[MK Iron]

It strikes me that Cox does not think his team is good enough to go toe to toe in a footballing contest even with the average and below average teams in the league.

Without McGahey, Onariase, Taft and Van Veen he is probably right.

One of his biggest problems is the lack of a forward to play up front with Loft. Turan has been tried briefly and failed followed by a mysterious disappearance. Jarvis has been tried and failed followed by a long term sick note. Mooney appatently does not even warrant a try.

Much as Kev is a favourite of many he is not an out and out striker. Most of his good work happens outside the box. How many times have we see him go past the centre forward into space we could count the number of times on the fingers of one hand.

Eisa has been played there but let’s face it he is a one trick winger at best. Green is the same as Eisa except he runs faster and gives the ball away a bit quicker.

In Leagues 1 & 2 you rarely win anything without a decent pair of front men. Loft could be one of them but it’s hard to judge as we have never seen him play with anyone fit for the role.

Never had a decent front pairing since Hooper and Hayes. Much easier to set up to attack teams that are worried about your front 2. In the last few years our front two wouldn’t worry sheep.

In summary I don’t like how Cox sets his teams up to play but I think I understand why he does it.

[MK Iron]

We do have a history of strikers that are “crap” while they are here suddenly becoming much better elsewhere – Godden, Lyle Taylor, Hopper and Wooton to name but four.

Maybe we were spoiled by Sharpe and Hooper who seemed to be able to score even when we were not playing well.

[MK Iron]

Watson probably had the game of his career in the home game against Carlisle.

He will probably have to do it again for us to get anything this evening.

[MK Iron]

The Onariase interview suggests we intend to defend our way to a result. Which comes as no surprise, the opposition have a few more points than us so they must be feared.

Evening off for the Carlisle goalkeeper?

[MK Iron]

Loft has some real ability and is a hard worker. He also has a bit of pace and a good physique.

He doesn’t know how to do the bread and butter front man stuff. He just needs an experienced coach that knows that stuff (Lillis?) and there is Championship level player in there.

[MK Iron]

Sanfran the plan against Crawley was obvious. Judging by the performance it was something along the lines of:

Full backs you are both decent going forward – so don’t do it.

Centre backs knock it long or back to Howard so he can knock it longer.

Midfield – Spence you are playing the best of the 3 so you are on the bench.

Karajan pass square or back at all times to someone to knock it long.

Beeston you can pass forward but try to find Crawley players and we can fight for the second ball.

Gillead if you insist on being an attacking threat I will pull you back into the middle where you can be nearly as effective as Spence would be if I didn’t need him on the bench.

Green on the rare occasions the ball manages to find you get your head down and run at high speed to the nearest Crawley player and leave the ball for him.

Loft, we will be knocking it long so for God’s sake don’t try and secure the ball and bring others into play. Instead try and control the ball whilst setting off at high speed to the nearest Crawley player. On the odd occasion you manage to take the ball with you leave it with the Crawley man.

Eisa – see Green.

Remember you forward players. I don’t want any of that Guardiola passing to one another bullshit. You know I’m looking at you Gillead. I will bring you straight back into the centre if you do.

Subs – no need to warm up because you won’t be coming on before the 80th minute no matter how badly we are doing.

Finally the chairman has a grand on us not having a shot on target. Surprisingly he got 5-1 from Skybet so that should cover Kev’s wages this week.

If you do as you are told I may allow you to play a couple of passes and maybe even have a shot at Carlisle on Tuesday.

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lesgeo

[MK Iron]

Many on this forum have supported our team for many years. Quite a few can beat my 56 years of suffering interspersed with occasional joy.

If we were the type to walk away when the club are struggling we would have probably done it before now.

Cox inherited a dogs breakfast of a team who regularly got spanked by fairly poor L2 teams.

He managed to plug some gaps by bringing Brown, Howard and Karajan from the ranks of the unemployed and deserves some credit for that. He then brought Taft and Howe in who both have improved the squad. He has been unlucky that 2 of last seasons best players (Van Veen and McAtee) have contributed about 10 minutes of quality each in the whole season albeit for different reasons.

We are far from a good side but we don’t get spanked anymore. We have stopped letting in goals that pub teams would be embarrassed about. Every 2 or 3 games we even play a bit of football.

We would all love to be in better shape and we all have great memories of much better times but I am not sure Cox is the culprit here.

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IRONINTHEBLOOD, Northumbiron, Cliff Byrne's Right Peg

[MK Iron]

You are right MM. If only for the last 20 minutes they had a go and finally had a shot on target.

I thought 2 of their players whiffing at the ball while unchallenged in the 6 yard box was funny but Green topped that a few minutes later when an easy paced ball came to his feet on the right touchline. He missed the ball and ended up on his arse. Summed up the performance and real comedy gold.

Howard man of the match for me with a 6.

Came off his line with more intent than usual and his distribution was not bad.

5 for the defenders, 4 for the midfield and 3 for the forwards.

[MK Iron]

Lucky to get nil.

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alcazar

[MK Iron]

Just when you think you have been paid a complement some bugger goes and spoils it BS.

