Forum Replies Created
-
Obviously we’re not common enough Cass.
2 users thanked author for this post.
First half was just about OK although didn’t make much effort to build on the early lead. Missed Scales energy in midfield. I am not saying Rowley, Williams and Roberts were disinterested but it certainly looked that way.
Came out second half and for 5 minutes it looked as if Butler had instructed them to go get a second. We then reverted to it appearing as if they had been told to concentrate on the clean sheet.After an hour we started Butlers “give the other lads a run out bingo” and what little cohesion we had disappeared.
Poor show from the management and the players.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Christmas spirit alive and well.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Fair point yourself.
I would have cleared out all of Dean’s gang and searched for someone with some demonstrable record of success at National League level on a 12 month contract. Improved contract with promotion and bye bye if not.
1 user thanked author for this post.
It’s a winning business. To do that you have to score more than you concede. 1-0 gets you the same points as 5-4.
Most of us were prepared to swallow 5 defenders and a holding midfielder whilst it produced wins despite the immense pressure it puts on the remaining 4 players to score/create.
Then the goals started to rain in and any trust in Butlerball seemed to dissappear.
Two games with a back four seemed to steady the ship. It would have been odd enough to have returned to “standard” Butlerball but to respond to the divisions anti football masters (now Buxton have left the dark side behind) with our own brand of hoofball mixed with shithousery beggars belief.
We tried it at Scarborough to no avail. Why would it work in a home game against a team much better at the dark arts than Scarborough?
We did not manage one meaningful goal attempt in either of those 2 games.
I fully understand Michelle and the board/CEO giving Butler more time and financial support with Beck and Harris but without some clarity of thinking from Butler/Schofield then the season will be gone in half a dozen games and 3,000 plus crowds with it.
Is anyone concerned that since Turnbull was terminated there is nobody left at the club with professional football experience? Whatever people thought of Turnbull he had the credibility to question last Saturdays debacle.
Final thought it is absolutely OK for supporters to question and disagree with decisions of the coaching staff.
In my view it’s not OK to be abusive about them. Could we leave that to the idiots on the other side?
5 users thanked author for this post.
Baffled when I saw the team at 14:00 and debated staying in the pub.
Should have done as the game was exactly what you would expect it to be given the team and formation.
Alfreton’s modus operandi is to try and stop anything resembling football, turn it into a football battle and bring everything down to their level. They are good at this anti football and if they get a weak referee (almost a given in NLN) they get results way beyond their ability.
In what alternative reality would an opposition manager decide mimicking the way Alfreton play would be a good idea? Welcome to planet Butler.
I don’t believe I have ever called for a managers head on here (apart from Keith Hill obviously) but I am sorry. Today we left well meaning incompetence behind and entered a whole new area of stupidity.
He is done. The only thing up for debate is the timescale. If it is longer than a few hours our season is done.
12 users thanked author for this post.
Dawson was a pretty good footballer as well as winning most of his tackles. Also refereed most games – always in the refs ear.
4 users thanked author for this post.
Just the kind of searing insight we have come to expect.
Or alternatively 1.7 points a game with a back 5 – which doesn’t win automatic promotion.
Or 3 points per game with a back 4 – which of course does win automatic promotion.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Great highlights IFA thanks for sharing. Not seen anything of this quality in non league.
Good commentators who had done their research and could even pronounce Maxim’s name. They didn’t try Carlton ‘s surname and did call us the Iron’s once but I’ll let them away with that. Better than Matterface and Dixon on ITV but accept that’s a low bar.
Replays of key moments and topped of by a very fair interview with their manager. Credit to Leamington.
4 users thanked author for this post.
Unless he has Denton at centre back and Brogan at left wing back.
Would be bonkers of course but that doesn’t mean it won’t happen.
1 user thanked author for this post.
First thing the new man might want to look at on the analysis side of the new role is why in 21 competitive games (of which we have won 9) we only ever win if we keep a clean sheet.
It got me wondering if any other teams suffer from this problem. Out of 164 teams in the top 6 tiers of English football there are only 6 other teams that cannot win if the other team score.
Of these 4 are firmly in the relegation zone in their leagues so by default have not actually won many games. They are Cambridge United, Boston, Ebbsfleet and Enfield. They have actually had the same number of victories between them as the Iron have managed.
The other 2 are Preston who are only outside the relegation places by a goal difference of 1 goal and Stevenage who are in 15th place in League 1 – 5 points above the relegation zone. Much like ourselves they have developed a recent habit of conceding goals and losing games. Just reflect on that for a minute – 157 teams have managed to win a game despite conceding a goal but we have never managed it in 11 games against some pretty mediocre opposition.
The omens do not look good if we continue to only have a chance of winning a game if we keep a clean sheet – move to a back 6 or a back 7 anyone? We pretty much tried that at Scarborough and it did not end well. I don’t think their keeper had a save to make.
Leaving aside formations for the moment are there any fundamental issues contributing to this situation?
Could it be the players? Is the team mentality really that weak that conceding a goal ends all hope of winning a game. We certainly went to pieces at Southport, Spennymoor and at home against Rylands when we conceded. A very similar bunch of players won quite a number of games last season after conceding.
Tactics? We have seen 2 main responses from the coaching staff to conceding. Flood the team with substitutes and/or hoof the ball forward very forcefully. Never seen either of these bear fruit as yet. I think we have tentatively switched to a back four a couple of times but probably more often brought off our best attacker of the day (Roberts, Carlton, Whitehall or Beestin at various times) often for an additional defender.
Whatever the reason in the eleven games we have not won (i.e. that we conceded in) we have demonstrated an alarming lack of resilience for a full time professional team supposedly the fittest and highest paid in the League.
Probably a bigger issue than 5 at the back for our current poor league position (relative to the fans, managers and boards expectations) – although I am sure some would say that might be a contributory factor.
Whilst we wait for the new man to start feeding his analysis to the coaching team any suggestions to be directed to them care of the Attis Arena.
Funny, as I remember people complaining about Wilcox leaving no forwards up front when defending corners over 10 years ago.
Towards the end of his world record breaking run he left no forwards up front full stop.
1 user thanked author for this post.
Given the tawdry state of professional football I would applaud Michelle for being good to her word regarding the contract.
After Swann and Hilton a welcome return to a level of integrity that we have previously had as a football club.
I think it fair that Butler gets us promoted or falls on his sword. Michelle hinted that the contract has provisions in place should he need a little push.
I was on here pre season suggesting we don’t have the players for 5-3-2 and have seen nothing to change my mind. The recruitment either recent or pre season has not changed our ability to play the system.
I’m still hoping Butler will change rather than the club having to change him but I have cancelled my planned Leamington and Darlo trips. Not doing any more away games until I can expect 5 or so hours of travel might be rewarding by seeing more tha 5 minutes of half decent football.
6 users thanked author for this post.
Good move for him. Needs to be playing at this stage if he is going to build a professional career.
We struggle to give our own a decent run of games and Butler seems to mistrust anyone under 25.
1 user thanked author for this post.
