Wrexham will have a field day with us. Bates is clueless same as Harrison Hawkes, Woods on the bench. Can see it's gone flat 30 minutes into second have and does nothing to change it, until were 3-2 down in 83 minutes then changes it....
Forget about a striker we need new Tactics desperately.

Down to bates and tactics why he didnt change to back 4 and stop them down the wings ?

What does james offer nothing other than running about.

Nicky far to slow cost us 2 goals today.

Pissed off anyone can see what changes should be made during a game ffs

Totally agree.
Midfield today was to slow and defence organised. To easy to bypass us as always.
Still by a unchanged squad for Tuesday night though.
If I was Hawkes, Woods & Hawkins I be kicking in Bates office door a demanding 90 minutes.

They would probably miss the door

The Sutton management team were out of their dugout throughout the game loudly cajoling and advising. Bates was like someone near me said like a merecat, occasionally getting off his arse but still no vocals from the touchline even when we conceded the second and third goals. No subs warming up until about a minute before they came on.
After our second goal we should have buried them, for once Sutton were on the back foot but as usual the foot came off the gas. What is the point of pumping the ball in the air up to james who despite all his efforts did not win anything. The Sutton defenders were too big, more physical and more savvy resulting in them regaining possession with ease. Ineffective midfield again.

The Sutton management team were out of their dugout throughout the game loudly cajoling and advising. Bates was like someone near me said like a merecat, occasionally getting off his arse but still no vocals from the touchline even when we conceded the second and third goals. No subs warming up until about a minute before they came on.
After our second goal we should have buried them, for once Sutton were on the back foot but as usual the foot came off the gas. What is the point of pumping the ball in the air up to james who despite all his efforts did not win anything. The Sutton defenders were too big, more physical and more savvy resulting in them regaining possession with ease. Ineffective midfield again.

The lack of Pashun pisses me off, hands in pockets, no emotion when we score but we get encouraged to get behind the team

Completely agree, I think it's fairly safe to say we won't be getting into them, I've been saying this the last 4-5 games the way Luke James gets bullied off the ball is unbelievable in my opinion it's a physical league and he's getting chucked allover, Put Dununga on and see how we get on, Yeah James runs his arse off granted , The amounts off points we have dropped this season is astonishing it really is, Wrexham will have a ball with us Tuesday night. I can say way more but the fact is in just simply can't be arsed im sick off repeating myself on here.

I think tactics can work fairly well against certain teams for instance but shout out for Donaldson today was bombing forward whenever he could just a shame kitchen can't do the same's he gets into space very well but Fucking Magnay never passes to him him the amount off times he's had space down that left hand side.

Donaldson can score goals as he did do for Cambridge. 11 goals in 98 appearance I know not much, but he set up a load to. Been used out of position like James and Muir.

Its as simple as this, the players are not good enough, forget about tactics, team selection, subs etc, we haven't a good enough group of players. We are carrying James and Kitchen, they would struggle to get a game for Spennymoor.

Most of the players have played at League two and some League one level so they must be good enough for the national League. Both Muir and Kioso look the part at this level, Kitchen has struggled but he's a young lad playing a role he is not suited too, surely four four two would suit both Kitching and Donaldson, with Kitching playing left back and Donaldson right midfield allowing Donaldson to spend more time in the opposition's half where he can really hurt teams, it would also allow the two centre forwards to spend more time in the opposition's box instead of playing down the wings.

For the second week running, Donaldson had a field day in the first half but saw much less of the ball in the second half. Why not play to our strengths? Bennett, if not both of their full-backs were booked in the first half, so why not run at them & put them under pressure?

I think Luke is coming in for a lot of unnecessary criticism on here. OK, he hasn't scored many, but it's not as if he's fluffing chances coming his way. In the first half he was thwarted by a defender miraculously getting a headed deflection on a goal-bound shot. A second rebounded chance was coming Luke's way if only the ball hadn't hung in the air for so long. I think Muir has been a good acquisition, but his sloppy lay off led to their second goal, & I don't see any criticism of him on here.

Noble needs to up his game with his set pieces - too many were wasted yesterday.

This, only the third defeat of the season, was due to sloppy defending, & given the recent clean sheets, was a bit surprising - if anybody should ever be surprised by Pools! It's a game we should have won, & Loach didn't have any real saves to make. Pleased to see him rolling the ball out early on a couple of occasions - more of that please.

It's not the end of the world. We are going to have to scrap our way out of this physical league with its inept referees, so free-flowing football will have to take second place & will be at a premium

Aye individually most of them are good enough but as a team and in this shite formation they don't work. Thing is that shite formation is benefiting many of them. I don't think Featherstone and Noble will work in centre mid as a 2 in 442, having 3 there kinda helps cover their total lack of pace. Donaldson should work on the right but we don't have a left winger? Defence of Kitchen, Magney, Davies and Kioso should be solid enough like. Probs need a left winger and a centre mid with some pace and energy to make 442 work.

Agree there is no pace in centre midfield on top of that there is no creativity either yet Hawkes, who on the few occasions he's played looked capable of providing a bit of creativity, doesn't get a look in and the turgid three defensive midfielders play week in and week out surely a bit more attacking intention at home should be tried, even Woods who in past seasons has got forward and scored goals seems unable to get into the opposition box.

Noble needs to up his game with his set pieces - too many were wasted yesterday.



^^^ I get what you mean but he scored from a set piece?

