Be happy not to lose this one. Can see Rio starting this game. Ainley to get a reprieve with us having a fairly bare squad. Will O. Finney or Griffiths make the bench? 1-1 with Bowery enevitably scoring will be a decent result.
Here's another one to scrape through. Another team heavily fancied and this time sort of providing the goods. Not sure how we'll do, depends on line-up and tactics. Time for Agyei to be given a rest?(if he's not already injured). Is it also time to throw Adebisi in. We haven't got King or Zac so we need Tariq back in midfield. Brooke must be in with CBR leading the line and, maybe Sambou on the other side. So, sticking with Ainley just behind the front 3 again.
Prediction: 1-1- another draw🥱
Brooke to score.
Be happy not to lose this one. Can see Rio starting this game. Ainley to get a reprieve with us having a fairly bare squad. Will O. Finney or Griffiths make the bench? 1-1 with Bowery enevitably scoring will be a decent result.
Will be short and desperate if Olly Finney makes the bench....he is out injured and has been wearing a moon boot for two weeks!!
Fairly inevitable result in the end. But didn't someone say there was a referee's directive about diving??
As for the last minute non-penalty.... The referee was part of that inevitability even though we shot ourselves in the foot, in the end.
We really are going to do something about scoring goals. Without CBR, we'd really be in ****.
Considering that AM is supposed to be a disciplinarian, I'm amazed that Agyei gets away with not doing his defensive duties. He can be excellent on the ball attacking his marker but when the Alex haven't got the ball he always seems to be back on his heels. Sambou at least runs for everything but gives away too many unnecessary fouls. Ainley seems to have reverted to type, though in his defence, as we're so compressed, there's little room for him to do anything with the ball. I really think AM missed a trick not bringing on Brooke for Sambou. With two wingers we could have occupied their wing backs and pushed Mansfield back a bit.
I will give Morris credit for switching (for about 5 mins) Agyei and CBR, which led to the goal. However, we went into reflex 'safety' mode rather than pressing home our advantage.
Just because our defence is playing better shouldn't mean we are reliant on them.
The sooner Morris 'fixes' the goalscoring problem, the better.
The referee was horrific. One eyed doesn't cover it. Nailed on Penalty right at the death. The lady who reffed our game last week got heavily criticised but I would have her back any time over most of the ones we have had this season. You look at a referee's performance and question if he cost the game. Today, I would suggest he did.
It’s easy to blame the officials to mask the plainly obvious we are losing games because of the boards failure to provide a competitive budget when are opponents are using 4or5 subs against us and our manager is trying to win games with mainly the starting 11 and 1 or 2 subs we are going to struggle. Mansfield were the best side today and definitely finished the stronger due to utilising their bench we brought on 1 defender for a forward player. And that is the plain fact whinging about officials is a cop out have a look at the pathetic budget our manager is being expected to remain competitive with.
I have to disagree with you there, Wartman. Yes, we could always do with more money. However, we haven't got it. What's more, with the nutters in charge of the country, we're likely to have even less in the next two years. So, no use crying over what we can't have.
However, I will also disagree with Morris, having just seen his post-match comments. There weren't just two errors that gave the game away. He forget to mention his own match philosophy. He said we didn't manage the game well after going into the lead. We scored with 20 minutes to go and then 8 minutes added. We shouldn't be looking to hold on with 28 minutes to go! Mansfield had been wobbling for a few minutes before we scored and we should have kept the pressure on afterwards. Brook should have been brought on there and then. Instead we look to Adebisi and Sass-Davis as potential players to shore things up. Admittedly Adebisi was expected to add some attack down the left but in the end his lack of match sharpness let the team down.
Glad to have King back next game.
Mainly agree with your comments Wartman in a general manner for the season, but as a one off game this ref was cr*p. It started in the first half when Ageyi beat his man, was just about to go into the area and was cynically chopped down from behind. Was 100% a card but I don't think their player was even spoken to. Leshbela carded for contesting a 50/50 ball? I will wait to see the highlights before commenting on the last few minutes. After saying all that both their goals came from our mistakes, Arthur kicking it straight out of play and Adebesi losing it in the centre of the park.