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

[erichitchmo]

Here’s our man’s write up from yesterday where we might have looked a little worse for Wearne.

[Jimbokav1971]

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.

[becbee]

Your posts are invariably a long read but this one is one which Deano should be given to read. It's an excellent summary.

[BeeArmy22]

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.

Agreed with most but surely you can’t argue we tried to play football yesterday. We played it long every time we had the ball to no avail. If we’d tried to play along the floor as we have done for the majority of the season I think we would’ve fared much better.
Against chesterfield they knew we’d try and keep the ball so went long first half and we were all over them. Second half they reverted back to how they usually played and battered us.
I can’t comprehend why Brennan doesn’t stick to his principles in certain games. The team is good enough to not feel the need to be reactive to certain opposition styles of play.

[b4life]

You have to bear in mind that compared to a lot of managers in our league, Deano is actually still quite inexperienced. He's also got a number of players in the same boat, although with Hartigan, Gorman and Pritchard there is an experienced core. If we don't get promoted this season, those players like Oluwo, Stead etc will have another year to develop plus an incremental increase in overall standard should mean we'll win it. Still got a chance this season though. Getting Hall-Johnson back would make a big difference too.

[Jimbokav1971]

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.

Agreed with most but surely you can’t argue we tried to play football yesterday. We played it long every time we had the ball to no avail. If we’d tried to play along the floor as we have done for the majority of the season I think we would’ve fared much better.
Against chesterfield they knew we’d try and keep the ball so went long first half and we were all over them. Second half they reverted back to how they usually played and battered us.
I can’t comprehend why Brennan doesn’t stick to his principles in certain games. The team is good enough to not feel the need to be reactive to certain opposition styles of play.

What I mean is that we did neither. We picked a team to pass the ball and play with it, (Harts, Coker, Kanu, Brunt) while our strategy was to play directly and press them high, (which suits Gorman, Beard, Stead & Marv). The players we picked didn't marry up with the strategy they were asked to carry out.

As a result, we're sitting here talking about how poor the lies of Kanu & Brunt were. In hindsight, is anyone even the slightest bit surprised?

What's the point picking Harts if you're not going to dominate the ball and pass them to death?

Seriously. I don't think it's brain surgery.

[11bee717]

Was Potter hooked just due the the change of shape as opposed to performance?

[Jimbokav1971]

You have to bear in mind that compared to a lot of managers in our league, Deano is actually still quite inexperienced. He's also got a number of players in the same boat, although with Hartigan, Gorman and Pritchard there is an experienced core. If we don't get promoted this season, those players like Oluwo, Stead etc will have another year to develop plus an incremental increase in overall standard should mean we'll win it. Still got a chance this season though. Getting Hall-Johnson back would make a big difference too.

I think that's a pretty fair comment Mark, (inexperienced), and especially unfair of me to compare him to Mad Dog in that respect, (especially when he is doing so well overall). But just as the players have raised expectations and must be held to a higher standard this season, so has he and so must he be. It's a measure of what he has achieved in a rwlatively small period of time that I'm comparing him to Mad Dog at all. I wonder if it's times like this that we miss a Tumble like character with experience & opinions to offer?

That being said, I really like how he has improved his interview style and I was half dreading the one from yesterday but actually I think it's brilliant and I really think it sets the tone for next week immediately, without throwing anyone under the bus. DB has proved that he can look at himself and improve and I hope to see that in different areas as we move forward.

[hoofer2]

If Hartigan is having a dip I'm 100% certain Collinge could more than play that position and drive the team forward. If he has Okimo, Oluwu and Potter behind and Gorman alongside.

No way would I drop Kanu. He did a lot of the teams running yesterday and even Marv can only last 60 minutes and clearly attended the same finishing school as Micky Tomlinson of misses from 6 yards

[BeeArmy22]

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.

Agreed with most but surely you can’t argue we tried to play football yesterday. We played it long every time we had the ball to no avail. If we’d tried to play along the floor as we have done for the majority of the season I think we would’ve fared much better.
Against chesterfield they knew we’d try and keep the ball so went long first half and we were all over them. Second half they reverted back to how they usually played and battered us.
I can’t comprehend why Brennan doesn’t stick to his principles in certain games. The team is good enough to not feel the need to be reactive to certain opposition styles of play.

What I mean is that we did neither. We picked a team to pass the ball and play with it, (Harts, Coker, Kanu, Brunt) while our strategy was to play directly and press them high, (which suits Gorman, Beard, Stead & Marv). The players we picked didn't marry up with the strategy they were asked to carry out.

As a result, we're sitting here talking about how poor the lies of Kanu & Brunt were. In hindsight, is anyone even the slightest bit surprised?

What's the point picking Harts if you're not going to dominate the ball and pass them to death?

Seriously. I don't think it's brain surgery.

Was only pointing out that you initially said we tried to play football and that I disagreed. Agreed that with the team we picked you would’ve thought we’d attempt to play like that.

Last 2 games, Hartigan’s been crowded out in the middle and we’ve not adapated. As you said, why Gorman isn’t playing is beyond me. Thought he was unbelievable against Eastleigh and since then he’s been a bit part player. Gateshead are known to focus their play through the centre and they really took control.

