Tranmere Rovers (h)

[WasRambo]

I'm pleased to hear that things are much more entertaining but the fact remains we've only managed one win so far.

I'd take a run of 4 or 5 boring one nils right now tbh.

That's not negativity, just realism. Looking at the table and seeing our current position doesn't really enthuse...

[Wolvo]

Agree, we massively need a run of results. Attendances and league table are looking drab at the moment.

Also agree about Cornell today... He turned into Neuer for the day today 

[EssTeeFree]

Also on Bridge he worked hard and looked lively but they had him quickly sussed (the constant cut inside) and he was our least dangerous attacking player in my opinion.

1 assist today, would have had another but for Foleys poor miss after Bridge out thought and out fought their big left back. What would you liked to have seen him do to elevate him above what Hoskins, KvV, Waters, Crooks offered today?

[EssTeeFree]

On the entertainment v results debate that’s going on this thread, personally it’s entertainment first every time. I’m getting a bit long in the tooth now but going all these years has shown me that if you pin everything on results you will never be happy as a fan. We could do a Burton and grind out back to back promotions which would be great of course but sooner or later we’d struggle in the championship, get relegated and we’d all be miserable again.

I’ve genuinly got to the point where I don’t really care what League we play in, I want to see attacking football, pressing, intent to win and a positive attitude. Can we do better in those areas than we currently are? Of course but I personally like what Austin is doing and how he is doing it.

Totally appreciate why others feel different of course and why winning is everything in some people’s eyes.

[double row row 7]

This seasons games are so much more entertaining,well done to Dean Austin who has an attractive style of play,let’s just keep supporting the team like today and who knows where it will take us but I feel sure we are heading the right way.

[Irchy cob]

On the entertainment v results debate that’s going on this thread, personally it’s entertainment first every time. I’m getting a bit long in the tooth now but going all these years has shown me that if you pin everything on results you will never be happy as a fan. We could do a Burton and grind out back to back promotions which would be great of course but sooner or later we’d struggle in the championship, get relegated and we’d all be miserable again.

I’ve genuinly got to the point where I don’t really care what League we play in, I want to see attacking football, pressing, intent to win and a positive attitude. Can we do better in those areas than we currently are? Of course but I personally like what Austin is doing and how he is doing it.

Totally appreciate why others feel different of course and why winning is everything in some people’s eyes.

I totally get your point, I guess it depends if you’re a glass half full or glass half empty person - I have got to say that although I appreciate that we’re not being served up the drivel we got last season my main feeling on leaving the ground isn’t so much that I’ve really been entertained, more that I’m unbelievably frustrated that we haven’t taken any of our gilt edged chances and that we are constantly giving away sloppy goals.

[guest3023]

I'm pleased to hear that things are much more entertaining but the fact remains we've only managed one win so far.

I'd take a run of 4 or 5 boring one nils right now tbh.

That's not negativity, just realism. Looking at the table and seeing our current position doesn't really enthuse...

It's scarcely even worth looking at the table at this stage of the season, let alone paying too much credence to it.

After a terrible season that ended in relegation there is going to be a period of turning the momentum around and building confidence and a winning mentality. This period is what we are witnessing now IMO. It's a work in progress but the signs are strong that things are headed in the right direction. The way the team is being set-up and the style of attacking play and the amount of chances created is more than likely going to turn into wins and eventually a run of wins to build on. All the work being put in now will pay off as the season progresses and this pay-off could well be sooner rather than later.

If the play-offs are 10 points off at Christmas that would be very disappointing, but this would still keep a second half of the season promotion charge well within reach. The fact that the play-offs are only 4 points off now with a mere 6 games gone is not really the time to be getting too downbeat. All my opinion of course.

[Gonzales]

I thought we should’ve won the game personally - I couldn’t see if Hoskins was offside or why that goal was disallowed from where I was but we played good stuff and Tranmere clearly weren’t interested in playing very much...

Was glad Morias got his goal then sad he got injured because he put in a lot of effort for no return in the first half and he seems like a good companion to KVV, who I think has been unfairly maligned and looks like a tidy player... Hoskins and Bridge looked great on the wings and Foley kept things ticking. Crooks looked off for some reason mind.

The results will come if they play like they did today.

[Irchy cob]

Was there any reason given for why McWilliams wasn't in the squad today?

[sixfields starling]

To create so many chances every game , playing positive attacking football, after the last two seasons, boring football, is a joy to see and that is the reason many are frustrated. Even today we could have quite easily have won 4-1, yes we didn't really test their keeper, but we did create numerous opportunities to score. Confidence is a massive thing in football and a relegated team obviously lacks confidence , but you can clearly see it is returning slowly. We have more than enough in our squad to get out of this league first time of asking and in my eyes we are getting better every week, sharpen up on the finishing and we will soon be climbing the league, because from what i've seen so far it's nothing special .   

