Tranmere (A) - Twisting my Mellon Man, Battle of Keith Hill survivors group

[Worthy4England]

Yeah awful performance from pretty much everyone.

My takeaways would be:

- Promote Hutchinson beyond Dixon, immediately
- Isgrove should be Bradley’s main back-up
- Sadlier should be given a shot up top
- Declan John appears to have given up
- Toal showed some good signs but also some not so good ones
- Dapo was generally bad
- Carty clearly has something about him and I hope is given more chances

Think I'd add Morley and Sheehan were pretty poor tonight. Sads didn't do much for me, but knows where the onion bag is.

[Prufrock]

You can get stuffed if you think I'm drinking a third! Gonna p1ss me'sen at this rate

Would it have killed you?

[irie Cee Bee]

Our midfield trio were awful tonight. Open like the Red Sea; Didn't like the look of Toal apart from one excellent tackle; Dapo has dropped off badly and is unrecognizable from the player last season; Dixon.. what can I say, never got close to anything coming his way including corners.

The Good: Izzy.. always rated him; Carty .. what a strike by the youngster. What else does he have in his locker?

A good fightback but from this showing, the first team players have nothing to worry about. Evatt has to work on the confidence of his back up players. Hopefully this run out was what they needed to get the cobwebs out, and will come back rejuvenated when next we see them.

[Prufrock]

Beginning to think £1.5M for Dapo would have been a superb deal….for us….we might have missed the boat here. Been absolute garbage this season.

He only scored last match. Lets not write him off just yet.


Speaking of scoring. What a goal from Carty!

Scored through a bit of luck but he was awful when he came on too.

He's not been at his sterling best since that January transfer window where we got good. Shame really. Perhaps its down to him not being the main man.

It's down to him being a left winger, and we don't play with wingers. Simple as that IMO.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Bit bobbins all round really.

• Dixon – nine games without a clean sheet – looks a busted flush, the sort we might want to improve on in January. Imagine Traf was out for a month....
• Aimson was Aimson - organised and determined and difficult to beat but not very good on the ball at all. Upgrade next summer.
• Toal was very mixed. He won a lot in the air and seemed calm on the ball - but his long passing was, frankly, cack. Work in progess.
• Johnston had his worst game of the season. Completely left his man and ball-watched for the first goal. As I say, on occasion the back three played like Larry, Curly and Moe. At one point they were in a diagonal line within five yards of each other like a shit chorus line.
• John was out of position but still out of sorts.
• Sheehan looked neat and tidy but needs a minder and, frankly, didn't look as good as Tomo on the ball, let alone off it.
• Morley was the biggest disappointment of all. Having lost his place he should have been all over the shop, ratting to get the ball, demanding it off team-mates. But he was sleepwalking. And with Sheehan not exactly being Makelele, they could walk through us at will, which put the back three at sixes and sevens.
• Beck perked up massively after the break and looks busy. Not Bradley-brilliant but there's a player there when he beds in.
• Sadlier, played at 10 as we've all asked, was largely absent. Clearly knows where the net is. How do we fit him into this system?
• Dapo looked half-arsed but he always kinda does even when he's in form. I think it's in the way he carries himself: shoulders laid back rather than hunched and scuttling like a Sadlier or a Tomo. Agitated fans don't get it. I understand that.
• Bod was Bod, but not quite up to speed. And it's nearly October in a season that started in July.
• Isgrove added much-needed energy, and as noted could now be considered Bradley's back-up. Sometimes football is as more about application than aptitude. Izzy ain't our best player, not by a long leg, but I can't remember the last time he didn't give his all.
• Carty was barely involved bar the goal, but what an involvement. That'll serve him well, and it'll be interesting to see how much he steps up.
• Evatt can be blamed for not picking the right XI, but we needed to see those lads, and they didn't take their chance. That's the worry. I suspect he will be angry at Morley more than most. For once I don't mind the lack of subs because the grown-ups made the mess and it was their duty to sort it.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It's down to him being a left winger, and we don't play with wingers. Simple as that IMO.

Probably also Sadlier’s best position. I wonder whether we could harness the two behind Bod or Charles, more as inside forwards than wingers. They’re busy enough so it’d be a “box” midfield with the wingbacks offering width and overloads. We would lack a “10” as such but we might gain more than we lose. It’s not as if our strikers are scoring five each a game.

[BWFC_Insane]

Beginning to think £1.5M for Dapo would have been a superb deal….for us….we might have missed the boat here. Been absolute garbage this season.

He only scored last match. Lets not write him off just yet.


Speaking of scoring. What a goal from Carty!

Scored through a bit of luck but he was awful when he came on too.

