⚽ Match Thread vs. Lincoln City 08.08.23 [EFLC R1]

[matt_magpie]

Our high intensity game went out of the window the moment Bostock arrived. We tweaked our style to suit his safe passing of the ball, without actually doing anything with it.. Those who say, well we got 107 points and won most of our games, but in reality playing against most of those teams you would have been disappointed not to have achieved that goal.. Prior to Bostock, we had Bajrami in midfield along side Palmer, that pairing in my opinion was the best we have had. Very little got past Baj and we generally bossed the midfield. It was unfortunate that Baj got injured, but conveniently so for Bostock.. Thats when we began to lose our rhythm, with all of this passing about and going nowhere...

Didn’t Baj only have about 2 or 3 games in midfield?
It’s all opinions, for me Bostocks absolute class, dragged us through that final and clearly isn’t scared of big games which in my opinion is exactly what we need this season.

[durhampie]

Didn’t Baj only have about 2 or 3 games in midfield?
It’s all opinions, for me Bostocks absolute class, dragged us through that final and clearly isn’t scared of big games which in my opinion is exactly what we need this season.

Unfortunately Baj only played a handful of games before getting injured. But you are right, Bostock is a class player, but he does at times tend to slow the game down too much with his constant passing in safe areas.. I also think he has had an adverse effect on Palmers game..

[Proactive not Reactive]

Unfortunately Baj only played a handful of games before getting injured. But you are right, Bostock is a class player, but he does at times tend to slow the game down too much with his constant passing in safe areas.. I also think he has had an adverse effect on Palmers game..

Baj didn’t get injured he got dropped,he was excellent for 2-3 games and then for some unknown reason he totally lost his form.
Once again you couldn’t resist having a pop at Bostock - get over it we wouldn’t have been promoted without him - fact

[Magpies1959]

The thing about Bostock I have noticed is that he has a really annoying ability to play the right ball 90% of the time, to one of our players, and without whom we would still be in the National League.

[the_anticlough]

Bostock is a class player, but he does at times tend to slow the game down too much with his constant passing in safe areas.. I also think he has had an adverse effect on Palmers game..

In that he directly took his role as the main midfield playmaker, yes.

I've come around to accept that if you want to be a possession-based team, it makes sense to field two of these players, even if their strengths and weaknesses are much the same.

But I don't think LW has ever really settled on the right balance around them.
If you play both, a back 3, plus Chicksen you kill yourself by fielding only 4 players who can play in the last 3rd.
Saturday's fix was to field JJ there instead. Good thinking, but unfortunately relying on a player who can throw-in a non-performance from time to time (you can get away with those if you're a winger, or in the 3 in a 4-2-3-1 but not if you're a GK, CB or modern WB in my opinion).

I expected us to recruit a LWB and a RCB as they were the two areas than needed upgrading most (apart from replacing RR, which I think we've done, by committee).
So the search for that balanced side goes on, Bostock isn't the problem IMO, Bostock + Palmer neither, but if they don't find that blend, they might have to dismantle what they have and put it back together again differently.

[SmiffyPie]

Only fault with Bostock (and it does lead to him slowing his pass rate = the attacking game (to a slight degree)) is he is so one-footed and has to get round the ball to play it at times.

[ForeignLegion]

Looks like Ruben has had a similar start with Milk Cup FC

[BJPIE]

Looks like Ruben has had a similar start with Milk Cup FC

Not f****** interested in Ruben. He doesn't play for Notts.

[the_anticlough]

Looks like Ruben has had a similar start with Milk Cup FC

He came on when they were 4-1 down. But yes, Oxford's start is identical to ours, losses by the same scorelines, although the other way around and both of theirs away.

[matt_magpie]

Unfortunately Baj only played a handful of games before getting injured. But you are right, Bostock is a class player, but he does at times tend to slow the game down too much with his constant passing in safe areas.. I also think he has had an adverse effect on Palmers game..

I think Palmer and him are working well now. I think Bostock would be happy hitting 40 yard balls as I think I heard an old interview where he preferred the quarterback style role but we don’t really do that.
I think Durham we will be glad of him when we’re under the cosh as he will calm us down and get hold of the game. I’m probably more worried about mcgoldrick, absolute class player but we’re going to lose the intensity Ruben brought, but he won’t play every game so hopefully LW works out when we need him most.