Tranmere 1-1 Accrington Stanley (3-5 Pens)

[roverstillidie]

Another shoot out defeat after another dire display, playing 4-4-2 with 4 strikers will never work, if that's going to be our way of playing for the rest of the season, we may as well give up now.

The positive for me was the new centre back Grandison who played very well and was my man of the match. Showoddywoddy also continued his goal scoring streak with a good strike after the Accrington defender cocked it up some what, much like Blanchard and Collister did for their goal!

The penalties were predictable I suppose, Showoddywoddy's run up was all wrong when he blazed it over the bar, how we could have done with ITM (who was running down steps) playing rather than sulking. Collister couldn't do much about their penalites as they were all very well hit.

The start to this season has so far been worse than last seasons start. I do feel Les is getting for too much slack because he's our legendary physio. Unfortunately I don't believe this is going to work out and I can see us been well adrift by Christmas. I would not be surprised if he was gone by the Brighton home match. So far this season we have had two good performances - Walsall and Huddersfield and one gutsy performance - Swansea, the rest have been appaling (The 2-2 at D&R was by all accounts a fluke). Welsh is also out for Saturday it seems so our team is getting ever younger, which Parry is trying to portray as a positive. A side with no expierence lacks backbone and nous in certain situations which is been badly exposed.

We're in serious trouble if changes are not made soon.

 

[SonkORLY?]

Too many sub-par players in tonights XI: Darville, Blanchard, Akins, Brown, McGurk...

 

[Boz]

Too many sub-par players in tonights XI: Darville, Blanchard, Akins, Brown, McGurk...

Care to elaborate? Aside from Darville, the others haven't played enough for us to know what a par performance might be, so I'm assuming you're measuring them against the standard of a competent L1 player in that position. The other 6 players had average or better performances then?

I agree in part, with RTID. We've got a wide player in Mackreth, this game would have been a good one to test the water with him. Even using the same 11 as Les, Brown doesn't work out wide, but did look a half-decent player against Udders as a central striker, so swapping him with McGurk may have improved things. Also agree that our inability to attract more experienced players throws into question Les' decision not to retain certain players from last season; I'm thinking Edds in particular but an argument could be made for Shuker and Barnett.

However, we're going through one of the worst injury crises I can recall. Broomes, Ash, ITM, Joss, Mahon would certainly have strengthened the side. That coupled with the fact that it's hard to see any experienced manager wanting to take on the job with the resources available, means that Les will be cut some slack to try and turn things round. I can't see us winning a game until Brentford in mid-October, so it's not going to be a comfortable journey.

 

[Rob]

The performance was awful again.

For the entire game all I could hear was Collister screaming to take control of his defense which in principal is a good thing. The problem is that he still seems unable to do the simple things like control the movement between himself and a defender which caused the goal.

Im not going to blame Ewok for missing a penalty because to be honest without his nice finish we would have gone out 1-0, I have little confidence that the other strikers would have put a similar opportunity away.

Exceptionally poor game again with yet more bizarre tactics from Les, for example bringing Goodison on with about 30 seconds of the game left. Did our physio think it was going to extra time or something?

Thats another £8 I will never get back

Also for whoever criticised Blanchard above, I thought he put in a good performance.

 

[Sparky]

It shows how far (or not as the case maybe..) we have come when I am praying for us to grab an equaliser at home to Accrington - who'd have thought 2 years ago when we were beating the likes of Leeds/Leicester and going for the play offs that we would be in this position. Yes the budget has gone down but oh how we have fallen.

Yes its only the Johnsons Paints but I am more concerned about home form/confidence and another game without a win. I think thats 4 games at home this season so far:
1 defeat against an average team (Oldham)
1 defeat against a team that was in league 2 last season (B'mouth)
1 defeat against Swansea (okay cant really complain as we played well)
1 draw (lost on pens) to a team still in league 2.

I agree with others that Les is probably going to be given more slack than most as he is such a popular guy/good servant etc - but if things carry on, how long do we give him ? Yes other managers would think its not the greatest job out there but it is a job and Les has been able to make plenty of signings in the last few weeks.

