Cheltenham Town v Wycombe Wanderers

[London Exile]

At last. Somebody out there who can score goals. Why wasn’t he starting?

Because everyone on here said he was shite as he’s not been playing even in League 2….

He’ll be playing in League 2 next season when he leads the robins frontline!

[robinsrule]

The only positive thing today is that Fleetwood are beating Port Vale.

[Ihearye]

Because everyone on here said he was shite as he’s not been playing even in League 2….

Would Darrell take any notice of that?

Thankfully not but everyone on here was moaning that we got the dregs and not our first choice targets and I’m glad DC is manager.

The query was the length of contract?

[CTFCfan99]

Can't see us getting out of trouble now tbh. Too often we don't turn up against the teams around us, we never recover if we concede first and we usually drop points if we score first. 18 games left and minimum 7 wins needed, can't see it happening.

[asl]

Poor. Rare for me not to stay to applaud the players off at the end - but that simply wasn't good enough.

[Artemis]

Because everyone on here said he was shite as he’s not been playing even in League 2….

Would Darrell take any notice of that?

Thankfully not but everyone on here was moaning that we got the dregs and not our first choice targets and I’m glad DC is manager.

except Taylor was apparently DCs top target.....and I can see why. Keep him fit, and he'll score.

The defence on the other hand, needs Freestone back quickly.

Thomas looked promising in his cameo.

I've always thought it probable that we'd go down after the start we had and that's not going to change. It's the hope that gets ya.

[paperboy]

Again, Lloyd getting free kicks that he deserves is rarer than us scoring goals.

When he was substituted the Wycombe commentators said that at least he managed to run off the pitch without falling over!

They did know Nuttall well from earlier in his career and said how good he was but has obviously lost his way.

[CTFCfan99]

Am I the only one who thought Keena was one of the best of a (admittedly very) bad bunch first half? A lot of comments, mostly on FB, singling him out. Don't get me wrong, he didn't have a great game (did anyone?), but don't understand him being singled out ahead of others.

[Ihearye]

The nagging question I have had in the back of my mind is, we got ourselves in a position to have a chance with escaping the drop, with the squad we had. Did we need the major overhaul we have had? Hold on to Goodwin and maybe a couple extra ....... must dent the confidence of a few who got us to where we are

[Ihearye]

Am I the only one who thought Keena was one of the best of a (admittedly very) bad bunch first half? A lot of comments, mostly on FB, singling him out. Don't get me wrong, he didn't have a great game (did anyone?), but don't understand him being singled out ahead of others.

When we looked confident in the first 15 - 20 he was as good as anyone, but never seems to be in the mix in front of goal when the ball is there

[paperboy]

[/b]quote=CTFCfan99 post_id=354246 time=1706980827 user_id=5288]
Am I the only one who thought Keena was one of the best of a (admittedly very) bad bunch first half? A lot of comments, mostly on FB, singling him out. Don't get me wrong, he didn't have a great game (did anyone?), but don't understand him being singled out ahead of others.
[/quote]


Yes you probably are.
Unfortunately a couple of Hollywood passes in midfield don't mask his ineptitude in the box.

[cliffy90]

Aidan Keena shouldn't be starting in a CTFC shirt again. His performances have severely deteriorated.

[Nesty]

We were playing against 12 men again.

[Artemis]

if only Curtis has landed that chance from 6 yards out...

[CTFCfan99]

[/b]quote=CTFCfan99 post_id=354246 time=1706980827 user_id=5288]
Am I the only one who thought Keena was one of the best of a (admittedly very) bad bunch first half? A lot of comments, mostly on FB, singling him out. Don't get me wrong, he didn't have a great game (did anyone?), but don't understand him being singled out ahead of others.

Yes you probably are.
Unfortunately a couple of Hollywood passes in midfield don't mask his ineptitude in the box.
[/quote]
Maybe, but my point is he's getting singled out when the rest of the side were as bad or worse today.

[Ihearye]

if only Curtis has landed that chance from 6 yards out...

true but to be fair to him, our strikers have missed from closer

[Artemis]

The nagging question I have had in the back of my mind is, we got ourselves in a position to have a chance with escaping the drop, with the squad we had. Did we need the major overhaul we have had? Hold on to Goodwin and maybe a couple extra ....... must dent the confidence of a few who got us to where we are

The loans had to go.. apart from Bevan they added very little and needed to be replaced.

Selling players when a good offer comes on is always going to happen.

However, did we really need to lose Liam Smith and Thompson particularly once we had the Goodwin sale money? I was surprised they went, especially Smith.

[Artemis]

if only Curtis has landed that chance from 6 yards out...

true but to be fair to him, our strikers have missed from closer

Yes,.I wouldn't have had confidence in anyway bar Lloyd or sercombe from there.

[Shade]

Ok, we weren't good, but we've got some bad juku and if we can get a half decent bloody ref sometimes we might stand half a chance.

[Horteng]

Sadly thinking we are down now. Not enough quality in the squad and a disastrous transfer window where little quality has been added.

[paperboy]

Do we hold an extra year's option on Taylors contract?

[Ihearye]

The nagging question I have had in the back of my mind is, we got ourselves in a position to have a chance with escaping the drop, with the squad we had. Did we need the major overhaul we have had? Hold on to Goodwin and maybe a couple extra ....... must dent the confidence of a few who got us to where we are

The loans had to go.. apart from Bevan they added very little and needed to be replaced.

