Colchester comeback?

[Its_nice_to_michu]

I can’t see us beating a rampant Col Utd side but I hope we do.

Austin needs really needs this result at all costs.

My hunch is that he will be gone after Saturday.

[Ron Obvious]

I tend to agree with you but, We can score but we can't defend very well. Sort the defending out and we might  do a lot better, you won't win anything without a good defence.

Stop whispering, we can't hear you!

[guest47]

It might seem strange, but a tough away game next up might not be such a bad thing. A win against Colchester would be a bonus, a draw would be considered ok and a loss won't be the end of the world - as long as it's by only a goal or two.

[Cordwainer2]

Watched the highlights of Col v Crewe. Crewe goalkeeper was useless.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Watched the highlights of Col v Crewe. Crewe goalkeeper was useless.

Cambridge keeper was better... 

[OCoole]

In my opinion the team selection is obvious this week. We need to drop the clear underperformers. Change the formation back to the 4-3-3 that we used against Lincoln at the start of the season and exploit the pace of the wide players by hitting balls over the top for them to chase - hopefully forcing Colchester to make defensive errors like Lincoln did. This will allow us to play higher up the pitch as in my opinion one of our big faults as a team in the past few games is collectively sitting too deep - which causes the gaps/incoherency between the lines of the team. My team as follows:


Ward - Facey, Taylor, Pierre, Turnbull - Crooks, McWilliams, O'Toole - Waters, Van Veen, Morias

Bench: Cornell, Barnett, Odoffin, Foley, Bowditch, Hoskins, Williams


You know this team makes sense. Don't even try to challenge it! 

[Battery Man]

I will challenge it, Taylor has been a massive under performer so far this season, and if you watch him he blames everyone around him for mistakes he makes, the goal against Lincoln for example he lost his man then blamed Odoffin. So I would drop Taylor, I don't think Cornell has done anything wrong either this season, but then I haven't seen Ward play so ok with that. As for the rest, yes happy with that if McWilliams is fit.

[everbrite]

In my opinion the team selection is obvious this week. We need to drop the clear underperformers. Change the formation back to the 4-3-3 that we used against Lincoln at the start of the season and exploit the pace of the wide players by hitting balls over the top for them to chase - hopefully forcing Colchester to make defensive errors like Lincoln did. This will allow us to play higher up the pitch as in my opinion one of our big faults as a team in the past few games is collectively sitting too deep - which causes the gaps/incoherency between the lines of the team. My team as follows:


Ward - Facey, Taylor, Pierre, Turnbull - Crooks, McWilliams, O'Toole - Waters, Van Veen, Morias

Bench: Cornell, Barnett, Odoffin, Foley, Bowditch, Hoskins, Williams


You know this team makes sense. Don't even try to challenge it! 

As a matter of general interest why are you dropping Cornell who some on here say has done nothing wrong as yet and replace him with an untried goalie who I doubt you may have not seen play yet?

[Cobbler]

In my opinion the team selection is obvious this week. We need to drop the clear underperformers. Change the formation back to the 4-3-3 that we used against Lincoln at the start of the season and exploit the pace of the wide players by hitting balls over the top for them to chase - hopefully forcing Colchester to make defensive errors like Lincoln did. This will allow us to play higher up the pitch as in my opinion one of our big faults as a team in the past few games is collectively sitting too deep - which causes the gaps/incoherency between the lines of the team. My team as follows:


Ward - Facey, Taylor, Pierre, Turnbull - Crooks, McWilliams, O'Toole - Waters, Van Veen, Morias

Bench: Cornell, Barnett, Odoffin, Foley, Bowditch, Hoskins, Williams


You know this team makes sense. Don't even try to challenge it! 

You have dropped Cornell and kept Taylor in. Have you watched any games this season

[FezNTFC]

Cornell has not directly been at fault for any goals this year, but here are his performance records over the last four seasons.

2015/16 (Oldham) - P17 / W1 / D8 / L8 / CS1
2016/17 (Northampton) - P10 / W1 / D2 / L7 / CS1
2017/18 (Northampton) - P12/ W1 / D4 / L7 / CS1
2018/19 (Northampton) - P4 / W0 / D2 / L2 /CS0

So, in 43 games over four years, he's kept a whopping three clean sheets and won three games. It also gives him a grand points total for almost an entire football league season of 25 points - which is half of what you would need to avoid relegation.

That's a shambolic record, and while he of course isn't completely responsible it's enough to tell me he shouldn't be anywhere near to being our number one goalkeeper.

[Ron Obvious]

Cornell has not directly been at fault for any goals this year, but here are his performance records over the last four seasons.

2015/16 (Oldham) - P17 / W1 / D8 / L8 / CS1
2016/17 (Northampton) - P10 / W1 / D2 / L7 / CS1
2017/18 (Northampton) - P12/ W1 / D4 / L7 / CS1
2018/19 (Northampton) - P4 / W0 / D2 / L2 /CS0

So, in 43 games over four years, he's kept a whopping three clean sheets and won three games. It also gives him a grand points total for almost an entire football league season of 25 points - which is half of what you would need to avoid relegation.

