Welcome back Steve Evans

[ShropshireAlex]

Just the manager we hate to see who will be back (25th minute injury to allow coaching session by technical area anyone?) with Bristol Rovers on Friday night. Yuk!

No new manager bounce just yet please! We really need to follow up Tranmere with a win here - they must be incrdibly low on confidence but 10 defeats have to end somewhere, let's hope not here. Logically we should win 3-0 but I'd take anything frankly.

[gazan]

This is really bad news. Of the two fixtures, I was much more confident of Friday night's game than Newport. However, that's all changed now. For years Evans has revelled in beating the Alex with rough and tumble, long-ball ****housery. There is a chance that it is still too early for him to have much impact but the first thing he will attempt to do is stiffen up their defence. Considering the disappointment of the two previous pre-Christmas discounted games, I was looking forward to this one for a chance to score some goals.
I now fear another Newport and another let down in front of a large crowd. (By the way, I've seen no gossip about how well the tickets are going, including little mention that 3 sides of the ground are available to Alex fans!)

[ShropshireAlex]

I've only seen that the GRE is sold out, as uou say no mention of Pop side.

[ShropshireAlex]

Judging by the seats available on the tickets web page selling well in all 3 stands, GRE sold out, Pop Side centre sold, blocks near GRE still plenty, South Stand odd one available in centre blocks (other than D), still quite a lot at the very ends, doubt we'll hit 9000 again but should be good crowd. Wonder how many they'll bring.

[gazan]

Looks like they're not going to beat last year's crowd.

[gazan]

Judging by the seats available on the tickets web page selling well in all 3 stands, GRE sold out, Pop Side centre sold, blocks near GRE still plenty, South Stand odd one available in centre blocks (other than D), still quite a lot at the very ends, doubt we'll hit 9000 again but should be good crowd. Wonder how many they'll bring.

If they are allocated the Family stand, that only amounts to about 220 doesn't it? Which I suppose for a night match wouldn't be bad I suppose.

[Harlzed]

As regards result, this has got a balls up written all over it but I?m going to go with the form book and say 3-0 to the Alex.

[Harlzed]

All in all another disappointing game in front of a large crowd. Same every time. I didn?t see what happened for the sending off so I can?t comment on that but it?s just annoying to lose a player early on in an off the ball incident. We were always going to struggle then no matter how poor the opposition. Their goalkeeper probably should have been off, we were ready to pounce if he had had to use his feet. Their centre half who was on a yellow and then cynically fouled outside their penalty area was a bigger one in my view, that would have been a yellow at any other point and he should have been off. Again, defensively we make so many mistakes, we can?t keep outscoring mistakes. I completely see a young defence getting outwitted but it isn?t most of the time, it?s basic mistakes. I can?t point the finger at who exactly was to blame between Waller and Connolly because we dont know what calls were made between the two but irrespective, its cost us. Why was Tezgel reintroduced after injury to do more harm to himself, he couldn?t walk, he was never going to run it off was he. I think there is more pleasure to be had in watching the Alex away because we dont don?t do our best at home and that?s been the case for a long time.

[Timmy58]

All in all another disappointing game in front of a large crowd. Same every time. I didn?t see what happened for the sending off so I can?t comment on that but it?s just annoying to lose a player early on in an off the ball incident. We were always going to struggle then no matter how poor the opposition. Their goalkeeper probably should have been off, we were ready to pounce if he had had to use his feet. Their centre half who was on a yellow and then cynically fouled outside their penalty area was a bigger one in my view, that would have been a yellow at any other point and he should have been off. Again, defensively we make so many mistakes, we can?t keep outscoring mistakes. I completely see a young defence getting outwitted but it isn?t most of the time, it?s basic mistakes. I can?t point the finger at who exactly was to blame between Waller and Connolly because we dont know what calls were made between the two but irrespective, its cost us. Why was Tezgel reintroduced after injury to do more harm to himself, he couldn?t walk, he was never going to run it off was he. I think there is more pleasure to be had in watching the Alex away because we dont don?t do our best at home and that?s been the case for a long time.

The game was ruined by a dreadful team of officials headed by the most incompetent referee I have seen in many a long day. With regard to the Alex performance. All credit to the players and the management team. The opposition employed a game plan favoured by their much reduced manager. There could easily have been more red cards, indeed there should have been. The keeper should have gone for the hand ball, the defender should have gone for the tackle on (I think) March and as far as I am concerned the referee bottled both decisions. As for Thibaut's red card, if he raised his hands or appeared to headbutt the defender we can have no complaints. other than, obviously, the fact that the defender should have been penalised for the constant grappling with Thibaut. Jeez, I thought the Strictly Come Dancing final was tonight!!

[ShropshireAlex]

Now I've watched the highlights it's hard to see (only distant view) how silly Thibaut was. Maybe be just a shove at the chest, though Mola said he'd hit his face - live from behind the tunnel, so level with it (I'd moved to sit with a guest) our impression was that it was handbags, not punches. That one was all on the liner's report to the ref, happened behind his back - oddly the 2 players had both looked intent on saying no hard feelings well away from the ref, till he called them over. The Keeper's handball was on the other liner it seems, and now I've seen the highlights of that no doubt he should have gone - basically dropped it at March's feet then picked up - with feet he could only have tapped it towards their No 5. Must have denied a goal scoring opportunity. Ref himself bottled the later decision when Mola, on a yellow, wrestled March down. Any other player would have been a yellow, just wanted not to send another off it seems, but that doesn't show in the highlights at all.

