Bristol Rovers (H) 7th October

[Irchy cob]

We were pitiful today. An utter shambles. A very odd team selection didn't help but the whole lot of them were clueless. I know most people on here think he's great but I'm sorry, Grimes is shìte. Yes, he's neat and tidy but he adds nothing to the team either in an attacking or defensive capacity. I'm thoroughly sick of him taking our set pieces too - 80% of them just hit the first man and the other 20% go sailing over everyone and out of bounds. Surely there's someone else amongst a group of professional footballers that is capable of hitting a dead ball?!? I know he was  played deep today, but that's my view formed since he joined us, not just today.

Not only did we ship 6, Ingram saved 3 one on ones and a penalty. That's 10-0 they should have had right there, never mind the multitude of others they could have had. Still, in some ways, a hammering might help in the long term; a series of narrow 1 goal defeats paper over the cracks a bit. A thumping focuses the mind a little more.

To top off a crap afternoon, two of our idiot children who are old enough to know better have just flooded the bathroom and we now have water pìssing through the kitchen ceiling. What a lovely day.

Grimes is so frustrating - there is clearly a talented player in there but when he has a poor game his head goes down far too easily. Also on his set pieces why does he do that annoying thing of making sure that he keeps his head still and down over the ball and doesn't look up - it means that when he strikes it he's got a completely unnatural body position and can't actually see where he's aiming for.

[BackOfTheNet]

Agreed......at least there had been effort before today, but the way we rolled over was just embarrassing. The players have the wrong mentality, they have done under Page, and again under Edinburgh....I hope that was a one off under JFH.....although I fear that with this group it won't be.

Yeah, I was going to comment on that aspect too until I was distracted by the ceiling - I can accept a battering from a superior team, but I can't accept a complete surrender as we saw today. As soon as Revs was sent off they just gave up completely and it was embarrassing.  Only Hoskins showed any pride or spirit in those last few minutes.

[just.reading]

Imo we have quite a few 'bad eggs'.

Care to name them?

[ajp]

Care to name them?

No just have a feeling, could be right, could be wrong but something certainly is very wrong.

[guest2995]

Really?  Did he really say say that?  We were SO lucky to just be 1-0 down at half time.  By half time Rovers had several clear cut chances besides the missed penalty, we'd created nothing.  
[/quote
I promise you he said that ....
listen on utube .
To say we had 50% of the game until half time is nothing short of fiction .
I understand he has to come out fighting but don’t take the fans for mugs

[Aitobs]

Right. I've had a bit of time to collect my thoughts after witnessing that pitiful, disgraceful, pathetic drubbing. Here's what I think.


First things first, YES most of the players were awful, but the manager has to take most of the blame for that loss. He picks the team, and the choices were bizarre. Richards and Revell up front together didn't work for Page, it didn't work for Edinburgh, and it certainly hasn't worked for JFH. The manager is also in charge of adapting the system at half-time when it was quite clearly not working in the first half, and he failed to do that. He decides on the substitutions, and although one of them was forced due to injury, the other two were his selections. Why did he take off Hanley for Hoskins when Revell was so terrible, and Hanley one of our 'better' (and I use the term lightly) players? Also, JFH is supposed to be a defensive coach! He has said he likes to win games by one goal and defend well. Any suggestion that JFH knows how to coach defensively was put to the sword today.

The tactics were abysmal. Having all our outfield players back to defend corners gave us no opportunity to counter-attack or even collect the ball once we had cleared it. And we didn't even manage to defend some of the corners anyway!

I for one don't think Bristol Rovers were actually a very good side. They're a mid-table League One outfit who know how to attack, and have players who can finish. We looked like a struggling National League team today.

Our defending was shambolic- Taylor in particular had a shocker, while Buchanan gets worse with every game he plays this season. Why isn't George Smith being given a run out? Pierre was only marginally better than Taylor, while Moloney is now injured. I felt sorry for Regan Poole being played out of position. If only we hadn't have released Neal Eardley in the summer! How we need him now.

