Home against the Railwaymen Saturday 20.03.21

[Jim Hall Fixit]

There has been a lot of talk on this board about how poor Hoskins is and yet every one of our last 31 managers put him on the team sheet as pretty much first choice. I think this really does highlight a failing of the whole club. That this is the type of player at the root of our philosophy. I don't know when his contract ends but if it is extended then non-league beckons.

This was like suicide from Brady, maybe he doesn't want the job. To start a game that was essential to win with no forward and a duracell bunny bopping around is tantamount to gross misconduct in my book.

But if Edmundson had scored that sitter then JB would have been The messiah. Oh how cruel this game is that one second of ineptitude can cause the sky to fall in on all our heads?!

[everbrite]

Do all the fanboys still believe JB is the answer?

After a good few results was beginning to appreciate JB but after today am wondering if I have been conned.

[claretarmy]

Tim talking about Artell again. Apparently jumped on bus without giving any interviews!

[Risdene]

We are reverting to the poor play of 6 weeks ago.

As has been mentioned before 'a manager can not polish a turd'!!!

The team can not create and finish as a team.

[claretarmy]

What is the goals for record (and games without scoring) at home, just in the league? Imagining it must be (or very close) to the worst ever.

[claretarmy]

You would think a free week would have seen the team playing the style Brady wants? I haven't seen any games but from what I have heard on the radio it felt like they were starting to play more football. Tim said Jones at the back looks so comfortable on the ball so surprising they didn't have it in them to build through the lines.

[everbrite]

There has been a lot of talk on this board about how poor Hoskins is and yet every one of our last 31 managers put him on the team sheet as pretty much first choice. I think this really does highlight a failing of the whole club. That this is the type of player at the root of our philosophy. I don't know when his contract ends but if it is extended then non-league beckons.

This was like suicide from Brady, maybe he doesn't want the job. To start a game that was essential to win with no forward and a duracell bunny bopping around is tantamount to gross misconduct in my book.

Harsh but true

[Winslow Lee]

The problem is that we are still struggling desperately to find a combination up front that works. Personally I think that Brady should have kept faith with the Edmondson/Watson/Miller axis which was starting to bear a bit of fruit.

In the 10 games since Brady has taken over we have scored 9 goals, 3 from defenders, 4 from midfield (all Watson) and just 2 from the attackers.
While you say the Edmondson/Watson/Miller axis was starting to bear fruit it was just Watson going on a good run that was inevitably going to end and an Edmondson goal from a Hoskins shot that was probably already over the line.
Of the attacking Players Miller/Hoskins/Rose/Edmondson/Marshall/Rose there is just the one goal between them with Jones getting the other who probably hasn’t featured enough yet to have an opinion. It’s just not even remotely close to being good enough.

[Larry]

But if Edmundson had scored that sitter then JB would have been The messiah. Oh how cruel this game is that one second of ineptitude can cause the sky to fall in on all our heads?!

When you lose by the odd goal, no matter how bad the performance looked, you can claim to have been unlucky.

[Jim Hall Fixit]

After a good few results was beginning to appreciate JB but after today am wondering if I have been conned.

You too Evers?!!
Jolly’s jollyness clearly rubbing off on your PMA?!

One bad game eh? What would you be saying after a bad day at the office for KC?
Let’s all put our big boy pants on, get behind the team and start praying for a striker to walk across the Nene and into the team for next week!

[Jim Hall Fixit]

I blame Melly!
Wasn’t it him that said they Watson would be a goal scoring saviour?
Any Plan B for getting the ball in the net Melly?

[bungle]

In the 10 games since Brady has taken over we have scored 9 goals, 3 from defenders, 4 from midfield (all Watson) and just 2 from the attackers.
While you say the Edmondson/Watson/Miller axis was starting to bear fruit it was just Watson going on a good run that was inevitably going to end and an Edmondson goal from a Hoskins shot that was probably already over the line.

A good targetman/9 will create chances for others, both directly through lay-offs and flick ons and indirectly by pulling defenders out of position and creating space for on-rushing midfielders to arrive and get a shot away. I would say some of Watson's goals could be partly attributable to this kind of space opening up. I would certainly say that the interplay between Watson and Edmondson is better than any other alternative at the moment.

Edmondson is a long way from being a fully developed targetman but I would argue that his all round forward play is the best that we currently have in the squad (he's certainly miles better than Hoskins in that position). Rose is a better finisher than Edmondson but his all-round play, particularly in the lone-frontman role is not up to the same level IMO.

Jones looks perhaps the most threatening striker we have but his lack of match fitness probably means that he's best deployed in 30 minute bursts off the bench.  

[DrillingCobbler]

Ill defend Brady with regards to the team selection today, only because no one else has! I could see his thinking. Crewe are well known for trying to play it out from the back, faffing around with the ball with square passes across their defence and our chosen forward 3 looked like the plan was, was to press them and irritate them, hopefully into an error or at least making them go long.

