[Dancingwilldoit]

Oh well, shit happens so they say.
That team selection no matter why was shocking to say the least and deserved to lose the game.
First half we were just woeful and could have gone in 3 goals down.
It was 42mins before we had a single shot and that wasn't on target. We were worse than anything witnessed last season.
Our new players must have wondered WTF have we done.
I have to pick Rowley out because he was just awful. Every time he got the ball he either gave it away or passed it like it was a hot potato when he was in acres of space. He was a liability. He didn't run on for anything, didn't man mark anybody and just seemed to run around like a headless chicken. Everybody around me were gobsmacked that he came out for the second half and wasn't subbed. He needs a serious talking to as his game has just gone to pot (which is what it looked like he was on before the game). Why did we let Carter go and keep Rowley? Please dont tell me its potential because he hasn't shown any for the last 2 seasons.
Second Half we actually played a bit better (we could not possibly have been worse) and lo and behold we scored and could have had a few more.
Problem was Dover scored more than us thanks to some piss poor defending and actually looked a pretty decent side. They came out and attacked us from the start and we didn't know how to cope with it.
JS should have learned a lesson from today but somehow I doubt it.
Mid table at best.

[SaltergateBorn]

I agree it was pretty dire, Dancing, and you`re right; 42 minutes to muster your first shot, especially when you`re playing at home, is completely unacceptable. Once again, just like last year, a complete lack of creativity in that first half. I`d argue with you, though, over it being as bad as some of the stuff we had to endure in the first half of last season. At least it wasn`t total hoofball; we did at least TRY to play a bit of football. Unfortunately, in the first half at least we just couldn`t seem to manage it.

Our passing was sloppy, too much of it was sideways and backwards, the ball still spent far too much time at an altitude of over 6 feet, and we seemed to have no idea how to defend a quality high ball into the box. Thankfully, until that last 10 minutes the quality of Dover`s delivery into the box was so poor it didn`t punish us; otherwise they could have been out of sight in the first half-hour. I agree that they looked a decent side, but is that because we made them look good?

I don`t like slagging off individual players – we`ve all had bad days at the office – but Joe Rowley certainly had a bit of a `mare and i`m amazed that he wasn`t subbed at half-time. In fact, I`m amazed that JS didn`t seem to want to change anything until it was really too late. The whole midfield was a bit of a mess, to be fair, and the quality of the service to the front men was shocking. A number of times I saw Scott Boden pointing to where he wanted the ball to be delivered – at ground level, mostly - but the midfield just weren`t able to do it.

Boden is not a target man in the same way that Tom Denton is, to my thinking, and it`s no good expecting him to be effective as one. His strength is as an ‘on the shoulder’ player to my mind and to play that role he has to have someone alongside him. Yesterday, he and Jack Mackay were playing way too far apart; there was about 20 yards between them a lot of the time and they need to be playing a lot closer together, I reckon.

As you say, Dancing, at least the second half was a lot better and gives me at least some cause for optimism. I really couldn`t see us losing once we went ahead and if we`d been a bit more clinical in the box maybe my prediction of 4-2 wouldn`t have been quite as embarrassing as it turned out; mind you, I did at least predict Dover to score 2 so I was half right (any chance of a point for that, Matt?). I think it`s a bit premature to write off the whole season on the basis of just 1 game; there are still 45 to go and plenty of time to sort things out.

One minor plus point, I thought, was the programme. The quality of some of the articles seems to be much improved and I must say I`m intrigued by the thought of C S Lewis being a Spireite. Nice idea, though; having Aslan in the dug-out could have been a big help yesterday.

All in all, though, I drove back down the M1 wondering – yet again – whether I really do put the mokkers on things by making the 120-mile round trip and whether I – or the team, to be more precise – would be better served if stayed at home and listened to the match on SD. Having said that, the bloke sitting next to me had driven all the way from Newmarket; that`s more than double my journey. He must have been even more disappointed than I was.

I don`t know what you`re messing about at, Dev.

[Devongone]

There is someone who drives up from Cornwall ......... Stays the night, goes home Sunday I think.

It is brilliant that you travel so far Salts.

It occurs to me that Joe Rowley has been instructed to take as few touches as possible and that's why he's getting rid of the ball so quickly and inaccurately (it's fashionable). And young players who want to do well, but realise they are having a nightmare, often do react by going into headless chicken mode. They've been coached that if they keep working they'll get the rewards, so they work harder (and often get worse!)

