Newport v Torquay United. 28/09/2013

[miltonkeynesgull]

Couldn't see this posted elsewhere, but apologies if so. Newport have posted 13 minutes worth of highlights which are worth a watch if you have time. Like the look of Azeez.

[supergulls]

Royal your point about Lathrope is superb .you are spot on with this comment, Lathrope is better than mansell and Harding. As you said his passing is better and I think he has done a lot of gym work because he does look a strong lad. I don't know why we are persisting with this garbage when we have technically better players on the sideline.

[royalgull]

Thought he was excellent Saturday, but i think he can do even more. i don't know why we're holding him back saying just sweep up and give it, I think he's technically better than some of the lads in front of him! Wouldn't say he's going to be Eunan quality but I think he has the passing range and quality to make telling passes and feed the likes of Hawley and Ball.

Azeez was superb a real handful when he came on and not your typical 18/19 year old. he had some brains as well as pace and could have had a couple of goals, must start next week.

to be fair to Cruise I forgot about that piece of defending he did in the second half to hold up the lad when in on goal, did well there. Those highlights show the game quite well and showed some of our good moves we were generally on top and played like the home side with Newport on the break. You can see the stupid free kick Harding gave away and then the sloppy defending for the 2nd goal ,where i think Pearce should have done a bit more to get back and go with that runner, maybe even Lathrope as well.

[ferrarilover]

Did it show though? Ricey only touched the ball once and that was in time added on at the end of the match after Manse got stripped by his man.

Scorer, reject entirely that the team which scores most goals is automatically the better side. There is so much more to a football match than just goals. We were miles and miles better than Hartlepool, but got no goals. It's far too simple to say that the highest scorers are the better side. We've all seen it, one team gives the other the run around for an hour and a half, can't quite find that killer goal. The oppo get out of their own half once and score the winner.
Equally, a defeat isn't always the same as another defeat. Losing 4-1 to Fleetwood was completely different from losing 2-1 to Newport.

Matt.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Couldn't see this posted elsewhere, but apologies if so. Newport have posted 13 minutes worth of highlights which are worth a watch if you have time. Like the look of Azeez.

Thanks so much for that MKG. I've just watched it and although I wasn't at the game I will comment anyway.

First of all. Tempo.

They were quick to the ball, faster than us, more direct and made this count first half by getting a 2 goal lead. If they were indeed highlights of the whole of the important action then we created nothing at all first half apart from a dangerous ball Chappell fizzed across the face of goal.

The second half highlights reminded me of Northampton (although we were better at Northampton). You could actually see that WE were quicker to the ball, threw more men forward and had better options and went more direct. Azeez was positive and direct and gambled and we scored. They had the odd counter which is always going happen but weren't good enough to punish us on the day. That will happen too at our level because we aren't facing Van Persie so why doesn't Knill start games like this. Newport started like this, got the 2 and hung on. That's how it's done Alan.

Not much point in finishing like this if you are 2 or 3 goals down in the first place by beginning slowly.

Pearce shocked me, on many occasions when the ball was played down our wings instead of sprinting to get back he just trotted back leaving us well short. Fortunately on a few occasions play was held up and was able to get back but on their 2nd goal if you watch he just trots back from the half way line casual as you like. Pearce, you've got a pair of legs son, I suggest you use them. There was also another Gull slow to get back alongside Pearce on the 2nd goal but couldn't work out who it was. That type of play isn't desire, it's laziness. Pearce also could have been sent off for what looked like a pull back on their attacker when through. It is inconclusive but as the old saying goes, 'I've seen them given'.

As for the penalty, can't see clearly enough to make a decision about that.

Overall, I still maintain what I've been saying for a while especially away. We need to start our games like Newport did and see what happens. Now it is 9 league games, we've taken the lead in just 1 of them but taken 5 of our points from losing positions and I wonder why that is? Mmmmmm?

[royalgull]

Pearce was ill so maybe a bit harsh, he had a decent game overall on Saturday and was the only defender we had who was capable of heading it.

[royalgull]

Again thought we started better than Newport, they rarely crossed our half until they scored. They scored from their first 2 attempts on target. We ddin't create a massive amount first half but we had the same free kicks, corners and crosses that Newport did we just weren't as effective with them and we didn't get enough support to Ball.

We were more incisive once Azeez came on.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Ok Royalgull, I concede I was harsh about Pearce and should have more sympathy for the bloke. Again it highlights the mess Knill has made of our defence, not only selecting the wrong players from day 1 but also not having any cover in vital areas. Centre half is a vital area.

I also accept your points on how the game went as you were at the game and I wasn't so my comments are purely about what I saw in the highlights.

