Match Thread Cheltenham Town vs. Coventry City Match Thread - Tuesday 13th Nov (13 Viewers)

[Mucca Mad Boys]

So why did he use a formation that hasn't worked for the first team? It was clear we weren't going to win pretty much from kick off.

He hasn't shown any intent, it's just a runabout.

It’s pretty clear Robins doesn’t value the Checkatrade trophy. That’s twice we’ve been knocked out in the group stage since he’s been back. A win tonight would’ve seen us go through and he’s picked an U23s team with first team players who need to build up their match fitness. Looking at the bigger picture, this competition is obsolete unless you make it to final, otherwise it’s a waste of time.

I’m not really bothered about the result, it was nice to get players like Grimmer, Mason and Jones up to speed and getting Bakayoko game time. Also, blooding a lot of our promising young players is decent.

Looking forward to Saturday, we ought to win now most of the first team has had a week off.

 

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[Sick Boy]

Robins has either made the decision to prioritise the league and told the players to go go easy or the team has gone from unbeatable to total shit within a week.

I'll go with the former.

I genuinely believe that with a bit of investment in January from the Wilson money, we have a chance of making the play-offs. It makes every sense to concentrate on the league and I'm glad we are out of both cup competitions, personally.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Robins has either made the decision to prioritise the league and told the players to go go easy or the team has gone from unbeatable to total shit within a week.

I'll go with the former.

If that's what he's actually done he should make it public and save anyone making the trip...

 

[Johhny Blue]

Sven birthday cakes! Wow. No wonder we have an obesity crises!

It's not like they were big cakes

 

[fellatio_Martinez]

I genuinely believe that with a bit of investment in January from the Wilson money, we have a chance of making the play-offs. It makes every sense to concentrate on the league and I'm glad we are out of both cup competitions, personally.

Yeah my thoughts exactly.

We did the cup run thing a few seasons ago. It's going to be a long hard season and a great opportunity to get amongst the promotion chasers.

 

[Johhny Blue]

Yeah my thoughts exactly.

We did the cup run thing a few seasons ago. It's going to be a long hard season and a great opportunity to get amongst the promotion chasers.

Aren't we already?

 

[fellatio_Martinez]

Aren't we already?

Unless we have entered some kind of time portal then no, we're not amongst the promotion chasers at the end of the season.

 

[Nick]

Players congratulating each other. Fuck that, bro / lil bro / broski.

 

[Liquid Gold]

I hope now two u21 teams end up at Wembley and the competition is shown up for the farce it is.

Are we obliged to enter or can we just forget to submit the forms?

 

[Otis]

So r u saying no1 should say anything negative till end of season?

So dumb. No one is going ott. Some wanted a good cup run. We r Dissapointed. Wveey1 agrees Saturday is much bigger

To say 3 losses in a row even if only 1 in league is not good is not over reacting.

Ha, what you talking about, you lemon!

I was replying to a post which was talking about being disappointed if we didn't get to Wembley once this season after tonight (i.e. play-off final still left to go).

I was just saying we won't be disappointed about not getting to Wembley if we get promoted automatically.

 

[usskyblue]

Ha, what you talking about, you lemon

Top fruit based insult m8

 

[better days]

Just got home from the game
Whoever scored first was always going to win this match and that's how it turned out
Kids were given their first taste of first team football and two or three continued their rehab from injury
It was fairly obvious from the changes that Robins was using this game to look at options and wasn't terribly worried about the result
If we continue our good form in the league it's the right decision

 

[usskyblue]

Just got home from the game
Whoever scored first was always going to win this match and that's how it turned out
Kids were given their first taste of first team football and two or three continued their rehab from injury
It was fairly obvious from the changes that Robins was using this game to look at options and wasn't terribly worried about the result
If we continue our good form in the league it's the right decision

FFS m8...stop being so unnecessarily balanced

 

[Johhny Blue]

Unless we have entered some kind of time portal then no, we're not amongst the promotion chasers at the end of the season.

Now you’re changing the rules

 

[Otis]

Now you’re changing the rules

Think we may need to interchange sports and secure the services of Blake Portals.

 

[stevefloyd]

What do you think he did wrong or is to blame?

