4-0

3-1
James 13
2902
247 away fans

2 nil to pools. 2500 with 150 of them.

2-0 James and Anderson

2250 total with 169 Grovers

Pools 3-0

2765

316 Grovers

0-0

2-0 James 2
2650 with175 visitors

I think I got closest, 2-0 was too ambitious.

It certainly was rubbish. The second half in particular.

At least we're through.

It was like pulling teeth that! Slow ,boring and predictable. Doesn't matter who the opposition is we play the same boring game. Today was a great chance to give the fans something to shout about but instead I came out pissed off at a victory. The team needs some pace in it badly and it's time to give dinanga a go.

The amount off space kitching had in the first half was insane yet still it was like Noble and Featherstone didn't want to pass to him for some reason.

The amount off space kitching had in the first half was insane yet still it was like Noble and Featherstone didn't want to pass to him for some reason.

Tactics are beige, midfielders look like a tortoise trudging across a sea of peanut butter, they would have won but for Loach.

Awful to watch, slow, negative, predictable. When are we going to produce a home performance to give the fans something to praise. Today was a good chance to do that instead we had to suffer pure dross. Lucky to win, if they had scored we would have folded and been out of it.

Smooth or Crunchy peanut butter?

Forwards should have done better against an 8th tier team.

Results at the Vic compared to results on the road make it clear that there is something fundamentally wrong with our home tactics. Today was the ideal opportunity to try a more adventurous 433 and go out and attack, attack, attack!
Admittedly getting into the draw for the next round is the primary purpose of a cup game but a 1-0 win against inferior opposition that was only achieved after yet another sterling performance from Loach, is nothing to write home about.
Bates appears to have no plan b!

An interview on radio tees Ged McNamee said that the coaching staff have "drilled it into the players that if you can't win the game don't lose it". Explains our tactics and the utter boring football served up at the Vic I fear we will be suffering this dros as long as the current coaching team are in place.

If McNamee has said that its embarrassing its not 2 points for a win any more, Bates still seems to think we are in a relegation battle. He is a handbrake on this team. I cant understand how Hignett can sit on his hands watching the utter drivel today.

That performance today was a complete embarassment. Once again a part time team, albeit this time leagues below us, once again ran the show in the second half on our own patch. Dull and boring. Luke james will be lucky to get 5 goals playing like he is no threat whatsoever.

On Kitching, the lad as the heart for this level and above but I just think he’s a defender being asked to play out of position. He’s not a winger and never going to take anyone on.
I don’t blame him for a second because he’s very willing, works hard and has never shied away from a tackle. He’s being played out of position though.

In reply to the comment above about Bates being a hand brake on the team... just remember where we were. He has created a real team who are generally pretty solid.
He’s a young manager as well though. He does need to develop more positive tactics but right now he should be given plenty more time to nail it without the boos.

Some people want immediate success and logic doesn't come into it.
Yesterday was bad, but some people have been sniping since the minute the first match kicked off and they won't change their opinion because in their world they're the knowledgable ones.... If only they were listened to we'd be eorkforce beaters. Oh dear.

What difference does it make how bad we were last year?

The people of Eastern Europe should of been glad of the Soviets at least they weren't the Nazis!

But surely anyone can see that holding onto one nil leads and trying to control the game has lead to many points being dropped from winning positions and will continue to do so.

Im not advocating sacking him just want him to take the shackles off yesterday was a real chance to do so and he did the exact opposite.

Raj wants people through the gate to pay the bills people won't come back after yesterday

Its a choice between this , winning the majority of games , no matter how boring most of them are, or losing then I'm ok with things the way they are. I honestly think if we went on the offensive we would get beat in the majority of games, I think Bates knows this, we just haven't got the quality at the moment , particularly up front ,hopefully in time this will change.

I get where you're coming from, Mr Horden but surely we should be able to go for the throat when we are playing a team from three leagues below us, at home as well.
I know that we are in the draw for round one.
I know how important the extra cash that a FA cup run generates is.
I also know that we are struggling to score goals and Saturday was a perfect opportunity to try and inject some confidence into the team in front of goal.
I am not against keeping the ball but we were so pedestrian. I believe the lack of momentum we showed in the second half is, in part, due to the deliberate slowing down of the game that our "passing game" instils into the game. We get used to the slow, deliberate pace and, in the event that a team equalises, we find it difficult to raise the tempo again.
I hope we can get twenty or so games from Luke Williams between now and the end of the season because his tempo and energy is what we need right now. That scenario is a big staw clutcher but we need the injection of pace from midfield that is so lacking. I include speed of thought in that. The sort of speed of thought that creates killer passes and opportunities for our strikers, if we can get them away from the touchlines a bit more.

It was a general statement Derwent, Saturday I agree, we should of went for it, I said as much leading up to the game and had a fiver on us to win 3-1, so I was disappointed. Its well known my love of 4-4-2 at this level but we haven't the players to play this formation, not that Bates would, as like many he thinks its old fashioned , serves Peterborough well mind you.

No idea what formation Peterbrough play but I noticed they lost 4 and drew 2 in their last 6 home games and won something like 3 out of their last 12 overall. Guessing the early affects of Evans shouting at them is wearing off.

4-4-2

Seems to be working well to me , don't know were you get your stats from.

Some manager that Evans like.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/league-one/table

From their last 12 games.

Peterborough overachieved at the start of the season in terms of points from the data (shot stats & expected goals) and are now regressing to nearer where they should be.

Yup their form is dire especially at home, something gone wrong along the way and it's probably Fat 'lovely lovely person' Evans

So bad they sit 3rd in table , having lost only 3, yes all at home, so they must be great away, the games lost at home were to Barnsley, Accrington and Portsmouth, all in top 5, FFS ! we do have some right heed the balls as fans.

What are you blabbering on about?

I said they won 3 in last 12 and not won in last 6 at home. Facts. Their form has dropped off alarmingly. Fact. Their fans are unhappy with how they are set up and the performance levels. Fact.

But I'm the 'heed the ball'? Go pick another side at random and pretend you know all about them, or pick a random side we should play in a friendly. Your good at that.

On the money derwent

What site you use for expected goals etc at moment?

I think you're just jealous of my superior knowledge of Pools, and the game in general , get over it man.

Don't forget I'm also jealous of your comment that you were right in saying we should have resigned Nelson which you believed was proven correct after 3 games.

Oops.

I see Peterborough's decline continues LOL !

Aye 2 good wins. My post was still factual, they had not won in last 6 at home and had won 3 of their last 12 when I posted.

Not sure what part of that you don't understand. LOL!

Are you going to start your vendetta against Hignett again now we had a loss? LOL