Post-Match Thread and Ratings Altrincham 1-0 Southend United

[annie1954]

How many of them are readily available to a club like ours? And at this level? 9 times out of 10 at this level, you're taking a chance of someone. A proven goalscorer is hugely unlikely to come here.

True and unless we do get a buyer with a big cash injection there’s even less chance of players coming here with our staff payment records

 

[Fitz]

Pleased I didn’t go to this one. Season can’t end fast enough.

We have just run out of steam, form and ideas. The inability to change things up is a massive issue and all the behind the scenes noise. That said in our good seasons we played with pretty much the same team week in week out.

A number of players are just not good enough and need to be move on. I do wonder however whether it will be the reverse…the likes of Hobson and Miley leave and we are left with all the rubbish.

Powell is the first player I would show the door….hopeless!

Maher needs to change things up…tactics..formation and selections. He is starting to look very limited and one dimensional and the start of next season will be crucial for him and the back room team!

 

[Fairport]

How many of them are readily available to a club like ours? And at this level? 9 times out of 10 at this level, you're taking a chance of someone. A proven goalscorer is hugely unlikely to come here.

Yes, proven goalscoring strikers are not always available to a club like us. The big glaringly obvious problem is that the central midfielders and defenders aren't contributing. Take a look at the career goalscoring records of Fonguck, Taylor, Husin, Kensdale, Hobson and Ralph and you will see why we struggle. Without exception every successful team at any level has goals spread around the team, not just the strikers.

 

[Medway Blue]

It is because teams have adapted to our tactics and he’s failed to adapt and change ours.

No they haven't. You are giving the teams in this division far too much credit.

We have got a UEFA Pro Licence-qualified coach who coaches and drills his players to a high level and is embedding an identity into this club, which is what people were crying out for. We're lucky to have him.

 

[GBJ]

It is because teams have adapted to our tactics and he’s failed to adapt and change ours.

Again, if that were the case we wouldn’t be bossing opponents. 7 losses In the last 8 games isn’t pretty, but it doesn’t tell the full story and it’s very simplistic to suggest tactics were the issue. Against Altrincham, Boreham Wood & Barnet we played well and deserved wins, yet came away with nothing, mainly because we failed to take our chances.

Chesterfield we were **** in the first half, but could have nicked something if we’d have take our chances. Aldershot were justified winners. Didn’t go to Wrexham, so can’t comment & Notts blew us away. Obviously Torquay we won and even though I wasn’t there, the reports suggest it was justified.

From those 8 games, if we take our chances we’re still firmly in the playoff mix. But the issue is we don’t take/make the most of our chances, which is for a mixture of reasons including confidence, fatigue & players probably playing above their level.

Today for example, Altrincham’s only shot on target was their penalty. We had at least two good chances to win and kill the game, yet we didn’t take them and we come away with nothing yet again. That’s nothing to do with tactics.

In fact tactically we were spot on today. Completely nullified Alty and didn’t give them a sniff. We battled hard on a **** pitch and it’s fact that we created the better opportunities.

As bitter as it is to swallow, it literally comes down to those fine margins. They got a pen, we missed our best chances.

 

[SHRIMPERR]

No they haven't. You are giving the teams in this division far too much credit.

We have got a UEFA Pro Licence-qualified coach who coaches and drills his players to a high level and is embedding an identity into this club, which is what people were crying out for. We're lucky to have him.

He is a very good coach and I want him to stay. However, it doesn’t make him immune to criticism.

 

[Lemon Lyman]

I think the embargo and the lack of ability to bring in any new players is starting to show now.

We deserved at least a point but as always you have to take your chances. They took their one and we missed ours

 

[GBJ]

He is a very good coach and I want him to stay. However, it doesn’t make him immune to criticism.

Definitely. Nobody is above scrutiny and critique when it comes to this club. Afterall, we all want the same thing and to achieve that we need to be honest and deal in fact… not emotions.

Maher has made mistakes, no doubt. Has his mistakes cost us? Possibly, from time to time. Is he the cause of our current predicament? **** no.

 

[Yer Blues]

I'll give you Mooney. The other 2 looked like they were improving on that run earlier in the season.

Maher, coaching and tactics are not the issue.

Oh well that's me told.

 

[Pak Power]

from their forum;

A win AND a clean sheet-hallelujah.

Definitely rode our luck & on the balance Sarfend will be wondering how exactly they lost that one through some last ditch defending by us & woeful finishing by them.

