York

[gillsfan1066]

Two points lost by the sound of it, seemed GFC were by far the better team on the day, but can not score? Why was there so much over time ,almost 8 minutes?

[shoutingman]

Lucky to come away with a point to be honest Chicago. Despite our improvement in the 2nd half, York also hit the post and Nelson made a good stop and we made a last ditch block on the rebound. Albeit their goal came a crap corner which Charlie Lee swung a left foot at to clear at the nearpost, barely touched it, but managed to divert into his own net.
Our goal came from the one piece of play where we actually strung some passes together by keeping the ball on the deck.
Injury time was caused by the delay when Charlie Lee and the York right back both steamed in for a header and smacked heads together. Heard the crack from the back of the Rainham End. Ouch! We'd already used all three subs by that time so Charlie Lee went off twice and valiantly came back on each time.
Strange selection to start with Fish on the bench in my opinion. So. on to Tuesday and in form Northampton with the big (BIG!) man making his return to Priestfield.
Really do need to improve our home form 'cos my wager at the start of the season is coming under serious threat!!

[Noircat]

Another lacklustre display and the 4th time running at home we have gone behind and struggled to get something out of it. Now 2 points out of the last 15 at home which in isolation would be relegation form ..............
The team I chose eventually came to pass and I thought Lee was wasted at full back and Fish should have played from the start.
This rotation for the sake of it is misfiring and I am getting sick of it.
Burchall can go back to Dover.He is never going to make it. Barret and Legge looked far less stable than usual and struggled to stay on their feet. Whelps looked like he was treading quicksand from the opening whistle.
Allen,Gregory,Frampton all forgettable contributions.
Kedwell-usual effort but I would guess he carries the record for the number 9 who shoots least in all 4 divisions.

Priestfield deserves better than this. York were another tidy but average side. The pundits on radio got it horribly wroing at 5.45pm when they criticised the criticism that was coming in. Saying that we would all have taken 2nd in the league, 1 pt adrift and a game in hand last July. Course we would but the trend at home is a slide into the abyss and one good reason for our position is the failure for our competitors to deliver their own results for which we deserve no credit.
We looked ordinary and at home we have done so since Morecambe ( and we only just scraped that win remember?).
Northampton will be a hard game but we want 7/9 points so that means a win. Not conceding will help. We seem incapable to avoid this and everytime today they swung a ball in we looked vulnerable.

Three out of ten-must do better- and quickly.
The away form wont last all season-I promise you.
NC

[Garawa]

I really don't understand what Martin Allen was thinking. We all talk about width so why Frampton as left midfield? I saw little threat from their right to warrant it and we were told there was no injuries so this was tactical. We have an abundance of players and I can understand not starting Weston but was that really the best? Clearly once Frampton was made a scapegoat and subbed we got some shape back but by then were once again chasing the game. We started the season with changes galore but good shape, now we have changes galore with bizarre formations. Why they work so well away however is a mystery.

[lidbid46]

Interesting comments - I began to worry as soon as I saw the team that had been chosen. I wonder whether the manager sees things in players that I don't, but i can't see how Gregory is better than what we already have and Frampton is not a midfield player. If there was nothing wrong with Fish, why play Lee out of position, which then leaves the midfield short? Strange. I think our problems lie in the midfield, and now that Payne has gone, coupled with an obvious managerial dislike of Jackman, we do not seem to have the players who can compete with a robust opposition. The first half was awful today and the second half was not a whole lot better. The only time that we really got the ball on the floor and showed the kind of control that we had a few weeks ago, we scored! I think it is a bit much to put the rest of the season on Cody's shoulders as well, which is what MA seems to have done tonight. I really hope that MA just picks the best side with all the players playing in their correct positions on Tuesday, or we could easily be facing another defeat against high flying Northampton.

[gillsfan1066]

Thanks guys ,makes me wonder what Allen is thinking ? Managers like Sir Alex, Mancini, AVB, beg the Gods of football to let them play the same team week in week out, when these guys have got a 2nd 11 good enough to beat 75% of the teams in the league.
I guess M.A. knows something the other managers don't ? I know one thing, players that play together week in week out can only get better, learn from each other, and dropping players from games I would imagine must be very disheartening, not knowing if you are playing from week to week.
Our home form completely baffles me, above average crowds this season does not seem to lift the team, and with a bunch of on form cobblers comming into town next week, well here's hoping we don't let all the first half of the seasons hard work start to slip away.

[Garawa]

I feel it would have been better to have played Jackman in Frampton's position as that is his role and he can be defensive if needed. Jack Evans didn't do too badly last season and he might have been a better option to rest Fish allowing Lee to play in midfield. There were options but how he came up with what he did I don't know.

Maybe a better option would be to swop and rest the same 5 odd players but leave them to play at least 3 games in a row. We play far more games than the top sides but I wouldn't mind betting the best players and highest scorers are nigh-on ever presents. The changes are causing confusion and requires adaptation but by the time we find our feet we are behind. Mr Allen, it was working a treat to start with and you proved my scepticism wrong but it clearly isn't working now.