Sandgrounder SE wrote: ↑Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:11 pm
JG - we have to be more ambitious than this. Yes, there were moments when we weren’t so bad, and football is a game where things can go wrong or right almost by chance. But after ten games it’s difficult to see any progress from last season.
I know we’ve been lower than this, but what kind of consolation is that? Quite a few of us remember being in the third tier of the Football League. Mid-table (and probably lower mid-table at that) in NLN just isn’t good enough.
Come on everybody this is Southport fc, take it for what it is. We aren’t capable of beating the better sides in the division. We’re a mid table conference north side and that’s not changing any time soon.
The reality is there’s a number of teams that want promotion this year but only 2 can go up. There will be lots of disappointment for lots of teams it’s part of football. Also we’d get an absolute seeing to every week in the National league and probably do a Chorley.
Put it to one side, enjoy your Christmas it’s not worth getting upset over, the club will still be here once the pandemic is over to cause even more heartache.
A bit of a worrying defeat today, all good till half time then disaster our defence seemed to lose concentration, we had a chance or two to pull it back, but to me a wrong team selection, Vassallo brings extra ideas & certainly takes dead ball kicks that at least look threatening, poor Doyle looks knackered long throws Corners Free kicks, strap a brush on his back & he will sweep up as well. Ali took a knock a couple of matches ago perhaps he needs a rest in favour of Winnard. What to make of Bainbridge, is he playing out of position. The Managers response is to blame his Senior players! Time he moved upstairs & put his feet up, perhaps a Neil Young type of Manager would give the club some impetus, this is concerning with no apparent change in thought or tactics..as a few thought, Mr Watson is untouchable. Gateshead to be fair did well with a very young keeper who didnt really have that much to do plus at least 2/3 of their better players out injured, a bad day today.
MrC wrote: ↑Sat Nov 21, 2020 5:20 pm
Judge us after 10 games said Liam, so here I go with my first post this season!
Basically, we are no better than last season. The defence is overrated, the midfield undermanned, and the attack firing duds or missing free headers at corners. Morgan is well worth his money and captaincy, but the rest need to pass to yellow shirts, learn to trap skied balls and close people down faster. One forward in the pen area for a decent cross will not do. Sort it Liam and Jon.
Not much will change while Liam and Jon are in charge . We are at best a mid table team.
Some interesting posts on here - much with what I agree with. There is no doubt we have a hard working, apparently close net team who do their best each week. Sometimes a player has an off game - but hey don't we all some days.
On the pitch we have 3 basic problems in my eyes. Firstly, we don't close players down well enough in our own half, give the opposition too much time to run at us and deliver balls into the box. I know I have mentioned this before, but someone else mentioned the same on this match thread. Secondly, going forwards we are far too reliant on balls over the top from the back, or floated balls down the lines or channels. Sometimes this may work off, but for the most part any forward will have his back to goal, flick ons need to go to players making runs off the shoulders off the target men and our forwards need to be quicker than the opposition back line. That's a lot of ifs and for the most part it does not come off and the we are soon defending again as we have not retained the ball for any period of time. We need to pass and move, make runs off the ball to create space, run at defenders and take them on. Unfortunately, I am not sure we have enough players skilled to do this. I can think of two than can and maybe 4 or 5 who probably cannot. Thirdly, we seem to have limited tactics if one system is not working.
Off the pitch, the work is fantastic and well done to all those concerned.
In terms of ambition, I have raised this before and have been shot down by some. But I agree with SSE, we should be doing a lot better than where we are. As Badger says above we are probably at best a mid table team. Will we continue to sell any player which has a decent skill level? I know it is wrong to stand in the way and block the career of a promising footballer, but we are now selling players to teams in our own leagues. I remember us playing in what is now League 1 and more than holding our own at that level. Being a mid-table National North side does hurt - yes we have a club to support, but there a number of teams around us that have less resources and do better than us.
For those who were able to watch the game would have been able to see that over the 90 mins we were not outplayed on the pitch. We had plenty of good possession. Good number of creative chances and we were not outfought on the pitch. We matched them in most areas and probably created more chances. The difference was simple: they outfinished us. They had a league 1 loanee hitting a rich patch and hitting the target. Had we had someone of the same calibre and in the same form the result would have been very different.
