Gateshead (Hive) This Tyne It's Personal Match Thread

[Roy57]

It's hard to know where to start yesterday. Nobody was good.

Potter was ridiculously unlucky to be dragged off at HT considering he was playing inside Coker who looked like he was playing with lead in his boots. Coker was really bad and he should have been the 1st sub made. How Beard isn't getting a game ahead of him astonishes me.

Oluwo surprisingly seemed all over the shop too. I think he really benefits from playing with Okimo who is just one of those players who makes those around him play better.

DC was ok, but just ok. In his defence, he was covering a lot of ground because Revan, (who I have actually warmed to this season), was taking up such advanced positions that he was almost too far forward for DC to be able to link with him. Not particularly digging either of DC or Revan out though. They weren't good, but they were nowhere near the low levels of some of the others.

Revan was ok yesterday. On a normal day that would mean he had a poor game in comparison to others, but he was actually better than most. Not good, but better than most. I wanted him gone last season but he has showed me enough this season to think that he has something to offer.

Harts was really poor and his ability to QB games is only really effective when others are on their games. He was way off it yesterday and while some of that will be down to press and athleticism of Gateshead, (and also poor movement by us). For their 1st goal, Gorman had to physically move Harts into position at the free-kick. He had just completely lost focus. Gorman didn't shout or even talk to him I think. He just physically moved him quite a long way into position and then took up his own position. Watch it when the highlights come out. To my mind we're desperately missing Gorman, (whether that be as a double-pivot with Harts or further forward). On that note, Harts is often dropping so deep that with 3 other centre-backs we effectively have a back 4 who are really deep in possession and this is limiting our passing options hugely, (other than a sideways pass to one of the 3 centre-backs. This is all well and good when DC and Okimo/Potter are attacking down the wide areas into space, or when Okimo is carrying the ball centrally, but because the passing is so ponderous, we're not actually making the opposition work and stretching them. I appreciate that DC & Okimo & Coker have all been out, but it showed yesterday. It really showed.

Pritch is struggling at the moment, but I can completely understand why and don't particularly want him dropped. He relies on quick passes and his running off the ball and really simple 3rd man runs with the likes of Nicke, Brunt & Idris receiving the ball in advanced positions and releasing him into space, but the passing is so ponderous that we're not pulling anyone about and making them react so there is no space. Last season he would have had Gorman behind him constantly turning the opposition & Nicke challenging them for the ball and Prith/RdH would be picking up the pieces in advanced threatening positions. This isn't happening because our passing is so lethargic.

Brunt is struggling at the moment but like Pritch I don't think it's his fault. What the hell is he meant to do with stupid long inaccurate diags? We're not playing to his strengths at all.

Kanu was awful yesterday. I really like him, but yesterday was one of his poorest games all season. He seems to wait and wait and wait for his defender to get support, (I know he's waiting for runs in front/inside him), but all it does is limit his options. I don't care what he does, whether it's try to beat his man inside or outside, or pass or check and cross early, but I want him to do it immediately. I'm sick of him fannying about why the oppsition get there defence sorted. He's literally killing us. At the same time, because we have 3 centre-backs + Harts, we are effectively limiting our forward passing options and allowing oppositions to double mark players with no threat elsewhere. We're carrying Harts and his passing isn't making up for that when our ball retention and movement off the ball is so poor. That's not just a criticism of Harts by the way, but it does affect his influence directly. Kanu's head was gone yesterday and the ref had enough of him in the 2nd half. Nobody was booked for fouling Kanu yesterday, but once again he was booked. He looked tired and fed up.

Kabamba hardly got a sniff. I've got no complaints about him yesterday. The service we're proving is appalling.

In terms of solutions, I think Gorman starting is a must. I think our best performances are with him in the side and if either he or harts has to miss out then it should be Harts because Harts only has his passing to offer and if that isn't happening then he's a passenger. Gorman on the other hand has the quality on the ball but is also a dog who can fight it out if need be.

I know Okimo can't play every game, but while Oluwo is regaining fitness I think he should alternate between left centre-half with Potter and Central with Oluwo. He's just about our most important player because of the way he influences others and sets the tone. Harts in particular really missed Okimo when he doesn't play.

The next player who I think should be reintroduced is going to really divide opinion but I swear to God Beard is WAY better than Coker was yesterday. I know Coker has better quality on the ball and his delivery is usually really good, but Beardy is athletic and physical and will run through flipping walls and that's what we need when things aren't going well. (A very small period of not going well I would add).

Marv is the next one. Why did we try to play football against Gateshead who are acknowledged as the best passing team at this level. We should have played Marv, Stead, Gorman, Beard & Crops yesterday and not tried to play football against them. We should have broken up play and complegtely shithoused them all game. Trying to play against them was stupid. Maybe naive is a more polite term. It seems like DB altered his plan for Gateshead as the opposition, but didn't alter the players tasked with carrying out the plan. You want to hit long diags and press them high up the pitch in the knowledge that they will dominate the ball? Why the hell isn't Cropper/Gorman/Marv/Stead playing instead of Revan/Harts/Brunt/Kanu? It's like we did half a planning job on them.