It seems to me that due to Sheridan's inaction over the summer and clear problems with his selection policy we had no-one on the bench who could actually change a game ..... and that's one of the main functions of substitutes. In Smith, Weston and the dreaded Weir we had three of the least creative midfielders in the country ........ and we'd got Wedgbury, the inexperienced Wakefield and Sheridan (scouted over breakfast one day) on the bench waiting to achieve what? That committed us to keeping McKay on for the whole game, it meant Rowley had to be on top of his game and he wasn't, and ensured Boden was left to forage alone (not his game).

How was that team ever going to score many? The full backs are hardly Jones and Darikwa going forward are they? In midfield we had only Mandy trying to keep a very old clock ticking over gently and up front we had one forward who can score but is not the easiest to find with a pass. The only player we had on the field who might DISRUPT the opposition in an attacking sense was Evans from dead balls. The height of a Denton can't help but disrupt the opposition, a flying winger or wing back does the same, somebody determined to power forward from midfield has the same effect ...... but we've got no one with those unusual qualities. The nearest we've got with that kind of unpredictability that frightens defences and drags them out of position is Amantchi and I think we've retired him.

If we have no one better available than McKay I would play Evans at centre forward with Boden and draft Sharman into defence.

But sadly I no longer feel like a supporter, just a vaguely interested by-stander at a car crash.

[Dancingwilldoit]

Problem with what you say Dev is that Evans is our best defender by a country mile.
If he hadn't been there yesterday it would have been a cricket score.
Having said that, at one stage he took the ball from defence and actually showed Rowley what he should have been doing by running forward with the ball to near the corner flag. He then put in a very accurate cross which I think was headed just over by someone.
Evans is a class above the rest of them.

[spireitematt]

A lot of people need to calm down, it's the first game of the season, we can't write off our season based on 1 game. If you read Bob's Board you would think we are getting relegated and that it's the end of the World.

[Devongone]

Matt we arrived at the first game with half a team. Our recruitment has mirrored Sheri's relegation season. You only had to look at the team selected to see we had little chance. And then Sheri has the cheek to tell us it was going really well.

We can expect Boden to score but not to carry our attack.

We got hammered in friendlies and now we've been outclassed by a team who lost their best player in the summer. Our manager is not doing his job. When we lose at Maidenhead we should sack him or at least confiscate his beer money!

By the sound of it for once Bob's Board's panic is justified. When I last looked they were predicting 40-3 on us beating Dover (and wasn't I the only one on here who thought we'd lose). No wonder they've pressed the panic button. They've probably noticed that by the end of August we'll have played 8 league games and unless some massive turnaround in form occurs we'll be out of the running for anything but relegation before the losing Test series is over. Other teams have been picking up non-league players at little or no cost and improving their sides. Two or three players wisely chosen would have made a huge difference to us, but we've wasted contracts on McKay, Weir and Gerrard and sold Carter for a pawn's ransom to weaken our side from the end of last season. But I suppose at least we've avoided last season's flying start.

Lads lads lads one last thing Matt, Sheri and everybody should take notice of ......... there were more than three pages of posts on Bob's before the game suggesting that the team selected by us had no chance. Three whole pages full before the kick off could see what was going to happen. So why couldn't our manager?

[spireitematt]

Matt we arrived at the first game with half a team. Our recruitment has mirrored Sheri's relegation season. You only had to look at the team selected to see we had little chance. And then Sheri has the cheek to tell us it was going really well.

We can expect Boden to score but not to carry our attack.

We got hammered in friendlies and now we've been outclassed by a team who lost their best player in the summer.  Our manager is not doing his job. When we lose at Maidenhead we should sack him or at least confiscate his beer money!

By the sound of it for once Bob's Board's panic is justified. When I last looked they were predicting 40-3 on us beating Dover (and wasn't I the only one on here who thought we'd lose). No wonder they've pressed the panic button. They've probably noticed that by the end of August we'll have played 8 league games and unless some massive turnaround in form occurs we'll be out of the running for anything but relegation before the losing Test series is over. Other teams have been picking up non-league players at little or no cost and improving their sides. Two or three players wisely chosen would have made a huge difference to us, but we've wasted contracts on McKay, Weir and Gerrard and sold Carter for a pawn's ransom to weaken our side from the end of last season. But I suppose at least we've avoided last season's flying start.

Lads lads lads one last thing Matt, Sheri and everybody should take notice of ......... there were more than three pages of posts on Bob's before the game suggesting that the team selected by us had no chance. Three whole pages full before the kick off could see what was going to happen. So why couldn't our manager?