His persistance with the 4-3-3 has meant that by not having any real wingers (aside maybe Fraughan, Cressa), by realising long term it doesnt work at home, he is changing to 4-4-2 and putting square pegs in round holes with playing forwards on the wing.

He has had some bad luck with injuries as Welsh is now out for a bit so our first choice midfield (Joss, Ash) is not available - but I am dreading Saturday....I really am - should be entertaining tho !

 

[Ian]

I didn't make it last night (kick off was too early) but thank god. It sounded like a dreadful game. I was at the last home encounter with Accrington Stanley and that too was a poor game which we just scraped though 1-0. Incidentally, the attendance has dropped by 400 from 2 years ago.

So, another loss, and it's quite worrying. Yes, we had a few first teamers missing, but the players we have to call on in reserve are just what SonkORLY? calls them, sub-bar players.

http://whitereview.co.uk/matchday/matches.php doesn't make great reading. Only 1 win in 7 games.

 

[SonkORLY?]

I'm assuming you're measuring them against the standard of a competent L1 player in that position.

Yep. They all look absolutely useless - Blanchards mistake last night was pretty much unforgivable.

edit: ...hang on, are people really blaming Collister for that goal??

 

[roverstillidie]

Yep. They all look absolutely useless - Blanchards mistake last night was pretty much unforgivable.

You would think he had killed someone! Collister has some blame for the goal as well as he didn't tell Blanchard the striker was there, and he has the best view. Yes Blanchard should have looked, but Collister should have also made a shout as he must have seen the striker coming. It was mainly Blanchard's fault, but Collister has to take some blame as well.

Blanchard also had a fairly good game with the exception of his gaffe for their goal, to say he's useless is utter rubbish - he looks like a decent player.

 

[SonkORLY?]

A decent player wouldn't have made that mistake last night, pretty shocking lack of awareness and general footballing common sense. He shouldn't need an 18 year old Goalkeeper to hold his hand all game, telling him how to do utterly basic defensive tasks. Looks a bit lightweight to be a center-half too and definetly needs a haircut before I can think about forgiving him.

 

[Ian]

A decent player wouldn't have made that mistake last night

And that there is the problem. Decent players. I'd love to see some on show. :roll:

 

[DIW]

If Les stays we're down. We're probably down anyway. I've seen very very little to encourage me this season.

Going to be like last season but without the escape. Utter crap.

 

[Sparky]

I agree with DIW - early days still but the signs arent promising. I am seriously worried.

Too many players brought in to make up the numbers that are played out of position and probably dont like playing in the 4-3-3 system.

Yes Les will have a budget that means he cant go and sign any worldbeaters - but his tactics bring the worst out of those he has signed.

 

[SCooperSomersaults]

Didn't make it to the game for the same reasons as Ian, too early a kick off. So can't comment on the performance in that particular game.

Was nice to see us try a 442, but we simply don't have the right players. That Brown looked good when he came on at Hudds. He looks like a big centre forward and not a winger. He held the ball well, had a bit of pace and had something about him. Now he's shoved on the wing.

Dunno what to make of it all. :roll:

 

[TheBunnyBellEnd]

for anyone who wants me to do their lottery numbers for the weekend you will see that I am in form with my predictions expressing my concerns before a ball was even kicked.
We have a decent enough squad but the problem as I see it is that Les has nno idea how to best capitlise on their abilities. He continues to kill any enthusiasm with simply terrible long ball football and plays many players in positions which are alien to them.
I hate to say this but les I cant see how you have learnt anything from last seasons mistakes be a man take the hit and walk away.

For those who doubt whether or not he is good enough let me ask just one simple question, if Les leaves would he find employment with any other football league club as a manager?

 

[Ian]

You have to cut the slack off Les a little. He did a fantastic job last season keeping us up, we all thank him for that. An opportunity arisen which he will probably never be in again. So he took it, can't blame him, I would too! The mess we seem to be getting in all stems from the board. They made the decision to go for the cheap, easy option. You reap what you sow Mr Johnson.

