Is it too early to say…

[belton rover]

…’at least we can concentrate on the league now’?
Or do we have to wait to get knocked out of the F.A. Cup too?

[Pside]

3rd game in a row we’ve been awful. Not sure what to make of it really as we’ve got 4pts in the league but it’s not been pretty. Glad to be out of the cup though

[sedwardsdrfc]

Tonight we've 3 of 4 players who could play not starting to save them and we're playing a good team from the division above. But we have been making excuses for GM for a while now. How we play at Wimbledon is really important.

Again not so much result but performance. Just want one game where we play with a plan and style that looks like we can build on. Right now GM's plan seems to be play as narrow as possible which is just bizarre

[Alan Southstand]

There is no pace anywhere and we are so so predictable. Clueless.

[donnievic]

Yes tonight wasn’t very good I agree but more players missing a beaten by what I thought was a decent looking Lincoln side who lets not forget are in a higher division.little positive I take is we still looked better with the ball than we did Saturday

[Lesonthewest]

Tonight we've 3 of 4 players who could play not starting to save them and we're playing a good team from the division above. But we have been making excuses for GM for a while now. How we play at Wimbledon is really important.

Again not so much result but performance. Just want one game where we play with a plan and style that looks like we can build on. Right now GM's plan seems to be play as narrow as possible which is just bizarre

This. I'd like nothing more to see a plan to what McSheffrey is trying to achieve performance wise, game 3 & it's utter rubbish. Fitness wise & effort is better, (notice the positive there some posters), performance wise it's as bad as last season.

[elmsallrover]

Yes tonight wasn’t very good I agree but more players missing a beaten by what I thought was a decent looking Lincoln side who lets not forget are in a higher division.little positive I take is we still looked better with the ball than we did Saturday

a team we beat away a few months ago

[bpoolrover]

Tonight we've 3 of 4 players who could play not starting to save them and we're playing a good team from the division above. But we have been making excuses for GM for a while now. How we play at Wimbledon is really important.

Again not so much result but performance. Just want one game where we play with a plan and style that looks like we can build on. Right now GM's plan seems to be play as narrow as possible which is just bizarre

even more bizarre when you play a 6ft 4ish forward, it must be better getting the ball out wide so he at least has a chance of doing something

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Yes tonight wasn’t very good I agree but more players missing a beaten by what I thought was a decent looking Lincoln side who lets not forget are in a higher division.little positive I take is we still looked better with the ball than we did Saturday

a team we beat away a few months ago

We played a hell of a lot better tonight than that night.  There wasn't that much between the teams but we got caught on the break a few times, partly chasing the game.  We didn't creat enough but we lacked width.  Mcsheffrey had very limited options but overall it wasn't a terrible performance.

[donnievic]

Yes tonight wasn’t very good I agree but more players missing a beaten by what I thought was a decent looking Lincoln side who lets not forget are in a higher division.little positive I take is we still looked better with the ball than we did Saturday

a team we beat away a few months ago

maybe so and with a penalty but we was also 2nd best that night aswell

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Tonight we've 3 of 4 players who could play not starting to save them and we're playing a good team from the division above. But we have been making excuses for GM for a while now. How we play at Wimbledon is really important.

Again not so much result but performance. Just want one game where we play with a plan and style that looks like we can build on. Right now GM's plan seems to be play as narrow as possible which is just bizarre

even more bizarre when you play a 6ft 4ish forward, it must be better getting the ball out wide so he at least has a chance of doing something

That's definitely a concern when we don't try to get behind teams more often.

Lee Turnbull doing the summary on RS tonight said Andrews needs coaching and thinks he's not making the most of his physique but, we need to get some decent crosses in from wide areas for him to attack.

I often think Knoyle is too cautious often checking back and not taking on his marker. He tends to get a bit braver in the last 1/4 of a match particularly when we're chasing the game so just feel he needs to take a few more opportunities to get on the outside during the whole 90 mins.

We seem to be struggling to get the right balance in midfield where we need to show a bit more desire to move the ball more quickly and have the movement to match.

