Rockford's Love Child
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Nigel Adkins has been given the Tranmere job on a permanent basis signing until the end of the 25/26 season. Continue the discussion here.
Rovers v Robins
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GB appears to have fallen into the trap of signing players with decent records and feels obliged to play them or maybe he just believes that (historic?) individual quality will always prevail. Unfortunately for him football is a team game and at this level you need fit players who will put themselves about. The comment above about three overweight players is very fair. On an individual level, To swap Mangan for Higdon was ludicrous really. The latter has an impressive record but that is all so far. I see Mekki only made it for the last 30 mins. Not top class but he offers something. 4-2-4 has not worked this season - why again now? Sorry for the frustrated rant! I liked the free kick!
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That free kick was awful. I think with the addition of an unfit Higdon, we looked quite lethargic at times. It probably didn't help that GTF was suck out wide and was playing in defense at times. Someone commented that he looked like he was pulling a caravan, whuch made me chuckle. We were in desperate need of fresh legs in the second half but subs came too late really.
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Have a read of this! I have to say that I agree with most of it.
http://m.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/...MATCH-REPORT/story-28774584-detail/story.html
http://m.gloucestershireecho.co.uk/...MATCH-REPORT/story-28774584-detail/story.html
Rockford's Love Child
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I am Brabin's biggest critic, but that article is disrespectful drivel. In particular, bracketing Hughes - who admittedly was poor yesterday - with Higdon and GTF is ridiculous. He is as good a footballer as anybody in their squad. The whole tone of the piece completely disrespects our club.
Perhaps that halfwit journalist should not get too cocky. Once Johnson clears off they will be back to League Two relegation battles, whereas we will almost certainly be in a stronger position than them in five or ten years time - as we have been for the last century.
Perhaps that halfwit journalist should not get too cocky. Once Johnson clears off they will be back to League Two relegation battles, whereas we will almost certainly be in a stronger position than them in five or ten years time - as we have been for the last century.
Yes it is a bit disrespectful but sometimes the truth hurts. I can't argue with the general gist of it and I know many supporters who share that view.
As for being cocky, supporters of other clubs might see your last paragraph like that too. It is by no means certain we will be in a better position than Cheltenham in 5 or 10 years. Surely the experiences of Wrexham, Chester, Grimsby, Stockport, etc should tell you that?
As for being cocky, supporters of other clubs might see your last paragraph like that too. It is by no means certain we will be in a better position than Cheltenham in 5 or 10 years. Surely the experiences of Wrexham, Chester, Grimsby, Stockport, etc should tell you that?
Rockford's Love Child
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Whatever we think of Brabin's shortcomings, and he has plenty, we are fourth in the league and as good as any team in the division bar the top two. We were not great yesterday, but we were not as bad as that report suggests. So yes, I do find the tone of that report disrespectful. I can't imagine Nick Hilton writing a piece like that for The Echo however poor the opposition were; it strikes me as completely unprofessional, but I suppose that is why the author is working for the Gloucestershire Echo.
I would argue that with Palios in charge we will be in a stronger position in five years than Cheltenham, certainly financially and in terms of infrastructure. I don't think that is being cocky, just a rational comment on our off the field strength relative to Cheltenham's. Barring some unforeseen disaster, I don't see our current position as comparable with Stockport's , and I would expect Grimsby and Wrexham to rise back to their 'natural' positions in the pyramid in the fullness of time as well.
My final paragraph was a flippant response to the reporter's flippant and silly comments.
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Bit frustrating to read that, however it does read like something written by an A-Level student fan rather than a real journalist.
The report on our win back in September was equally ungracious.
http://www.gloucestershireecho.co.u...enham-Town-v/story-27869286-detail/story.html
Anyway, let them enjoy the excitement of being top of the fifth tier of English football, the hyperbole being used in the article simply demonstrates the history and lack of ambition at the club. Personally I won't be getting excited about anything the Rovers do until we're back knocking on the door of the Championship.
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A bad set of results for us tonight. In fact, they could not have been much worse, with Braintree and Wrexham winning and Gateshead getting a point at Cheltenham. Depressing to see Wrexham above us again and they could be four points clear of us by the time we go to Chester.
We are now down to sixth and we are probably in eighth place effectively, if you factor in Braintree's and Dover's games in hand. We need to get on another winning run quickly to stand any chance of the play offs. I certainly think we have to win the next three games.
We are now down to sixth and we are probably in eighth place effectively, if you factor in Braintree's and Dover's games in hand. We need to get on another winning run quickly to stand any chance of the play offs. I certainly think we have to win the next three games.
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While the Braintree and Wrexham wins were expected, Gateshead who have been poor travellers getting a point at Cheltenham more of a surprise. By all accounts they were unlucky not to win it and will be tough next opponents at PP. Before that, a Cheshire derby to deal with...
