Torquay United v Scunthorpe United - 5/4/14

[PlainmoorRoar]

I understand the frustration, I really do. But I don't understand the chanting and never will. It's completely counter productive and only serves to drive a wedge between the players and the fans. Aren't we supposed to be "all in this together"?

[kevgull]

Bodin and Hawley are probably the worst pairing we could have put out, considering our league position and requirement for a result.


When you bring in a striker on loan, with some pedigree, in a last ditched effort to avoid relegation, it would make perfect sense to play them in their natural position.

According to CH he took Coulthirst off because he was being double tagged and had become ineffective as a winger. Strangely Bodin was left on the pitch to squander the striking role Coulthirst was brought in for!

Shaq's performance was head and shoulders above any other player on the field and he rightly deserved the resounding applause he received, as he bewilderedly left the field.

Maybe a simple swap of positions between Bodin and Shaq would have produced the right result as I just wonder how good Shaq would have been playing as a striker?

I think our starting line up should have been the following:
Cameron, Stockley, Coulthirst, Chappel

The man is destined for the media at not football management.

[arcadia]

There was nothing wrong with the formation or team but Hawley was the only player in the club who could hold the ball in the formation. I agree that Coulthirst should have gone down the middle later in the game and there was no need for Yeoman OR Benyon. I don't agree with you about Bodin, I think he helped us control the game first half and tired as he's never worked so hard and had a lot of touches on the ball. I felt Hargreaves should have moved Mansell higher up the pitch in the second half as like you said Bodin never got up with Hawley because we were to deep hence Mansell moving forward. Lets be fair we have played a top side and we are bottom and we outplayed them for seventyfive minutes. Rice had one real shot to deal with if the penalty had gone in the game may have been different. Craig would have been the best option when Bodin was tired and may have hit the target with one of the freekicks. To late now.

[messinghamiron]

From a friendly Scunthorpe United Fan.
I made the long trek and made a weekend of it. Your fans were extremely friendly but had "the thrown in towel attitude". Every person that I met, my friends and I assured them that that game was not going to be a walk in the park and the game proved it. We excel at losing to teams that are fighting in the bottom. I did say that if we came away with a draw that would be just. We are difficult to beat and the 12 draws we have had, we were leading in all but 2 games, our manager knows how to motivate the players, which brings me to Knill, I'm sorry that Alan Knill was your manager, we came down 2 divisions whilst he was the manager here.
I thought that Karl Hawley played exceptionally well, it really looked like he wanted to score against us and was well up for it. The loanee player that was substituted earlier(sorry I don't know his name) was an incredible decision. Why is your number 2 keeper starting?
I wish you success for next 5 matches. Hope to come there again next year, lovely fish and chips.
Up the Iron!

[arcadia]

From a friendly scunthorpe United Fan.
I made the long trek and made a weekend of it. Your fans were extremely friendly but had "the thrown in towel attitude". Every person that I met, my friends and I assured them that that game was not going to be a walk in the park and the game proved it. We excel at losing to teams that are fighting in the bottom. I did say that if we came away with a draw that would be just. We are difficult to beat and the 12 draws we have had, we were leading in all but 2 games, our manager knows how to motivate the players, which brings me to Knill, I'm sorry that Alan Knill was your manager, we came down 2 divisions whilst he was the manager here.
I thought that Karl Hawley played exceptionally well, it really looked like he wanted to score against us and was well up for it. The loanee player that was substituted earlier(sorry I don't know his name) was an incredible decision. Why is your number 2 keeper starting?
I wish you success for next 5 matches. Hope to come there again next year, lovely fish and chips.
Up the Iron!

Good to have your opinion our keeper is injured but Rice has come in and done well. I think everyone is pi--ed off with Knill and Hargreaves has not been able to field the side he wants due to injuries and not getting a quality striker. Hawley did play well yesterday as the team did first half but we never theatened again in the last third but we could have if Coulthirst was put through the middle the last 25 minutes. It's all if's and buts and in all fairness our manager put a good side out and had his tactics spot on. If he had made the right substitutions we may have got back in the game. But then we might not have who knows.

