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Post by borobob on Sept 13, 2022 21:21:52 GMT
So glorious in defeat again NOT!!
Sorry Spencer that one is down to you. You insist on, or maybe were forced into, playing a back three, and then you play them all in unfamiliar positions!! Ball centre, Lokko left? and CJ Right. Just doesn't make sense!!
3 at the back doesn't work too well at any time as most of us know, (except those who follow the coaching manuals to the letter) but to change players in to unfamiliar positions as well is asking for trouble, and we got it!!
How long will it be before it is realised that CJ is NOT a FB?? And where is Alfie Saunders?, or have I missed something??
Freddie Grant out on dual registration doesn't help either. Even a half fit Freddie would have been better than CJ at rb tonight.
Sorry to pick out CJ, and he gives one hundred percent always, but he just IS NOT a full back!!
Sounded better second half when we sorted it out, but it shouldn't have needed to wait that long at all!!!!!!! Positional changes CAN be made during a game you know!!
Anything similar on Saturday, and our glorious cup run tradition (not) will continue!!!
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Tonight
Sept 13, 2022 22:01:35 GMT
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Post by antz27 on Sept 13, 2022 22:01:35 GMT
I said this mid pre season, the 3 at the back and fb does not work. We are being found out and it seems like Spencer has no plan b and is adamant this is how we are going to play this season.
Other than Jack in goal I don’t think any other player has had stand out mentionable performances.
I was hoping for a mid table finish this year and I know it’s early season but now i would just be happy to avoid relegation which unless Spencer can admit he has got it wrong in the first few months and change course I can see us going down.
Saturday is going to be a big game fans will want to see a decent performance whilst Hayes will be looking to get one over on us and rub salt in to the wounds.
My message to Spencer would be change course now and get things back on track before you lose the fans you have won back. I know we shouldn’t expect to win every game but I feel we should of done better than we have and that has to be on Spencer and the players who haven’t turned up.
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duggy70
1st team regular
Posts: 141
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Tonight
Sept 13, 2022 22:21:25 GMT
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Post by duggy70 on Sept 13, 2022 22:21:25 GMT
Just got back and have to say that was the worst we've played in a long time. There was nothing coming from Midfield and toothless up front. Page and Pendlebury were non existent and why oh why does Spencer insist on this 3 at the back? Reggie is never a wing back and is wasted there. People who were not at the game will look and see it was 2-1 which looks like a close game but trust me it was far from that. Alfie and Kenny are out for a while with injuries, Mitch Parker on dual reg with Leatherhead and where are Freddie and Selim? We really need to start producing and soon
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Tonight
Sept 13, 2022 22:23:49 GMT
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Post by chappers on Sept 13, 2022 22:23:49 GMT
Problem is we have a manger out of his depth who gets easily sussed out at this level. The problem being we can’t get rid of him.
I heard today Alfie got injured in the friendly that got arranged. Another manager masterclass.
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Admin
Administrator
Posts: 905
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Post by Admin on Sept 14, 2022 8:32:11 GMT
Post match interview:-
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Post by borobob on Sept 14, 2022 9:08:48 GMT
So " Everyone has to step up" eh!! That includes those at the top Spence!!
Throw those coaching manuals in the bin to start with, the whole game is getting sterile, stop tinkering, and get back to 4-4-2 that everyone is familiar with and understands.
Lets go with: Jack in goal
Back four of RB Jack CB CJ CB Lokko and LB Jordan
Midfield of Reggie Sam Ricky and Michael
Front pair of Liam and Hish, or bring Mitch back from Leatherhead!! ( I thought he signed for Leigh anyway)
At least we might get some semblance of a team!!!!!!!!!, and maybe, just maybe, get the FA cup hoodoo of our backs!!
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Tonight
Sept 14, 2022 9:24:26 GMT
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Post by beardedavenger on Sept 14, 2022 9:24:26 GMT
Problem is we have a manger out of his depth who gets easily sussed out at this level. The problem being we can’t get rid of him. I heard today Alfie got injured in the friendly that got arranged. Another manager masterclass. Alfie was injured at work.
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Post by archbishopchunder on Sept 14, 2022 13:00:22 GMT
Lose Saturday, and at any other club, the manager would be sacked!
Any other managers would have been sacked 4/5 times during Spencer's tenure. Time for him to admit he can't do the job, step aside and appoint a real manager. By all means become Director of Football or something, but protect your investment and get someone in.
Under a half decent manager, no reason why this bunch of players shouldn't be at least mid-table.
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duggy70
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Sept 14, 2022 13:40:45 GMT
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Post by duggy70 on Sept 14, 2022 13:40:45 GMT
We really need someone who can score goals because Ferdy, Hish and Mitch are not the answer for me. Go and get Emmanuel from Hayes or Minhas from Beaconsfield.
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Admin
Administrator
Posts: 905
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Post by Admin on Sept 14, 2022 15:20:25 GMT
Some over-reactions in my view.
Tonbridge have made big changes to their squad since last season, when they finished 16th out of 21. They play very decent stuff going forward, but have their weaknesses at the back, which we eventually started learning how to exploit, but too late in the day to rescue a point.
We were missing two key central midfielders, the right back and a first choice centre half last night, and it showed, particularly in the first half. As a Tonbridge fan said to me at half time "This league is brutal, teams know when you're short and target your weaknesses ruthlessly. We (Tonbridge) know that only too well from last season, which is why we had to strengthen the squad during the summer."