Marriot & Lundstram ran the show in midfield again & Burgess from Oldham showed promise when he came on. How good is it too to have a bloke in Linney who you have total confidence with on pens, so cool sending their GK the wrong way. Been an age since we’ve had that reliable penalty taker. I thought there were signs from Bennett too that he’s gradually getting there.

Great attendance too, the FZ doing a roaring at HT & so many kids & parents in. A really positive day for our club overall & more to come this week.

 

[Realist]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639686428949987328

Looks even worse from this angle!

After watching this I would like to retract my positive spin comment.

 

[LeedsSUFC]

Right, how many times do we have to say, lets change formation - it shouldn't take 7!!!! losses out of 8 to force a change.

The players you can't fault are Hobson, Kensdale, Ralph and Miley. They're all set in position and know their role.

GSM - Is he a defender? is he a midfielder? What is he doing in this team? (I love him though)

Bridge - He can't defend, every time he goes forward he runs to the sideline and loses the ball. Ralph was getting every ball in once Bridge went off today.

Taylor - What is the point in playing him at the same time as Miley with 3 at the back. Far too defensive. I am certain he doesn't know how to shoot as well.

Fongcuk - Release this lad as soon as possible. He isn't a defensive mid, he is no good at setting up attacks, he isn't good at anything really?

Strikers - it's difficult to comment when they don't get any service, but holy ****. Murphy - We should've cashed in on the £10k offered. Powell - he owns a youth academy?!?! What the **** are they teaching there! Cardwell - worked hard but no service. Hyde - looked okay today, but nothing he could do.

Mooney - Do we even know where on the pitch he plays when he does play? He is out of position and god knows what instructions he is given. It is pointless to play him.

I'm fed up of people saying Maher has had his hands tied.

If we were an EFL team, the only window for transfers would've been January. They've all been paid, they are all his signings. For the people saying, 'Every other team was able to improve' etc etc, WE SIGNED CALLUM POWELL ON A TWO YEAR CONTRACT!! If the plan was to continuously sign players endlessly in the chase of a play off place, we would not have signed half the team on 2 year contracts last January. If that was the plan, that is ****ing stupid.

Having your hands tied financially because of a **** owner doesn't mean we go from a long unbeaten run and then a few weeks later go on a defeat run.

Set pieces - Apart from Hobson at York and the GSM goals, I can't remember any times Hobson/Kensdale touch the ball from a corner or attacking free kick.

 

[Cricko]

I fear a lot of those 2 year contracts we gave out will be coming back to bite us in the arse.

 

[Bluegoose]

We are what we are,.

 

[USAShrimper]

Just back from the game. Things aren't great right now. Obviously a perfect storm of poor results, lack of confidence, off field issues and pressure building up on the coaching staff and players. Want to give them all a big "benefit of the doubt" until the shambles that is our club right now gets sorted out. Was sad to see too many, so called fans spewing vitriol and screaming obscenities at the players and coaches when they came over to clap the fans for their support. Kev seemed to be frustrated with that. I hope he realizes that the majority of us fans appreciate that job he and his staff have done this season under very difficult and deteriorating circumstances.

 

[LeedsSUFC]

People saying 'The Alty commentators said we should have won' - what the **** were they watching?

Oliver Byrne made 1 save all match! (Powell missed, a defender cleared the open goal in the first half).

Alty had 5 shots in the first half alone, many went over the goal but at least they were shooting!

 

[Strykr]

https://twitter.com/x/status/1639686428949987328

Looks even worse from this angle!

****ing hell.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

'A foot either side and it goes in'..... ummmmm

I had to read it twice, couldn't believe my eyes.

 

[The General]

And you had people saying Lopota going wasn't a problem ... !!

 

[LeedsSUFC]

Even if Pep Guardiola was in charge of our team.

Well, that's a lie - Pep played without a striker for years, instead played a false 9 and hard working midfielders to break the lines.

I think he could probably get the team to win.

He would need to bin off Taylor for a more stable midfielder that can actually attack, and he would need to teach Fongcuk how to play a through ball. He would need to teach Bridge to run with the ball instead of stepping over and allowing the opponent to catch up with the attack.

Actually, if you want to see all of the above happen in this league, you only need to watch Notts County first half against us at Meadow Lane. You could count 5 or 6 players pushing our defence in open play.