Cheltenham Town v Barnet

Jon Palmer · 27 Jan 2018, 13:46

Team news, live updates and video reaction all here this afternoon http://bit.ly/BarnetH" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 14:07

Looking at the Barnet team, our midfield and attack should make mincemeat of their midfield and defence. However, you would fancy Akinde and Coulthirst to punish any mistakes by our defence and cause danger all game long - I can't see us keeping a clean sheet so pressure on the forward players not to waste and choke the huge number of chances they usually do.

Nham68 · 27 Jan 2018, 15:08

Great start.. just logged onto WiFi’s at airport and already 1 down...

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 15:12

FFS. 88 minutes to turn it around or else serious questions must be asked about the players, manager and even the board. Failure to win unacceptable.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 15:13

Pell up front with Elijah on the bench. WTF??

27 Jan 2018, 15:29

We are not really creating anything right now. Defeat is unacceptable

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 15:31

Ralph wrote:We are not really creating anything right now. Defeat is unacceptable

Of course we won't create with Pell up front. Get Adebayo or Graham on. Baffling decision not to play them.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 15:40

If we start the second half with only one striker there better be boos.

5-3-2 plainly not getting the best out of Sellars, Dawson on Morrell. But let's at least play two strikers.

Shade · 27 Jan 2018, 15:56

Grimes you mean? Been shite hasn't he. Not only can he not pass the ball to a team mate but he managed to lose his man at every corner and cross.

First two corners, Pell was shouting for someone to get on the post. How can people not be set up to know where to go? Shambolic. Flinders, Boyle, Ilias, Winny and Dawson are the only ones to come out of the first half with barely a passing grade.

pas · 27 Jan 2018, 15:59

A terrible start... why is Graham on the bench AGAIN.?

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 16:01

Shade wrote:Grimes you mean? Been shite hasn't he. Not only can he not pass the ball to a team mate but he managed to lose his man at every corner and cross.

First two corners, Pell was shouting for someone to get on the post. How can people not be set up to know where to go? Shambolic. Flinders, Boyle, Ilias, Winny and Dawson are the only ones to come out of the first half with barely a passing grade.

45 mins to prove we are worthy of being a League side.

Wouldn't be surprised to see gates dipping below 2,000 if we do lose this one. Cannot expect people to fork out £20 on the back of the worst result for two years.

Shade · 27 Jan 2018, 16:05

Well, Manny is off so you can't blame him if we continue to be c!#p. However, you can't blame the first half solely on him. He was no worse than our number 2. Why we're taking the right footed CB off and leaving the no footed CB on I don't know.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 16:07

Manny off.

Sellars off.

Adebayo and Graham on.

That's better.

27 Jan 2018, 16:08

But why on earth was it like it was in the 1st half? Games are 90 min not 45

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 16:16

Ralph wrote:But why on earth was it like it was in the 1st half? Games are 90 min not 45

No idea. Just bizzare from Gary, and if we don't turn it around then in hindsight not just bizzare but costly.

Late night last night at Yeovil (he was doing radio commentary and hanging around with Lee etc) maybe clouded his thinking!

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 16:18

Substitute ref books the Barnet keeper for time wasting at least.

And a second booked for time wasting.

27 Jan 2018, 16:29

about time.. we have a goal

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 16:29

MOOOOOOOOOOO!

Shock horror. Ditch the 5-3-2 and play strikers and we score. Time to win it.

27 Jan 2018, 16:33

interesting stat from JP. Eisa has 14 goals this season, but only 4 at home.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 16:40

Ralph wrote:interesting stat from JP. Eisa has 14 goals this season, but only 4 at home.

Small pitch and teams being more defensive so no space. Mo thrives on space to run in and stretch the opposition.

Most notable in the channels. The space between 18 yard box and side line is very narrow at WR so hardly any opportunity to stretch a defence.

Alf · 27 Jan 2018, 16:49

I’m afraid they’re taking the p!## with time wasting. The keeper should have been red carded by now.
I remember when being a Robins supporter was fun, this was painful!
I suppose the best way to look at it is that it’s another point in our quest to stay in Div. 2

27 Jan 2018, 17:01

Horrible result. Not acceptable

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 17:17

Ralph wrote:Horrible result. Not acceptable

Agreed. A defeat and Gary would have to have walked but a draw avoids that.

Alf · 27 Jan 2018, 17:29

Ralph wrote:Horrible result. Not acceptable

I agree.....and it could have been worse, they did create a few decent chances.
We just don’t look like a football team, we look like a bunch of blokes who’ve never met each other before. No plan, just hit and hope. Not good enough.

27 Jan 2018, 17:44

Where to start with that I don't like to single players out in general but Grimes and Manny were terrible. 5-3-2 is probably our best formation with the current squad but when your worst two players (by some distance) are both in the back three then it's going to be a mountain to win games. Thankfully Barnet although hard working and organised were pretty woeful and didn't create many chances. A better side would have put four or five past us today with the errors from Grimes and Manny. That said, Flinders made a mistake for their goal and you could argue it knocked the confidence out of the whole team because we rarely made consecutive passes and played at a pedestrian pace.

