Re: Barnet Thread
 

The sarcasm was for the loyalty and effort of todays footballers, not your opinions :)

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Sorry Lancs, I do tend to jump into things without thinking.

Re: Barnet Thread
 

I don't think either Jacobson or Craney add anything to the existing squad at all and just clutter the midfield. One up front just isn't working and I would like to see Boulding starting up front with Gornell to go 4-4-2 , as we looked much sharper with the two up there late on today. Agree with R.R. about Phil/ Bateson as the suntan man is all at sea at the moment. For all our possession today we just didn't work the keeper again and I think our only effort on target was Proccy's late thunderbolt which nearly broke the crossbar. What a handy duo Barnet have up front with McLeod and Kabba, both of whom have physical presence and electric pace over 10 yards to get into the danger zone. Highlight of the day was the Ultras entertaining singing and the excruciatingly awful karaoki session coming back on the coach.:D

Re: Barnet Thread
 

It's reet, you're the first one to take of any notice of what I write anyway :D:D

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Absolutely brilliant :) :)

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Posted at 04.15, Ash???????
Were you drowning sorrows at a certain watering hole, by any chance.?

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Frustrating game yesterday...

The best team in the first half with chances to show from it but poor defending while we were on the front foot and got caught on the break for the second goal which proved to be crucial. Defence needs to be tightened up big time, such a contrast from the start of the season as the attacking players are creating chances and they will be put away sooner or later.. heres hopin for 3 points next week against our old rivals!

Re: Barnet Thread
 

i haven't watched anywhere near as much football this season as I would have liked but it's more than obvious that certain things aren't working. As stated by Shakermaker the defence in the first ten games was excellent - and was then chopped to pieces for one or two bad games. coleman has stated on more than one occasion that he thinks that Suntan would be a premier league defender if he was taller, and that in his mind is one of the best centre backs in the league. Why play him at full back? Football19 and a few others certainly no a lot more than me about 'football' and state the reasoning behind why Phil can't play this that and t'other, well find someone tall and with pace who can play alongside Phil rather than moving him out. 150 consecutive and consistent games at centre back then shunted out to accomodate an ageing and error prone Hessey and a borrowed defender who will go back to another club no better than what we have.

Michael Hall hasn't had a look in at all, Bateson made a stupid error for a sending off then disappeared off the radar, Richardson hasn't had any kind of run and Deano could and should have a look in at centre back if we're gonna keep chopping and changing. Jacobson could also play left if needed.

Craney, Ryan and Putterill? It's akin to the Lampard and Gerrard problem for England. Somehow Coleman managed to make it work until Razor got suspended but now that he is back we have another creative midfielder to accomdate as well. Would Capello have played Paul Scholes as well if he had gone to the World Cup? (in fact don't answer that ...)

Crosses into the box is what we are short of yet those in the squad who can deliver a ball aren't even travelling to some games. Maybe Turner isn't quite the polished gem yet, but he isn't going to be unless he gets games. He won't learn anything just training every day and needs 1st team action. Give him ten games and if he still isn't where he should be then ship him out either permanently or on loan.

All season we have deluded ourselves that we have a good squad and that we can seriously threaten in this league, well we can't. We're out of the cups and two points off the drop zone and that isn't the hallmark of a good team. Either the squad is crap or the manager is doing something wrong. We all know that Coley can be a great manager when he wants to be, but maybe he tinkers too much with the wrong things and not enough with the right things? Don't take that as a 'Coley out' call because it isn't anything of the sort, but he needs to pull his finger out this month or it is going to be a long hard second half of the season.

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Good to have the old Macca back ;)

I do not think that Hess is the problem, it is Long, he is forcing Phil to RB and as you said, Long will go back to Burnley, then we might revert back, who knows??

Cannot really agree with any of the loans/signings to the squad to be honest :confused: Coley may/must know more about the reasons why than any of us, but:- Long? Why, when we have loads of defenders and as we have all stated, first 7/10 game we were soild at the back.... Put JJ in the same bracket! IC? Enough midfielders for 2 teams.... Still no strikers and what do we keep hearing game after game, "If only ?????? had put that chance away......" How long will/can we keep saying that????

