Disgraceful Performance

[GSMITH]

No one should be happy with what we saw for 90 mins. That equalizer just covers the cracks that is this season.

Long ball all day which came straight back at us. 2 shots on target. Lacked any show of desire.

Guthrie, Grant and maybe Evans were only players who actually put it out there for us.

We can only hope Cameron Park cancels his contract tomorrow and goes to play for his local pub on Sunday. How he ever got employed as a pro footballer is beyond me. Really poor management by Davis to play him.

You'd think it was a pre season game by the noise made by our home fans, lot of support from the 3500 in the big stand. GRE was dead, no one in their. Drop the ticket prices and get that place full.

All in all, a terrible game in many aspects. Most likely heading down with games and performances like that.

[MikeSB]

Not been to that many games this season but thought it was essential to try and get behind the lads today but was shell shocked how poor we were all round and SD could have subbed 7 players in the first half and our strike threat was non existent. Oldham were not much better leaving both keepers little to do. On this show can't see any positives, only relegation. SD more or less agreed hearing his post match comments.

Also thought their number 30 Hawkins? ran the show the whole match and no surprise when he scored and his run into the box late on thought they had scored again but cleared near the post. Think our ONLY attempt at goal was the header that Harry Davies scored direct from a corner in the 95th minute was the only time?

Did think we would have gone all out to win this match but in fairness, maybe our players aren't good enough? I don't know but can see why we are in the bottom 4 with performances like this.

There was not much for the fans to shout about and why it was li

[VindePays2009]

Park sounded promising, until it was discovered that he was not from South Korea. Then, from what people on this board are saying, his true uselessness emerged.

Whereas Oldham's number 30, Harkins, has been a more than useful forward-going midfielder in the Scottish Prem. for some time now. The kind of player Steve is looking for to get a few goals from that position? Harkins's 5 from 15 games for Oldham is no' shabby.

As for wages, if Oldham can afford to pay him, then I am sure that we could.

But north of the border seems to be off our scouting radar, and Harkins's goals will probably see his team achieve safety.

[Juninho]

it was a awful game 100 per cent but you lot scored.

[Alexmaverick]

No one should be happy with what we saw for 90 mins. That equalizer just covers the cracks that is this season.

Long ball all day which came straight back at us. 2 shots on target. Lacked any show of desire.

Guthrie, Grant and maybe Evans were only players who actually put it out there for us.

We can only hope Cameron Park cancels his contract tomorrow and goes to play for his local pub on Sunday. How he ever got employed as a pro footballer is beyond me. Really poor management by Davis to play him.

You'd think it was a pre season game by the noise made by our home fans, lot of support from the 3500 in the big stand. GRE was dead, no one in their. Drop the ticket prices and get that place full.

All in all, a terrible game in many aspects. Most likely heading down with games and performances like that.
Yeh,I'd really like to see the club drop the GRE prices by a quid or two to see if it had any obvious impact on the numbers in t

[Alexmaverick]

it was a awful game 100 per cent but you lot scored.
Good following from you lot (954}.Shame you can't get a couple of thou more down Boundary Park on a match day.

[MikeSB]

TBH can't see price reductions making much difference even half price wouldn't tempt many after that performance. Its hard to see how the current prices are justified either though?

I was chatting to Dario at HT as usual ;) and he went to watch Oldham a couple of weeks ago in prep for this match and was told Harkins was the man to watch...Sad we still couldn't handle him!

How come we didn't get the nod to get him here? He is 29 but ran all over the pitch and just what we needed all season as a leader. A very skilfull footballer who would have fitted in here a treat, but then it depends what money he is on there? You would think we would have known about him though?

Yes, Park was terrible and even DG agreed with me that he wasn't as good as we had here. lol! Can't see how he is better than Moore in any way tbh.

