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Maybe a good time to assess the new managers signings, what they bring to the table and more importantly are they an improvement on what we already have.

Cooper - utility player who hasn't set foot on the pitch yet. Where he has been brought into play is a mystery. Right/left back/Cental midfield. Appears a bit injury prone.

Stockley - inexperienced striker who scored one and made one at Wimbledon. For me he did well last night.

Goodwin - last two games played on the wing. Even more inexperienced. Hargreaves admits he is not a winger so its really difficult to see how he could keep Bodin or Chapple out of the team. Main asset is pace. For me his distribution was awful last night. His role could be as an impact sub played down the middle but is he trusted in this position?

O'Brien - Big lad who has only played three minutes in each of the past two games. No chance to show anything last night but was beaten in a foot race by their full back who had been running on suet for 87 minutes. Looked to lack any pace. Did HArgreaves really want Marquis?

Rudge - our Man Utd starlet who hasn't managed to make the bench in the past two games. More inexperienced than the other signings and I am finding it difficult to work out where he fits in.

Stevens - Miles behind our best wingers Bodin/Chapple. Also Goodwin is being utilised in his position. Then theres Cameron. Stevens would be as much use as a turd on our pitch.

So these our the players who are going to preserve our league status? looking like a huge task to me.........

that also is a very good posting i was thinking along those lines myself last night his signings have been poor so far for me and i dont even count stevens as a signing cos ime sure Jeremy beadle got involved with his contract negotiation i mean we havent really signed him have we unless we need a cone man like our good friend mr hancox used to be

We have the same problem now that we had at the start of the season. We need a bloke who will score 20 goals a season. Very difficult to get for a club our size - especially in the loan market as these types are usually playing regular for their parent clubs.

This is not Hargreaves fault but Knill's who took a punt (and a considerable wedge of your playing budget I expect) on Hawley being the man to do this. Marquis is the closet we have got but once a loan gets injured or shows form then the inevitable happens. Whether Hargreaves tried hard enough to get him back over Northampton in unknown but we have missed his type since day 1.

Rich is quite right. If you want to see what a terrible team with a 20 goal striker can achieve, take a trip to Plymouth. Lose Reid from that squad and they go down. The squad, the manager, the club are fodder, but they've got a striker who scores every week and a bit of luck with penalties and they're pushing for the Playoffs.
Sort of the same with Rovers, a bottom two side with the addition of O'Toole.
All across the pitch, we've been good enough to stay up comfortably this season, but up front we're totally lacking. Opposition score every time they attack and we don't score at all. We're not one of the two worst sides this year, not by a long shot, but we have deficiencies in key areas which leave us in the drop zone.

If one of our players goes on a hot streak of, say, 5 in 5, we'll be alright, that's how close we are to being an average team. That's not necessarily because we're good, but perhaps because the division is so poor.

Matt.

Its a fair point but we are not good enough around the rest of the pitch. How can we be if we have the highest goals conceded total in the league?

brucie wrote:Its a fair point but we are not good enough around the rest of the pitch. How can we be if we have the highest goals conceded total in the league?

I agree, I think the point is more that we have often been poor in the positions where a club like ours cannot afford to be poor.

We have a collection of decent enough players, particularly in midfield and in goal - for this division, but we do not have a decent enough team.

I wouldn't disagree with most points raised on here but when we played at Pompey, the second half was real backs to the wall stuff. It was there that the whole defence stood up and were duly counted. They were immense. Add that to what I feel is a very good collection of midfielders and widemen it really points to a lack of a decent forward line. Yes we may have leaked a lot of goals but when the ball comes back at us so often it isn't rocket science to conclude that our rearguard face more pressure than they should. Fix the forward line and the whole dynamic of the team changes.

Southampton Gull wrote:I wouldn't disagree with most points raised on here but when we played at Pompey, the second half was real backs to the wall stuff. It was there that the whole defence stood up and were duly counted. They were immense. Add that to what I feel is a very good collection of midfielders and widemen it really points to a lack of a decent forward line. Yes we may have leaked a lot of goals but when the ball comes back at us so often it isn't rocket science to conclude that our rearguard face more pressure than they should. Fix the forwardline and the whole dynamic of the team changes.

This.

Deffo need to sort our forward line - Benners is too weak (in my opinion), and was definately the player that frustrated me the most v Pompey.

Scott Brehaut wrote: This.

