MDT : Easter Monday. The Posh v The Grecians. 3pm KO (Peterborough vs Exeter)

[arthur]

John,

I've been posting about this for months and yet it still happens. I cant imagine it's not an issue that isnt part of the weekly coaching programme so it must be a player failure, with the same players showing the failure on a regular basis. I think this will be one of the factors that will determine the close season player departures and arrivals........

Yes, I fear Sweeney and Sparkes will be joining the Jay/Dieng club... Hartridge will have one last season to prove he can consistently perform at a level above League 2...

 

[Jim Dale]

City have a propensity to concede soft goals. It’s been the case all season. In league 2 you can get away with it, but most teams in league 1 will punish you. It’s the nature of stepping up a level!

We have defended well individually and collectively at times this year, so it’s frustrating when those individual errors cost us… but ultimately the players are who they are, and playing well for 45mins isn’t enough to win games against good sides. I expect GC will be looking looking to upgrade in certain positions in the summer… starting at the back.

For what it’s worth, I think this group of players have given everything, given us a promotion, given us a lot to be proud of… and league 1 is now highly competitive.

This season has been great fun. GC doesn’t do sentimental, though… and he’s not afraid to make changes in the pursuit of improving the team.

 

[manc grecian]

Yes, I fear Sweeney and Sparkes will be joining the Jay/Dieng club... Hartridge will have one last season to prove he can consistently perform at a level above League 2...

Hartridge will be off. He's been fine in League One and can't see how we'd get better for what he's paid. Worth remembering that he also has to deal with the Sparkes/Caprice as wing backs.

I think long term Aimson will play on the right of a 3.

 

[arthur]

I think long term Aimson will play on the right of a 3.

So do I. I often wonder how a back three Aimson, Stubbs and Hartridge would have got on...

 

[SEA Grecian]

What has worried me most in recent games is an apparent lack of concentration, or at least regular momentary "switcching off". Surely it's drilled into all players, especially defenders, from age +/- 10, that they need to concentrate 100% whenever the ball is in the opponents's posession. IMO the seemingly old-fashioned Brian Clough matra "kick it into row Z" is still valid, or are we and everyone else so obsessed with playing the ball out of defence that we have neglected basic defending? We are not Manchester City!

Alex Hartridge was trying to kick it into row Z.

 

[manc grecian]

So do I. I often wonder how a back three Aimson, Stubbs and Hartridge would have got on...

Champions league winners I expect

 

[SEA Grecian]

I didn't. Reports that no-one plays four at the back any more because it's hopelessly outdated are greatly exaggerated. If 4 3 3 is good enough for Arsenal and Liverpool it's good enough for me.

The reason we play three at the back isn't because it's inherently superior to four at the back but because it suits our players better. All our best perfomances over the last season and a half have come with three at the back.

 

[Squeezebox]

Still don't get this trend of playing it short from the keeper to under pressure defenders and faffing around til one has to boot it upfield anyway - just let the keeper hoof it up there out of danger!

 

[SaintJames]

City have a propensity to concede soft goals. It’s been the case all season. In league 2 you can get away with it, but most teams in league 1 will punish you. It’s the nature of stepping up a level!

We have defended well individually and collectively at times this year, so it’s frustrating when those individual errors cost us… but ultimately the players are who they are, and playing well for 45mins isn’t enough to win games against good sides. I expect GC will be looking looking to upgrade in certain positions in the summer… starting at the back.

For what it’s worth, I think this group of players have given everything, given us a promotion, given us a lot to be proud of… and league 1 is now highly competitive.

This season has been great fun. GC doesn’t do sentimental, though… and he’s not afraid to make changes in the pursuit of improving the team.

Agree with this and part of the problem this season has been a lack of competition for places at the back with Stubbs and Diabate being unselectable for big chunks of the season. Also much as I think Grounds has been good occasional back up (like yesterday) he isn't competition for Alex and that may explain why mentally he doesn't seem at the races knowing his place is nailed on. Caldwell will either go to a 4 at the back with probably Aimson and Diabate perhaps and bring in two solid full backs or Sweenz and Alex will be upgraded and become cover CH's next season. The highlights don't show that Alex got away with a similar slice just before his OG and I think Gary will have run out of patience with the regularity of his mistakes and lack of concentration. Personally I'm cutting more slack to Sweenz as his mistakes this season have been few and far between imo.

 

[iscalad]

Still don't get this trend of playing it short from the keeper to under pressure defenders and faffing around til one has to boot it upfield anyway - just let the keeper hoof it up there out of danger!

This goes on from the PL all the way down the pyramid.