[Devongone]

The Checkoutyourbasket Trophy is definitely not worth putting your one keeper, 90% fit or 10% fit on the pitch for ......... and therefore the bench is an equally silly place to put him. An' if he was fit - he needs the game time. That is ALL goalkeepers need.

With the start Shrewsbury have had I can see why they think don't need a young centre back at the moment. Reserve team football won't do him any good. We ............ might? .............. Looks like Laurence Maguire won't be getting a game any time soon to me. We're bringing on everyone's youngsters but our own.

Knowing Saturday's team before it limps from GC's hand to the team sheet has been beyond me for 26 games now.

Don't want to worry you, but who was our last Scotland U-21 player? Oh yeah Fulton, so that went well?

[Dancingwilldoit]

Couldn't make yesterday. Wasn't a case of nerves in case we scored 4. Back playing up so lay on floor watching Sky Sport News with Peak FM on. I was in agony but it was still better than watching a GC team struggle against mediocre opposition. Tony Cottee was not very complimentary and almost fell asleep. One thing he did say was that both keepers had a good game which is good news for us and he thought Coventry were the better team and we were lucky. Just hope Tommy stays injury free.
I understand we started with 4 at the back, has the penny finally dropped? Time will tell but a 0-0 home draw does nothing to inspire me with any optimism. Commentary on Peak wasn't very complimentary about the performance either especially O'grady who I think everybody expected more from. IMO he needs dropping. If we are going to play it on the floor try Dennis and Diego up top?

[Devongone]

You didn't mean Dimaio did you Dancing? Is it the painkillers?

Did you mean Diego, or Delial? You're too tall by the way.

I still can't quite see why we signed O'Grady. I could if the team were likely to play in a different way and we hadn't already got three biggish guys competing for places up front ......... but then I don't understand any of our team or the selections. So I hope Bluepooch or Matt went and will comment and I might understand.

I only watched the texts coming up ....... Weir commits foul, foul by Weir, free-kick won by Weir, foul and Weir booked and I was shouting "GET HIM OFF NOW!" All our manager can comment upon was the sending-off decision was wrong. Maybe it was, but if someone hundreds of miles from a game only watching one-line updates can smell a sending-off coming why can't a professional manager? Clearly Weir was getting involved which is fine, but it seemed to be to the extent that no-one else was coming to ref's attention ...... which is never good.

I know we didn't concede with Jules playing, but even Anderson got the same result sometimes. The problem we haven't recognised for two years is Hird and Evatt is an either/or. Next week or the week after we'll concede four even with Tommy making superlative saves.

I'd like to know how Briggs did, whether there is anything left of his genuine class? I'd like to know Cosimo's lad looked good in his few minutes, if Gozie looks a better bet than CO'G and if our midfield looked any more capable of coping (it was bad sign to me that Weir seemed to be the only name involved)?

I was thinking the other day what I'd sign for us is another Mattis, a defensive midfielder with a bit of size about him who could drop into defence when needed, who can pass a bit and bring out the ball from deep. As is so fashionable these days he'd give the team SHAPE, which used to be what they called blancmange in the British Raj.

[Dancingwilldoit]

You didn't mean Dimaio did you Dancing? Is it the painkillers?

Did you mean Diego, or Delial? You're too tall by the way.

I still can't quite see why we signed O'Grady. I could if the team were likely to play in a different way and we hadn't already got three biggish guys competing for places up front ......... but then I don't understand any of our team or the selections. So I hope Bluepooch or Matt went and will comment and I might understand.

I only watched the texts coming up ....... Weir commits foul, foul by Weir, free-kick won by Weir, foul and Weir booked and I was shouting "GET HIM OFF NOW!" All our manager can comment upon was the sending-off decision was wrong. Maybe it was, but if someone hundreds of miles from a game only watching one-line updates can smell a sending-off coming why can't a professional manager? Clearly Weir was getting involved which is fine, but it seemed to be to the extent that no-one else was coming to ref's attention ...... which is never good.

I know we didn't concede with Jules playing, but even Anderson got the same result sometimes. The problem we haven't recognised for two years is Hird and Evatt is an either/or. Next week or the week after we'll concede four even with Tommy making superlative saves.

I'd like to know how Briggs did, whether there is anything left of his genuine class? I'd like to know Cosimo's lad looked good in his few minutes, if Gozie looks a better bet than CO'G and if our midfield looked any more capable of coping (it was bad sign to me that Weir seemed to be the only name involved)?

