Match Thread vs. Stockport County 15.03.22 [NL]

[MAD_MAGPIE]

I don't get this either, if the day before a game away to the best team you're having to discuss playing your centre forward at centre back then call the game off ffs.

It makes no sense to me if players were that ill to a point that we were struggling to put a fit side out that would be able to compete why did we not try and get the game postponed? Plus football teams having illness in the camp is not a new phenomenon so the league should have a plan in place or be sympathetic.

Players being sick and lethargic in a game usually comes with the territory of amateur Sunday league teams after a heavy night out. Professional teams shouldn’t have to be put into such a situation as a result of genuine illness.

We might not have won under normal circumstances but like others have said at least with a fit side the performance might have been better and we would have given it a bit more of a go.

It seems to me that we were beaten before we even kicked a ball. However in isolation losing away to the league leaders Stockport a promotion rival regardless of where we finish will not define the season. It’s dropping points to lesser sides away from home that is the reason why we are currently 8th.

Let’s hope players feel a bit better and more recovered for Saturdays away trip to Dagenham.

[Robertomac]

It makes no sense to me if players were that ill to a point that we were struggling to put a fit side out that would be able to compete why did we not try and get the game postponed? Plus football teams having illness in the camp is not a new phenomenon so the league should have a plan in place or be sympathetic.

Players being sick and lethargic in a game usually comes with the territory of amateur Sunday league teams after a heavy night out. Professional teams shouldn’t have to be put into such a situation as a result of genuine illness.

We might not have won under normal circumstances but like others have said at least with a fit side the performance might have been better and we would have given it a bit more of a go.

It seems to me that we were beaten before we even kicked a ball. However in isolation losing away to the league leaders Stockport a promotion rival regardless of where we finish will not define the season. It’s dropping points to lesser sides away from home that is the reason why we are currently 8th.

Let’s hope players feel a bit better and more recovered for Saturdays away trip to Dagenham.

I don't travel to many away games any more, but my two boys really wanted to go, so I thought with it being not too far and an easy drive, why not? I have experienced quite a few inept performances following Notts over the years and this one was right up there. Totally gutless, lacking intensity, energy and desire, coupled with questionable formation and tactics for an away game against top of the league.

On hearing that the players were unfit due to illness, I was pretty annoyed being perfectly honest as if that was the case, the outcome was fairly predictable and think it was a very inconsiderate way to treat the 600-odd fans who made the effort to travel and support the team.

[jackal2]

On hearing that the players were unfit due to illness, I was pretty annoyed being perfectly honest as if that was the case, the outcome was fairly predictable and think it was a very inconsiderate way to treat the 600-odd fans who made the effort to travel and support the team.

Whether its a reason or an excuse, it's not really satisfactory. If we weren't fit to play then we shouldn't have played, unless the league refused a postponement and literally forced us to - in which case make that public. Aside from those caveats, if you put a team on the field and allow fans to make the journey to support you, then take responsibility for that decision and the result of it, even if you think with the benefit of hindsight that it was the wrong call.

[crazyfists]

Having just watched the post match interview with IB why the f**k wasn't the game postponed???!! Absolutely disgraceful player management, they should not be playing.

I don't travel to many away games any more, but my two boys really wanted to go, so I thought with it being not too far and an easy drive, why not? I have experienced quite a few inept performances following Notts over the years and this one was right up there. Totally gutless, lacking intensity, energy and desire, coupled with questionable formation and tactics for an away game against top of the league.

On hearing that the players were unfit due to illness, I was pretty annoyed being perfectly honest as if that was the case, the outcome was fairly predictable and think it was a very inconsiderate way to treat the 600-odd fans who made the effort to travel and support the team.

This. Why even play the game, everyone else cancels against us so we were due one ourselves.

[laddo]

You forgot to mention Wealdstone, Bromley, Grimsby, Yeovil and the 10 men of Halifax.. Wrexham was a cup game in which most of the second string played... Also, we were outplayed for much of the second half against Solihull... We were very lucky to come away with a point..

I didn't need to, you said "last few games", the Weadlstone game was at the end of January! Lol. If you meant last couple of months instead, well that's very different to what you said.

We played well against Bromley in the 1st half, deserved to be leading at the break.
Were we crap against Solihull? Really? I've not heard anyone else suggest that who was there. I heard strong rumours we were unlucky and played well in 2 or 3 of the games you class as 'crap'.

Looks like it's now firmly cherry picking season

[laddo]

Nah we’ve been bad at times this season but last night was basically unique this season for me as a performance. All of the stuff we usually struggle with was there, over committing to passing out from the back, troubled by the press etc, but with a complete lethargy from the entire team that, to be fair, we don’t normally have. We looked like a team full of sick players, to be honest.

Thank you Jacob, sounds far more realistic#trustedsource

[jackal2]

There's a low-key duty of care issue if we were fielding several players who were known to be unwell before the game started. Vomiting is a clearly a sign of being unwell and potentially highly infectious to others. If this is some kind of bug affecting several in the camp, the ill players should never have been out there, either for their own wellbeing or others on either team. If that point was made to the league or the match officials and was rejected, then make that public and show where the blame lies.

[jacobncfc]

IB confirms we formally requested Stockport and Dagenham be postponed but it was refused.

Personally think we took the wrong option letting players go out there when ill enough to be vomiting and should’ve called the league’s bluff, played Slocombe in midfield with Doyle and got absolutely hammered to make a point, but easier for me to say that when I’m not the manager.

Absolutely disgraceful from the league, though, putting both sets of players at risk for no reason at all.

[OP67]

IB confirms we formally requested Stockport and Dagenham be postponed but it was refused.

Personally think we took the wrong option letting players go out there when ill enough to be vomiting and should’ve called the league’s bluff, played Slocombe in midfield with Doyle and got absolutely hammered to make a point, but easier for me to say that when I’m not the manager.

Absolutely disgraceful from the league, though, putting both sets of players at risk for no reason at all.

Agreed absolutely disgraceful from the National League!!! Hopefully if we need to pull Saturday's game we'll say less than 11 are fit as I'm sure other clubs did this during the Covid illnesses!

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0bvpnl5

[countygump]

IB confirms we formally requested Stockport and Dagenham be postponed but it was refused.

Personally think we took the wrong option letting players go out there when ill enough to be vomiting and should’ve called the league’s bluff, played Slocombe in midfield with Doyle and got absolutely hammered to make a point, but easier for me to say that when I’m not the manager.

Absolutely disgraceful from the league, though, putting both sets of players at risk for no reason at all.

Burch ought to have made this info available pre match and played the kids and whoever was fit.