Far from the Madding Crowd. Away at Shrewsbury, Sat 15th Feb,3-0'clock

[Worthy4England]

I'm sure that I've read a recent comment by SS that at Plymouth he played Matete further forward.

We did.

[Bertie Wooster]

Very good post match from Ainsworth, gave us loads of credit several times in his interview - one of the better opposition manager post match interviews, again very refreshing.

[Worthy4England]

To be honest I'm fine with the first half being shite, as long as he did something to change it. He did, it worked a treat, and we all go home happy. Isn't that what we've asking for the last 12 months?

That was one of my biggest gripes, so yes. Just saying after a poor 45, if only we do that 45 much better with nothing until the guy with the clipboard say the subs are due, is not tactical masterplanning. Neither is making it all up on the hoof, a la Owen Coyle.

We've spent 3 years on here being told we can't do X and Y with this group, because of content, and not once have I believed it. Emperors New Clothes. Hopefully this feller spotted they all have their asses showing.

[BWFC_Insane]

To be honest I'm fine with the first half being shite, as long as he did something to change it. He did, it worked a treat, and we all go home happy. Isn't that what we've asking for the last 12 months?

That was one of my biggest gripes, so yes. Just saying after a poor 45, if only we do that 45 much better with nothing until the guy with the clipboard say the subs are due, is not tactical masterplanning. Neither is making it all up on the hoof, a la Owen Coyle.

We've spent 3 years on here being told we can't do X and Y with this group, because of content, and not once have I believed it. Emperors New Clothes. Hopefully this feller spotted they all have their asses showing.

Schumacher has just come out and said our first 30 minutes were awful and ‘unacceptable’. So he’s not hiding from anything or in denial.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's very clever tactically what SS is doing with Morley in the 2nd half of games. He now needs to come up with the right personnel to make us much tighter at the back, I have to say though I'm not convinced with Southwood in goal.

Yeah, I've had a quick look at the numbers and they aren't good.

I know "shots saved" is a somewhat reductive metric but it does also give an indication of, y'know, whether he saves shots or not. Well, per FBref.com, of the division's 32 goalkeepers who've played 10+ games, Southwood has the second-lowest save percentage with 57.1%; Baxter is 19th with 67.1%. Top is Orient's Josh Keeley with 78.3%; Wrexham's Okonkwo, who Derek and John were so unimpressed with on Tuesday, is second with 76.6%.

Last season, Baxter had the division's third highest ratio (74.4%) and Southwood's 68.4% for Cheltenham was the 16th-highest (out of 29). Not sure why have both players suffered so badly this season....

[TANGODANCER]

Collins, McAtee and Vic would all be decent footballers if man-handling players was taken out of the game. Same applies with Randall. The rules on fouls using hands are almost non-existent and our own policy of standing off players against teams who play kamikaze savagery is proving totally ineffective. Collins got one wallop into Row Z that would have been classed as assault and battery anywhere else but here. Do bodies like E.F.L actually ever watch anything outside the Premier League?

I'm as pleased as the rest at the win, but can't help feeling we need a big overall in our methods of getting there. . Set pieces are just asking for trouble letting attackers run at defences and just throw themselves at us. To prove our worth we need to dominate from above like Rivington Pike, not come from the foot of Winter Hill.

All said, still a very good day.

[BWFC_Insane]

Southwood is absolutely excellent as a sweeper keeper. On the ball and distribution I’d say is best we’ve had.

Problem is instinctively can’t think of too many saves he’s made. And also crosses and set pieces he does not fill me with much confidence at all. Flaps a lot. Organises the defence though. He’s got a Brannigan like build so would like to see a few more cat like saves.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm sure that I've read a recent comment by SS that at Plymouth he played Matete further forward.

I've used him in different roles. So when we took Jay – and he made his debut here against Bolton – we used him as a 10 and he got around the single pivot, which was Aaron Morley, and stopped him getting on the ball. Jay's best strength is he regains the ball for you high up the pitch, and when he receives the ball closer to the opposition goal, he's got some quality. He chipped in with a couple of really important goals for us at Plymouth in that run-in when we won the league, so he's a good player.

