Our biggest weakness

[pagl]

Originally Posted by Congy Red

Some very fair observations on other players, but I would say we are extremely well placed and now playing better football. I was trying to focus on what I think is the greatest need, and I now think that is a better creative player in Kelly's position.

I think we are well placed because we are getting a helluva lot from most of the players. I think criticisms of every other regular starter are generally overstated.

To clarify that , I don't think Hirst is an adequate midfielder,and I don't think Massanka is an adequate striker, but they aren't regulars in those positions.

Yes the most pleasing fact of the season is we are well placed coming into the Christmas/New Year period, whether we are playing better football is really down to a matter of opinion and I would say yes but its very marginal.

Kelly at LM is a problem and for me the obvious answer in terms of work rate up and down the left wing is Rutherford. The coaching team do have to work on his end product though. 2nd half of the season then Kelly should be used as an impact sub - last 20 minutes when the other team are tiring and then give him a free role behind the 2 strikers.

Hurst is definitely not a CM and a partnership with Carra in that position had disaster written all over it from the start. Unfortunately due to the neglect of the CM issue then Keates didn't have many options.

Any team that wants promotion has to improve the team and players during the season and unfortunately we haven't - that's the problem we have.

[John Neals Dynasty]

Originally Posted by pagl

Yes the most pleasing fact of the season is we are well placed coming into the Christmas/New Year period, whether we are playing better football is really down to a matter of opinion and I would say yes but its very marginal.

Kelly at LM is a problem and for me the obvious answer in terms of work rate up and down the left wing is Rutherford. The coaching team do have to work on his end product though. 2nd half of the season then Kelly should be used as an impact sub - last 20 minutes when the other team are tiring and then give him a free role behind the 2 strikers.

Hurst is definitely not a CM and a partnership with Carra in that position had disaster written all over it from the start. Unfortunately due to the neglect of the CM issue then Keates didn't have many options.

Any team that wants promotion has to improve the team and players during the season and unfortunately we haven't - that's the problem we have.

We can't improve our side until January other than kids on loan anyway Pagl.
We are disadvantaged to the rest of the league because we come under the Welsh FA and the other clubs can sign throughout the season, maybe we should have discussion with the Welsh FA about making exceptions for non the National league.

But having said this give Keates some credit he has been trying to sign players and I would rather he identifies players to improve us not do Mills on it and sign players because they had one good game against his previous teams.
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[pagl]

Originally Posted by John Neals Dynasty

We can't improve our side until January other than kids on loan anyway Pagl.
We are disadvantaged to the rest of the league because we come under the Welsh FA and the other clubs can sign throughout the season, maybe we should have discussion with the Welsh FA about making exceptions for non the National league.

But having said this give Keates some credit he has been trying to sign players and I would rather he identifies players to improve us not do Mills on it and sign players because they had one good game against his previous teams.
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I agree in the main other than he could have improved in the last transfer window. He has also not dealt with CM even with a loan.
He left Wright out of the starting 11 initially for Carra/Wedgbury when it was clear it didnt work.

I just hope January is better and addresses the problems.

[LlayDragon]

Originally Posted by pagl

Yes the most pleasing fact of the season is we are well placed coming into the Christmas/New Year period, whether we are playing better football is really down to a matter of opinion and I would say yes but its very marginal.

Kelly at LM is a problem and for me the obvious answer in terms of work rate up and down the left wing is Rutherford. The coaching team do have to work on his end product though. 2nd half of the season then Kelly should be used as an impact sub - last 20 minutes when the other team are tiring and then give him a free role behind the 2 strikers.

Hurst is definitely not a CM and a partnership with Carra in that position had disaster written all over it from the start. Unfortunately due to the neglect of the CM issue then Keates didn't have many options.

Any team that wants promotion has to improve the team and players during the season and unfortunately we haven't - that's the problem we have.

LM is a problem in general and has been for years. We seem have huge difficulty landing a decent winger who can use his left-foot for more than balancing. As you say Kelly is no winger but he's no midfielder either; we got him at least two years too late. Yet as he used to be decent he seems to avoid the dogs abuse some other players get, despite the fact that he's ponderous and wayward with the ball.

Wedgebury and Wright might not be great players but they screen our defence well; our creation must come from the wings. Rutherford is our best winger, he has the most assists. Things don't always work for him but you won't see him shirking graft and supporting his full-back. I could quite happily see the back of Kelly and Mackreth in January. Both lacking quality, both powder-puff.

[fluffysheepsupporter]

Originally Posted by Congy Red

Yesterday's game was a very good performance. Lots of things conspired to provide the end result, very few of which matter long term (Wright and Wedgbury being out, perhaps the biggest issue).

I think we should always attempt to fix our biggest weaknesses first. Until Scott Boden got back in the side and our passing game started coming together I would have said we needed a striker. I still think we do, but I no longer think its the primary issue.

Each player comes with a set expectations. To explain what I mean here's a report card on a few to show how they are meeting their expectations: Holroyd(goal scorer and provider) - Expectations met, Manny Smith - Expectations met, Paul Rutherford (as a chance provider)- Expectations met, Mark Carrington - Expectations (as a utility player) met. Scott Boden (scorer and provider) getting there. So who is failing most badly to fulfil their role?

The answer is Marcus Kelly. Our expectation is that ; He creates chances, scores the odd goal and shows defensive discipline. I think he's meeting the defensive discipline (the least important part) criteria. He's not a great defensive midfielder, so it would be unfair to bash that part of his game and I think his positioning and his effort are ok. In my view he simply isn't creative enough to warrant the role. On Saturday Boden made an exquisite pass to Rutherford to create a crossing opportunity in the first half. That's what we're after from a creative player in the early stages of attack, not the constant diet of simple safety balls we get from Kelly. For me he is consistently missing his expectations and with the increasing competence of the team as an attacking unit I hope we get a replacement in January.

I have accepted that we are not going to change formation this season, so the players in that formation are crucial.

Yesterdays game was a very good performance?? You either had tinted glasses on or could not see properly through the blizzard. They all had a bad day and to single one out even over several games is a poor reflection on the reality. But I agree with you that it was mostly Wright and Wedgebury we missed at Macclesfield

[Aj1]

Powder puff, Rudders is the main one for bottling tackles mate !

[davewilli]

Originally Posted by Aj1

Powder puff, Rudders is the main one for bottling tackles mate !

Do we need our wingers tackling? Working back, getting behind the ball & goal side of their man, tracking runners and staying on their feet not giving silly freekicks away is more important defensively.

[pagl]

Originally Posted by davewilli

Do we need our wingers tackling? Working back, getting behind the ball & goal side of their man, tracking runners and staying on their feet not giving silly freekicks away is more important defensively.

Depends on our definition of 'winger' as we play 442 and I expect both RM and LM to get forward and back and that does mean defending. If however we played 433 with a winger that maybe swapped left/right then no so much so.

[krux]

Originally Posted by davewilli

Do we need our wingers tackling? Working back, getting behind the ball & goal side of their man, tracking runners and staying on their feet not giving silly freekicks away is more important defensively.

Spot on. The key defensive attribute expected of wingers is to bust a gut to get goal side of the opposition
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