Deadbat
Well-Known Member
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- Aug 6, 2009
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Those wanting a detailed match report; I must apologise. It is late. I am knackered and have a trip to Liverpool with work setting off at 5.30am. Most of the management and players of SUFC could not be arsed again tonight so sadly neither can I.
We were awful. Again. Thoroughly dreadful. We looked clueless for most of the game. We played ok for about a minute as we had a great chance, well made and Coady hit the bar when he should have scored, blasting it unnecessarily when a placed finish would have seen us 1 up.
After this they gradually got back in the game and had a brilliant chance when James shot wide clear though after beating our offside trap as Lappin played him on. They had a few other half chances and we offered little in response. A few Baxter long rangers was about it. Then they scored a decent volleyed finis but it was a simple long throw that looped in. Maguire lost the header and Collins lost his man who finished with a very good first time effort. After this the confidence dropped and second half it was dire. They got men behind the ball but in truth other than a few long rangers and a Collins header near the end I cannot remember a really clear chance. We had no idea how to break down an average League Two side and just passed it sideways and backwards until someone eventually hit a long diagonal ball that was cleared or a tippy tappy pass was picked off.
We played 4-4-2 with Doyle defensive and Baxter attacking of a 2 man midfield with a kind of diamond. Murphy played left and Coady right but neither were particularly wide as it was so narrow. Only one who offered any width all night was Westlake who at least got forward but he was poor too. We looked no better with two strikers up front as the ball never came to them quickly enough and everything was so narrow. On the ball we were slow, predictable or unpredictable in bad way and could not even do the basics.
The defence looked clumsy, slow and mistake ridden. The midfield had gaps all over with a huge chasm between the defence and Doyle and then Doyle and Baxter. The latter did ok first half and at least got on the ball, made a few forward passes and looked bright. Second half he was as bad as the rest. King and Tayor had no service but scraps they did have they coughed away. Taylor looks woefully out of his depth. King was really poor too. Slow and often fouling for no reason.
As the game ticked away Weir stood motionless as the frustration in the crowd really set in but we could have been playing all night as in truth they dealt with us easily. That is 3 league one sides and we have lost to 2 and only scored 1 goal. Don’t think any of those sides are even that close to the top either. Hartlepool had 2 key players out suspended and rested 2 other regulars!
Weir looked a beaten man at full time. Many Hartlepool fans sang throughout the game; ‘Sacked in the morning!’ Towards the end quite a sizeable section (loud enough for him to clearly hear) in the South Stand joined in. At full time these grew louder with a few ‘Weir Out!’ chants and many down the bottom making their feelings clear to him and the side as they mooched off.
In the great scheme of things a JPT defeat is not the end of the world but for me it signals a new low point. Another defeat to another awful side at the Lane. Another game where we barely looked like scoring and the football was as bad as I have ever seen as an SUFC supporter.
The players look lost. They have no confidence and no belief. I see no signs of improvement or even little chinks. It is actually getting worse. We have to accept we made a mistake (another one) and it is a gamble that is not paid off. If we persist with him; we will probably get relegated. The form so far carried on over the season would see us down by Easter and I cannot understand those fans that genuinely see how we are going to improve. It is not one thing. It is not just tactics, formation, style. It is more than that. There is no passion, no belief, no organisation, no leadership, no spine, no hunger, no pace/strength or will to win. We go a goal down and we are finished. I have seen some really poor SUFC sides but at the Lane even the bad sides I have felt we had a chance of nicking a goal or show some steel to get back in it. This side is a spineless, pathetic bunch who seem like rabbits in headlights. They almost looked shocked when the crowd dare to mumble when they cannot even do a basic 5 yard pass; like it is our fault. I actually felt the crowd were pretty patient tonight and some tried to rally the side. They probably did not deserve it. Maybe they may point to it not being a league game and wait another week but I cannot see what waiting will do? The side give or take a couple was as strong as we could put out (keeper wouldn’t have made a difference tonight, Cuvelier has been poor I feel and Brandy has flattered to deceive so little upgrades really) and we still looked utterly shambolic.
The players look shambolic and have to take responsibility but the buck stops with the manager and at the moment the level of performances and results his side are putting out are beyond defending I am afraid.