I also played him as a double pivot in certain games when we felt we were going to be in control of the ball, which he's capable of doing. He's an all-round midfield player, I would say, that can do a little bit of everything, which is good, and he's a player in the squad that I know and I can trust, and I think he'll do a great job for us.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Southwood is absolutely excellent as a sweeper keeper. On the ball and distribution I’d say is best we’ve had.

Problem is instinctively can’t think of too many saves he’s made. And also crosses and set pieces he does not fill me with much confidence at all. Flaps a lot. Organises the defence though. He’s got a Brannigan like build so would like to see a few more cat like saves.

Aye. Mate of mine compares him to Claudio Bravo, the keeper Pep signed to replace Joe Hart, who was an excellent sweeper but couldn't catch a cold.

Apparently he's made 19 saves from 35 accurate attempts - dunno if this includes today's game, but it was something of a lesson in how the stats can be reductive, in either direction. Per BBC/PA he faced three accurate efforts on goal but TBH he could do nothing about either successful attempt (it's up for debate if he might have done more before then) and I'd guess the one he saved was Benning's volley from 35 yards out on the wing.

Just to add - by the same yardstick - Trafford's save ratio in his full season with us was 78.8%, joint 2nd in the division. In his half-season it was 75.3%, 3rd in the division. It really does help...

[Bertie Wooster]

He's not big enough and doesn't command his box IMO, now that we've stopped playing slow sideways & backwards shite that needs a keeper who can receive and pass the ball well, surely its time to give Baxter a go again although saying that I'm not convinced that he's even interested and perhaps already has a move lined up in the summer.

We certainly need a bigger better No1 keeper in the summer.

[BWFC_Insane]

Southwood is absolutely excellent as a sweeper keeper. On the ball and distribution I’d say is best we’ve had.

Problem is instinctively can’t think of too many saves he’s made. And also crosses and set pieces he does not fill me with much confidence at all. Flaps a lot. Organises the defence though. He’s got a Brannigan like build so would like to see a few more cat like saves.

Aye. Mate of mine compares him to Claudio Bravo, the keeper Pep signed to replace Joe Hart, who was an excellent sweeper but couldn't catch a cold.

Apparently he's made 19 saves from 35 accurate attempts - dunno if this includes today's game, but it was something of a lesson in how the stats can be reductive, in either direction. Per BBC/PA he faced three accurate efforts on goal but TBH he could do nothing about either successful attempt (it's up for debate if he might have done more before then) and I'd guess the one he saved was Benning's volley from 35 yards out on the wing.

Just to add - by the same yardstick - Trafford's save ratio in his full season with us was 78.8%, joint 2nd in the division. In his half-season it was 75.3%, 3rd in the division. It really does help...

I think stats don’t really tell the full story as you say. Trafford saved worldies and he also often stopped the one on ones in a way I can’t remember a keeper here doing since Jussi.

But I mean Wrexham’s keeper as you mention him is arguably the complete opposite of Southwood. Looks a bit all over the show but makes unbelievable saves and big ones too in the context of games.


Not unlike other areas of the squad it doesn’t feel like we have a complete keeper - we need a bit of both.

[Worthy4England]

It feels a bit like the bonus element is the prize and the core competence is secondary. Which to me, is pretty muddled thinking.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Wrexham’s keeper as you mention him is arguably the complete opposite of Southwood. Looks a bit all over the show but makes unbelievable saves and big ones too in the context of games.

eg the 0-0 at our place, where we had 8 attempts on target and scored the same zero as our visitors...

As you and others say, maybe the first question Schumacher feeds into the goalkeeper-seeking spreadsheet is "does he stop the round thing going in the netty thing?" - the hires under Evatt were to say the least up and down with Crellin and Coleman at one end, Baxter and Trafford at the other.