I was thinking the other day what I'd sign for us is another Mattis, a defensive midfielder with a bit of size about him who could drop into defence when needed, who can pass a bit and bring out the ball from deep. As is so fashionable these days he'd give the team SHAPE, which used to be what they called blancmange in the British Raj.

Corrected Dev, must be the painkillers!

[spireitematt]

I didn't go yesterday but I do know we played 4-1-4-1. I don't understand why there was 4 centre backs in defence. The problem I think we have is there isn't a ball winner in the midfield, you need someone like Derek Niven or Danny Whittaker.

Also we signed Brewster who has pace upfront and German so why isn't one of them upfront with Dennis. None of this makes any sense. It's like putting square pegs in round holes. Caldwell I don't think knows his best starting eleven similar to Roy at Euro 2016.

It's no wonder attendances are falling.

[bluepooch]

I believe both teams had 4 efforts on target so yes it wasnt a great game .It certainly was a deliberate ploy by Caldwell to sit back once Weir was off which meant attacking wise we were virtually non existent for the last half hour except for one last chance for glory when Ugwu was bearing down on keeper in the last minute only to dally and the defender got a foot in .He needs to be more clinical.
Ive always been a clean cheets man so from that point of view it was satisfying ,just need to try and get it right at both ends now.
Ive just seen the second yellow for Weir and to be fair it didnt look like a deliberate foul ,he tried to pull out ,so yet another refereeing decision does against us .I have noticed the standard of refereeing has been poor so far this season .

[Devongone]

I just think after three fouls and a booking within minutes almost any other manager would have avoided Weir being sent off by subbing him.

I'm glad Matt's baffled by what we're trying to do, I'm so baffled I was beginning to think I was missing the very obvious sense of direction. Matt's young and if he's baffled it isn't just some old-age thing. Phew!

The trouble with O'Grady and for him too is that when you are a marquee signing (our biggest ever wage) you almost can't get dropped and every fan and the rest of your team can't help but load you up with all kind of extra expectations, you may or may not be able to fulfil in every game. If he had come to us without history or reputation would O'Grady even be in the team?

Then I look at the sad tale of Ricardo, unused sub for Alfreton. Exactly how does this help him? He's behind Craig Westcarr for fkkkkkks's sake! Anyone remember Jacob Hazel, on the verge of the first team, played, loaned out even to Norway. On Saturday he scored two at Buxton, one a cracker for fkkkkin Frickley. That's what we're doin' to Ricardo.

And by the way didn't we have Nana Boakye-Yiadom on trial? On Saturday he came on as sub for Dulwich Hamlet in the FA Cup and scored a hat trick (his first goals for them) in under half an hour. Another flame flickering as football extinguishes it? No-one wants him and everyone wants his brother? The black version of the Maguire family?

Not conceding is a good sign, but Hird AND Evatt really isn't. I've a lot of time for both of them individually, but time has given them the same problems to solve. They have more than enough on solving their own problems without covering their partner's weaknesses.

[bluepooch]

Dev ,dont you think the fact that Ricardo cant get a start for Alfreton kinda backs up the theory that hes not quite ready for League Two football ?.So we not only have GC thinking hes not ready yet but the Alf manager as well .Im sure GC aint happy that he's not starting .

[spireitematt]

Well what was the point of sending him out on loan then? Also saying he's not ready for League 2 football is nonsense he made his debut in League 1 last season and managed to hold his own then.

I'm baffled Devon because his tactics and formation make no sense whatsoever and its incredibly frustrating. Why play players out of position? If you want to get the best out of your squad and players then you play them in the roles they are used to.

3 at the back only works when going forward when defending you need your two wingers to track back to make a five. Even then 3-5-2 doesn't work especially when the opposition can hit you on a counter attack from a set-piece. Look at the Newport game there forwards just walked through our defence.

For the Crewe game this would be my line-up.

Lee

Barry Evatt Hird Briggs

Wiseman Jules

O'Grady Flores Mitchell

Dennis



Or

Lee

Barry Evatt Hird Briggs

Jules

O'Grady Flores Mitchell

Dennis Diego

[Dancingwilldoit]

Think Barry is injured Matt and O'grady looks like he's just not bothered. Mitchell hasn't even made the bench yet so there's no we he will be in the team.
I wouldn't even bother trying to guess the team or the formation as I thing GC just makes it up as he goes. Anybody that can play our top scorer on the wing and a lump of wood as a striker needs surgery on his brain.