Rage Online

Ten games to go, five games unbeaten, nine points clear of relegation, thirteen short of the playoffs.

A decent result today against one of the better teams, but good grief is this going to be a long tedious run in.

SmileyMan wrote:Ten games to go, five games unbeaten, nine points clear of relegation, thirteen short of the playoffs.

A decent result today against one of the better teams, but good grief is this going to be a long tedious run in.

I'll take a tedious run in given my recent level of concern about the 'R' word. Next season though, I and many others I'm sure will not be as patient.

I guess it's all about performances and building for next season, and hopefully achieving a top half finish at least.

I suppose another alternative will be to put on an amazing end-of-season surge, only to miss the playoffs by a point. To Northampton.

That feels right to me. It's the Oxford way.

What's frustrating is how totally solid we look now. Why didn't, or couldn't, we defend like this earlier in the season? Since January, Wright and Mullins have looked like the players we knew they were...and while I'm don't generally rate Appleton's signings, credit where credit is due, he can spot a good fullback.

It would be harsh to criticise the rest of the performance on that pitch. But again, compared to say, Dagenham away (which was the worst performance I've seen for a long time), we are definitely improving. There was a better tempo, better movement, better passing...we looked a decent team. If only Hoban had scored early on...surely it's time to give Roberts a proper run in the first team?

I like McDonald. Long may the fire remain in his belly because his tenacity clearly energises the team. Just an idea, perhaps we should play him on the right?

I still stand by my criticisms off all the other signings. Did we need Rasulo? Gnanduillet? Balmy? Hoskins? Part of managing at this level is living within your means, a seemingly totally alien concept to Appleton. Our squad would look no weaker without any of these players removing £1k a week each out of it.

Anywaym let's be positive. I've actually not seen us lose this year. Three wins and four draws. Sadly, not sure I can make another game until AFCW away...

Listening to RadOx before the match about Argyle's defensive organisation and record, our failure to score was not so surprising. But looking forward to Tuesday, then on through to the end of the season, I was impressed once again by our defensive organisation and solidity - and the luck we had with Reid's header that managed to spin the right way for once, after hitting bar and post. That level of performance is what we have needed.

What was really disappointing was Hoban's performance. His failure to score has not been a problem for me, given his all-round play. Yesterday, however, without Hylton he looked like little boy lost for much of the first half. Then, when chances did come, he failed even to make the keeper work.

Yes the pitch is a disgrace, but it is not going to get any better this season, so we need to find a way to win matches on it. My hope is that our limited attacking threat yesterday was down to the organisation of Argyle, rather than fundamental shortcomings on our part. Hey - I can dream...

http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Arg ... story.html

The pitch is the same for both teams, so it's a levelling factor.

Not so for the attendance and people who like to watch nice football - that will put them off going.

well, we made some chances and I enjoyed the first half. argyle stepped things up in the second half, but I thought we were lucky to take a point in the end -it felt like a late plymouth winner was on the cards to me. I suppose you might say in the context of a better season, that's the sort of game you sometimes need to get something from to keep good runs going.

hylton would have thrived in that game I thought. hoban did everything but score... but therein lies the problem. I guess we can only continue to hope he comes good soon...

beforehand like many I said I would be happy witha point. win on tuesday and that game looks better I suppose.

During the game I was offered a £20 bet by someone that doesn't rate Hoban at all, that he won't score all season.

Given that he is our number 9 and apparently Tippy's prime striker of choice, that would seem a straightforward bet to take.

However, I'm in two minds whether to take the bet, because whilst Hoban is starting to work opposition defenders, and he is strong to win and retain the ball, he doesn't look like a finisher. I suspect if his goal drought continues for another couple of matches, he may well be dropped in favour of Roberts, and so will get fewer chances to score.

I felt we matched Plymouth and actually played a similar style to them. Neither keeper had much to do, but both sides came close to scoring on a couple of occasions. However, we shouldn't be crowing about a nil nil draw at home to anyone. Its an OK result against a decent side, but we should expect to win almost all our home games.

Plymouth have built a good squad with several class players for this level, so we should expect a tough game against them, but a winnable game nonetheless.

Defensively, we now look much stronger, although Baldock does occasionally give the ball away midway in our half through either poor passing or hanging on to the ball too long. Not a big criticism of him though as he is the best we've had at right back for a while. The defensive unit now looks good and not likely to give away the bonkers goals we were giving away up to Christmas.

