Today's Performance | Page 2 | Vital Football

Today's Performance

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...there is now nothing to 'be up' for anymore?

A lot of them are out of contract in the summer. I would have thought earning a new contract and remaining employed would be some motivation. With the exception of Hadler how many of them did enough to warrant another years employment at Gillingham ?

The lack of motivation or coaching from Lovell on the sidelines worried me. He barely said a word to the players during the game. I don't like managers who go OTT by screaming from the touchline but the lack of anything from Lovell was a surprise.
 
But the dip really started after the win at Pompey when it looked like, if we kept our form up, we had an outside shot of making the play-offs. To me it seems more like once safety was more or less assured, the players thought they could coast to the end of the season.

Although the dip did start at a point where we could have pushed on for playoffs was that ever really anyones expectations? To say they have coasted is harsh, they have still worked hard and it just hasnt happened for them. Perhaps they put so much into achieving safety, which nobody thought possible, they have nothing left to give.
 
, they have nothing left to give.

I don't think its a lack of energy or effort its a lack of basic quality. They cannot pass to each other, they are in the wrong positions. We can't connect defense to midfield so we go long and invariably concede possession. We can't actually string 3 passes together without conceding possession.

What role was Parker playing yesterday ? He was too far away from Eaves to benefit from the few headers Eaves won. Eaves is too far out wide to be able to be an effective centre forward - not but any crosses are coming in.

Compare Parker to Delfouneso or Eaves to Vassell. Their strikers worried us and looked like scoring. Did ours ?

Look at the subs - did anyone expect List to change the game. Surely we have seen enough to realise that List will not make it at this level. At least Nash got a decent run out but perhaps we now know why Lovell has been reluctant to put him on.

The bottom line is we lack quality in this squad.
 
Although the dip did start at a point where we could have pushed on for playoffs was that ever really anyones expectations? To say they have coasted is harsh, they have still worked hard and it just hasnt happened for them. Perhaps they put so much into achieving safety, which nobody thought possible, they have nothing left to give.

In the first half yesterday there wasn't any hard work, desire, effort and we were losing the second ball every time, whether that be on the edge of our box or on the rare occasion we got into their box. The chasing, harrying, pressure on the ball, everything yesterday first half was lethargic at best, non existent most of the time.

After the first goal, you'd have thought the players would've rallied around Hadler and put the desired effort in to help dig him out the shit, but no, no character, no leaders, no guts, no fight, it was a gutless response and I actually felt for SL, as despite whatever the tactics, formations, systems or line ups you use it won't matter a jot if the players don't give a fuck, and that's what it looked like first half.

If I was SL I would seriously be considering most of their futures at the club this morning, as that wasn't good enough, pretty much from all of them.

Yes you can argue about selections, substitutions all day long but without desire and players looking after their individual performance, its meaningless.

There are ways to lose games of football and yesterday was a million miles from it.
 
I don't think its a lack of energy or effort its a lack of basic quality. They cannot pass to each other, they are in the wrong positions. We can't connect defense to midfield so we go long and invariably concede possession. We can't actually string 3 passes together without conceding possession.

What role was Parker playing yesterday ? He was too far away from Eaves to benefit from the few headers Eaves won. Eaves is too far out wide to be able to be an effective centre forward - not but any crosses are coming in.

Compare Parker to Delfouneso or Eaves to Vassell. Their strikers worried us and looked like scoring. Did ours ?

Look at the subs - did anyone expect List to change the game. Surely we have seen enough to realise that List will not make it at this level. At least Nash got a decent run out but perhaps we now know why Lovell has been reluctant to put him on.

The bottom line is we lack quality in this squad.

Eaves and Parker didn't fancy the physical battle with their CB's, that was clear from early on, where as their strikers were prepared to compete with outliers all afternoon.

That happened all over the pitch to be honest, and unless you win the battle to play your football you'll struggle.

Our quality is no different to 6 to 8 weeks ago, what is now lacking is the fight, the drive, the attitude, the desire, the tempo and belief.

