Today

[roverstillidie91]

Thought Cotterill was absolutely awful

We are too predictable in possession to be honest

Why does DS persist with 4-4-2 ?

Should have Copps and Bennett supporting Paynter in a 4-3-3

[Chris]

I completely agree about Cotterill. He was bad on the right and even worse on the left. Very, very wasteful.

[DonnyOsmond]

Persist? We've just won the last two games before today, you can fault the guy for not changing a winning team.

[Red wizard]

Yep he was poor today as was a fair few bar the defenders.

[pubteam]

Disappointed with the (lack of) subs. The game was crying out for a change. We needed Harper in midfield, as we were being overrun in there, and he should've put Blake on or something. Bringing Copps on and going to 4-4-1-1 didn't work at all. All it did was isolate Paynter even more and make it even less likely that Cotterill would make a meaningful contribution to the game.

[GazLaz]

Cot's delivery is very good I think but his concentration is poor.

[DonnyNoel]

Disappointed with the (lack of) subs. The game was crying out for a change. We needed Harper in midfield, as we were being overrun in there, and he should've put Blake on or something. Bringing Copps on and going to 4-4-1-1 didn't work at all. All it did was isolate Paynter even more and make it even less likely that Cotterill would make a meaningful contribution to the game.

Thats the only thing that I would potentially question as well, I thought (like on Tuesday) that the midfield started to lose the battle around 70 minutes and Harper would have been a welcome addition.

[PDX_Rover]

Not the end of the world is it? Sounded like Crawley were spoilers and they've spent money... TBH not too disappointed with a narrow defeat.

[biggle]

Problem for me is central midfield, and specifically the prancing horse that is Martin Woods. A Brian Stock midfielder he certainly is not!!

[pubteam]

Disappointed with the (lack of) subs. The game was crying out for a change. We needed Harper in midfield, as we were being overrun in there, and he should've put Blake on or something. Bringing Copps on and going to 4-4-1-1 didn't work at all. All it did was isolate Paynter even more and make it even less likely that Cotterill would make a meaningful contribution to the game.

Thats the only thing that I would potentially question as well, I thought (like on Tuesday) that the midfield started to lose the battle around 70 minutes and Harper would have been a welcome addition.

They had three in the middle of the park, and I felt we'd have given ourselves a better chance if we'd matched up to them. Syers and Woods had no impact on the game whatsoever, as they outnumbered us in there. I think that's where we lost the game in the second half, made even worse by Brown going off, as we had no target to aim for up top when we tried to miss out the midfield.

[Donnybax]

Cotterill is very inconsistent player hes shown what he can do at Walsall and in patches at bury but if he was consistent he wouldn't be playing in league 1 would he

[mushRTID]

Cotterill didnt have a good day but none of the midfielders did which is where today was lost.

Need some creativity in the middle and pace up front. Paynter looks tidy but totally ineffective for large spells. I hope its a fitness thing but after 3 games he should be approaching peak condition now.

[roverstillidie91]

Disappointed with the (lack of) subs. The game was crying out for a change. We needed Harper in midfield, as we were being overrun in there, and he should've put Blake on or something. Bringing Copps on and going to 4-4-1-1 didn't work at all. All it did was isolate Paynter even more and make it even less likely that Cotterill would make a meaningful contribution to the game.

Thats the only thing that I would potentially question as well, I thought (like on Tuesday) that the midfield started to lose the battle around 70 minutes and Harper would have been a welcome addition.

They had three in the middle of the park, and I felt we'd have given ourselves a better chance if we'd matched up to them. Syers and Woods had no impact on the game whatsoever, as they outnumbered us in there. I think that's where we lost the game in the second half, made even worse by Brown going off, as we had no target to aim for up top when we tried to miss out the midfield.

Saunders should of changed it to a 4-3-3 or a 4-2-3-1 to match up to them but as the game wore on theu were the better team

[RedJ]

Cotterill didnt have a good day but none of the midfielders did which is where today was lost.

Need some creativity in the middle and pace up front. Paynter looks tidy but totally ineffective for large spells. I hope its a fitness thing but after 3 games he should be approaching peak condition now.

doesn't help when the service is largely shite, although he did miss one or two sitters

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Oh dear, oh dear, oh dear.

So poor. Looking for faults in this game is pointless as collectively we were garbage. I'd have forgiven them for the first half performance if they had come out and looked like they wanted to take the game to Crawley in the 2nd.

But alas, we went backwards. Two very poor teams in a very poor game. No individual or collective responsibility to change things and no sign of the manager doing much to influence the game either.

Only players for me who came out with any credibility were Jones and Bennett, the rest were distinctly below average. 

[roverstillidie91]

Thought syers was poor as well today.. we need an arteta type of player in midfield who can pick a pass

[MrFrost]

It isn't like we have a lot of options when it comes to changing things.
We are severely lacking when you look beyond our starting 11.

[roverstillidie91]

You could tell obviously that we arent as quick in our passing and with the fact the teams gelling should give the team some time

[mrfrostsdad]

My guess is (and obviously I don't actually know) is that with the exception of Cops, no-one on the bench is really fit, hence why no-one else came on. It's certainly not because we were playing well, because we weren't.