Pogs was awful and should have been subbed at HT. Passing was dreadful, corners and throw ins ditto, apart from the last one...No, not much there to be optimistic about

[alexmick]

Not one effort on target, but two. Both came near to the end. Harry with the goal and prior to that, Chucks with a shot from a free kick in which their goalie made his first save of the game.

Pogba must still be feeling the effects of that injury lay off, because he certainly is not a patch on the player he was for us last season. Park can return to the north east right away. This lad just doesn't know how to shoot at goal or take a corner. Byron should have replaced him from the start. What's the betting that Davis picks him again at Gillingham? Subs once again delayed until it was too late top make a real difference.

Davis complaining about a pitch on which, only a few weeks ago, we played Sheffield off the park. As they say, a poor workman blames his tools.

Let us not make excuses for this performance, Steve. We have missed a great chance to beat one of our major rivals and ease the pressure a little. Steve's pre-match war cry was for the fans to get behind the te

[DGFG]

Where do you start with that?

Oldham were terrible, we were worse - lucky to get a point in the end.

Body language from one or two on the pitch very negative at times - and the one in the technical area, if Steve wants to do something different, he could do worse than sitting down and letting Bakes do the Technical Area for a game or two.

Memo to Chuks: when the oppo commit a foul anywhere within 40 yards of the their goal grab the ball and don't let it go until you've taken the free kick.

There's a lot more could be written but I don't want to be here all night.

[itwasin]

What You Think Of It So Far "" RUBBISH""

[dooop]

How many times has Steve criticised the players this season after a game? Should leave all that inside the dressing room.

We've made way too many mistakes with signings and these loans this season.

[Alexflyer95]

Think it says it all when I left before the end of the match and missed the equaliser !...

At that point as a season ticket holder I had had enough of the pathetic performance, lack of effort and felt totally demoralised.

The players should be totally ashamed to pick up their wages this week!

[Juninho]

oldham fans were great today, and sang their soul out :D :D

[Alexmaverick]

oldham fans were great today, and sang their soul out :D :D
Could still do with more of you turning up at Boundary Park though.

[Proggs]

Player/Match ratings

Garratt 6/10 Near post seems his 'learning curve', but is it right and proper to play him in this 'we need...'?
Tootle 7/10 Attacked well but goal came from his side and man.
Ellis 6/10 Career with us coming to an end, he has lost all footballing ability this season, cannot pass water.
Davis 7/10 Did ok, goal was a good contribution.
Guthrie 7/10 Defensively good, made a goal save tackle. Just doesn't get forwards at all and a FB should.

Grant 6/10 Very quiet from him.
Evans 5/10 Unitl the last one, very poor deadballs and I am not sure what he adds to us that Osman doesn't/couldn't. I felt he hid for most of the game.
Inman 5/10 Did we buy his twin brother? Here is a player that really owes the club and fans something!! Just not who he was.
Pogba 3/10 Bad attitude? Big head? Unfit? Tired? Just unlucky? What.
Aneke 5/10 Not up to his usual standards yesterday and boy, we need him.
Park 0/10 I am astounded at how bad this player was. We could hav

[AlexLeicester]

Agree with most of that Poggs, apart from your comment on Inman.
1st half: he and Grant seemed to be shut out and when he did get the ball he did at least know where 'forwards' was.
2nd half: Similar problem, but he did at least forage forwards himself a few times.

Personally I'd have given him 6/10.

I am struggling the work out the 'point' of Park. Bench? Municipal?

[alexmick]

Agree with most of that Poggs, apart from your comment on Inman.
1st half: he and Grant seemed to be shut out and when he did get the ball he did at least know where 'forwards' was.
2nd half: Similar problem, but he did at least forage forwards himself a few times.

Personally I'd have given him 6/10.

I am struggling the work out the 'point' of Park. Bench? Municipal?

As I said to you at half-time, Pogba was having a nightmare of a game. Good job they took him off. Not before time either.

