Salford v Blackpool Official Matchnight Thread 19.07.22

I'm enjoying it, it's a friendly on a baking hot, humid night. Positives so far' The back 4, Virtue doesn't look out of place at right back, Thorniley and Thame playing well together. Garbutt doing fine.

Midfield Ward doing well, getting stuck in, if he is fit I would give him a 1+1, Fiorini looks really good, up front Jerry, far and away the best of the front 3 but Ben doing well too. Negatives, Lavery & Dale, I never got why we spent money on Dale and if we have to lose a forward then Lavery has to be at risk.
Virtue looks bad to me. Lavery played out of position for him, too deep. Lubala is a maverick . Forwards not linking together, no threat on their goal.
 
Wholesale changes have to come me thinks. Btw - Did the commentator say towards the end, that ‘Bolton were putting us under pressure’?
 
Its a side cobbled together from players needing minutes. Not going to get fluid football. I reckon only one or two of ghese will start against Everton and Reading. Fiorini most likely. Garbutt possibly. Yates maybe.
Should still be better than this if they want to play in the first 11, there's some who people think should be in it and are in it.
 
But what so you do when its hot? Make the ball do the work, we look awful on the ball.

We look clueless, poor touches, bad passing, little vision, poor execution.

Means were defending against a league 2 side. Wheres the quality and showing a class above?
It will come, I am really not bothered about the friendlies, they are for having a look, learning tactics, seeing who is or isn't worth a place in the 25. That is nowhere near our first XI, I wold guess only one or two of that XI will start against Reading.
 
It’s crap, really crap.

It’s our B team though so it’s no surprise we’re disjointed, can only see Jerry and maybe the new lad starting vs Reading.
 
That first half lineup is basically the reserves for this year.

Ward - no where near a contract.

Lavery looks a shadow of his former self.

Dale - answers on a post card.

Want to see Virtue in the middle.

Tharme looks decent to me.

Great save from Maxi.
 
In a half lacking any real quality Salford were the better team imo. I did think Tharme looked ok and Thornily was as dependable as ever but that was about it. There was no real pattern or tempo to our play. Hopefully second half will be better.
 
It will come, I am really not bothered about the friendlies, they are for having a look, learning tactics, seeing who is or isn't worth a place in the 25. That is nowhere near our first XI, I wold guess only one or two of that XI will start against Reading.
1 or 2? So you suggesting that most of the starting 11 are on the bench tonight?
 
Yates and lavery should be picking the ball up and running past this type of opposition and it ain't happening , pre season against lower opposition is a chance to drop your shoulder and do different things not huff and puff your way around the pitch !
 
Well that was exceptionally poor I'm sorry to say. But again, we're only playing half the first team, with the other half probably playing second half. While that's the case, I'm not unduly worried. I'd hope we play a full first 11 against Everton, and hopefully at least the performance might be better.
Of the individual performances, I don't think anyone covered themselves in glory.
 
Very poor as a team and a number of individual performances. Virtue confirming his lack of pace, touch and passing ability. Lavery needs to improve his touch, he can’t rely on pace alone. Maxwell, wastes a minute every goal kick and his distribution is awful. Dale, not great.
 
Best player on pitch is their no 6, Luke Elliott. Calm on the ball, great passer and glides past our midfield like they're not there. Sign him up. But yes, I too never attended friendlies apart from Oldham away after the Pickering v PNE game. And we were crap at that game as well! UTMP!
 
Good work out. Trouble is we were chasing after opponents after they’d got goal side. Lots of running without the ball. Maxwell kicking long when we’ve got 3 dwarfs up front. Virtue not working at RB. Tharme having to cover him being pulled out of the centre. Ward no thank you. Ditto Dale. I know it’s not our first eleven but it may not be Salford’s. All change second half. Let’s hope someone gets hold of the ball and let them chase shadows for a bit.
 
Let's hope it was the Critchley tactic of getting to half time at 0-0 and then turning up the gas.
Lavery gets worse with every game - shocking touch, it's as though his shoe laces have been tied together.
 
It will come, I am really not bothered about the friendlies, they are for having a look, learning tactics, seeing who is or isn't worth a place in the 25. That is nowhere near our first XI, I wold guess only one or two of that XI will start against Reading.
You want to see it coming together too. You see signs. Remember under Ollie, you could see we would do well and be exciting in the friendlies we looked great on the ball. If we can’t pass the ball, which has let us down for a while now, we won't be troubling the top half of the table thats for sure.
 
Seriously, it's the first time I have watched a game on TV and I was glad I'm sitting at home with a beer and not there
It's all a bit average and uninspiring at the moment......I'm blaming the weather
 
That first half lineup is basically the reserves for this year.

Ward - no where near a contract.

Lavery looks a shadow of his former shelf.

Dale - answers on a post card.

