Worst Team

[Iron-awe]

She’s proper got the bit between her teeth now, pressure must be pylon up. 😂

[Northumbiron]

To stop the playground spat and get back on topic, here’s a typical lineup from 1974/75 when we finished bottom of the pile. It was a 7-0 thrashing away at Mansfield!

Norris

Peacock
Simpkin
Atkin
Oates

Collier
Money
Sproates
Pilling

Roberts
Charnley

We also had the likes of Geoff Barnard, Angus Davidson, Nolan Keeley, Peter Markham and Neil Warnock on the books.

I reckon there’s a couple of similarities between it and today’s squad. Is Rory Watson the new Mike Norris? Is Alex Gilliead the new Dickie Dosh? Is Ryan Loft the new Derek Charnley?

The defence didn’t look too bad, but to let seven in!

Anyway this isn’t the wort team in our history. Swann said it wasn’t so that must be right.

1 user thanked author for this post.

waltersleftfoot

[lesgeo]

You should not have published this!
A side with 4 CBs in it might give certain people ideas.

[Northumbiron]

Did John Peacock and Bob Oates ever play CB?

[Awaywego]

Angus Davidson always had a lit fag ready as he came off at half time, Pete Markham another from the Crosby area what with Rick Green and Mick Atkin a lot of talent from the area round that era.

[waltersleftfoot]

Bob Oates was played at centre back John was a left back

[waltersleftfoot]

John was also coach of the England under 18s when they won the cup I believe

[MK Iron]

Bob Oates was a very good centre back but was often played out of position in midfield.

[Heath]

I remember Dudley Roberts getting a hat trick. Looked it up. Beat Newport 4v1.

The crowd was 1,523, desperate times, but as others have said, can’t remember us playing defensively or trying to get a draw.

Pretty much the same team every match, they tried their best, but most of them were not very good. Second half was usually on the attack kicking towards the Donny Road end. Same with this match, all 4 goals in the second half.

When they won 4v1, it was a pleasant surprise!!

[lesgeo]

Ah yes, those halcyon days of Dickie Rooks managing the team to glory.
I sigh with a profound nostalgia.

Rather more seriously, Norris, Sproates and Charnley could not have made it into our present team. The late Alan Sproates was a decent Division 4 player for Darlington but had precious little to offer us at the end of his career.
Simpkin was a has-been and Collier was a slow-moving, slow-thinking plodder who could pleasantly surprise you every now and again.

I could not see any one of these being considered fit to replace any current first team player in our present setup. The big question would have been how many could have made it onto the bench?

The top end of our current squad are simply better. They may not be playing better; they may not be being played intelligently; they may not be played to their strengths but – generally superior.

A modern day Sproates to replace Spence? – No thanks.
Norris better than Howard? – Get real!
McGahey – our best CB to be replaced by Simpkin?
Collier to replace Beestin or Karacan? – No, ta!
Charnley to replace KVV or Olamola?- Hardly! – I would even take Loft ahead of that lad.
But, a Dud Roberts to replace Loft? – Ooh. Yes, please.

[cassidystash]

That, I believe, is why the manager is subject to so much criticism. We DO have the players, they are just being managed and used badly and, I suspect, against their inclinations and wishes. Does anybody really think that:-
Howard
Clarke McGahey Taft Brown
Gilliead Beestin Karacan Eisa
KVV McAtee
suitably set up and motivated would not comfortably compete at the right end of L2.
(To deflect abuse I’ve gone for experience, being happy to have Rowe, Onariase, Bedeau, O’Malley, Spence and Green to call on and develop.)

[Awaywego]

If only he could play that team cass.

[Heath]

Agree with the majority of your comparison, Money at the start of an very good career, Oates and Peacock were decent players. Angus Davidson, even when hampered by chronic injuries, was a class above our current motley crew of forwards.

I have been very critical of Loft. I understand it is a horrible job playing as the lone striker. But he hardly challenges for some of the big hoof ups to him and rarely gets the ball to allow the team to move forward. His best play has been when the team tries to pass the ball and keep possession on the ground rather than 10ft in the air.

But having watched Loft over the last few matches, he does not show the movement, positioning or anticipation to get on the end of passes and crosses into the box. We had enough of the match against Barrow to get back into the game and there was an improvement when Eisa came on.

Even in the dark days we had strikers like Roberts, Cassidy, Fletcher, Green and more who played like centre forwards and were always in the box trying their best to get in a position to score. Of course we also had a few duffers, but we played 2 up top and at least 1 of the strikers gave us some hope of scoring.

[cassidystash]

Awaywego wrote:

If only he could play that team cass.

With only 2 or 3 changes he could, the only major weakening would be the loss of KVV. It’s more about the set up and motivation bit really. O’Malley for Brown and Onariase for McGahey shouldn’t be a problem.

[Heath]

Completely agree with Cass. We get glimpses of it (rare ones I admit). When the team passes the ball and moves forward we clearly have some good technical players. We don’t in the current match choice have good enough strikers. The team quickly reverts to the brainless kick it anywhere style that should be obvious to everyone, coaching team included, doesn’t work.

[Northumbiron]

Heath wrote:

His best play has been when the team tries to pass the ball and keep possession on the ground rather than 10ft in the air.

Our midfield are always closer to our penalty area than the opposition’s, and now with three in the centre there’s no outlet.

Cox needs to rotate Beestin, Spence and Karacan and stick someone up alongside Loft. Anyone is better than no one. Green, Hippolyte, even McAttee if he can be arsed.

[Heath]

Any 2 from those 3 excluding Loft!! The midfield moved forward in the last 10 minutes. They should start like that, obviously playing to some stupid and failing orders.

[WonderGoals]

No excuse whatsoever to not play

O’Malley Taft Onariase/Mcgahey Clarke

Eisa Beestin Karcan Gillead

Loft and Green

Look, loft and Green are hardly ideal but why would anybody with even half a braincell throw everything else out the window just because Green is up there with Loft instead of a proper established striker ?

We do have quality here, especially Gillead and Eisa out wide but they’re being played in such a way that they’re completely stifled.

O’Malley is a quality attacking LB, he even ended up getting dropped for Brown. I don’t know what’s going off down at GP but it’s nonsensical whatever it is.

Why the hell doesn’t Cox just think to himself that his way clearly isn’t working and just go 4/4/2 with 2 upfront ?

It can’t be that hard to come to that conclusion, surely ?

Get Dales back involved far another option on the right hand side and least try and win games of football.

Cox was getting somewhere with 4/4/2 but understandably changed it when Mcgahey, Onariase, Brown and Van Veen were injured but least we have better defenders available again.

If anybody reads this from the club….please get on your hands and knees and tell Cox to show even an ounce of positivity and field a proper side with the intention of actually winning the game.

2 users thanked author for this post.

lesgeo, vader

[Author]

Posts