Shrewsbury Town v Cheltenham Town

[Malabus]

we have played 1 so dont panic

And created nothing, injury crisis and a early relegation battle. Huge changes are required, performances better. We have lost a player that created and scored goals for very little money over the summer and we need an adequate replacement, because we are heading in one direction.

[Ben3]

we have played 1 so dont panic

And created nothing, injury crisis and a early relegation battle. Huge changes are required, performances better. We have lost a player that created and scored goals for very little money over the summer and we need an adequate replacement, because we are heading in one direction.

You’ve got to give mal his due, he is the consummate wind up merchant.

(If you’re new to the site this is his normal shtick. We should show it to the Facebook warriors who say it without any self-awareness !!!)

[paperboy]

Good news- we're 15th in the table. Hoorah!

Bad news. We're zero points above the drop zone.

[asl]

We're comfortably clear of Port Vale on goal-difference.

[Ben3]

Good news- we're 15th in the table. Hoorah!

Bad news. We're zero points above the drop zone.

Three points off top?

[Anteros]

Desperately need new signings and competition for places.

Look at the bench yesterday...
Hammond - young and inexperienced but hopefully will come off good.
Thompson - looked good when he came on.
Adshead - dissaponiting last season but was plagued with injuries
Chapman - 3rd season running he has been involved in the match day squad on the opening day of the season but has hardly played in the rest of the games. Like Adshead, I hope I am proven wrong but I think they are dead wood.
Horton - never seen play. Inexperienced
King - great for the lad to come on yesterday but I believe that was wade making a point to the board
Harris - back up keeper.

I am not panic stations at all. It was a poor game yesterday from both teams but my main worry is the lack of quality in squad and also dissapointed how we have starting a league 1 campaign in this manner and have to already play catch up on signings.

[HamTown]

Lack of strikers aside the biggest issue for me was the wingbacks not getting forward and something I think Wade and co can address

[Robin]

Desperately need new signings and competition for places.

Look at the bench yesterday...
Hammond - young and inexperienced but hopefully will come off good.
Thompson - looked good when he came on.
Adshead - dissaponiting last season but was plagued with injuries
Chapman - 3rd season running he has been involved in the match day squad on the opening day of the season but has hardly played in the rest of the games. Like Adshead, I hope I am proven wrong but I think they are dead wood.
Horton - never seen play. Inexperienced
King - great for the lad to come on yesterday but I believe that was wade making a point to the board
Harris - back up keeper.

I am not panic stations at all. It was a poor game yesterday from both teams but my main worry is the lack of quality in squad and also dissapointed how we have starting a league 1 campaign in this manner and have to already play catch up on signings.

Is it the board i.e. Wade wanting more budget or Rusty Milton who has not landed the targets yet?

[Alf]

Thought Shrewsbury started slowly but we didn’t take the advantage. We always seem to sit back first half and see what the opponents are capable of producing.
Unfortunately by the time we find out and decide it’s time to do something about it it’s invariably too late.

[Benctfc]

It was a typcial ctfc performance of the last few seasons away from home. Our game plan is built around keeping it tight and hoping to nick the first goal. When we go behind we struggle to break teams down.

It would be interesting to know our record away from home in the last couple of seasons after conceding the first goal or at least since we moved to 5-3-2 (this was the same under Duff too) It feels we barely have managed a draw nevermind a comeback win. I hope this season we have tried to develop a game plan to improve this.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

we have played 1 so dont panic

And created nothing, injury crisis and a early relegation battle. Huge changes are required, performances better. We have lost a player that created and scored goals for very little money over the summer and we need an adequate replacement, because we are heading in one direction.

It is one game. No evidence at all to draw any conclusions yet. If you can’t enjoy football for what it is then that’s your problem - but please don’t try and create negativity around the club.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Desperately need new signings and competition for places.