[AustrianAndyGull]

I just still feel we are more suited to an 'up an' at 'em' style as we have the attackers and the pace and a sh*te defence so it makes sense to me. When Chappell et al are showing on a bit of form they look very dangerous at times. We should be using this strength to try and win us games of football.

[Dave]

As I had no game with my U16's and Torquay were away decided to cut myself of from football and catch up with some much needed..

Agree with afew posts above. For a start the old saying, if your good enough, your old enough is so true, I simply do not see the point in keeping young players in the squad, if the manager does not intend using them in the event of injuries and suspensions, the club just aswell release them regardless of how cheap they are, and go for loans to cover problems.

Also to point football is a results buisness, however Matt is right, some times you have look past results, performance levels, confidence, bit of luck, all play there part in results.

Any team can be in bad run of results, can drop towards the bottom end of league early doors, at the same time as performing well, and playing with confidence, Crewe were a prime example of that 2 seasons ago.

I am not suggesting we are going to be in the play-off's far from it, however all the reports from Rochdale and Newport, coupled with our home performance against Cheltenham(which I saw) suggest, our team's performance levels are decent enough, the confidence is still there, as long as that remains, result are likely to turn in our favour.

[tomogull]

There is so much more to a football match than just goals. We were miles and miles better than Hartlepool, but got no goals. Matt.

Have to disagree with you, Matt. Yes - we were better than Hartlepools but not miles and miles better. Andy has mentioned lack of tempo and he's absolutely spot on. For the first 15 minutes against Hartlepool, we played at a high tempo and could have easily scored twice and the crowd were fully behind the team. Then we got slower and slower, the play became more and more pedantic and predictable. In the second half, it looked as if we could have played until midnight and still not scored. And I'll tell you another difference - the Hartlepool lads played as a unit and played for each other. We are still a team of individuals not playing for each other. At the time, I thought Hartlepool were relegation fodder but they are beginning to pull things around.

[Jerry]

I just still feel we are more suited to an 'up an' at 'em' style as we have the attackers and the pace and a sh*te defence so it makes sense to me. When Chappell et al are showing on a bit of form they look very dangerous at times. We should be using this strength to try and win us games of football.

This hits the nail on the head for me Andy.

By far and away the best performance under Knill was the Barnet game when we were in their faces from the word go. Knill even mentioned this in his post match interviews, so why has this not been repeated?

If you start a game in a lethargic manner then it's next to impossible to up the pace later on. High tempo, pressing football is the way to go for me. If we insist on persevering with Mansell then this is the type of game he is best suited for, Benyon also is ideal with his constant running and making a nuisance of himself.

[Rjc70]

Chapell too looked dangerous until he was ridiculously replaced.

Thanks for the report, royal. Plenty of positives. I'd have Lathrope over Mansell every time, tbh. Regarding the Chapell substitution, there was a bit from Knill on the OS regarding the reasons for this. Injury concerns, apparently.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Cheers Jerry.

Yes I just think that we have so much pace and trickery all across the final third (even more now Azeez has come in) we can let them have the ball and let them get on with it. I have come around to thinking that perhaps we don't need a big man like Ball which I called for during the summer. Hawley is powerful and tricky too and can do just what Ball can and more and then we've got Chappell who is electric at times. Bodin, if he is ever going to show us on a consistent basis what he can do then we need to play to his strengths and give him the ball with us attacking at pace and just get people in support. I feel this is the only way to get the best out of Bodin and if Knill isn't going to play this way (as Ling didn't) then Bodin largely becomes ineffective and has been so for over a year now.

We have these players but Knill has to use them properly. Even Niall used properly in a positive attacking formation on a regular basis would scare the sh*t out of the opposition. You are right Jerry, Knill hasn't repeated the Barnet game nor has he met my expectations (not unrealistic) in terms of style of play. I have been extremely disappointed. I'll sday it again that we have so many good players at the club who either aren't (or weren't in the case of Cruise) getting in the 11 when they should and the ones that ARE in the 11 aren't being coached effectively or told what to do or how to get the best out of them.

Knill is mis-managing the team and players on a variety of different levels and i'm confused.

I knew where I stood with Ling, I knew what he liked, what he was planning to do and my only complaint was that I was unhappy with his style of football. At least he HAD a style of football and set the players up with a gameplan and he has a long term idea of what he was trying to do. With Knill i'm scratching my head all round.

I'm not saying he is a bad manager or not the manager for us just that he leaves me puzzled about loads of things. Maybe Knill IS bi-polar after all! One half we're scintillating and another we are like disabled penguins.

[TeenageGull]

Andy despite your views on bodin I feel that he is starting to make more of an impact and have come away impressed with his progress this season