Torquay United v Altrincham 2/2/21

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 02 Feb 2021, 23:10

Is it that simple? We totally changed our shape tonight.

Evans our stand out player was rendered completely ineffective by being asked to chase punted high balls. Just a complete waste of time. Little seemed to be playing wherever he liked but completely **** up our midfield unit by giving the ball away constantly.

We want to play with a lone striker so the only one who can remotely play that role wasn't even on the bench tonight. Not really a time to experiment - we are top of the league and were playing a part time team, yet started the game with no recognized strikers on the pitch. Completely ridiculous.

I agree don't think Altrincham were anything that special. For once Johnson got it wrong tonight.

culmstockgull · Post by **culmstockgull** » 03 Feb 2021, 09:01

I have just listened to Johnsons post match chat, He placed all the failings on the players which to me is very unfair, he picked the eleven, he decided strategy, I would have liked him to have come out and be big enough and say I got it wrong , because he most definitely did. He was more concerned about the way they played than our own game which on the day is as good as anyone's in this league. Packing the team with midfielders all believing they are the playmaker was a recipe for disaster, and who would have guessed that so many of these gifted midfielders would have a off game on the same night, Hall had a rare game when he had no influence other than the timing of his substitution, Little could not string two passes together and his touch was abysmal ,Randell was trying to do Hall job rather badly. When it came to changes other than nemane, whitfield and cameron he could have changed the rest.
He obviously intends to take the bulk of the first eleven up to Southport, whereas the likes of Umerah, Koszela, Buse if he is fit Wynter who is allegedly fit but lacks game time maybe even Slough and price at the back should get a run out, If this season progresses as it has during the last month then promotion is no longer a nailed on certainty that we all believed at Christmas and I for one do not wish to remember the 2020/2021 season as being the winners of the mickey mouse cup.

Modgull · Post by **Modgull** » 03 Feb 2021, 10:40

I actually think the Southport game is a blessing - an opportunity to reset the team and, hopefully instil some of the confidence which seemed to be missing last night. I think he should pick his best team in order to re-establish the winning formula.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 03 Feb 2021, 10:43

We normally seem to look leg weary on a third game in seven days and with Altrincham getting a rest on Saturday I'm not sure whether that had any bearing.
Exactly my thoughts on his interview - its all very well blaming the players but it looked obvious after about five minutes that the players didn't know what they were doing - defenders looked uncertain, distributing the ball, midfielders getting in each others way. His formation was a recipe for disaster.
Game was lost in the first half because of the formation and the visitors were allowed to do what they liked in the second half by a truly pathetic referee. How on earth did their fat (and useless keeper) not get booked for time wasting?
We made them look better than they were with Johnson fretting about how they play instead of playing to our strengths.
As for the Trophy game - surely he won't play the first team? We've got enough players to make up more than half a team - Whitfield, Nemane, and Evans deserve a rest for starters. Surely its more important that we beat Wealdstone and Woking next week.

Hammdog2601 · Post by **Hammdog2601** » 03 Feb 2021, 11:22

This one stings. No one on the pitch was good last night.
Whitfield and Nemane were absolutely woeful. I hope I never see Evans upfront again. Sherring Will learn from that pathetic decision. We couldn’t even pass the ball last night. Looked like a bunch of lad who were playing their first ever game together. Let’s hope we turn a corner from here, that result has been coming. What do we do from here? Sheaf & Andrews have to get their opportunity in the FA Trophy game. Im sort of thinking we play Street and waters upfront as a 2 and see how we do.

If I see injuries are the reason I may go headbut a wall. The kinky one were really misusing is Wright. That tonight other than Wright is our best 11. Arguable Wynter but Lewis and Sherring have proven this season that they’re on Ben’s level.

Every game going forward in massive if were wanting to win the league we cannot have anymore under par performances

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 03 Feb 2021, 12:32

Sherring misjudged a tackle - hardly pathetic, That can't possibly be our best starting eleven because we didn't have one striker on the pitch.

You would think that the four players you mentioned would be start on Saturday, plus Umerah should be involved as well. Anyone else who is fit who wasn't involved last night should play as well. I'd give Little another start on Saturday on condition he doesn't play in the next league game. Given that Lewis can also play as a defensive midfielder we've got the manpower to rest our entire first choice midfield in this one.

Thought that Sheaf looked good against Notts County but hasn't featured since.

MellowYellow · Post by **MellowYellow** » 03 Feb 2021, 13:58

culmstockgull wrote: ↑03 Feb 2021, 09:01 I have just listened to Johnsons post match chat, He placed all the failings on the players which to me is very unfair, he picked the eleven, he decided strategy, I would have liked him to have come out and be big enough and say I got it wrong , because he most definitely did. He was more concerned about the way they played than our own game which on the day is as good as anyone's in this league. Packing the team with midfielders all believing they are the playmaker was a recipe for disaster, and who would have guessed that so many of these gifted midfielders would have a off game on the same night, Hall had a rare game when he had no influence other than the timing of his substitution, Little could not string two passes together and his touch was abysmal ,Randell was trying to do Hall job rather badly. When it came to changes other than nemane, whitfield and cameron he could have changed the rest.

