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Exeter City v Sheffield Wednesday FA Cup 3rd round proper matchday thread

Grecian_Matt

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Jun 1, 2016
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Of the starting eleven in the 4-2-3-1

- the entire defence (keeper and back four) were signed by MT (as was Bowman up front)
- none of the five in the midfield were signed by MT - all at ECFC when he became manager
It is effectively MT team now.
If we don't make the play offs minimum, then we should go separate ways and look for someone new.
2 out of 3 seasons didn't make the play offs - If that were Tisdale doing that, Exeweb would be in meltdown.
 

Egg

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I don't think Matt was using psychology here. He was simply venting his frustration.
Having spoken to a city defender recently, I gather they have been working on the defensive frailties that led to the 1stvgoal on Saturday for months. It is this that is frustrating Matt.
With regard to Wednesday's first goal, while McArdle was undoubtedly the major culprit, it's also worth noting that the goal came from a free kick, needlessly conceded by Bowman when he bundled one of their players over when he had absolutely no need to do so.
 

antman

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It is effectively MT team now.
If we don't make the play offs minimum, then we should go separate ways and look for someone new.
2 out of 3 seasons didn't make the play offs - If that were Tisdale doing that, Exeweb would be in meltdown.
To be fair if PT were still in charge, Exeweb would have exploded into the stratosphere a long time ago never to be seen again.

I disagree that we should look for a new manager per se if we don't make the playoffs. It all depends on how that would happen and if the manager was at fault for that. If you look at the season so far, Matt Taylor has got us playing some of the most exciting football I've ever seen us play and not just in a couple of fixtures. He's made a hell of a lot of good calls in terms of selection if we don't look at defence. A lot of people on here would have binned Jake Taylor at the start of this season but he has been superb in many games. His defensive work in midfield is very good and he takes care of the opposition players that want to mix it a bit.

Defensively is where we have the conundrum. While I agree with those who say McArdle has not shown the level to be in the team this season, I don't think it's just down to selection. Our defence has been left open a few times by a lack of cover from midfield and we don't have one of those players in midfield that many teams have whose role is primarily defensive. Archie and Jake get forward quite a bit and are therefore caught upfield a bit sometimes when we need deeper cover. I would like to see a kind of Jordan Tillson/Lloyd James player come in for us (someone better than them, I'm just using them to demonstrate a type of player, I know some of you have a pathological hatred for James - I never understood why but recognise he was sluggish going forward sometimes) but it's difficult to fit a new player in that position. Don't really see Atangana as that player myself, it needs to be a player that is very tidy on the ball but who is concerned with positioning in terms of stopping the other team playing. At the elite level there are players like this - Romeu, Hojbjerg, Kante etc, but at our level players aren't really raised that way. If we're going to play with wing backs now we need central areas to be covered well by midfield and sometimes it isn't the case. When Key and/or Sparkes are caught up field there is space behind them to play into and what teams in League Two ARE getting good at is the counter attack - including us. We need a bit of insurance in terms of team shape to snuff out danger, including tactical fouling which is rarely punished appropriately in League Two so we need to do it like everyone else does it.
 

Billy The Fish

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With regard to Wednesday's first goal, while McArdle was undoubtedly the major culprit, it's also worth noting that the goal came from a free kick, needlessly conceded by Bowman when he bundled one of their players over when he had absolutely no need to do so.
I've got no problem with our first line of defence giving away a free kick in that kind of area. Tom Parkes should have tackled or fouled their bloke in almost exactly the same spot in the build up to the second goal.
 

Egg

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I've got no problem with our first line of defence giving away a free kick in that kind of area. Tom Parkes should have tackled or fouled their bloke in almost exactly the same spot in the build up to the second goal.
I take your point, and would agree with your take on their second goal, but they weren't breaking at speed, with men over, when Bowman committed his totally unnecessary offence.
 

Billy The Fish

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F
I take your point, and would agree with your take on their second goal, but they weren't breaking at speed, with men over, when Bowman committed his totally unnecessary offence.
Fair dos. Maybe Bowman was getting one in as he'd copped one from that player earlier, doesn't excuse McArdle though.
 

The Proper Chap

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To be fair if PT were still in charge, Exeweb would have exploded into the stratosphere a long time ago never to be seen again.
It wouldn't have..... obviously.
 

The Proper Chap

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A lot of people on here would have binned Jake Taylor at the start of this season but he has been superb in many games. His defensive work in midfield is very good and he takes care of the opposition players that want to mix it a bit.

Defensively is where we have the conundrum. While I agree with those who say McArdle has not shown the level to be in the team this season, I don't think it's just down to selection. Our defence has been left open a few times by a lack of cover from midfield and we don't have one of those players in midfield that many teams have whose role is primarily defensive. Archie and Jake get forward quite a bit and are therefore caught upfield a bit sometimes when we need deeper cover.
Make your mind up.
 

GJW

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Coventry’s game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday postponed due to COVID cases at Wednesday. Hopefully we didn’t get too close to them last weekend.
 

ryancooper327

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Coventry’s game against Sheffield Wednesday on Saturday postponed due to COVID cases at Wednesday. Hopefully we didn’t get too close to them last weekend.
We will be ok if their second goal is anything to go by.
 
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