Just Back

Not taken much responsibility during interview...

Completely on top in the first half, getting in behind their full-backs almost at will but wasted the few chances created and offered pretty much no threat from the many corners/set pieces which we won. Then, right on cue, McKeown blunders ridiculously yet again to gift them a goal (and this after he'd got away with a blocked clearance going narrowly wide after he faffed and farted around). You could almost see the team deflate and most of the nervy moments in defence came because they were crapping themselves about having to pass the ball back to him.

Not sure what the answer is with McKeown to be fair as he has generally been excellent for us, but we can't keep on losing points due to his blunders. They hadn't looked like doing anything until he handed them a goal on a plate and 4 goals conceded directly from his errors in just 7 games is just dreadful. It's more errors than you would expect a decent keeper to make in the course of a whole season.

Second half, we began brightly enough and Amond should perhaps have done better with the best effort we had of the half (though it wasn't as easy as the one he put over the bar in the first half), but most of our threat had been negated by the time they scored their second. In fact, the performance practically fell apart when Marshall was substituted on the hour. Their second goal (and second effort on target!) came from their best piece of possession and movement and an excellent finish, albeit aided and abetted by lax defending.

After that, we were simply woeful in most of our game. Clay and Robinson were mostly invisible in the second half and I'm sorry to say that neither looks nearly good enough to be playing regularly in a team looking to win the Conference (yeah, I know it's not going to happen this season). Arnold had a stinker, as did Pittman and Disley did virtually nothing either.

Macclesfield worked hard, defended OK (no more than that), had a bit more nouse and energy in central midfield and that was enough for them to win pretty comfortably in the end.

Once again, I reckon we'd have won the game had we taken the lead though one of our various first half chances. We are certainly creating more chances this season but we're certainly not converting enough of them.

The big weakness for me is that we've got pretty much no aerial threat up front when Bogle and Amond are playing together and Monkhouse is on the bench. Though we were poor for much of the second half, we still had 4 decent headed chances, most of them without any challenge but failed to get a single one on target. Amond headed wide but Bogle missed another 3 himself including one right at the death which looked easier to get on target than not.

I feel that Hurst has been too reactionary again today, making too many changes to a team which played well at Lincoln. Dropping Disley, by far our best central midfielder, possibly the biggest error as I thought Mackreth and Marshall did OK on the wings.

That said, we're continuing to leak ridiculous goals this season and it has pretty much put paid to any title hopes already. Hurst is paid to make the difficult decisions and if that means replacing McKeown with either the coach (whose name eludes me at the moment) or getting somebody in on loan, then now is the time to do it.

Warrington isn't it? I'd have no worries if he played no point wasting money on a loan....if Mckewon was every dropped that is

Another smash and grab by a poor team at Blundell Park. Sounds familiar eh? Well in these sort of games  you have to score first . We were on top in the first half but failed with 2 really clear chances. Then the big gift, When Macca managed to do a repeat of his bloomer at Altrincham. Earlier he had almost gifted them 2 others. Now they had something to hang on to so defended in numbers. Again we failed to convert  chances which came our way. They then manage to break away and score with a good finish from the edge of the box. It was then game over and no amount of changes would make any difference. For his own sake Macca has to be taken out of the firing line, his confidence is shot to bits. So Paul hit the phones and get a keeper in on loan for a couple of months. There must be plenty of decent stoppers out there not getting games. You gave my permission to use some of the fighting fund.

Scored first we'd have won but we just aren't clinical. Disley has to be first name on the team sheet for me and I'd like to see us use the OpPromo money on a big nasty but capable midfielder to go with him. Robinson was better first half today and showed glimpses but we're 12 points behind and we can't wait for him to get fit, he spends too much of the game invisible. McKeown needs to be dropped for his sake, Warrington or a loanee but he needs time out of the firing line. Macc were poor but if we keep gifting goals to teams then we allow them to park the bus. We need to start being clinical!

Not quite panic stations but getting very close. If it doesn't improve in the next two or three weeks then I might start calling for a change of manager. The ingredients are there, we're not mixing them properly.

My mate let me off early today so it was an unplanned and unexpected trip to BP.
I'm going to hit him tomorrow.

Quoted from oldun

Another smash and grab by a poor team at Blundell Park. Sounds familiar eh? Well in these sort of games  you have to score first . We were on top in the first half but failed with 2 really clear chances. Then the big gift, When Macca managed to do a repeat of his bloomer at Altrincham. Earlier he had almost gifted them 2 others. Now they had something to hang on to so defended in numbers. Again we failed to convert  chances which came our way. They then manage to break away and score with a good finish from the edge of the box. It was then game over and no amount of changes would make any difference. For his own sake Macca has to be taken out of the firing line, his confidence is shot to bits. So Paul hit the phones and get a keeper in on loan for a couple of months. There must be plenty of decent stoppers out there not getting games. You gave my permission to use some of the fighting fund.

You'd think that would be the logical solution, but when asked after the match Hurst said he wasn't looking at bringing in another keeper on loan...

Quoted from GYinScuntland

My mate let me off early today so it was an unplanned and unexpected trip to BP.
I'm going to hit him tomorrow.

That brightened up my day

I said a few times that Macca came back too soon from his illness,

He needs to be sent to lie down on a nice warm beach somewhere for a few weeks,

When fully recovered I am sure he will be back to his best,

Quoted from mariner91

Scored first we'd have won but we just aren't clinical. Disley has to be first name on the team sheet for me and like to see us use the OpPromo money on a big nasty but capable midfielder to go with him.

Yep, completely in agreement with this.

The fact that Hurst (and Scott) have never gone for a big, strong athletic midfielder has always baffled me. Niven was probably the most athletic one we've had but he wasn't much of a ball player and I think the fact that Disley is our quickest and most mobile midfielder (even at his age!) is very telling. Today, Macclesfield had the experience of Whitaker with a couple of younger runners alongside him doing the legwork and they put our two to shame in the second half.

Stick somebody a bit like Pond alongside Disley and we'd be in a much stronger position.