I remember when Mad Dog was in charge, (no this isn't rose-tinted glasses and I actually love the job that DB is doing), but yesterday was the perfect example of a game where we should have just changed things up to get a result. It doesn't have to be our best team and it doesn't always have to be pretty.

I thin a starting XI of something like this would have been far more effective against them and would have allowed likes of Kanu, Brunt & Senior able to come off the bench against tired legs

----------------Nicke.
-----Stead -- Pritch-- Marv
Beard ----- Gorman----- Cropper
-----Potter--- Okimo---- DC
---------------LW

DB seems to have those he trusts and they get to keep playing no matter how they play. We need to shake things up so that our plays stay fresh and it also keeps the opposition thinking.

Good post enjoyed the points you raised.

[BeesKnees99]

100% agree that we should have shithoused them from the word go, but instead we let them play their incisive passing game.

They couldn’t cope with our deliveries - when they weren’t terrible - so why we didn’t pepper their box and go more direct boggles the mind.

DB points to the fact we are 2nd with 42 points but we can’t rest on laurels. I don’t feel we need a major overhaul.

My suggestions:

- Stop playing it so safe all the time then giving it away cheaply
- Get more stuck in - Lofthouse ran through our entire midfield/defence without anyone sticking a foot in, that is unacceptable
- Get Okimo back ASAP and tighten the hell up defensively
- Get RHJ / Cropper fit ASAP
- Make Gorman a starter and pair him with Hartigan
- Start Callum Stead
- Tell Kanu to mix it up a bit on the wing & cross much earlier
- Get Brunt far more involved or drop him
- Pritch scored 16 goals last season, stop wasting him in deep positions

[Jdk103]

Not the greatest afternoon yesterday but our promotion rivals winning mean it doesn't matter so much. Dust ourselves down and move onto the next one

[letchbee94]

Post match Interview now up: https://youtu.be/CCNFM9VKe9U?si=TAnYwHriIPiI7IOT

Hate to say it, but if anyone's confidence seems down at the moment, it's Deano's. Hope he's got good people around him to pick him up too.

Just watched it I don't think he seemed to down on confidence.

[letchbee94]

Maybe this team needs one year more to mature to be ready for promotion. I can see Southend going up with Chesterfield.

I think Southend will make play offs

[letchbee94]

Was not a good day from our team but Gateshead was the better team and deserved the win It could have been a worse defeat.
Must admit at HT I was hoping we might do what Chesterfield did last week and come out second half all guns blazing after getting away with being level at HT.
Had 1 of our chances with headers gone in when 2-0 down it might have knocked Gateshead back a bit for us to get the draw.

[jamiefrbees]

It's hard to know where to start yesterday. Nobody was good.

Potter was ridiculously unlucky to be dragged off at HT considering he was playing inside Coker who looked like he was playing with lead in his boots. Coker was really bad and he should have been the 1st sub made. How Beard isn't getting a game ahead of him astonishes me.

Oluwo surprisingly seemed all over the shop too. I think he really benefits from playing with Okimo who is just one of those players who makes those around him play better.

DC was ok, but just ok. In his defence, he was covering a lot of ground because Revan, (who I have actually warmed to this season), was taking up such advanced positions that he was almost too far forward for DC to be able to link with him. Not particularly digging either of DC or Revan out though. They weren't good, but they were nowhere near the low levels of some of the others.

Revan was ok yesterday. On a normal day that would mean he had a poor game in comparison to others, but he was actually better than most. Not good, but better than most. I wanted him gone last season but he has showed me enough this season to think that he has something to offer.

Harts was really poor and his ability to QB games is only really effective when others are on their games. He was way off it yesterday and while some of that will be down to press and athleticism of Gateshead, (and also poor movement by us). For their 1st goal, Gorman had to physically move Harts into position at the free-kick. He had just completely lost focus. Gorman didn't shout or even talk to him I think. He just physically moved him quite a long way into position and then took up his own position. Watch it when the highlights come out. To my mind we're desperately missing Gorman, (whether that be as a double-pivot with Harts or further forward). On that note, Harts is often dropping so deep that with 3 other centre-backs we effectively have a back 4 who are really deep in possession and this is limiting our passing options hugely, (other than a sideways pass to one of the 3 centre-backs. This is all well and good when DC and Okimo/Potter are attacking down the wide areas into space, or when Okimo is carrying the ball centrally, but because the passing is so ponderous, we're not actually making the opposition work and stretching them. I appreciate that DC & Okimo & Coker have all been out, but it showed yesterday. It really showed.

