League Two Dale v Rovers

[Rockford's Love Child]

I thought we actually played well tonight for the majority of the game and clearly deserved to win against a frankly dreadful Rochdale side. However, our game management at present is absolutely pathetic and we are also prone to defensive lapses which we just were not making a couple of months ago.

We were lethargic in the first twenty minutes, but the freak goal settled us and we played some decent football through midfield thereafter. I thought Hendry, Hughes and Bristow had good games, and Saunders was a real livewire with several decent efforts on goal, in addition to winning the penalty. Lloyd's effort from distance should have been nothing more than a consolation, as Rochdale had not offered anything to that point, but we lost our discipline and handed them a way back into the match. The defending for the equaliser was dreadful.

There are some positives in the individual displays, and I thought Saunders and Hendry in particular were very good tonight, assuming we have a chance of keeping the latter. However, the inability of manager and players to deliver results, irrespective of whether the season is dead, is unacceptable.

Surely we have to make a managerial appointment soon to end this drift.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Dawes post match gives a shout out to Clarke and spearing being the types of players we’ve missed.

Why are we going down a purely development route then ? Why is this imbalance between youth and experience not being addressed ?

So many questions at the moment.

 

[ADD]

The 'in the know' posters elsewhere suggest that Mellon wanted an experienced keeper this season. In any case, I don't think Doohan was as bad as a lot of people suggested.

Maybe he did in the close season given he eventually dropped him but he left him playing last season when Murphy returned from injury which he never did when Davies returned from injury. Immediately he put back in Davies although many of us thought Murphy was better.
Re Doohan himself your opinion is by definition yours and mine is mine. When Doohan first plays for Scotland as MM said he would I will agree with yours.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

Re Doohan himself your opinion is by definition yours and mine is mine. When Doohan first plays for Scotland as MM said he would I will agree with yours.

I am not sure what Mellon's comments have got to do with my opinion.

Perhaps you think Hewelt will play for Poland, as you rated him more highly than Doohan ?

 

[Sparky]

Why are we going down a purely development route then ? Why is this imbalance between youth and experience not being addressed ?

So many questions at the moment.

I guess in simple terms Palios will say we have to go down the budget route due to finances. However as we’ve seen it is very difficult to do that and get results at the same time. Certainly in the short term and football is very much a short term, results driven business.

Whoever gets the job if we get to say mid October and we’re say 16th in the league, even with a couple more promising youngsters then the fans won’t accept it

 

[Boz]

I guess in simple terms Palios will say we have to go down the budget route due to finances. However as we’ve seen it is very difficult to do that and get results at the same time. Certainly in the short term and football is very much a short term, results driven business.

Whoever gets the job if we get to say mid October and we’re say 16th in the league, even with a couple more promising youngsters then the fans won’t accept it

I agree with your first paragraph, Sparky.

The way things are going think I’d be delighted with 16th this October

 

[dollar'sbloke]

I am not seeing Hewelt at a major fault for the Lloyd goal, especially after the gift and the pen which may have been a fresh air shot! However the lack of game management now is poor.
Moreover some posters clearly don't understand the dynamics of defending. A running in attacker into the six yard box has to be met by the keeper, that is his job. The defender has no momentum and even a Davies would come second best, someone as light as Hemmings has no chance. A fifteen stone keeper armed with two hands has, where was he? Murph would have punched it off his head.
I can see Lloyd returning?

 

[Sparky]

Had to laugh….after last night, ‘own goal’ is our third top scorer after hawkes and Hemmings. OG is on 4 goals joint with Nevitt!

 

[bigmart]

I guess in simple terms Palios will say we have to go down the budget route due to finances. However as we’ve seen it is very difficult to do that and get results at the same time. Certainly in the short term and football is very much a short term, results driven business.

Whoever gets the job if we get to say mid October and we’re say 16th in the league, even with a couple more promising youngsters then the fans won’t accept it

If he comes out and says it fair enough then fans need to be patient bit if he comes out and mentions promotion, style of play etc then he's not doing himself or the manager any favours.

 

[Ian]

Had to laugh….after last night, ‘own goal’ is our third top scorer after hawkes and Hemmings. OG is on 4 goals joint with Nevitt!

Thanks @Sparky this made me laugh. Not funny really but I've got the point of just laughing the whole mess off now..

 

[dollar'sbloke]

Thanks @Sparky this made me laugh. Not funny really but I've got the point of just laughing the whole mess off now..

There was a time when Palios was top scorer over a season but not for Tranmere, now that was a dire situation.

 

[Rockford's Love Child]

If he comes out and says it fair enough then fans need to be patient bit if he comes out and mentions promotion, style of play etc then he's not doing himself or the manager any favours.

Yes, exactly.

 

[Keith Hill (Bolton)]

Why are we going down a purely development route then ? Why is this imbalance between youth and experience not being addressed ?

So many questions at the moment.

I think I posted, a month or so before Christmas about the balance of the team and my concerns over the inexperienced make up of the side.
The lack of an experienced keeper, spine and goalscorer, after the January window.
Game management is fundamental in professional football. We don't have it.
It is no use the interim manager, moaning about the limitations of the players, as I heard in his interview, it beggars belief that we can't see out a two goal lead against a very poor team, who have been relegated!

Shambles!

 

[Boz]

I am not seeing Hewelt at a major fault for the Lloyd goal, especially after the gift and the pen which may have been a fresh air shot! However the lack of game management now is poor.
Moreover some posters clearly don't understand the dynamics of defending. A running in attacker into the six yard box has to be met by the keeper, that is his job. The defender has no momentum and even a Davies would come second best, someone as light as Hemmings has no chance. A fifteen stone keeper armed with two hands has, where was he? Murph would have punched it off his head.
I can see Lloyd returning?

No expert in goalkeeping, as a shortarse, I only played keeper in hockey. However, neither Doohan or Hewelt are particularly strong in commanding their box, which shouldn’t be a surprise to anyone who’s watched us recently. Defending is a team responsibility and for Hemmings to do nothing in that situation at the end is poor, even accepting that the keeper is best equipped to deal. Maybe he was fearful of fouling, particularly as already on a yellow, but if he just jumps with the scorer may put him off.

 

[Ian]

And he's one of the 'experienced' players. To say Hemmings has been disappointing since joining us is a huge understatement! Another failed signing IMO.

 

[Am on mobile]

I will be nice. I have said this from the first day a seen him play and the fact he keeps the arm band and his place is a joke like the whole club at this moment in time

 

[dollar'sbloke]

I will be nice. I have said this from the first day a seen him play and the fact he keeps the arm band and his place is a joke like the whole club at this moment in time

If he had lost his place months ago, your leading scorer would have been replaced by a combination of Mumbungo, Burton and a retained Nevitt. Pretty sure that would have been an abject lesson on how to make things worse. A theory I fear you will see next season.

 

[bring back the cowshed!]

Had to laugh….after last night, ‘own goal’ is our third top scorer after hawkes and Hemmings. OG is on 4 goals joint with Nevitt!

Who is this OG? Why don’t we sign him? Or is he too old for out development squad?

 

[Am on mobile]

We can't afford him LoL

 

[ONIGP]

Who is this OG? Why don’t we sign him? Or is he too old for out development squad?

"Old Git"