Wrexham (H)

[gonzo]

I get the three subs if we change the system. McAtee was blowing out of his arse and Collins not far behind him.

But sticking Arfield and Dempsey as straight swaps was just daft. 

A front 3 triangle of those 3 isn't winning a game of football.  Change the shape and you've a chance. Vic was ostracised and Arfield got less legs than me.

[barrycowdrill]

Think arfield is going to be the terrace villain this season… 

[Cheese]

 

[nantwichwhite]

12 minutes ago, Eddie said:

That’s a huge statement. He’s not even the best midfielder in our squad.

Who is better in the squad and also in the division. It is definitely not Sheehan but will listen to suggestions from other teams.

[Whitesince63]

12 hours ago, VividDreamer said:

You’re right, I apologise to all the sensible members on here.

That’s just me then VD. 🤣

[gonzo]

10 minutes ago, nantwichwhite said:

Who is better in the squad and also in the division. It is definitely not Sheehan but will listen to suggestions from other teams.

GT could be so much more. 

[Zico]

Shumas Snacks was better than Spice Valley 

[Whitesince63]

10 hours ago, Stig said:

Yep. Imagine having a proper winger to put some of those crossing chances in today

I thought we now had two wingers in Schon and Desmond and we have full backs in Iredale and JDC so no reason we can’t do that once in a while or even switch during games?

[desperado]

15 hours ago, paulhanley said:

With all the new signings and the tweaked formation we're not fully in our stride yet. We'll need to be hitting that stride in a few weeks. In the meantime we just need to keep picking up points and four from two games will do. 

The awkward little start to the season continues at Charlton and I'd be happy with a point there too as long as we go on and beat Exeter.

Good post Paul.

Good day out - started early ended up in town!

I was scrambling for reception to put a 3-0 bet on, glad it never opened up! If I’d have predicted 10+ different score lines 0-0 would not have featured in any of them.

I really thought that front 3 could/should have goals in them and the way we started looked very promising. They are very much work in progress as is the 4 behind them who need to do more to create chances especially the 2 WBs. That said I really like the look of Schon.

But it’s early days and despite my pre-match comments of having little time to find our feet, to pick up points to keep us near the top of this division, keeping at 2 points per game is a good start. We don’t want to be slipping away from that anytime soon. Rightly or wrongly, @Johnnyrotten , us keeping near the top of the division with a 2 point per game average is definitely going to be an indicator of success/progress/acceptance that the manager/squad are good enough to get it right.  

Credit to Evatt for changing the team up. I was pleasantly surprised to see GJ and McAtee start. I bet he would have loved to have CMG and Lolos to bring on to play in the 10 roles. Dempsey and Arfield will be great to bring on there when we are protecting a lead, but not a lot of options to change it up attacking wise yesterday.

Definitely want to see more of Matete, a dilemma for who he’d replace. Can make a case for all 3 (4 if you include Dempsey) starting there. 

Equal amount of concerning and positive signs to me. But focusing on the positive, I do like the way we tried (at times) to move the ball forward quicker (seen in all 3 games so far). I like the look of the new recruits. Having 3 forwards/goal-scorers starting a game is exciting and with time I’m sure will reap the rewards. GJ being back is massive. A clean sheet is never to be sniffed at, the keeper and back 3/5 look very good defensively.

Another 4 points from the next 2 games will keep us ticking.

[gonzo]

2 minutes ago, desperado said:

Good post Paul.

Good day out - started early ended up in town!

I was scrambling for reception to put a 3-0 bet on, glad it never opened up! If I’d have predicted 10+ different score lines 0-0 would not have featured in any of them.

I really thought that front 3 could/should have goals in them and the way we started looked very promising. They are very much work in progress as is the 4 behind them who need to do more to create chances especially the 2 WBs. That said I really like the look of Schon.

But it’s early days and despite my pre-match comments of having little time to find our feet, to pick up points to keep us near the top of this division, keeping at 2 points per game is a good start. We don’t want to be slipping away from that anytime soon. Rightly or wrongly, @Johnnyrotten , us keeping near the top of the division with a 2 point per game average is definitely going to be an indicator of success/progress/acceptance that the manager/squad are good enough to get it right.  

Credit to Evatt for changing the team up. I was pleasantly surprised to see GJ and McAtee start. I bet he would have loved to have CMG and Lolos to bring on to play in the 10 roles. Dempsey and Arfield will be great to bring on there when we are protecting a lead, but not a lot of options to change it up attacking wise yesterday.

Definitely want to see more of Matete, a dilemma for who he’d replace. Can make a case for all 3 (4 if you include Dempsey) starting there. 

