The unguarded moment. At Home to Shrewsbury Sat Oct 54th 3'0 clock

[BWFC_Insane]

I've just seen the head on head at the end of the game, it absolutely wasn't a head butt and its obviously down to frustration - but as a manager you can't do that, I think that's down to the pressure he's feeling.

I also wonder what Sharon thinks about it with her morals & values etc.

BTW his pre planned 2nd half substitutions stopped all of the momentum that we had after getting back to 2-2 - but we shouldn't be surprised by that should we as he's done the same on several previous occasions.

Yep. Two strikers off killed the game. Was a bonkers call. McAtee for Vic maybe. But that was all we needed.

[Mar]

I think Ian needs to leave because he'll never be good enough. 4 games unbeaten however he's got no room for error.

The players lost that 1st half. The half time bollocking won the second.

Players like JDC and Toal strolling and gifting possession cannot be forseen.

Evatt will be in trouble with the FA and will get no sympathy from the fans because they don't like him.

I'm done trying to support him as it's on deaf ears but it's a lonely place when regardless of what you do you're not liked. It's so exhausting supporting this club as it'll never change.

Before kick off we were expected to win and the demands are set. Doesn't go that way and the boos ring out because we expect the team to easily put Shrewsbury to one side.

Our manager has lost an excessive amount of weight and is now showing how frustrated he is.

Sense of Irony when he's done this on a day where mental health has been championed.

Do feel sorry for him as he's battling us all. Never mind though as the next man will be in for us all to do it again.

Bollocks to it.

It's highly frustrating and a powder keg of issues just waiting to go off. We seemingly can't have a bad game without panic stations going off.

Today we've had a bad result. It mirrors last season and I think that's a problem in itself but not a season killer. The whole after effect of last seasons finish still mean we're struggling to keep a lid on frustrations.

It's a tough gig supporting Evatt. I think we've got back to last seasons performances, that's progress from the start of the season. Scoring goals at the level we have been doing lately is progress from the start of the season. We're heading on an upward momentum and immediately handicapped by fan critique and frustration.

Maybe we expected the same tempo from the cup game, maybe we had half a mind on fitness for the Villa U21 game and trying to balance both. Whatever the reason, we were slow out the gate today and didn't meet the levels.

Second half we did. The players are behind Evatt. Can't say the same for the fans. I'm looking for the positives, bringing on Collins and McAtee is a better prospect than Jerome and JDB.

We should be winning today. We didn't. It'll happen. We need to find ways to catchup to account for the bad start. What we don't need is everyone piling on the extra pressure.

I didn't think Evatt would've overturned and got us scoring 4 or 5 again and he did. I don't think he'll get us promoted this season but l didn't think he'd get us promoted in that first season. Maybe this is the fight he needs to prove us all wrong.

[officer_dibble]

I agree in isolation it’s not a season killer but we’ve now 5 points from Wrexham Exeter Huddersfield Reading and Shrewsbury. We need to make up for it with unexpected points now - Birmingham, Rotherham away.

That’s not extra pressure that’s just reality. He knows it.

[Bertie Wooster]

Maybe we expected the same tempo from the cup game, maybe we had half a mind on fitness for the Villa U21 game and trying to balance both. Whatever the reason, we were slow out the gate today and didn't meet the levels.

I'm convinced that you are on a wind up with this and the earlier comment 'bound to hit a rough patch comment', it's moronic.

[nicholaldo]

Yeah, I can't agree Evatt was worried about maintaining fitness for Tuesday night.

If he was, it'd be a sackable offence in its own right.

[BWFC_Insane]

Maybe we expected the same tempo from the cup game, maybe we had half a mind on fitness for the Villa U21 game and trying to balance both. Whatever the reason, we were slow out the gate today and didn't meet the levels.

I'm convinced that you are on a wind up with this and the earlier comment 'bound to hit a rough patch comment', it's moronic.

Yep. Its unbelievable.

[GhostoftheBok]

Not a good result. Blame to be shared by players and manager.

Every team is now targeting the edge of our box on corners. It's free goals.

We still had easily enough chances to win, but you can't demand we score at least 3 every game.

Special mention to the linesman on the far side from the dugouts. Utterly, dreadfully, woefully wank. One of the worst I've seen in a long time.

[Worthy4England]

Not a good result. Blame to be shared by players and manager.

Every team is now targeting the edge of our box on corners. It's free goals.

We still had easily enough chances to win, but you can't demand we score at least 3 every game.

Special mention to the linesman on the far side from the dugouts. Utterly, dreadfully, woefully wank. One of the worst I've seen in a long time.

Can't disagree, the old "corner to the edge" we've seen on repeat, for a while. I'm thinking they're directed to occupy space rather than pick up actual people.

Our defensive coaching is shit.

[Mar]

Maybe we expected the same tempo from the cup game, maybe we had half a mind on fitness for the Villa U21 game and trying to balance both. Whatever the reason, we were slow out the gate today and didn't meet the levels.

I'm convinced that you are on a wind up with this and the earlier comment 'bound to hit a rough patch comment', it's moronic.

We lost Osei Tutu through injury in a previous cup tie that wasn't worth the risk. Well have medical professionals stating that too many minutes in a short space of time will put them in the 'red zone' where they are more susceptible to injury. Having half a mind on the fitness levels would be trying to avoid putting players at risk. It's managing workload at the expense of in game tempo.

Almost as if we underestimated Shrewbury thinking we could not keep the tempo up and deliver the points.

