Unfortunately I now live a good 5 hour round trip away from Whaddon Road, so I don’t get to see them very often. (This was a bit of a relief last season). I wasn’t here or there with Johnson going, but the fact is he is gone. I came this weekend for my first viewing this season.
My main problem is still the selection/formation. There seems no real identity. I personally don’t care if we play high press/counter 352... or 442 methodical build up. Just PICK ONE and play it. Hopefully a new manager will bring that. (God I hope Rusty doesn’t get it, he is lovely but out of his depth and not a wide enough knowledge of the game).
On the selection front Jordan Forster is the worst player i’ve EVER seen at Whaddon Road (including Jason White). My hibs friend warned me when he came “You’ve got a stinker, he can head, shout & point fingers... but he is far from a footballer, he will cost you”. Having seen him start of last season and again yesterday its so clear he IS NOT A FOOTBALLER, let alone a right back?? Terrible decision to play him there. Terrible decision to play him full stop. I lost count of the number of times he gave the ball away, crossed into the keepers gloves & lost his man defending. We need rid of him. (I urge you to just watch him for 5 minutes of a game, see his movement or lack of, see his touch or lack of etc, dont let ‘getting stuck in’ cloud your judgement of a terrible player...) The new left back didn’t look confident but maybe needs time? But he looked to provide nothing going forward. Maddox looked lost in the diamond, I think he needs to play in with 2 other CM’s to get space to operate an pick the passes, otherwise he’s going to be doing ‘battling’ and he will lose every day.
It’s not all negative though; The lad Jones looked very VERY good. I know some say he’s a midfielder, but I saw a natural line leader, holds the ball up well for oncoming midfielders (see Dawson goal) & gets across defenders, if we give him service he’ll be excellent & score. I also thought Broom was very good on the ball & took on men well (seems he is best suited as a CM in a middle 3 / or wing back). Dawson & Nige have REAL quality for this level, they just need to be consistently picked and paired together centrally.
For what its worth (probably not much haha) with a good young manager I think there’s potential... but we just need a fresh start of ideas/tactics/formations. Give us an identity. Without that we’re just surviving game to game. (I hope Michael Duff gets the job). Will be back to see them in a couple of weeks and remaining positive.
Impartial viewing
Moderators: Admin, Ralph, asl, Robin
Forster is a centre half in fairness, not a right back and he's miles better than Baldwin who is another waste of space from Bristol City reserves.
Also did you genuinely not see Craig Braham-Barrett play for us? There simply is no competition for worst CTFC footballer as he will never be beaten.
Also did you genuinely not see Craig Braham-Barrett play for us? There simply is no competition for worst CTFC footballer as he will never be beaten.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29813
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Until Long is back maybe we should revert to play 3-5-2, Forster in the middle three with Broom and RWB.
Then Dawson and Nige in the middle, with Maddox slightly advance behind Jones and Barnett.
Then Dawson and Nige in the middle, with Maddox slightly advance behind Jones and Barnett.
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Sprout Picker
- Posts: 1150
- Joined: 20 Nov 2009, 11:20
Agree RCS, or at least something along those lines.RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Until Long is back maybe we should revert to play 3-5-2, Forster in the middle three with Broom and RWB.
Then Dawson and Nige in the middle, with Maddox slightly advance behind Jones and Barnett.
I'm still trying to work out why we didn't utilise Kalala (earlier) and Addai given the problems they caused Colchester in the league cup game. Their defence obviously struggled with quick players so it defies belief that having seen first hand what worked we choose to do something completely different.
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SuperDaleWatkins
- Posts: 14
- Joined: 04 Aug 2017, 15:41
I mean, I did see CBB (he was terrible) maybe shouldnt have opened the “worst ever” can (its too deep, I wonder what Michael Jackson the curtain haired CM is doing these days?)
BUT. My main point, Forster is current, AWFUL & one of the reasons we cant build up any football. I would rather play a 17 year old youth product. Just watch him for 5 minutes in the next game...
RCS, something like that sounds good (only not JF... why not play Bower?).
BUT. My main point, Forster is current, AWFUL & one of the reasons we cant build up any football. I would rather play a 17 year old youth product. Just watch him for 5 minutes in the next game...
RCS, something like that sounds good (only not JF... why not play Bower?).
Forster came right into form when playing centre-back last season before tearing his achilles. He's definitely a decent centre-back, he simply doesn't have the pace to be a full-back.
In a 3 with Will Boyle and Johnny Mullins he would be perfectly fine.
In a 3 with Will Boyle and Johnny Mullins he would be perfectly fine.
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horlickfanclub
- Posts: 3928
- Joined: 04 Aug 2011, 11:02
We will have a specialist right back fit soon. No need to have a go at Forster He gives 100%.
I didn't think Forster had too bad a game, to be fair... He had a tough opponent in Nouble - yet how many times did Nouble actually manage to create anything? That would suggest Forster did a reasonable defensive job. Going forward, however, he was a fish out of water and had no idea what he was meant to do.
Incidentally, did anyone manage to pick the formation we were supposed to be playing? Not sure I could...
Incidentally, did anyone manage to pick the formation we were supposed to be playing? Not sure I could...
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29813
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
Yes he was looking one of League Two’s best before his injury. Had he had a whole season alongside Boyle we would have been 10-15 points better off imo and wouldn’t have gifted the opening goal to FGR at TNL for starters.Si Robin wrote:Forster came right into form when playing centre-back last season before tearing his achilles. He's definitely a decent centre-back, he simply doesn't have the pace to be a full-back.
In a 3 with Will Boyle and Johnny Mullins he would be perfectly fine.
First time watching Cheltenham this season.
Unlike the OP, I thought Forster was our man of the match in the game - for the way he kept Nouble quiet.
My first comment on seeing him replaced, was "does Milton have an exact score bet on 3-1 to Colchester?"
In fact, I thought most of our players looked decent, but as a team they were far short of the sum of the parts
This has been the problem for most of the last two seasons, but we always go for new parts rather than fixing how the parts fit together
Mullins, and Jones also had very good games. Considering we conceded 3 goals, Flinders was not particularly tested.
Both penalties were for challenges best not made.
Unlike the OP, I thought Forster was our man of the match in the game - for the way he kept Nouble quiet.
My first comment on seeing him replaced, was "does Milton have an exact score bet on 3-1 to Colchester?"
In fact, I thought most of our players looked decent, but as a team they were far short of the sum of the parts
This has been the problem for most of the last two seasons, but we always go for new parts rather than fixing how the parts fit together
Mullins, and Jones also had very good games. Considering we conceded 3 goals, Flinders was not particularly tested.
Both penalties were for challenges best not made.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
- Posts: 29813
- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
I would say Ward was the last manager we had who made the team better than the sum of its parts.
I also didn't think Forster was terrible. Defensively he's pretty solid at right back and, after seeing Baldwin play a couple of times, he's definitely the preferred option. Much rather a solid defensive right back than a creative one that's beaten nearly every time. He did look knackered when he went off though.