We weren't set up right at the start, with CJ looking extremely uncomfortable on the right of a back three, not exactly his best position. He didn't look in particularly good shape fitness-wise either and was subbed at half time after being given the run-around by Tonbridge's pacey flank players.
It didn't help that he and Jack Ball had an "After you, Claude" moment when Tonbridge won an early corner and the ball was swung deep beyond the far post. Neither moved, granting a late-arriving Tonbridge full-back the freedom of Longmead to pick his spot (which he did rather well). Basics lads, basics.
But it wasn't just about CJ, our central midfield was being overwhelmed, giving Tonbridge the space to build attacks down both flanks and we lived dangerously on a fair few occasions. Fortunately the Lokko/Norville-Williams combination on our left was again in good shape and mostly snuffed out the danger. However Tonbridge's second came about when Norville-Williams gave away possession on the half way line and our formation was just not in shape (a lack of concentration again). Tonbridge promptly exploited the yawning gaps in front of them and despite some last ditch defending the ball eventually trickled into the net.
Having said all that, I was impressed by the Ferdinand/Kasimu pairing up front. Although far from the finished article, Ferdinand's tidy touches allied to Kasimu's pace, strength and ability to run at defenders has the making of a good combination. Also, both are far better in the air than our other options. They engineered a decent number of half-chances in the first half without too much support and both worked extremely hard, as did Ricky Holmes who probably did the work of two or three in an attempt to stop the midfield from folding.
The second half was slightly strange. Tonbridge started lackadaisically and never really got going again. We sensed opportunity and gained on confidence. But two many careless final balls and slight, but key, hesitations when pulling the trigger meant we scored just the once, deep into stoppage time, when Kasimu forced the ball over the line from close in after Lokko's header had wrongfooted the home defence.
It's all about how quickly we learn how to play at the level. The case for the prosecution says we are eight games in, so how many more are needed? The defence says we haven't had a settled line-up, due to tinkering with front pairings and injuries to key players further back, while five out of the eight games have been away from home, including visits to Ebbsfleet (1st in the table) and Havant (2nd).
I'm leaning towards the defence, however some of our decision making does need to improve - how we are set up at the outset and how quickly we adapt to circumstances during games - and the lapses in concentration that have cost us at Ebbsleet, Hemel and Tonbridge need to be all but eliminated - that's all about teamwork.
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Post by borobob on Sept 14, 2022 16:28:56 GMT
Your phrase " we weren't set up right from the start" Nigel, say it all!! That is a Management decision and a problem that has to be addressed as soon as possible.
It's not always the players fault, and if things start to go wrong during a game, early diagnosis and correction is part of the Management's game time. It doesn't have to wait until half time!!
The thinking re the back three formation and positions was unfathomable to everyone, except those in charge!
As Spencer stated, 'we need to step up', and that applies to ALL departments!!
I agree, to call for his sacking is a big over reaction, although many have gone for less, as we know!!
Lets hope lessons have been learned in time for Saturday.
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Tonight
Sept 14, 2022 20:52:26 GMT
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Post by antz27 on Sept 14, 2022 20:52:26 GMT
I think Spencer may have to clear some of the dead wood. As I stated previously we don’t have the luxury to give players months to come good by then it could be too late.
Spencer needs to sort out what ever issues there are as it was worrying to hear him say Omar and others haven’t been putting in the effort away from training. I fully appreciate they have other jobs but if they don’t want to take their chance at playing at this level / higher then leave and free up the budget to get someone else in who is hungry enough to take the opportunity.
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Tonight
Sept 15, 2022 9:56:20 GMT
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Post by Tom Bowen on Sept 15, 2022 9:56:20 GMT
I agree with Nigel that there are some overreactions to what happened on Tuesday. I'm not trying to polish a turd or sugarcoat anything though; from the sounds of things we were awful.
First of all, let me be clear. Spencer should not be sacked. This is the only game this season, off the top of my head, that we have been struggling and looked out of our depth.
This is a good bunch of players, and I admit Spencer got it wrong tonight. Three at the back is not, and has never been, the answer. If we play like that against Hayes on Saturday, we will get beat.
It is also concerning, as has been raised in this thread already, that the manager has no clue what Starting XI to play this weekend. Spencer knows the players inside out, and as long as we play 4 at the back, rather than the three from this random bit of tinkering, we'll be fine. We have more than enough quality to beat Hayes if we play properly.
I'm all for giving managers time. Spencer has taken us from the pre-lockdown revolving door team to a playoff-winning team full of good cohesion that makes a good account of itself in the Conference South. One bad game amid a season of good results is not a bad thing as long as it doesn't continue.
Onto Hayes on Saturday. A big game.
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Post by borobob on Sept 15, 2022 11:08:07 GMT
Sometimes Managers send out 'smoke screens' before important games, a.l.a. Alex Fergusson who was brilliant at it.
Whether Spencer has mastered that art or not, or whether he genuinely hasn't a clue, (which really is worrying!!), only Saturday will tell!
F.A Cup tie following the play Off shenanigans, players swopping between Clubs, and supporter rivalry, looks to make for an 'interesting game!!
COME ON YOU YELLOWWSSAA!!
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