Garratt did make that exceptional save in the second half, that just about kept us in the game. Had that have gone in, there would have been no way back. They set up to keep Tootle's overlapping attacking play non-existent and it was very effective. For once, Tootle had a quiet game and I cannot understand how he was voted MOTM, unless it was because they have to pick someone. They were all hopeless yesterday.

[MikeSB]

Its a complete mystery to us why they played so poorly in a game that even Bakes said it was a 'must win' one..It was like the game when we got knocked out of the FA cup with nobody seemed to be switched on for the game.

Some are saying they can't actually put their finger on why?

OK, a Dario reply again..;)

I said we don't want to get relegated again so soon do we and his reply was interesting but probably true. He said, its more essential we don't get relegated to the conference as that would be a disaster..

So, maybe, just maybe that maybe A reason why the management are not as bothered as the fans IF we do get relegated?

SD doesn't give that impression by signing all these loan players etc but I do wonder if that affects the players and the ambience around the club that relegation back to L2 is not a catastrophe??

Just guessing mind?

Seems a promotion so hard to come by is thrown away by such inept performances as we saw yesterday..

I also asked DG about Max C and our c

[bigroof]

Chuks needs to come deeper for the ball when the opposition are crowding him out, but that only leaves him further away from whoever the more advanced centre-forward is. He came into the game more when he had to come deeper to accommodate Oliver & Ikpeazu; also, much as most people think Tootle's better at right back, he does combine well with Inman down the left, as he showed when Ellis went off.
I'd cut Park a little bit of slack - he was OK at Walsall, but I still can't understand why he's here: Moore (obviously) could play either flank, or Pogba, who does most of his best work wide.
Pogba just isn't the type of centre-forward who can read or feed off Aneke; neither is Oliver. Ikpeazu was brought here to do that, but hasn't been fit - he could yet play that role though.

[MikeSB]

Oh, the answer could be that in L2 we have a better chance to go to Wembley again in a play off! ;)

[MikeSB]

I watched Usche closely yesterday including his lumbering up on the touchline and he looked pretty fit to me. Certainly far better than Pogba yesterday. He should have had more time in the game that he did...But SD should know why he didn't? Stubborness to make changes ssems a trait here and to me if its obvious a player or players are on an off day, then change it sfter 25 minutes if you need to. I will never understand making subs so late in a game when we are needing a win!

[NEVTHEDEV]

No Comment. :blue: :?

[One_Dean_Ashton]

Really disappointing performance. Agree with everything about Park. Hope he gets sent back today.

Saving grace - the last minute goal. It's a difficult task from here, but even more difficult if we'd lost.

I still think we'll stay up

[Alex_Crew]

What the hell was wrong with Pogba? I don't think I've ever witnessed such a laklustre performance in a Crewe shirt. He really did contribute zero.

I'm glad that SD has chastised him publically - Steve has to follow this up by dropping him now, because he dropped Inman & Grant for 'having a bad attitude'.

The less I say about Park the better, and our set-piece delivery summed up our day - woeful. Garratt beaten at his near post AGAIN, Chuks was nowhere to be seen and Oliver was ineffective.

For our part, we did little to inspire the team to victory. Wholeheartedly agree with the above suggestion of dropping the prices to attract a few more through the turnstyles. I'm sure I heard that Gillingham is ?15 in advance.

[RedandWhiteSpartan]

Not sure about disgraceful, it's always hard to judge effort, but certainly very disappointing, just not good enough and it's difficult not to agree that on that performance we will go down.

Note to Steve Davis...before publically criticising young players on the fringes of the team about a lack of consistency, take a good hard look at your regular first team players! :(

[Gobstopper]

Pogba had a bad day as if he is struggling then we have options up front and maybe Pogs needs a spell on the bench for the next game, put the two big men up front Ikpeazu and Oliver and play chuks behind them, and drop Parks who contributed little to the game. We need wins and for that we need goals and we need to adopt Darios attitude, we will concede so lets score one more goal than the opposition, we have some big guys up front lets scare there defence to death and give em something to think about. We may lose but lets give it a shot and go down fighting, playing it safe hasn't worked.