We can't keep blaming the manager every time it goes wrong. We've got through 5 managers since the 2015/2016 season and we are currently on our 6th.

I agree we can't rely on Boden to score goals that's why we need more strike options. Friendlies mean nothing as its about fitness and team gelling together, you could win all your friendlies but lose your first 5 games or lose all your friendlies and win your first 5 games. The time to worry is after 10 games if we are sat near the bottom in the league.

We also can't write our season off after 1 game! There is no transfer window in this division so we can sign players up till March.

I think the biggest problem at this level is a lot of players who played in the Football League and also came through the ranks at Premier League clubs think that this level will be a walk in the park because they played at a higher level but it isn't. Non-league football is a lot more physical and the referees will let a lot of things slide and get on with the game. Also at this level for a lot of clubs its financially difficult which is why managers need to have good tactical awareness and need a good eye for a player who is either a free transfer or a small fee.

[Devongone]

Matt, even with the players available and unavailable, Saturday's was the cack-handed side to beat all cack-handed sides. If the idiots on Bobs could all see what would happen it was more glaring than the hole in Whaley Bridge's dam.

You can't afford to twiddle your thumbs for 10 matches. That's what we did with Caldwell and it was a wound we never healed. Just because there is no transfer window it doesn't mean we can get players we need. In the close season they were available and out of contract. Now they'll be in contract and if they are any good they'll cost, and who is going to finance that?

Amantchi is clearly not in the reckoning and we'll play the son of the bent agent instead, who nobody has a good word for ..... If we don't blame the manager who do we blame? What sort of kick-back is someone getting for treating the agent's boy well? Maybe Levi's dad should set up as an agent?

This is Sheri's squad. He's got himself four defensive midfield players, five if you count Loz, two of whom are old and terminally useless. He's signed a fat old thug to shore up the defence if he can ever see past his belly to lace up his boots. He's signed his lad on, because he got upset over his cornflakes. AND he's missed every non-league goal scoring forward who became available for free. If it isn't the manager's fault what do we blame happenstance, mere serendipity? Someone needs to tell Sheridan to start doing his job.

[spireitematt]

Matt, even with the players available and unavailable, Saturday's was the cack-handed side to beat all cack-handed sides. If the idiots on Bobs could all see what would happen it was more glaring than the hole in Whaley Bridge's dam.

You can't afford to twiddle your thumbs for 10 matches. That's what we did with Caldwell and it was a wound we never healed. Just because there is no transfer window it doesn't mean we can get players we need. In the close season they were available and out of contract. Now they'll be in contract and if they are any good they'll cost, and who is going to finance that?

Amantchi is clearly not in the reckoning and we'll play the son of the bent agent instead, who nobody has a good word for ..... If we don't blame the manager who do we blame? What sort of kick-back is someone getting for treating the agent's boy well? Maybe Levi's dad should set up as an agent?

This is Sheri's squad. He's got himself four defensive midfield players, five if you count Loz, two of whom are old and terminally useless. He's signed a fat old thug to shore up the defence if he can ever see past his belly to lace up his boots. He's signed his lad on, because he got upset over his cornflakes. AND he's missed every non-league goal scoring forward who became available for free. If it isn't the manager's fault what do we blame happenstance, mere serendipity? Someone needs to tell Sheridan to start doing his job.

I will admit when I saw the team line-up before the game it didn't fill me with much confidence. I have also questioned some of the signings and some of the players we let get in the close season.

Keep the faith Dev. I'm trying to remain optimistic.

[Dancingwilldoit]

Problem is Matt I have no faith in Sheridan. I thought it was the worst thing we could have done to bring him back and said so at the time. People seemed to forget the crap and only remember the good. Yes we went up as Champions but how much of that was down to the new stadium feel good factor and big crowds? The following season we had one of the worst squads I can remember and dropped like a whores knickers without any fight.
The start of the next season was no better and if Cooke had not been appointed god knows where we would have finished.
The team selection and subs bench was dire on Saturday, that was down to JS and nobody else. This team is his and it doesn't fill me with any confidence nor does he.
First half we just didn't have a clue and neither did Sheridan, all he could do was stand in the technical area with his arms folded keeping shtum.
If we go up this season not only will I show my arse in Burtons window (which is now in Tesco's), but I will run starkers down Blues street (how could I forget) with a Mansfield flag stuck up my arris.