Like Macca, I am not questioning his ability to manage, as I am in no position to do so, but, sometimes it appears obvious from another angle!!

Rant/sermon over, here's to 6 big points against Burton and (please,please) The Alex!!!!!! :D :D :D

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Hopefully Andy Owens will get a run when Long returns to Burnley. I'd like to see a back four of Bateson, Edwards, Owens and Jacobson guarded by Joyce and Procter. Our defensive options are pretty straight forward, as the shape isn't up for much debate. It's the profligacy of the attack that desperately needs to be sorted out. It's not just the right players but finding the right formula. Do you drop an attacking midfield player and start Rory B alongside El Tel? Could do. However to me, Barnett, Ryan and Putterill are our best players on the ball in the opposition's half and all deserve starts. Then we have Craney who has undoubted ability to do well at this level, and we don't know the terms of this loan agreement. He may have to play every game he's available for. Harder than Footy Manager, this. :)

Re: Barnet Thread
 

It's all about opinions

The holding midfield role is the one that we struggle with, going forward as a unit we play good stuff and do create chances another striker alongside Gornell may work but would mean reverting to a more conventional 4-4-2?

The midfield for all their creativity as a whole to me don't do enough tracking back and following their man, there is no tough tackling midfield general with the exception of perhaps Jimmy Ryan.

The other problem we come up against regulary is more physical sides in terms of height which is again another struggle and was probably why Kevin Long was brought in?

The teams at the Top of League Two tend to be able to mix it with play into feet as we do but also have the ability to go more direct when needed to grind out results.

The standard of football I have witnessed played by Stanley this season so far has been generally good and asthetic on the eye when it clicks, as in the early part of the season when the team worked as a unit from back to front.

More recently form has become infrequent and something has gone adrift and at times has become a little frustrating and lumpy.

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Personally speaking, I'm not a fan of the formation. All of a sudden we've become one dimensional regarding the formation ( Re : 4-2-3-1 or fancy 4-5-1 if you like ) and I think that is why we're struggling for results. If you make it easy for the opposition to suss out what formation and how we're going to approach the game, then half the battle is lost before we set foot upon the pitch.

If you look at the squad, In my own opinion, we've got too many midfielders. That too me dictates why Coley seems reluctant to change the formation. By playing the same formation at least he can accomodate some of the midfielders, however If the lads in midfield don't produce the goals and don't make chances for the sole striker...then the problems arise:o

The lack of frontmen has concerned me from day one this season and the worry for me is,If we don't move away from this one dimensional formation and If we don't get somebody else to play up alongside Gornell, we will be embroiled in a relegation scrap this season.

I'd personally look at playing the conventional 4-4-2 or even have a look at playing a 3-5-2. And signing another forward in January is a must. If it means getting rid of a midfielder to free up wages then so be it.

Re: Barnet Thread
 

the formation can work if ya got a player competent enough to be the "1" up front, n we aint simple as! fer my money must be 4-4-2.:eek:

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Terry, ain't a "1" upfront - he ain't no Mullers!!! 4-4-2, is the way with what we have - strikerwise! Problem we have, is that we are accommodating players, hence the formation....

Re: Barnet Thread
 

Totally agreed. Coley once more is saying we were the better team than the one we have just lost to. I think he is deluding himself. Barnet attacked and finished better than us. They succeded in preventing our forwards from getting into the danger areas and really threatening their keeper, who didn't make a save of note as far as I can remember. We did have plenty of half chances but these were snatched at and not converted.They had two dangerous front men who gave our defence a hard time, plus, very significantly a quick, elusive winger in Marshall. He gave Phil a roasting down the left and time after time got right down to the byline and delivered some really dangerous crosses which we were lucky not to concede from. They looked a far better side than their position suggests, but of course I don't think they had the pesky McLeod earlier in the season.