Pints, Punts and Points. Home v Cambridge United, Easter Monday 3-0'clock

[nicholaldo]

Not a single post after the win at Wembley, not a single post after the win on Friday, and now we're inundated...

[Bertie Wooster]

Apart from Evatt, lets be honest how many fans where confident when seeing the line up before kick off.

It was a bit daft, however so typically Evatt.

[Bertie Wooster]

Not a single post after the win at Wembley, not a single post after the win on Friday, and now we're inundated...

If this was a dig at me ? that's fine . However sorry Nicky, I've been away for a couple of weeks & missed the final and the Exeter game - I only got back in the UK this morning.

[Worthy4England]

Apart from Evatt, lets be honest how many fans where confident when seeing the line up before kick off.

It was a bit daft, however so typically Evatt.

Yup, expected a couple, but worried as soon as it was posted up.

[irie Cee Bee]

First half was a joke. Second half much better due to the changes. If Shoretire cant get a start at home against a relegation threatened team, then when will he? My only issue is that he is more of a false 9 than a 10 to me. He was dreadful today. Will be surprised if he plays further part in the run in other than perhaps a late 2nd half sub. Thomasson wasn't much better either, but his seem more like ring rust. Nlundu looked good and that's a positive as Ade isn't giving us much. Stuck with Mbete because at the moment, we have no other fit defender and I shudder at the thought of MJ playing there given he is so slow. Mbete plays every pass back towards his goal and hardly ever runs forward past the half line. But he is a kid and is all we have at the moment. Have to nurture him and his inexperience. Not blaming him for the tackle that led to the goal for if he didnt make it, I believe they would have scored anyway. Sheehan off was a surprise as he was doing well. Its a point, so lets move on. In the future, start our best team.

[Harry Genshaw]

Christ, I felt sorry for any new STHs who'd been wooed by our Wembley performance. Today was us at our worst. Pedestrian, unadventurous and sloppy. Shouldn't be any problem though, getting my usual parking spot next time.

[dave the minion]

Apart from Evatt, lets be honest how many fans where confident when seeing the line up before kick off.

It was a bit daft, however so typically Evatt.

I was

[Mar]

Apart from Evatt, lets be honest how many fans where confident when seeing the line up before kick off.

It was a bit daft, however so typically Evatt.

I was

I was expecting a win even with the wholesale changes. Don't think it was a bad call, just a bad performance, rounded off by a mistake at the end. We should've won but there was an element of us shooting ourselves in the foot today.

[BWFC_Insane]

Apart from Evatt, lets be honest how many fans where confident when seeing the line up before kick off.

It was a bit daft, however so typically Evatt.

I was

I was expecting a win even with the wholesale changes. Don't think it was a bad call, just a bad performance, rounded off by a mistake at the end. We should've won but there was an element of us shooting ourselves in the foot today.

I think the problem is the lads we brought in aren’t good enough. We’ve seen enough evidence of this so far. Victor as others note just hadn’t clicked yet. He can play at this level but doesn’t look like he fits.

Jerome with Victor didn’t work as we had nothing in behind and didn’t get crosses in,

Shoretire is just miles off the standard required and I don’t really understand why he was picked today. He’s a kid. He’s needing probably a couple of non league seasons before he’s ready for league football. This sort of premiership youngster really annoys me. Thinks he’s maradonna when instead he’s just a little boy running round lost.

Mbete is plainly obviously way off.

Thomason was in from the cold and looked it. Shoddy. But he has an excuse.

That’s an entire attacking unit changed and all off form.

I expected some changes but it went too far. And the issue really compounded by taking off the midfield at 1-0 and playing players in a system they didn’t understand at all.

[officer_dibble]

Might need to make those points back up at Burton or summat I guess. With hindsight Lee should have started - Shoretire ain’t fit to lace his boots.

[TANGODANCER]

Okay, I'm no more disappointed than a whole army of Whites fans, but Emperor Evatt was fiddling while Rivington burned today. Bitter pill to swallow when, for the sake of five minutes we had three precious points in the bag. Eleven men on our goal-line parking the bus couldn't have done worse. Lower league teams are bound to take heart from this result and Oxford will no doubt fancy giving us a lesson in the City of Dreaming Spires come Saturday. I'm no Negative Nathan, but lose that and our play-off hopes are on the slide. Our Emperor can't be blames for our overall bad luck with injuries, but two subs don't make a White.