Want to see Virtue in the middle.

Tharme looks decent to me.

Great save from Maxi.
All that is true but it still been a poor performance. The formation still looks too negative. Out of possession Lavery and Lubala are way too deep. We're not building going forward. We need to just keep hold of the ball even if that means using the back 4. Fiorini has played a couple of really good long balls, Jerry played a couple of his quick defence splitters but that's the sum total of the positives.
 
I thought we were going to play 433 not 451. Jerry spent the entire half chasing nothing. I like Virtue but no way is he a fullback. Livery has been absolute pants.
Hope for a better 2nd half with a different team. I actually feel sorry for the few players who played well. Namely Thorniley, Tharme, and Fioniri.
 
OK it's a pre season friendly BUT. We don't seem able to string a series of passes together. Salford look more composed on the ball and have been the best side by far in the last 30 minutes. Ward is out on his feet and clearly isn't fit. Lavery having a nightmare looks totally lost. Jerry Yates hasnt received a decent pass all night. Lubala lumbering around the park with no idea what he is doing. Thorniley and Tharm look solid Virtue ok but Garbutt has been skinned alive 2 or 3 times in the first half. Fiorini has played one or two decent balls. Dale hadn't won one 50 50 challenge yet and we don't look comfortable with the 4 3 3 formation. Can't see many of this lot featuring in the first match and I can see 4 or 5 being shipped on the basis of this performance. We are being outplayed by a league 2 outfit. If this group are picked against Everton it will be a rugby score. Apart from that everything's fine. But it's only a friendly!!!
 
Felt a bit sorry for Thorniley ...his head was down coming off 1st half. Must have thought he put himself in the reckoning after his return ..now Wiiliams arrives ..and he did nowt wrong last year. Shayne being played out of position ...as is Matty. Think our front three should have a run at them ...take em on, and they could have done with being closer together, not one in middle and BL and SL on each touchline. Fiorini going to fit in well I think.
 
Why does Maxwell, when the ball goes back to him, stand staring into space until the attacker runs towards him then in a hurry hoofs the f*****g the forward to nobody. Every bloody time.
Why does Maxwell, when the ball goes back to him, stand staring into space until the attacker runs towards him then in a hurry hoofs the f*****g the forward to nobody. Every bloody time.
Maybe because no-one is trying to make a run or find some space
 
Felt a bit sorry for Thorniley ...his head was down coming off 1st half. Must have thought he put himself in the reckoning after his return ..now Wiiliams arrives ..and he did nowt wrong last year. Shayne being played out of position ...as is Matty. Think our front three should have a run at them ...take em on, and they could have done with being closer together, not one in middle and BL and SL on each touchline. Fiorini going to fit in well I think.
Our front 3 can only run at them if we have the ball, that's the problem
 
OK it's a pre season friendly BUT. We don't seem able to string a series of passes together. Salford look more composed on the ball and have been the best side by far in the last 30 minutes. Ward is out on his feet and clearly isn't fit. Lavery having a nightmare looks totally lost. Jerry Yates hasnt received a decent pass all night. Lubala lumbering around the park with no idea what he is doing. Thorniley and Tharm look solid Virtue ok but Garbutt has been skinned alive 2 or 3 times in the first half. Fiorini has played one or two decent balls. Dale hadn't won one 50 50 challenge yet and we don't look comfortable with the 4 3 3 formation. Can't see many of this lot featuring in the first match and I can see 4 or 5 being shipped on the basis of this performance. We are being outplayed by a league 2 outfit. If this group are picked against Everton it will be a rugby score. Apart from that everything's fine. But it's only a friendly!!!
Correct re Jerry ..not one ball to his feet.
 
Very poor as a team and a number of individual performances. Virtue confirming his lack of pace, touch and passing ability. Lavery needs to improve his touch, he can’t rely on pace alone. Maxwell, wastes a minute every goal kick and his distribution is awful. Dale, not great.
What is that all about Maxwell wasting time in a friendly against league 2 opposition. 😖😂👎
 
All that is true but it still been a poor performance. The formation still looks too negative. Out of possession Lavery and Lubala are way too deep. We're not building going forward. We need to just keep hold of the ball even if that means using the back 4. Fiorini has played a couple of really good long balls, Jerry played a couple of his quick defence splitters but that's the sum total of the positives.
Agreed considering the level of the opposition it’s been shocking.

One or two attempts at through balls but why can’t we seems to ever get the ball to the forwards feet and let them drive at defenders. It’s bizarre.
 
First time I've seen us kick off and not hoof it, progress at last. We're actually up the pitch would you believe it, back now but we've kept the ball.
 
Should still be better than this if they want to play in the first 11, there's some who people think should be in it and are in it.
Its a pretty meaningless game like many in pre season. Minutes in legs.

Goal for Jerry.
 
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