Stagdale wrote:There is no doubt Nigel has done a great job since he came but there are a few things that really concern me:
1. All three goals came from the rhs tonight. It is blindingly obvious that we are very weak down both flanks. Gordon/Perch/McLaughlin will never be full backs. Why play them there especially McLaughlin who doesn’t relish a tackle and distribution is questionable? This should have been addressed in the January transfer window.
2. Why do we release two recognised strikers and replace only one with someone with a lot to prove? I know they were high earners but they should have been kept till the end of the season for cover if he was not prepared to start them and then let them go. We really could have done with Cook tonight to hold things up in their half.
3. The squad is threadbare. Fully accept we should not throw money at signings in January but why did he not get some loan signings in as cover? I thought his brother was good at seeking out decent players?
4. Our free kicks are absolutely awful. We very rarely create any danger from corners or set pieces. Why is this? It always appears like a hopeful punt which comes to nothing.
5. We have nobody up front who can head a ball. Why, therefore, do we persist in hitting high balls to Reid?
6. Why is he so reluctant to change things when it is not going to plan? Obviously with injuries and not replacing a striker his options are very limited with the bench we now have.
This is not yet Nigel’s team so let’s hope he can address these issues in the summer.
1. Perch has played right back for a good chunk of his career. I went on and on about Gordon at right back. Whilst I felt McLaughlin did well last night I'm still not 100% comfortable with him playing there.
2. Because they wanted to leave, certainly Maynard. Both see what's is happening with covid and we're worried about getting a deal for next season. I feel almost a guarantee that they would be released at the end of the season and wanted to leave to get sorted for next season. Nothing much we can do.
3. Perhaps there was no decent players left. We could delve into the free transfer market but again, they won't have played for a while, some for a year, that's a long time out and with us playing Sat-Tues for 5 or 6 weeks they won't get up to speed in time to make a difference.
4. Our free kicks and corners aren't that great. Alot of teams aren't that great either.
5. I don't think we do hit many high balls to Reid. Take away clearances under pressure they it's not many, if any. I guarantee that if under pressure we play a short pass that's intercepted people will want to know why we don't just smack it one.
6. Something that has baffled me all season. I'm an advocate of putting fresh legs on after an hour or so. We've ran the players into the ground then spent a few weeks training like we've got a game coming up and not having a game. So really we've basically had a few weeks off but trained the equivalent of part time to keep the lads fresh for a game that didn't materialise. I applaud winners stay on (or rather non-losers stay on) but knackered players come off. Bowery looked knackered at half time. It becomes a choice of knackered experienced pro vs energetic and hungry young lad. The young lad, however, is more likely to make mistakes and is lacking match sharpness. Clough is erring on the side of caution leaving the experienced pro on.
The refusal to make change to a non-losing side got Lapslie injured for 4 weeks. It is a concern. However this isn't his squad and maybe he's made his decision on the players not getting games and doesn't see the point in playing them when they will be released at the seasons end?