due, they played some excellent football in the second half and fully deserved the win. We defended brilliantly for long periods and Davies only had to make one difficult save prior to the late goals, despite the dominance of the opposition. McNulty made an error in the build up to the equaliser, but was otherwise outstanding in my view. However, for Mellon to come away to Aldershot and give them the freedom of the pitch as we did in the second half, and hope to cling on for a result, is completely unacceptable in my view. We made them look like Real Madrid with the amount of territory we ceded.

It made me smile reading his post match comments about Aldershot 'building superbly from the back' given that their two centre halves could wander into our half at will with only one centre forward to contend with and a midfield that sank on top of the back four. Our approach invited pressure and the defeat was pretty much inevitable.

Dude, you're so boring. Typing as if you're writing for a national newspaper, get over yourself. I'm sure the Aldershot team will be made up you gave them their dues...

 

[aldoes mustache]

Havw to say watching both the two over the water having sutch a bad day . Has cheered me up . Still trying to stay positive . But its getting harder to be able to . I am so bloody frustrated . We didnt get the mmidfielders we needed in the summer . And tbe players we did get in where not wat we needed. We needed some creative players . And a bully . But no we are to polite to do that . Oh well clippty klopp . An the dutch git will be gone soon . Could be a clean sweep if we lose on tuesday .