[EssTeeFree]

I totally get your point, I guess it depends if you’re a glass half full or glass half empty person - I have got to say that although I appreciate that we’re not being served up the drivel we got last season my main feeling on leaving the ground isn’t so much that I’ve really been entertained, more that I’m unbelievably frustrated that we haven’t taken any of our gilt edged chances and that we are constantly giving away sloppy goals.

Yup understood, I felt extremely frustrated in the immediate moments after the Lincoln game and a bit today but it soon fades. I also believe if you keep setting out to play entertaining football that the results will come at some point. It could be that of those goalmouth scrambles smacks someone’s arse and it goes in. Missing chances is frustrating p, I get that, not creating any at all is much worse IMO

[sixfields starling]

Yup understood, I felt extremely frustrated in the immediate moments after the Lincoln game and a bit today but it soon fades. I also believe if you keep setting out to play entertaining football that the results will come at some point. It could be that of those goalmouth scrambles smacks someone’s arse and it goes in. Missing chances is frustrating p, I get that, not creating any at all is much worse IMO

Totally agree. Waiting until the 65th minute for your first shot at goal in a home game last year , was awful. This years frustrations at not scoring the numerous chances created, is a move in the right direction.

[craigwest]

The @experimental361 stats show again that Tranmere sort of deserved their goal overall, but we should have scored 2 or 3 given the chances that we created.

[guest48]

I was a little surprised that the ref seemed to take no notice of the Tranmere time wasting. The keeper was taking up to 45 seconds for every goal kick, even in the first half, but the ref took no action what so ever. Even more strange considering that last season at Southend, the same ref booked Brendan Moloney for taking too long with a through in, in the first half, and he then sent off Matt Crooks for not retreating 10 yards when the Southend bloke took an instant free kick. But that was against his local team, he comes from Rayleigh, 6 miles from Southend.

[guest3230]

The ref was really poor. No major decisions thankfully. Suppose we should give Tranmere credit, came for a point and nothing more and they got it.

[GrangeParkCobbler]

I was a little surprised that the ref seemed to take no notice of the Tranmere time wasting. The keeper was taking up to 45 seconds for every goal kick, even in the first half, but the ref took no action what so ever. Even more strange considering that last season at Southend, the same ref booked Brendan Moloney for taking too long with a through in, in the first half, and he then sent off Matt Crooks for not retreating 10 yards when the Southend bloke took an instant free kick. But that was against his local team, he comes from Rayleigh, 6 miles from Southend.

5 minutes stoppage time at the end?? I thought that was about right for their timewasting.

[everbrite]

That you worship at the ornery altar and struggle with quite and quiet.

Behave yourself Eddie

[WadeyCobbler]

Another enjoyable game to watch, to the point now where I'd recommend neutrals/floating fans to get up to Sixfields to see a good game of football (last year I warned them against it)! However it was another frustrating day as we do not capitalise on our superiority and are always susceptible to giving away a soft goal. Bridge looked excellent and could be the answer to our lack of proper wingers. Foley my MOM, Van Veen I thought looks quality despite his long range effort that cleared the South Stand. Taylor looks suspect but is undroppable. Facey didn't look sharp today, Buchs solid. Cornell had a good all round game. Hoskins, well he is certainly dividing opinion. I just don't get excited or expect any end result anymore when he gets the ball. He is so frustrating. To be fair he did put some decent balls into the box and beat his man on occasions in the second half but his first touch can be heavy and will rarely score. If we had Ricky Holmes there instead.....
Reading the Tranmere forum and they feel they were fortunate to escape with a point, "Northampton:- look a very good side", "They will be in the mix at the end of the season", "Missed several sitters", "Had some very quick players who all look good on the ball", "Found both wingers with pin point passes", "Number 7 (Hoskins) was excellent, so much pace and looking to get in the box every time", "Their little number 7 caused us huge problems""Their keeper was superb' his distribution put Scotty to shame", The ground was very clean, the burgers were great". One final one, "The ground was the most soulless place".

[Vintage Cobbler]

One thing is clear at the beginning of the second month of the new season and that is the football is entertaining and after the reigns of Page, JED & JFH this is to be welcomed. Full praise to DA for this.  But even so I have left Sixfields after our 3 home matches with an immense feeling of frustration that we are not converting our dominance into wins. Already Lincoln are 10 points ahead of us.  One fundamental problem is that we cannot keep clean sheets. Yesterday poor defending by Facey & Taylor cost us.  Up front vV worked hard but it was not happening for him, Bridge looked excellent for about 20 minutes in the first half and then largely disappeared and our marmite player Hoskins continues to be the same old "Super Sam" who more often than not makes the wrong decision or fails to get the ball in and then surprises us. In the middle Foley was excellent and Crooks continues to be erratic, sublime one minute and then giving the ball away the next. 

Too early still to be saying which way the season will go but I am going to go for the positive and predict by the turn of the year we will be in a promotion position but only if the defence improves.

[guest2539]

I think we would be more consistent in midfield if from now on we played Foley and McWilliams as the holding midfielders. This would allow Crooks and JJ more licence to create further forward, linking with Van vein and Waters.