PT wrote:As others have said, it would be dead easy to suggest that we deserved something from tonight's game and the last minute pen might be seen as some validation of that point of view. But that view would be wrong. For those at the Notts County game a few weeks ago, just think of that first half except with the opposition getting a deserved second and perhaps being a bit unlucky not to get a third.
So the first half was rank and at two-nil down we give it a real go in the second half which was a far more even affair, but it was no better than being an even half with them therefore deserving the win over the ninety minutes.
I don't understand the "where's the passion gone" chant because effort is the one thing these players give. Unfortunately the vast majority of them are just not good enough. It's quality and mental strength we need. At times the quality was laughable. Ten yard passes going wildly astray and first touches that would embarrass a Sunday League Player, a level that some of our squad are barely above.
Their goals were simple affairs, folk popping up in our area in yards of space - keeps happening - it's not bad luck it's bad defending. Our goal was a mistake by their keeper and then we barely touched the ball until the excitement of the final seconds. In a way it was a fitting climax because Alex Nicholls sums up our current squad. Lovely lad, bags of effort but he's not quite good enough. Ditto for the likes of Butler and Taundry - great fellas but not up to the job of being third division footballers, whilst others like Jarvis are nowhere near and others aren't quite ready.
Well done to the other 100 especially those travelling further than myself, what a way to spend Valentine's Day. It was like a really bad date that seemed to pick up towards the end with the invite of coffee, but all it was, was an invite for coffee and the coffee was awful leaving quite a bad taste in the mouth. But I'll go out with her again, cos i love her and have done for 40 years.xxxx
Great post - but I disagree about Butler not being good enough. He's marshalled a defence this season that has a top 10 record in the league with an abysmal bunch of midfielders and attackers infront of him. Because of this the defence come under constant pressure, highlighting even more how we've got a perfectly decent defence in this league. Tonight perhaps was a bad night, but even Manchester United's defence have 5 or 6 shaky performances a season - I can remember 1 or 2 from ours this year. Ironically as i pointed our earlier the only players I'd keep from the bunch that start most weeks and are ready for league one football are, Walker, Grof, Butler, Smith and Sadler. Then a couple of squad players in Paterson, Grigg and Bowerman. The rest quite frankly are conference standard at best.
I agree with your point regarding Nicholls, Taundry, Peterlin etc - nice chaps, bags of effort and commitment but not enough quality for all the huff and puff they offer.