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9 Up - Dancingwilldoit - 11-08-2018

It wasn't pretty but we won. We were poor but honestly didn't look like losing it at any time. Think the balls must be made of a different material in this league, we just couldn't pass or hold it.
Still, joint top, won first three and no goals against. Could win the next 2 as well but lets not get too optimistic eh.


RE: 9 Up - bluepooch - 11-08-2018

The difference under Allen is the team has a tenacity to stop the opposition scoring and also good game management and that will always stand us in good stead going into any game in this league.No matter how bad we are attacking wise we know the defensive side of our game will always give us a chance.The midfielders didn't play great but they worked their socks off and the few set pieces they had we managed well again .It wasn't great to watch but in previous seasons we would have conceded a sucker punch near the end .All in all a wins a win, no matter how you get it and we haven't said that very often in the last few years .


RE: 9 Up - SaltergateBorn - 12-08-2018

I said I thought this could be a difficult game and I really appreciate the fact that for 45 minutes our lads went to such lengths to prove me right.

I`ve been trying to think of a word I could use to describe that first half that wouldn`t send the reactive moderator on this site into total meltdown and I have to admit that I`m struggling. I suppose `dire` and `bloody awful` will have to do. The main problem, as I saw it, was our midfield. We didn`t have one. We had a back line and we had the rest of the team standing around on the edge of their area waiting for the ball to arrive. Nobody was coming to pick the ball up off the back line, nobody was coming deep to receive a pass and move their defence around and nobody in the back line was prepared to bring the ball forward themselves into the empty space in front of them, which was vast at times. Instead, they spent most of that first half hoofing long balls with a level of inaccuracy that at times was truly spectacular.

At half-time, to his credit, MA clearly had words. In the second half we decided to play with a midfield and, lo and behold, played much better. I thought the goal was well-worked and, to be fair, we should have one just before that went in. Mind you, I`m still a bit concerned about the level of creativity from midfield. Is Danny Whitaker still playing? I realise he must almost be a senior citizen by now, but I still think he could add a hell of a lot to this team.

The upside, as Blue says, seems to be the defense. Apart from Drew`s howler in the first half, which should have been put way, we really didn`t do anything wrong defensively. Braintree only really put us under any pressure in the last 10 minutes but even then they didn`t look like scoring. As the bloke next to me said, they look a lot more resilient than last year - and that has to be a good thing, surely. I still think, though, we need to play better on Tuesday or we could get turned over; Ian Evatt seems to be doing a decent job at Barrow.

One more gripe to get off my chest. Could we please get ball-boys willing and able to move a bit quicker than a geriatric tortoise. There were times when I was tempted to hobble down from row P and give `em a hand; I reckon I could have got to the ball before they did.

I got a programme though.

That`s it then. I`ve had my rant and I feel ever so much better now. I`m amazed to see this morning that we are now favourites for promotion at 2/1 or 9/4. Unbelievable really - clearly the Proact must have been a bookie-free zone yesterday. You can still get get 12/1 on Halfax, if anyone fancies a flutter and is that way inclined.


RE: 9 Up - Devongone - 12-08-2018

Well, we attracted the top crowd in the division.

Yes SB, Whits is still playing, was consistently a star in this league last season and is now trying to keep Macclesfield in Division Two.

Our midfield didn't function yesterday and as the rumour is we are about to loan out Joe Rowley and we didn't put Wedgbury on again until the last ten minutes or so, well er ......... Discuss.

12/1 against Halifax doesn't look the height of generosity when you notice they'll be travelling over the pennines to an increasingly desperate Salford on Tuesday night. I like a bet, I like Halifax and surrounds as a place, Jamie Fullarton is an interesting young manager and they have a captain who is an ex-Spire, but they've got a thin squad and no great resources, so to win this thing they'll need everything to go right for a long time.

From reports so far Zavon Hines is our attacking threat. Last season and an up-and down career raise the question how long this can continue. And of course if it doesn't will we sign someone similar to give the squad a similar boost?

I'm delighted Dancing got it right and we got our 9 points (I was hoping for 4 or 5), but I've got worries or questions. Lee Shaw was signed for his goals, under pressure from EFL teams, and he can't get a game in a team of non-scoring forwards, Gozie hasn't got a goal and needs confidence to put himself about, Fortune still has to work out this league out, Weir helped us be relegated so why is he such an important part of this team, Wedgbury was a signing to be the solid base of midfield wasn't he, so what's going on ......?

