Problems No Big Mystery

[Mrdeady]

Firstly I would just like to say that the players brought in during the summer were not bad ones, It seemed to me that the problem areas were identified and dealt with, a big centre back was brought in, a player with a decent left foot and a midfield playmaker.

The team started slowly there is no doubt about that, one major blow was the fact that Alex Russell got injured without even playing a game, every team needs this kind of player who controls the midfield and Tinnion and the team were robbed of this. Even when playing fairly poor at home we would at least come away with a draw, this has now been tranformed into heavy defeats recently.

The Swansea game was humilitaing, but looking at the second string eleven that had to be put out that day and the fact that Swansea had already handed out a couple of stuffings this season, you could say it was on the cards. I think that would have been the lowest point, and maybe things may turned round, but that is that and we will never know what would have happend next.

Gary Johnson was appointed and there was a dramatic change upon his arrival, two wins in a row and some nice football being played but since then, we have endured some of the worst city performances in a long, long time, and an alarming amount of goals have been conceded.

I wish all the best for Gary Johnson in getting this season up and running, though the way he has gone about it so far has been very poor, consistently telling everyone how bad the players are will not get anyone on your side and playing for you, when at yeovil Gary motivated a bunch of journeymen into a very good footballing side, so why can't that be done here? You have to work with what you have got, not keep bringing in players of less ability in on loan all the time.

I don't see huge problems in the team, now that Russell is back that should add more to the midfield, a strike force of Stewart and Brooker should be pretty dangerous and has been in the games they have played together. Clealry letting Bridges out on loan was a mistake, higlighted when Brooker was injured on Saturday, obvioulsy a personality clash gone on there.

One thing we have to remember is that this not Yeovil and a completly set of players and different type of players, no longer is Gary dealing with the Confernce journeymen, some of these players have actually already achived a few things in the game and may not respond to Gary's methods.

It will be very interesting to see if Johnson can turn it round, hopefully by putting out the same team week in week out and motivating the players already at the club.

[RedTop]

Some of these players have actually already achived a few things in the game and may not respond to Gary's methods.

With the exception of Stewart and possibly Bridges, who exactly in our squad has achieved a few things in the game?

Other than that, an interesting post. Having seen the last few games in particular, I don't share your lack of concern that there aren't huge problems with the team. Our league position says there are and it's becoming increasingly difficult to argue otherwise. Heywood has been one of our most important players this year. On Saturday, he was totally exposed for the penalty and the defence were walked through at times like they weren't there. And he's one of the good ones. It wasn't just the confidence going as soon as we let in a goal. Nor was it just bad luck, though the luck we did get was pretty bad. There is something far more fundamental: this team is proving more and more, every week, that they are not good enough. Whether it's because they have the wrong attitude, or have the right attitude and aren't good enough is in a way irrelevant. Gary will need to sort out the wheat from the chaff. The only player who has grown on me in recent weeks, and I admit it's a surprise, is Bradley Orr.

[Super Bob]

Well for a start we have 4 or 5 internationals ( varying levels) which I doubt he had at Yeovil.!

[Mrdeady]

Like you say players such and Bridges and Stewart are the only ones to scale the dizzy heights of the premiership but what I mean is the likes of Brooker, Russell, Heywood, Murray, a lot of the squad have been decent players at this level, where has Gary Johnson has not really been at this level too long.

Yeovil was a club with no expectations, they achived beyond there wildest dreams, where as this club is a totally different proposistion.