Yeovil 1 Rovers 0

[Boz]

The match reports suggest a fairly one-sided affair. Thought we'd lose this because of the number of regulars missing, but it seemed Yeovil not at full strength either. Given their poor form, we should perhaps have done better. As for team selection, Antwi gave away the free-kick that led to their goal, would have rather started with Waterfall, or even Holmes in the centre. Not a fan of 4-5-1 and it didn't work again here.

 

[truffle]

It was one sided as we had no midfield worthy of the name. Also, the rest of the side mostly didn't bother. Shukes, who I admire so much, was awful.

Some of Rovers' following got so bored they started singing for Ricky Hatton.

Yeovil really did deserve to win by at least 3-0. I left cold and miserable. The only consolation was the half time Cornish Pastie.

 

[Ian]

Outdone by a set-piece again. Considering Yeovil's awful record this month and our promising performance against Southend, I really thought we'd make more of a game of it. I think we had two worthwhile chances, one in each half. One from Taylor and the other from Greenacre, but apart from that, the performance sounded quite poor.

I've said this time and time again, but it annoys me when Ronnie plays one up front. I dont see the point. Most of the time he gets no support from midfield, and instead of playing a stikers role, ends up chasing loose balls. Complete waste of time.

I don't think playing 4-5-1 away from home all season will reap any long term reward. It's OK if you want to play safe (well, most of the time), but if you want to get out of this division, you've got to be more attack minded, take risks.

I know we had a lot of players missing, but they also had their fair share of player outs as well. Really, what is the point of playing one up front and having like 2 shots on target and the team playing below par. Not good enough really. You've already lost before you've kicked off!

 

[Tartantranmere64]

We are the Good Ship Mid Table - marooned in League One for ever more.

Expected better yesterday, even with all the suspensions, illness, etc. Next three games might determine exactly what lies ahead in the next few months.

 

[roverstillidie]

why did he play Antwi ahead of Waterfall?, I wouldnt play Antwi ahead of a ball boy! Also what kind of manager plays 4-5-1 against a team that has just lost 5-0 and has won one home game all season. Its actually a 4-6-0 because Savage is not a lone striker he likes to wander off.

We cant spend the rest of the season hoping we might score a goal off someones ass! Were a perfect midtable side -we get a flurry of points every other month and we play 4-5-1 against some of the worst teams in the league, (Crewe, Yeovil, Cheltenham etc) as well as Accrington!

Ronnie sort it out!

 

[Boz]

Its actually a 4-6-0 because Savage is not a lone striker he likes to wander off.

This is very true. I'm not sure we've anyone at the club now in the Gareth Taylor mould, who'll stay in/around the box when we attack and holds the ball up. Maybe Ian Moore could do it or Terry Gornell when he returns. However it puzzles me why Ronnie persists in this formation when it is so clearly unsuited to Bas' talents.

 

[Ian]

Yeah, it's well known Bas likes to drift out wide, and in a way you can't knock him for it, he likes to get involved and that's not a bad thing. I remember Ronnie saying a few months back how Bas tends to drift and that they would be working on that side of his game. But really, that's the way he plays, I don't think that will change.

So really, why play him as the lone striker? 4-6-0 is spot on RTID!

 

[SonkORLY?]

:lol:

Ah, yet again the same scapegoat, the same ill-informed excuse...

Did noone else notice that we played 4-4-2 for half of the game? I thought we took Edds off at half time and brought on Greenacre?

Before Saturday:
Away record with 4-5-1 was: WDWWLD (1.8 points per game)
Away record with 4-4-2 was: LLL (0 points per game)

Before Saturday:
Home record with 4-5-1 was: WWWW (3 points per game)
Home record with 4-4-2 was: WWWLLLD (1.4 points per game)

Interesting that we have even taken more points with 4-5-1 away from home than we have from playing 4-4-2 at home, and over a similar amount of games (granted, I - like most people - think we should be playing 4-4-2 at home against most teams)

But the stats do rather speak for themselves, and as such, you can't really blame Ronnie for "persisting" with a winning formation on the odd occasion that it doesn't work out. As i stressed earlier, 4-4-2 didn't work against Yeovil in the second half either. Such is football.

 

[Boz]

As the saying goes there's lies, damn lies and statistics. The stats show that our unbeaten run coincided with Kay being moved to midfield, but that doesn't make him the next Fabregas. We couldn't beat Cheltenham at home until Ronnie switched to 4-4-2. It wasn't just the formation that did for us at Yeovil BUT if we're to persist in 1 up, then Bas isn't the man. It is thought better to choose a formation to suit the strengths of your squad, rather than shoehorning them into a 4-5-1 regardless.

 

[SonkORLY?]

True perhaps. But in the three games we played 4-4-2 at away from home we were far too open, and the results reflect this. We have improved at the back hugely since switching to the 4-5-1, although we've had less open and high scoring games. Our shape during the transition from defence to attack in the 4-5-1 does too often leave Bas isolated so to play it at home against teams like Cheltenham does seem a bit stupid, and often results in a bit of a stalemate with both teams set up as if they're playing for a draw.

As Ronnie often says, the idea is that the 4-5-1 turns into 4-3-3 when you're going forward - but maybe at this level, our players aren't positionally intelligent enough to carry it off properly. In theory it's a great formation though.

I'm dissapointed to have lost at Yeovil, who aren't a great side, and despite the injuries I thought we would have at least put in a better performance if not got a result.

 

[Ian]

Like I said in another thread, Ronnie's there to get results. If 4-5-1 gets him more points than playing 4-4-2, he's sure to go down that route. It might not be pretty to watch and it certainly doesn't look entertaining on paper, but Ronnie's no.1 aim is to win no matter what the cost. Unrealistically, supporters are always after both. Entertaining football and the three points. Sadly, it's never that easy or realistic at this level.

 

[Ally]

Regardless of formations, the players and the manager aren't quite good enough to get us out of the division this season. Just like the last, and the one before that, and the one before that, and the one before that, and... you get my point.

 

[SonkORLY?]

O RLY?

http://www.tranmererovers.co.uk/page/MatchReport/0,,10365~44260,00.html​