Let's talk about the Stockport county EFL cup game

[adamtherover]

2 days on and im.still fuming at that line up!!!! Players ther were so lacking in match sharpness it was a joke!!!!

[DrewSouthStand]

2 days on and I still couldn't give a stuff, would take playing reserves and league survival by goal difference than get to the final of that joke of a competition. Final shouldn't even be played at Wembley maybe Villa park in fact Walsall

Totally understand why mccan did it and where hes coming from with that selection

[Lesonthewest]

You've just mentioned three players who's game about graft and not craft.

Close is a victim of not having enough quality around him. Someone above mentioned how class Norwood is but he's got quality all around him in properly coached team.

I saw Close make space and time for himself with a quick shift of direction and you could see him scanning a certain area of the pitch to play into but no one saw the space and didnt make the run.

Yes he gave the ball away, twice I remember. He doesn't give the ball away as much as Molls, Sterry or Bailey.

It's quite telling that the most comfortable technical player is dropping deeper to collect the ball from the centre halves and keeper.

Imagine Close in a Sean O'Driscoll side, shame he's playing alongside beach donkeys.

The thing is, you can’t just have one player in the team that wants to get the ball down and play. It just won’t work. You need players that are on the same wavelength. That’s how you build a coherent team. You need to recruit certain profiles consistently. That’s the only way to create a team beyond the sum of its parts.

True, and GM never says anything about controlling the tempo of the game, only mentions running and working hard.

Problem is when your only plan is to work the ball wide and see what happens you're going to struggle against well organised teams.
You need ball carrying and technically better passing midfielders to go through the middle.
We very rarely open teams up by going through the middle of the pitch.

You've just mentioned three players who's game about graft and not craft.

Close is a victim of not having enough quality around him. Someone above mentioned how class Norwood is but he's got quality all around him in properly coached team.

I saw Close make space and time for himself with a quick shift of direction and you could see him scanning a certain area of the pitch to play into but no one saw the space and didnt make the run.

Yes he gave the ball away, twice I remember. He doesn't give the ball away as much as Molls, Sterry or Bailey.

It's quite telling that the most comfortable technical player is dropping deeper to collect the ball from the centre halves and keeper.

Imagine Close in a Sean O'Driscoll side, shame he's playing alongside beach donkeys.

The thing is, you can’t just have one player in the team that wants to get the ball down and play. It just won’t work. You need players that are on the same wavelength. That’s how you build a coherent team. You need to recruit certain profiles consistently. That’s the only way to create a team beyond the sum of its parts.

True, and GM never says anything about controlling the tempo of the game, only mentions running and working hard.

Problem is when your only plan is to work the ball wide and see what happens you're going to struggle against well organised teams.
You need ball carrying and technically better passing midfielders to go through the middle.
We very rarely open teams up by going through the middle of the pitch.

This! Every team we play know exactly how we go forward, we are so easy to play against, we are obsessed with the ball going wide to players who fail to put in decent crosses, Middleton apart, even though his were poor on Tuesday. So predictable in our play, & virtually nothing goes through the middle.

On Tuesday Stockport looked a class apart with good movement, running off the ball, & a real purpose to their play. We however, second string or not, were sluggish, receiving the ball & slowing the game down, either not knowing what to do with it, or going backwards & across the defence, or back to Clark to pump it long & lose possession, all very poor.

In my opinion we should go with a 5 at the back, including Bailey, Byrne, & McGrath, & get wing backs up to support the wide men, both Nixon/Sterry Senior/Maxwell are capable of putting in a decent cross. Also nobody else but Gotts should take set pieces.

[Reg of the Rovers]

2 days on and im.still fuming at that line up!!!! Players ther were so lacking in match sharpness it was a joke!!!!

I’m with you Adam. My kids were gutted, their faces driving home after that shit-show. I don’t mind losing, it’s part of being a fan. But that was spineless from the players, and blind and stupid from the manager, to not even give us a chance. He didn’t have much credit in the bank for me anyway, but that decision to has done it for me. One extra game would make no difference to our league chances, but it would make  hell of a difference to lots of people round here. Spineless snake.

[DrewSouthStand]

Your acting like GM chose a weak side in a fa Cup or champions league semi. Get a grip. It was the semi of a joke competition that few care about and about 5 people went to. Soz your kids are upset but genuinely dont care so long as we survive

[monkeytennis]

Well there were 5000 people there not 5 and this might be a controversial opinion but I think he would be doing his very best to give us the highest chance of winning every game whether league or cup.

[Pancho Regan]

2 days on and im.still fuming at that line up!!!! Players ther were so lacking in match sharpness it was a joke!!!!

I’m with you Adam. My kids were gutted, their faces driving home after that shit-show. I don’t mind losing, it’s part of being a fan. But that was spineless from the players, and blind and stupid from the manager, to not even give us a chance. He didn’t have much credit in the bank for me anyway, but that decision to has done it for me. One extra game would make no difference to our league chances, but it would make  hell of a difference to lots of people round here. Spineless snake.

I think calling Grant McCann a “spineless snake” completely nullifies any of your other points.

A disgraceful insult.