I am not trying to blame him for anything except apparent lack of desire, the majority of the time he has played he just seems uninterested, now I think Robins has to shoulder some of the blame because after Baka had scored those 2 late goals he must have been buzzing but Robins has shelved him since there. Maybe its just confidence with him and maybe he is not a good trainer so Robins bases his decisions on what his coaching staff tell him but if Baka has anything about him at all he needs to start trying to bust a gut and proving people wrong

 

[covcity4life]

Just got home from the game
Whoever scored first was always going to win this match and that's how it turned out
Kids were given their first taste of first team football and two or three continued their rehab from injury
It was fairly obvious from the changes that Robins was using this game to look at options and wasn't terribly worried about the result
If we continue our good form in the league it's the right decision

no different to what i said. if we win saturday it will be fine

that said we all expected a heavily rotated squad, but the performances need to be better than that regardless. hopefully a good learning experience for ngandu and eccles and 2 cbs.

shipley on other hand is now on a terrible run of performances

 

[standupforcity]

Phew...glad we don't have that to think about anymore...to concentrate on the league is a priority...and let's hope our rivals who are still in cup competitions continue their run...

 

[better days]

no different to what i said. if we win saturday it will be fine

that said we all expected a heavily rotated squad, but the performances need to be better than that regardless. hopefully a good learning experience for ngandu and eccles and 2 cbs.

shipley on other hand is now on a terrible run of performances

Apparently Shipley's partner has just had a baby and they're up half the night so I don't suppose he's bursting with energy

 

[Nick]

Apparently Shipley's partner has just had a baby and they're up half the night so I don't suppose he's bursting with energy

I know it might sound harsh but that's not really much of an excuse.

 

[steve82]

Team selection was clear MR lacked desire to progress in this competition added with the fact the squad depth isn’t actually there currently.

The competition throughout has been utilised to get players minutes who are returning to fitness from varying injuries.

Plenty we’ve learned tho over this week alone, if anyone thinks a promotion push is genuinely on we need some players In and out the door this January.

Bakayoko needs a partner not left alone up top and for the 10th time 4231 is not for us!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

 

[Nick]

Team selection was clear MR lacked desire to progress in this competition added with the fact the squad depth isn’t actually there currently.

The competition throughout has been utilised to get players minutes who are returning to fitness from varying injuries.

Plenty we’ve learned tho over this week alone, if anyone thinks a promotion push is genuinely on we need some players In and out the door this January.

Bakayoko needs a partner not left alone up top and for the 10th time 4231 is not for us!


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

That's what was baffling.

It's all well and good playing the "reserves" but why throw them under the bus with a system that doesn't even work for the first team and hasn't for a good while? We didn't even manage to get a shot on target which says it all going forward. The same issues we were having when the first team played a lone striker.

 

[better days]

That's what was baffling.

It's all well and good playing the "reserves" but why throw them under the bus with a system that doesn't even work for the first team and hasn't for a good while? We didn't even manage to get a shot on target which says it all going forward. The same issues we were having when the first team played a lone striker.

It's fine margins though Nick. We started reasonably well and were passing it to our own players and looking for opportunities
Baka was through early and looked likely to score but for a good save and Jones had two decent shots past the post in the first half before Cheltenham scored
Once they got their goal which was from a decent passage of play rather than our mistakes we were on the back foot and looked unlikely to come back in the game
The young players in particular started punting it upfield rather than staying calm and looking to pass the ball to team mates

 

[Nick]

It's fine margins though Nick. We started reasonably well and were passing it to our own players and looking for opportunities
Baka was through early and looked likely to score but for a good save and Jones had two decent shots past the post in the first half before Cheltenham scored
Once they got their goal which was from a decent passage of play rather than our mistakes we were on the back foot and looked unlikely to come back in the game
The young players in particular started punting it upfield rather than staying calm and looking to pass the ball to team mates

Really? Our passing was atrocious at the start, every ball was going out of play or to them. Even got to the point CWR were trying to blame the pitch being narrow every time Grimmer put it out of play.

Their first goal could have been prevented but I think it was Ngandu who was strangely on our goal line trying to challenge, a defender should really have won the header against somebody sticking their foot out.

The Jones shots didn't trouble the keeper, which was the Baka one as I couldn't remember their keeper making a save or us having a shot on target?