I see Jake Kirby got 20 minutes at the weekend, did he have any impact at all? Two goals each for Stockton and Margetts in the Cheshire Cup win at Lairds, but doubt either will even make the bench on Sunday.
I see Jake Kirby got 20 minutes at the weekend, did he have any impact at all? Two goals each for Stockton and Margetts in the Cheshire Cup win at Lairds, but doubt either will even make the bench on Sunday.
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The Margetts situation drives me mad. A natural goalscorer IMO. Far from perfect but against the Robins we had 3 wingers on the bench (Mekki, Kirby, Mackreth) along with a defender in Sutton. No striker. Not sure if Cole was fit but why we let Margetts go is beyond me - I'm a big fan of his and think he'll have a decent career scoring goals.
He scored 2 in 6 at Alty, with his last appearance being off the bench. So that's 1 in 3 games - dare I say on a par with Norwood's ratio for us this season? Obviously difficult to compare but food for thought.
Boz - Kirby didn't do much at all when he came on. I don't think he has any confidence at all. He did well at Stockport, got the winner at Barrow, and hasn't been given a chance since, plus GB brought in Mackreth.
I think the real issue here is GB clearly has his favourites - with some being the older local boys who are probably his mates e.g. GTF & Higdon, whereas players like Margetts & Kirby who are young, energetic etc, and go out on loan and do well, come back and don't get a look in. I'm not Kirbys biggest fan (or Stockton's for that matter), but could they do any worse than GTF or Higdon recently, who seem to play whenever they declare themselves fit?
Turning to favourites - GB clearly had an issue with Mangan who I understand does have a temper - but is a great player at this level. And because he fell out with GB, he was shipped out at the expense of the team.
He scored 2 in 6 at Alty, with his last appearance being off the bench. So that's 1 in 3 games - dare I say on a par with Norwood's ratio for us this season? Obviously difficult to compare but food for thought.
Boz - Kirby didn't do much at all when he came on. I don't think he has any confidence at all. He did well at Stockport, got the winner at Barrow, and hasn't been given a chance since, plus GB brought in Mackreth.
I think the real issue here is GB clearly has his favourites - with some being the older local boys who are probably his mates e.g. GTF & Higdon, whereas players like Margetts & Kirby who are young, energetic etc, and go out on loan and do well, come back and don't get a look in. I'm not Kirbys biggest fan (or Stockton's for that matter), but could they do any worse than GTF or Higdon recently, who seem to play whenever they declare themselves fit?
Turning to favourites - GB clearly had an issue with Mangan who I understand does have a temper - but is a great player at this level. And because he fell out with GB, he was shipped out at the expense of the team.
Rockford's Love Child
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What concerns me most about the decision to play Higdon in every game is not his fitness - although that is obviously an issue - but the fact it has resulted in a change in our style of play 3/4 of the way through the season. As far as I remember, we have only previously played with a target man once this season, when Cole was up front on his own in the opening game against Woking. Since then, we have played strikers who are always looking to run in behind the opposition defence: Mangan, Margetts and Norwood. Higdon is a completely different kind of player, who always comes short for the ball, so the service he needs and the runs people make off him are also completely different to what we have been used to.
It is very difficult to change your playing style mid-season, even more so when you are in the most crucial period of the season, but Brabin claimed both on Saturday and after the Aldershot game that Higdon's arrival has not disrupted us at all. We will have to adapt as a team very quickly if we are to achieve the consistency we need to finish in the top five.
It is very difficult to change your playing style mid-season, even more so when you are in the most crucial period of the season, but Brabin claimed both on Saturday and after the Aldershot game that Higdon's arrival has not disrupted us at all. We will have to adapt as a team very quickly if we are to achieve the consistency we need to finish in the top five.
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Higdon is also very useful from crosses so getting some width to our play and plenty of crosses into the box would be an idea although I don't think we've particularly looked that great from the wide areas this season. Quality of crosses has been poor in general.
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Yes Ian. Apart from Adam Dawson I don't think anyone has put in regular set pieces of decent quality this season. Only Mekki of late has put in some decent delivery.
I think Higdon was his most successful at Motherwell when playing alongside someone else. You can imagine a fully fit Higdon, alongside a goal poacher, with wingers supplying good crosses would bring us goals. Higdon clearly has aerial ability but we haven't had anyone reading the flick ons yet. Not helped by the system.
Instead we have an unfit Higdon playing on his own up front...
I think Higdon was his most successful at Motherwell when playing alongside someone else. You can imagine a fully fit Higdon, alongside a goal poacher, with wingers supplying good crosses would bring us goals. Higdon clearly has aerial ability but we haven't had anyone reading the flick ons yet. Not helped by the system.
Instead we have an unfit Higdon playing on his own up front...