ALDERSHOT: four wins in 19 games.

[OUFC4eva]

Another United bogey side ?

I'm Disappointed tonight. We lost our way as the second half wore on and the substitutions look to have weakened the team considerably which is unlike CW. Did he panic? Some of our players certainly did.

United were bereft of ideas and quality the longer the second half wore on and Aldershot then &quotmanaged&quot the game with the frequent breaking up of play. The Morgan goal was very well taken but gift wrapped by Tonks - he still had much to do, though.

First half, United looked very good until they reached the top of the pitch but save for a Hall header that hit the bar, Jamie Young had little to do.

So the third home loss already - don't want anymore soon, thanks.

[Shoobedoo]

I thought by the end of the game we were playing something along the lines of a 3-1-6 formation which meant we had virtually nothing creatively in midfield. I think the withdrawal of Heslop has to go down as a tactical error by Wilder in that what resulted was a melee on the edge of their area rather than any space or invention. Strikers can't score if they aren't provided with any opportunities to and that's what you need a midfield for.

Craddock should have made way for Cole. Sure I know he's an expensive signing but that should not preclude him from being taken off if he's not being influential.

Frustrating.

[recordmeister]

I thought by the end of the game we were playing something along the lines of a 3-1-6 formation which meant we had virtually nothing creatively in midfield. I think the withdrawal of Heslop has to go down as a tactical error by Wilder in that what resulted was a melee on the edge of their area rather than any space or invention. Strikers can't score if they aren't provided with any opportunities to and that's what you need a midfield for.

Craddock should have made way for Cole. Sure I know he's an expensive signing but that should not preclude him from being taken off if he's not being influential.

Frustrating.

No-one should have made way for cole. Someone should have made way for green, however.

[Myles Francis]

More performances like that and we'll have more than just the one &quotbogey&quot side. That's now three home games which we &quotshould&quot have won but contrived to lose.

Our ability to create decent goal-scoring opportunities is severely lacking. The stats on the official website say that we had 8 shots on target, to their two. Really? I certainly thought Clarke was the busier of the two custodians.

From one of the texters on RadOx afterwards, I'm glad I'm not the only one in the camp feeling frustrated at Potter rather than lavishing praise. Cutting inside from the right with lots of trickery is no use if you then lose momentum fannying around trying to get the ball onto your right foot.

I'm not going to be overly critical about Heslop's withdrawl - I don't think he was really at the races today. As with Shoobedoo's comment about Craddock, if he's not being influential, then it's the shepherd's crook.

The big issue for me was the lack of movement all over the park and the failure to find space against 10 men. Once they scored, it was a case of &quotpark the bus&quot from Aldershot but, even so, there was too much time spent waiting for things to happen rather than moving and pulling their defence around to create opportunities.

Returning to my opening points, having now lost 3 of the 6 games at home, it's now moving from &quotfrustrating&quot to &quotworrying&quot.

[GodalmingYellow]

Decent first half display. We played some excellent football at times and dominated the opening half hour.

We must learn to finish much much more clinically. A few fools are bemoaning Beano, but he is our topscorer, it is the other strikers who are not pulling their weight in the goals for column.

Yes Beano is caught offside too often, but he also scores more often than anyone else.

I too am of the opinion that CW unusually got the subs wrong. Heslop in particular was playing well and was constructive in many of our attacks. The subs definitely weakened our team and broke up our structure when we needed to maintain our structure. At this very early stage, the Mitchell Cole signing isn't working.

I'm not convinced that the starting selection is suited to the 4-3-3 formation. 4-3-3 only works with full backs pushing on in attack and strikers dropping back in defence, and requires fast counter-attacking. Craddock doesn't do his share of defending, and whilst Tonink gets forward sometimes, he isn't prolific in that regard. Purkiss doesn't get forward at all and is really a traditional full back. The 4-3-3 is too wide for the strikers without either someone holding the ball up to bring others in, or defenders and midfielders crashing forward as the 2nd wave.

Until Batt is fit, I think we should change to 4-4-2, playing Alfie as a winger rather than as a striker. When Batt is fit, then we can come back to 4-3-3.

Some credit is due to Aldershot, as despite their persistent fouling to break the game up, and time wasting, they do move the ball very quickly and are very good on the counter. Their number 10 caused Purkiss lots of problems, and their Captain Charles did a very good man to man on Constable, resulting in our only attacking threat coming from very wide strikers and little down the middle.

Their strike was a pin point accurate shot and even 3 inches in any other direction and it wouldn't have gone in, but the back pass from Tonkin was suicidal. At this level, the strikers are too quick to do that.

[Baboo]

At this very early stage, the Mitchell Cole signing isn't working.

It looks that way, but he only came on in the 78th minute. I am not sure if his colleagues had had realised he was there. He got the ball once ran into a few Shot's defenders (I thought it was us with the extra player on the park) lost the ball &amp didn't really seem to be busting a gut to get it back.

[Baboo]

From one of the texters on RadOx afterwards, I'm glad I'm not the only one in the camp feeling frustrated at Potter rather than lavishing praise. Cutting inside from the right with lots of trickery is no use if you then lose momentum fannying around trying to get the ball onto your right foot.

He's not the only one footed player in the side. I would suggest that he had to hang on to the ball longer than normal because there was so little movement around him.

