We're not good, but are we lucky?

[YF Dan]

I think it's fair to say that on current form, we're not the best team in the league. We're probably not the second best team in the league either.

But today, by golly, we got lucky. And, teams that get lucky at the right time sometimes go up.

I said to my brother before the match only two results would do for us today: either a big win or a really jammy, ball in off Phil Whelan's arse against Colchester in the last minute win, which we scarcely deserved. Either one could kick start our season, in the way that a drab 1-nil wouldn't.

That was a massive goal for us. Stevenage will read tomorrow that we were shit, but got really lucky, and that will bother them.

They are now in a slight pickle. We have to win on Tuesday. They need to not lose. I always fancy the team that has to win in these situations. I now fancy us a lot more than I did five hours ago.

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That optimism aside: Why Matt Green doesn't start every game, I don't know. He's been our best player this season.

I saw the logic in Jamie Cook starting, but I was bitterly disappointed in his &quotefforts&quot. I don't want him chasing around like a headless chicken, but in return I want him to try to do things that others can't do. Three or four times he was in a decent position to beat the fullback ... not once did he try. His body language wasn't good.

Corners. Somebody please show Chris Wilder the video of the promotion season. It's not rocket science.

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Luton's result today is interesting. I don't mind it actually, as massive wins can breed over-confidence and arrogance, two things our friends from Bedfordshire are particularly prone to already.

Worst case scenario is we have to play one of either Luton or Stevenage in the play-offs at some point. Again, I don't mind the thought of playing against a team with a huge sense of injustice/arrogance/over-confidence. We now know we're not the best team in the league, and that might just focus our minds on the task in hand.

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Believe? Maybe.

[Peterorange]

We now know we're not the best team in the league, and that might just focus our minds on the task in hand.

But the frustrating thing is we WERE the best team in the league till Wilder turned into Tinkerman.

[OUFC4eva]

Why Matt Green doesn't start every game, I don't know. He's been our best player this season.

Astonishing.

There's a fella at United called Simon Clist who I would say is easily been our best player and consistent every week. Clist is a top pro. After training
most days, he heads straight to the gym for extra training and works on the power and strength side of his game. He is dedicated and super fit as was shown late on yesterday.

Matt Green has the potential to be a to be a top, top striker in the lower leagues. He has pace, power and strength but surely there is question mark over his hunger and desire? I can easily see why he gets left out
and I am hoping that the penny drops with him. He could be in this side every week were his attitude better.

I reckon CW believes his work rate is not high enough. If he can get anywhere near Beano's attitude we will have two top strikers.

[Baboo]

Astonishing.

There's a fella at United called Simon Clist who I would say is easily been our best player and consistent every week. Clist is a top pro. After training
most days, he heads straight to the gym for extra training and works on the power and strength side of his game. He is dedicated and super fit as was shown late on yesterday.

I think Clist is a very good player indeed but no way is he &quoteasily&quot our best player. Is he the first name on the team sheet? I wouldn't have thought so. And to say he has been consistent every week is not true imho. His form has dipped too recently.

&quotMatt Green has the potential to be a to be a top, top striker in the lower leagues. He has pace, power and strength but surely there is question mark over his hunger and desire? I can easily see why he gets left out
and I am hoping that the penny drops with him. He could be in this side every week were his attitude better.

I reckon CW believes his work rate is not high enough. If he can get anywhere near Beano's attitude we will have two top strikers.&quot

If he's lazy why did we bother to get him back?
Jamie Cook's work rate? Perhaps that's why we've seen so little of him too.
Midson?

[GodalmingYellow]

We were very very lucky to escape with the win.

Our back line was very poor again, with Rhys Day the main culprit this time and Jake Wright not far behind.

Some in the crowd were berating Chalmers, but I thought he was by no means our worst player and actually tried to take on the Gateshead players, a trait that a few of his team mates might like to consider.

Why Cook? Why not Midson? Beyond me that one, unless he is being saved for Tuesday.

Once again we had too many players not prepared to take responsibility. When we tried to play the passing game, we ran out of patience after 4 or 5 passes and gave the ball away. The passing game takes much more patience than that. Sure we don't wanrt 20 passes along the back line, but I got the feeling the players were over trying a little, trying to force the issue too quickly, when a bit more passing would have drawn Gateshead out a little more and possibly created more space.

Quite how the ref could over-rule the linesman for the offside goal I just don't understand. Perhaps the replay will highlight something, because otherwise it would have to go down as a refereeing shocker.

The win was a relief, but a bit like Dan, I came away feeling this could be a turning point, and if we can avoid defeat on Tuesday and win on Friday, all the pressure will be on Stevenage, and it just might be their turn to crack.

Very good crowd considering recent fom. Let's get to Stevenage and Hayes in numbers and see what this team is capable of. There is no worthy alternative.

I heard today that Foster was kicked out for trying to get off with Matt Green's missus. I've no idea if that was the truth or not, but if so, then I would have to go with Wilder's decision.

[deanwindass]

Our back line was very poor again, with Rhys Day the main culprit this time and Jake Wright not far behind.

I'm going to have to bite again I'm afraid. Either you're being facetious or we're watching different matches. I agree about Day who was woeful but Jake Wright was probably MOTM. He won almost everything in the air, made some important challenges and was well positioned to clear up following Day's numerous errors. One of the few players to have come out of the game with any credit in my opinion.

[Steppers]

Day makes a horrific error every game so far all unpunished (I dont think you can blame him for the R&ampD goal)

Now I dont know what Crights did wrong but I would be much much happy with Crights over Day with Wright. (&amp yes I would be really happy with Foster and wright but it aint going to happen)

What I noticed is that I think Wilder has lost confidence in his team/formation and therefore has become the tinkerman.