Equal amount of concerning and positive signs to me. But focusing on the positive, I do like the way we tried (at times) to move the ball forward quicker (seen in all 3 games so far). I like the look of the new recruits. Having 3 forwards/goal-scorers starting a game is exciting and with time I’m sure will reap the rewards. GJ being back is massive. A clean sheet is never to be sniffed at, the keeper and back 3/5 look very good defensively.

Another 4 points from the next 2 games will keep us ticking.

Great and well balanced summary.

[Only In Welsh]

After the opening ten minutes I was fearing a long afternoon. But we made it to half time thankfully with it still 0-0. Suspect Parky gave them a bit of a roasting at half time because we were much better 2nd half. I think you can now see why we're trying to sign at least one striker.  With Mullin we are much more of a threat but we can't just rely on him. 

Great stadium by the way, enjoyed being in a proper ground again. Think it showed that we're just delighted to be back in L1.

Think you ran out of ideas in the second half and we grew in confidence. 

Parky was never going to go there, open up and allow us to be vulnerable. As you know that's just not his way.

Heard some Wrexham fans speaking welsh to each other too! Ha ha

 

Edited August 19, 2024 by Only In Welsh

[Whitesince63]

1 hour ago, barrycowdrill said:

See this is the thing, Vic has always been a number 9. But only while he’s been here. Prior to that he was a wide man in a 3 and Evatt has said himself he’s still learning the central role. Has his touch, hold up and link up play got better whilst he’s been here? Yes. Is it now something you can rely on, the ball sticking, holding off defenders and bringing others in? No. And I wouldn’t back him to take the chances Dion misses either. They’re both a 1 in 3 chances player I think. Different attributes but generally the same outcome 

Not strictly true that. Yes he was mainly a wide player before going to Burton but there he was definitely a No9 and it obviously suited him as that’s where he scored all his goals. If he’s proved that his best position then why try to change him from it?

[desperado]

1 minute ago, Only In Welsh said:

After the opening ten minutes I was fearing a long afternoon. But we made it to half time thankfully with it still 0-0. Suspect Parky gave them a bit of a roasting at half time because we were much better 2nd half. I think you can now see why we're trying to sign at least one striker.  With Mullin we are much more of a threat but we can't just rely on him. 

Great stadium by the way, enjoyed being in a proper ground again. Think it showed that we're just delighted to be back in L1.

Think you ran out of ideas in the second half and we grew in confidence. 

Parky was never going to go there, open up and allow us to be vulnerable. As you know that's just not his way.

Heard some Wrexham fans speaking welsh to each other too! Ha ha

 

Decent summary 👍.

Yeh credit to you and Parky for nullifying us that 2nd half and it was a very good showing from you boys in the stands. 

I’m trying work out how good you were defensively and/or how poor we were going forward (especially that 2nd half) as I thought you were meant to be vulnerable to conceding a goals?

Do you think if we’d have got an early goal it could have led to more and given you a dilemma as to what to do next in the game? 

[ianofcleveleys]

48 minutes ago, gonzo said:

I get the three subs if we change the system. McAtee was blowing out of his arse and Collins not far behind him.

But sticking Arfield and Dempsey as straight swaps was just daft. 

A front 3 triangle of those 3 isn't winning a game of football.  Change the shape and you've a chance. Vic was ostracised and Arfield got less legs than me.

Fully expected Dempsey to jog on with some instructions about shape change, couldn't believe it when him and Arfield just slotted into same front three. We ended up playing 3-6-1. 

[Wanderlust]

2 hours ago, Eddie said:

 

The problem is, as soon as you get the ball to someone who can play that pass in behind (Sheehan / GT), the space If has gone in behind and they can’t make that run. I don’t know what the answer is but I don’t think it was the willingness to make the run that was the issue, it was having the right person on the ball to play the pass.

If the final ball options are limited to a punt from the back or two narrow central midfielders, quality defenders like Cleworth are going to mop that up all day long

Whereas if Schon and JDC were able to join in the attacks and become another provider of the final ball from a different angle it would have helped enormously, but Schon was tied down by Revan and JDC's crossing/passing was atrocious plus he was in his own half for far too long. I think that's why the idea of having someone like Armstrong on the right was/is so appealing to me as he can pass, cross and provide a direct goal threat himself.

I wasn't questioning the front three's willingness to run (theoretically it's a front 5 in possession) - God knows Dion (and Vic) will run around chasing lost causes all day long - I'm just saying that the runs the forwards were asked to make were predictable, the wide men were glued to the touchline and that they should all consider constantly rotating positions and have the freedom to try whatever they think will work in any given situation to create a bit of chaos. Would it be disastrous if the wide men swapped sides occasionally or the others drifted along the line a bit more to overload specific areas?

