Mansfield Town (A)

[only1swanny]

1 minute ago, Kane57 said:

 That's the craziest thing I've ever heard 

But in business it happens.

Risk, possible reward, we might not get promoted, but we certainly won't get relegated, and if it hasn't worked by the end of the season, then you review it. 

 

[gonzo]

9 minutes ago, Kane57 said:

 That's the craziest thing I've ever heard 

It sounds it, but it's well touted there's  way more to Evatt and SBs relationship than just chairwoman-manager.

(Not in a hanky panky way either)

[Johnnyrotten]

5 hours ago, thebells said:

I honestly just think its that last 5% that makes the difference in top level sport between winners and also rans. Look at yesterdays goals.

Santos should have done better on the 2nd. Thomason should have stopped the cross on the 1st. I think last season both would have done. That leaves the game 0-0 and, on balance, we'd have gone on to win it last season. This time around we are 2-0 down. I think it's a combination of some just losing their spark after the Oxford game and some having listened to Evatt for 3-4 years now. 

Cut out the daft errors and we are a top 6 (but not top 2) team.

I think this is why Evatt is so infuriated at times. He knows the problem, but can't fix it. I really don't see how 2 new players fundamentally change things, and they won't. But the board want to back him and there's bugger all we can do.

I think its stretching it a bit to say Tomo should have cut out the cross, it was routine stuff that every team does countless times from a throw in.  The issue is defending the cross - we've got 4 players 7 or 8 yards from goal in the centre (Cogley, Santos, Jones, Lolos) marking 2 players.  Zero players on the edge of the box, to not mark their one player.  He had a free shot at goal - because IE sets them up to mark the space not the player.  We can blame Cogley for not getting out quicker, but what was he (and a midfielder) doing in the box in the first place?  Sorry but its once again down to IE, he encourages that.

[Johnnyrotten]

And while I'm looking at the highlights, Tomo is far more to blame for the 2nd goal than Santos.  A comical header to their player when he had time and space to control and pass.

I still don't see how Santos has done much wrong other than - what a terrible crime - being beaten by a player.  Imagine if every player that lost one tackle in the game got slated.  Watch it again and see how well the striker does, shows strength and skill, if we'd scored that we'd be absolutely buzzing.  We wouldn't because we no longer buy strikers with upper body strength.

[gonzo]

Their attacker just wanted it more.

[Dimron]

14 minutes ago, gonzo said:

It sounds it, but it's well touted there's  way more to Evatt and SBs relationship than just chairwoman-manager.

(Not in a hanky panky way either)

It looks to me that SB is being an excellent "modern" director supporting her manager through very difficult times. If you recruit right, a manager doesn't become "bad" overnight.

Having spent most of my life in construction, I have a background of more traditional "brutal" management practices, I have been bollocked to an inch of my life and I have also dished them out... in my case it's all about the "job" at the end of the day, this has to come before personal stuff. 

I believe both IE and SB need to think about what the club (in my world the job) needs now... I have previously parted company in poor circumstances with guys and a couple of years later we've shared some beers somewhere... nowt personal, just necessary at the time.

[Johnnyrotten]

1 hour ago, L/H White said:

Now, when this went out everyone thought Sarc was talking shit 

Anyone's opinion changed?

I think the pair of them have that knobhead side to them, put it this way would that argument have happened with Kieran Lee or Bergsson or Jones or Toal?  No, because Sarcevic is a tool who's behaviour when Stockport beat us confirmed it.

IE also appears to be cut from that cloth, so no point taking sides in these things, they would have fallen out over something, and there will be others.

Somehow I don't see ex players of Eddie Howe, Graham Potter or Sir Gareth coming out with similar stories.

[Johnnyrotten]

22 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Their attacker just wanted it more.

Not disagreeing but Santos goes to win those challenges all the time and wins 95%, he just didn't this time, and Gregory is better than most in L1.  Also one wrong move from a defender there and its a sending off/pen.

