The Squad for 2017/18

[Rockford's Love Child]

It would be odd if we didn't have a sub keeper on the bench...though only a matter of time before MM turns to Nixon

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Mellon got rid of Turner so he could put pilling on the bench, or did you miss that ?

 

[Boz]

I will get a programme today but my recollection is Gumbs and Duggan have barely featured on the bench. As I pointed out earlier EVEN Adam Dawson made match-day squads and we know how out of favour he was.

I would agree that there are reservations about Duggan at wing-back, but the same applies to Buxton. The formation chosen by MM ought to match the players available in the squad he assembled. Duggan could be considered as an option in midfield, Jeff Hughes has been very casual at times for example and being hooked in a game where he isn't pulling his weight might be a wake-up call for him.

Historically Rovers have had managers, most noteably Johnny King who gave young players an early opportunity to stake their claim. While I would agree that Mellon has been better than his 2 predecessors at giving younger players game time, he can't hold a candle to Kingy in that regard. As the experienced players haven't always delivered and we haven't the resources to bring in similar, it does not seem unreasonable to me to bring in other younger members of the squad in an effort to improve things.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

We are not in the same position as a club as we were under Johnny king. We are in non league football and desperate to regain league status, which means there is massive additional pressure on manager and players. You can question Mellon's selections for all sorts of reasons this season, not just regarding the inclusion of youngsters. Generally, however, I think he has given the young players a reasonable opportunity this season. Either duggan or gumbs have started or been on the bench in six of eleven games this season. Dawson has travelled with the squad once or twice, if that, and has never made the sixteen.

 

[bigmart]

Gumbs has had 1 start & Duggan 2 then both get left out for players who are like not performing like McEverley, we need to give these lads a proper chance sooner or later to see if they are good enough

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Duggan has had three starts but did not look much better than Buxton as a wing back. Gumbs probably deserves a longer run in the team, but our major problems are creative not defensive, so I don't know how much difference it would actually make to results. I am absolutely correct in saying Mellon has given more opportunities to youngsters than his predecessors, despite our problems.

 

[Sparky]

Re the youngsters. I'm all for playing them but the problem area is in the attacking areas - lack of creativity and goal scoring.

Gumbs and pilling are both good prospects as is Duggan, but our defensive record remains pretty good so no point in disrupting that. Sutton has been doing well altho I'm not a fan of McEvely.

I'm sure if we had a young creative midfielder or striker they would have been given chances but it doesn't look like we do.

 

[JKS]

Where is Rokka? Still struggling with adapting to full time football? The system on Saturday needed a natural winger, him, Mekki, Tollitt etc. Still surprised Mekki was released, was always a useful squad player when we needed a bit of pace. Especially after losing Vaughan’s pace down the right hand side.

Can’t help but think we moved to a 4-4-2 on Saturday in preparation to accommodate Tollitt when he returns, as he will not fit the 5-3-1-1 system he’s played before that.

 

[Sparky]

Agree JKS but we can't rely on Tollit to save us. We shouldn't be a one man team.

 

[aldoes mustache]

Rokka is another stephenson . Cant get fit an from wat ive been told . Cant handle full time training . Only way he will get fit is playing games but we dont have a reserve team. An cant get on the bench . An so wants out . My cousin is a good freind of his . The gps stuff he and a few others cant stand an driving them nuts . Thinks he will be loaned out soon

 

[Boz]

Duggan is primarily a central midfielder, that was the position he got his debut under Carden. He can play right-back fairly well, that's the position he played out on loan the season before last and he also filled in for a few games there for us last season, capably. I don't think either him or Buxton are best suited to a wing-back role. It frustrates me that he's not been tried in midfield for us since Mellon arrived and given his versatility that he's not featured on the bench. Perhaps a bit too similar to Harris, but he does run at defenders and into space from midfield; for example the penalty he won on debut v Woking last season. Having seen Waring in action for the first time yesterday, my first impression was that his style was closer to Cook's than Cole Stockton's was and it doesn't make sense having both of them on the bench. Having the option to bring Duggan on for the ineffective Norburn would have been worth trying in this game.

While it cannot be said one way or another that Gumbs would have changed things being on the pitch, we were 0-0 at Maidenhead and Evan was playing well when he went off we lost 1-0, the goal being conceded when Buxton switched off. If he'd played at Ebbsfleet instead of a clearly unfit McEveley, it's unlikely he'd have been sent off and we might have converted a promising start into a win instead of hanging on for a draw. There is an argument that yesterday's goal could have been better defended, Sutton I think was nearest to their scorer who went for the second ball without challenge. Our defence cannot be immune from scrutiny given Wrexham had only a couple of chances and scored from one.

Interesting information from AM re Rokka. Even if he's not fully fit surely could do 20 minutes from the bench and given our lack of width should be considered, although it would be relatively high-risk.

 

[Ian]

Our defence cannot be immune from scrutiny given Wrexham had only a couple of chances and scored from one.