We need to put Saturday behind us, both teams were dire and we missed an opportunity, but its not all over yet. I just want to see some positivity out there on the pitch and I want to see us giving it a go.

[AlexLeicester]

We need to put Saturday behind us, both teams were dire and we missed an opportunity, but its not all over yet. I just want to see some positivity out there on the pitch and I want to see us giving it a go.

Could not agree more with that sentiment.

The problem as I see it is that, at this stage of the season, some players will have off days and that will include normally solid first-teamers like Pogs. Ikpeazu, from what I have seen, remains unfit and uncommitted. And we still have injuries to contend with.

Just a thought, but are our loanees as fired up and committed as our own? In May they will walk away whatever division we are in and still pick up a regular fat cheque. I am thinking of Evans as well as Ikpeazu. Hopefully not Chuks.

[MikeSB]

Usche unfit and uncommitted..

No way mate..He did 100 yards in under 10 secs lumbering up and he has not enough time on the pitch to come to any firm conclusions anyway. But as I said before, an unfit Usche was a better bet than Pogs who just can't get going.

I think had Usche and Moore had been selected from the start we would have had more points imo. SD keeps leaving the subs far too late in the game to make a difference and unfair to the players anyway..

SD rightly got the applause when we got promoted and will rightly get the blame IF we get relegated. For some reason he has not got the best out of the players this season and not acted with a leaky defence when it was obvious to everyone else.

You cannot expect loan players to have the same loyalty as our own but they are trying to impress their home club as did Inman when he was on loan and arguably not as good since but we have seen glimpses of that form.

Looking at the remaining fixtures and on current form we will be r

[lukcour]

Well yet another dreadful display in a ever increasing number of games where it has been humiliating to watch. Yet another game where SDs and NBs tactics has been beyond belief. My rating for the two of them is an extremely generous 2/10. They actually should have been too ashamed to criticise players. The management is entirely to blame for the current position we are in. Until they look at themselves and accept the blame we will be unable to move on. Their negativity is astounding, and it has been all season.

During the game it appeared to me that a number of our players were in total disagreement with the tactics decided upon by the management. The players were unsure and seemed disillusioned. They did not know what to do for the best. We ended up with a team that looked as if they had never played together before.

For me once again this was totally down to our management. There is nothing positive about them whatsoever.

[AstonAlex]

I share some of AL's concerns about loan players. You would have to say that Chuks remains absolutely committed and the annoyance he showed when the keeper flicked his effort over the bar just before we scored confirms that. I think the reason he was pretty ineffectual for most of the match on Saturday was due to those around him. He isn't a central striker, but a Number 10, in my opinion, and needs others in the team to be making runs for him to find with his passing, which remains good. Sadly Pogs couldn't make the runs or take the passes and, as discussed above, Park was even worse, contributing to Toots being, for me, the worst of a pretty solid Back 4 - defo not MotM.

When SD finally put Pogs and Park (and us) out of their misery and brought on Uche and Vadaine, Chuks dropped off the pair of them and started finding Brad and others with the sort of passes they wanted. We looked the better side then so why it took over three quarters of the game to see it god alone knows.

As

[alexmick]

We need to put Saturday behind us, both teams were dire and we missed an opportunity, but its not all over yet. I just want to see some positivity out there on the pitch and I want to see us giving it a go.

Could not agree more with that sentiment.

The problem as I see it is that, at this stage of the season, some players will have off days and that will include normally solid first-teamers like Pogs. Ikpeazu, from what I have seen, remains unfit and uncommitted. And we still have injuries to contend with.

