Stevenage A.F.C. V's Exeter City A.F.C. Official Match Day Thread. 10/08/2019

[Money_On_Exeter]

Some reason to be positive. Another 3 points in the bag and away from home. From what little I saw in the highlights Williams looks to be a very good player, Law scored a very well-taken goal and the young keeper, Ward has pulled off a fantastic save early on. Hopefully, this will breed the confidence which will then help oil the machine so it can start to move through the gears.

 

[IndoMike]

To win away is away is always a good result and 6 points from the opening two games with no goals conceded is much better than zero points.
Think it's too early to judge Nicky Ajose, but if he's not getting the service it will be frustrating for him.

The issues seem to be
1. Sweeney at RB
2. Moxey or Martin at CB
3. Collins and Taylor or Collins or Taylor
4. 4-5-1 or 4-4-2
5. Sparkes in

So plenty for Matt Taylor to work on.

 

[IndoMike]

Liked the interview with Nicky Law. He seems to have his feet firmly planted on the ground and talked a lot of sense. Good bloke to have around the team. One of our best signings in recent times. Hope the team can do him justice.

 

[IndoMike]

Just to add, I think Matt will persevere with 4-4-2. To bench a player who might be one of our highest earners after just a couple of games is difficult to do.
On the other hand, although Lee Martin is proving effective as an impact player, I'd still like him to start, so who do we drop?
Clearly Matt likes Jake Taylor because apparently he's one of our hardest workers according to the stats.
I have a feeling that Archie Collins will be the one to have to make way for either Martin or Atangana, which would be a shame because if he develops we might make some decent money for him.

 

[SEA Grecian]

Not necessarily. Has to be earned and this is the season its earned or not.

Well I thought Matt Taylor did a lot to learn to earn that trust today and got a lot of things right.

• The two summer signings who played both look like quality additions to the squad
• Parkes and Moxey were a very solid combination and justified their selection ahead of Aaron Martin
• Law played more centrally from the start and was increasingly influential as the game went on
• The team improved markedly after the break, presumably due in part to whatever the manager said at half-time
• The team had the fitness and the belief to keep on attacking even though it took until the 89th minute to finally get the goal we deserved
• Matt Taylor seemed really pleased with the performance in his interview but accepted there was still a lot of room for improvement

 

[SEA Grecian]

I don't agree that he has flaws, or certainly not ones that could be considered so at this level, or the one above. I've not seen anything to suggest he's any less capable with the ball on the ground. Deano has done ok at CB but i'd never select him ahead of Martin. Nor for that matter would I select him at LB ahead of woodman, but MT seems happy to do both which I find very surprising

When was the last time Deano was picked ahead of a fully fit Woody at left-back? It must have been in the first half of last season.

 

[SEA Grecian]

Definitely 4-2-3-1.

You’re right on the back 4 and then Taylor and Collins sat in front. Then had Williams and ajose wide with bowman up top. Law had a free role to go and support whichever side we were attacking. Tactic worked relatively well.

Was trying to figure things out while watching on iFollow so am happy to defer to those in the ground on the formation. It definitely looked like in the first-half especially Randall was dropping back to help out more defensively than usual and Woody was expected to fill the gaping hole wide on the left which is a big ask for a 37-year-old. If it was 4 at the back then it ended it being something like 4-2-2-2 with Collins and Taylor sitting in front of the back four, Law playing more centrally alongside Williams who was up and down the pitch on the right-hand-side. Ajose did drift left a few times to pick-up the ball but usually only on the edge of the box and never dropped back to fill the gap between him and Woody. Whatever, the formation it worked as our attacking play was much better in the second-half even before Lee Martin came on and we reverted to 4-2-3-1.

 

[geoffwp]

Well I thought Matt Taylor did a lot to learn to earn that trust today and got a lot of things right.

• The two summer signings who played both look like quality additions to the squad
• Parkes and Moxey were a very solid combination and justified their selection ahead of Aaron Martin
• Law played more centrally from the start and was increasingly influential as the game went on
• The team improved markedly after the break, presumably due in part to whatever the manager said at half-time
• The team had the fitness and the belief to keep on attacking even though it took until the 89th minute to finally get the goal we deserved
• Matt Taylor seemed really pleased with the performance in his interview but accepted there was still a lot of room for improvement

Be patient. Two swallows don't make a summer but 46 of them may well do.

 

[Red Devon]

Just back after a 4 hour drive but it's always worth it when you bag the points. Firstly unlike last week when Macc were on top for big parts today's opponents were truly dreadful with just one shot all game dealt with superbly by Lewis Ward who is imposing although does need to improve his kicking. We certainly started as a 4-4-2 and I have to say Moxey was very good throughout at CH - it may be that Aaron Martin was one of the players the Manager said had the sickness bug earlier in the week and who knows may not have trained the full week hence the decision to switch notably with a game on Tue when I fully expect to see Aaron starting perhaps alongside Cundy? Woodman defensively was so much better than Moxey last week at LB but going forward didn't deliver. It's hard to fathom how Sweeney can keep his place when his control and passing again today was woeful. The midfield pairing of Taylor and Collins imo doesn't work as neither has creativity and it was only when Law was also moved into the centre did we start to pass the ball at all. Ajose increased his minutes this week to 72 from the 53 from last week and there was definite improvement and I think the Manager is persevering in order to get him fitter as its unclear if he is match sharp compared to his team mates who started pre season earlier? Bowman although not at the heights of last week is very effective and holds the ball up beautifully. It was like last week with the introduction of Lee Martin that the game changed. He delivered superb crosses from both left and right and was at the heart of everything in the twenty minutes + added time he played. It's a real dilemma for Matty but again you must assume he will start on Tue?

The huge bonus is the start that Randall Williams has had. He was the outlet to everything, his pace and running enabled us to get up the pitch and have real threat. As soon as he scores he will go up another level again I think and it was good to see him chatting to fans at the end. We need Nigel to get fit asap to take some burden off Law and hopefully get a RB on loan sooner rather than not at all

RE: Sweeney thought he was sound defensively but as you say his distribution was devoid of any quality whatsoever either over hit or shanked into touch it was even worse than against Macclesfield because there was more of it, with RW showing real promise in front of him imagine what he may be able to do with some properly measured and weighted balls to run on to rather than what Sweeney has been supplying him with.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

I see that once again the excellent/brilliant save has been over hyped by commentators and fans alike. It was a good/decent save and nothing more. It was hit well but well within in Wards range, especially with his height, and he would have been disappointed to have been beaten from there. Cracking striker by Nicky Law to win the match, shades of Notts County from last season (in context of the result not the actual goal).