Agree with Falkland Yellow, apart from 15 minutes of disintegration after the break, we were pretty much toe to toe with Gateshead throughout.
Was pleasing to see us keep plugging away and get on the scoresheet.
Shocking penalty decisions too, theirs and the one we didn't get.
Hope we can dose Alfreton. who are currently not pulling up any trees.
Brianm wrote: ↑Sat Nov 21, 2020 5:18 pm
The Manager has had 25 games this season to sort his team out! Squad is totally unbalanced with too many defenders and not enough midfielders. Bainbridge is a good centre half but not a midfielder. I am beginning to feel sorry for him. The forwards are totally ineffective. Archer is our only real goalscorer. Marcus Wood should be paid off. He will not be fit for weeks. No room for sentiment! He is wasting a valuable place in the squad. Bring in a decent midfielder. How much more obvious can it be
Another ludicrous post match from the chief planner,
mouthing the usual platitudes and as always taking
no responsibility for the outcome.
Back to the future hoof against Alfreton and most others
guaranteed and hope is elevated to a whole new level.
Talk of seasons honours / play offs is cloud cuckoo.
Falkland yellow wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 9:51 am
For those who were able to watch the game would have been able to see that over the 90 mins we were not outplayed on the pitch. We had plenty of good possession. Good number of creative chances and we were not outfought on the pitch. We matched them in most areas and probably created more chances. The difference was simple: they outfinished us. They had a league 1 loanee hitting a rich patch and hitting the target. Had we had someone of the same calibre and in the same form the result would have been very different.
We were not outplayed?
They scored 4 against us and it could have been more. It was painful and embarrassing.
An unacceptable result against an injury team illustrates that the Port really have made little progress since dropping out of the National League... this is heading for a mind numbing 9th consecutive league season of dross..regarding this season there is clearly an issue with tactics either being ignored or worse just plain wrong
mark thomas wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:40 pm
'painful' 'embarrassing' 'unacceptable.'
Bit over dramatic chaps?
Seriously, I do find heavy defeats painful and embarrassing. I don't like my team to lose at all. Any kind of win is good, any loss is horrid. Home draws are almost as bad as a loss. Away draws are just OK.
As I approach dotage, it gets worse. I long for an upturn in fortune while I can still enjoy it.
Unibond Awakes wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:08 pm
An unacceptable result against an injury team illustrates that the Port really have made little progress since dropping out of the National League... this is heading for a mind numbing 9th consecutive league season of dross..regarding this season there is clearly an issue with tactics either being ignored or worse just plain wrong
I thought the tactics were fine and we matched them
apart from 15 minutes when it wasn’t poor tactics it was players standing off the opposition and letting them shoot.
I don’t think allowing the opposition to shoot is a deliberate tactic.
Or giving an accidental penalty or the keeper letting another one go under him.
Unibond Awakes wrote: ↑Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:08 pm
An unacceptable result against an injury team illustrates that the Port really have made little progress since dropping out of the National League... this is heading for a mind numbing 9th consecutive league season of dross..regarding this season there is clearly an issue with tactics either being ignored or worse just plain wrong
I thought the tactics were fine and we matched them
apart from 15 minutes when it wasn’t poor tactics it was players standing off the opposition and letting them shoot.
I don’t think allowing the opposition to shoot is a deliberate tactic.
Or giving an accidental penalty or the keeper letting another one go under him.
My comment is not soley based on yesterday’s result.....it is in the season as a whole if you are happy with a 1-4 defeat & the way we conceded goals v York & Spennymoor then fair play...4 th season into nln and not going the right way are we?
I don’t get this ‘we matched them’ or ‘we weren’t outplayed’ or ‘apart from 15 minutes ....’.
You might as well say ‘we conceded 10 goals but we played well in between them’.
These times are so depressing anyway it would be great to have something to cheer us up. But the team’s performance just adds to the general gloom.
There’s always next season