Nobody is saying it’s perfect but it’s certainly not the reason we are sitting 2 points from the drop zone.

If we could get our act together up front, goals conceded would never be in question because it’s usually only one. We had one of the best defences last season and will continue to do so this season.

If our attacking play and forwards were bang on form, brimming with confidence we’d have easily won that game yesterday.

 

[JKS]

Don’t agree that we will have one of the best defence records come the end of the season. The defence is woeful, unorganised and slow. Knowing that, the midfield will always naturally fall into a deeper position to protect them a little, resulting in no service to the striker. Pretty much how this season has played out this far. There’s a reason we’re not scoring goals, and it’s not just confidence.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The defence is not woeful at all: we have the third best defensive record in the league. Arguing that it will deteriorate as the season progresses is pure speculation which you can't substantiate.

There is a slight issue with the team being too deep in certain games, but as Ian says the major issue is in midfield and up front. Even in the games we have lost we have had a lot, probably the majority, of possession in the opposition half but to no avail. Yesterday we were camped round the opposition's eighteen yard box for forty five minutes but created nothing.

 

[Ian]

The defence is woeful

If it's so woeful, why have we only conceded nine goals this season? Compare that to.. on hang on its the third best in the league.

Let's now look at goals scored. Hmm, we've scored eight goals (lowest in the league) and share that sorry statistic with Guiseley just below us in 22nd.

Stop harping on about the defence and look further up field at the midfield and attack who seriously need to get their act together.

 

[Ian]

Beat me to it RLC.

 

[Boz]

Nobody is saying it’s perfect but it’s certainly not the reason we are sitting 2 points from the drop zone.

If we could get our act together up front, goals conceded would never be in question because it’s usually only one. We had one of the best defences last season and will continue to do so this season.

If our attacking play and forwards were bang on form, brimming with confidence we’d have easily won that game yesterday.

If we'd defended better then we'd be a few points further away from the drop zone. I don't think any side has thrown the kitchen sink at us yet, certainly not ten-man Wrexham yesterday. While reducing the number of chances opponents get is a credit to our defence, the fact we concede from a relatively high proportion of the chances created and have given away a couple of soft penalties (and seemed lucky to get away with another yesterday) must be a concern.

I agree that the lack of goals and confidence from the forwards is the main difficulty at present though.

 

[JKS]

The defence is not woeful at all: we have the third best defensive record in the league. Arguing that it will deteriorate as the season progresses is pure speculation which you can't substantiate.

There is a slight issue with the team being too deep in certain games, but as Ian says the major issue is in midfield and up front. Even in the games we have lost we have had a lot, probably the majority, of possession in the opposition half but to no avail. Yesterday we were camped round the opposition's eighteen yard box for forty five minutes but created nothing.

Predicting it deteriorating during the season is pure speculation, so is predicting we will have one the best.

Camping out around the 18 yard box against 10 men is irrelevant in the overall aspect of the season so far. Again, in my opinion.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

If we'd defended better then we'd be a few points further away from the drop zone. I don't think any side has thrown the kitchen sink at us yet, certainly not ten-man Wrexham yesterday. While reducing the number of chances opponents get is a credit to our defence, the fact we concede from a relatively high proportion of the chances created and have given away a couple of soft penalties (and seemed lucky to get away with another yesterday) must be a concern.

You have lost me. We don't concede many chances and concede even fewer goals. Therefore the defence is solid.

What the hell has the 'proportion of chances scored' got to do with anything ?

Even Palios would struggle to make use of those stats........

No team can keep a clean sheet in every game.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Predicting it deteriorating during the season is pure speculation, so is predicting we will have one the best.

Camping out around the 18 yard box against 10 men is irrelevant in the overall aspect of the season so far. Again, in my opinion.

I don't make predictions, I comment on the facts as they currently stand. We have the third best defensive record in the league. A fact, not an opinion.

We have had the majority of possession in every game I have seen this season, including the ones we have lost. That does not suggest a team that is unable to move up the pitch, or is afraid to commit men forward because of a lack of pace at the back. How the midfield and forwards operate as a unit in the attacking third is another matter.

 

[JKS]

How many games are won on possession? You can pass the ball around the back four or five all game, it's not going to win you matches. Our play is predictable, Davies, McNulty and Sutton play around for a bit, allowing the opposition to get into a solid defensive shape and unit, we then pass to either Hughes or Norburn who have by this time dropped very deep to get the ball. By the time it reaches the forwards they are surrounded by two or three of the oppositions defence and midfield and proceed the clear the ball forward and we start again.

Look at last season, we had Vaughan, Mekki, Tollitt, all as a decent wide option with a bit of pace allowing us to break forward quickly. We haven't got those options available to us this season, and it shows in our build up play. Having Ihekwes pace at the back also allowed McNulty to step out with the ball occassionally, again something we can not do this season resulting in a pass backwards or sideways.

That is a major contributing factor behind our lack of goals, in MY opionion.