League Two Rovers v Exiles

[ADD]

Good call re Nevitt in my view. Would have liked McManaman tomstart and surprised Merrie isn't back.
Looking forward to a solid win with Nevitt proving he is the new striker we need

 

[White Squaddie]

Disappointing result I guess, look forward to the reviews from the guys who were able to attend. I'm sure we'll be discussing a lack of cutting edge.........

 

[frenchrover]

Absolute defensive cock-up for their goal, Glatzel misses an absolute sitter...and Nevitt tries very hard but lack of experience shows...the other "striker", Dieswho? , is an absolute waste of space, and why, oh why was Mcmanam not on from the start, just beggars belief. So in summary, we are in the table were this depleted squad should be with 5 points out of 12...in the bottom half.

 

[bigmart]

First half I thought we passed it around quite well Glatzel really should have scored but the 2nd half we were awful, the chickens came home to roost. The squad is threadbare the lack of a winger and decent striker is alarming, its all well and good being solid but we are totally toothless.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

A tight, fiercely competitive game which I think we deserved to take a draw from, but did not due to our ineffectiveness in front of goal. This was always going to be a game where the team that scored the first goal was likely to take all three points, and perhaps unsurprisingly that was not us.

I thought we were fine in defence and midfield. Yes, there was a mix up for the goal, but the centre halves are not supermen and we can't keep a clean sheet in every game. The final third is where the obvious weakness is, and I thought Glatzel's miss was the turning point in the game. An absolute sitter from ten yards and he simply has to score, similar to Mani's chance at Swindon on Tuesday night.

The one real positive to take from the game was the performance of Elliott Nevitt, who absolutely looks the real deal as a Football League striker. I thought his hold up play, workrate and movement were excellent, and he had our best effort on target in the second half. However, we can't expect him to perform miracles on his own, and Mani's performance alongside him in the closing stages was pretty useless in all honesty. I also thought the delivery from wide areas was poor a lot of the time and did not given Nevitt a chance, even when he made good runs into the box.

I think Micky made the right decisions with the substitutions, switching to two strikers and bringing MacManaman on, but with our current struggles up front it was always going to be difficult to get back into the game against a well organised, cynical team like Newport.

Man of the match, Elliott Nevitt.

 

[Sparky]

Couldn’t make it today but not surprised at all by the result. Thanks for the reports.As RLC suggests we can’t expect our defence to keep a clean sheet in every game and of course when we’re not scoring the opposition only need one goal to take 3 points.

Nevitt sounds promising but we can’t rely on someone who is still learning his trade. Glatzel missing a chance is disappointing but I do wonder if he’s lost some confidence playing out wide since he joined us when he is a striker and needs to play in a front 2 (I’m assuming he played deep again today and not alongside Elliot). Agree with others that the starting eleven sounded odd. Merrie had a great game v Walsall up until the sending off so why not start him in a back 4? When we’re or scoring you need the likes of mcmanaman and Watson on who both have a goal in them from midfield and were rested midweek, but both are sub again today? Watson in particular I don’t think we’re getting the best out of. He could easily get into double figures from midfield this season and got played of the year at Northampton in L1 last season. As for Mani he’s had enough chances now and has been shown to not be good enough at this level. We badly need pace in the side and more attacking options. Feeney has looked ok up to now but is 35 in a few months so will be hit and miss.

Still too early to be looking at the table but a single goal in 4 league games is nowhere near enough for a side wanting promotion.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

I am not sure Glatzel is a number nine. The chance he had today would be smashed home by an instinctive centre forward - I think Nevitt would have scored it - but he tamely side-footed it wide of the post. He is a skilful player but I am not sure he is the answer to our centre forward problems.

 

[Ian]

I would say that is probably the poorest performance so far this season. We should have taken the lead in the 1st half and how Glaztel failed to find the target is quite unbelievable really however as Bigmart says, the second half was poor and I thought we were poor for the majority of it apart from the last 10 minutes when Newport sat back and allowed us to attack them. The quality of the crosses and corners where in general quite poor and there was just nothing really upfront to trouble their keeper. Summed up by McManaman delivering a great cross into the box and all three Tranmere players failing to connect.

Nevitt was excellent too. Worked hard all game, was able to handle their centre halves quite well and would probably have more success with better players around him.

We can see the pattern here until something is done to strengthen the team further.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Summed up by McManaman delivering a great cross into the box and all three Tranmere players failing to connect.

That was an unbelievable delivery and should have been a goal. That moment summed up the lack of presence and movement in the eighteen yard box.

 

[Sparky]

From what I’ve seen I think glatzel would be most effective in a front two, perhaps alongside a target man. I think if he had a run of games in that system then he would score but Micky obviously doesn’t see it that way at present.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

From what I’ve seen I think glatzel would be most effective in a front two, perhaps alongside a target man. I think if he had a run of games in that system then he would score but Micky obviously doesn’t see it that way at present.

I am still not so sure. Has Glatzel really played in a front two before ? I would guess he has been coached in an interchangeable front three at Liverpool, and that is the kind of player he looks to me. His finishing today and at Oldham when he had chances was not great.

 

[Higgy]

I would defo give that a go Sparky or worse case as a no. 10. When played wide it is effectively out of position. I'd rather see Merrie there who has got some class and if he can fill in at L.B. we can surely benefit from him being further forward.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Glatzel has played as a number ten behind the striker in the last two games. We are effectively playing with two tens - him and Feeney.

 

[Boz]

I wasn't able to go today, so will limit any comments until have seen some highlights, but it felt like quite a negative line-up from Micky. 3 central defenders with wing-backs and two predominantly defensive midfielders in Spearing and Foley.

 

[Sparky]

Yes I thought that Boz. Why not spearing and Watson? I don’t want to mention age again but Feeney is soon 35 and foley is around the same. Not using Watson is a real waste

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Yes, I agree it was very cautious, and not an approach we have associated with Mellon in the past.

I think because of the lack of striking options he believes we have to hold on to a point and try and nick a goal, rather than opening out and potentially exposing ourselves.

 

[Higgy]

Glatzel has played as a number ten behind the striker in the last two games. We are effectively playing with two tens - him and Feeney.

Exactly. I'd settle for that, but when he is played wide as he has been it's a waste and must frustrate him. He had commented that he's a no.10 type. It's early days and we'd be looking to either a new striker or Nevitt to score the goals. While the burden shouldn't rest on Glatzel he needs to chip in with a few from a no.10 as he'd been really prolific in the LFC U18/19 teams....different ball game I know.

 

[bigmart]

It's de ja vu every game we look good in possession but rarely look like scoring, Nevitt did well but the formation and tactics were wrong today we don't need to play 3 centre halves at home to any team never mind a team with 1 up front.

Frankly that was a depressing performance to watch against a very limited and average team at best.

 

[bigmart]

Exactly. I'd settle for that, but when he is played wide as he has been it's a waste and must frustrate him. He had commented that he's a no.10 type. It's early days and we'd be looking to either a new striker or Nevitt to score the goals. While the burden shouldn't rest on Glatzel he needs to chip in with a few from a no.10 as he'd been really prolific in the LFC U18/19 teams....different ball game I know.

Kids football is not a breeding ground for the rough and tumble of league 2 football

 

[keep the faith]

that was like watching paint dry we seemed to have no shape about us at all, only consolation was it not being a freezing Tuesday night in dec/jan, if it stays like this it will be a long season