[Sackcloth Ox]

Decent first half display. We played some excellent football at times and dominated the opening half hour.

We must learn to finish much much more clinically. A few fools are bemoaning Beano, but he is our topscorer, it is the other strikers who are not pulling their weight in the goals for column.

Yes Beano is caught offside too often, but he also scores more often than anyone else.

I too am of the opinion that CW unusually got the subs wrong. Heslop in particular was playing well and was constructive in many of our attacks. The subs definitely weakened our team and broke up our structure when we needed to maintain our structure. At this very early stage, the Mitchell Cole signing isn't working.

I'm not convinced that the starting selection is suited to the 4-3-3 formation. 4-3-3 only works with full backs pushing on in attack and strikers dropping back in defence, and requires fast counter-attacking. Craddock doesn't do his share of defending, and whilst Tonink gets forward sometimes, he isn't prolific in that regard. Purkiss doesn't get forward at all and is really a traditional full back. The 4-3-3 is too wide for the strikers without either someone holding the ball up to bring others in, or defenders and midfielders crashing forward as the 2nd wave.

Until Batt is fit, I think we should change to 4-4-2, playing Alfie as a winger rather than as a striker. When Batt is fit, then we can come back to 4-3-3.

Some credit is due to Aldershot, as despite their persistent fouling to break the game up, and time wasting, they do move the ball very quickly and are very good on the counter. Their number 10 caused Purkiss lots of problems, and their Captain Charles did a very good man to man on Constable, resulting in our only attacking threat coming from very wide strikers and little down the middle.

Their strike was a pin point accurate shot and even 3 inches in any other direction and it wouldn't have gone in, but the back pass from Tonkin was suicidal. At this level, the strikers are too quick to do that.

'Purkiss doesn't get forward at all'.

Man, I must have been watching a different game to you TT. He spent almost the entire second half in Aldershot's half!. On the other hand Tonkin barely overlapped all game. His error was shocking as well.

Purkiss has performed excellently and merits a first team shirt even when Batt is fit. !

[Ancient Colin]

I've said this before and been criticised for it, but I'll say it again: I remain really unconvinced by Wilder's substitutions, particularly when chasing a game: it also seems like the &quotwe changed the formation around&quot thing clearly isn't practiced or clearly discussed, leaving players confused as to roles and positions: that was pretty obvious when Clist came on and was compounded by both the other substitutions - we ended up as a formless mess. Again.

[Sackcloth Ox]

I've said this before and been criticised for it, but I'll say it again: I remain really unconvinced by Wilder's substitutions, particularly when chasing a game: it also seems like the &quotwe changed the formation around&quot thing clearly isn't practiced or clearly discussed, leaving players confused as to roles and positions: that was pretty obvious when Clist came on and was compounded by both the other substitutions - we ended up as a formless mess. Again.

When was the other time we ended up as a 'formless mess' then?
Wilder is usually spot on with his subs he wasn't at the races yesterday though, possibly cost us the game

[Myles Francis]

A few fools are bemoaning Beano, but he is our topscorer, it is the other strikers who are not pulling their weight in the goals for column.

He's scored in four games this season. Hardly setting the world alight himself either.

[GodalmingYellow]

A few fools are bemoaning Beano, but he is our topscorer, it is the other strikers who are not pulling their weight in the goals for column.

He's scored in four games this season. Hardly setting the world alight himself either.

Agreed, but when we look to criticise poor finishing, it strikes me that we shouldn't start pointing at our top scorer first.

Astonishing that Tim thinks Purkiss gets forward a lot. Sorry, but he's half the player that Batt is.

[A-Ro]

Tonks nearly cost us a second goal with another badly placed back pass later in the game, his whole game seemed to be based on passing the ball backwards instead of getting it up the field. I would rather have Batt than Purkiss but that's not to say I don't like Purkiss. Green should have come on, he did a job aganist Port Vale and I thought hte game was crying out for him.

[GodalmingYellow]

Tonks nearly cost us a second goal with another badly placed back pass later in the game, his whole game seemed to be based on passing the ball backwards instead of getting it up the field. I would rather have Batt than Purkiss but that's not to say I don't like Purkiss. Green should have come on, he did a job aganist Port Vale and I thought hte game was crying out for him.

I agree with all that. Tonks tried a back pass header as well which fell short.

I certainly don't think Purkiss isn't good enough, he clearly is good enough, I just think Batt is significantly superior in a 4-3-3. I'm a big fan of Batt if case you hadn't noticed.

[Sackcloth Ox]

Tonks nearly cost us a second goal with another badly placed back pass later in the game, his whole game seemed to be based on passing the ball backwards instead of getting it up the field. I would rather have Batt than Purkiss but that's not to say I don't like Purkiss. Green should have come on, he did a job aganist Port Vale and I thought hte game was crying out for him.

I agree with all that. Tonks tried a back pass header as well which fell short.

I certainly don't think Purkiss isn't good enough, he clearly is good enough, I just think Batt is significantly superior in a 4-3-3. I'm a big fan of Batt if case you hadn't noticed.

You used to think Foster was superior to Wright too .. Purkiss deserves his place on current form, a sounder defender,a more accurate crosser, and also taller than Batt.

An excellent signing. Wilder's good at picking defenders.

But wingers??? Hmmm.