Thoughts

Difficult to assess the performance when your team is playing a non-league club a couple of divisions below. Was it an improvement or did we just come up against a team lacking in quality that weren't able to put in the same effort as a week or so ago? Dunno, but what we can do is congratulate our players on their professionalism and the way they approached the game. Everyone put a shift in, they all stuck to their task and the majority won their individual battles. As a result we dominated for long periods and you can't do much more than that.

I think there are a couple of positives we can take from this in the performances of Jennings and Holgate.

Whether we play with a diamond or 4-4-2, both Bailey and Hourihane need a player willing to make the runs and create some space, who they can find with their passes. When we haven't got that, neither player excels as they end up having to pass backwards all the time or force a pass that isn't really on and we end up losing it. When Williams was in the team we had that outlet, without him we've looked very poor; the midfield in particular. Jennings provided the outlet tonight and even though he admits he's not fully fit, he was still running towards the end of the game, which he didn't seem capable of earlier in the season. We need him fit and playing well, our whole set-up requires that type of player. I hope this is the start of a good run of games for Jennings. Be nice if we could sign Williams and get them both on the pitch at the same time.

Hard to believe that was only Holgate's second ever start. The Chester winger that caused us all the problems in the first game had to switch wings as he was getting no change out of Holgate. Dunno what they're doing in the academy that makes defenders like Stones, Bree and Holgate look so accomplished at such a young age, but I hope they keep it up. Apparently Cowgill and Smith are good prospects too. Very encouraging.

 

I noticed Mahon was all over the place trying to make an impact. I said earlier today that without him Chester didn't have much. We played him out of the game and won at a canter.

Holgate was superb beyond his years

 

It was a comfortable win against a team that looked every inch a Conference side. We were gifted the ball a lot and made the wrong decisions at times, but ultimately took enough chances to win the game with no problems.

Everyone put a shift in, Berry and Cranie especially. Cole still looks incredibly raw, obvious talent but too often lost the ball or made the wrong pass. His dummy for Jennings' first was inspired though, and that will hopefully get a bit of confidence back for him. Jennings likewise will hopefully gain a bit of confidence from his two excellent goals tonight and take that into the league.

Holgate was superb against a winger who the BBC were bigging up after the home leg, and he looks a talent.

Overall, a decent performance and result that will hopefully act as a confidence booster going into our game against Orient. We've finally got a win after a month without, let's now take that into the league.

 

Personally i'd say there was a considerable improvement from us. Chester didn't look much different from the side which should have won at Oakwell last weekend, however we made far less mistakes last night and the defence I'm general was much tighter. Credit has to go to Bailey for me who broke play up well in my opinion, he offered that support to the defence which we've been lacking for quite some time. My only worry now is that can you attribute last night's performance to a poor quality opposition, and will we get the same old rubbish back on our home turf on Saturday.

Good to see Dale Jennings giving a glimpse of what he is capable of too, and Luke Berry looked like the quality box to box midfielder he did earlier in the season.

 

Hard to judge as you say. First time I've actually seen us on tele for about 6 years and it's fair to say you get a wider scope and notice stuff you don't normally see.

I think we played ok. Put up a professional performance and beat what was in front of us. You can't ask more than that (other than do it the first time next time). Holgate shone, Jennings was much improved and I appreciated Bailey's game more than I do in the flesh as you could see his impact more clearly.

 

I thought it was a thoroughly professional performance, very similar to the Burton game. We were always in control and Turnbull had very little, if anything, to do. Credit to Chester's goalie, too, for making a number of excellent saves, most noticeably from Hourihane & Jennings. Holgate had a particularly impressive game.
Hopefully, we'll take this display into our league programme. As three out of the next four league games are at home, we have an excellent opportunity to turn round our results record at Oakwell and start to climb up the table.

 

So ,using that formula, why did you slag the team off when we only drew with Chester first time around ?
Or do you use different criteria when we lose ?

 

Holgate looked very accomplished. One mistake early on when he dived in instead of standing up, but apart form that he was superb and his centre half instincs came in useful when he covered gaps at centre back a couple of times.

There's a distinct advantage in staying in this division for another year and that's that these young lads play first team football at a standard they can cope with and grow into. Most of them wont be able to do a 'Stones' and simply walk into Championship football, such is the quality. We've thrown players in before at Championship level like Scott Jones, Chris Morgan, Ady Moses etc. in times gone by but manager's really can't risk them now unless they're ready for it straight away.

Maybe in the long term another year in this division is better for the club. We get to develop a squad of players rather than just bolting on whatever is available and hoping to stop up.

 

You may have a very valid point there.

I think the vast majority of REDS fans would accept that.........a mid table / top half season with local youngsters getting established into first team.

 

I don't think anyone disagreed. We were rubbish. People said it how it was, you included. But then when we played much better last night the majority said it how it was with that too, but you reserved judgement. Not saying this is the case, but it makes you look like you're only looking for the negatives.

The fact that we were playing supposedly inferior opposition doesn't change the fact that the team worked hard, played with professionalism and scored some good goals.

 

For me the attitude and application were what mattered last night everyone did their bit and kept at it and looked like they cared. You can only beat what opposition is in front of you and we did that, hopefully we can kick on again now although obviously we are still hampered by injuries.

 

Lets hope we can say the same after Saturdays game.
Take some of the pressure off Manager and Players.

 

You could try just not applying the pressure, even if we lose.

 

Lose on Saturday and the pressure Will be on just by viewing the league table.
But hopefully last night will be a stepping stone to sort our league for and give us some Xmas cheer!!!