Recruitment

[edlored]

When he says we've got a good squad apart from 1or 2 we've got a squad of average players

[selby]

No not struck on McGrath, just look at the still on this forum highlighting Walsalls off side goal, fair enough off side,  but Olowu has covered the man passing the ball but McGrath drawn in towards him needlessly off balance in the shot and giving the winger his man to cover out wide 10 yards of space  the other goal in the same match didn't pick his man up in the area, the same in Saturdays game two yards too much room and another goal, the ball across goal and another goal the other week.
 And he is easily run past and has no pace to recover, Olowu got back in the first half Saturday when he was mugged and the lad was running away from him through on goal carrying the ball and was being left in  his wake until Olowu outpaced them both and cleaned up getting the plaudits and digging him out. The highlights are there to see make your own mind up.
  We have given goals away and lost points that with Wood, and he is not exactly fast, but a good defender, we would not have given away last season.

[In the box]

  I wouldn't call central defenders who have played in a team that has not had a clean sheet in twelve games coming up excellent, Wood and Anderson in the second half of last season, not trying to look easy on the eye, but heading, kicking and knowing where to be in the area and tight on attackers , like McCombe and Jones before them, in successful sides, they were not easy on the eye, just good defenders.
  Smacking a cross field ball 45 yards that might or might not get there, and from me to you going nowhere isn't the requirement, being fast on the turn and balanced so as not to get run past or beaten to the ball in the six yards area is defending, and keeping the ball out of our onion bag the requirement missing, looking easy on the eye is for the clips and supporters who like that sort of thing, me, I like to watch winning football and am not that fussed how we do it.

Not sold on McGrath?

He was very dodgy against Port Vale but has looked great otherwise.

Is the weakness on the left side coming from Maxwell / Fleming defensively or do you think there’s more to it?

McCann has his own style and the players have bought into it , but the same players are still coming up short . Lack of passion in attack or not fighting hard enough to win the second balls was evident and this lack of basic aggression is what’s causing teams to be more confident in our home games as we conceded ground to easily. We need a holding midfielder with some grunt not the inexperienced shadows who loose the ball at the slightest challenge !!

[Bessie Red]

No not struck on McGrath, just look at the still on this forum highlighting Walsalls off side goal, fair enough off side,  but Olowu has covered the man passing the ball but McGrath drawn in towards him needlessly off balance in the shot and giving the winger his man to cover out wide 10 yards of space  the other goal in the same match didn't pick his man up in the area, the same in Saturdays game two yards too much room and another goal, the ball across goal and another goal the other week.
 And he is easily run past and has no pace to recover, Olowu got back in the first half Saturday when he was mugged and the lad was running away from him through on goal carrying the ball and was being left in  his wake until Olowu outpaced them both and cleaned up getting the plaudits and digging him out. The highlights are there to see make your own mind up.
  We have given goals away and lost points that with Wood, and he is not exactly fast, but a good defender, we would not have given away last season.

We get it Selby, you want Bobby back in the side, just say it!!

[selby]

I want a defender whoever that is, it not my decision who. As a matter of fact I think McGrath has potential but is costing us, I have given my opinion and in highlights they are there for everyone to see who missed them the first time around.
  No doubt you don't watch a game like I  do and disagree, your entitled to. but I will repeat what I said weeks ago, if we have to score more than one goal a game to win games regularly we will not achieve our ambitions this season and the problems are repeating themselves in successive games and being ignored by most who pick up on the easy on the eye parts of the game.
  A good question would be how many of the present squad would be regular players in a good division one side which again is our ambition, considering that one of our best players last season was a loan player not wanted by Lincoln and went to another team in our division and we are hoping another can fire us up to that level between now and May that can't get a game there either. I hope he does also by the way.

[i_ateallthepies]

That may be the case BR but there can be little doubt that McGrath has been less than assured on numerous occasions recently.  I've been resisting commenting on McGrath because I don't want to be digging players out as soon as they make a mistake - I haven't commented on Joe Olowu being beaten by the PV winger as Joe has been pretty much flawless for a whole half season.
If anyone was to be called up for McGrath's place I would expect Tom to take it which would improve our aerial prowess in both boxes and possibly better balls out of defence also.

[Bentley Bullet]

Mcgrath seems to get sloppy with his play from the hour mark onwards. Whether that's a concentration issue, or a fitness one, I don't know.

Also, it's hard to ignore that Rovers had 6 shots on target against Port Vale, scoring one, and Port Vale had 3 shots on target against us, scoring 2!

The question is, why did they score twice as many goals as we did with half as many shots?

[selby]

  Well the second one was an attack down our left side pulled back from the goal line and a player  about eight yards out in front of goal  with four or five yards of space shooting and a last minute lunge by McGrath trying to make ground up that should not have been there if he had marked tighter deflected into the roof of the net. two nil and game over. That's how I see it whether the move should have got that far out wide is another point  and is an almost exact replay of a goal given away at Walsall. Look at the highlights replays

[ravenrover]

Now if Bobby had been playing.......

[pib]

  Well the second one was an attack down our left side pulled back from the goal line and a player  about eight yards out in front of goal  with four or five yards of space shooting and a last minute lunge by McGrath trying to make ground up that should not have been there if he had marked tighter deflected into the roof of the net. two nil and game over. That's how I see it whether the move should have got that far out wide is another point  and is an almost exact replay of a goal given away at Walsall. Look at the highlights replays

To me, Fleming seems to get caught out a lot defensively by that kind of thing. I think he seems OK going forward, but based on performances this season I'd prefer Senior to play there if Maxwell isn't fully fit (which he doesn't seem to be).

[selby]

  I think your trying to say it would not have happened Raven because you are a football expert, and he is the better defender in the box. In this case I think you could be right, if I have read your mind correctly that is buddy.
  A but worried though as I am not a very good mind reader especially of football experts like yourself.

[ravenrover]

Far from an expert on football or young talent as you are but you get an obsession with a player, as you have in the past, be it good or bad.
You obviously rate Faulkener better than McGrath but for some reason have been very reluctant to say it, just little snide comments.
Oh by the way I'm not your buddy, you don't know me nor I you

[selby]

OK buddy.