Graves
Well-known member
So, a midweek opportunity missed. We started slow. Really slow. Were we jet lagged from the Exeter trip? It was another point, another 0-0, but it’s at home this time. Home is where you want three times the points. I don’t just want points. I want goals. I miss goals.
It feels like goals and attacking football are in our DNA up on the Fylde. Year upon year, our town entertains visitors from up and down the country with our beach, piers, roller coasters and nightlife. We are many British natives’ charming childhood memories and weekend escape from the mundane office moments. At the moment, unfortunately, we are not a massively entertaining football team. In fact, we are currently the only team in League One to have won one and drawn two. Two of our three games have had no goals in them. It’s not bad, but it needs to get better soon.
It was certainly a night for patience. If we were bad, Vale were worse. The first half just didn’t contain any football. We had a lot of the ball. Vale only threatened as a result of our unforced errors. We had a so much of the ball that we sometimes even walked with it. Pool stats showed 63% possession.
CJ has pace but seems to have been forced to an area of the pitch where he can’t quite get in front of goal. Norburn works and then when he’s finished, he works even more. A brilliant addition. Kenny felt fairly anonymous until we took Carey off. I’m not sure what to make of Carey at the moment. He wants to play football, he’s capable, but there’s something missing and I wouldn’t mind seeing him come on as a 65 minute sub. Lyons was quiet and probably needs more time to get what Critchley wants.
Speaking of quiet, It was a poor game from Shayne and he lacked a close partner. Too many long balls that turned into nothing. He cut a frustrated little figure first half, and i suspect that second half he was just knackered.
Beesley's late header lacked the proper positioning. This could also be said of Virtue’s chance at Exeter and we could have nicked something from an otherwise bland encounter. Vale wouldn’t have been surprised, as despite their loud fans and giant team, they offered very little for me in terms of value.
Husband woke up second half and I’m glad to see that in Jimmy, Norburn and Casey, we have three leaders on the pitch who like a bit of swagger and fight.
At present, I’ll say that a typical Critchley approach is the feeling that we have over analysed the opposition. Whilst I do think that he tries to get the balance of attack and defence right, I do think that he’s being a bit too cautious at the moment.
There’s only so much you can say the same thing about Marv. We’re all thinking it. All I can say is that in his defence, he can defend. He’s got extra long legs that make extra last ditch tackles. We need to play to his strengths rather than forcing him into a position that isn’t naturally alright for him. He is not a ball playing centre half. He is not Van Dyke. He’s big Marv.
Casey was a bright star on an otherwise overcast sky. He showed the desire to win the ball back and make sure that if Vale got it, they didn’t have it for long. Speaking of bright, check out the new lad Jensen Weir. I feel like he’s got that bit of quality that we need. We didn’t see him much, but he moved well, and if you check out the Morecambe goals he scored last year, he doesn’t half have a good finish in him. We need that something. We need a fox outside the box.
Virtue looked alright, he wins the ball and has a nice bit of aggression in the tackle. But he seems to lack a yard of pace. I think he’ll grow into the season with the rest.
I want us to have a bit more attitude about us. I want us to want it more.
Some positives are the fact that we haven’t conceded or lost yet. But against better opposition, we will need to be way better than this.
Ok Critch, decent cup win aside, we’ve won one and drawn two. It’s not bad, but it needs to get better soon. It needs to get better starting from Saturday. Orient lost on the road tonight 3-2 and they’ll have to face another away trip to tangerine territory come Saturday.
So, on to Saturday. Bring them on.
Keep the faith, keep safe.
UTP.
Graves, Moscow.
It feels like goals and attacking football are in our DNA up on the Fylde. Year upon year, our town entertains visitors from up and down the country with our beach, piers, roller coasters and nightlife. We are many British natives’ charming childhood memories and weekend escape from the mundane office moments. At the moment, unfortunately, we are not a massively entertaining football team. In fact, we are currently the only team in League One to have won one and drawn two. Two of our three games have had no goals in them. It’s not bad, but it needs to get better soon.
It was certainly a night for patience. If we were bad, Vale were worse. The first half just didn’t contain any football. We had a lot of the ball. Vale only threatened as a result of our unforced errors. We had a so much of the ball that we sometimes even walked with it. Pool stats showed 63% possession.
CJ has pace but seems to have been forced to an area of the pitch where he can’t quite get in front of goal. Norburn works and then when he’s finished, he works even more. A brilliant addition. Kenny felt fairly anonymous until we took Carey off. I’m not sure what to make of Carey at the moment. He wants to play football, he’s capable, but there’s something missing and I wouldn’t mind seeing him come on as a 65 minute sub. Lyons was quiet and probably needs more time to get what Critchley wants.
Speaking of quiet, It was a poor game from Shayne and he lacked a close partner. Too many long balls that turned into nothing. He cut a frustrated little figure first half, and i suspect that second half he was just knackered.
Beesley's late header lacked the proper positioning. This could also be said of Virtue’s chance at Exeter and we could have nicked something from an otherwise bland encounter. Vale wouldn’t have been surprised, as despite their loud fans and giant team, they offered very little for me in terms of value.
Husband woke up second half and I’m glad to see that in Jimmy, Norburn and Casey, we have three leaders on the pitch who like a bit of swagger and fight.
At present, I’ll say that a typical Critchley approach is the feeling that we have over analysed the opposition. Whilst I do think that he tries to get the balance of attack and defence right, I do think that he’s being a bit too cautious at the moment.
There’s only so much you can say the same thing about Marv. We’re all thinking it. All I can say is that in his defence, he can defend. He’s got extra long legs that make extra last ditch tackles. We need to play to his strengths rather than forcing him into a position that isn’t naturally alright for him. He is not a ball playing centre half. He is not Van Dyke. He’s big Marv.
Casey was a bright star on an otherwise overcast sky. He showed the desire to win the ball back and make sure that if Vale got it, they didn’t have it for long. Speaking of bright, check out the new lad Jensen Weir. I feel like he’s got that bit of quality that we need. We didn’t see him much, but he moved well, and if you check out the Morecambe goals he scored last year, he doesn’t half have a good finish in him. We need that something. We need a fox outside the box.
Virtue looked alright, he wins the ball and has a nice bit of aggression in the tackle. But he seems to lack a yard of pace. I think he’ll grow into the season with the rest.
I want us to have a bit more attitude about us. I want us to want it more.
Some positives are the fact that we haven’t conceded or lost yet. But against better opposition, we will need to be way better than this.
Ok Critch, decent cup win aside, we’ve won one and drawn two. It’s not bad, but it needs to get better soon. It needs to get better starting from Saturday. Orient lost on the road tonight 3-2 and they’ll have to face another away trip to tangerine territory come Saturday.
So, on to Saturday. Bring them on.
Keep the faith, keep safe.
UTP.
Graves, Moscow.
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