With George and Matete screening our improved back three there'd surely be enough security to try different things and there's now reason why they couldn't attack from midfield with one of the others dropping out to cover - rotation horizontally and vertically like the top European teams do.

More fluidity up top means less predictability and of course they will try things that don't come off - but occasionally they will and that would be an improvement. I'm just getting a bit fed up with opposition managers having the luxury of knowing exactly what we're going to do and being able to set up to nullify us a la Des Buckingham.

Edited August 19, 2024 by Wanderlust

[wanderer1984]

The sooner we drop a CB and play with a back 4 ... The better.

Or even do it In game if things aren't working out. 5 atb marking 37 year old Steven fucking Fletcher ... mental.

Most teams we play sit back and watch our 3 CB's pass it around. We end up punting it forward to no one because we've lost a CM and are limited of options. We lose the second ball too because guess what .... we've lost that extra CM.

 

[tomski]

1 hour ago, barrycowdrill said:

Think arfield is going to be the new Jerome this season… 

 

Edited August 19, 2024 by tomski

[masi 51]

6 minutes ago, wanderer1984 said:

The sooner we drop a CB and play with a back 4 ... The better.

Or even do it In game if things aren't working out. 5 atb marking 37 year old Steven fucking Fletcher ... mental.

Most teams we play sit back and watch our 3 CB's pass it around. We end up punting it forward to no one because we've lost a CM and are limited of options. We lose the second ball too because guess what .... we've lost that extra CM.

 

 

Agree but not a chance Evatt will do that. Last 30 mins yesterday was like a Primary school game everyone running for the ball and no formation.

We have Two centre backs in Jones and Johnston who can fit in as full backs but we do not have any natural full backs

Evatt is playing russian roulette with his own job simple

[Rival Son]

Left back is Iredale’s natural position.

[masi 51]

10 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

Left back is Iredale’s natural position.

Be gone at the end of the week.....Rather we kept him to move into a left back position and got shot of Williams but that wont happen

[gonzo]

19 minutes ago, Rival Son said:

Left back is Iredale’s natural position.

Left back in the dressing room is his best position 

[athywhite1958]

1 hour ago, Only In Welsh said:

After the opening ten minutes I was fearing a long afternoon. But we made it to half time thankfully with it still 0-0. Suspect Parky gave them a bit of a roasting at half time because we were much better 2nd half. I think you can now see why we're trying to sign at least one striker.  With Mullin we are much more of a threat but we can't just rely on him. 

Great stadium by the way, enjoyed being in a proper ground again. Think it showed that we're just delighted to be back in L1.

Think you ran out of ideas in the second half and we grew in confidence. 

Parky was never going to go there, open up and allow us to be vulnerable. As you know that's just not his way.

Heard some Wrexham fans speaking welsh to each other too! Ha ha

 

How fucking dare they, on English soil too, heathens they are 🙂 

[L/H White]

5 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Left back in the dressing room is his best position 

you're so negative 

[Mounts Kipper]

52 minutes ago, wanderer1984 said:

The sooner we drop a CB and play with a back 4 ... The better.

Or even do it In game if things aren't working out. 5 atb marking 37 year old Steven fucking Fletcher ... mental.

Most teams we play sit back and watch our 3 CB's pass it around. We end up punting it forward to no one because we've lost a CM and are limited of options. We lose the second ball too because guess what .... we've lost that extra CM.

 

 

I agree we are asking for too much from just 2 centre mids, the possession keeps getting turned over and we don’t win it back quick enough with only 2 in there, could play 3 centre backs and 3 in middle of the park if we went 2 up top, but we’ve spent load of money to go back to a front 3 and that’ll mean 2 of the four strikers miss out.

Before we sack of 3 up top it’s worth trying Matete and Thomasson to see if the extra legs they have improves our performance. 

[Only In Welsh]

1 hour ago, desperado said:

Decent summary 👍.

Yeh credit to you and Parky for nullifying us that 2nd half and it was a very good showing from you boys in the stands. 

I’m trying work out how good you were defensively and/or how poor we were going forward (especially that 2nd half) as I thought you were meant to be vulnerable to conceding a goals?

Do you think if we’d have got an early goal it could have led to more and given you a dilemma as to what to do next in the game? 

Parky set us up not to concede and that was clearly our priority. We're a different side at home completely. I think it was both tbh. 

If you'd scored an early goal I think we would have reacted and pushed further forward, we usually pretty good when we go a goal down. Often it inspires us rather than deflate, it might've even helped us and spurred us on as it has done in the past, but who knows we could just as well lost 4-0.

No dilemma in the next game with parky. He never changes formation and rarely do we see any major tactical changes. Although there has been occasions when he has done both. Its served us well.