I think the problem we’ve got at the moment is our wing backs aren’t wing backs. Coker is very much a traditional full back and revan isn’t even a full back. To take control of the midfield I would’ve liked to see Gorman and Hartigan at the base with Brunt and stead as our two number 10s, (I know dropping pritch is controversial but I honestly think he hasn’t done enough to warrant a place in the starting 11 for at least the next game or two. He looks knackered, he’s laboured with his passing and he’s wasted in my opinion as a deeper midfielder) but more so with an emphasis of brunt coming a bit deeper to pick up the ball and stead playing on the last man with Nicke. Ideally you then have idris and RHJ as our two wingbacks bombing on, so we can play wide and create or play through the centre having dragged opposition players out wide with the runs from our wing backs. The sooner we get one of our 3 right wing backs back the better.

[Jimbokav1971]

Was Potter hooked just due the the change of shape as opposed to performance?

I think it's most likely down to shape. The other option was to sub Coker & move Potter to LWB, (might have been the perfect solution to their marauding RB), or even drag Kanu back, (but that's not what DB or Kanu wanted). The other option I would like to see is Marv, (who wasn't even in squad), given an opportunity at WB. Off course he lacks experience but his sheer athletic ability is going to be an enormous asset there and I think it would have been the perfect solution against the likes of Lofthouse. Someone who could stay with him defensively, but also try to run off him going the other way.

In hindsight, the decision to play Coker/Kanu on that side yesterday was absolutely bonkers yesterday considering the opposition. Everything you imagine would happen before the game is exactly what did happen.

[barnet_pls]

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.

Totally agree with most of this. Reminds me of a few seasons ago (last season?) when DB played Woods in midfield - which baffled everyone - to break up play, stop them playing. We controlled the match & won. Was it Chesterfield at home?

I would rest Brunt, Pritchard, Coker, Potter.
Bring in Senior, Gorman, Okimo, Beard.

[Jimbokav1971]

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.

Agreed with most but surely you can’t argue we tried to play football yesterday. We played it long every time we had the ball to no avail. If we’d tried to play along the floor as we have done for the majority of the season I think we would’ve fared much better.
Against chesterfield they knew we’d try and keep the ball so went long first half and we were all over them. Second half they reverted back to how they usually played and battered us.
I can’t comprehend why Brennan doesn’t stick to his principles in certain games. The team is good enough to not feel the need to be reactive to certain opposition styles of play.

What I mean is that we did neither. We picked a team to pass the ball and play with it, (Harts, Coker, Kanu, Brunt) while our strategy was to play directly and press them high, (which suits Gorman, Beard, Stead & Marv). The players we picked didn't marry up with the strategy they were asked to carry out.

As a result, we're sitting here talking about how poor the lies of Kanu & Brunt were. In hindsight, is anyone even the slightest bit surprised?

What's the point picking Harts if you're not going to dominate the ball and pass them to death?

Seriously. I don't think it's brain surgery.

Was only pointing out that you initially said we tried to play football and that I disagreed. Agreed that with the team we picked you would’ve thought we’d attempt to play like that.

Last 2 games, Hartigan’s been crowded out in the middle and we’ve not adapated. As you said, why Gorman isn’t playing is beyond me. Thought he was unbelievable against Eastleigh and since then he’s been a bit part player. Gateshead are known to focus their play through the centre and they really took control.

I think the problem we’ve got at the moment is our wing backs aren’t wing backs. Coker is very much a traditional full back and revan isn’t even a full back. To take control of the midfield I would’ve liked to see Gorman and Hartigan at the base with Brunt and stead as our two number 10s, (I know dropping pritch is controversial but I honestly think he hasn’t done enough to warrant a place in the starting 11 for at least the next game or two. He looks knackered, he’s laboured with his passing and he’s wasted in my opinion as a deeper midfielder) but more so with an emphasis of brunt coming a bit deeper to pick up the ball and stead playing on the last man with Nicke. Ideally you then have idris and RHJ as our two wingbacks bombing on, so we can play wide and create or play through the centre having dragged opposition players out wide with the runs from our wing backs. The sooner we get one of our 3 right wing backs back the better.

Apologies @BeeArmy22. The "I don't think it's brain surgery" wasn't actually aimed towards you although I appreciate that it looks like it is.

[Jimbokav1971]

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.

Totally agree with most of this. Reminds me of a few seasons ago (last season?) when DB played Woods in midfield - which baffled everyone - to break up play, stop them playing. We controlled the match & won. Was it Chesterfield at home?

I would rest Brunt, Pritchard, Coker, Potter.
Bring in Senior, Gorman, Okimo, Beard.

Brilliant point. That Woods in a central advanced slot, (pressuring their single pivot who didn't even start by the way), was very Mad-Dog'esque, but it was brilliant and Woods assisted 2 of Nicke's 3 that day.

Woods' best game for us by a mile.

[wearebees]

DB talks about the importance of set pieces, deliveries and pressing then leaves Gormon who excellent at all of them on the bench. He's got to start, baffling how he doesn't.

Anyway it was terrible but need to quickly move on.