 

[covcity4life]

we couldnt contorl ball let alone pass it all game long

 

[better days]

Really? Our passing was atrocious at the start, every ball was going out of play or to them. Even got to the point CWR were trying to blame the pitch being narrow every time Grimmer put it out of play.

Their first goal could have been prevented but I think it was Ngandu who was strangely on our goal line trying to challenge, a defender should really have won the header against somebody sticking their foot out.

The Jones shots didn't trouble the keeper, which was the Baka one as I couldn't remember their keeper making a save or us having a shot on target?

Funnily enough we were all in the side stand where Grimmer was misplacing a few passes in the first half. We mentioned the narrowness during the game but the pitch was in great condition so no real excuses. As someone else said McCullum did better when he came on
Baka's chance was where he ran from halfway after being put through on the left and had a low shot which the keeper pushed away to the side netting for a corner
Jones's second shot just flashed wide after it swung away at the last moment & was after a lovely passing move through three or four of our players
Can't pretend it was great though, a low key game all round

 

[chiefdave]

From what Robins said it was less about the result and more about bringing through players. If he's got something useful out of it then that will do for me.

We've won this once and as much fun as the day out at Wembley was there's more important things for us to be concentrating on.

 

[steve82]

Was a game where you’d hope Tom Bayliss wanted to showcase his ability with the ball, ticking play over, driving with the ball creating chances.

He should of been a stand out player last night.




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[GaryMabbuttsLeftKnee]

I think any criticism directed at Bakayoko solely on last night is very harsh. I actually thought he did okay. We weren't in the game for 45 minutes bar one move that involved Ngandu, Shipley and a decent shot from range from Jones. I don't think it was Bakayoko's fault or really lack of desire, as a team we weren't playing well so to single him out is harsh. In the second half once Maddox had gone off and we were able to dictate the tempo of play a bit more, he was more involved and had a few times where he held the ball up well, showed strength and desire. He wasn't magnificent by any stretch, but I don't think he can really be held accountable for anything particularly negative last night.

 

[better days]

I think any criticism directed at Bakayoko solely on last night is very harsh. I actually thought he did okay. We weren't in the game for 45 minutes bar one move that involved Ngandu, Shipley and a decent shot from range from Jones. I don't think it was Bakayoko's fault or really lack of desire, as a team we weren't playing well so to single him out is harsh. In the second half once Maddox had gone off and we were able to dictate the tempo of play a bit more, he was more involved and had a few times where he held the ball up well, showed strength and desire. He wasn't magnificent by any stretch, but I don't think he can really be held accountable for anything particularly negative last night.

Baka did work a lot harder last night than he did in Monday's U23 game
Hopefully it will continue

 

[Nick]

Funnily enough we were all in the side stand where Grimmer was misplacing a few passes in the first half. We mentioned the narrowness during the game but the pitch was in great condition so no real excuses. As someone else said McCullum did better when he came on
Baka's chance was where he ran from halfway after being put through on the left and had a low shot which the keeper pushed away to the side netting for a corner
Jones's second shot just flashed wide after it swung away at the last moment & was after a lovely passing move through three or four of our players
Can't pretend it was great though, a low key game all round

Was that the one where he sort of looked offside as he was running back that I posted a screenshot of? From a tight angle?

 

[better days]

Was that the one where he sort of looked offside as he was running back that I posted a screenshot of? From a tight angle?

It sounds like it - I was at the game and not in line so didn't suspect offside at the time and wasn't following the forum feed

 

[Nick]

It sounds like it - I was at the game and not in line so didn't suspect offside at the time and wasn't following the forum feed

This one? Absolutely nobody supporting him so had to try a shot from a silly angle. Think it went off the defender into the side netting. Had just played a nice 1 - 2 with Bayliss.

 

[covcity4life]

lmao that wasnt a chance. i did think is he referring to the side netting one but then thought nahhhhhhhh surly not?

 

[skybluegod]

That's what was baffling.

It's all well and good playing the "reserves" but why throw them under the bus with a system that doesn't even work for the first team and hasn't for a good while? We didn't even manage to get a shot on target which says it all going forward. The same issues we were having when the first team played a lone striker.

Hasn't it been working? We won 5 and drew one in the league using it? Does that not suggest it is working.

I agree in this instance, if you are going to have a raft of changes best thing to do is to make it suit the players Baka cannot play alone, as we have seen. But barring the cup games I think the evidence has shown it is working