Another thoroughly depressing display. An awful game, between two awful teams, with an awful referee, in awful weather, it took me till about midnight to feel warm again. They were physical and well organised, we were neither.
I'm not a Featherstone hater, but with him in the side we'll never be able to press the opposition when not in possession nor be able to break quickly when we are. Whatever Bates 'tactics' are the players look as fed up trying to play them as we are watching them, there's no joy or inspiration at all. As others have said we desperately need some pace in centre midfield, Harrogate, for example, had two midfielders (one of whom was about 5 foot tall) who, when in possession, ran with the ball with pace - how revolutionary is that! Other teams find them, we haven't had a midfielder like that for years.

Kioso likes to be in the thick of things so why not try him in midfield. He's a ball winner, he can run with it, he's got pace, and he's good in the air. Unless we can add to the squad through signings, loans etc we have to experiment from within if we are to improve on our slow motion predictability.

I've been thinking that for some time Derwent, unfortunately Bates seems to be quite set in his ways. Anderson could drop into a back three or make it a four with Kitchen at L/B.

Agreed but never happen.

Agreed why the fuck isn't woodsy playing anyway, Loves a 60/40 Tackle and winning it, Got us 11 goals in the league was is last season? From a a SHITE team and a shite midfield to his goals done us good, I'm surprised no one looked at our situation we where in and nabbed him off us, Play him bates!!

But who would you play him instead off, Noble or Featherstone? I know Featherstone has his critics but he does keep us "ticking over" as they say, Then you have Noble for his narkyness, His winding up the opposition (Which we need more off) Or should he (Bates) make a formation to fit all 3 in Woods, Featherstone and Noble, That could benefit the team more having 3 midfielders and support for James and Muir, Honestly before kick off home and away I look at the size off the opposition's defenders and look at the size off James and I think "Ohh no not again" He ain't built for this league I think managers play him because off his ex five hundred grand price tag.

In my opinion that's where we are struggling having a 2 man midfield just for the cause to have 2 wing backs (Bombing on) which is not working specially on the side Kitching is on i mean when will magnay fucking pass to him early when there is space!?!?, By the time magnay realises he's there the space has already gone and we are passing backwards, Our wing backs do create space but we need defenders with a decent pass to pass to them or there's no point in this "formation" we are playing week in week out, On the other side off the "wing back" you have kioso who can tackle, Has pace and can pass to Donaldson early so he can bomb on, I've watched him at every home game and 4 away games I've been to this season I'm driving to Wales tomorrow night and driving back to after the match , Plus bates doesn't realise this and when he does realise it he makes a change or 2, 75 to 80 minutes in, I'd say next match drop James start Duninga, Also work out a formation where we can play 3 midfielders instead off 2 and teams just storming straight through us the middle off us, I've seen it time and time home and away.

Well let's see what tomorrow brings against Wrexham, I can only see one outcome I'm afraid, Plus probably to rub salt into the wound, Brad Walker will score!! I'd say a 3-1 win to Wrexham.

But Bates PLEASE drop james and start with Duninga we haven't seen enough off him this season he's at our club to get games so play him!! Im sure it won't offend James been on the bench every other weekend , Like play James one weekend then play Duninga then if we need James bring him on, The way we are going with James he'l be burnt out soon.

Ill give regular updates from Wales if it ain't to fekkking cold!!!

Not sure what you been watching all season but we have played with 3 central midfielders every game this season. Usually Noble, Featherstone and Woods or McLaughlin.

And 2 of them are holding midfielders, which is probably why we get by defensively , but offer little going forward. We need to go with a 2 in central midfield, but I don't think Bates thinks the defence is good enough and he is probably right, this is the dilemma. 3 players short of a top 3 side, left back, attacking midfielder and a Richie Barker type forward , all built like brick shithouses

We've been beat 3 times out of 18 and one was against the probable champions Salford. Can we be more attacking? Yes. Do we have reason to panic or question Bates? Absolutely not. imo of course.

Good point but the amount off points we have through away who Salford,Leyton Orient would win against , We dropped points against

Braintree away (I was there) 96 Minutes, Barrow at home 0-0 (Winnable game) Harrogate at home 2-2 91 minutes equaliser) Ebbsfleet 0-1, Boreham Wood 1-1, Eastleigh 1-1, Sutton 2-3, << There's a pattern here that's needs addressing.

I dread home games these days me i honestly do, For some reason I think we play far better away from home.


^^^ All them games if played with a better formation, better tactics, We could of at least got another 6-7 maybe 9 points out them games mentioned and we wouldn't be where we are in the league, At the beginning off the season people where predicting Gateshead to go down they have severe cash problems, Players jumping ship left right and centre and look at the results they are banging out now, Something just doesn't sit right with us at the minute.

Good point but the amount off points we have through away who Salford,Leyton Orient would win against , We dropped points against

Braintree away (I was there) 96 Minutes, Barrow at home 0-0 (Winnable game) Harrogate at home 2-2 91 minutes equaliser) Ebbsfleet 0-1, Boreham Wood 1-1, Eastleigh 1-1, Sutton 2-3, << There's a pattern here that's needs addressing.

I dread home games these days me i honestly do, For some reason I think we play far better away from home.


^^^ All them games if played with a better formation, better tactics, We could of at least got another 6-7 maybe 9 points out them games mentioned and we wouldn't be where we are in the league, At the beginning off the season people where predicting Gateshead to go down they have severe cash problems, Players jumping ship left right and centre and look at the results they are banging out now, Something just doesn't sit right with us at the minute.[/quote


Agree!!!!