If any of the players on the bench were fit, I expect to see them all play Tuesday night

[bedale rover]

   on friday tweet form the official club feed  "all players fit apart from martis"  and yet now we have "well 3-4 were carrying knocks but we stuck them in anyway"
it would help if they didnt try to re-write history 

the coaching staff are employed to coachthe players and set the tactics and adapt them if they arent working

so 4-4-2 isnt working lets try 4-4-2

genii 

[Al4475]

I didn't think there was much in the game at all to be honest - my take was two relatively evenly matched sides who didn't play particularly well!

I felt they looked in spots fitter and better shaped/organized. I also felt that they looked like the team who have been together for a decent stretch of time and we looked like a team that haven't - simple!

But we were evenly matched over the 90 minutes and if Crawley are one of the favourites for the division, and one of the best on offer in this league - we'll do better than ok!

And that's all I'm after this season - consolidation, structures in place to look after the wellbeing of the club long term and a team who win more than they lose!

Anywhere inside the top 10 will be brill this season as far as I'm concerned! Any higher is a bonus - and any lower (above the relegation spots) will be seen as ok! A couple of steps back to make a jump forward!

We've played three games and got six points - nowt up with that!

[roverstillidie91]

From what i've read saunders played 4-3-3 at wrexham mainly so why didnt he change tactics in the last quarter ? Then again ive read on here plus their forum he's a bit tactically clueless

Saunders and co should change course when we are being over run in midfield

[Mr1Croft]

Today we looked like a team that had ran out of ideas.


Gary Woods didn't have much to do today but did okay, from what I saw of the goal there wasn't much more he could have done.


Kyle Bennet, obviously had confidence going into this game but I doubt he feels like that now, every time he cut inside he shot when there were better options, if he goes out and gets a goal then we can forgive him easily but when we lose we have to look at the chances we could have created.


I agree about Harper we needed to bring into play a holding midfielder because M.Woods doesn't do that role well.


Every time Cotterill gets the ball the crowd urge him to shoot and when he does he gets a bollocking. That 3-0 win at Walsall has raised everyone's expectations and today was a reality check.


Having been at all 3 games this season I don't think we played that much worse than the last 2 games, we just couldn't pick up any momentum. Not that the ref had anything to do with that.


I'm still largely undecided on the defence, one attack they look solid and the next they are falling over themselves.


The first defeat of the season is always hard to take especially when it comes at home after winning your first two games, I don't think we were poor today I just think we failed at some of the basics and Crawley got stuck in and made it a tough game for us.


We desperately need to sort out someone to take the corners.

[stockyboy]

Cotterill was poor, Quinn was poor, Bennett was quiet, Syers had a poor game. But I'm sorry, Martin Woods is still yet to impress me, how he is still here I don't know, the last 4 games (3 in league and York) he really has not contributed anything, he is just so sloppy.

But for the game, we tried to grind out a result like we have so far this season, only difference was the opposition today was far better than Walsall and Bury and will no doubt finish higher than both of those two teams.

We still need strengthening and it's obvious for all to see but we have to put up with it for the time being. There was flashes today that we can do damage but we came up against a hard working, well set up team.

P.S. Ref was shocking

[StocksArmy]

Absolutely garbage. Tommy Spurrs clearence for the goal was just laughable. Cheaply giving the ball away is just too hard to watch after our SOD era. Not a big fan of Quinn, James Husband is better then Spurr and Cotterill didn't look bothered. Personally I think us as fans play a part in it aswell, the atmosphere really is bad! Anyway on a plus note McCombe and Jones looked solid and the only 2 players that can be happy with thier performance

[Pinter777]

lol the same fans who praised his wonder goal then call him shit. i love the logic of our so called supporters.what i did they expect? an unbeaten season...idiots.

[wilts rover]

From what i've read saunders played 4-3-3 at wrexham mainly so why didnt he change tactics in the last quarter ? Then again ive read on here plus their forum he's a bit tactically clueless

Saunders and co should change course when we are being over run in midfield

Love it, we are being overun in midfield and your answer is to take a midfielder out - not only DS that is tactically clueless.

[stockyboy]

lol the same fans who praised his wonder goal then call him shit. i love the logic of our so called supporters.what i did they expect? an unbeaten season...idiots.

So we are not aloud to point out when he's had a bad game because he scored a great goal against Walsall? Makes sense.

[Norfolk N Chance]

Oh its a f**king disaster....you fickle f**kers you!

[roverstillidie91]

From what i've read saunders played 4-3-3 at wrexham mainly so why didnt he change tactics in the last quarter ? Then again ive read on here plus their forum he's a bit tactically clueless

Saunders and co should change course when we are being over run in midfield

Love it, we are being overun in midfield and your answer is to take a midfielder out - not only DS that is tactically clueless.

Doesnt work like that, you play 4-3-3 attacking, when you defend your wingers in the top 3 drop back making a 4-5-1 without the ball so you dont get over run in midfield