Look at the bench yesterday...
Hammond - young and inexperienced but hopefully will come off good.
Thompson - looked good when he came on.
Adshead - dissaponiting last season but was plagued with injuries
Chapman - 3rd season running he has been involved in the match day squad on the opening day of the season but has hardly played in the rest of the games. Like Adshead, I hope I am proven wrong but I think they are dead wood.
Horton - never seen play. Inexperienced
King - great for the lad to come on yesterday but I believe that was wade making a point to the board
Harris - back up keeper.

I am not panic stations at all. It was a poor game yesterday from both teams but my main worry is the lack of quality in squad and also dissapointed how we have starting a league 1 campaign in this manner and have to already play catch up on signings.

Ferry, Davis, Goodwin will replace three of those when fit so our normal bench is stronger than yesterdays.

The window is still open, and we rode out worse injury situations last season where we couldn’t even put out a full bench.

Let’s just see what happens in the next few weeks of the window and the next ten games.

[1985CTFC]

Lack of strikers aside the biggest issue for me was the wingbacks not getting forward and something I think Wade and co can address

Agreed. Playing 5 2 1 2 unless you get wing backs up to help the mid/strikers you get out numbered.
Great if you don't want to concede, but when you do you are stuffed and chasing the game.

[1985CTFC]

Thought Shrewsbury started slowly but we didn’t take the advantage. We always seem to sit back first half and see what the opponents are capable of producing.
Unfortunately by the time we find out and decide it’s time to do something about it it’s invariably too late.

Seems to be our plan from last season carried over.

[1985CTFC]

Desperately need new signings and competition for places.

Look at the bench yesterday...
Hammond - young and inexperienced but hopefully will come off good.
Thompson - looked good when he came on.
Adshead - dissaponiting last season but was plagued with injuries
Chapman - 3rd season running he has been involved in the match day squad on the opening day of the season but has hardly played in the rest of the games. Like Adshead, I hope I am proven wrong but I think they are dead wood.
Horton - never seen play. Inexperienced
King - great for the lad to come on yesterday but I believe that was wade making a point to the board
Harris - back up keeper.

I am not panic stations at all. It was a poor game yesterday from both teams but my main worry is the lack of quality in squad and also dissapointed how we have starting a league 1 campaign in this manner and have to already play catch up on signings.

Ferry, Davis, Goodwin will replace three of those when fit so our normal bench is stronger than yesterdays.

The window is still open, and we rode out worse injury situations last season where we couldn’t even put out a full bench.

Let’s just see what happens in the next few weeks of the window and the next ten games.

Regency those 10 games suddenly look much harder and I'm an optimist.
But last season for some reason we were good against top teams and c!#p against teams around us.
So there is hope.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Desperately need new signings and competition for places.

Look at the bench yesterday...
Hammond - young and inexperienced but hopefully will come off good.
Thompson - looked good when he came on.
Adshead - dissaponiting last season but was plagued with injuries
Chapman - 3rd season running he has been involved in the match day squad on the opening day of the season but has hardly played in the rest of the games. Like Adshead, I hope I am proven wrong but I think they are dead wood.
Horton - never seen play. Inexperienced
King - great for the lad to come on yesterday but I believe that was wade making a point to the board
Harris - back up keeper.

I am not panic stations at all. It was a poor game yesterday from both teams but my main worry is the lack of quality in squad and also dissapointed how we have starting a league 1 campaign in this manner and have to already play catch up on signings.

Ferry, Davis, Goodwin will replace three of those when fit so our normal bench is stronger than yesterdays.

The window is still open, and we rode out worse injury situations last season where we couldn’t even put out a full bench.

Let’s just see what happens in the next few weeks of the window and the next ten games.

Regency those 10 games suddenly look much harder and I'm an optimist.
But last season for some reason we were good against top teams and c!#p against teams around us.
So there is hope.

No evidence they look harder at all. It’s still the same fixture list as it was last week. So I would say you are pessimistic and just fearing the worst with little reason for doing so.

