The Squad for 2017/18

[Boz]

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.

Quite a lot, if it throws away the creditable work we have done in reducing chances only for players to switch off at a crucial moment and let one in. You will nearly always concede to a worldie or a fluke deflection, but I don't think the goals conceded this season fall into that category

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I don't disagree with most of what you (JKS) say, but what does our slow build up play have to do with Ihiekwe's absence at the back ? Our failure to score goals is not because McNulty can't bring the ball out like Beckenbauer, it is because of other factors, a number of which you cite above: lack of width, lack of movement off the ball, lack of pace in attacking areas, low confidence.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Quite a lot, if it throws away the creditable work we have done in reducing chances only for players to switch off at a crucial moment and let one in. You will nearly always concede to a worldie or a fluke deflection, but I don't think the goals conceded this season fall into that category

I don't believe it is true that we concede more goals per chances created than other teams, and neither of us have any statistics which would confirm or contradict your statement anyway. If we are only giving the opposition two or three good chances per game, and on average conceding less than one, I see it is a positive.

 

[JKS]

I don't disagree with most of what you (JKS) say, but what does our slow build up play have to do with Ihiekwe's absence at the back ? Our failure to score goals is not because McNulty can't bring the ball out like Beckenbauer, it is because of other factors, a number of which you cite above: lack of width, lack of movement off the ball, lack of pace in attacking areas, low confidence.

As I said, the pace missing from the side this season, that was there last season, has made our approach play and build up extremely slow and predictable. This allows the oppo to get back into shape before the ball reaches our forwards. Which in turn means a lack of goals.

What I am trying to get at with Ihekwe is McNulty knew that with MI next to him last season he could be a bit more aggresive with his attacking of the ball and not simply pass to the man next to him for fear of stepping up and leaving a hole behind him. Sutton and McEverley are too slow themselves to cover the space this leaves.

 

[Boz]

I don't believe it is true that we concede more goals per chances created than other teams, and neither of us have any statistics which would confirm or contradict your statement anyway. If we are only giving the opposition two or three good chances per game, and on average conceding less than one, I see it is a positive.

I don't think there are any stats on this. It is frustrating though,when a player switches off and we end up getting nothing from the game as a result. I'm not sure about the Wrexham goal, as bodies were all over the place, but the Maidenhead one looked preventable.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

As I said, the pace missing from the side this season, that was there last season, has made our approach play and build up extremely slow and predictable. This allows the oppo to get back into shape before the ball reaches our forwards. Which in turn means a lack of goals.

What I am trying to get at with Ihekwe is McNulty knew that with MI next to him last season he could be a bit more aggresive with his attacking of the ball and not simply pass to the man next to him for fear of stepping up and leaving a hole behind him. Sutton and McEverley are too slow themselves to cover the space this leaves.

I am not convinced by your point, because when we have played three at the back this season McEveley and Sutton have both brought the ball out of defence and got into the opposition half on a number of occasions, but to no avail.

In addition, people forget that McNulty and Sutton were the defensive partnership for about a third of the games last season and we won nearly all of them.

 

[Ian]

It is frustrating though,when a player switches off and we end up getting nothing from the game as a result.

It's also even more frustrating when you spend 45 mins in the oppositions half and create bugger all! We got nothing from the game because we were woeful in attack.

McNulty knew that with MI next to him last season he could be a bit more aggresive with his attacking of the ball and not simply pass to the man next to him for fear of stepping up and leaving a hole behind him.

McNulty is playing no different to last season. Smart little passes out of defence. The way you describe it people would think he was making charging runs to the half way line!

 

[Boz]

It's also even more frustrating when you spend 45 mins in the oppositions half and create bugger all! We got nothing from the game because we were woeful in attack.

I wasn't specifically referring to the Wrexham game, Ian, but broadly agree. It's frustrating following Rovers at the moment, full stop.

 

[JKS]

It’s

It's also even more frustrating when you spend 45 mins in the oppositions half and create bugger all! We got nothing from the game because we were woeful in attack.


McNulty is playing no different to last season. Smart little passes out of defence. The way you describe it people would think he was making charging runs to the half way line!

Not really, it’s the way you’ve chosen to interpret it counter the argument. It’s just an opinion, doesn’t make it right, but equally doesn’t make it wrong either.

 

[Ian]

I wasn't specifically referring to the Wrexham game

Neither was I!

 

[JKS]

I am not convinced by your point, because when we have played three at the back this season McEveley and Sutton have both brought the ball out of defence and got into the opposition half on a number of occasions, but to no avail.

In addition, people forget that McNulty and Sutton were the defensive partnership for about a third of the games last season and we won nearly all of them.

It’s happened a handful of times yes, however 90% of our play is slow, laboured and unimaginative.

As for Sutton & McNulty, when they played together is was generally with Ihekwe as well when we finished the season so strongly playing 3 at the back. They played together as a pair as you say, but that said we also had pace going forward as I’ve already said.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Ihiekwe was dropped for a fair chunk of the season around Christmas time and McNulty and Sutton played as a pair. We miss Vaughan's ability to get forward, but that is nothing to do with our defensive record, nor is our pedestrian play in midfield and lack of movement up front.

 

[JKS]

Ihiekwe was dropped for a fair chunk of the season around Christmas time and McNulty and Sutton played as a pair. We miss Vaughan's ability to get forward, but that is nothing to do with our defensive record, nor is our pedestrian play in midfield and lack of movement up front.

Ihekwe made 42 appearances for us last season in the league (including play offs).

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

The previous season he played right back or did not play at all and we still had a strong defensive record, with a back four comprising McNulty, Sutton and others. We are not fundamentally defending any different to how we did last season. If McNulty is in your side you defend relatively deep. Ihiekwe was able to cover him when teams counter attacked against us, but the starting positions of the defence were still deep. No different to this season.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

So Sutton played seven games plus cup matches yet there was no noticeable difference in results or the way we defended. As I said previously.

 

[JKS]

So Sutton played seven games plus cup matches yet there was no noticeable difference in results or the way we defended. As I said previously.

21 games in the league. I thought you only dealt in facts?

As I said previously, when they played together it was generally as a 3 with Ihekwe. If you can’t see the difference between the defence this season and last season, your glasses must very much be of a rose tint. Anyway, football is all about opinion and debate. Been good chatting with you.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

21 games in the league. I thought you only dealt in facts?

He played seven games in a two without Ihiekwe. and we were still a successful team. Care to check that fact ?

If you think we are failing to score goals because a centre half is not playing you should consult a coaching manual.

Unlike every other poster on this site you have resorted to personal insults rather than engaging in constructive debate.

Toddle on now.

 

[JKS]

He played seven games in a two without Ihiekwe. and we were still a successful team. Care to check that fact ?

If you think we are failing to score goals because a centre half is not playing you should consult a coaching manual.

Unlike every other poster on this site you have resorted to personal insults rather than engaging in constructive debate.

Toddle on now.

I think the entire point of my argument in the first place has been lost with the obssession of you being correct. As I said to start, our defence is poor, slow, and devoid of ideas. Which in turn finally effects our end product. It’s not rocket science. But it is purely my opinion.

Who have I personally insulted? If you’re referring to the rose tinted glasses comment then I think you’re being a little precious.

As I said, football is all about debate and opinions, and it’s been good chatting with you.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

You stated that 'our defence is shambolic', which was challenged by me and others.

Whatever limitations it has in creating play higher up the pitch (exaggerated in my view), a defence which concedes eight goals in twelve games is not by any definition 'shambolic'.

 

[Sparky]

On the plus side, Tranmere Rovers in the community have been nominated for an award!!