[MK Iron]

Reminds me when I was heading into Accrington’s ground about 10 years ago to watch the Iron and a really pleasant lady steward suggested I should use the over 60’s turnstile.

Told her I was 3 or 4 years away from being eligible and she was seriously embarrassed – I was laughing and said I must have had more to drink the previous night than I remembered.

[MK Iron]

Agree with that Les. Best and most consistent footballer at the club.

If we have any ambition to mount a promotion challenge next season we should happily make him the best paid player and try our best to hold on to him. If not we should let him go with our thanks to play at a higher level – with a player of the season trophy tucked under his arm.

[MK Iron]

Team won the last game and are pretty much safe from relegation. All quiet on the Swann front.

Forum is only busy when we have something to moan about.

We often seem to forget to turn up against what is usually a bang average Crawley team. That would get things moving again.

2 users thanked author for this post.

BobbyGmeister, Cliff Byrne's Right Peg

[MK Iron]

Might be a good thing. Hopefully Onariase and McGahey fit by them to deal with the long ball specialists.

[MK Iron]

So he was not pretending he had been hit in the face, he was just brushing the dust from his bandage!

Good luck with the appeal Southend.

[MK Iron]

Loved GA when he first came in. He did inherit a decent bunch of players when compared to recent times and no doubt he turned them into a good team.

Once his mate left him he set teams up not to lose – I think they call it managing the game. Absolute bollocks when you try this with L1 and L2 level players. They simply make too many mistakes which is why they are in L1 and L2.

If this particular penny drops with Cox then he could turn out to be a good manager. I hope so.

3 users thanked author for this post.

lesgeo, bartonscorpion, cassidystash

[MK Iron]

It is a shame some of the football coaches recently exposed did not get life bans 30 or 40 years earlier. There are some things that should get life bans for a first offence.

[MK Iron]

We looked like we should easily have been safe in League 1 a couple of years ago at this stage of the season and we all know how that ended.

Over 50 years of the Iron does make you cynical but I will be a lot happier if we put 14 points between us and the relegation places.

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Awaywego, Northumbiron

[MK Iron]

Interesting though Sutton has been a first choice in a resurgent team since going to Bradford and Wooton is doing very well at a level only slightly below ours.

Both seem highly raTed at their new clubs.

Young players that we bring in do seem to get a better chance to establish themselves despite poor early performances – I’m thinking the likes of Loft, Green and Hippolyte all had some stinkers but got enough chances to settle in and improve.

I think all fans (and I include myself in this) could be a bit more supportive of our own young players.

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Cliff Byrne's Right Peg, Iron-awe

[MK Iron]

It is probably a good measure of the excitement and anticipation amongst Iron fans that a thread about an ex player moving to Stockport gets more than twice the posts that the match thread does.

Go on boys, surprise us all and have a few shots at goal!

[MK Iron]

Suspect they were more pleased with Jeinnings than the other one.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Sanfran49

[MK Iron]

He will do a lot better for them than the last ex Iron “superstar” they signed.

[MK Iron]

If Carlsberg did condescending arrogance they would call it Bucksiron.

[MK Iron]

Covid’s silver lining.

The only good thing about that game is I only wasted a few quid and 2 hours of my life.

Normal times I would have wasted the whole day and a £100 or so travelling down there for it.

[MK Iron]

They are exactly the type of players that need a leader or two to keep them on their toes every game.

Much as I like Clarke he is not that leader. I think Gillead is our best player and he is not either.

Step up Karajan or Spence perhaps?

1 user thanked author for this post.

Northumbiron

[MK Iron]

In my view only McAtee has demonstrated laziness this season. We are short of players though that “set the tone” for the rest of the team to respond to. I mean demonstrating that every match and indeed every challenge is important.

Gillead, O’Malley and Onaraise are the only ones who have done this consistently this season which is probably why most fans like these guys. Karajan did it from the moment he appeared although he seemed subdued against Exeter the other night. I am prepared to put that one down to fitness.

The four of them lead by example but none have the vocal presence the likes of Bishop and Murphy used to have. If you didnt work hard enough when those guys played then you knew about it fairly quickly. Imagine how Murphy would have reacted to McAtee trying a hopeful backheel and then slowly walking back to the halfway line.

The rest of the team work hard enough but only just enough unless the team are having a good period in the game. They can all disappear or go through the motions when things are not going so well. I would have like to have seen a few players furious when they walked off after the game on Tuesday – not because we lost to a decent team but because we did not even compete with them.

I think it is less about laziness and more about intensity. Does it matter enough? Am I afraid of getting a bollocking from my peers for letting my team down?

[MK Iron]

O’Malley and Bedeau were OK. Rest were sh1te at best.

Feel for the Exeter keeper. Long way to come for feck all.

[MK Iron]

If we still had a League 1 play off level team then a point would be poor. When you are 17th in League 2 probably OK.

Personally I’m expecting them to celebrate my birthday with a win.

[MK Iron]

Agree NI. Have voted for number 5 but suspect we will end up with the tie and die gone wrong look.

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IRONINTHEBLOOD

[MK Iron]

Not great football but a great shift put in by the whole team.

Feed the Beest.

2 users thanked author for this post.

open hearth iron, lesgeo

[Author]

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