He's not been at his sterling best since that January transfer window where we got good. Shame really. Perhaps its down to him not being the main man.

It's down to him being a left winger, and we don't play with wingers. Simple as that IMO.

He came as a striker. He’s right footed. He had half a season cutting in off the left onto his right foot. But teams have worked that out now.

I’m not as convinced he can only play there.

His form since January had been spotty at best and even before then he tailed off.

Lots of ability. He was good against Sunderland up front and against Wycombe this season. I think the problem for him is application of his skill and not sure he always harnesses his ability in the right way.

Maybe trying too hard or whatever. Or just focussing on the wrong things.

[sonicthewhite]

You can get stuffed if you think I'm drinking a third! Gonna p1ss me'sen at this rate

Would it have killed you?

With my bladder? Probably.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

LOL - Ilesy sums it up well:

“It is fair to say that Bolton’s second-half performance improved. It is also accurate to say it had little room to deteriorate.”

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Evatt:
“First half was really disappointing. When you make 10 changes sometimes you can lack a bit of fluidity and continuity. Some of those players haven’t played a great deal of late, but it wasn’t that reason, it was purely down to for me a lack of urgency, intensity, energy, everything that we pride ourselves on and build foundations on we didn’t show first half.
“We lost first contacts, we lost second contacts, we didn’t track runners, we didn’t win duels and that’s the basics and foundations of football. You can speak about exciting passing patterns, movement, rotations, creating chances, but if you don’t have that first bit the rest of it is irrelevant and we didn’t show that first bit first half.
“We spoke about it at half-time and second half we didn’t necessarily play great either, but what we did do is we showed all of that I’ve just spoken about. We get ourselves back in the game purely based upon that so it’s a good learning curve for us to really look at that and use that as a reference point for the rest of the season to say that if we ever dip below our energy levels and dip below the intensity then that’s what happens to us, regardless of the opposition. We’ll learn from it, we’ll use it and we’ll go again.”

[Conor Carty]
“I’m delighted for him. He’s a really good finisher, a serious finisher and he’s been showing up well in the B team games, showing up well in some training sessions, deserved some minutes today and I’m delighted that he’s taken that goal like that.”

[Izzy]
“I’m pleased for him. He’s been through the mire, it’s been tough for him but as I said on Saturday, we’ve got a group and a team of fighters and Izzy is one of those. He’s come back fighting tonight and I thought he was excellent when he came on.”

[before next game]
“The plan is to reset, rest, recuperate, and get ready for the nitty gritty of this season. These winter months coming up, October, November, December, January, that’s where seasons are built and we need to make sure when we come back from this little break, we’re bang at it for next Saturday against Lincoln.”

[TANGODANCER]

I'm never a negative supporter, but in truth, any one of us could have written the epilogue for this pre match. Full of standard cup match jargon: Should have, would have, might have etc, after picking a team that to have any hope of winning should have been the strongest we have. Very much a same-old, same old catalogue of errors from the boss down, of wearing false feathers and thinking we are unbeatable. We lost because, as too often in the past, we adopted a careless, lackadasical arrogance that we can't really back up. I groaned at penalties, almost a foregone conclusion.. And so it came to pass. Had Tranmere been a bit more accurate it sounds like it could have been all over at 3 or 4-0.

Ah well, one less to worry about. Onwards...

[Mar]

Don't think it could've been 3 or 4 but it certainly was indicative of us being on holiday. I get the impression there was a feeling of being half on holiday already and this was a formality they thought they could sleepwalk through.

Was never going to be that simple and it was a case of history repeating itself in the cup.

At least it gives us a clear indicator of having to get a result against Leeds youth.

The frustrating thing I think from today's match is weve got a squad of talented players and a squad of good covering talent. We saw somewhat of a sad imitation of that when we know they can be so much better.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I'm never a negative supporter, but in truth, any one of us could have written the epilogue for this pre match. Full of standard cup match jargon: Should have, would have, might have etc, after picking a team that to have any hope of winning should have been the strongest we have. Very much a same-old, same old catalogue of errors from the boss down, of wearing false feathers and thinking we are unbeatable. We lost because, as too often in the past, we adopted a careless, lackadasical arrogance that we can't really back up. I groaned at penalties, almost a foregone conclusion.. And so it came to pass. Had Tranmere been a bit more accurate it sounds like it could have been all over at 3 or 4-0.

Ah well, one less to worry about. Onwards...

It's a group game, Tango. We've not been knocked out. Chances are, because we beat Crewe so handsomely despite making eight changed etc, we only need to draw against Leeds U21s – who last season conceded 4 to Tranmere and 5 to Salford - and we go through.

