What's Missing

[The Dolman Pragmatist]

One of the most depressing afternoons I've spent for many years on

Saturday. The best squad we've had for years, looking clueless

against a side without a goal or a point yet this season. Awful.

So what's missing from last season? Well, whisper it if you dare,

but the player we missed most on Saturday was - yes, I'm quite

serious - Baz Savage. As soon as Johnson got here he saw that we

had no one up front who could hold the ball up. He tried James

Quinn with mixed results, and then turned to Savage. Everyone

should be able to remember, but few will admit, that the

introduction of Savage was the turning point in our season, and the

beginning of our good run. Here you had a big man who, for all his

faults, could get hold of the ball and hold on to it, allowing other

players to make runs, and then lay it off, often very well indeed.

Suddenly space started appearing for other players, and

opportunities arose. The ball stopped going back to the midfield

straight away, and no longer were oppositions running right through

our midfield at the defence. Savage also contributed an awkward and

useful presence in defence. But, as we all know, he had his

shortcomings, so he was replaced by Mark McCammon, another player

with shortcomings but who could hold the ball up, with similarly

successful results.

We have started this season with Brooker and Jevons. I see no

difference to Stewart and Bridges, or Brooker and Stewart, both of

which combinations were a complete failure last year. Brooker is

not a target man. Jevons certainly isn't. Perhaps Enoch is, but he

hasn't had much of a chance there yet. But until we get someone in

the forward line who can hold the ball up, we are going to struggle.

The second thing missing is a bit of strength in midfield, and here

the missing player is, of course, Alex Russell, who also contributed

an enormous amount to our turnaround last season. Russell has

barely set foot on the pitch this season, and is rumoured to be

interesting Ian Atkins at Torquay.

I am staggered by the mistakes Johnson made on Saturday, some of

which were breathtaking in their stupidity. Playing Skuse on the

right wing ('It seemed like a good idea at the time', GJ);

persisting with Brooker when everyone could see he was having a

nightmare; bring Williams on for Jevons, then playing him down the

middle and leaving Enoch on the wing; changing the formation to

accommodate his son; substituting Bradley Orr while Louis Carey was

off the field injured; not having Scott Murray or Scott Brown even

on the bench. Personally I think this was more shattering defeat

than the 7-1 drubbing at Swansea. There we had a host of

inexperienced players in the team, and were facing a strong and

talented team lifted by their new stadium. I find it very difficult

to find any excuses at all for the farce I witnessed on Saturday.

In case no one can remember the point I started with, I repeat that

the player we most missed on Saturday was Baz Savage. And what does

that say about us?

[sparkyboy72]

One of the most depressing afternoons I've spent for many years on

Saturday. The best squad we've had for years, looking clueless

against a side without a goal or a point yet this season. Awful.

So what's missing from last season? Well, whisper it if you dare,

but the player we missed most on Saturday was - yes, I'm quite

serious - Baz Savage. As soon as Johnson got here he saw that we

had no one up front who could hold the ball up. He tried James

Quinn with mixed results, and then turned to Savage. Everyone

should be able to remember, but few will admit, that the

introduction of Savage was the turning point in our season, and the

beginning of our good run. Here you had a big man who, for all his

faults, could get hold of the ball and hold on to it, allowing other

players to make runs, and then lay it off, often very well indeed.

Suddenly space started appearing for other players, and

opportunities arose. The ball stopped going back to the midfield

straight away, and no longer were oppositions running right through

our midfield at the defence. Savage also contributed an awkward and

useful presence in defence. But, as we all know, he had his

shortcomings, so he was replaced by Mark McCammon, another player

with shortcomings but who could hold the ball up, with similarly

successful results.

We have started this season with Brooker and Jevons. I see no

difference to Stewart and Bridges, or Brooker and Stewart, both of

which combinations were a complete failure last year. Brooker is

not a target man. Jevons certainly isn't. Perhaps Enoch is, but he

hasn't had much of a chance there yet. But until we get someone in

the forward line who can hold the ball up, we are going to struggle.

The second thing missing is a bit of strength in midfield, and here

the missing player is, of course, Alex Russell, who also contributed

an enormous amount to our turnaround last season. Russell has

barely set foot on the pitch this season, and is rumoured to be

interesting Ian Atkins at Torquay.

I am staggered by the mistakes Johnson made on Saturday, some of

which were breathtaking in their stupidity. Playing Skuse on the

right wing ('It seemed like a good idea at the time', GJ);

persisting with Brooker when everyone could see he was having a

nightmare; bring Williams on for Jevons, then playing him down the

middle and leaving Enoch on the wing; changing the formation to

accommodate his son; substituting Bradley Orr while Louis Carey was

off the field injured; not having Scott Murray or Scott Brown even

on the bench. Personally I think this was more shattering defeat

than the 7-1 drubbing at Swansea. There we had a host of

inexperienced players in the team, and were facing a strong and

talented team lifted by their new stadium. I find it very difficult

to find any excuses at all for the farce I witnessed on Saturday.

In case no one can remember the point I started with, I repeat that

the player we most missed on Saturday was Baz Savage. And what does

that say about us?

We havent improved with all the new signings.

[Southport Red]

I think you are wrong about Savage but couldn't be more correct about Russell. Our problem for th elast six years has been a midfield that tends to go missing, didn't happen anywhere near as often when Russell was in the side.