You allude to it yourself…football is a sport of uncertainty where we don’t know what will happen week by week. As we saw last season, panicking and trying to predict after 20 games is pointless - let alone one game. Only as we got towards the last few games did we have more clarity.

On the ground, we might be without Bonds but will be with Davies and Will Ferry and any new additions so if anything our squad will be stronger for the next games.

Ultimately, we are going to lose more games than we win so people have to learn to deal with it and not be so reactionary.

[1985CTFC]

Ferry, Davis, Goodwin will replace three of those when fit so our normal bench is stronger than yesterdays.

The window is still open, and we rode out worse injury situations last season where we couldn’t even put out a full bench.

Let’s just see what happens in the next few weeks of the window and the next ten games.

Regency those 10 games suddenly look much harder and I'm an optimist.
But last season for some reason we were good against top teams and c!#p against teams around us.
So there is hope.

No evidence they look harder at all. It’s still the same fixture list as it was last week. So I would say you are pessimistic and just fearing the worst with little reason for doing so.

You allude to it yourself…football is a sport of uncertainty where we don’t know what will happen week by week. As we saw last season, panicking and trying to predict after 20 games is pointless - let alone one game. Only as we got towards the last few games did we have more clarity.

On the ground, we might be without Bonds but will be with Davies and Will Ferry and any new additions so if anything our squad will be stronger for the next games.

Ultimately, we are going to lose more games than we win so people have to learn to deal with it and not be so reactionary.

Read my lips....I said look harder, not will be harder. Semantics again with us? ha
Was hoping Peterboro and Barnsley would get off to a bad start. Bolton to be a toughie as well.
But we can do it...We are Cheltenham..........who else.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Regency those 10 games suddenly look much harder and I'm an optimist.
But last season for some reason we were good against top teams and c!#p against teams around us.
So there is hope.

No evidence they look harder at all. It’s still the same fixture list as it was last week. So I would say you are pessimistic and just fearing the worst with little reason for doing so.

You allude to it yourself…football is a sport of uncertainty where we don’t know what will happen week by week. As we saw last season, panicking and trying to predict after 20 games is pointless - let alone one game. Only as we got towards the last few games did we have more clarity.

On the ground, we might be without Bonds but will be with Davies and Will Ferry and any new additions so if anything our squad will be stronger for the next games.

Ultimately, we are going to lose more games than we win so people have to learn to deal with it and not be so reactionary.

Read my lips....I said look harder, not will be harder. Semantics again with us? ha
Was hoping Peterboro and Barnsley would get off to a bad start. Bolton to be a toughie as well.
But we can do it...We are Cheltenham..........who else.

I will rephrase. No reason why they look harder than a week ago. The team names and players look the same as when fixtures first announced.

[robinsrule]

It was a typcial ctfc performance of the last few seasons away from home. Our game plan is built around keeping it tight and hoping to nick the first goal. When we go behind we struggle to break teams down.

It would be interesting to know our record away from home in the last couple of seasons after conceding the first goal or at least since we moved to 5-3-2 (this was the same under Duff too) It feels we barely have managed a draw nevermind a comeback win. I hope this season we have tried to develop a game plan to improve this.

This…..

Yesterday was sadly a typical away performance. It’s our home form that will determine whether we will stay up. And let’s be honest, it’s going to be a long season.

[1985CTFC]

It was a typcial ctfc performance of the last few seasons away from home. Our game plan is built around keeping it tight and hoping to nick the first goal. When we go behind we struggle to break teams down.

It would be interesting to know our record away from home in the last couple of seasons after conceding the first goal or at least since we moved to 5-3-2 (this was the same under Duff too) It feels we barely have managed a draw nevermind a comeback win. I hope this season we have tried to develop a game plan to improve this.

This…..

Yesterday was sadly a typical away performance. It’s our home form that will determine whether we will stay up. And let’s be honest, it’s going to be a long season.