BUT the central point about sports is their WIN and LOSE element and we seem to have disregarded that for two seasons at least. We are now winning, perhaps despite ourselves, and the opposition is consistently finding us difficult to play against, which can't be under-rated. In any team game you can always ask questions about individual players and every manager and every fan would do something different, but if you create a team in which the cogs work for each other and everyone wants to win, you are on the way. Clearly that hasn't happened yet at Salford, Barnet or Orient, who to me all look stronger than us on paper. It is happening at Halifax and Solihull, who look weaker.

There aren't many things more miserable than a Tuesday night in Barrow, let's see if we can hold it together up there. Certainly Evo will want to beat us. We gave him an undeservedly harsh ending to his career, but at the moment it looks as though we did him a big favour.

I'm kinda expectin' a changed team. I thought Dancing was spot-on at Ebbsfleet, a team was picked to do the job, can we expect something similar in Barrow?


RE: 9 Up - Dancingwilldoit - 12-08-2018

(12-08-2018, 12:30)Devongone Wrote: Well, we attracted the top crowd in the division.

Yes SB, Whits is still playing, was consistently a star in this league last season and is now trying to keep Macclesfield in Division Two.

Our midfield didn't function yesterday and as the rumour is we are about to loan out Joe Rowley and we didn't put Wedgbury on again until the last ten minutes or so,  well  er ......... Discuss.

12/1 against Halifax doesn't look the height of generosity when you notice they'll be travelling over the pennines to an increasingly desperate Salford on Tuesday night. I like a bet, I like Halifax and surrounds as a place, Jamie Fullarton is an interesting young manager and they have a captain who is an ex-Spire, but they've got a thin squad and no great resources, so to win this thing they'll need everything to go right for a long time.

From reports so far Zavon Hines is our attacking threat. Last season and an up-and down career raise the question how long this can continue. And of course if it doesn't will we sign someone similar to give the squad a similar boost?

I'm delighted Dancing got it right and we got our 9 points (I was hoping for 4 or 5), but I've got worries or questions. Lee Shaw was signed for his goals, under pressure from EFL teams, and he can't get a game in a team of non-scoring forwards, Gozie hasn't got a goal and needs confidence to put himself about, Fortune still has to work out this league out, Weir helped us be relegated so why is he such an important part of this team, Wedgbury was a signing to be the solid base of midfield wasn't he, so what's going on ......?

BUT the central point about sports is their WIN and LOSE element and we seem to have disregarded that for two seasons at least. We are now winning, perhaps despite ourselves, and the opposition is consistently finding us difficult to play against, which can't be under-rated. In any team game you can always ask questions about individual players and every manager and every fan would do something different, but if you create a team in which the cogs work for each other and everyone wants to win, you are on the way. Clearly that hasn't happened yet at Salford, Barnet or Orient, who to me all look stronger than us on paper. It is happening at Halifax and Solihull, who look weaker.

There aren't many things more miserable than a Tuesday night in Barrow, let's see if we can hold it together up there. Certainly Evo will want to beat us. We gave him an undeservedly harsh ending to his career, but at the moment it looks as though we did him a big favour.

I'm kinda expectin' a changed team. I thought Dancing was spot-on at Ebbsfleet, a team was picked to do the job, can we expect something similar in Barrow?


So far Dev all I have seen Wedgbury do is run around a lot. He played at Alfreton and I wondered what he had to offer and has made 2 sub appearances since that have still left me wondering.
Maguire didn't play yesterday and IMO we really missed him. He doesn't do anything spectacular but just gets on with his job and he is the one who makes the little runs forward from defence with the ball. Evans and Nelson are just blockers. Yesterday neither of then could have hit a barn never mind a barn door with their so called long ball passing.

Carter just never got going yesterday and I hope the rumour of somebody making a bid for him last week was just that. Barry made a difference when he came on and we looked more positive going forward after that but when you put somebody on to get the crosses in, why take off the big lump of a CF who can get on the end of them?
Fortune has made 2 sub appearances and looked useful but yesterday I thought he was poor, I thought he should have made way for Barry not Ugwu.