[Dave]

Michael Poke our no 1 goalkeeper has been perfectly able to sit on the subs bench for a few weeks now (we do have other keepers, if Pokey was really injured) perfectly fit enough to do a proper warm up routine before the match and can often been seen at half time going through a few drills with Kenny.

Pokey is no more injured than any other player who has played in the last few games, don't know the full truth, but would suggest next seasons no 1 keeper Martin Rice is getting a run of games .

[Rjc70]

if its 11 vs 11 and two players are marking one oppersite player that means it becomes 11 vs 10. there has to be a free man so why take him off so the oppersition can mark one to one? and go back to 11 vs 11?

Makes you wonder why Greavsie considered doubling up on him a reason to take Coulthirst off, tbh. No worse than 'whoever's up for taking a penalty, takes it', I suppose. I'd prefer to accept it was more a case of a young player tiring on his full debut that led to the move, above any claptrap that he may have spouted in interview.

[bobby93]

Michael Poke our no 1 goalkeeper has been perfectly able to sit on the subs bench for a few weeks now (we do have other keepers, if Pokey was really injured) perfectly fit enough to do a proper warm up routine before the match and can often been seen at half time going through a few drills with Kenny.

Pokey is no more injured than any other player who has played in the last few games, don't know the full truth, but would suggest next seasons no 1 keeper Martin Rice is getting a run of games .

To be fair though, each time I have seen Ricey this season I have been impressed. I don't think there's much between them in terms of ability.

[TeenageGull]

Michael Poke our no 1 goalkeeper has been perfectly able to sit on the subs bench for a few weeks now (we do have other keepers, if Pokey was really injured) perfectly fit enough to do a proper warm up routine before the match and can often been seen at half time going through a few drills with Kenny.

Pokey is no more injured than any other player who has played in the last few games, don't know the full truth, but would suggest next seasons no 1 keeper Martin Rice is getting a run of games .

Have you seen poke been kicking in these drills ? No, because he can't kick a football right now

[Dave]

To be fair though, each time I have seen Ricey this season I have been impressed. I don't think there's much between them in terms of ability.

Don't disagree with you there, my post came slightly wrong. Martin Rice should be very proud of his hard work and mental strength, he's improved no end and has done a great job for us this term, and has been rewarded this season, however still think Pokey is all round the better keeper.

[Dave]

Have you seen poke been kicking in these drills ? No, because he can't kick a football right now

Come on TeenageGull think about it. If Pokey can not kick, that means he has a significant muscle/leg injury, I can assure you that goalkeeping techniques regards collapsed and high diving relies heavily on the goalkeeper being able to shift his weight forward on to his legs, so Pokey would not be able to dive properly to the side of his injury.

So, if what you say is correct, what the fork is Pokey doing on the bench, judging by the way he's been diving around in warm ups and getting himself forward on simple catching drills, I would say the notion that Pokey has an injury preventing him from playing right now, is complete and utter ballhocks.

[TeenageGull]

I know he has an injury and won't be starting any time soon for the rest of this season , sorry.

[Dave]

No need to be sorry Teenage, this is not directed at you, I was already forming the opinion that Chris Hargreaves didn't have the first clue what he is doing, by confirming CH is putting an injured keeper on the bench each week I'm forming the opinion CH could be actually be a complete f-ing clown.

Well lets hope Ricey doesn't get injured early in the Rovers game, Teenage tells us Pokey has an injury where by he can't kick, so then a defender would have to take the kicks playing every Rovers player onside, Pokey wouldn't be able to dive one way, and probably wouldn't last 30 minutes himself.

As I already think TUFC are staring in their very own sitcom this season, if the above scenario actually happened it would just cap it all off.