Chesterimp
Vital Football Hero
Neither for a foul
Match Thread: Tranmere Rovers v Lincoln City
- Thread starter Jules
- Start date
Neither for a foul
sedgleyimp
Vital Champions League
It's interesting how Rhead and Green are seen by different supporters. At Cheltenham while it was still 0-0 there were a number close to me constantly shouting for them to be brought on. Some were even shouting this in the first half.
So tonight we are 1 down and have 2 strikers on the bench so they are brought on. It didn't work. I can only imagine though if those changes hadn't have been made the question of why not would be raised.
Not easy this management lark
clive ford
Vital Squad Member
Imps first half performance was a joy to behold. 55 years I've been watching and I have never seen such wonderful football, fantastic! Second half we seemed to be playing a different team. Shit happens. A minor blip. Bring on Crewe.
A game of if only’s. If only we could make our dominant first half count. If only we had changed things when they started getting on top - needed a DM to match them. If only the red and Lino weren’t totally dire - McNulty slapped the ball away in the box from a Shacks header - stonewall pen. Ref forgot his cards for about 40 mins so their spoiling tactics succeeded.
Credit to Tranmere who were completely different second half, better intensity and doubled up on Bruno.
One of those nights. But great stadium and Home fans getting behind their team.
Big John needs a goal.
When it all clicks someone is in for a serious beating.
Onwards- revenge mission on Saturday
Credit to Tranmere who were completely different second half, better intensity and doubled up on Bruno.
One of those nights. But great stadium and Home fans getting behind their team.
Big John needs a goal.
When it all clicks someone is in for a serious beating.
Onwards- revenge mission on Saturday
Brendan Bradley
Vital Squad Member
As I'm watching games from the couch it's fascinating to know that fans are calling for those sort of changes to the team. At Cheltenham, and especially in the first half last night, I really wonder what people actually want, considering the dominance of the side and the chances created? Don't they find this entertaining?
If it's about conversion, Green actually had a couple of chances last night and missed them. Rhead (alongside McNulty it was the immovable object meets the immovable object) didn't get near the goal.
If their complaints are about style of play, I despair, but I suppose people like what they like.
My own view is that Green should be on the pitch more than he is, but we have been getting better and better with the team that has been put out. Outclassing other sides, really, so it's difficult to change.
Last night I was surprised the forward changes were made together as it indicated a total change in approach. I didn't think we were losing it up top, we had lost our grip in midfield and I expected O'Connor to come on for either Pett, Freck or McCartan.
If it was a forward change I'd have put Green on first. To me Rhead is only an option when the opposition defence is sitting really deep or when we're trying to see the game out. I guess that gives away what I think of his selection for this side, which isn't to undermine his contribution over the years, but practically everyone else has already been moved on.
Anyway, I wonder if that half hour or so of last season's Lincoln might have converted a few disbelievers?
Sincilbanks
Vital Football Hero
Thommo spent the entire commentary remarking how deep the Tranmere defence were and thus how stretched they were. Which isn't to say I disagree with you, just making an observation..
I also think writing Rheady off when he's barely been on the pitch all season is a *little* unfair.
Brendan Bradley
Vital Squad Member
I didn't really mean if the defence doesn't have a high line, what I'm meaning is if they're lined up on the 18 yard box with the midfield parked a few yards ahead - in other words just attempting to defend their own penalty area.
Tranmere weren't doing that except for the last five minutes, they just had too big a gap between their defence and midfield in the first half which was exploited by our pacy frontrunners.
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79imp
Guest
I don’t really buy this first half was amazing stuff. Yes, we were territorially completely on top... and I’d imagine the possession stats were also hugely in our favour. However, beyond the Akinde and McCartan chances in the first ten minutes (neither of which were absolute sitters), I don’t really remember us creating any other clear openings and/or testing their keeper. Territory and possession is all well and good - and don’t get me wrong, I love to see us knocking the ball around to feet rather than humping it up to Rhead at the first opportunity - but if we don’t create sufficient chances, we are more likely to be done by the smash and grab style wins that Tranmere pulled off last night.
As for the best half of football from the Imps, personally I still think we have some way to go to match some of the Schofield matches in the early part of the 06-07 season. Walsall at home where we went 2-0 up and scored the best team goal I’ve ever seen us produce (a marvellous flowing move finished by a bullet diving header by a young Lee Frecklington) is still the high water mark for me.
Oh and apologies to all for not bringing out the lucky socks last night... lesson learned I promise!
Brendan Bradley
Vital Squad Member
I kind of agree with you, though the reason why the goalkeeper wasn't more in action was due to what I earlier called imprecision up front - by all four attackers.
They were all heavily involved in the build up play but from memory we had an awful lot of shots blocked - by wrong choices or delaying - or crosses to nobody.
To me, and this was partly down to Tranmere's tactics which they resolved at half time, the first half would not have been out of place from a side in the Championship.
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79imp
Guest
A very fair assessment BB. You're quite right... there were a number of promising 'situations' where the final pass or shot didn't come off... I guess we just have to put it down to 'one of those nights' and hope we can be more clinical against Crewe on Saturday.
Must also say (as another poster did on here) that there was more than a whiff of an FA Cup giant-killing about Tranmere's performance and win. Credit to them - they hung in there, defended manfully and showed enough quality in the second half to snatch it. However, I remarked to NottyImp at half-time that there seemed to be at least a division in quality between the two sides. That said, I also felt it was inevitable Tranmere would not be as bad second half... which of course they weren't.
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79imp
Guest
An excellent turnout from both sides for a Tuesday night at a mid-table L2 club.
D
Deleted member 10554
Guest
The way they celebrated you'd think they'd knocked Liverpool out in the semi finals.
HitherImp
Vital Football Hero
Thanks Scotimp, been trying to track that down all morning!
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79imp
Guest
Nowt wrong with that. Good scalp for them by beating a top of the table side... especially in the backs-to-the-wall manner they did it in. Personally I'm quite pleased that other clubs see 3 points against us as such a coup. After all, it wasn't that long ago that we were rolling over at the mere sight of a half-decent football team coming up against us (and often some pretty terrible football teams as well!!).
Sincilbanks
Vital Football Hero
Akinde's header was a free one on the six yard line in the middle of the goal, for a centre forward of his quality that pretty much is a sitter. Not as bad as his Cheltenham one of course, and an absolutely blinding save by the keeper (Akinde was already celebrating before it hit the net) but nevertheless you would hope he would bury those more often than not..
