EXETER CITY v CRAWLEY MDT

[PeteUSA]

Still hopeful that we may find a way to stumble into the playoffs but won't be too disappointed if we fall short as long as Matty gets it right in terms of recruitment this summer.

And part of that recruitment has to be a half decent back up keeper to Pym, who I dont think will be going anywhere in the summer. There have been far too many calamitous mistakes in that department this season, which have cost us a shedload of points; the Hamon fiasco of two weeks ago being a prime example.

 

[Red Devon]

A few miscellaneous points:
1. Jake Taylor has had two shortened summer breaks already due to playoffs and been ever-present this season. If not physically knackered he might be mentally knackered.
2. It might be that Matt is over-achieving this season or under-achieving with the players that we have. Difficult to say.
3. I've said it before : if we couldn't get promoted with Watkins, JMT and Jack S in the team it's expecting a lot for our current team to achieve it.
4. Playing Law on the wing makes no sense. It has to be either Law or Boateng in attacking central midfield position, not both. Since Law is more likely to grab a goal i'd pick him to start.
5. For years now we seem to have been a slow-starting team. Remember the theory was that we had to suss out the opposition first (..meanwhile the opposition scores and wastes as much time as possible)? That's a load of carp. We have to go for it from the start.
6. Lets be honest : of course it would be great to be promoted but imo if we don't the silver lining is that the players can have a good rest and Matt can try to improve the team. Lets back the manager by signing a quality, guaranteed goalscorer at our level, even if it means coughing up 250k.

Point 5

This is what disappointed me the most yesterday, in the Thursday press conference MT gave the impression that the players were straining at the leash to get at Crawley instead we got the complete opposite.

 

[IndoMike]

Point 5

This is what disappointed me the most yesterday, in the Thursday press conference MT gave the impression that the players were straining at the leash to get at Crawley instead we got the complete opposite.

It's difficult to explain. I guess we just don't have (m)any players who will get stuck in or drive the team forwards. Surely it can't be nerves?

 

[Red Devon]

It's difficult to explain. I guess we just don't have (m)any players who will get stuck in or drive the team forwards. Surely it can't be nerves?

I wouldn’t have thought so...probably hugely underestimated Crawley after the season they’ve had, like people have said it seemed to take 35 minutes for the players to realise they had a game on their hands....hopefully we’ll learn from this.

 

[ramone]

There is game management which all teams, us included do a bit of, and blatent time wasting which is unsportsman like behaviour and a bookable offence. If the referee booked the first offender you wouldn't get the rest. It has been allowed to become part of the game because referees are weak and do not manage the situation. If they got to grips with it in the first place, it wouldn't happen.

That sums it up for me , These refs and lino's let far too much go especially for certain teams who have been known to do it for a number of years Lincoln and Wycombe are prime examples.

 

[malcolms]

That sums it up for me , These refs and lino's let far too much go especially for certain teams who have been known to do it for a number of years Lincoln and Wycombe are prime examples.

You might argue (always assuming you accept the basic premise) that the ends justify the means...Wycombe are safely ensconced in the league above and Lincoln are winning the league we are in by a street....

 

[grecIAN Harris]

And part of that recruitment has to be a half decent back up keeper to Pym, who I dont think will be going anywhere in the summer. There have been far too many calamitous mistakes in that department this season, which have cost us a shedload of points; the Hamon fiasco of two weeks ago being a prime example.

I'd suggest a new number one altogether. Pym isn't going to be any better than he is now (and he isn't as good as some of you think anyway) and I'm begining to think he is starting to go through the same issues Jon Richardson had when he was here, been here to long and is getting stale as his position is almost guaranteed.

 

[Red Monster]

Not for the first time Matt has mentioned in his post match interview the weakness in the players mentally
If we go a goal down,he diplomatically lumps the whole team in that but he must have certain players in mind.

 

[ramone]

You might argue (always assuming you accept the basic premise) that the ends justify the means...Wycombe are safely ensconced in the league above and Lincoln are winning the league we are in by a street....

So timewasting / cheating is ok as long as it gets you promoted ? Any teams that are playing Wycombe go and read their fans forums, Ainsworth seems to make it part of their basic training.

 

[globegrecian]

The time wasting was frustrating but us giving the third goal away - all three were very avoidable - was more frustrating for me. I do think MT is still learning about which team plays best together and he just hasn't had all the players available long enough, especially in midfield, to have settled on a best eleven. We're lucky we still have time to sort it out but the playoffs are very achievable. I'm still very happy overall even if there have been too many days at home this season where we haven't focused well enough to stop the opposition and get a hold on the game. Very much think the manager is doing a good job though and I'm surprised some people are so quick to criticise him when he's on a learning curve and not doing bad overall.

Which takes us back to why was it necessary to appoint a manager with zero first team managerial experience? Why not take the momentum of the previous two seasons and build on it to achieve automatic promotion? We have the money.

For those saying that the better squad we had last year still didn’t win us promotion, take a look at how Tisdale is struggling to make top 3 with a far wealthier and better resourced club who were playing in League One the previous season.