In short, we blew it and threw it, so get off the canvas (read grass) and fight...

[BWFC_Insane]

Keep coming back to Mbete signing. We let Aimson go cos he had a great offer. Fair play. But he was a solid 7/10 never let you down experienced defender.

We replaced him with a kid who looks like he’s playing with his shoelaces tied together. And he’s played a fair bit too. We also knew Johnston was out at this point.

Why wasn’t an experienced and competent centre half signed?

I don’t think we can play Mbete again this season and expect anything. So we’ve either got to play MJ there or change the system. I don’t really fancy Jones and Johnston as a back two either. But playing Luke is simply not an option. Probably a lovely kid but he’s going to cost us a play off spot. And in reality it’s not his fault. He should never ever ever have been signed in this scenario.

[DJBlu]

Did I miss Fridays game? Was he not in the side that won 1 nil?

But for an inexperienced lunge he would have been in a team that won 1 nil today too.
Almost every player on that pitch today made a mistake.

[BWFC_Insane]

Did I miss Fridays game? Was he not in the side that won 1 nil?

But for an inexperienced lunge he would have been in a team that won 1 nil today top.

Almost every player on that pitch today made a mistake.

He’s going to be targeted more and more. Exeter did but couldn’t score…but I mean we were a bit lucky there. Today a very poor side knew he was a weak link.

It’s not about a mistake…it’s generally he’s absolutely miles off the standard required. Everyone watching knows it as do the opposition and I wouldn’t bank on us winning any game left if he is playing unless we absolutely put it out of sight early doors.

I suspect it’s confidence too…it’s clearly shot. But I don’t think we should be asking a kid who is clearly struggling with confidence to play centre half in a key run in when clearly he’s not able to do it. For whatever reason.

It’s absolutely dreadful for him and us. This isn’t a ‘25 year old pudding’ who is playing cos we’ve got injuries and we have no choice but he knows what he’s doing. It’s a kid thrown in, clearly struggling with confidence and loads else who has absolutely no place being asked to do a job of this kind.

[DJBlu]

They had one shot on target and scored from it. A set piece that was missed in the middle.

[BWFC_Insane]

I’d be interested in whether people think we will make the play offs…I did…I’m starting to have doubts…dropped too many points since that semi final and in the league we’ve not played really well bar maybe Sheffield Wednesday since before then. Injuries hurting. Dempsey in court…and today very much had a sad feeling to it from the off after the magic of Wembley. They couldn’t even manage to show off the trophy properly and energise the crowd.

It would be a huge shame if the season slipped away here but if it happens we absolutely must learn the lessons.

[BWFC_Insane]

They had one shot on target and scored from it. A set piece that was missed in the middle. He was at fault for giving away the free kick not the defending of it.

Yes but we are carrying him. It’s so blindingly obvious.

I’d also overall…not about Mbete, say that they hit the post first half and missed an absolute sitter second half and had one or two other moments too..we were probably lucky to get a point.

[DJBlu]

Yes but you're ignoring the other end where we hit the post and had shots blocked, we were unlucky not to score 3 or 4.

[BWFC_Insane]

Yes but you're ignoring the other end where we hit the post and had shots blocked, we were unlucky not to score 3 or 4.

Yeah we had Charles off the post and then the series of shots. I agree. We had chances to make it two.

But I still think overall we very easily could have lost it.

[LeverEnd]

I’d be interested in whether people think we will make the play offs…I did…I’m starting to have doubts…dropped too many points since that semi final and in the league we’ve not played really well bar maybe Sheffield Wednesday since before then. Injuries hurting. Dempsey in court…and today very much had a sad feeling to it from the off after the magic of Wembley. They couldn’t even manage to show off the trophy properly and energise the crowd.

It would be a huge shame if the season slipped away here but if it happens we absolutely must learn the lessons.

I do think we'll make it, yes. Next 2 games could leave us something to do, but we've then got 3 successive home games and an away against an average side with nothing to play for. Others will drop points as Derby did today, and as happened when they all had a chance to leave us outside the playoffs after Wembley.
I agree about Mbete though. To get a contract at City he must have something at youth level, but it appears that under pressure he wilts. Not what we need right now with 9 games left at most.
Get MJ Williams in, and set up to minimise his deficiencies in an unfamiliar position. Play the best players every game and take them off if possible. Stop trying to be a smart arse.