Unfortunately though and very early doors (Id say 20 minutes to be kind) it was ultra clear it wasn't working in the sense that we had zero threat. Why we kept that shape for 55 minutes, who knows. And why we brought Rose on instead of either Edmunson or Jones, only Brady and his assistants will know the answer to that. And why he played Edmunson out wide....hmmm!

That all said. No body outside of the back4 had a decent game. No body. McWilliams was a tad fortunate not to have been sent off, he was without doubt one minor offence from being red carded, and with that in mind Brady did have no option to sub him which given the options on the bench, basically ended any hope that we had of getting back into the game. The balance of the team had disappeared as well as having no bite, which meant Crewe would easily see it out. Which they did.

In summary. Yes, Brady can be criticised today for his team selection but I think its only fair to say that in mitigation, it did seem to make some sense. I though would definitely criticise him for sticking with it for so long, and then making the wrong changes. I've said numerous times now that my concern with Brady is that he does seem to dither when it comes to changing things during games, that he's reactive and not proactive with them. Today was another fine example with Jones only coming on moments after we went 1-0 down.

All in all, a very poor performance but I guess a positive is that we are still very much in with a chance of staying up...but that will only happen if our lads show up in half of the games left with their A games like they did versus Pompey and Plymouth. If they are not collectively all 'on it' we will most likely lose....we are not a good enough team to play badly and still win. That has been proven throughout the season.

[west stand oap]

Brady was so pleased to have a free week to work on the training ground and this is what he comes up with. Hoskins playing down the middle and then pump high balls to him, at least give him a chance and send him out with a pair of stilts. He still thought it was alright to start the second half the same, unbelievable. If this had been KC he would be getting pelters.
We only won 1 corner all game, no shots on target, no creativity, devoid of ideas and our passes completed statistic must be low. The only players to come out of the game with any credit were the central defenders.
Eventually Marshall " who should be in every starting 11" gets hooked after a shocking performance and when Edmonson comes on later he is put out on the left wing. The Crewe 'keeper should have brought a book to read as he was so rarely worked.
Even with 10 games remaining it is difficult seeing us surviving as we create so few chances. Swindon although inconsistent keep picking up the odd win, Rochdale certainly know the way to goal, Bristol Rovers although they lost today still had 22 shots so I think our inability to score enough goals will be decisive.

[Coolcat]

But if Edmundson had scored that sitter then JB would have been The messiah. Oh how cruel this game is that one second of ineptitude can cause the sky to fall in on all our heads?!

Not Messiah...just less of a naughty boy!

Fcucking awful tactics from Brady today, seemed touch and go whether Millar was being brought off. McWilliams offered little - other than the obligatory, should have been brought off much sooner.
In truth, no, more obviously, shocking performances from every player today. Such s***e 2nd balls, passing, summed up in injury time, when (Edmondson?) having semi-controlled the ball, merely passes it to a Crewe player, who scampers off to the corner. Game over in a whimper!  

[Winslow Lee]

A good targetman/9 will create chances for others, both directly through lay-offs and flick ons and indirectly by pulling defenders out of position and creating space for on-rushing midfielders to arrive and get a shot away. I would say some of Watson's goals could be partly attributable to this kind of space opening up. I would certainly say that the interplay between Watson and Edmondson is better than any other alternative at the moment.

I think at least 6 of the 9 goals scored under Brady have come from set pieces, including 2 of Watson’s 4 goals (1 corner & 1 direct free kick). It’s fine for Edmondson not to score if other people around him are but that just isn’t the case. I have no idea what the solution is if one even exists.

[everbrite]

Oh shut up would you man? Stop trying to incessantly police this forum.

Ironic comment from the self styled unofficial board enforcement agency.

Just merely commenting (in my opinion) on an slightly uninformed post. No need to imitate a snowflake based on a mild reply. Merely get used to it

[OCoole]

Ironic comment from the self styled unofficial board enforcement agency.

Just merely commenting (in my opinion) on an slightly uninformed post. No need to imitate a snowflake based on a mild reply. Merely get used to it

Unbearable muppet.

[Melbourne Cobbler]

I blame Melly!
Wasn’t it him that said they Watson would be a goal scoring saviour?
Any Plan B for getting the ball in the net Melly?

Turns out I am Keith Curle in disguise, no plan B. The sun has firmly set on my punditry career.

[tcobb]

Drilling, i think Brady did set out to stop Crewe from playing their normal game, but, they changed the way they play before a ball had been kicked, leaving Brady looking a bit of a mug, so much so he didn't try to change anything until into the second half. Again Brady set his side out not to lose, awful tactics from a man who is struggling to make it as a manager.