Shuffle

20 minutes ago, Back of the Dolman said:

Andy King has done a job at CB and he could have played in the middle of Tanner and Roberts.

McCrorie RWB and then Sykes in an advanced position.

I’d of had Knight back in the midfield two with one of James or Williams 

I thought King would have started in the middle of the 3 & I would have put Sykes on the bench & started Memehti.

Our right side was dreadful today with Sykes & McCrorie having shockers.

1) Dickie

2) Knight

3) O’Leary

4) James

5) Williams

Thought he was disappointing last night but thought he was excellent at Plymouth so swings and roundabouts like most of our team.  Don’t think he’s done enough to stay in the team after last night & fully expect Memehti & Twine to play in behind if we persist with 3 at the back.

I agree and Meerholz has a bit of everything to be successful & be good to see him introduced this season.  Also really like Anderson and Campbell Slowey who both have really good chances of being a success here.

Congratulations to everyone involved with 18s as a great campaign.

35 minutes ago, Davefevs said:

Meerholz is the one who I’d try to expose / give an opportunity too over the last 6 games

Played really well yesterday and really intelligent player who judging by his interactions with other players both on & off the pitch has settled in really well.  Playing in the 10 role is clearly the best position to get the best out of him.  Really impressed with him yesterday.

Excellent episode & thought Owers and Piercy were both very good.  It’s clear Owers isn’t having Manning one little bit & Piercy did fear it was spiralling out of control, whilst at the same time being honest with thoughts about Manning e.g never throwing a player under the bus.

13 minutes ago, Gillies Downs Leeds said:

As I feared, on the bench yet again today. Not getting much game time. 

We have had quite a few youngsters go there in the last couple of seasons that have been on the bench at best..

Cus it saves them £400-£500 a week to get one of ours to be on the bench than a signed squad player to sit there. Too many as you say have gone there and not played.  The U18s game is a couple of weeks away, so no instruction from club on minutes just not selected.

I was with you & felt there was an Otib pile on. However, the last few games have been abysmal with the most depressing football I’ve seen for years. Manning has sucked life out of players and fans & for me taken the enjoyment away. I hate losing & ruins the weekend but numb to it today as zero expectations. He has to go now & from the base of fans I know, I’d say you are in a minority.

Naismith has made more appearances on Robins TV than on the pitch! Started 10 games this season after missing loads last season.  Definition of not getting value on the pitch & someone we need to try and move on. Undoubted quality but that counts for nothing if constantly out.

8 minutes ago, Mr Popodopolous said:

We do and we don't.

We do pretty much on paper when all are fit. However this brings us onto the second issue.. I think the squad 2-3 light in any event, however 2 haven't kicked a ball all season so it had a grain of truth but is also quite disingenuous.

Take your point but we knew that Atkinson, Benarous, McCrorie were all out long term and that’s before any other new injuries which happen at every club (more so at our club). I guess technically, with pro players in the 21s numbers wise we had 2 players for every position but I guarantee no other club in the league had 5 lads on the bench in August who had never started a game at our level.  

Still spouting bullshit that we had two players for every position in the summer   For the Millwall game in August (which is the summer)we had 5 subs who had never started a game at Championship & 35 year old Andy King.  Squad depth has been our biggest issue but still the club  still state we had two players for every position.

11 minutes ago, Cov 77 said:

Absolutely spot on , supporters are supposed to support, some around me started booing early on , first half was dire but the intention appeared to be to boo at every opportunity, the vitriol on here is incredible, was pissed off as anybody when Nige went but it isn’t Mannings fault , this massive negativity is not helping ‘ flowing football’ as it was obvious from comments and interviews afterwards meant we went out with an intention to do anything to get a result and because of the reaction last week and that the tactics reflected that.

 

I have no issue with people booing as that’s their prerogative as performance first half was unacceptable. I accept that they are not Mannings players or he can control injuries but what he is responsible for is the possession based rubbish that frankly is boring everyone to tears as indicated by those who voted with their feet.  It’s his responsibility to get best out of players and we are clearly going backwards with the first half being as bad as anything I’ve ever seen in 50 plus years.  

Today was about the result and we got that which was number 1 priority but struggling to say that I enjoyed the game but delighted to have won. 

35 minutes ago, GrahamC said:

To answer the original question, absolutely no idea.

Knight is a midfielder, Gardner-Hickman has been totally anonymous for weeks, so drop him, play Knight alongside Williams & try Conway & Wells as a pair.

It literally couldn’t get any more boring to watch, could it?

I thought he was going to do that pre game  and because of high Knight plays there’s no reason not to use Conway in his role.  Agree on TGH too as not involved anywhere near enough.

38 minutes ago, Jimbo76 said:

Any chance you're all overlooking the context and he means he can't do anything in terms of how they're prepared for the game once they step on the pitch?

I think it's pretty ludicrous to suggest that he doesn't think he can change tactics/formations, sub players or address individual players.

