Rage Online

A really worrying game. Yes we created enough chances to win it several times over, but if we’re not going to take them it doesn’t really help does it? We lack a ruthlessness, and not just in front of goal.

It might be stating the obvious, but Clare is never going to be a right back. He was at least partially responsible for all three goals and almost gave away another one too. We desperately need to sign some more defenders.

I didn’t even see our goal as iFollow was playing silly buggers at half time and I didn’t get it going soon enough. But Agyei showed enough in the first half to warrant starting more games. No one else really covered themselves in glory, even if plenty of the football was quite easy on the eye. But if we’re going to concede three goals to teams as average as Gillingham we’ve got no hope.

Grr.

We definitely need a big old beast with a load of lower league experience somewhere in the back four to shore it up. Just someone to put a rocket up the rest of them.

I said to anyone who'd listen before pre-season that we were a pair of full backs short of a really decent side, and that we'd need to replace Dickie if he went.

That we haven't done any of this (it's a violation of the Trade Description Act to call Clare a right back), but instead stacked the club with midfielders again, means we're incredibly frail at the back. If this isn't sorted by the time the window closes then I fear a much more challenging season than I'd originally anticipated.

Shoobedoo wrote: ↑Sun Oct 11, 2020 5:47 pm We definitely need a big old beast with a load of lower league experience somewhere in the back four to shore it up. Just someone to put a rocket up the rest of them.

Agree with that. The moment I knew we were going to be serious contenders in the Conference in 2009/10 was when we signed Mark Creighton and he was pictured on the back page of the Oxford Mail, replete with massive arm muscles and dwarfing Chris Wilder. My immediate reaction was that he scared the willies out of me and he'd do the same to opposition strikers. It was the missing ingredient to that side.

Clearly we're in a different place now, and we need someone technically accomplished as well as physically strong. But as Shoobedoo says, we lack bite and we need an imposing character (physically and emotionally) to give us some backbone and fight. I'm just about old enough to remember when Denis Smith spotted Matt Elliott's talent and brought him in - that's the sort of player we need.

Can I just point out that we had a very good centre back, and sold him during the summer, for what many regard as a pittance.

Had we got him sorted on a long term contract 18 months ago, we would now either have a decent centre back or funds for a decent centre back.

I do think the biggest problem with our recruitment has been far too much focus on central midfielders.

When was the last time we signed a full back, or wing back on a permanent contract? I think Robbo works on the basis that wide midfielders can be converted, but we’ve only had limited success with this in Josh Ruffels.

Also we will concede fewer goals, if the defence are not under so much pressure. That means converting more chances up front, as well as minimising the exposure of our defensive line with high fast pressing midfield. We miss Segnor Gorrin. And also a bit less of the pussy footing in our own half.

OtmoorYellow wrote: ↑Mon Oct 12, 2020 1:59 pm Can I just point out that we had a very good centre back, and sold him during the summer, for what many regard as a pittance.

Had we got him sorted on a long term contract 18 months ago, we would now either have a decent centre back or funds for a decent centre back.

Agree with the first sentence, but not the second. You can't force a player to sign a contract. Dickie knew his career was on an upwards trajectory and that signing a long-term contract might limit his options or limit his ability to cash in personally. I've no problem with that. I just wish (like you) that we'd held out for a better deal than what we got.