Originally Posted by
freemuzzy
Where to start with that? Thought it’d be impossible to be as bad as last Tuesday. Somehow, we managed to be much, much worse.
Slocombe - 5.5 - One of the few to do his job to an acceptable standard for around 80 minutes, with a couple of decent saves first half and good handling. But then arguably should’ve done better with the winner.
Richardson - 4 - Oh dear. An absolute horror show of a debut. Why - with all the talk of our outstanding recruitment model - are we back to loaning untried youngsters to plug gaps for the sake of a 3 week injury? That’s the 2014-16 model where we ended up with a squad of 40+. If DKE really can’t play every game (unlike the golden duo in midfield), JOB or Rawlinson can fill-in there. Nowhere near ready on this evidence.
Rawlinson - 6 - One of the few to maintain something like his usual standards the past few weeks. Make him captain.
Lacey - 5 - Unlike his defensive partner, hasn’t looked the same player for the past month. Struggled.
Barnett - 3 - Arguably the worst of the lot, yet somehow completed the 90 despite us having two full backs on the bench. Awful set-pieces and distribution throughout, ‘defending’ was even worse. Car crash of a performance.
Enzio - 7 - Somehow conjured a goal out of absolutely nothing, imagine what he could do if he received a pass in-front of him occasionally. Should be given the freedom to express himself, particularly while Roberts is out.
Reeves - 3 - Horrendous. Could go on all day but probably the moment that summed him up was passing backwards to Lacey rather than putting it in the box, when there was 3 seconds left on the clock. Dreadful game on and off the ball. On balance has been a poor signing, think I actually preferred Mitch Rose.
Doyle - 4 - A 39 y/o defensive midfielder who offers next to no protection for the defence and, contrary to the song, always gives the ball away. The midfield duo is clearly the problem but both know they will always get the 90 minutes under this manager so are far too comfortable, and nothing will change. A shame as he could genuinely be a brilliant asset to us but rolling him out for the 90 minutes every single game just because he wants to play benefits absolutely no-one.
Rodrigues - 5 - Won the penalty and at least looks to play forward but the current set-up definitely does not suit an attack-minded player. Stationing him out on the left does him no favours either. No coincidence that our best performance in 2021 came when the centre mids had to be changed, and him and Enzio played either side of one holding man with license to carry the ball forward. Why not try that again?
Knowles - 4.5 - Anonymous, just not a game/system for our attacking players as had nothing to work with.
Wootton - 6 - Feel for him. Effectively has to do it all. Didn’t do a lot wrong but battling with three centre halves on his own all night.
Sam - 5 - Started brightly then spoilt it with a poor penalty. That said it would help if the manager designated a taker, rather than saying whoever’s ‘confident’ can take it. A sign of the lack of leadership on that front....
Ardley - Last night was the tipping point for me. Teams know that if they press us we will fold but after over two years we always look like it’s the first time we’ve come up against it and still can’t handle it. Press Doyle and his midfield partner (now Reeves) into mistakes and we will fold. It was the issue in the playoff final and nearly a year on nothing has been done to address it.
Two managers of part-time teams who can only dream of the resources Ardley has have come to Meadow Lane in successive games and played us off our own pitch. The players are over coached, yet our only goals are coming through individual moments of quality.
The majority of the 11 know they will start and finish every match regardless, and the subs can be easily predicted before the match.
One sub made in what was the worst performance of the season by a mile. Both CMs left on for the 90 yet again. The two full backs playing the full game despite there being better alternatives available to bring on. His stubbornness and ridiculous loyalty to the midfield duo in particular is costing us time and time again. I’m by no means a fan of chopping and changing managers, but Ardley has been given time and unquestionable level of backing, and the team is much worse than it was a year ago.
The table and amount of games left suggests it could be possible to turn it around, but the reality is we’re going backwards so this is only possible if changes are made where they need to be - which history suggests they won’t be. I’d take our chances on someone new as there’s a good enough squad and enough of this season left to salvage it, and we need to get out of this league.
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