A sad night to be an SUFC supporter. Yes it was only the paint pot trophy but what we saw on the field was just awful. Absolutely awful.
Howard 6/10 – No chance on the goal and had little else to do. Made a few standard saves but their other efforts were off target.
Westlake 4/10 – He gets 4 for actually getting forward and showing some positivity but most of the time he did nothing when he got in the opponents half; often checking back or losing it. He had one run and cross into the keeper’s hands. Defensively he was dreadful and many times they went past him or attacked down this side. The blond lad beat him 2 or 3 times easily and he is so slow to react to danger. Lacks any kind of intelligence or football brain as he is not see things happening or read the game.
Lappin 3.5/10 – As bad as Friday; if not worse. He stumbled over the ball; gave it away and rarely found a shirt. Cannot do the basics such as control and passing and his defending is poor too as he plays teams onside or lets players get beyond him.
Maguire 5/10 – Our best defender. He at least controlled and passed the ball at a reasonable level. Still he lost the header for the goal and also at times did not react to danger. He is badly regressing at the moment and maybe should have moved on in the summer if a Champ team did want him; not sure they did.
Collins 5/10 – Thought he was slow at times and did not always react to danger too but at least he tried to go forward with the ball and carry the fight but he too was slow to move the ball and allowed them time to get men behind the ball.
Doyle 4.5/10 – He was meant to be a defensive shield but often left a big gap. He did not get on the ball much and at times he lost his runner as they got beyond us. No kind of leadership again or ability to make his mark on the game. He was poorer than he has been in some other games when he has actually been the best of a bad bunch but worryingly still not worst player; not even close.
Baxter 6/10 – Very good first half. Maybe 7 or 7.5. Then went to pot as he gave ball away; tried to do too much and was sloppy. I suppose at least he did not hide and did try things. He showed some really nice touches and good range of passes. He was the best player on the field but then his confidence drained along with the rest. More involved in the position he played but often not close enough to the strikers as he had to go back and help Doyle.
Coady 4/10 – Should have scored early on and was quite busy first 5-10 minutes. Then he gradually disappeared and seemed more bothered about needling Monkhouse and gave away a few daft fouls. Played wide of the 4 in the diamond but he did not really get involved. Too many times he gets it and his fist thought is to come back inside or backwards and slows the attack down. Another that maybe needs another manager to give him some confidence. Think there is some ability there.
Taylor 4/10 – Yes he ran about a bit and tried hard and had little service but when it came to him other than once in the first half and then 2 bits early in the second, he stumbled over it, gave it away or was outmuscled. The sliced shot that nearly went out for a throw and then the cross that he hit out summed him for me. I say someone who is genuinely doing his best but sadly is out of his depth as he was when he played at this level before. Regardless of the service, formations, I expect a striker to at least hold it up, get on the end of odd bits or win a few headers/flicks. He does not even do that.
King 4/10 – As above. Felt he was poor overall and did not get any service but still was behind the play and often looked slow as he fouled defenders or was behind his man. He kept going but the ball never held up and other than one shot; he never really had any efforts. Looked fed up and his head went down near the end which is not what we need as the experienced players should be helping the younger ones but they all seem to just look disinterested and beaten at the moment.
Murphy 2/10 – Gave ball away 4 times in first 5 minutes. I kid you not. He then at least won a few tackles and had a burst of looking bothered for about 2 minutes. Then he resorted to looking disinterred and just sauntered about for the rest of the half. Taken off early second half. He may aswell have been sat in the dugout first half, such was his influence he had in the game. Sadly I don’t think his issue is just formation or Weir. He looked equally bad under the 2 previous managers. We need to see if we can get anything back for him and send him back to Scotland. He ain’t good enough and worse than that has no heart for the battle. The worst kind of player for a relegation scrap which we are in.
Subs
Hall – Not great but probably till did more than most! He gave it away and made some odd decisions but at least had a few shots including one just wide and tried to inject a bit of something. Maybe he just looked decent compared to Murphy!
Ironside– He ran around but did nothing. He was slow to win the balls played to him but he too had no service. He never looks like getting on the end of anything although had one half chance he put badly wide. He is a striker that does not look like scoring. So slow and weak. Not sure he will ever make it at league level sadly.
