The Lounge

[Devon Womble]

Well, this is a Winston Churchill day…. (“We will fight them on the beaches…”), but I have to say that I feel the outcome today will not be the result we are hoping for.
I just don’t see us turning the current disaster around in one game, and especially not against a team in form and on it’s way up.
My doom laden expectation has been largely driven by the management posts that talk about the ‘First Eleven’…. meaning we will be carrying the usual dead weight come 3pm UK time.
Meanwhile, those that could save us are either out on loan or nowhere to be seen… I expect them all to be in the starting line up of bigger clubs with wiser management next season as we look up from L2 at what might have been.
I’ve said enough about NA, but his interview after the Plymouth game was almost pitiful. His defense of the team suggests he has become too familiar with them… and THAT, for a manager is a fatal mistake. What they need is a ruddy big hairdryer… not a paper hankie.

[liamwimbo]

After the relief of that last minute winner against Rovers, I would happily settle for a point today Any thoughts?

[Colum]

Before the game I’d have agreed with you Liam, but being 1-0 up with 15 minutes left a draw does feel like two points dropped. Hopefully it won’t matter come the end of the season.

Tomorrow’s game against Blackburn looks like it could be on. The club has put covers on the pitch, but today (Monday) there’s been snow showers all day. Nothing too substantial yet, but the worst of the “Beast from the East” (as the Siberian storm coming our way has been termed) has yet to hit us. If indeed the game goes ahead, it will be one to warp up warm.

[MacWomble]

We are still 18th! How did we manage that? Staying still while going backwards. It must be the weather.

[Colum]

Standing there with a T-shirt, shirt, two jumpers, a fleece, and a coat (oh and two bobble hats) it was only mt feet that felt cold last night. I’d lost feeling in my left foot by half time! If you think last night was cold, I was talking to a man next to me that was in Prague last Sunday watching Bohemians play, and he said his beer froze at half time!

Anyway standing there watching the game cemented in my mind what is wrong with our team this season. Before I get onto that, it must be said that there’s a huge gap in quality between the top few and bottom few in this league. They’re bigger, stronger, more skillful, and tactically aware. We simply can’t compete with them.

The gaffers comments were confused, and rightly so. Did we complete enough? Maybe. Maybe not. Sometimes you just have to hold your hands up and accept they’re too good. Blackburn didn’t create much until the first goal, and it was questionable if it should have stood. Certainly everyone near me thought it wasn’t even close to being over the line.

Good teams can soak up any pressure and hit you with a sucker punch. That’s exactly what Blackburn did. We didn’t create much in the first 45. Part of this was the 4-5-1 formation, with LTB forlornly having to handle 50 yard punts up field. The fact that he never even tried once to head the ball speaks volumes for why that tactic was deemed to fail.

It was only after Piggott came on at HT that we even tried to win the ball in the final third. That was a positive substitution for once, but it didn’t add much. The second goal was another sucker punch. A mistake from Meades, who is looking a shadow of his self, meant the defence having to come across to cover, which left a gap on the right. A quick exchange of passes and a long range scuffed effort nestles in the bottom corner. Not much Long could have done about it. The third goal was well taken, but by then I’d lost interest.

So it’s time to look to the next transfer window. In my book Meades, Robbo, and Trotter will go or retire. We’ve got Adbou, Long, and Forrester on loan, and will need replacing. We also need two (possibly three if LTB leaves) quality front players. Oh and all on our budget!

If Neal survives, and I believe and hope he will, he’s going to have one hell of a summer preparing us for next season. One last passing thought. His summer rebuilding job will be a lot easier in League Two.

[Devon Womble]

I see there’s a pitch inspection tomorrow (Friday). Can’t we just opt to accept the pool’s panel result? Oh…. three points to Charlton… Hmmm.

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