Home form is key as you say. Lets beat Bolton on Saturday and look forward with some extra confidence.
Regency will tell you the season is no longer than it was the day before yesterday!!! ha
It is a figure of speech Regency.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

It was a typcial ctfc performance of the last few seasons away from home. Our game plan is built around keeping it tight and hoping to nick the first goal. When we go behind we struggle to break teams down.

It would be interesting to know our record away from home in the last couple of seasons after conceding the first goal or at least since we moved to 5-3-2 (this was the same under Duff too) It feels we barely have managed a draw nevermind a comeback win. I hope this season we have tried to develop a game plan to improve this.

This…..

Yesterday was sadly a typical away performance. It’s our home form that will determine whether we will stay up. And let’s be honest, it’s going to be a long season.

Home form is key as you say. Lets beat Bolton on Saturday and look forward with some extra confidence.
Regency will tell you the season is no longer than it was the day before yesterday!!! ha
It is a figure of speech Regency.

Correct. 46 games long. All can do is try to win the next 45 minutes. Then the 45 minutes after that. And see where it gets us.

[paperboy]

Correct. 46 games long. All can do is try to win the next 45 minutes. Then the 45 minutes after that. And see where it gets us.

This season it'll be 50 minutes per half and counting.
Should this benefit the bigger and maybe better teams in theory?

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Correct. 46 games long. All can do is try to win the next 45 minutes. Then the 45 minutes after that. And see where it gets us.

This season it'll be 50 minutes per half and counting.
Should this benefit the bigger and maybe better teams in theory?

Potentially. You would think that having more time with the ball in play would benefit the teams who play better football.

It’s only a good thing imo as we pay money to watch the ball in play.

I am not against defensive and spoiling football. If anything, killing and disrupting the game without accruing additional time will be an even greater skill than old school bus parking.

That’s where channel playing comes in. E.g rather than booting the ball out or Southwood lying down, trying to kill 20-30 minutes pinning opponents down their own defensive channels.

[longmover]

having watched a few of the champ games on tv this weekend having a very fit defence will prove fruitful in these longer games.

[longmover]

watching the very brief highlights it looked as though there were some combinations being out together but just weren't coming off, as for the goal Smith, how was he for the whole game?

[Warwickshire Robin]

watching the very brief highlights it looked as though there were some combinations being out together but just weren't coming off, as for the goal Smith, how was he for the whole game?

Thought Smith was good. One of our best players (if not the best) on the day in my opinion.

[RegencyCheltenhamSpa]

Worth noting that we had more shots (16 to 12) and more shots on target (4 to 3) than Shrewsbury so we competitive on that front. Will wait for the 361 xG stats to see if we also created the better chances.

However we were out performed on the following:
Passes (451 vs 361)
Passing accuracy (70% vs 62%)
Accuracy in oppo half (58% vs 50%)
Aerial duels win rate (69% vs 31%)
Duels win rate (53% vs 47%).

The fact we still created more shots on target given how we were out performed shows that when we do get passes right and win duels we can create openings.

[longmover]

Worth noting that we had more shots (16 to 12) and more shots on target (4 to 3) than Shrewsbury so we competitive on that front. Will wait for the 361 xG stats to see if we also created the better chances.

However we were out performed on the following:
Passes (451 vs 361)
Passing accuracy (70% vs 62%)
Accuracy in oppo half (58% vs 50%)
Aerial duels win rate (69% vs 31%)
Duels win rate (53% vs 47%).

The fact we still created more shots on target given how we were out performed shows that when we do get passes right and win duels we can create openings.

fingers crossed those figures get better as players gel and the season moves on, those numbers aren't great.

[CS85]

watching the very brief highlights it looked as though there were some combinations being out together but just weren't coming off, as for the goal Smith, how was he for the whole game?

Thought Smith was good. One of our best players (if not the best) on the day in my opinion.

Smith was easily the most solid performer of the lot.