We go to 4-3-3 second half and we dominated the game and probably should have won. It wasn't perfect or without fault but Barnet were largely in their defensive third and were feeling the strain. Adebayo and Graham were working really hard and their defenders were struggling but we fluffed the few decent chances we did have and had to settle for one point.

Rulistening · 27 Jan 2018, 17:45

Just not good enough. Hope Manny doesn't start next game, i said before he came back i thought he was an utter clown and unreliable and he still hasn't changed. It says something that I believe Flinders has been one of the players of the season yet we concede so many (bit of a clanger today but i need to watch it back to see what fully happened)

Fed up of having the chuckle brothers as our CB's.. Might as well just start each half 1-0 down and save us some time

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 17:50

Robin wrote:Where to start with that I don't like to single players out in general but Grimes and Manny were terrible. 5-3-2 is probably our best formation with the current squad but when your worst two players (by some distance) are both in the back three then it's going to be a mountain to win games. Thankfully Barnet although hard working and organised were pretty woeful and didn't create many chances. A better side would have put four or five past us today with the errors from Grimes and Manny. That said, Flinders made a mistake for their goal and you could argue it knocked the confidence out of the whole team because we rarely made consecutive passes and played at a pedestrian pace.

We go to 4-3-3 second half and we dominated the game and probably should have won. It wasn't perfect or without fault but Barnet were largely in their defensive third and were feeling the strain. Adebayo and Graham were working really hard and their defenders were struggling but we fluffed the few decent chances we did have and had to settle for one point.

Did we create more with five at the back or with four at the back? All well and good saying five at the back fails if we have two poor CBs, but it is the impact it has going forward which concerns me. Obviously starting with Pell up front obviously didn't help. But clearly we were more threatening once we had more attacking players on.

Luckily the four relegation strugglers between us and Barnet who played today all lost so another point to consolidate midtable. Three points and we would have been on the coat tails of the two sides above. Next few games will be key.

Alf · 27 Jan 2018, 17:58

Rulistening wrote:Just not good enough. Hope Manny doesn't start next game, i said before he came back i thought he was an utter clown and unreliable and he still hasn't changed. It says something that I believe Flinders has been one of the players of the season yet we concede so many (bit of a clanger today but i need to watch it back to see what fully happened)

Fed up of having the chuckle brothers as our CB's.. Might as well just start each half 1-0 down and save us some time

Their goal: Their no.5 ran from edge of box, fouled his marker by shoving him to ground ( no action from ref) he then ran to edge of six yard box where Grimes was stooping low to head ball away but the no.5 got their first and poked it under Flinders. To be fair to Flinders I would have thought that he maybe thought Grimes would clear it. I’m fairly certain that’s how it unfolded but may be wrong!

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 17:59

Nige must play in the middle. And Graham, Adebayo and Mo must share the two striking roles.

This stupid idea of Pell as a winger or striker needs to be killed off. He either plays alongside Nige (where he would be best) or share that role with Nige, rotating.

drgm · 27 Jan 2018, 18:03

Where's the ambition? Where's the desire to press, close down and win tackles? First half just about
sums up where Cheltenham Town are at the moment. All a bit too comfortable and cosy.

Yes we have some weaknesses at the back but how on earth does Sellars get picked every week?
Yes he does have some nimble feet and a nice 5 yard pass but without the ball he does absolutely nothing. If you
don't believe me watch him for 5 or 10 minutes.

I'm afraid the season is dribbling away again. Club is just drifting aimlessly.

Alf · 27 Jan 2018, 18:13

Just watching the Newport game. It wasn’t that long ago we were making them look ordinary. Now they look although they play in a different league to us. They work hard , are well organized, mobile, confident and look like a football team. They may end up getting dicked but they’re looking half decent at the moment.

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 18:18

Time to put Pell alongside Nige to put some drive and tackle into the middle.

Rest Sellars.

When Moore is back put him CB alongside Boyle. Shame to do so but put Winchester at RB.

Dawson and Morrell wide midfield.

Back to basics with a tough but creative midfield to dominate the ball and support Mo/Graham/Adebayo

RegencyCheltenhamSpa · 27 Jan 2018, 18:29

That back four would be great.

Winchester and Dawson flanking Nige and Pell in midfield.

King giraffe iii · 27 Jan 2018, 18:39

RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:FFS. 88 minutes to turn it around or else serious questions must be asked about the players, manager and even the board. Failure to win unacceptable.

Wanna manager swap?

27 Jan 2018, 18:39

Ben2 wrote:Cranston back beginning of Feb and Forster mid feb, according to Gary today.

Then Moore, Boyle, Forster, Cranston and get rid he loanees. Can’t come soon enough

I thought the Greek lad was fine today but Forster back in with Boyle cannot come soon enough.