Chelmsford game

comrade powell wrote:Has anyone at the club not had a bollocking from Stearn? But he certainly got one from Pratt for yet another poor use of the ball...

You appear to have a one man anti-Stearn crusade. If he was the only player that misplaced a pass we would be top and not bottom of the league.

I may be about the only one on here who dares to post any criticism of him, and I'm fully aware that for some the bloke walks on water, but I can assure you that I'm not the only one watching the matches who tires of his selfish approach. If you want to be the centre of attention, then you need to regularly produce. For me, he doesn't. As for an anti-Stearn crusade, don't be silly. If you bother to look to a thread back in the Spring asking who we should retain, I posted that I hoped he would be here in August. And while he remains a City player, he has my support. But with your permission, I'll continue to post less than salivating things about him!  

I like Stearn as a player and would like to see him start more. However, I can completely see the criticisms of him. The selfishness is difficult to ignore. I can also see both sides of the stats about him - he was top scorer last season from not many starts however we had a better win rate when he didn't start.

I appreciate that Stearn apparently had a 'mare at Concord but I think that, now we have sorted out the defence somewhat, he should get a couple of starts on the trot, not just one thrown out as a sop. As I have mentioned before, the worst scenario for Stearn is coming on with half an hour to go after a series of games where he doesn't start. Obviously, he has less time to score but, almost as importantly, he tries too hard to score often ignoring other players' runs and positions taken. Quite simply, Stearn scored most of his goals last season when he started regularly and very few as a sub.

To be fair to Stearn, he was no worse than most at Concord - in fact, it was rather out of character as he looked very subdued. I agree about his tendency to 'try too hard' after an absence from the team - I suppose that's where your 'good man management' should be applied. And yes, he is probably more influential when starting games. However, whether we like it or not, our management have a reputation for sticking with the tried and trusted - if the defence is sorted (a clean sheet with 5 at the back at home against an over cautious chelmsford is a start), history suggests that saturday's starting 11, plus walsh's replacement, will start against havant.

Well, that reputation is hardly deserved on the evidence of this season. Also, while I think that the defence is to be trusted from Saturday's performance, we still didn't score and, apart from Artus, had few chances against a fairly humdrum team.

We have spoken before about whether the ineffectiveness of Stearn, especially in the second part of the season, was down to the player or the man-management. If I say my view - that it is about man-management to play your leading scorer most effectively - then it may look like I am back to criticising Howells and Britton.

I think once the results improve, we will see the management return to type! While they will always be questioned for not playing a supporter's favourites, I don't think they can be criticised for trying to find the right formula in the 3 games so far. Of course, it's all relative. Saturday's performance was seen as acceptable as we at last gained a point and stopped the goals going in. Had the game been the season's opener, there would have been lots of critical posts on here. And I don't think people will be so accommodating if there's another 0-0 against havant!

re playing your leading scorer most effectively, I think I've posted this stat before - Stearn scored in 6 of his first 12 starts last season, only in 2 of his final 8. Unless he can return to his prolific goal scoring of last autumn, surely his worth to the team should be seen as a creator rather than taker of goals.

Thanks for that stat, I was trying to work it out and you saved me the hassle. Where did the others come from? Actually, I must apologise as I forgot that Pratt overtook him in the end.

As I have mentioned before, I think that they can be criticised for not finding the right formula (at least, in their mind) by the second half of the Yate game. Tinkering should not have been done in the first two games. I agree, to an extent, about not changing a winning team but, as yet, we haven't got one. We have, hopefully, a non-losing team but still need goals and quickly and, Artus' promise aside, we aren't seeing many shots, let alone goals.

comrade powell wrote:Has anyone at the club not had a bollocking from Stearn? But he certainly got one from Pratt for yet another poor use of the ball...

I have no strong feelings as regards Stearn but he would certainly have been entitled to give Pratt a bollocking in the 2nd half of the game against Basingstoke. Stearn unmarked to the right of Pratt had a clear run on the centre of the goal but Pratt chose to pass to the left wing and the move fizzled out.

Yes I remember that, was really frustrating. A massive error of judgement by someone who otherwise I thought had another decent enough game. Really takes the phrase "defend from the front" to heart, he never knows when possession has been lost!

3 games, no goals.

Unless you've had your head up the barrel of a shotgun for the last year or 2 you would have noticed that Ross Stearn scores goals and is a highly skillful and threatening attacking player at this level. There is no excuse to not start him now, not that there ever really was....

If the team is being picked on gentlemanly conduct though then Britton and Howells have got it spot on.