 

[The Bootle Rover]

Patience and understanding

Tough in lower division football I know to be patient but we dont have much choice.

A broad view of the situation shows we have an owner slowly but surely strangling the club.
We have a still relatively inexperienced manager.
This manager has to cope with a reducing budget that makes a shoestring look fat.
A lot of the younger players lack experience most of all. While they gather that experience and Les is able to make better judgements of them in the longer term do we expect them to suddenly become world beaters? Surely not, while gaining experience we have to accept that sometimes its two steps forward and one back [away performance at Huddersfield] and sometimes its one step forward and two back [most of the home games]
But all the time they are picking up experience.
And all this while there is a genuine injury crisis at the club.
Please dont continue the moaning and get on the players backs, especially at the home games, it could so easily lead to young players dreading home games because of fan reaction. That would certainly contribute to a season long struggle.
We need to make home games a haven of support, irrespective of results and then see how things turn out.

Keep at it Les, its the only way we can come through.

 

[roverstillidie]

Since last season both the Cheif and Garnett are no longer part of the management team. I think that is the source of a lot of our problems. Of the trio, we kept the least qualified person for the job.

 

[SonkORLY?]

You have to cut the slack off Les a little. He did a fantastic job last season keeping us up, we all thank him for that. An opportunity arisen which he will probably never be in again. So he took it, can't blame him, I would too! The mess we seem to be getting in all stems from the board. They made the decision to go for the cheap, easy option. You reap what you sow Mr Johnson.

Please dont continue the moaning and get on the players backs, especially at the home games, it could so easily lead to young players dreading home games because of fan reaction. That would certainly contribute to a season long struggle.
We need to make home games a haven of support, irrespective of results and then see how things turn out.

Agree w/ these posts, although Les doesn't deserve to be cut any slack whatsoever regardless of whether his (misguided) appointment was ultimately the fault of the board.

 

[TheBunnyBellEnd]

You have to cut the slack off Les a little. He did a fantastic job last season keeping us up, we all thank him for that. An opportunity arisen which he will probably never be in again. So he took it, can't blame him, I would too! The mess we seem to be getting in all stems from the board. They made the decision to go for the cheap, easy option. You reap what you sow Mr Johnson.

Only bit I dont agree with Ian is the bit in red. If you accept the top job you accept the criticism and the praise in equal amounts. He revelled in the glory of Stockport however seemed a little muted after the Bournmouth debacle.
I actually said initially I was one of Les's biggest supporters believeing he had earned the right to continue the job. However I coupled that with the fact that Les would have to develop as a manager and show that tactically he would be able to live with some of the more estute managers in League 1.
In my eyes Les has given it a go but has really not moved on from were he finished last season. Look at the up and coming fixtures and try and pick were 3 points may come from. (Probably against Peterborough on saturday now I have said that) If result sgo the way you have to expect them too it could be October before we pick up a win. How long do you actually leave something when it appears so badly wrong? If Les appeared to be trying new things and appeared to be trying to manage the team when they are on the pitch I would be encouraged, instead of seeing a muted Les arms folded staring at the pitch trying to figure out what to do next.
As I say I genuinely hope and pray that things get turned round and I will always be eternally grateful o Les for keeping us up last season and he was what the club needed, my question is whether or not this is still the case.

 

[Higgy]

Whoever the manager is they should be cut some slack given the low budget and the amount of injuries in very specific areas. The only way you could judge Les is when he has something like a full fit squad. Even witout the injuries all the signings were last min.com so cut some slack for bedding in and then lo and behold we have the injuries...cut a bit more slack. Hyperthetically the only way you can measure Les' performance against a potential other appointment is when he a has a fit squad. Granted any replacement will have the same budget and I would cut them some slack accordingly. What normally happens if all the panic merchants get their way, the manager gets the boot just as players are returning to fitness and a new guy comes in does well on the back of it. Early days - I think we will be ok, even though I would prefer more balance. No probs standing there arms folded as I have seen enough bluff merchants at "higher levels" standing in technical areas making all kinds of signs etc who turned out to be total duffers.