Donovan Pines

Agree.
Pines's first touch is usually poor, especially for a defender, but I have always thought that up front he might get away with it with his size. Also he does appear to know where the goal net is, unlike some of our front folk. Has the size and presence to cause havoc in opposition box if nothing else.
Never know, he may be another Jon Parkin type that just needs the right position on the pitch.

 

My heart skips a beat every time he gets the ball to feet. He's absolutely woeful as a footballer. We need to start being ruthless in our assessment of players as a Club. The truth is, I couldn't care less how "nice a bloke" he is. He's not good enough to play in the defence of a team allegedly wanting promotion from League 1. Neither is Earl, nor is MDG, and nor is Roberts. The entire back line is horrendous.

We're not going up this year. Release/don't extend/ sell if poss the lot. Rip it up and start again.

Midfield, same.

Upfront....same ×100!

We just feel like such a "soft" Club. One that commands zero respect from opposition teams anymore. We get bullied and old-manned week in, week out. We're unfit, really unfit. That's on the coaching staff, and also the players who should have enough about them to be freakishly fit irrespective of any regime the Club has them on.

The board...inept. From to top bottom we're just rank bad, amateur hour clown show bad. If we could, we should hit a factory reset. Clear the Board, HC, DOF and squad and literally start over, but no.... Back in Monday!

 

Mmm. With respect, we heard similar about Lofthouse at the same level last year and he is absolute diarrhea on toast.

 

I feel for Marc as his fitness is starting to go. I think he could still do a job for us, but he needs better players around him. I think he is having to try too hard covering for other players and it is starting to have a toll on him.

 

If we actually play Pines up front, we are properly doomed. He cannot go upfront. Scoring headed goals from corners and getting the odd goal in the box does not mean hes a striker. Not a prayer.

 

who we could have had back this summer

 

If fans had a choice between Roberts and Solbauer in the summer, vast majority would have chosen Roberts. Hindsight is a wonderful thing mate

 

I would have chosen neither.

 

Imho...I really like the bloke and it looked at times (mostly last season) like he could be the hard man centre back we needed....albeit with plenty to learn and an improvement on the deck.
Unfortunately looking at him recently, I wince at his all-round decision making....the other week he was took to the cleaners by letting the ball bounce!! and yesterday (their first goal) all he has to do is shackle the striker and let him make the decision on how to get past him but no he goes to nick it off him....and falls over! The real choice would have been whether to go touch tight or just give him day light (arms length) but shackle him out until reinforcements came.
He does somethings well and we absolutely need physicality but unfortunately as stated by someone else on here....all our defenders have mistakes in them and big Donny is no different.

 

I think he needs taking out of the side. You've only got to listen to his interview last week - "the players are down" etc.

He's shot.

 

I just think he's 35 in a few months pace has gone, and he's past his best. Should still be better than pines though.

 

Defence has been jittery for a very long time now but it gets no protection whatsoever and crosses come into the box far too easily

That's a very fair assessment of Pines and the fact that he's coming into a very jittery team that doesn't look to be very well coached can't help him one bit.

 

He's ok as a CB in the middle of a three, but he needs more mobile players around him. You can't play him in a 442.

 

He should have done better but there was no defensive cover with 3 CBs. Caught out with a long diagonal ball over the top. Where was Earl?

 

Genuinely where was he? I didn't see him on the highlights anywhere

 

You are right, which is why a better way would be to press him but hold him until his mates got back which as you say were nowhere.
Pines has his merits with his heading and he is dangerous from corners but he needs coaching.

 

Earl was jogging back from the half way line. Or maybe he was sprinting, he’s so slow it’s hard to tell.

 

Pines as to be up there with worst ever defender we've had.
Watching him yesterday and Vs Wycombe tells you all you need to know.

 

Collectively they’re as bad as we’ve had in a long while. When Clarke said the other week that he thought we had 5 good centre halves I had to question his judgement.
Roberts was a good centre half but obviously is past his best now and I do think MDG has improved a bit this season. McCarthy hasn’t really played much but doesn’t inspire confidence whilst Pines and Earl have both gone backwards for me.
Hopefully Shepherd comes back in the summer and we sign at least one other new CH.

 

He said the players were down, not himself. He's a positive person, and as such, wanted to raise their spirits.