Selling players when a good offer comes on is always going to happen.

However, did we really need to lose Liam Smith and Thompson particularly once we had the Goodwin sale money? I was surprised they went, especially Smith.

can't comment on the loans as I seldom saw them get many minutes. But I see the Brighton lad that went back is getting good mentions.
For Goodwin. I still don't think you can look at these things in purely monetary terms. We don't seem to have reinvested much of that money (?). Big Joe seems to be the nearest we have got to replacing Goodwin. time will tell. However, if we were playing the game we did for most of the match, I would have had Joe on to get the high balls. Smith and Thompson, I am with you, they were two of the crowd that got us nearly out of the hole. But overnight, they are not what we need?
I just wonder if we have the luxury of time to bed in all these new players.

[Ihearye]

Do we hold an extra year's option on Taylors contract?

Just give him orders to hang around the box, more productive than most it seems. Doing that he could do 37?

[art vandalay]

Couldn‘t fault the effort in the second half but that‘s only 11 points from the last 11 games which is nowhere close to what we need. And the trend we‘ve seen throughout that time is that we don‘t take advantage when we‘re on top but then the opposition do sod all to get a goal. No evidence today that we‘re breaking out of this cycle, in fact it just reinforced it.

[Broadway Brian]

I agree but DC and Barraclough have a hell of a job to gel this group togther. And quickly.

They looked like strangers at times which is understandable of course. Smith and Shepherd seemed to struggle when in possession - they need to get up to speed quickly. Shepherd was also up against a wily operator in Mcleary. A tough day for him.

[asl]

First 20 mins, I thought Keena was pretty good - head up, immediately looking for Lloyd with some nice touches. Then they scored and he completely disappeared. Not sure if we'll see him in a Cheltenham shirt, again - record signing or not.

[Si Robin]

As usual, I agree with asl. Keena was decent until they scored. Then we went long ball and he just wasn't in the game after that.

I honestly think it's going to take someone killing Lloydy before he gets a free-kick. He was absolutely battered today and got no protection whatsoever from the idiots in black. I'm always loathe to criticise refs, but the officials today were the worst I have ever seen at Whaddon Road - and I really don't say that lightly.

Even so, that doesn't excuse the first and third goals, or the defending in the middle for their second (as well taken as it was by McCleary).

I'm not sure we were as bad as some have made out today, but the issue of being punished when not taking our chances has risen it's ugly head again.

I don't think we're down yet - I'm ever the optimist - but we need to get out of this rut, and fast.

[CS85]

I'm not really an optimist when it comes to football but I still have hope,plenty of games left in the next 5/6 weeks to pull teams into a scrap.
We had decent form for a while hence giving us this slight hope of survival,a bad patch was always going to happen,it just needs to be stopped asap to have any chance.
The plus side today was seeing just how lethal taylor can be,he's lost his pace but get the ball to him in the box we're in business.

Freestone hasn't been brilliant this season but I think we missed him today. Two young lads either side of Davies was always going to be a big ask,unfortunately we still have another game without freestone.
Post match interview with DC mentioned kinsella can play right wing back,id not ve surprised to see him start there and long moved back into the back three when we're away at burton.

[1985CTFC]

Pett, Kinsella and Harrop are all quite slight players and some teams will out muscle them. Bonds should provide some muscle but was of it today. Sercs worked his socks off again as did Ferry.
With that many players coming in we looked disjointed after the first 15mins and especially after they scored.
Time running out to bed every one in, Nice little cameo from Jordan T at the end.

[Jerry St Clair]

Ok, we weren't good, but we've got some bad juku and if we can get a half decent bloody ref sometimes we might stand half a chance.

We could have had Pierre Luigi Collina officiating today and it would have made no difference to our ability to hit a cows arse with a banjo.

[Jerry St Clair]

ASL and Si spot on about Keena. After 15 minutes I thought “here we go, he’s looking up for it, today’s the day”. Then they scored and he went completely awol.

[Si Robin]

I don't put the blame on him necessarily though. We went hoof ball rather than through the lines like beforehand. As a linkup he was brilliant - then we started bypassing him and expecting him to run onto through balls that the defenders were shepherding out with ease.

[RS1978]

How did Nuttall look today? As Lloydy's getting kicked from pillar to post and has got nothing for the last three games (no pen/disallowed goal/nothing today) maybe have him on the bench vs. Burton and bring him on in the second half? As we really missed Street today is Joe N a direct swap?

Trust DC to talk sense in his interview - we can't afford to have 3/4/5 players off the boil at any point during the season - or we'll lose the game. On to Burton and the chance for another three points.

A morale- boosting win is needed

[Jerry St Clair]

Agreed, but he seems to give up the ghost very easily. Even if running the channels isn’t his natural game, the least he can do is be a pain in the backside and make life hard for them. But he doesn’t. And that’s the thing that’s starting to grate for me.

[paperboy]

I don't put the blame on him necessarily though. We went hoof ball rather than through the lines like beforehand. As a linkup he was brilliant - then we started bypassing him and expecting him to run onto through balls that the defenders were shepherding out with ease.

Expecting him to race onto a through ball?
Expecting him to win a header in the box?
Expecting him to shimmy past a defender in the box?
Expecting him to find his own way home?

All completely shocking and demeaning to him.