That's a shambolic record, and while he of course isn't completely responsible it's enough to tell me he shouldn't be anywhere near to being our number one goalkeeper.

But this is this season and he has been good. New goalkeeping coach has improved his game overall, still there is room for improvement.

[Ron Obvious]

As a matter of general interest why are you dropping Cornell who some on here say has done nothing wrong as yet and replace him with an untried goalie who I doubt you may have not seen play yet?

Blind Stupidity, Obviously. Would also not drop Foley unless Jon Joe is 100% fit, I doubt he is.

[everbrite]

Cornell has not directly been at fault for any goals this year, but here are his performance records over the last four seasons.

2015/16 (Oldham) - P17 / W1 / D8 / L8 / CS1
2016/17 (Northampton) - P10 / W1 / D2 / L7 / CS1
2017/18 (Northampton) - P12/ W1 / D4 / L7 / CS1
2018/19 (Northampton) - P4 / W0 / D2 / L2 /CS0

So, in 43 games over four years, he's kept a whopping three clean sheets and won three games. It also gives him a grand points total for almost an entire football league season of 25 points - which is half of what you would need to avoid relegation.

That's a shambolic record, and while he of course isn't completely responsible it's enough to tell me he shouldn't be anywhere near to being our number one goalkeeper.

I love messages like this - no consideration for replacements at all, no thought as to the other 3 goalies we have on the books! If we are not careful we will have a team of goalies! I would say that Cornell is the least of our problems at the moment.

# Iwastheretuesday.

[FezNTFC]

I love messages like this - no consideration for replacements at all, no thought as to the other 3 goalies we have on the books! If we are not careful we will have a team of goalies! I would say that Cornell is the least of our problems at the moment.

# Iwastheretuesday.

I'm pointing out that the fact he is still number one is a damning indictment of our recruitment. I maintain he's a good penalty saver and he has a good kick, but he's not up to scratch on any other part of his game, and I'm sorry but the stats prove it.

Ward is an unknown quantity for us all, but if he's not better than Cornell then frankly it was stupid bringing him in. It doesn't change the fact that Cornell is not up to it in my view, which makes it a bigger problem than you seem to think it is.

#I'veWatchedUsForYears

[FezNTFC]

But this is this season and he has been good. New goalkeeping coach has improved his game overall, still there is room for improvement.

Yes, he did make some good saves on the highlights. But his positioning for the Morecambe goal isn't great let's be honest, he gives him a huge target to shoot at.

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Cornell has not directly been at fault for any goals this year, but here are his performance records over the last four seasons.

2015/16 (Oldham) - P17 / W1 / D8 / L8 / CS1
2016/17 (Northampton) - P10 / W1 / D2 / L7 / CS1
2017/18 (Northampton) - P12/ W1 / D4 / L7 / CS1
2018/19 (Northampton) - P4 / W0 / D2 / L2 /CS0

So, in 43 games over four years, he's kept a whopping three clean sheets and won three games. It also gives him a grand points total for almost an entire football league season of 25 points - which is half of what you would need to avoid relegation.

That's a shambolic record, and while he of course isn't completely responsible it's enough to tell me he shouldn't be anywhere near to being our number one goalkeeper.

For us he has started in 12 league games over the previous two seasons and six of those were either side of the Stourbridge debacle when Page was in his last throws of his dice in 2016!
New season, clean slate, we do it for outfield players, have we stopped doing that for goalkeepers?
He's doing well so far this season, hasn't been at fault for any of our results.
People need to be more concerned about what's going on further up the field to place the blame for why we aren't doing so well.

[Ron Obvious]

Yes, he did make some good saves on the highlights. But his positioning for the Morecambe goal isn't great let's be honest, he gives him a huge target to shoot at.

But was he directly to blame or was it the central defence who had evaporated in to thin air?

[Deepcut Cobbler]

Yes, he did make some good saves on the highlights. But his positioning for the Morecambe goal isn't great let's be honest, he gives him a huge target to shoot at.

What are you talking about?

[FezNTFC]

For us he has started in 12 league games over the previous two seasons and six of those were either side of the Stourbridge debacle when Page was in his last throws of his dice in 2016!
New season, clean slate, we do it for outfield players, have we stopped doing that for goalkeepers?
He's doing well so far this season, hasn't been at fault for any of our results.
People need to be more concerned about what's going on further up the field to place the blame for why we aren't doing so well.

I admit he has had poor protection in front of him in that time, and I agree he's far from the sole reason we're not winning games at the moment. That for me is down to a collective mental weakness with these players. It doesn't change my view though that he's not of the required standard for us to move forward in League Two.

I'm always willing to change my mind based on what I see in front of me, and if Cornell performs and brings us some results I will happily eat humble pie.

But I don't rush to conclusions on players. My view on him, whether you like it or not, is a considered one based on seeing him in action for the majority of those performances across two years, and a set of frankly horrendous stats.

[FezNTFC]

But was he directly to blame or was it the central defence who had evaporated in to thin air?

No, hence why I said in my previous post that he wasn't directly at fault for any goals. The defensive line was much much worse. However, I'm still not convinced it's good positioning, and I think it made the finish easier than it could have been.