Match Thread vs. Hartlepool United 10.04.21 [NL]

[CheltenhamPie]

Wootton won every header today, but he was too deep for my liking. Our final ball is poor and Enzio has lost all purpose. All of his threat has been taken away.

Griffiths looks another waste of a loan and the central midfield just isn't dynamic enough.

We can't hammer Birchnall for the rubbish squad. That is Ardley and Abbott's doing.

I agree with most of your comments. However Birchnall picked the team and dictates the way we set up and play. We were very negative in the first half, and took over sixty minutes for our first shot on target. Not really good enough.

[legs77]

Wootton won every header today, but he was too deep for my liking. Our final ball is poor and Enzio has lost all purpose. All of his threat has been taken away.

Griffiths looks another waste of a loan and the central midfield just isn't dynamic enough.

We can't hammer Birchnall for the rubbish squad. That is Ardley and Abbott's doing.

I agree about Griffiths he is hopeless and it was what I feared when he joined he played the grand total of 11 minutes for Crewe.

This was my point a few weeks back about signing other clubs kids who let’s face it aren’t good enough so we might as well play our own as daft as it sounds!

We are play off bound we look like we’ll finish between 5-7th we aren’t good enough to finish higher.

[St Kitts Magpie]

I agree about Griffiths he is hopeless and it was what I feared when he joined he played the grand total of 11 minutes for Crewe.

This was my point a few weeks back about signing other clubs kids who let’s face it aren’t good enough so we might as well play our own as daft as it sounds!

We are play off bound we look like we’ll finish between 5-7th we aren’t good enough to finish higher.

And Ruben cant even get on....

[jacobncfc]

Ruben can’t get on because he’s a creative but kind of luxury player who needs some midfielders behind him who can do some of his running. We have none.

[legs77]

And Ruben cant even get on....

Yep he should be in ahead of Griffiths for sure.

I think we might go to a back 4 and play Chicksen at LB and get Ruben and Enzio wide.

[jackal2]

And Ruben cant even get on....

We definitely need to find a way to get Ruben in the side because he brings creativity and a goal threat. Yes he's still adapting to the English game and goes missing at times, but he isn't going to adapt any quicker by sitting on the bench, and it isn't as though we've got a host of other creative, goal-scoring midfielders to choose from, especially now Roberts is out again. If Rodrigues is in the team, we either win, or he learns, which either way should be beneficial in the long run.

[matt_magpie]

Annoying thing for me on the odd occasion we put pressure on their defence and keeper they did look shaky but we just let them have it their way too much, I didn't think they looked a great side but we were poor on the whole. I think realistically we have a squad that should be 4th or 5th whether that's Ardleys or the owners fault it doesn't really matter now.

[MancMagpie]

Strange one that. I think we were coming back in to it 2nd half and may have knicked a draw if Roberts had stayed on. Hope he's ok.

A frustrating day really. Other teams winning, Roberts injured and we look very average.

Playoffs at best.

[laddo]

12 LIVE televised away games without a win and this will be the 10th defeat in those 12.

People needed to know this stat when making their pre match predicitons

Good side Hartlepool, dominated midfield. Nice football throughout and a couple of talented players.

Good to see IB change things tactically in the 37th minute and going with 3 up top and more pace but far too easy for them to get 20/30 yards out without any trouble two dozen times. Actually defended the balls into box well although their delivery was average at best.

Lose midfield battle that badly you don't win the game

Worse thing about today is not my awful showing in the grand national, not the Notts result nor performance but Roberts injury.

[Riverleeno]

we haven't really got the central midfield players to make it work against teams who sometimes pack the midfield. Neil Bishop and Ricky Ravenhill were energetic workhorses who made it work ten years ago, but you can't expect a veteran like Doyle, as fit as he is, to do that job; and Reeves isn't really dynamic enough either. O'Brien's maybe the hardest worker, but again he's no spring chicken.

Need IB to identify this problem and get a player in accordingly.