Deffo need to sort our forward line - Benners is too weak (in my opinion), and was definately the player that frustrated me the most v Pompey.

Definitely this.
Benners was great for us previously in a 4-4-2 with big strong players around him (Manse, Greavsie, Zebedee, Sills to name four) I just don't think he is the answer right now.
I'm also unsure as to the merits of bringing new attacking players in, all we are going to be able to get is more unproven kids. I am sure we have the answers already, it's just a case of figuring our the right combination.
With whatever back four we pick plus Lathrope and Labadie in midfield we have a solid base. At the moment I think Bodin, Chappell, Stockley or O'Brien plus one other is where we need to look. Two games in a week with the same eleven may give us a chance for something to gel. Playing once a week or less with a different 11 each time really isn't helping at the moment.

I thought last night, defensively we looked awful.

A defence of two youngsters Pearce and O'Connor being flanked by our non-league full-back pairing, both of whom have seen better days. Last night was a game crying out for Aaron Downes, with O'Connor, perhaps at RB.

Goodwin didn't really look the part for me, on the left-wing. The flanks operated by Bodin and Chapell, in my view, would give the team more balance.

Hawley, well, just what is the point? He looks overweight, is slow and he doesn't score. Just what you want from a forward you sign up for two years. Thank you, Alan Knill!

Benyon is ineffective, also. It should be Stockley and O'Brien up front next time.

To be honest, I had forgotten about Cooper and perhaps it will be time for him to have a go next game.

Hector, that's what is so puzzling. As awful as they were from what you saw last night they were the polar opposite away from home. The fans at Pompey were loud and very supportive, could it possibly be the negative influence of a home crowd? If not then what could possibly cause two such contrasting performances? Both were must win games so it's a mystery. I think we need to persist with the nucleus but somehow try to get a better attacking option.

Southampton Gull wrote:Hector, that's what is so puzzling. As awful as they were from what you saw last night they were the polar opposite away from home. The fans at Pompey were loud and very supportive, could it possibly be the negative influence of a home crowd? If not then what could possibly cause two such contrasting performances? Both were must win games so it's a mystery. I think we need to persist with the nucleus but somehow try to get a better attacking option.

Yep - agree with that SG except that I wouldn't describe last night's supporters (less than 2000 home fans) as negative. I think we got behind the team despite what we were witnessing before our very eyes ! I know CH is looking to bring in another striker - let's hope he's successful.

I agree with a lot that is said here , also poke was terrible in the 2 goals last night ,which is unusual.why not play goodwin up front with stockley, will somebody explain how probably the worst footballer in the country keeps creeping into our team (benyon) he cant score ,, he falls over at every given opportunity,, he argues with the ref like a juvenile spoilt kid.he is totally crap!!!!!!!!!!!!! play chapple and bodin (if he's fit)on the flanks,,,probably 2 of our best footballers. Nicholson ,,,,,,,,,, I cant ,,,, words fail me ,he is like a snail pulling a gas stove around the field. cooper looked excellent in pre season. there is hope but not if he keeps picking his mates.

I don't know whether this is the right place ,, but the foul on Billy Bodin was terrible , not a foul!!!11 the dirty b*stard
should have been sent off for dangerous play, he could have broken Bodins leg. it looked like a pre match plan to take him out ,, as did to keep firing the ball down the right flank at brian the snail..
It makes you wonder if the squirrel killer had anything to do with it..

okehampton gull wrote:I agree with a lot that is said here , also poke was terrible in the 2 goals last night ,which is unusual.why not play goodwin up front with stockley, will somebody explain how probably the worst footballer in the country keeps creeping into our team (benyon) he cant score ,, he falls over at every given opportunity,, he argues with the ref like a juvenile spoilt kid.he is totally crap!!!!!!!!!!!!! play chapple and bodin (if he's fit)on the flanks,,,probably 2 of our best footballers. Nicholson ,,,,,,,,,, I cant ,,,, words fail me ,he is like a snail pulling a gas stove around the field. cooper looked excellent in pre season. there is hope but not if he keeps picking his mates.

Yes - I suffered the two goals again on the tele tonight (they didn't bother to show Pearce's goal !!). As good as Pokey has been in recent weeks, he didn't cover himself with glory last night. Both goals looked even worse on tele - Sinclair had the freedom of Plainmoor. Couple of questions - 1. has anyone heard the extent of Bodin's injury ? 2. when does the loan transfer window close?