Exeter City v Morecambe Matchday Thread - Kick Off: 6.00PM

[IndoMike]

I'm happy to give Matt T until the end of the season and see where we are then. I didn't honestly expect us to get promoted this season and I still doubt it, although Div 2 is fairly open. If we can play our best eleven (with Williams, Law, Randall, Jay, Collins, a fit Key as regulars) and if the new CB is good we might have a chance, but with the team carrying niggling injuries and with no reliable goalscorer in the eleven or on the bench that makes life difficult.
Recruitment has not been great, and so far no decent loan signings have been brought in either. I'm wondering if Matt lacks enough useful contacts in the game. So if the club unlocks the purse strings in the summer for me the question is whether Matt can make the signings we need to be a strong force in Div 2. Questions about contacts and judgment.
Anyway, the season isn't over yet and a lot can still happen. Matt definitely passed the test in his first 2 seasons so I don't want to knee-jerk too soon.

 

[eurogrecian]

Last night was a disappointing performance, but we are two points behind playoff place and 5 points behind the autos with game in hand. All to play for.

We are the top goalscorers in League 2, but when you are behind and missing two key players who can really turn a match (Randall and Williams), it's hard to break teams down.

We have to start by fixing up the backline to stop giving away cheap goals like last night. McArdle doesn't appear to fit the bill so we need fresh options there. You'd have thought that with his playing history Taylor would be able to identify what the solution is, but talk of his job being 'under pressure' is well overblown. It's his first job as a manager, he's a decent guy and has developed a competitive team who can turn on the style on their day (ask Colchester or Tranmere).

UTC

 

[Red Devon]

The league table still gives a lot more hope than last nights performance.

 

[Martin Lawrence]

I'm happy to give Matt T until the end of the season and see where we are then. I didn't honestly expect us to get promoted this season and I still doubt it, although Div 2 is fairly open. If we can play our best eleven (with Williams, Law, Randall, Jay, Collins, a fit Key as regulars) and if the new CB is good we might have a chance, but with the team carrying niggling injuries and with no reliable goalscorer in the eleven or on the bench that makes life difficult.
Recruitment has not been great, and so far no decent loan signings have been brought in either. I'm wondering if Matt lacks enough useful contacts in the game. So if the club unlocks the purse strings in the summer for me the question is whether Matt can make the signings we need to be a strong force in Div 2. Questions about contacts and judgment.
Anyway, the season isn't over yet and a lot can still happen. Matt definitely passed the test in his first 2 seasons so I don't want to knee-jerk too soon.

Contacts are a thing of yesteryear mate. It is all about agents now and they are just an SMS message away.

 

[Red Devon]

There's a bit of psychology that worries me at the moment and that's the constant referral to the difficult pitch.
It is what it is and there is an issue but it shouldn't be in the forefront of player thinking.

I say this because I noticed Maxted went straight to it in his pre-match interview.

Watching the game last night I honestly said to myself the team are trying to play the pitch instead of the opponents...right from the way the players lined up from the kickoff you could see that they were avoiding playing down the IPO side at all cost...in the second half this changed and nearly all of our positive moves came down the left hand side.

 

[arthur]

Believe me I really would love to see a true nice guy and City legend succeed. Tonight’s performance was however completely unacceptable and must be seen as a reflection of Matt’s preparation and expectation of the squad. He must therefore be held accountable for an embarrassingly poor performance on the night,as well as v Barrow and Harrogate. Morecambe could scarcely have believed their luck tonight. What to do? I think it needs to be spelt out very clearly to Matt that auto promotion is and always was the expectation this year. Failure must lead to a new face in charge, preferably before it’s too late.

This, and other similar verdicts on the crapness of our performance relative to other seasons, or games in this one, are symptomatic of exceedingly short memories imho. Morecambe were well organised and played better than we did. That is beyond doubt. It is not that rare an occurrence for a below par performance to happen when we happen to be playing a competent team, and in such circumstances we lose.

But these histrionics about the awfulness of it all rather overlooks the fact that we did muster seven shots on target - I can recall plenty of games when the opposing keeper has had little to do apart from goal kicks and fielding the occasional loose ball in his box. And I can recall plenty of second halves when, after an anonymous first half when a one goal deficit was a relief, absolutely nothing of note was created in the second half either.

Last night's second half performance was not at all bad, it just wasn't good enough to break down a well organised team who knew what they were doing. "Completely unacceptable" - come on!

 

[Legohead]

I'm happy to give Matt T until the end of the season and see where we are then. I didn't honestly expect us to get promoted this season and I still doubt it, although Div 2 is fairly open. If we can play our best eleven (with Williams, Law, Randall, Jay, Collins, a fit Key as regulars) and if the new CB is good we might have a chance, but with the team carrying niggling injuries and with no reliable goalscorer in the eleven or on the bench that makes life difficult.
Recruitment has not been great, and so far no decent loan signings have been brought in either. I'm wondering if Matt lacks enough useful contacts in the game. So if the club unlocks the purse strings in the summer for me the question is whether Matt can make the signings we need to be a strong force in Div 2. Questions about contacts and judgment.
Anyway, the season isn't over yet and a lot can still happen. Matt definitely passed the test in his first 2 seasons so I don't want to knee-jerk too soon.

Yes, Matt should be given until the end of the season no doubt but if promotion is not achieved then he should be relieved of his duties. Constant reward for failure is not something this club should continue to be associated with.

He's had 2 full seasons now and it's difficult even still to forget that utterly abject performance in the P/O final v Northamtpton that he oversaw.

This is his third full season and we are still in with a shout so it's daft to relinquish him of his duties now, but the end goal of promotion must be achieved. Or it's time for a change and we can't say he hasn't had enough time.

 

[Grecian Max]

There's probably an element of frustration brewing within the fanbase for seasons now too - we've been knocking on the door for promotion for years now - I get comments from mates who support other teams about "always being 4th". I know the historical trend of starting well and then dipping in recently years is affecting my viewpoint, I don't want to see it happen again especially when we're a good side.

All to play for still, massive must win game on Saturday.

 

[arthur]

There's probably an element of frustration brewing within the fanbase for seasons now too - we've been knocking on the door for promotion for years now - I get comments from mates who support other teams about "always being 4th". I know the historical trend of starting well and then dipping in recently years is affecting my viewpoint, I don't want to see it happen again especially when we're a good side.

All to play for still, massive must win game on Saturday.

MY Carlisle supporting mate always refers to "your customary sixth position"! (I would settle for that after Saturday's encounter)

 

[Topsham Boy]

This, and other similar verdicts on the crapness of our performance relative to other seasons, or games in this one, are symptomatic of exceedingly short memories imho. Morecambe were well organised and played better than we did. That is beyond doubt. It is not that rare an occurrence for a below par performance to happen when we happen to be playing a competent team, and in such circumstances we lose.

But these histrionics about the awfulness of it all rather overlooks the fact that we did muster seven shots on target - I can recall plenty of games when the opposing keeper has had little to do apart from goal kicks and fielding the occasional loose ball in his box. And I can recall plenty of second halves when, after an anonymous first half when a one goal deficit was a relief, absolutely nothing of note was created in the second half either.

Last night's second half performance was not at all bad, it just wasn't good enough to break down a well organised team who knew what they were doing. "Completely unacceptable" - come on!

So the key question is.....why weren’t WE a well organised team who knew what we were doing?