[officer_dibble]

We can pick a team from the catering squad for all Tuesday matters.

[GhostoftheBok]

Can't disagree, the old "corner to the edge" we've seen on repeat, for a while. I'm thinking they're directed to occupy space rather than pick up actual people.

I think (only think, don't know) that they looked at the numbers and found that teams that bring 10 back to pack the box concede fewer goals.

That's entirely true. However, it changes somewhat when you control for balls to the edge of the box in that situation.

We'd concede fewer if teams were just swinging the ball in, as they would if we left a couple up. They're now targeting a clear weakness. though.

It was probably smart at first. Now it's very dumb.

[Bertie Wooster]

Their 2nd was identical to the goal they scored last season - its appalling tactics & prep by the management team, I say management as I don't think that we have any coaches.

And if the players were told to mark the edge of the box but ignored it as Atherton tried to elude to post match, then we really do have a problem with the players completely ignoring instructions.

[Worthy4England]

Can't disagree, the old "corner to the edge" we've seen on repeat, for a while. I'm thinking they're directed to occupy space rather than pick up actual people.

I think (only think, don't know) that they looked at the numbers and found that teams that bring 10 back to pack the box concede fewer goals.

That's entirely true. However, it changes somewhat when you control for balls to the edge of the box in that situation.

We'd concede fewer if teams were just swinging the ball in, as they would if we left a couple up. They're now targeting a clear weakness. though.

It was probably smart at first. Now it's very dumb.

I struggle to see the benefit of fill the box or zonal. If you're hauling them all back. Get them paired off and winning their 1 v 1.

[BWFC_Insane]

Can't disagree, the old "corner to the edge" we've seen on repeat, for a while. I'm thinking they're directed to occupy space rather than pick up actual people.

I think (only think, don't know) that they looked at the numbers and found that teams that bring 10 back to pack the box concede fewer goals.

That's entirely true. However, it changes somewhat when you control for balls to the edge of the box in that situation.

We'd concede fewer if teams were just swinging the ball in, as they would if we left a couple up. They're now targeting a clear weakness. though.

It was probably smart at first. Now it's very dumb.

I struggle to see the benefit of fill the box or zonal. If you're hauling them all back. Get them paired off and winning their 1 v 1.

Modern management innit. Can’t have man marking as then everyone would know whose fault it was and that would be too much pressure and responsibility.

[GhostoftheBok]

I struggle to see the benefit of fill the box or zonal. If you're hauling them all back. Get them paired off and winning their 1 v 1.

We run a mix of zonal and man.

The idea is to free up Santos and a couple of others to attack the ball and still have enough (because we have 10 back) to man mark.

[Worthy4England]

Their 2nd was identical to the goal they scored last season - its appalling tactics & prep by the management team, I say management as I don't think that we have any coaches.

And if the players were told to mark the edge of the box but ignored it as Atherton tried to elude to post match, then we really do have a problem with the players completely ignoring instructions.

I'm pretty much here Bertie. Problem is, I believe that they're not directed to pick up opponents...

[Worthy4England]

I struggle to see the benefit of fill the box or zonal. If you're hauling them all back. Get them paired off and winning their 1 v 1.

We run a mix of zonal and man.

The idea is to free up Santos and a couple of others to attack the ball and still have enough (because we have 10 back) to man mark.

I've often struggled to see the benefits of zonal in general, watching Liverpool before the signed VVD was a joy to behold.

[Bertie Wooster]

BTW the only proper leader we have on the pitch is Dempsey by some distance by his attitude & performances week after week - yet another really poor decision by Evatt to put that responsibility onto Thomason. who is as inconsistent as his midfield buddy Sheehan.

[Mar]

BTW the only proper leader we have on the pitch is Dempsey by some distance by his attitude & performances week after week - yet another really poor decision by Evatt to put that responsibility onto Thomason. who is as inconsistent as his midfield buddy Sheehan.

Short term thinking if you think Dempsey is more consistent than Thomason. Dempsey is currently in form, you put that into context with last season and Thomason's performance levels and its a no-brainer that Thomason should get it.

Their 2nd was identical to the goal they scored last season - its appalling tactics & prep by the management team, I say management as I don't think that we have any coaches.

And if the players were told to mark the edge of the box but ignored it as Atherton tried to elude to post match, then we really do have a problem with the players completely ignoring instructions.

I'm pretty much here Bertie. Problem is, I believe that they're not directed to pick up opponents...

Clearly no-one is instructed to pickup the outside of the box role as it wouldn't keep happening. Surely the thinking is there's a load of players able to block the shot so its still harder to score from outside the box than from inside it, but to see us concede twice from the same player in the same manner is disheartening.

[TANGODANCER]

You can't expect to play badly and win, whoever you are. Two careless incidents cost us two points (that could easily have been three) . Neither was Evatt's fault and he's obviously as frustrated as we are. Had the players done their jobs we would have won a game that we drew and got one point. They didn't, so sack the manager? Makes no sense to me. We have three strikers out of four capable of shooting, plus midfielders, yet how many direct shots did their keeper have to save? I reckon none that caused him any concern. In the pre-match warm up the whole team were shooting at goal in practise. Ironic that none of them did it in the game. Oh for a Richard Sneekes or an Ivan Klasnic. Neither tried to walk the ball in the net.

Let's clean the slate and start afresh, because, like it or no, we're a mid-table side right now, and Harry Potter's magic wand is fictional.