I thought this thread would see your return to the forum!  

aye, well its something I've never been able to get my head around. The moment the lad makes a mistake or has a poor game (by his very high standards) it is eagerly pounced upon by a section of our support and the management who's problem it would appear would be actually be his personality. He is an exciting, threatening, attacking and ultimately effective player so further exclusion from a side which has yet to score in 3 games would of course be a half witted decision.

yuffie wrote:
Anyway, a couple of weeks and the real fixtures will be out and we can start discussing important topics, like why Stearn isn't starting every game.

 

 

predictable indeed!

What is predictable is that a large group of people have different views on most topics. If we all agreed on everything, forums like this would be very boring.

The current paucity of posts and topics must mean that peace and harmony reigns!  

The phoney war between fixtures.

2weirdtown wrote:The current paucity of posts and topics must mean that peace and harmony reigns!  

Shouldn't think there is much peace and harmony amongst City supporters concerned about our miserable start to the season. Many dissatisfied fans no longer post on this board after often being vilified for daring to criticise (sometimes unfairly i know) the club management. In my opinion this forum is a lot less stimulating than it used to be since the time people with more extreme views have been discouraged to write on here.
Unfortunately many of the absent forum posters have also stopped attending matches at Twerton Park which is reflected in our dwindling attendances.

It has to be acknowledged that Saturday's gate is worse than any league gate from last season and indeed only one game had fewer than Tuesday's (Havant 451).

I think we have a better team than last year and despite the results I think we are actually playing a better standard of football. The management duo must stick with it and not panic into resorting to the turgid safety first of last season. When results pick up, as they will, then this is the style of football that will bring back the lost fans.

I think that statements like "once the results improve" and "when results pick up, as they will" are very optimistic. Aside from the fact that, hopefully, the only way is up from here, it is up to the management and the players to do something to ensure they do pick up. I agree with you whole-heartedly, however, that we must stick to the sort of attractive football that we can play.

Having said that, we shouldn't have to be worrying about the lost fans at this usually optimistic stage of the season, we should be worrying about attracting more fans to the 500+ core (see the "Off-field Management" thread for more on that)

Micawber wrote:
 Many dissatisfied fans no longer post on this board after often being vilified for daring to criticise (sometimes unfairly i know) the club management. In my opinion this forum is a lot less stimulating than it used to be since the time people with more extreme views have been discouraged to write on here.
   Unfortunately many of the absent forum posters have also stopped attending matches at Twerton Park which is reflected in our dwindling attendances.

Or maybe they have other things occupying their time? As new fans are attracted to a club, others drift away. And please remember that this forum has only been in existence for 8 months - the issues I think you are referring to happened on the previous one. Provided they follow the forum's rules, everyone is welcome to post on here, whatever their views on the management.

RUDI GULITS wrote:word has it Walsh looked like he had a broken ankle
some off the players were seen to take a look and quickly look away
if this is correct then he will be out for a few months
as for the game we were the better side
should of won
poor attendance only 429

According to the Chron Phil Walsh could be out until Feb with his ankle but thankfully, not a broken leg.
PS. I love the way he sits up on the stretcher and applauds fans applauding him. Tough as old boots.
http://www.bathchronicle.co.uk/leg-break-Phil-Walsh-Bath-City-defender-faces/story-22788072-detail/story.html

Have to agree with Micawber. it is one thing to try and be positive but you also have to be realistic. People will drift away but when you have more drifting away than new supporters coming in, as seems to be the case with us, then no matter how much gloss you try and put on it there is a problem.
Agree about the forum, now a shadow of what it used to be. I also believe that several of those who dared to break the party line and be critical have become so disilusioned they now no longer attend matches and with the crowds becoming so low it is difficult to see how things can continue as they are without something 'giving'. I hope results improve as if they do not crowds will only get worse and the danger is we will be in a downward spiral that will be very difficult to break.
I still maintain the view that the 'management' are not getting the best from the players they have. There seem to be too many personality issues, muddled tactics and no clear leadership.
Another thing not to be dismissed is the rise of Larkhall. I know a few who used to come to Twerton who now go there. They won 3-0 at Didcot last night and more will switch to watching them if our results continue as they are. Some may dismiss this but if only 20 more decide to watch Larkhall instead of City then that is, the way things are going, another 5 or 6% of our crowd gone.

SteveS wrote:I still maintain the view that the 'management' are not getting the best from the players they have. There seem to be too many personality issues, muddled tactics and no clear leadership.

Correct.