Let's talk about the Fleetwood Town game

[ncRover]

  The weakness we have with three at the back is apart from Olowu a lack of pace, the ball straight down the middle caught us out again, and chasing defenders were left behind by the player carrying the ball and lost ground on him.
  We might get away with it this season, it will be harder next season if we are lucky enough to go up as generally from our own experience strikers are a lot sharper in division1.

Not when we have our first choice back 3.

     Olowu.     McGrath.     Senior.

Senior’s performance levels have been way above Anderson this year.

[Plumbster]

It looked as though McGrath and Maxwell were blaming each other for their second goal. I am not sure who was at fault but Maxwell still looks a bit off it to me.

[ravenrover]

Watching last night I couldn't understand what Maxwell was doing for thst 2nd goal. Play was over on our right Maxwell should have been tucking in but for some reason before the through ball was played he started moving away from where he should have been then attempted the forlorn chase back.

[drfchound]

It looked as though McGrath and Maxwell were blaming each other for their second goal. I am not sure who was at fault but Maxwell still looks a bit off it to me.

Defenders, and especially keepers, always look to blame someone else when a goal is scored.
As for who was at fault anyway, the through ball was brilliantly played and the finish was very clever.
Most times the striker would shoot across the keeper and TSL would have been expecting that so the shot to the nearer side would have surprised him.
Had we scored that one we would all have been praising the pass and the finish.

[DonnyBazR0ver]

Watching last night I couldn't understand what Maxwell was doing for thst 2nd goal. Play was over on our right Maxwell should have been tucking in but for some reason before the through ball was played he started moving away from where he should have been then attempted the forlorn chase back.

As an orthodox full back, when possession turns over, the first instinct is to drop into your normal position so you cover your wing but in that split second when he dropped the wrong direction, as soon as the ball is played, he's toast.  It just comes through experience developing different instincts. 

We're going to have to take these risks though if we want to play that way at home.

[NickDRFC]

  The weakness we have with three at the back is apart from Olowu a lack of pace, the ball straight down the middle caught us out again, and chasing defenders were left behind by the player carrying the ball and lost ground on him.
  We might get away with it this season, it will be harder next season if we are lucky enough to go up as generally from our own experience strikers are a lot sharper in division1.

Not when we have our first choice back 3.

     Olowu.     McGrath.     Senior.

Senior’s performance levels have been way above Anderson this year.

This would be my first choice, I really like Senior but I’m not convinced that he’s above Anderson in the pecking order.

[danumdon]

It looked as though McGrath and Maxwell were blaming each other for their second goal. I am not sure who was at fault but Maxwell still looks a bit off it to me.

Quite noticeable about Maxwell still being a bit off, he's never been the most solid of defenders and his game is more suited to a wing back role. Lets hope the game time is allowing him to get back to his previous level which was very good.

Their second goal, McGrath was very deep, well behind the rest of the back 4, Maxwell does start to pull towards the left and a gap appears that lets the striker run onto the through ball, Could McGrath had been up in the line and on the strikers shoulder would it have prevented the goal? or was it just a very good through ball for him to run onto?

Their first goal was a good metre offside, how the officials got that one wrong does leave cause for concern with some of the lower league officials.

[BillyStubbsTears]

Strange that there was only one ‘winger’ in our side and he played central. On paper, you would have thought that was quite a defensive line-up, not an attacking one!

Has GM unlocked his best ‘away’ side?

It works because Hurst drifts around so much. The defenders never know where he is going to pop up.

With the more rigid 2 wing set up that we've persisted with, opponents find it easier to double up on the attacking threat.

I think we have to be less rigid than we've been most of the season

[ncRover]

  The weakness we have with three at the back is apart from Olowu a lack of pace, the ball straight down the middle caught us out again, and chasing defenders were left behind by the player carrying the ball and lost ground on him.
  We might get away with it this season, it will be harder next season if we are lucky enough to go up as generally from our own experience strikers are a lot sharper in division1.

Not when we have our first choice back 3.

     Olowu.     McGrath.     Senior.

Senior’s performance levels have been way above Anderson this year.

This would be my first choice, I really like Senior but I’m not convinced that he’s above Anderson in the pecking order.

It should be pretty obvious to McCann.

That's the first league game since Chesterfield at home where we've conceded more than 1 goal - when Anderson last started.
He comes back in to the the starting line up last night and lo and behold the defence is all over the place and we concede 2.

[ravenrover]

Their 1st offside goal, was it anything to do with McGrath making a meaningfull attempt to play the ball. I remember a situation Liverpool v Spurs a while back, Kane was yards offside but Lovran made an attempt to block the pass which simply diverted to Kane who then scored.
Anyone clued up on the offside rule thiis season?

[Alan Southstand]

Strange that there was only one ‘winger’ in our side and he played central. On paper, you would have thought that was quite a defensive line-up, not an attacking one!

Has GM unlocked his best ‘away’ side?

It works because Hurst drifts around so much. The defenders never know where he is going to pop up.

With the more rigid 2 wing set up that we've persisted with, opponents find it easier to double up on the attacking threat.

I think we have to be less rigid than we've been most of the season

Just about everyone I know, that watches us regularly, have all said the same thing, that is playing Mols & Gibbo on their opposite wings is just strangling our strikers space. It’s been said on this forum numerous times, also.
Nothing against either lads mentioned, it just comes down to variation and giving the opposition something else to think about. Swap them around and if that doesn’t work, bring on someone different. We have more options than most others in this league, we have to use them.
Who’d have thought we could have scored 4 and not had either Mols or Gibbo on the pitch?