Further forward, I don't think Ruffels has been on his A game for a while, but he is the best we have other than Collins.

I really like MacDonald who supplements the front line as well as playing his part at the back. He does things that are unexpected, and at this level it works.

We missed Hylton. Tuesday will be a big test for Hoban, as if he can't score at home against the worst team in the division, big questions will need to be answered. Tippy is correct though, that performance as part of the team is more important than an individual scoring (provided someone else does the scoring).

I don't rate Gnanduillet so far albeit based admittedly on brief appearances. He has no balance, no strength and little creativity. A poor man's Kevin Francis.

I too would like to see Roberts given a run in the side.

Snake wrote:http://www.westernmorningnews.co.uk/Arg ... story.html

The pitch is the same for both teams, so it's a levelling factor.

Not so for the attendance and people who like to watch nice football - that will put them off going.

You are right, the pitch is the same for both teams - sh!t

Three observations:

1) The pitch is indeed awful. I'd love to know what has been done/said behind the scenes to ensure we don't have the same problem next year.

2) I thought Hoban looked good - excellent positional play, excellent work-rate, strong and combative. I think if he gets a goal, plenty more will come - but it's a big if. I was tempted to make a comparison with Andy Thomson who similarly looked good when he first signed in 1998, but struggled to score (missed a sitter in one of his first games in the League Cup IIRC). When Hoban blazed over from eight yards early on against Plymouth, I wondered how much that might affect him.

3) We have definitely improved since I last saw us in January, and that's encouraging. I'm still very undecided on Appleton, but we'll stay up this year, and I guess he'll get a chance next year - so now the focus has to be on building, bringing through the excellent crop of youngsters and trying to sort out the midfield which is where I'd say we still have shortcomings.

Kairdiff Exile wrote:Three observations:

1) The pitch is indeed awful. I'd love to know what has been done/said behind the scenes to ensure we don't have the same problem next year.

2) I thought Hoban looked good - excellent positional play, excellent work-rate, strong and combative. I think if he gets a goal, plenty more will come - but it's a big if. I was tempted to make a comparison with Andy Thomson who similarly looked good when he first signed in 1998, but struggled to score (missed a sitter in one of his first games in the League Cup IIRC). When Hoban blazed over from eight yards early on against Plymouth, I wondered how much that might affect him.

3) We have definitely improved since I last saw us in January, and that's encouraging. I'm still very undecided on Appleton, but we'll stay up this year, and I guess he'll get a chance next year - so now the focus has to be on building, bringing through the excellent crop of youngsters and trying to sort out the midfield which is where I'd say we still have shortcomings.

On point 1, aren't London Welsh moving to Wycombe from next season, so we should have a decent pitch again?

On point 2, I don't think it was as far out as 8 yards, more like 5 or 6.

On point 3, if there is little or no confidence in Tippy, why keep him and allow him to spend next year's budget. If it were down to me, I would keep him until we are mathematically safe this season, and then show him the door.

GodalmingYellow wrote:

Kairdiff Exile wrote:We have definitely improved since I last saw us in January, and that's encouraging. I'm still very undecided on Appleton, but we'll stay up this year, and I guess he'll get a chance next year - so now the focus has to be on building, bringing through the excellent crop of youngsters and trying to sort out the midfield which is where I'd say we still have shortcomings.

...if there is little or no confidence in Tippy, why keep him and allow him to spend next year's budget. If it were down to me, I would keep him until we are mathematically safe this season, and then show him the door.

I'd probably do the same - but my post says that I guess he will get the chance next year (ie, regardless of whether we want him to or not). I can't see Eales et al sacking their mate, so I think it has to be more about what restrictions and objectives are imposed on him for next year. That means an explicit targets and milestones (be in the play-offs by the end of the year, achieve promotion at the end of the season) along with the requirement that he only gets X number of loanees and has to use the youth team products to fill any gaps (Lenagan's best move with Wilder, and something we should have retained this season).

Interesting, though, that the same youth players have actually developed a great deal under MApp (or Fazackerley or whoever), whereas Wilder's resistance to using them seemed to rub off on the players. I think the acid test here is not Roberts, who has always been a good prospect, but the likes of Long and Ruffels.