Cheltenham Town v Ebbsfleet United

[Jon Palmer]

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

[art vandalay]

First half - effing awful. Why play one pass forward when we can play seven backwards?

[Nesty]

We won

[asl]

Hooray.

[art vandalay]

Deserved win but poor game and an uninspiring performance. No doubt where our weakness lies - the midfield 3 offered no impetus or variety going forward, leaving us far too predictable and overly reliant on the wing-backs. Thank God for Alex Addai who gave us something different when he came on, made a run that led to the first goal and then scored the second. Well done Alex.

[Artemis]

Missed Maddox I expect.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Battled through the tough tie. Was always going to be a dire dogfight but the victory simply had to be secured by hook or crook.

Now we go to the Accies and can play with nothing to lose and with freedom. Maddox and Broom with free reign to express themselves and run at them.

[Ben3]

Art Vandaly had it exactly right...we had a decent shape and the game plan is clear. Nige played well enough (as my brother said, "I think he had found his level here"). But the midefield was enitrely non-existent. So, so poor coming forward, they offered nothing, and not really much steel protecting the back 3/5.

Alex Addai provided one moment of quality that led to the first goal.

[Shade]

You could see the confidence ebbing asay from the midfield as the game went on goalless. If Clements had juwt hit and scored his shot when going through early on instead of messing about and then hitting it wide off his left foot when he was falling over then it could have been different. Midfield were decent at winning the ball but not much else. All but one or two passes, Nige's passing was definitely imroved again.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

1,435 (93 from Ebbsfleet) there tonight.

Not great. About the same as Checkatrade.

[vickeryc]

All of the FA Cup attendances were poor last night - I think three were lower than ours. Even a big club like Charlton only attracted 1,900 for the visit of Mansfield.

[Red Duke]

Highlights: https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46189625" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

All of the FA Cup attendances were poor last night - I think three were lower than ours. Even a big club like Charlton only attracted 1,900 for the visit of Mansfield.

FGR had 1,600ish but over 500 from Oxford so in terms of home support they were lower. I guess with the games on the radio and iFollow and the cold, away fans and less die-hards didn’t need to travel.

[everyman]

We won

Good to see us using all the pitch with both wing-backs keeping very wide although to less effect than expected.The CM.players failed to support the front two a glaring weakness to be addressed in jan.I hope ?

[Robin]

First half - effing awful. Why play one pass forward when we can play seven backwards?

I actually thought the first half was one of our better performances this season (up there with Mansfield home, FGR away and Carlisle home second half). All the players were pressing, we moved the ball at pace and stretched the part time opposition all over the place, it was actually good to watch until it came to shooting where we were poor.

[MSB]

I actually thought the first half was one of our better performances this season (up there with Mansfield home, FGR away and Carlisle home second half). All the players were pressing, we moved the ball at pace and stretched the part time opposition all over the place, it was actually good to watch until it came to shooting where we were poor.

I did too. Whilst being unspectacular I felt we were always in control of the game. If we had put one away earlier I reckon we would have notched up a few last night, just getting that first goal was critical.

[drgm]

Clement and Thomas are not league 2 standard. I doubt they would get in the Ebbsfleet team. It's
clear where are problems are. I still think there are problems with fitness. Broom was often sprinting up the wing with the rest of his team trotting up to the half way line
A pretty uninspiring performance but we won

[vickeryc]

First half - effing awful. Why play one pass forward when we can play seven backwards?

I actually thought the first half was one of our better performances this season (up there with Mansfield home, FGR away and Carlisle home second half). All the players were pressing, we moved the ball at pace and stretched the part time opposition all over the place, it was actually good to watch until it came to shooting where we were poor.

I agree. We were in control for much of the first half. Ebbsfleet looked more dangerous after HT.

[Fuller]

Clement and Thomas are not league 2 standard. I doubt they would get in the Ebbsfleet team. It's
clear where are problems are. I still think there are problems with fitness. Broom was often sprinting up the wing with the rest of his team trotting up to the half way line
A pretty uninspiring performance but we won

Midfield signings essential in the January window for sure.

Broom has been a real bright spark so far too.

[Shade]

1,435 (93 from Ebbsfleet) there tonight.

Not great. About the same as Checkatrade.

The checkatrade attendances were buoyed by a lot more away support. 1350 home fans last night but I don't think there were 1000 home fans at either of the checkatrade?

[Robin]

Clement and Thomas are not league 2 standard. I doubt they would get in the Ebbsfleet team. It's
clear where are problems are. I still think there are problems with fitness. Broom was often sprinting up the wing with the rest of his team trotting up to the half way line
A pretty uninspiring performance but we won

Midfield signings essential in the January window for sure.

Broom has been a real bright spark so far too.

I haven't heard anything specific but it's really hard to imagine that a top quality central midfielder is not our top priority in January and I wouldn't be surprised if we sign a couple of players in there. We need to get the right mix and presume Maddox will stay in that creative player, Nige likely to stay for the defensive part so we need a physical presence who can defend but also dictate play, someone in the Pack mould. If we stick to 5-3-2 for the remainder of the season then I don't expect to sign wingers but then where do Broom/Dawson fit into the team?

We look good in central defence now and that's with our best defender (Mullins) out injured.

Anyway come January I am expecting us to release Baldwin, Mooney, Jones, Clements and potentially Alcock. I'd guess Thomas could also go out on loan if we add a quality central midfielder who can dictate the pace of play. I would hope Duku returns and we add another striker too ideally someone with pace.

The only one I am not sure about is Field/Debayo as cover for Hussey. Will Field be happy to stay as cover and do we feel Debayo is ready to be effective cover now he's played consistently in the league below.

So I'd guess we are looking at 3-4 coming in and 4-5 heading out.

[THECHOIRBOY]

I agree with a lot of your first point in this thread. I thought we played well in first half. Lacking quality in the box and that killer pass (missed Maddox) but so much more confident, composed and assured in passing it around. It wasn't long ago people were booing for hit and hope so not let's just appreciate the effort a bit for trying to keep the ball better and spreading play.

We do lack quality to make that incisive pass but i dont think a Pack type is what we need. Thomas is a poor mans Pack. I actually think we need a Summerfield type. Basically a Broom to play centre mid as well as Wing Back! I think Nigel, Maddox and someone of that ilk to add energy and possibly some extra pace up front would see us improve more.

I have not seen all the games this season but both Mansfield and last night i saw a big improvement to some of the dross at the end of Johnsons reign (And even start of Duffs) It's heading in the right direction and hopefully we can finish above the dotted line and then wholesale changes needed at end of the season

[Robin]

I really don't like the idea of wholesale changes and believe it's a big contributing factor to our situation in recent seasons. Ideally we'll add 3-4 players in January and see 4-5 leave us. Those players will likely be a mix of loans and permanents either side. We should then aim to have 5-6 new faces in the summer maximum so we build consistency.

I recognise people want a quick fix but I believe it's a better long term solution and that the nucleas of this team is more than capable of finishing top half of this league we are just sorely lacking in midfield. Flinders, Hussey, Mullins, Forster, Long, Boyle is a good defence in my eyes. Varney and Barnett is reasonable front line to see this season out but we need to build there next summer and sort the midfield in January with ideally one permanent and one loan.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

I’d agree Robin. Current side good enough to stay up and comfortably so with a couple on January signings.

Last thing we want is more turmoil with loads of new signings next summer, because guess what, a whole new squad might not hit the ground running and lose the first three games...

Like Robin suggests, 5 or so new faces - if they improve the team - is plenty for the summer when we are trying to build consistency.