The biggest mistake was how the easy ball over the top happened in first place, from our simple possession.

[Kane57]

30 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Their attacker just wanted it more.

He high pressed and put the low block under high stress

[gonzo]

25 minutes ago, Dimron said:

It looks to me that SB is being an excellent "modern" director supporting her manager through very difficult times. If you recruit right, a manager doesn't become "bad" overnight.

Having spent most of my life in construction, I have a background of more traditional "brutal" management practices, I have been bollocked to an inch of my life and I have also dished them out... in my case it's all about the "job" at the end of the day, this has to come before personal stuff. 

I believe both IE and SB need to think about what the club (in my world the job) needs now... I have previously parted company in poor circumstances with guys and a couple of years later we've shared some beers somewhere... nowt personal, just necessary at the time.

Aye they should both knock off at dinner on a Friday for a black crash down the local boozer and get it straightened out over some pints. 

Still sat in their work gear at 10pm taking about blocks and scoreboard pressure.

[RONNIE PHILLIPS]

47 minutes ago, gonzo said:

Their attacker just wanted it more.

Maybe it's just me..... The way I saw it Santos looked more interested in winning a physical battle than actually attacking the ball. He tried to lean into Gregory who was too clever for him. 

[thebells]

1 hour ago, Johnnyrotten said:

And while I'm looking at the highlights, Tomo is far more to blame for the 2nd goal than Santos.  A comical header to their player when he had time and space to control and pass.

I still don't see how Santos has done much wrong other than - what a terrible crime - being beaten by a player.  Imagine if every player that lost one tackle in the game got slated.  Watch it again and see how well the striker does, shows strength and skill, if we'd scored that we'd be absolutely buzzing.  We wouldn't because we no longer buy strikers with upper body strength.

Just for clarity, I’m not getting into Santos. He’s our best player for me and has been given far more grief than he deserves over the last 5 years. We’ll miss him next season. Also agree Thomason’s header was poor. 

My general point was that many of our defeats this season are coming from individual errors that didn’t happen so much last season. They were yesterdays examples, but here’s plenty more. 

[Dr Faustus]

On 01/01/2025 at 16:58, Greg_BWFC said:

Just had a look at the stats (i know 🙄), and a couple really stood out.

We had 30 touches in the box compared to their 19.

But they had 5 shots on target to our 2.

We concede some shite goals but their second is right up there for me, ball should've been long cleared.

Anyone notice the Bob Paisley quote under the stand?

“If you’re in the penalty area and aren’t quite sure what to do with the ball, stick it in the net and we’ll discuss your options afterwards!”

 

[Ani]

10 minutes ago, thebells said:

Just for clarity, I’m not getting into Santos. He’s our best player for me and has been given far more grief than he deserves over the last 5 years. We’ll miss him next season. Also agree Thomason’s header was poor. 

My general point was that many of our defeats this season are coming from individual errors that didn’t happen so much last season. They were yesterdays examples, but here’s plenty more. 

Schon v Wigan misses his kick from 3 yards out.

Collins v Barnsley misses his kick with no one in goal

Dion v Mansfield rolls the ball somehow to the  keeper from about 2 yards. 
 

All much bigger errors than anything we have seen at the back. Have not seen the Tutu cross yesterday back but at the time it looked like a 2 yard pass. 

[only1swanny]

55 minutes ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

Maybe it's just me..... The way I saw it Santos looked more interested in winning a physical battle than actually attacking the ball. He tried to lean into Gregory who was too clever for him. 

Their fans are baffled how santos didn't win that ball. 

I still am. These things happen.

2 major issues, how leaky we are at the back, and that we can't hit the net. Focus on one.. 

[burnden]

2 hours ago, Johnnyrotten said:

Or - Sharon is doing a monumental favour keeping him on.  Because he's got all this personal life/mental health stuff going on alongside being found out as a poor manager, but he's boss of a relatively big football club with all the income and stature that carries.  Loss of income, loss of status and loss of routine is what Sharon is shielding him from, apparently on the basis that if we spend even more money we might just cling to the coat tails of Reading and Stockport. 

