Gloucester v City

So injury toll had an effect? Take the 3 points from Poole and regroup for Welling?

The players put such an effort in Saturday I'm not surprised with this result.

On the positive side, judging by the Chron match report, Jack Compton looks like a good acquisition

Lovely day in Worcestershire, sun beating down, pleasant countryside setting, refreshing cider on tap. Oh, and then a football match happened

Been a long time coming that one!

I think we probably got a bit lucky in the same way that we've been unlucky in games we've lost. Score goals and win!

We did well to keep Bath at bay when they dominated possession and didn't really get beyond your back line. Two well taken goals were the difference though and it was a shame that you made injury time more nervous that it should've been.

I think that's the first time in a long time that we've not had any former Bath players in our line up. You can keep our rejects though

It would have been interesting to see how game would have panned out if we would have taken our early chances. I don't think Lucas and Jarvis can play up top together but it didn't help that we just started to lump it forward after Gloucester scored their first. Gloucester looked a decent hard working side and knocked it about well at times but we made it too easy for them with our sloppy passing and close control . Things improved after the introduction of Morgan and McCootie . Compton looked good at times and will get better with more match time. Why is Dan Ball not captain now he is back in the side. Thought he was outstanding today .

Buonassi reffing? Though he'd called it a day.

It was awful I have to say. After Saturday's sterling effort we were very poor. Very disappointed.

Luton Roman wrote:Buonassi reffing? Though he'd called it a day.

Apparently refereeing one or two games a month to help out with all the new refs this season. I think he was quite a culture shock to the Gloucester bench who won't have seen him before, especially when he told Tim Harris to 'keep taking the pills' after he disputed a decision.

As for the match, with the fallout from the Poole game the fact we came within a great last-ditch block of grabbing point was something but it was two pretty poor sides on the day, just one took their chances and one didn't. The hard uneven pitch didn't really help either.

Given that Marv and Nick probably would have started had we been able to substitute them on Saturday we were effectively missing six players at the start but still began okay. The goal gave Gloucester more confidence and it was only when the aforementioned duo came on that we started to look threatening again. I think we particularly missed Frankie as for all the efforts of Rigg, Case and Straker we just couldn't keep the ball in midfield and build from there.

This was always going to be a difficult game with all the injuries after Saturday but we should still have been looking to get something.
Failed to take advantage of the chances we created at the start and then fell apart after they scored. Came back when Morgan and McCootie came on, never thought I would say we missed Marvin.
Worrying thing is that the budget has gone up and presumably players like Jarvis, Lucas, Jones and Straker are on good money but they don't seem to have improved the overall quality of the team. Have to question if the money has been spent wisely.
On the plus side Compton looked very promising.

Jones is still looking unfit . And slow the second goal could off been easily defended

sirkev wrote:It would have been interesting to see how game would have panned out if we would have taken our early chances. I don't think Lucas and Jarvis can play up top together but it didn't help that we just started to lump it forward after Gloucester scored their first. Gloucester looked a decent hard working side and knocked it about well at times but we made it too easy for them with our sloppy passing and close control . Things improved after the introduction of Morgan and McCootie . Compton looked good at times and will get better with more match time.

Yes.....if we had scored the goal we deserved in the first 15 minutes - and Jarvis & Lucas both have to take full responsibility for that not happening - I do think it would have been a different game, but I came away feeling that the squad overall is not good enough and worryingly seemed to lack any real creativity even though I accept the midfield was not a first choice by any stretch of the imagination.

We were 2nd to every loose ball after they scored and it was obvious who wanted to really battle for the points.... and unfortunately it wasn't us. We made Gloucester look better than they were but their desire was far greater.

Jones still looks way short of an acceptable level of match fitness despite his obvious toughness and uncompromising style and it was telling that when Morgan & McCootie did come on after we went 2-0 down, things did start improving a lot. Where that leaves Jarvis & Lucas as a strike pair I really don't know but after another very ''underwhelming' performance by both of them yesterday, I really am at a loss to know why they were signed? Neither offer anything game changing at all and Lucas, for someone who has had full time training for the past few years, seems so slow and ponderous.

Interesting that the only other time GO played both of them both up front together was in the debacle against Chippenham and they were subbed at half time after another extremely lacklustre showing - surely with our set budget, paying their combined wage for one really good quality striker would be better than paying the same for two less than average ones??....just a thought!

If Artus and Lemonheigh-Evans injuries are long term and with Murphy & Watkins also injured and Diallo gone, GO must also get some quality into the midfield as a matter of urgency, because we are never ever going to be more than mid-table with what we have......no wonder GO seems so frustrated in his after match interview.  

As usual cannot argue with any of that. I am completely underwhelmed by the close season signings. The additional money does not appear to have been well spent at present, except maybe to get Marvin back and hopefully we will see some return from Compton.
I hoped the squad would be improved but it is far from the case (no pun intended). It looks like we will again rely on quality loan signings to add the oomph to the squad.
It is still early days but some of these lads need to up their game sooner rather than later.