EDIT and it looks like it won't be Markham's hand on the mouse - as Pru reports on the transfer thread, Iles has gone with the story, citing "several sources" but not an official club confirmation. Also says we're seeking a replacement.

[dave the minion]

Talking of Southwold v Baxter - does anyone know if the latter is even available to play if we chose to - is t there some sort of fa charge looming or something? Do we know what is meant to have happened???

[BWFC_Insane]

Talking of Southwold v Baxter - does anyone know if the latter is even available to play if we chose to - is t there some sort of fa charge looming or something? Do we know what is meant to have happened???

Schumacher wouldn’t say. So don’t think anyone knows.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Talking of Southwold v Baxter - does anyone know if the latter is even available to play if we chose to - is t there some sort of fa charge looming or something? Do we know what is meant to have happened???

He's available to play until he's punished. The punishment could be a fine or a ban or both. Hard to tell when nobody really knows what happened, and those who do aren't saying anything.

Last month's FA punishments page includes 55 mentions of "improper", which is something of a catch-all phrase.
https://www.thefa.com/news/2025/feb/05/ ... 025-050225

[TonyDomingos]

Don't you just love it when we win? I do.

[TANGODANCER]

Not unlike other areas of the squad it doesn’t feel like we have a complete keeper - we need a bit of both.

are there any rules to stop us playing both at the same time..?

[Worthy4England]

To be honest I'm fine with the first half being shite, as long as he did something to change it. He did, it worked a treat, and we all go home happy. Isn't that what we've asking for the last 12 months?

That was one of my biggest gripes, so yes. Just saying after a poor 45, if only we do that 45 much better with nothing until the guy with the clipboard say the subs are due, is not tactical masterplanning. Neither is making it all up on the hoof, a la Owen Coyle.

We've spent 3 years on here being told we can't do X and Y with this group, because of content, and not once have I believed it. Emperors New Clothes. Hopefully this feller spotted they all have their asses showing.

Schumacher has just come out and said our first 30 minutes were awful and ‘unacceptable’. So he’s not hiding from anything or in denial.

Not sure I said anything that suggested otherwise, but fair point

[Mar]

Southwood is absolutely excellent as a sweeper keeper. On the ball and distribution I’d say is best we’ve had.

Problem is instinctively can’t think of too many saves he’s made. And also crosses and set pieces he does not fill me with much confidence at all. Flaps a lot. Organises the defence though. He’s got a Brannigan like build so would like to see a few more cat like saves.

Aye. Mate of mine compares him to Claudio Bravo, the keeper Pep signed to replace Joe Hart, who was an excellent sweeper but couldn't catch a cold.

Apparently he's made 19 saves from 35 accurate attempts - dunno if this includes today's game, but it was something of a lesson in how the stats can be reductive, in either direction. Per BBC/PA he faced three accurate efforts on goal but TBH he could do nothing about either successful attempt (it's up for debate if he might have done more before then) and I'd guess the one he saved was Benning's volley from 35 yards out on the wing.

Just to add - by the same yardstick - Trafford's save ratio in his full season with us was 78.8%, joint 2nd in the division. In his half-season it was 75.3%, 3rd in the division. It really does help...

I think stats don’t really tell the full story as you say. Trafford saved worldies and he also often stopped the one on ones in a way I can’t remember a keeper here doing since Jussi.

But I mean Wrexham’s keeper as you mention him is arguably the complete opposite of Southwood. Looks a bit all over the show but makes unbelievable saves and big ones too in the context of games.


Not unlike other areas of the squad it doesn’t feel like we have a complete keeper - we need a bit of both.

I've seen Okwonko a few times and he certainly looks the part. Incredible reactions from that guy. I'd much rather him than our current bunch. That's not to say our current lot is terrible, but Baxter looks way off last seasons early form and Southwood hasn't really kept enough clean sheets to notably be considered a step up.

Traffords shoes were always going to be difficult to fill. Perhaps impossible. Incredible keeper.