[Spud]

Their 1st offside goal, was it anything to do with McGrath making a meaningfull attempt to play the ball. I remember a situation Liverpool v Spurs a while back, Kane was yards offside but Lovran made an attempt to block the pass which simply diverted to Kane who then scored.
Anyone clued up on the offside rule thiis season?

I said exactly this last night, he was clearly offside but if it clipped off McGrath does it make any odds these days? I have no idea tbh, I'm not convinced the officials were sure either, it looked to me like the ref was sure it was offside too, I've never seen such a conversation during a goal celebration.

[GazLaz]

Fleetwood first goal was offside also....

Obviously offside at the time. The ref even went over to the lino before they kicked back off to double check after fierce protests by our players. The ref realised there had probably been a f**k up but the lino stuck to his decision. One of the worst offside decisions I’ve seen live. Blatantly obvious he was off.

[scawsby steve]

I think some people are being over critical of last night's defensive display. In horrendous conditions away from home, we technically only conceded one goal. The first goal was a yard offside, and an embarrassing decision by the linesman. Also, the shot was not only a deflection, it was a double deflection.

There's no way I'd regard that as a genuine goal conceded by our defence.

[Campsall rover]

I think some people are being over critical of last night's defensive display. In horrendous conditions away from home, we technically only conceded one goal. The first goal was a yard offside, and an embarrassing decision by the linesman. Also, the shot was not only a deflection, it was a double deflection.

There's no way I'd regard that as a genuine goal conceded by our defence.

Agree with that SS
Some of the criticism of Tom Anderson is not justified.  We know he is not quick. He never has been has he.
He was outstanding on Sunday at Kettering and did a very good job last night in horrible conditions for defenders.
Providing he has someone quick next to him and with Joe & Jay both playing he has 2 of them then there is no problem imo.

[Campsall rover]

  The weakness we have with three at the back is apart from Olowu a lack of pace, the ball straight down the middle caught us out again, and chasing defenders were left behind by the player carrying the ball and lost ground on him.
  We might get away with it this season, it will be harder next season if we are lucky enough to go up as generally from our own experience strikers are a lot sharper in division1.

Not when we have our first choice back 3.

     Olowu.     McGrath.     Senior.

Senior’s performance levels have been way above Anderson this year.

This would be my first choice, I really like Senior but I’m not convinced that he’s above Anderson in the pecking order.

Depends on the opposition and their strengths. If we need the physicality and ball winning ability in the air then Tom wins it over Senior hands down. Jack obviously is better on the deck but he is more a left back than a Centre back against most teams in this league. 100% imo. 

[roversdude]

Big shout out to the Highbury Chippy as well great bit of snap

[ncRover]

  The weakness we have with three at the back is apart from Olowu a lack of pace, the ball straight down the middle caught us out again, and chasing defenders were left behind by the player carrying the ball and lost ground on him.
  We might get away with it this season, it will be harder next season if we are lucky enough to go up as generally from our own experience strikers are a lot sharper in division1.

Not when we have our first choice back 3.

     Olowu.     McGrath.     Senior.

Senior’s performance levels have been way above Anderson this year.

This would be my first choice, I really like Senior but I’m not convinced that he’s above Anderson in the pecking order.

Depends on the opposition and their strengths. If we need the physicality and ball winning ability in the air then Tom wins it over Senior hands down. Jack obviously is better on the deck but he is more a left back than a Centre back against most teams in this league. 100% imo.

All 3 of McGrath, Olowu and Senior are good in the air Camps so I’d argue you only really need Big Tom against the very biggest and strongest strikers in this league.

Yes Tom is the best in the air, but I feel like his that isn’t enough to offset his scary lack of pace, particularly because McGrath at LCB isn’t exactly quick either.

Jack’s recent performances at LCB have been superb. He’s a warrior.

[Spud]

I did fear the worst when Tom picked up the early yellow, in those conditions you'd have thought Fleetwood would have targeted getting him the second in the same way, he got proper skinned.

[Chris Black come back]

Fleetwood first goal was offside also....

Obviously offside at the time. The ref even went over to the lino before they kicked back off to double check after fierce protests by our players. The ref realised there had probably been a f**k up but the lino stuck to his decision. One of the worst offside decisions I’ve seen live. Blatantly obvious he was off.

Gloriously tinpot. EFL totally unbeaten. Only one step up from the goal that was disallowed because the ref thought it went through the side netting.

[Fal]

I’ll tell you what was tinpot, that horrible goal music they had, what on earth was that!

[Dutch Uncle]

I’ll tell you what was tinpot, that horrible goal music they had, what on earth was that!

I think I recognise it. 

If I am right it is a slightly jazzed up version of traditional Irish dance music by Dean Crouch. My daughter used to dance competitively in the noughties, and it was played quite often at competitions (feisana) because everyone was tired of dancing/listening to the same decades old standard versions. I actually quite liked it because it was that bit different.   

Not exactly a suitable goal celebration unless their side is full of Irish players. If they keep on playing it they need to get their players doing a proper dance to it

[drfchound]

I thought it sounded like the Captain Pugwash tune.

[Dutch Uncle]

I thought it sounded like the Captain Pugwash tune.

Just played the Captain Pugwash tune - I didn't know it. It certainly sounds like Irish dance music, so you are probably right. It would make far more sense.

[BobG]

For what it's worth Wikipedia confirms it's the Pugwash theme used by Fleetwood FC.

"For the colour Captain Pugwash episodes, a new recording of the "Trumpet Hornpipe" was commissioned from Johnny Pearson in 1973. This version used accordion, bass and acoustic guitar, and the finished piece was retitled "Shipshape".[11] The recording was published by KPM and was later added to the KPM Recorded Music Library which gave Pearson the composer credit.[15] Pearson’s arrangement of the theme is also used as the goal theme for Fleetwood Town FC."

BobG