Match Thread vs. Aldershot 04.09.21 [NL]

[the_anticlough]

Tier 6

Chorley 9 (NINE) Gloucester 0

Gloucester must be asking themselves why the hell are we going to Chorley in the NLN anyway, what with being even further south than Luton, Colchester...footballing hell

[upthemaggies]

First time we haven't lost any of the opening four games since McP's run of 4 draws to start the 2008/09 season (the one before Munto).


Boreham Wood still yet to concede a goal.

Stockport have the lowest goals per game ratio in the league.

[upthemaggies]

So much for home fans giving you an advantage.....

Tier 5 so far this season- Home wins: 27% Away wins: 46% Draws: 27%

[laddo]

To his credit IB is quick to make changes both tactically and to personal if he feels the need to which is a luxery we've been rarely afforded with in previous managers of the last few years.

That's a very good point, a consistent valid criticism of many a past manager has been waiting too long to make changes and being seemingly afraid to make changes. You can't ever say that about IB, formation changes, tactical switches and early substitutions. If he spots something he acts.

Looking forward to reading the considered thoughts on the game which sounds like had plenty of good and bad points.

[countygump]

Well we didn't play particularly well, some of our defending was comical and some of our passing was woeful,(O'Brien and Palmer get a special mention), but we still won!!!!!!!!!!!

That'll do for me.

[countygump]

[countygump]

[laddo]

Well we didn't play particularly well, some of our defending was comical and some of our passing was woeful,(O'Brien and Palmer get a special mention), but we still won!!!!!!!!!!!

That'll do for me.

Lovely balanced considered thoughts Gumpy as always

How did Rodders and Roberts get on? Hoping Cal was much improved on his previous perfomances this season. Scoring the match winner will obviously do his confidence no harm at all.

[countygump]

[jackal2]

Going into the game I was hoping for a far more comfortable victory, but in a strange way we might have learned more from it being a rollercoaster. We've still got the three points, but I also think we've seen enough now to conclude that five at the back in home games is too many. The switch to 4-3-3 in the second half made us play quicker and a little more directly, whereas the three centre-halves seemed to be having a game amongst themselves in the first half, much to Aldershot's relief!

In the second half I thought Ruben Rodrigues showed he is no lightweight if he's put in the thick of the action. He looked really comfortable in his (forward looking) central midfield role and clearly isn't averse to putting his foot in and winning a tackle, which is a real bonus in addition to his known attacking threat. Kairo Mitchell also impressed me again with his pace down the left-side, and Cal Roberts became a real threat once we started getting the ball to him quicker out wide, as opposed to the first half where we played like a team on sedatives.

All in all, a handy little exercise in terms of learning how best to use the undoubted talent we've got, and which formation we should play at home. There may still be a role for a back five away from home, where you want to have a strong defence and sometimes take the heat out of games, but at home you need a more attacking formation and a quicker, more intense tempo to get the crowd excited and really put the opponents under pressure.