Just a thought, but are our loanees as fired up and committed as our own? In May they will walk away whatever division we are in and still pick up a regular fat cheque. I am thinking of Evans as well as Ikpeazu. Hopefully not Chuks.[/quote]

I don't really think that we know exactly how fit or unfit Uche really is at present. We have not seen enough of him to say for certa

[NEVTHEDEV]

We need to put Saturday behind us, both teams were dire and we missed an opportunity, but its not all over yet. I just want to see some positivity out there on the pitch and I want to see us giving it a go.

Could not agree more with that sentiment.

The problem as I see it is that, at this stage of the season, some players will have off days and that will include normally solid first-teamers like Pogs. Ikpeazu, from what I have seen, remains unfit and uncommitted. And we still have injuries to contend with.

Just a thought, but are our loanees as fired up and committed as our own? In May they will walk away whatever division we are in and still pick up a regular fat cheque. I am thinking of Evans as well as Ikpeazu. Hopefully not Chuks.[/quote]

I don't really think that we know exactly how fit or unfit Uche really is at present. W

[alexmick]

We need to put Saturday behind us, both teams were dire and we missed an opportunity, but its not all over yet. I just want to see some positivity out there on the pitch and I want to see us giving it a go.

Could not agree more with that sentiment.

The problem as I see it is that, at this stage of the season, some players will have off days and that will include normally solid first-teamers like Pogs. Ikpeazu, from what I have seen, remains unfit and uncommitted. And we still have injuries to contend with.

Just a thought, but are our loanees as fired up and committed as our own? In May they will walk away whatever division we are in and still pick up a regular fat cheque. I am thinking of Evans as well as Ikpeazu. Hopefully not Chuks.[/quote]

I don't really think that we know exactly

[out0lunch]

Poor performance
I think the trouble with Pogs is he thinks he is better than he is.
He tries fancy little flicks that never come off. Ok do them but when we are 3-0 up.

Chucks as has been said is a number 10 not a central striker.
What does Grant have to do to get MoM.
He is everywhere especially seeing the gaps in defence when someone goes forward.

I thought Evans had one of his better days.
I don't think Moore is playing as he is trying to make sure he does not get injured before his big money (and his agent) transfer in Summer.
Park, well he must have something but I cannot see what. I would rather go with our own.

[alexmick]

According to Davis there were only 4 players performing to their potential and there were 7 passengers. He has threatened changes for Saturday. Well, Mark Ellis has now recovered from his neck injury, although Vadaine Oliver has tonsillitis and is unlikely to recover by Saturday.

[DGFG]

Poor performance
I think the trouble with Pogs is he thinks he is better than he is.
He tries fancy little flicks that never come off. Ok do them but when we are 3-0 up.

Chucks as has been said is a number 10 not a central striker.
What does Grant have to do to get MoM.
He is everywhere especially seeing the gaps in defence when someone goes forward.

I thought Evans had one of his better days.
I don't think Moore is playing as he is trying to make sure he does not get injured before his big money (and his agent) transfer in Summer.
Park, well he must have something but I cannot see what. I would rather go with our own.

What grounds/evidence have you got for that statement about Byron?

And there's me thinking he's not playing because the manager is n't picking him.

He'd surely have a better chance of getting a big move playing some football and making and scoring some goals.

Byron is, and always has been inconsistent. He's be

[alexmick]

Poor performance
I think the trouble with Pogs is he thinks he is better than he is.
He tries fancy little flicks that never come off. Ok do them but when we are 3-0 up.

Chucks as has been said is a number 10 not a central striker.
What does Grant have to do to get MoM.
He is everywhere especially seeing the gaps in defence when someone goes forward.

I thought Evans had one of his better days.
I don't think Moore is playing as he is trying to make sure he does not get injured before his big money (and his agent) transfer in Summer.
Park, well he must have something but I cannot see what. I would rather go with our own.

What grounds/evidence have you got for that statement about Byron?

And there's me thinking he's not playing because the manager is n't picking him.

He'd surely have a better chance of getting a big move playing some football and making and scoring some goals.

Byron is,