 I presume all evatts problems he brought on himself ?  They should be left as his own problems not BWFC's . 

[Cheese]

How the fuck did we equal a 120-year clean sheet record just over a year ago, with basically the same defence we have today?

[ianofcleveleys]

1 minute ago, Cheese said:

How the fuck did we equal a 120-year clean sheet record just over a year ago, with basically the same defence we have today?

Was just about to put something like that. By this time last season we'd let in 7 goals away from home. That's the third of the pitch we've regressed in the most and needs sorting the most

[Dimron]

1 hour ago, gonzo said:

Aye they should both knock off at dinner on a Friday for a black crash down the local boozer and get it straightened out over some pints. 

Still sat in their work gear at 10pm taking about blocks and scoreboard pressure.

Those were the days...

I would expect them to go for a big X Country with the boys before the afternoon sesh

[Johnnyrotten]

1 hour ago, RONNIE PHILLIPS said:

Maybe it's just me..... The way I saw it Santos looked more interested in winning a physical battle than actually attacking the ball. He tried to lean into Gregory who was too clever for him. 

I'd agree with that, and when he loses the physical battle it goes down as a mistake, justifiably.  We see him win that same type of physical battle 95% of the time so he's justified in thinking he can rely on it, I'm certainly not absolving him of blame, he was 2nd best, but it was brilliant from Gregory.  

[desperado]

6 minutes ago, Cheese said:

How the fuck did we equal a 120-year clean sheet record just over a year ago, with basically the same defence we have today?

It’s a great question, but I don’t think you can attribute it to one thing IMO, there’s a number of factors:

Confidence, fucking about with the formation, having less protection from the midfield, players regressing, missing Toal, Johnston in bad form, changing personnel, stale tactics and lots more no doubt.

[Cheese]

6 minutes ago, desperado said:

It’s a great question, but I don’t think you can attribute it to one thing IMO, there’s a number of factors:

Confidence, fucking about with the formation, having less protection from the midfield, players regressing, missing Toal, Johnston in bad form, changing personnel, stale tactics and lots more no doubt.

Unfortunately, most of those things can be attributed to one thing. One person anyway. And I'm a "happy clapper".

Edited January 2, 2025 by Cheese

[Johnnyrotten]

1 hour ago, thebells said:

Just for clarity, I’m not getting into Santos. He’s our best player for me and has been given far more grief than he deserves over the last 5 years. We’ll miss him next season. Also agree Thomason’s header was poor. 

My general point was that many of our defeats this season are coming from individual errors that didn’t happen so much last season. They were yesterdays examples, but here’s plenty more. 

I respect that viewpoint, but mine is that most defeats have been because the opposition were by some distance better than us.  Exeter, Huddersfield, Birmingham, Stockport, Wigan, Barnsley didn't need mistakes from us, they just overran us. 

Charlton maybe not better than us, yes that mistake from Santos set them on their way. 

Mansfield weren't better than us IMO on the day, but probably were when we beat them here so 3 points from our 2 games against them is about right (with or without mistakes by either side).

[Johnnyrotten]

31 minutes ago, ianofcleveleys said:

Was just about to put something like that. By this time last season we'd let in 7 goals away from home. That's the third of the pitch we've regressed in the most and needs sorting the most

For balance, we'd conceded 12 at home by 7th October last season, this season our 12th goal conceded was on 23rd Nov.  Nobody's suggesting we've tightened up at home 😀

I don't know what the conclusion is other than that yes we concede more now and don't keep clean sheets, but we had some horror shows last season too.  Its just we had that great purple patch of 5 clean sheets on the trot (Charlton, Shrewsbury, Blackpool, Exeter, Oxford) around November.  And as you say we seemed to have the knack away from home of conceding nil or one, upto Feb.

[wakey]

3 hours ago, Kane57 said:

 That's the craziest thing I've ever heard 

you obviously haven't seen the politics thread.