EXETER CITY v CRAWLEY MDT

[STURTZ]

Sorry, Crawley aren't very good. We should be better, our team wasn't set out right. Matt Taylor fault entirely.

 

[arthur]

Another part of me wants to finish 8th and give him a proper summer to ship people out and get deals done etc. And start next season well after a proper break and pre-season. This squad has weaknesses all over the pitch. We're too soft but we're also not particularly gifted. Not a good combo.

During our first recent season in League 1, when we ended up avoiding relegation with 8 minutes of the season left, someone wisely remarked "Paul Tisdale did not have the time to build a team for League 2, never mind League 1". To be fair, PT had had two years to build a team, albeit one to get out the Conference, and it hung together well enough to survive and be the basis for the glory season that followed. MT hasn't had nearly enough time - we haven't got an even vaguely established strike partnership FFS

 

[manc grecian]

Sorry, Crawley aren't very good. We should be better, our team wasn't set out right. Matt Taylor fault entirely.

Nothing wrong with the line up but just like mansfield we came out so slowly and lethargicly. We are in the playoffs and should be coming out throwing the kitchen sink at teams.

 

[geoffwp]

What I really do not understand is just how we can start a game so slow and lethargic yet come back out second half and start to actually show some interest. Come on city, you're professional athletes FFS. Act the part.

 

[east_mid]

I can't believe we will reach the playoffs.2 teams that want to stay in this league more than we want to get out of it stick 3 goals a piece past us.Recruitment this summer has to include mental toughness as well as skill and talent.

 

[manc grecian]

Maybe the manager needs to ******* them before the game.

 

[geoffwp]

That’s unfair. Today’s team was unchanged from that which won comfortably last week.

Fair enough Andrew but I am increasingly getting an uncomfortable feeling that Matt is still unsure just where to play certain individuals and what role he wants for them. It's like he is still trying to suss that out but here we are with 3 to go.

 

[DaveE]

He put out the same team that beat Port Vale last Saturday,so any reasonable person would probably think 'Don't change a winning line up'. It'a shame the same players went out on the pitch but didn't take the same mentality but that's the tale of this season, too inconsistent - will the real Exeter City please stand up?

 

[Stelios]

Fair enough Andrew but I am increasingly getting an uncomfortable feeling that Matt is still unsure just where to play certain individuals and what role he wants for them. It's like he is still trying to suss that out but here we are with 3 to go.

During our first recent season in League 1, when we ended up avoiding relegation with 8 minutes of the season left, someone wisely remarked "Paul Tisdale did not have the time to build a team for League 2, never mind League 1". To be fair, PT had had two years to build a team, albeit one to get out the Conference, and it hung together well enough to survive and be the basis for the glory season that followed. MT hasn't had nearly enough time - we haven't got an even vaguely established strike partnership FFS

I agree.

The problem I have with MT (and the Eric Kinder quote last summer) is that they appear to be a 'pragmatists'. More focused on the result than a particular 'philosophy' or 'style or play'. This is absolutely fine. "More than one way to skin a cat" etc etc. But when you are consistently inconsistent. When your side doesn't show up for large portions of games (all throughout the season). When the opposition has you sussed out from the 1st minute. When you don't have any shape or 'pattern of play'. It can begin to look like you're a bit clueless rather than pragmatic. This is the danger he could find himself in. When we play well he's quick to say it's because we have some real quality in the squad (which we do). But when we play poorly it's because of mistakes. Mental weakness etc. Where does the manager fit into this?

Law should never be on the left. Ever. We've seen this "time and time again".

I was pleased with the appointment. I like the way he talks and his honesty (yes this has become a cliche now - "time and time again" etc). He's done a good job so far but it all appears to be unravelling at the end. Partly because of losses to the squad throughout the season but also because we don't seem to have clue from one game to the next if we'll show up. Whose fault is it?

It may well be he has it all worked out but lacks the players to see it through. And losing a brilliant striker and sole goalscorer will hurt any team. Especially one that was entirely reliant on him.

 

[fred binneys head]

Whoever ends up in the play offs will deserve it - which team deserves it more than us? Carlisle? Stevenage? Newport? They’ve all been horse**** during the season too. Let’s just roar the lads on in the last three games, get in the play offs, beat MK in the semis and Forest green at Wembley, then see what happens over the summer.

Can’t wait!