Reds v Stockport MDT

Reading between the lines, you seem to have serious reservations that Clarke was the right appointment.

 

I’d be playing him.

 

Me too. But on the grand scale of things, I know nothing about football.

 

Just got in. Utterly dismal display. We absolutely didn't deserve to win if we'd held on. We barely deserved the point we managed. Simply awful - no plan, no creativity and no system other than to apparently bypass our supposedly class midfield three with that long-ball rubbish. As bad as Collins-ball at times. What a sumptuous treat for the Sky viewers....

 

Surprised me we subbed him off at Burton considering he didn’t play at Man Utd. Mansfield fans told us we could be quite anonymous but pop up with the odd moment of magic. That appears to be true.

 

You need to sort that “terrets” out mate

 

I actually don’t.

But then, you’re talking to someone who’d still have Collins in the job. I’m massive on stability and think this constant churn of managers (head coaches) can’t be productive.
If they’re losing every week, I get it. But we sacked a bloke when in the playoffs with a game to go.

I hope Darrell gets as long as possible. Results-wise, he’s not doing bad so far. The shape, the football, selection and so on, it feels a bit off for me. But it’s early days.

The point I made regards instruction was more in defence of the players than it was criticism of the gaffer.

 

I still thought we were going to ride our luck, and snatch an undeserved winner after about 95+ minutes.
And to be honest we could have done, as there was a bit more attacking intent from us in stoppage time, than what we'd seen throughout the whole of the second half.
But why do we do that, it's so annoying when they deliberately try to hold on for a 1-0 win, after making a good start.
Instead of looking to win it with more goals, they just invite pressure at the back, and we know how poor the defence and keeper can be!.
A point gained, or two points lost ?.

 

The decision to sack Collins looked crazy at the time, but even dafter the longer time goes on. Definitely a result of fan power, and those that called for his head should take plenty of the blame for the fact that we currently look like a group that's just starting out. Personally I wish we'd have stuck with him because I've no doubt at all he'd have learned from last season and come back better this time out. Like you say, stability.

I can't begin to fathom what Clarke wanted them to do tonight. You'd hope a guy with the experience in these leagues he has would know that he doesn't have the quality of players to maintain the discipline to sit in their own half for 20 mins, but apparently not. In which case, I hope he learned that his current team can't do it. Similarly, I hope he watched the last 8 mins after Stockport equalised and thought "why the hell didn't we have a go at them before the goal?"

Clarke said he wanted a go at a bigger club, well with that comes closer scrutiny. As much as I hate the short-termism we see with managers these days, he'll be well aware that most will place the performance and outcome largely at his door tonight. Hope he can respond well on Tuesday.

 

Disappointed but not downhearted, Stockport deserved a point, decent side playing decent football.

 

I like Phillips but tonight he looked lethargic, is he carrying an injury?

 

Given how poor we were, I see it as one gained. But given we were 1-0 up so late in the game, hard not to see it as three lost.

Like you say, I just can't understand why we weren't looking to cause them problems 2nd half. It's like our entire game plan was to allow them to put the ball into our box in the hope that we'd deal with every ball in. So naiive, because while the back 3 did indeed deal with a lot very well, when you invite that much pressure there's a very high chance something will drop for the opposition.

And after all that, we really ought to have been given a 2nd penalty for the foul on Lofthouse. Not that we'd deserved it.

 

It doesn't mean they're good enough to follow the instructions though.

 

I’m struggling (two months in) to see what we are. Are we an attacking side? Are we defensive? Do we look to soak up pressure and counter? Do we want possession?

I accept it’s early days. Regardless of manager, Rome wasn’t built in a day. But I don’t see what we are trying to be. Maybe that’s the tactic????

I like Darrell. I only knew him for a month or so but he made a big and positive impression on me. A really open and honest bloke is what I found. So I want him to do well.

Let’s see how we get on in midweek, then we’ve a big game at Huddersfield whose manager (Duff) is under severe pressure.

Football eh?

 

That is very true.

 

I was yds from ours, thought it was a pen

 

Yeah Kfc, that annoys me as well when it comes to clear looking penalties. And if I'm honest, that means pens both for us, and against us.
Most refs always seem reluctant to give a second penalty for whatever reason, unless it's in favour of a so called 'top' team.

 

It’s cos he had given us one. Denied them one and we weren’t ever going to get a second one.

 

He doesn’t. Tonight was quite poor, second half in particular - but let’s not exaggerate.

 

Recorded Sky just to listen to comments. They spoke to two Stockport players and their manager before anyone of ours.