It'll be reet.

[Prufrock]

It's down to him being a left winger, and we don't play with wingers. Simple as that IMO.

Probably also Sadlier’s best position. I wonder whether we could harness the two behind Bod or Charles, more as inside forwards than wingers. They’re busy enough so it’d be a “box” midfield with the wingbacks offering width and overloads. We would lack a “10” as such but we might gain more than we lose. It’s not as if our strikers are scoring five each a game.

For already long given reasons I agree in principle, though given the last three league games I wouldn't be tinkering with GT, MJ and SK for a little while.

[Prufrock]

Beginning to think £1.5M for Dapo would have been a superb deal….for us….we might have missed the boat here. Been absolute garbage this season.

He only scored last match. Lets not write him off just yet.


Speaking of scoring. What a goal from Carty!

Scored through a bit of luck but he was awful when he came on too.

He's not been at his sterling best since that January transfer window where we got good. Shame really. Perhaps its down to him not being the main man.

It's down to him being a left winger, and we don't play with wingers. Simple as that IMO.

He came as a striker. He’s right footed. He had half a season cutting in off the left onto his right foot. But teams have worked that out now.

I’m not as convinced he can only play there.

His form since January had been spotty at best and even before then he tailed off.

Lots of ability. He was good against Sunderland up front and against Wycombe this season. I think the problem for him is application of his skill and not sure he always harnesses his ability in the right way.

Maybe trying too hard or whatever. Or just focussing on the wrong things.

Did anything big happen in January?

His form had tailed off slightly but that might have had something to do with playing with Delf and GJ in central midfield.

Of course he'll still do ok, he's played up top before and he's a good footballer. But it's blindingly obvious his best position is starting wide and cutting in. And when he don't play him there he's going to be worse by comparison.

It's all about the team, things are going well with the first XI, I'd stick with it for now. But a change in shape will obviously suit some players and not others. I'd not be looking for looking for a more complicated solution. Ruddock's Law, I think.

[BWFC_Insane]

I don’t disagree with all that Pru but I still think we are talking about a lad who has had in effect one good half a season in their career. Yes that was cutting in off the left but if that’s all they can do then they will be worked out and Dapo certainly was worked out in that role. So I think if that’s all he can do then he’s not very good.

I don’t believe that’s all he can do and think he’s very good up front. He’s just not playing very well and that is a concern given he’s an asset we presumably have resisted selling.

[Bruce Rioja]

As has been said, plenty of others found wanting on the Tranmere goals, but we really do need to talk about Joel.

He has the radar of Mark Thatcher!

[BWFC_Insane]

I note in his post match Evatt talked about the fact we didn’t play well but that the biggest problem was a lack of energy, fight and doing the dirty side of football in effect. Earning the right to play was the quote to the wider media.

More and more he’s moving away from the ‘we had 70% possession and if we do that we will win more often than not’ to the realistic pragmatic manager setting a team up to win games by winning the fight and then letting their quality shine through.

It’s good. You can see the growth. He’s basically transitioning to a possession based Sam Allardyce. Which is good.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

As has been said, plenty of others found wanting on the Tranmere goals, but we really do need to talk about Joel.

BWFCi said you can tell a lot about keepers by their attitude during shootouts and while it feels a little like tealeaf-reading, I agree - he did look to me like a broken man. I know goalkeepers are odd – and tend to stick together rather than battle – but it must be weird seeing such a confident young man as Trafford come in and realise just how much lower your limit is. Dixon's 29 soon and this is almost certainly going to be the best level he plays at - he didn't play above non-league until he was 26.

In our position, we will get players who aren't the finished deal. But with some, you can see the headroom for improvement, and you ride that as long as it's mutually beneficial. Let's just say Dixon is looking far more of a Greenidge than a Bradley.

The question is, will Evatt seek an upgrade in January? Because if he doesn't and Traff gets injured, it's hard to imagine that wouldn't seriously impact our promotion chances.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

I note in his post match Evatt talked about the fact we didn’t play well but that the biggest problem was a lack of energy, fight and doing the dirty side of football in effect. Earning the right to play was the quote to the wider media.

More and more he’s moving away from the ‘we had 70% possession and if we do that we will win more often than not’ to the realistic pragmatic manager setting a team up to win games by winning the fight and then letting their quality shine through.

It’s good. You can see the growth. He’s basically transitioning to a possession based Sam Allardyce. Which is good.

Yep. Easy to forget sometimes that he's only 40. At his age, Allardyce was in his first season as Blackpool manager.

He is making it clear that ability is nothing without desire, and he's right to do so.