Match Ratings vs Lincoln (H)

[Rainbowpie]

Slocombe -7 Our MOTM, Siomly because everyone else was rubbish

Brindley -2.5 - Should have given away a penalty first half for a blatant foul on their player from a cross, didn't even look at the ball. Poor distribution, poor positioning and a general poor performance

Cameron -3 How he's classed as a defender is beyond me

Baldwin -4 He's our best defender in my opinion but playing these tactics, he's always got a mistake in him

Chicksen -5 Didn't do anything wrong but didn't do anything positive. Now nicknamed Check back Chicksen

Adebayo- 6 - Thought he played ok, but for some shocking passes to him he could have been more effective but had to check his run and change direction more often than not

JoB- 6.5- Ever willing to run and try and create something just didn't get any help

Bostock -5.5 - Steady on the ball but was happy to play the safe pass against and again

Crowley- 6- Had his moments, worked hard to get into space which he did but wasn't found by any accurate passes, gave the ball away a free time in first half

Scott- 5- He couldn't do anything if he's not getting the service. Felt sorry for him

Austin- 5 - Tried but had zero help or options when receiving the ball wide.

Worrying that we've had pre season to address the defensive issues we suffered last season but seems same old same old. We are so predictable with the patterns of play, it's too easy for opposition to defend against

[marky]

Slocombe gets a 7 could do nothing about either goal, rest of the team gets a 4 apart from Baldwin who gets a 1 for his daft sending off, I actually thought it should have been a straight red rather than a 2nd yellow.

[1955pie]

When does the transfer window shut, sadly a new defence is needed.

September 1st

[Proactive not Reactive]

I echo what’s said about Jones playing on the right and cutting in rather than on the left…he never seems effective from there. Chicksen is a quality LCB or LB….never a LWB, don’t let the goals he scored last season suggest otherwise.

I know some aren’t keen but the back four is the way to go with the current team. Let’s try a two up top combination as well, it’ll at least give another outlet and more chance of poor Macca or Scott getting a touch of the ball. They know each others game so why not do it? Even in a 4-3-3 like at Gateshead with Macca out wide? We can’t carry on basically having 70% possession whilst conceding 2+ goals a game…..and having no chances of our own!

Problem is, our recruitment this summer kind of needs us to play two number tens. A 4-1-3-2 may work. Time to try something different at the back and give the others a wake up call.

……………………Slocombe

TAR………..Tipton…………Bostock……Chicks

………………………Palmer

……….Jones….…….Didzy………..Nemane/Morias

………………….Macca…..Scott

For me we shouldn't be going too far away from last season at this stage, I think we should be tweeking it and let the players get used to the changes
So I would go for Cameron to replace Scott with Bostock moving into defensive midfield with Palmer buzzing around alongside and in front of him and Didzy further forward in a 10 role with him Jones and Nemane(who can swap wings)alternating pressing with Macca.

[Proactive not Reactive]

Slocombe - 7 - Couldn’t really do anything with either goal, and some smart stops to prevent things getting worse in the second half. Handling was good throughout. Few scary moments with the ball at his feet first half but par for the course with the way we play. Interesting to see who gets the nod on Saturday.

Brindley - 5 - Started well but poor second half and at fault for the second goal. Has all the attributes to be a good defender but simply isn’t the player he was a year ago.

Baldwin - 4.5 - Brain freeze moment. Again. Is our leading centre back but isn’t reliable or durable enough to fulfil this role unfortunately. A few scary moments even before the red.

Cameron - 5.5 - Like Baldwin has the ability but is prone to the odd moment of madness. Probably better than Saturday but way off his best.

Chicksen - 6 - Pick of the defenders currently and will surely start on Saturday. Not as obviously talented as the three players above but at least you know what you’ll get from him.

Adebayo - 6 - Out of position as an orthodox right winger, strange one as meant he was generally trying to beat his man from a standing start. Couple of dangerous crosses and applied himself well.

O’Brien - 7.5* - Usual full-blooded commitment and always willing to take the ball under pressure. Top display. Seen a lot of comments about some of last year’s squad not being up to the step up but for me he showed tonight he still has a role to play.

Bajrami - N/A - looked a bad one unfortunately. A shame as he’s one of the few with the physicality we’re lacking currently.

Austin - 5.5 - Bags of commitment but a strange move to have him out of position on the left wing. Better when moved inside late on. Needlessly gave away the corner they scored from (against the run of play at the time).

Crowley - 5 - Really poor first half, a little better after the break (the opposite of most of the players).

Scott - 6 - Barely had a kick but didn’t have anything to work with.

Subs

Bostock - 6.5 - Thought him and O’Brien competed well and tried to get us going, particularly when we were a man short.

Jones - 6 - There seems to have been a more deliberate move to get crosses in all the time this season, but think he’s much more dangerous from the right cutting in.

Morais - 6 - Same as Scott.

Tipton - 6.5 - Actually looked handy. Will be a challenge up against Grimsby’s physicality/aerial threat but I’d start him on Saturday, otherwise why is he here?

These match ratings were probably the closest for me with a few comments.
Brindley seems to have become the new scapegoat, probably because most of us think he has the attributes to play at this level and possibly higher but his style looks casual, where as Rawlinson isn't good enough but gives his absolute all.
Brindley is certainly better in a back 4 and I thought he had a decent first half especially the first 20 minutes when he went forward a lot and didn't hardly turn back on himself, I don't think TAR helped him not being a natural winger and seemed to come inside too much so that the ball had to be threaded through a needle.
Also the 2nd goal it was initial mistake(as most of the team passed a short ball during the course of the game) he blocked the shot and Baldwin and Cameron were slow coming out to get to/block the next ball
Even though JOB had an excellent second half as a defensive midfielder I prefer him ratting about with JB sitting and JOB in front of him and the same when Palmer plays with JB as they are more energetic than JB
Not sure about Scott scoring more than a lot of the players as he touched the ball the least in the team( a bit like my golf handicap doesn't go up when I don't play)

[BanjoPie]

I see all the ‘would be Managers’ are out in force !! - lets leave it to those who are paid to do it - if after xmas they have failed then by all means we will all ‘have a go’

[crazyfists]

Isn't that the point of football club messageboards though or does every post have to say nothing until January. Also between everyone on here, there's been hundreds of thousands of football games seen, posters playing at certain levels, maybe coaches/scouts and also just football fans who learn about tactics/various ways to play and see what's going on in games real time. I think we're all allowed an opinion on football.

[BanjoPie]

Isn't that the point of football club messageboards though or does every post have to say nothing until January. Also between everyone on here, there's been hundreds of thousands of football games seen, posters playing at certain levels, maybe coaches/scouts and also just football fans who learn about tactics/various ways to play and see what's going on in games real time. I think we're all allowed an opinion on football.

Point taken - I guess we need to voice our opinions

[crazyfists]

I get what you were saying though mate, we all have ways to express how we feel at our start to the season. Let's hope it's a case of not needing to be too worried. With the run of games then this Saturday has become important which didn't think would be the case this early in the season.

[Mark_Ross]

BJPIE: "TAR 6.5 possibly 7. Needs to start ahead of Nemane. Better crosser. Better defender. Quicker."

Are you joking? Nemane is our most consistently dangerous player.