Exeter City v Crawley Town Matchday Thread

[Snoop Fog]

Not the best performance and not helped by the conditions, but we were still better than Crawley.

My main concern is Ajose. What does he offer to the team? Absolutely nothing as far as I can see. No pace, no effort or energy, doesn't hold the ball up or link up play, obviously wind nothing in the air, and generally looks disinterested. Give me Lee Martin over Ajose any day of the week.

Also I'm done with Sweeney. Such a poor player and if we don't source a new right back in the summer then MT needs his head read. Sweeney is over weight, no argument, and should focus on practicing his distribution instead of stuffing snickers bars down his neck.

 

[IndoMike]

Wonder if nerves are playing a part.

 

[PeteUSA]

Wonder if nerves are playing a part.

It could be playing a part with Ward. He looks nothing like as composed and confident as before he got injured.

 

[IndoMike]

It could be playing a part with Ward. He looks nothing like as composed and confident as before he got injured.

I'll leave that to you and our other goalie experts Pete. I never played in goal so really don't have any perspective.
Since we're all starting to get a bit excited I was wondering if the players are, too

 

[Banksy]

Wonder if nerves are playing a part.

It’s a pity , but having got so much right Matt seems to have made the wrong call in signing Ajose as his main man up front especially as it’s taken a big chunk of his budget too..And not helped by Bowman not being a natural goalscorer.It’s getting too late in the season for them to come good as a partnership and as I’ve said before it could be our undoing if it goes to the lottery of playoffs yet again. Matt seemingly has no way to turn now .
Imagine the frustration and pain after the success of this season , our going out at Wembley after Bowman has missed some sitters that some forwards would have scored blindfolded. Especially if our friends down the road have already made it in the autos and are sitting watching it on tv and laughing their heads off.Twice recently has been enough for me.
But enough of that , maybe Bowman will strike a rich vein of goals just in time to bail us out.

 

[IndoMike]

I'm afraid I've never been sold on Ryan Bowman since we signed him. His goalscoring record has never been very good anywhere.
To he be honest, he can't head the ball, he can't dribble, he can't shoot, and you wouldn't bet your house on him in a one-to -one with the keeper.
But, he's a fans favourite because he is seen to work hard. At the company I worked at for many years one of the mottos was "work smart", I.e. there's no point working hard if the end result is no good.
If we were a middling to lower div 2 club with no aspirations then Bowman would be o.k. But we're not that .
Obviously Sir Matt sees a lot more in him than I/we do, but apart from "keeping the defenders busy" I can't see what. And those regular missed chances have cost us points.
Bowman seems a decent chap and he is an honest pro. Also he had big shoes to fill (Stockley). I raise a glass to him and hope that he will prove me and the other doubters wrong. He needs to get in a lot more coaching, focusing on shooting and heading practice.

 

[denzil]

How can 'we' look 'leggy' in the first half (i.e. tired) and in the 2nd half not.

 

[grecianstew]

We seem obsessed with playing a big lump up front, the only alternative to Bowman being Fisher. Trouble is both are very poor footballers, incapable of playing the accurate, timed and weighted balls or the clever space creating movement that whoever plays up with them requires. Not one assist between them this season tells it’s own story.
Maybe time to think about 2 “footballers “ up top to stretch rather than condense opposition defences. It is not written that one of the front men must be a target man.

 

[grecIAN Harris]

On Bowman, 'he can't head and he can't shoot' yet he's scored 13 goals so far this season and should get 16-17 by the end of the season, exactly what you'd want for the type of forward that he is.
On Ajose, I can't help thinking that he would be far more effective if Matt Jay was playing rather Nicky Law. Matt's first thought when he gets the ball is always about getting the ball forward as quickly and as positively as possible which when you're trying to make runs off of the back of your marker is the sort of service you want. Nicky Law is about ball retention first so Ajose runs are often missed.

 

[DB9]

Bowman is a honest, hard working player but he misses more than he scores, I honestly can't see him worrying any defences if we were promoted, Same with Ajose, We'd certainly need to improve our firepower next season what ever division we're in