Early days though to come to any conclusion.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Yes tonight wasn’t very good I agree but more players missing a beaten by what I thought was a decent looking Lincoln side who lets not forget are in a higher division.little positive I take is we still looked better with the ball than we did Saturday

a team we beat away a few months ago

We played a hell of a lot better tonight than that night.  There wasn't that much between the teams but we got caught on the break a few times, partly chasing the game.  We didn't creat enough but we lacked width.  Mcsheffrey had very limited options but overall it wasn't a terrible performance.

That's good to hear. Hope the lack of width isn't genuinely how GM wants us to play it seems braindead to me. Saturday play Hurst and Rowe wide in a 4 and we'll have much better options it's so obvious

[sedwardsdrfc]

Tonight we've 3 of 4 players who could play not starting to save them and we're playing a good team from the division above. But we have been making excuses for GM for a while now. How we play at Wimbledon is really important.

Again not so much result but performance. Just want one game where we play with a plan and style that looks like we can build on. Right now GM's plan seems to be play as narrow as possible which is just bizarre

even more bizarre when you play a 6ft 4ish forward, it must be better getting the ball out wide so he at least has a chance of doing something

That's definitely a concern when we don't try to get behind teams more often.

Lee Turnbull doing the summary on RS tonight said Andrews needs coaching and thinks he's not making the most of his physique but, we need to get some decent crosses in from wide areas for him to attack.

I often think Knoyle is too cautious often checking back and not taking on his marker. He tends to get a bit braver in the last 1/4 of a match particularly when we're chasing the game so just feel he needs to take a few more opportunities to get on the outside during the whole 90 mins.

We seem to be struggling to get the right balance in midfield where we need to show a bit more desire to move the ball more quickly and have the movement to match.

Early days though to come to any conclusion.

I half think the balance issue is because Clayton can't run enough to play in a central 2. So GM wan't to protect him by letting him sit in front of the back 4 so as not to expose him. Think it's too cautious if thats the case.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Yes tonight wasn’t very good I agree but more players missing a beaten by what I thought was a decent looking Lincoln side who lets not forget are in a higher division.little positive I take is we still looked better with the ball than we did Saturday

a team we beat away a few months ago

We played a hell of a lot better tonight than that night.  There wasn't that much between the teams but we got caught on the break a few times, partly chasing the game.  We didn't creat enough but we lacked width.  Mcsheffrey had very limited options but overall it wasn't a terrible performance.

That's good to hear. Hope the lack of width isn't genuinely how GM wants us to play it seems braindead to me. Saturday play Hurst and Rowe wide in a 4 and we'll have much better options it's so obvious

I'd say it's not, he played one up top with two wide most of pre season.  He certainly didn't want to line up without Rowe, molyneux and Taylor that's for sure.

[Spud]

Can't think of anyone that played poorly tonight or didn't show any effort hut Lincoln had more quality &, more importantly, looked well drilled & were much better as a team. I don't know how much of that team is new & how many played together last season but they were in second gear most of the night tbh.
We're definitely a work in progress, let's hope we get it together soon.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Tonight we've 3 of 4 players who could play not starting to save them and we're playing a good team from the division above. But we have been making excuses for GM for a while now. How we play at Wimbledon is really important.

Again not so much result but performance. Just want one game where we play with a plan and style that looks like we can build on. Right now GM's plan seems to be play as narrow as possible which is just bizarre

even more bizarre when you play a 6ft 4ish forward, it must be better getting the ball out wide so he at least has a chance of doing something

That's definitely a concern when we don't try to get behind teams more often.

Lee Turnbull doing the summary on RS tonight said Andrews needs coaching and thinks he's not making the most of his physique but, we need to get some decent crosses in from wide areas for him to attack.

I often think Knoyle is too cautious often checking back and not taking on his marker. He tends to get a bit braver in the last 1/4 of a match particularly when we're chasing the game so just feel he needs to take a few more opportunities to get on the outside during the whole 90 mins.

We seem to be struggling to get the right balance in midfield where we need to show a bit more desire to move the ball more quickly and have the movement to match.