We were awful. Again. Thoroughly dreadful. We looked clueless for most of the game. We played ok for about a minute as we had a great chance, well made and Coady hit the bar when he should have scored, blasting it unnecessarily when a placed finish would have seen us 1 up.
After this they gradually got back in the game and had a brilliant chance when James shot wide clear though after beating our offside trap as Lappin played him on. They had a few other half chances and we offered little in response. A few Baxter long rangers was about it. Then they scored a decent volleyed finis but it was a simple long throw that looped in. Maguire lost the header and Collins lost his man who finished with a very good first time effort. After this the confidence dropped and second half it was dire. They got men behind the ball but in truth other than a few long rangers and a Collins header near the end I cannot remember a really clear chance. We had no idea how to break down an average League Two side and just passed it sideways and backwards until someone eventually hit a long diagonal ball that was cleared or a tippy tappy pass was picked off.
We played 4-4-2 with Doyle defensive and Baxter attacking of a 2 man midfield with a kind of diamond. Murphy played left and Coady right but neither were particularly wide as it was so narrow. Only one who offered any width all night was Westlake who at least got forward but he was poor too. We looked no better with two strikers up front as the ball never came to them quickly enough and everything was so narrow. On the ball we were slow, predictable or unpredictable in bad way and could not even do the basics.
The defence looked clumsy, slow and mistake ridden. The midfield had gaps all over with a huge chasm between the defence and Doyle and then Doyle and Baxter. The latter did ok first half and at least got on the ball, made a few forward passes and looked bright. Second half he was as bad as the rest. King and Tayor had no service but scraps they did have they coughed away. Taylor looks woefully out of his depth. King was really poor too. Slow and often fouling for no reason.
As the game ticked away Weir stood motionless as the frustration in the crowd really set in but we could have been playing all night as in truth they dealt with us easily. That is 3 league one sides and we have lost to 2 and only scored 1 goal. Don’t think any of those sides are even that close to the top either. Hartlepool had 2 key players out suspended and rested 2 other regulars!
Weir looked a beaten man at full time. Many Hartlepool fans sang throughout the game; ‘Sacked in the morning!’ Towards the end quite a sizeable section (loud enough for him to clearly hear) in the South Stand joined in. At full time these grew louder with a few ‘Weir Out!’ chants and many down the bottom making their feelings clear to him and the side as they mooched off.
In the great scheme of things a JPT defeat is not the end of the world but for me it signals a new low point. Another defeat to another awful side at the Lane. Another game where we barely looked like scoring and the football was as bad as I have ever seen as an SUFC supporter.
The players look lost. They have no confidence and no belief. I see no signs of improvement or even little chinks. It is actually getting worse. We have to accept we made a mistake (another one) and it is a gamble that is not paid off. If we persist with him; we will probably get relegated. The form so far carried on over the season would see us down by Easter and I cannot understand those fans that genuinely see how we are going to improve. It is not one thing. It is not just tactics, formation, style. It is more than that. There is no passion, no belief, no organisation, no leadership, no spine, no hunger, no pace/strength or will to win. We go a goal down and we are finished. I have seen some really poor SUFC sides but at the Lane even the bad sides I have felt we had a chance of nicking a goal or show some steel to get back in it. This side is a spineless, pathetic bunch who seem like rabbits in headlights. They almost looked shocked when the crowd dare to mumble when they cannot even do a basic 5 yard pass; like it is our fault. I actually felt the crowd were pretty patient tonight and some tried to rally the side. They probably did not deserve it. Maybe they may point to it not being a league game and wait another week but I cannot see what waiting will do? The side give or take a couple was as strong as we could put out (keeper wouldn’t have made a difference tonight, Cuvelier has been poor I feel and Brandy has flattered to deceive so little upgrades really) and we still looked utterly shambolic.
The players look shambolic and have to take responsibility but the buck stops with the manager and at the moment the level of performances and results his side are putting out are beyond defending I am afraid.
A sad night to be an SUFC supporter. Yes it was only the paint pot trophy but what we saw on the field was just awful. Absolutely awful.