I'm finding the whole anti Manning thing a bit OTT. 

I'm not saying he'll be a success, I'm probably as worried as most, but he's clearly passionate, he's working hard and I'm not sure who our saviour is meant to be at this stage.

If, and it's a big if, he turns things around, a lot of the comments on here are gonna seem, again, pretty OTT.

Its not his fault that Pearson was so badly treated. I, for one, am gonna stay positive, and give it a few more games before declaring a disaster.

Tin hat well and truly on.

Great post.

I’m in the Manning out camp but do agree that everything he does and says is turned into a negative by lots on the forum unfairly in lots of occasions. I would love to be wrong about him as it means we are winning again & moving in the right direction which is what we all want.

1 hour ago, 1960maaan said:

Goal 1 : I think the camera angle makes it look a little closer to Dickie , but I take your point. I think he may have thought with Pring's position he had it under control. Pring is outpaced and out muscled , but it does look like Rob could have cleared from the photo.

Goal 2 : Again I see what you mean , but I think it's a great delivery. Just beats the front man and at pace. If the delivery is slightly different he doesn't score, sadly it was spot on.

Goal 3 : He is actually in line with the rest of the MF when he chases back. He does get there and forces the guy back , another day maybe gets a block in.  McCrorie should do better on the header .

Back in position pretty much.

Little bit of luck and Dickie gets better connection on either of the 2 he tries to clear , or the cross is 6" out and we get something from the game . All if's and but's and small margins. 

Thanks for this and that first goal makes it unbelievable that Dickie didn’t deal with it.  

I’ve just seen the goals back and terrible defending:

Goal 1- Dickie has to deal with the ball to Burns but either was too slow or thought Pring would deal with it.

Goal 2 - TGH let’s man get across him & basically switched off. Smallest player on pitch scores with a header.

Goal 3 - McCrorie loses first header against a smaller opponent was first mistake then clearly Sykes doesn’t track runner.

I know you can analyse ever goal conceded but the three yesterday were so avoidable & frustrating. 

15 minutes ago, SecretSam said:

I'm amazingly superstitious about football*, so never look at the score until the game's over.

Last night I clicked on to the Beeb at 10, assuming the game would be done. Ipswich immediately scored.

Sorry, this used to happen a lot under GJ as well.

 

*and yet a staunch atheist, go figure 

Not just me then as I have the exact same superstition 

So much for Tinnions 2 for every position and a brilliant Jan window when we have 7 subs with 3 of those never starting a game in Championship.  I then look at Ipswich bench and there is probably a minimum of 6 on the bench who would be starters for us.  Every team has injuries but why do we shoot ourselves in the foot and god help us if Dickie or Vyner get injured. 
 

41 minutes ago, Kid in the Riot said:

I appreciate all of that and it was an observation applicable to the host as much as the guests. 

I just think if Steve L is listening to that tonight over on Tracy Island he'll be quietly satisfied that once again the head coach is acting as a lightning rod for criticism. 

Think you’ve put yourself in prime position to be on next Mondays SOTC & looking forward to both barrels 

Rotherham went there in even worse form than us a couple of weeks ago and lost 4-3 to a 95 min winner.  Nobody gave them a chance and tomorrow, I’d go with this team to hopefully stop the rot.

                  O’Leary

mccrorie   Vyner Dickie Roberts

              Williams   TGH

     Sykes     Knight     Pring

                 Conway

First time I’ve tried to be positive after shambolic performances & players need to be allowed to play with personality and passion rather than robots.  I live in hope. 

7 minutes ago, Baldyman said:

No team has given us a real hiding all season . ( from a scoreline perspective) Can’t even recall us conceding 3 goals in a game if I’m honest . I fear that may change with interest tomorrow night  Our defence has been our strength all season but Vyner seems less focused as each game passes and Dickie and MCrorie seem to be getting more hacked off with life with every game . Not sure we’ll continue with our resilience at the back to keep scorelines respectable too much longer . 

Dickie probably feels it’s Deja vu after QPR’s collapse last season and now ours.  He certainly deserves better as POTY for me.

I shouldn’t renew as have to say as I’m getting older the defeats and performances really impact my mood worse than ever.  I should be mellowing &  I wish I didn’t take it as badly as I do but it’s been a constant for over 50 years now (thanks dad) & desperate for us to do well.

Personal sanity is not enough to keep me away but where else can I hear @GrahamC berate the ref or see Mert Brown eat a packet of pickled onion space raiders every other week.  I will renew but fully understand those that don’t but the season I don’t go will be the best one yet knowing my luck, so big Fomo on my part.
 

21 hours ago, petehinton said:

Spent most the game just shouting at players for his own errors. 
 

Anyone notice what his spat with Dickie was about at ft?

1 hour ago, Davefevs said:

Yeah, I was a “soft as shite” Centre-half!

Seriously though, I’ve watched it back….yet.

I can confirm that Fevs is the most honest person I know.