Early days though to come to any conclusion.

I half think the balance issue is because Clayton can't run enough to play in a central 2. So GM wan't to protect him by letting him sit in front of the back 4 so as not to expose him. Think it's too cautious if thats the case.

I think you're probably right with that and he needs someone else in there with him on the same wavelength with a good range of passing.. I think Close would be that player so in the meantime we need to find something more from Biggins or Ravenhill.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Can't think of anyone that played poorly tonight or didn't show any effort hut Lincoln had more quality &, more importantly, looked well drilled & were much better as a team. I don't know how much of that team is new & how many played together last season but they were in second gear most of the night tbh.
We're definitely a work in progress, let's hope we get it together soon.

Listening to GM’s interview he’d disagree. Thought there wasn’t enough effort from a few by the sounds of it

[danumdon]

That midfield is a major issue for me, its ok for Clayton to sit back and try to spray some passes but someone else needs to do the running and harrying, this present setup will not provide that, Biggins is nice and neat but not the box to box player were were led to believe. Rowe was a massive miss tonight, fit or not he would of put in twice as much effort.

The first goal was well worked and they managed to isolate Knoyle again, his defending is not what we need.

The second goal was very poor from us, he picked the ball up after a poor dribble from Andrews went nowhere and just ran straight down the middle without so much as a challenge and ran straight through the pedestrian center halfs, and slotted it in just inside the post.

The third goal was poor play from us again after they pushed up on us, giving the ball away and giving them a two on one, Mitchell did all he could but their player tapped in the rebound after the save.

Outside of this we were second best most of the night and our chances were few and far between, Andrews looked lost again and should of come off at halftime, Agard was the pick of the forwards and looked like he could work an opening if someone gave him some ball, Maxwell played well again and Hurst came on and looked sharp and ready to run at them, should of been on from the start. Timlin was pedestrian, one or two nice touches but nothing threatening all night, looks like he needs to be 25% fitter to me, this one may bite us in the ass.

Long looked ok only, managed to get the ball under his feet a couple of time which led to chances for them but was tidy enough didnt look to me likehe had the pace of Olowu and that could be a problem if he was to play next to Anderson.

Glad this was just a cup match that we can now forget and concentrate on getting some idea about how we want to play when we miss our better players because we need to show something now, this still looks a bit lost and made up on the hoof for me.

[bpoolrover]

for me now is the time to try get a couple of pacy wingers on loan and give us a different option

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Molyneux will be back soon  and possibly Taylor for that matter.

I don't necessarily think it's the ability of the players we already have who can operate in wide areas, but the desire and bravery to get into those positions.

I think GM touched on it in his interview by wanting to close the gaps from back to front, so that Clayton doesn't have to play the longer balls, but play as a unit through the thirds with shorter crisper, more accurate passing.

We saw glimpses of this in pre=season, albeit against lesser ranked opposition. We need to get on the front foot in games and stay on it for longer periods rather than taking a safer more pedestrian option. Easier said than done like.

[Chris Black come back]

3-0 was our worst home result since Rotherham hammered us 5-0 back on 1 February. We drew 0-0 with Lincoln at home last season with a side where Vilca, Dodoo and Horton all started.

[Sammy Chung was King]

There was always going to be a game where we lost. Very disappointed with it being at home. I know they area league above but we shouldn’t lose 3-0 at home to anybody in the bottom two leagues. It’s safe to say nobody has made the managers job hard in picking the next team.

I thought that with it being the league cup that Miller etc would be on the bench. To me that’s a bit of a lack of respect for the competition. I agree not starting Miller and others but they should have been on the bench. It’s a reminder to us all there is work still to be done on the squad, in understanding each other.

The changes made disrupted momentum, but it had to be done with so many games in a short space of time. The EFL trophy I understand making changes and maybe first team players not being on the bench, but this one more should have been on the bench. Nothing to be done now, move onto Wimbledon.

[les@donr]

GMc is right to rest Miller and Rowe keeping them fresh for the weekend. This season is about one thing only, promotion, we do not need any distractions from the cups.