Pritch is struggling at the moment, but I can completely understand why and don't particularly want him dropped. He relies on quick passes and his running off the ball and really simple 3rd man runs with the likes of Nicke, Brunt & Idris receiving the ball in advanced positions and releasing him into space, but the passing is so ponderous that we're not pulling anyone about and making them react so there is no space. Last season he would have had Gorman behind him constantly turning the opposition & Nicke challenging them for the ball and Prith/RdH would be picking up the pieces in advanced threatening positions. This isn't happening because our passing is so lethargic.

Brunt is struggling at the moment but like Pritch I don't think it's his fault. What the hell is he meant to do with stupid long inaccurate diags? We're not playing to his strengths at all.

Kanu was awful yesterday. I really like him, but yesterday was one of his poorest games all season. He seems to wait and wait and wait for his defender to get support, (I know he's waiting for runs in front/inside him), but all it does is limit his options. I don't care what he does, whether it's try to beat his man inside or outside, or pass or check and cross early, but I want him to do it immediately. I'm sick of him fannying about why the oppsition get there defence sorted. He's literally killing us. At the same time, because we have 3 centre-backs + Harts, we are effectively limiting our forward passing options and allowing oppositions to double mark players with no threat elsewhere. We're carrying Harts and his passing isn't making up for that when our ball retention and movement off the ball is so poor. That's not just a criticism of Harts by the way, but it does affect his influence directly. Kanu's head was gone yesterday and the ref had enough of him in the 2nd half. Nobody was booked for fouling Kanu yesterday, but once again he was booked. He looked tired and fed up.

Kabamba hardly got a sniff. I've got no complaints about him yesterday. The service we're proving is appalling.

In terms of solutions, I think Gorman starting is a must. I think our best performances are with him in the side and if either he or harts has to miss out then it should be Harts because Harts only has his passing to offer and if that isn't happening then he's a passenger. Gorman on the other hand has the quality on the ball but is also a dog who can fight it out if need be.

I know Okimo can't play every game, but while Oluwo is regaining fitness I think he should alternate between left centre-half with Potter and Central with Oluwo. He's just about our most important player because of the way he influences others and sets the tone. Harts in particular really missed Okimo when he doesn't play.

The next player who I think should be reintroduced is going to really divide opinion but I swear to God Beard is WAY better than Coker was yesterday. I know Coker has better quality on the ball and his delivery is usually really good, but Beardy is athletic and physical and will run through flipping walls and that's what we need when things aren't going well. (A very small period of not going well I would add).

Marv is the next one. Why did we try to play football against Gateshead who are acknowledged as the best passing team at this level. We should have played Marv, Stead, Gorman, Beard & Crops yesterday and not tried to play football against them. We should have broken up play and complegtely shithoused them all game. Trying to play against them was stupid. Maybe naive is a more polite term. It seems like DB altered his plan for Gateshead as the opposition, but didn't alter the players tasked with carrying out the plan. You want to hit long diags and press them high up the pitch in the knowledge that they will dominate the ball? Why the hell isn't Cropper/Gorman/Marv/Stead playing instead of Revan/Harts/Brunt/Kanu? It's like we did half a planning job on them.

I remember when Mad Dog was in charge, (no this isn't rose-tinted glasses and I actually love the job that DB is doing), but yesterday was the perfect example of a game where we should have just changed things up to get a result. It doesn't have to be our best team and it doesn't always have to be pretty.

I thin a starting XI of something like this would have been far more effective against them and would have allowed likes of Kanu, Brunt & Senior able to come off the bench against tired legs

----------------Nicke.
-----Stead -- Pritch-- Marv
Beard ----- Gorman----- Cropper
-----Potter--- Okimo---- DC
---------------LW

DB seems to have those he trusts and they get to keep playing no matter how they play. We need to shake things up so that our plays stay fresh and it also keeps the opposition thinking.

There are times when I hope management never read this board.

And there are times when I really hope they do...

Take a bow. What a post.

[Mem Beespod]

Some really good points on here.

One thing I would add is the homework that Gateshead had done on us. They forced us into long balls because they had come prepared for our passing patterns. Every time a Barnet player received the ball, the usual passing lanes were all blocked off. Hartigan was completely nullified

I have to echo a couple of the points made. Having two non wing backs playing at wing back kills us in the attacking phase.

Kanu has become predictable. He was the same vs Chesterfield where he made no attempt to cross the ball until he had beaten his man. IMO he needs to take on the early cross as many times as he attempts to dribble past a player so they can’t predict his play so easily. He also ignores the overlapper so regularly that defenders don’t even bother to close the overlap down. It means that the overlapper is wasting their energy and he’s not benefiting from the space created by an overlap because the defender knows he’s not going to use that player. Frustratingly, chesterfield and Gateshead were weak when balls were crossed into their box but we barely delivered balls.

[hoofer2]

Kanu gets to the positions but has to wait an age before other midfielders catchup with play at the same time as being marked by 4 players... it's a lack of urgency / business... he has not much choice but to cut inside again. I think some of the criticism is harsh as no-one to pass to.

Coker should be looking for the overlap

This is what Gorman brought when he came on, and Stead too