Ingram did well to save the penalty and his other good saves stopped it from being eight or nine, but he must be wondering what he's got himself involved with. Same goes for McGugan, who wasn't terrible but didn't seem anything particularly special on first viewing either.

The brunt of my criticism however has to be reserved for Alex Revell. Mediocre at best throughout last season, he has been abysmal throughout the entirety of this season having scored just one goal when starting every league game so far. Today though, he reached new levels of haplessness by conceding that penalty, contributing nothing to our attacking play, wasting several good opportunities and then getting himself rightly sent off. He is completely useless on the field, an absolute liability and should never play for us again. I've seen some terrible strikers at Cobblers in recent seasons but after today, Revell is right up there with Clive Platt and JJ Hooper, I have to say.

It is certainly the worst Cobblers performance I've ever seen (and I went to Posh away last year!) and nothing summed the entire afternoon up better than when the Benny Hill theme song was inexplicably played over the loudspeaker at half time. If a theme tune ever encapsulated a Cobblers performance, this was it!

[guest3063]

Aitobs - a few things, the Benny Hill song has been played at most home games this season - a bit of fun with Clarence running to a supporter with a pizza.

Also, although Ravell is not perfect by any stretch, I felt sorry for him today. He wasn't up front with Richards he was playing on the right side and most of the 1st half was playing as another right back, supporting Moloney. Why do you think he gave away the penalty in the first place - he should never have been in that position. This is the fault of the manager not the player.

[guest3063]

Another thing JFH got wrong today was playing Moloney. After Tuesdays game we were told BM had muscle fatigue. He then plays today and that muscle fatigue has turned into a more serious hamstring injury - so instead of leaving him out today to recover we could be looking at weeks depending on the seriousness of it.

[Another Pedj]

Possibly but we haven't got a right back to cover. Reagan Poole has done well in defensive midfield, we missed him today, but he is lost at right back.

[ajp]

Another thing JFH got wrong today was playing Moloney. After Tuesdays game we were told BM had muscle fatigue. He then plays today and that muscle fatigue has turned into a more serious hamstring injury - so instead of leaving him out today to recover we could be looking at weeks depending on the seriousness of it.

That I believe was why Poole was rushed back from international duty to be on the bench, I thought I t was said he would miss today also?

[Irchy cob]

Possibly but we haven't got a right back to cover. Reagan Poole has done well in defensive midfield, we missed him today, but he is lost at right back.

I agree, if we knew in advance that Poole was going to be available with hindsight he should have come in for moloney. Now we're going to have to play Poole or Powell out of position or give a debut to Cameron McWilliams.

[guest3063]

That I believe was why Poole was rushed back from international duty to be on the bench, I thought I t was said he would miss today also?

Yes, Poole was due to be missing todays game. I found it strange that he was named on the bench.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

Aitobs - a few things, the Benny Hill song has been played at most home games this season - a bit of fun with Clarence running to a supporter with a pizza.

Also, although Ravell is not perfect by any stretch, I felt sorry for him today. He wasn't up front with Richards he was playing on the right side and most of the 1st half was playing as another right back, supporting Moloney. Why do you think he gave away the penalty in the first place - he should never have been in that position. This is the fault of the manager not the player.

Agree with the last bit....quite why he was playing where he was is a mystery to me!!  The team/squad is unbalanced.....driving up to the ground RN said we had 6 midfielders on the bench with Cornell the 7th sub, another midfielder (Kasim) left out completely as was George Smith.

We must have 31/32 players on the books but can't get a balanced settled team out there....its ridiculous!! Yes we have injuries but who doesn't? Rovers were missing both centre backs today and one of the replacements was making his league debut. Yes we've had a busy spell of games but so has everyone....we've played 15 games this season and Rovers have played 16.....so that excuse doesn't wash either.

I'm surprised by JFH....an ex player who was a natural attacking goalscorer yet he sets us up so defensively, everyone back at corners! Continues to play the ageing duo up front, one other or both, whilst Hoskins and especially Waters can't get a real run, and two exciting youngsters are farmed out on loan to teams many levels below us.