As for Tezgel, let's just hope it won't take too long - at the time and on here people were criticizing Bell for letting him stay on - I'm sure he was desperate to try and run it off, and though to begin with he could hardly hobble to be honest he seemed to be moving better by the time of the sending off before going down. Clearly, from the ice pack on his ankle as he left on crutches it did then swell, as Bell said.

Tbf I though Bristol, despite their dreadful run of form, looked a better side than Newport did, decent players low on confidence, whereas Newport just looked a poor team. Still nearly beat them with 10 men, and with 10 v 9 as it might have ended I'm sure we would.

[gazan]

Well, the ?10 curse strikes again!
A great goal to start with but then a typical error to concede. I think Connolly had an awful game. A number of times he misjudged the flight of the ball; he rarely managed to head a ball straight and I do not trust him that much with the ball at his feet. He is now suspended for accumulating 5 yellows. So no first choice CHs for the visit to Walsall. Whatever, I don't want the Alex to keep him come the end of the season.
However, the match was overshadowed by the worst set of officials I have ever experienced. We say similar things all the time but in this case, there is no doubt. The referee had no control from the first couple of minutes. He continued to allow their CHs to pull, push, trip and wrestle from the whistle. In the end Thibaut lost his cool and the referee can can chalk that down to his own contribution. I can't comment on what Adrien did as I couldn't see it. In fact I hadn't known anything was 'going on' until the referee brandished the red card.
But then, pulling March by the neck in the box wasn't even a foul; scything O'Reilly down above the level of the ankle with studs showing wasn't worth a second yellow card; he did see the goalkeeper deliberately handle the ball outside the box, went through the pantomime of consulting the liner before ducking the decision. Either he committed a red card offence or no offence.
We will have even more missing personnel for the visit to the league leaders. Unless, that is, people emerge from the black hole that is the treatment room.

[Harlzed]

Having now watched the highlights and zooming in I don?t think Thibaut should have been sent off, it?s a yellow and their player clapped the red card which I hate to see. Absolutely he should have been off himself twice later in the game. Having seen the Bristol goal again I think it is Connolly at fault rather than Waller. Agree with Gazan, we will miss him at Walsall but I would like him to be gone in the summer. Flashes of good are not enough, he makes mistakes on a very regular basis.

[MikeSB]

Having now watched the highlights and zooming in I don?t think Thibaut should have been sent off, it?s a yellow and their player clapped the red card which I hate to see. Absolutely he should have been off himself twice later in the game. Having seen the Bristol goal again I think it is Connolly at fault rather than Waller. Agree with Gazan, we will miss him at Walsall but I would like him to be gone in the summer. Flashes of good are not enough, he makes mistakes on a very regular basis.

Players should not be sent off unless they commit a very dangerous foul and that incident was two players having a go at each other and both should have received a yellow card. The Ref spoiled the game for the 9000 plus crowd as it was always going to be difficult with ten men. Why the Ref bottled the decisions later on I don't know. I'm not sure about their GK coming out of the pen area as he was also pushed by our player and think the FA changed that rule but could be wrong.

Our players should know better than getting involved like that as some clubs have players who go out of their way to antagonise the opposition. But imo it was a 'nothing' incident.

It was a good point in the end and hope we can string a few wins together as the league this year is a bit iffy and so we have had some poor results,so have most clubs up there and so promotion is up for grabs imo.

[jimmyboldon]

Well, the ?10 curse strikes again!
A great goal to start with but then a typical error to concede. I think Connolly had an awful game. A number of times he misjudged the flight of the ball; he rarely managed to head a ball straight and I do not trust him that much with the ball at his feet. He is now suspended for accumulating 5 yellows. So no first choice CHs for the visit to Walsall. Whatever, I don't want the Alex to keep him come the end of the season.
However, the match was overshadowed by the worst set of officials I have ever experienced. We say similar things all the time but in this case, there is no doubt. The referee had no control from the first couple of minutes. He continued to allow their CHs to pull, push, trip and wrestle from the whistle. In the end Thibaut lost his cool and the referee can can chalk that down to his own contribution. I can't comment on what Adrien did as I couldn't see it. In fact I hadn't known anything was 'going on' until the referee brandished the red card.
But then, pulling March by the neck in the box wasn't even a foul; scything O'Reilly down above the level of the ankle with studs showing wasn't worth a second yellow card; he did see the goalkeeper deliberately handle the ball outside the box, went through the pantomime of consulting the liner before ducking the decision. Either he committed a red card offence or no offence.
We will have even more missing personnel for the visit to the league leaders. Unless, that is, people emerge from the black hole that is the treatment room.

Connelly not suspended. Reset after 19 games.

[gazan]

Well, in a sense, that's good because the other 2 will probably be missing and the black hole of a treatment room won't be producing any returnees soon.
I have to wonder what goes in that room. Earlier on they told us Shilow was ahead of schedule and could be back in December; Lankester has been on the 'verge of return' for about a month; Demetriou has been the subject of a news blackout; Golding was due to come back relatively quickly from something said to be minor. So what is going on? Are their diagnostic systems all to cock? Do they have recovery/training programmes that are not suitable?
They need a policy: either shut up and say nothing about injuries or be honest with us from the beginning (in a general sense bearing in mind limiting information to immediate opposition).