Hard to be a critic of Gary Johnson given the league position we are in but on this occasion I tend to agree with you culmstockgull. I would add that seeing CLE as our front man being easily herded off the ball by their defence was hard to take and seeing him go down looking for the fouls was even harder - ref saw right through it.

All the above being said I cannot see Gary Johnson rushing to pick a top heavy midfield side in our coming games - its a recipe for disaster.

Kingsgull83 · Post by **Kingsgull83** » 03 Feb 2021, 17:46

The post game reaction sums our fans up perfectly (mostly on Facebook threads I might add) I just hope GJ doesn’t read any of this as he will realise how deluded our fans our and go elsewhere.

A couple of points
1. The performance wants good enough, no one is disputing that.
2. The experiment didn’t work (top of the league with a little breathing space haven’t we earned the right to try things)
3. I can see GJ’s logic, Alt’s are a possession based team. He wanted a ball players to dictate the game and dominate possession (see point 2 - it didn’t work)
4. We are still top
5. We are playing in the Conference players are not going to turn up ever game, they are going to make mistakes.
6. Chill the out and get behind the team, the season might be called off in a few weeks and we can start next season back at square 1.

Post by **Louis** » 04 Feb 2021, 10:43

Highlights

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 04 Feb 2021, 10:46

We reverted from the formula that has served us well all season so in my view didn't go into the game with the best chance of winning which is why it is so galling.
We were playing Altrincham not Real Madrid - not playing a recognized striker looked daft before the game started and backfired even more after we kicked off.
Watching Evans chasing hoofballs all night wasn't much fun. He was clearly knackered and most times the striker would be substituted, but he was then moved back into his favoured role by which time his legs had gone and he wasn't his normal threat.
Sorry, but the team selection and formation looked nigh on idiotic and wnet some way to us producing our worst performance of the season.

culmstockgull · Post by **culmstockgull** » 04 Feb 2021, 15:16

Two days on and this match still galls me, I understand we will lose matches to better teams and even teams that have a stroke of luck.Beating ourselves is totally unacceptable. In terms of opposition, Notts County and Sutton were to my mind of far higher quality, one contributor has mentioned we are conference players so must expect issues with class and experience, disagree with that one, the majority of our team has league experience, they know what to do if they are given a game plan and the time to digest that information and more importantly they buy in to the change. At the most we had one training session between last Saturday and Tuesday's debacle to take on a completely new set up and try and make it work.This wasn't the same as a seamless transfer from 433 to 442 this was effectively 46 , it didnt take a rocket scientist to realise the midfield would be tripping over each other. Far too much is expected of the likes of Whitfield , Nemane and Evans , the three players who make things happen in the final third, because they have big engines anything less than 90 minutes producing the goods, three games a week is considered a poor performance. But is it any wonder they look knackered and do not perform every match, if you take out Randell and Lewis, the stand in full backs our usual back four are carthorses in terms of pace so the three creative players also have a huge defensive responsibility. I hope they get a rest Saturday because they certainly have earned it.

brucie · Post by **brucie** » 04 Feb 2021, 17:03

I agree we beat ourselves with the formation.

Evans spent 60 minutes chasing hopeful punts overhead and the odd time the ball was played into his feet he was fouled with no protection from the referee. The loan striker always gets substituted in the second half as they have the most running to do.

Clearly putting Evans back into midfield was another nonsensical decision.

Sesimbra · Post by **Sesimbra** » 04 Feb 2021, 18:44

I do agree that GJ is probably the best manager in this league. However it would appear there is one weakness in his credentials. That is the honesty to admit he has got it wrong. Even Premier League managers have admitted this on occasions. I still believe, however, that GJ will get us promoted.

desperado · Post by **desperado** » 04 Feb 2021, 20:01

I agree to a great extent about the team set up and I would have preferred not to have CLE as a lone striker but I dont think and maybe Gary doesn't think that either Umerah or Street are quite up to the job at the moment. I would prefer him to bring in someone with a few more games under their belt in that role in our position. You have to play extremely well to pass your way through an organised defence without the option/outlet of a proper target man as others have said to give you a change of tactics. Having said that, formations don't win matches, and if the players had been at it, we still could have won the game. What upset me the most was the lack of gutsy fightback in the second half , I expected a seige - like v Dagenham - but it never happened, we failed to test their 'fat and useless' keeper as Brucie called him which was unforgivable ( failing to test him I mean, not calling him fat and useless !) All the players lacked their usual sharpness and aggressive pressing yet it was Altrincham who had been on the coach all afternoon after finishing work. They may have taken 22 of their 33 points away from home but they were nothing special.
A convincing win and performance against Wealdstone next tuesday is essential.

nickbrod · Post by **nickbrod** » 04 Feb 2021, 20:30

Johnson is no fool and my guess is that he and his brother have irons in the fire especially as the club's ownership is hell bent on promotion - assuming the votes are to continue the season.

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