Second Ball

[Mark Cordell]

Our problems have been well publicised across exeweb/facebook/twitter and everyone has an valid opinion.

I can't believe how poor we have been in midfield, which baffles me. Individually we have some great talent but we could count on one hand the number of second balls we win. On the ball they look okay and off it they seem AWOL.

Is this a simple coaching piece or is it something more?

Oakley was that leader but he has declined quicker than the Ukranian situation recently.

 

[Bittners a Legend]

I made this point (re the second ball) on the match day thread and make you spot on. We seem to play in second gear, we react rather than anticipate, are almost always caught flat footed and rarely willing to compete for 50/50s anyway.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Our midfield is too slow to get to the second balls. Bennett, Gill, Oakley take your pic. There's not an ounce of pace between them.

 

[Mark Cordell]

Our midfield is too slow to get to the second balls. Bennett, Gill, Oakley take your pic. There's not an ounce of pace between them.

It has to be tactical though which makes no sense, even with no pace you can challenge for the second ball. If this is the theme of training then removing Tisdale would do nothing as we would replace him with one of the coaches already in place.

 

[wemissmoxey]

Our midfield is poor and has been for a long time, this is nothing new.

Tisdale's decision to play the likes of Oakley and Gill together is baffling, Oakley offers next to nothing as a footballer these days, the only two things he is pretty good at is running around at three quarter pace and keeping away from the action, Torquay's midfield had far more energy and cutting edge, the only player who offered any kind of threat today was Wheeler with his pace, directness and energy, three things that Tisdale does not seem to appreciate.

One other thing, Danny Butterfield, what the hell is this chap bringing to the table, a sloth would offer more than him on a football field.

 

[Mark Cordell]

One other thing, Danny Butterfield, what the hell is this chap bringing to the table, a sloth would offer more than him on a football field.

Not sure what Dawson has to do, has looked very good in the U21 games and solid enough when called upon.

 

[Grecian O'Grecian]

Not sure what Dawson has to do, has looked very good in the U21 games and solid enough when called upon.

When you're not in favour with Tis you're not in favour with Tis. Dawson, like you said looked good in the under 21 cup and goes from being probably our best player away at Bury to being not in the squad the next Saturday. I'd guess that Tis just has his favourites who will play whatever, whenever e.g Bennett, Sercombe, Oakley, Butterfield etc.

 

[DanceMagnet]

One other thing, Danny Butterfield, what the hell is this chap bringing to the table, a sloth would offer more than him on a football field.

He's a proper chap who is good in the dressing room, whatever that means.

 

[Menace]

Agree our midfield was absent again yesterday but is it the players or the tactics. If it is the players effort then please don't exclude Sercombe from this he seems to have lapses on concentration. Several occasions yesterday he ambled forward when we had the ball showing no pace or desire so added nothing to our options up front then when we lost the ball ambled back giving defence no help either.

 

[STURTZ]

We have more success when Oakley, Gill, Bennett, push forward and actually support our slender attack. Yesterday there were a couple of times when Gill actually looked as if he was going to find himself in a goal scoring situation, you could see real panic in his face before he managed to withdraw tactfully.