MDT - Stevenage

I agree about Styles. He was excellent today, showing his class, and keen to get involved. My Player Of The Match too. I find the award of that accolade to De Gevigney somewhat mystifying.

 

Good attendance today

 

Couldn't agree more. Well said.

 

***better fan klaxon***

 

This division is so crap, the dross we played today were fourth in the league at kick off. Wow.

That’s why I’d still probably advocate changing Collins. There is no reason whatsoever we can’t go on another run like we did last season - a semi decent right footed centre back with half a yard of pace should surely by attainable? That would change us exponentially. But I don’t see it under Collins.

Might be harsh. He’s managed to come from behind to win twice now, and he’s also finally beaten a top half team. He’s got that monkey off his back.

But I still think we look poor. We have good players and they don’t look it.

Today was shocking; it takes two teams to make a match I appreciate - but at times it was unbelievable to believe these were two top seven teams, and that the away team had been pushing the automatic spots.

But he won the game. Maybe a bit fortunate when you consider the winner - (and the rare bit of quality from Styles and particularly McAtee for the equaliser, that was an isolated moment of excellence on a day of a distinct lack of quality) - but he got bringing Cosgrove on right. I’ve been hugely critical, and if I’m honest I’m still not of the thought he’s likely to be right long term.

But he got it right this afternoon and we got three points, so credit where it is due. Well done Neill. Four more points this year and I’ll possibly start to change my view.

 

First half in bits yeah I’d say. 2nd half crap but got the win. Me and my brother sit there trying to work out what formation we’re trying to play. Feel like the players either don’t buy into what Colin’s wants or he’s clueless at getting what he wants across to them

 

First time we've ever played them.

 

The fact that we've lost 1 of the last 11 league games would strongly suggest that both of those scenarios are quite unlikely.

 

It was a poor game, particularly the first half. We were much better in the 2nd half after Cosgrove and Jalo came on. The ref was awful, he let Stevenage get away with loads of shirt pulling and what can only be described as all-in wrestling by their defenders.

Still, in the end I'm thankful that their shooting was so dreadful, else we might have lost badly today.

 

Nah, I just don't stamp my feet and want a manager sacked when we go behind.

 

Surprised how few people have mentioned how terrible Stevenage were for a team in the top 6. Blimey. It's not even that they were good at their "style" lost count how many times they aimlessly belted the ball out of play especially in the first half. They had a decent spell 15 mins start of second half but god they were terrible. Still, "better team lost" according to Evans. What game was he watching. Numpty. Can't believe they will be anywhere near the play off in May.....

 

They were proper ****. We were just ****.

 

Nothing to do with going behind per se.

But even this response is high handed with superiority undertones. Those that want Collins out aren’t necessarily just reactionary during the actual games.

We won yesterday. I still wouldn’t be too upset to see him go. We are not a good side. The fact the opposition yesterday were fourth at kick off shows how poor this league is and we are seventh in it.

But I will be fair and say after a win against a team that was above us, it would be far too harsh to pull the trigger now.

I just don’t see the point in giving him January and him have influence on who we sign for him to go on Feb or March. Maybe time will prove me wrong and he’ll succeed. I hope so, I want the team to succeed a lot more than I want to be right. On this occasion I’d love to be wrong.

 

I responded in kind - because your snidey "Better Fan" post deserved that.

The rest of your post is more measured - which is why I was disappointed with yesterday's as you're one of the better posters on here.

I still maintain though that some fans base their opinion on the latest result - some even stated during a game we were winning that if we lost the next game then he should be sacked. Some do genuinely base their opinions on who scored the most recent goal - see this thread when we went behind.

Changing managers mid season doesn't work for us. Hecky to Morais. Schopp to Poya. Whoever we sacked to bring Wilson back. The only time it remotely worked was when Stendel left and Struber came in - but that was a lot earlier in the season and he was allowed to make a bucket load of signings in January. Plus it took extraordinary luck on the last 3 games.

Collins made changes yesterday that changed the game. He outsmarted the opposition manager. He's done that before - Reading as an example.

Give him time imo.

 

Fair point - although you could argue the momentum had already begun under Johnson.

Careful praising Hecky on here though!

 

In fairness my first post to you was no more snide than the post it was responding too.

You’re probably right that some are overly reactionary. But not all.

He’ll get more time, that is clear, so you’ll get your wish. As I say, I don’t see it working out but I’d love to be shown up on that view.

 

And that was a snide comment based on the snide comments in the team news thread that stated we'd lost as soon as the team was released. A snide snowball effect.

Can't argue with the rest of your post - enjoy Christmas!

 

I think Collins is a terrible manager. He risks us going behind every week by playing turgid football where we generally switch off and concede and it's only generally the last 20 minutes where he makes (predictable) changes and we seem to actually switch on.

Long term that will not work. It just won't.

It's a good job that Stevenage stopped playing yesterday because they were tearing us a new one until they bizarrely just gave up.

 

Come on ST. As one of the more enlightened posters on here, surely you can't be serious in saying that Stevenage just "gave up"?! Professional football teams very rarely do that, and even then only when they're several goals behind.