As I said earlier, what grated me today was the way we rolled over. Rovers were effective and showed what having a bit of pace in your side does for you. They were effective and ruthless, well almost ruthless because I don't think 10 goals would have flattered them today. I'd thought we'd got over the meek surrender...but no!

Today was awful, a combination of an awful starting line up, and an awful performance on the pitch almost to a man.

I don't care if I never see Revell in a Cobblers shirt again...Rico should be given a run and if he doesn't perform then he can do one too!! Some of them have to buck their ideas up big time, Pierre was appalling, Foley non-existent, Grimes next to useless, and Maloney (whom i've never rated btw) was just as bad.

Square pegs and round holes,,,,still!! Whats the answer? Let JFH wheel and deal in January and get another 6-8 in? That's what it needs......

I am staggered that after a decent summer of recruitment and the supposed quality we have on our books, we put in a performance like that.

[guest3063]

I agree, if we knew in advance that Poole was going to be available with hindsight he should have come in for moloney. Now we're going to have to play Poole or Powell out of position or give a debut to Cameron McWilliams.

We are now in a right mess, no Moloney and no Phillips or Barnett (I think he can also play full back). Poole struggled today and didn't look at home there and as for Powell - no chance. Therefore, either a system change or who knows, think its a bit much to ask Cameron McWilliams to play there at only 16 years of age.

[ajp]

We are now in a right mess, no Moloney and no Phillips or Barnett (I think he can also play full back). Poole struggled today and didn't look at home there and as for Powell - no chance. Therefore, either a system change or who knows, think its a bit much to ask Cameron McWilliams to play there at only 16 years of age.

If he's confident stick him in I'd say, Poole needs to play defensive midfield

[GrangeParkCobbler]

We are now in a right mess, no Moloney and no Phillips or Barnett (I think he can also play full back). Poole struggled today and didn't look at home there and as for Powell - no chance. Therefore, either a system change or who knows, think its a bit much to ask Cameron McWilliams to play there at only 16 years of age.

Could end up with a left sider filling in at right back........Hanley or Smith? Or we play with wing backs again and three centre backs (Poole/Pierre/Taylor)  Shame Revell got himself sent off as he was playing a blinder at right back today!!  

[GrangeParkCobbler]

If he's confident stick him in I'd say, Poole needs to play defensive midfield

I may be wrong but Hasselbaink doesn't seem to be the type who throws people in like that.......otherwise we'd have seen Lobjoit and Iacofano up front by now, not out on loan leagues below!

[guest2995]

Some of those players had shockers out there today .
Pierre was terrible and I’m not convinced by his commitment when things get tough.
Buchanan was awful and totally over ran
Foley was totally ineffective and offered nothing
Bowditch had a good 10 minutes and then didn’t touch the ball
Revell was truly awful and won nothing but gave away the penalty
Rico was bullied out of it and offered nothing
McGugan couldn’t even run - how can a pro footballer be so unfit
Poole was clueless at right back -mistake after mistake
Taylor was unsure throughout
Hanley tried hard and was ok
Grimes was the only outfield player with credit - wanted the ball at all times
Ingram was fantastic - would have been ten without him
JFH - why didn’t he change it earlier

[guest2995]

Grimes is so frustrating - there is clearly a talented player in there but when he has a poor game his head goes down far too easily. Also on his set pieces why does he do that annoying thing of making sure that he keeps his head still and down over the ball and doesn't look up - it means that when he strikes it he's got a completely unnatural body position and can't actually see where he's aiming for.

Usually I agree with you Irchy but I thought Grimes played okay today .
He wanted the ball and was brave with it .
He carried the midfield I thought and was the only outfield player with credit , apart from Hoskins maybe

[guest3040]

How certain cretins on here can say Buchanan  was poor amaze me how many times did they get past him how many goals came from his side of the pitch some on here habe no clue just jump on the bandwagon and follow other comments like sheep.