Howard 6/10 – No chance on the goal and had little else to do. Made a few standard saves but their other efforts were off target.
Westlake 4/10 – He gets 4 for actually getting forward and showing some positivity but most of the time he did nothing when he got in the opponents half; often checking back or losing it. He had one run and cross into the keeper’s hands. Defensively he was dreadful and many times they went past him or attacked down this side. The blond lad beat him 2 or 3 times easily and he is so slow to react to danger. Lacks any kind of intelligence or football brain as he is not see things happening or read the game.
Lappin 3.5/10 – As bad as Friday; if not worse. He stumbled over the ball; gave it away and rarely found a shirt. Cannot do the basics such as control and passing and his defending is poor too as he plays teams onside or lets players get beyond him.
Maguire 5/10 – Our best defender. He at least controlled and passed the ball at a reasonable level. Still he lost the header for the goal and also at times did not react to danger. He is badly regressing at the moment and maybe should have moved on in the summer if a Champ team did want him; not sure they did.
Collins 5/10 – Thought he was slow at times and did not always react to danger too but at least he tried to go forward with the ball and carry the fight but he too was slow to move the ball and allowed them time to get men behind the ball.
Doyle 4.5/10 – He was meant to be a defensive shield but often left a big gap. He did not get on the ball much and at times he lost his runner as they got beyond us. No kind of leadership again or ability to make his mark on the game. He was poorer than he has been in some other games when he has actually been the best of a bad bunch but worryingly still not worst player; not even close.
Baxter 6/10 – Very good first half. Maybe 7 or 7.5. Then went to pot as he gave ball away; tried to do too much and was sloppy. I suppose at least he did not hide and did try things. He showed some really nice touches and good range of passes. He was the best player on the field but then his confidence drained along with the rest. More involved in the position he played but often not close enough to the strikers as he had to go back and help Doyle.
Coady 4/10 – Should have scored early on and was quite busy first 5-10 minutes. Then he gradually disappeared and seemed more bothered about needling Monkhouse and gave away a few daft fouls. Played wide of the 4 in the diamond but he did not really get involved. Too many times he gets it and his fist thought is to come back inside or backwards and slows the attack down. Another that maybe needs another manager to give him some confidence. Think there is some ability there.
Taylor 4/10 – Yes he ran about a bit and tried hard and had little service but when it came to him other than once in the first half and then 2 bits early in the second, he stumbled over it, gave it away or was outmuscled. The sliced shot that nearly went out for a throw and then the cross that he hit out summed him for me. I say someone who is genuinely doing his best but sadly is out of his depth as he was when he played at this level before. Regardless of the service, formations, I expect a striker to at least hold it up, get on the end of odd bits or win a few headers/flicks. He does not even do that.
King 4/10 – As above. Felt he was poor overall and did not get any service but still was behind the play and often looked slow as he fouled defenders or was behind his man. He kept going but the ball never held up and other than one shot; he never really had any efforts. Looked fed up and his head went down near the end which is not what we need as the experienced players should be helping the younger ones but they all seem to just look disinterested and beaten at the moment.
Murphy 2/10 – Gave ball away 4 times in first 5 minutes. I kid you not. He then at least won a few tackles and had a burst of looking bothered for about 2 minutes. Then he resorted to looking disinterred and just sauntered about for the rest of the half. Taken off early second half. He may aswell have been sat in the dugout first half, such was his influence he had in the game. Sadly I don’t think his issue is just formation or Weir. He looked equally bad under the 2 previous managers. We need to see if we can get anything back for him and send him back to Scotland. He ain’t good enough and worse than that has no heart for the battle. The worst kind of player for a relegation scrap which we are in.
Subs
Hall – Not great but probably till did more than most! He gave it away and made some odd decisions but at least had a few shots including one just wide and tried to inject a bit of something. Maybe he just looked decent compared to Murphy!
Ironside– He ran around but did nothing. He was slow to win the balls played to him but he too had no service. He never looks like getting on the end of anything although had one half chance he put badly wide. He is a striker that does not look like scoring. So slow and weak. Not sure he will ever make it at league level sadly.
, the lad tries, oh how he tries, but that's where it ends.....