In all honesty Dev I think Rowley would fare better elsewhere. From what I have seen so far this season its a bit rough and tumble with the odd bit of skill thrown in. Rowley goes very quiet after a heavy tackle and defensively he just isn't at the races. He needs to bulk up a bit and spend some time watching Carter who is all over the place defending and attacking.

Its great to see us with a will to win. When we lose the ball we fight to win it back. That's been lacking the last 3 years or so. Its the mark of a good team spirit. Like I said yesterday it wasn't pretty but we never looked like losing it.


RE: 9 Up - bluepooch - 12-08-2018

Playing with two target men up top didn't work ,we hoofed it up and it didnt stick .When Hines went further forward we were better ,we need to play a big un and a little un .
Salty, I think the ball boy tactic is a deliberate one ,if you notice when we went in front on Tuesday and yesterday they disappeared completely !.
I loved Danny Whits but I think he would be regarded as a luxury player in an MA team as he isn't the type to get stuck in, but we do lack that creative player I agree.
We are going to be a consistent ,workmanlike team its clear to see ,whether that's enough to win us the league remains to be seen.


RE: 9 Up - Devongone - 13-08-2018

The trouble with coming on as a sub you feel you have to make an impact. So you have to run about. For some players that IS their natural game ....... but I've never heard anyone accuse Sam Wedgbury of that. He IS a defensive midfielder, who wins the ball. My opinion is if we start him in his position (not full-back), you'd see a different player.

From anything I've seen of him I'm left asking those who see whole games regularly - What does Weir do, how does he contribute? He looks a bits and pieces midfielder to me, who seems to tire easily, doesn't make many goals, doesn't score many and will occasionally make a glaring error. MA is no one's fool, so what am I missing in Weir? He didn't even want to be here.

Evo specifically came out and said of Barrow, that they are a footballing side and struggled a bit when Orient roughed them up. To me that cries out for Wedgbury to play and us to put out the most physically strong (not dirty) side that we can. A good big un will very rarely find a Messi to beat him.

We also have to take account when assessing how other teams are playing that they are getting the firmest of summer pitches at the moment, but a lot of the season will be about switching from soft going one week to 3G the next with players who started the season feeling fit often carrying knocks into games. We may not get frozen winters these days, but winter makes a difference and squad size and fitness will come into play too.


RE: 9 Up - Devongone - 13-08-2018

Here's an accumulator of home teams for Tuesday night:-

AFC Fylde
Boreham Wood
Salford City
Barrow

If all 4 go in then four 100% records fall. Can you remember seeing that before in the 4th game of the season?

I looked on Oddschecker which averages out all the prices offered and ....

Fylde are 21/20 and Solihull are offered at 54/19
Boreham Wood are 21/20 whilst Gateshead are 3/1
Salford are 24/23 whilst Halifax are 29/10
Barrow are 44/19 with Chesterfield 24/19

So backing the home teams you have three roughly even money shots and Barrow at say 13/5.

The away team accumulator of the top four teams in the division is attractive with three 3/1 shots and us at what 11/8 in sane odds?

Unusual for the bookies to think three of the top four teams are likely to lose.


RE: 9 Up - bluepooch - 13-08-2018

If the bookies are right we will be top on Wednesday .
As for Weir he does seem to be more effective in this team than last seasons team where we had a midfield full of pussies.


RE: 9 Up - SaltergateBorn - 13-08-2018

(13-08-2018, 16:38)Devongone Wrote: Here's an accumulator of home teams for Tuesday night:-

AFC Fylde
Boreham Wood
Salford City
Barrow

If all 4 go in then four 100% records fall. Can you remember seeing that before in the 4th game of the season?

I looked on Oddschecker which averages out all the prices offered and ....

Fylde are 21/20 and Solihull are offered at 54/19
Boreham Wood are 21/20 whilst Gateshead are 3/1
Salford are 24/23 whilst Halifax are 29/10
Barrow are 44/19 with Chesterfield 24/19

So backing the home teams you have three roughly even money shots and Barrow at say 13/5.

The away team accumulator of the top four teams in the division is attractive with three 3/1 shots and us at what 11/8 in sane odds?

Unusual for the bookies to think three of the top four teams are likely to lose.

I suppose that shows how much importance the bookies place on a league table that`s only 3 games old.