I am all for swapping wingers etc but Chappers was causing issues down there left untilt he switch to 4-4-2, all the payers looked confused when deering went walkabout and then chapman thought he would go into midfield to try something and left a massive hole for our fast paced Day to cover!!

For me the team for the rest of the season should be (easy to float between 442 &amp 433 depending on home and away and oppo.

Clarke
Batt (no other choice)Crights Wright Tonkin

Chapman Chalmers Clist


Potter Constable M Green

Bench

Turley
Day
Bulman (He is knackered)
Deering (He is Yemi)
Midson


We need to attack as one nil wins only works when you dont conceed!, we do. We also need to create chances and some form if we are going to worry anyone in the play offs. Also with the team above we actually have a few options from set pieces rather than CList floaters.

[recordmeister]

Our back line was very poor again, with Rhys Day the main culprit this time and Jake Wright not far behind.

I'm going to have to bite again I'm afraid. Either you're being facetious or we're watching different matches. I agree about Day who was woeful but Jake Wright was probably MOTM. He won almost everything in the air, made some important challenges and was well positioned to clear up following Day's numerous errors. One of the few players to have come out of the game with any credit in my opinion.

Indeed what Jerome and Nick were saying at HT and FT yesterday, re: Wright.

I have honestly no idea why Grant, a player on-loan, is chosen in the squad ahead of Midson, bought in on a 2 year deal. And no-one seems to know where the choice to play Cook came from. It all seems quite random at the moment- maybe Wilder is the first ever Dadaist manager we have had. I might rename the Kassam, The Cabaret Voltaire...

[GodalmingYellow]

Our back line was very poor again, with Rhys Day the main culprit this time and Jake Wright not far behind.

I'm going to have to bite again I'm afraid. Either you're being facetious or we're watching different matches. I agree about Day who was woeful but Jake Wright was probably MOTM. He won almost everything in the air, made some important challenges and was well positioned to clear up following Day's numerous errors. One of the few players to have come out of the game with any credit in my opinion.

Bite away, it's all opinions, and without any, this forum would be a bit dull.

Sorry, but on 3 occassions, Wright drifting too far to the right a nd too far forwards with no cover available, left a gaping whole between himself and Tonkin which Gateshead exploited, and but for better shooting would likely have scored. At least 3 times Wright was caught in possession in our half, which again against better opposition would have resulted in goals against. His mistakes are so often covered by Tonkin. Yes heading is important and Wright is beginning to gain confidence in the air, but that alone is far from MoM stuff.

Constable was MoM for me, closely followed by Deering. Clist had a decent game as well, running many miles chasing down their midfield.

[OUFC4eva]

Terry, to conclude that Deering was second to Constable in the man of the match stakes simply beggars belief.

I don't know what game you were watching yesterday - you can't have been at Grenoble Road.

[Baboo]

Terry, to conclude that Deering was second to Constable in the man of the match stakes simply beggars belief.

Possibly - or it is proof of how poorly we are playing and how far off their best ALL the players are at the moment.

[Kernow Yellow]

For what it's worth, Jerome said in the closing moments of yesterday's commentary &quotIf Jake Wright isn't given the man of the match award today, then I really don't know what's going on&quot. Insert your own gag if you like.

I wasn't there so won't offer any further comment, other than to say that in the 4 or 5 games I've seen since the new centre back pairing, Wright has looked pretty good while Day has made me nervous. But then Creighton has always made me nervous (and his distribution is appalling), so given that Foster is no longer with us, I am quite happy with the current selection. If only we had a decent right back (Chapman gives the ball away too often to be a defender, and don't get me started on Batt's deficiencies), we'd have a pretty good defence.

[GodalmingYellow]

Terry, to conclude that Deering was second to Constable in the man of the match stakes simply beggars belief.

I don't know what game you were watching yesterday - you can't have been at Grenoble Road.

Now you see, I am thinking the same about you.

Pretty much everyone within 10 seats of where I seat agrees about how (relatively) bad Wright is. Do you sit behind the goal or something giving you a weird perspective?

[Kernow Yellow]

Pretty much everyone within 10 seats of where I seat agrees about how (relatively) bad Wright is.

Are you sure they don't just find it easier to agree with you than offer any other opinion?

[ty cobb]

What can be said beyond any doubt is that Foster and the Beast were a far better centre back pairing than Wright and Day. We look like conceding from most set pieces now and we are constantly unlocked by a simple ball over the top or a flick on. Wright is the Gilly of the centre backs, he needs a Elliott alongside him to win the headers and deal with the big centre forwards, Day doesn't do that job very well.

We were awful on Sat. A team who lost 8-0 should have beaten us, they had the better chances and put the most pressure on.

The system we play is not working, with Cook (who did ok but looks very low on confidence and who can blame him) and LSD up top we need to get the ball down and play it. However, without Murray nobody from midfield comes short for it and can then do something as simple as pass it to one of our front three. Hence it goes straight from the back usually in the air where we lose it. This means LSD ends up coming short for it to try and get in the game and we lose our shape.

Instead of Chlamers (who did well) we needed someone to come in who could create something to replace Murray. Given the squad I'd go 4-4-2, Bulman and Chalmers/Hargreaves in the middle with LSD/Cook/Clist out wide with Beano and Green/Midson up top.

At the moment we have no width and are very predictable, hopefully this is due to a shortage of confidence and the win may help with that but I fear what will happen to us on Tue, a loss/draw and we're in the play offs. a hammering and we will be shot to pieces for the rest of the season.

A win and the confidence and momentum will come back - I just can't see how that will happen though.

Is Wilder still the man - absolutely and hopefully he will have learnt that fucking about with a top of the table team is not the way to win the league.