You can have all the quality you want (JET) without desire and workrate that means nothing.
 
In the first half yesterday there wasn't any hard work, desire, effort and we were losing the second ball every time, whether that be on the edge of our box or on the rare occasion we got into their box. The chasing, harrying, pressure on the ball, everything yesterday first half was lethargic at best, non existent most of the time.

After the first goal, you'd have thought the players would've rallied around Hadler and put the desired effort in to help dig him out the shit, but no, no character, no leaders, no guts, no fight, it was a gutless response and I actually felt for SL, as despite whatever the tactics, formations, systems or line ups you use it won't matter a jot if the players don't give a fuck, and that's what it looked like first half.

If I was SL I would seriously be considering most of their futures at the club this morning, as that wasn't good enough, pretty much from all of them.

Yes you can argue about selections, substitutions all day long but without desire and players looking after their individual performance, its meaningless.

There are ways to lose games of football and yesterday was a million miles from it.

At what point do we credit Blackpool? They did all of those things and put our defence under huge pressure hence the long balls. Not defending our performance, it was shocking however i am firmly in the "we are safe" group and therefore more forgiving due to the fact we looked dead and buried in September. If they arent prepared to fight for contracts then goodbye.
 
Blackpool had work rate ( the bare minimum for a professional footballer) and a bit of quality to, but let's face in we made to pretty easy by not putting up much of a challenge. Blackpool were in good form so the players should've known before the game started they would need to compete to get anything out if the game, sadly our players didn't get that message. I doubt Blackpool have had a much easier game this season, they were superior all over the pitch, just by doing the basics.
 
We made it too easy for Blackpool by not putting up much of a challenge - that Captain pretty much sums up how we played at both Bury and Oldham. Challenge/fight will go some way to make up for lack of guile
 
As he said. We made it too easy for Blackpool by not putting up much of a challenge, we know what they are capable of, as is with your example of how we played against Blackburn.
 
Far to much - for some these big pay packets are coming to a end

So are you suggesting what little quality there is in the squad are to either accept lower wages or move on to be replaced with non league trialists/league 2 at best ?

If that's the case expect another season of struggle.

When did we last sign a player for money (not lucky finds like gazzanigga) with a view to invest in their development, add quality to the squad and sell on for a profit. Was it Simeon Jackson ?

Scally needs to convince people to buy season tickets for next season. Where is the hope ?
 
We made carthorses like Delfeounso look like they had end product. At the start of the game I has happy we were getting the ball down rather than hoofing upon arrival. When the first goal went in (after a few earlier instances of weak defensive midfield play) we dropped our heads and it was game over. As others are saying we let ourselves down in defence, but overall I’m happy with that part of the squad. The midfield combinations are all wrong though, and it’s this which is losing us games. 3/4 ok midfielders who could have a role to play, but not in this combination.

For all the changes we needed I was surprised with the substitutions. Surely Parker should’ve been subbed for List or preferrably Nash (neither particularly useful though).
 
I thought Parker was trying but, as with Eaves, lacked support. Yes, he gave the ball away several times, but nobody moved to show for a pass, resulting in him holding onto the ball or giving a pass that was not read and consequently being taken by a much more mobile opposition.
The midfield let down both the defence and the forwards, SL and the fans.
 
Just forced myself to watch the "video" can't say highlights. Look at the third goal. The lack of interest/effort to get to their player sums up the game to me. I think its Hessenthaler. He ran out of steam against Rotherham as well.
 
Hess is the big weak link in midfield for me -No goals passes back and sideways and doesn't tackle - I've been telling you all for weeks hes unfit
he jogs by the side of opposition players - we carry him and it usually leaves us a man short in midfield . Mark he runs out of steam most games and some games - there ain't any steam ?
just track him and watch what he does ?
 
Agree, an average league two player at best. Passes backwards and sideways all the time, anyone can do that. Nasseri looked a far more exciting and all round better midfielder from the two games I saw him play in, yet he's stuck on the bench. Can't understand SL sometimes, we've been carrying Hess for too long.
 
Parker hasn't lost any form; he's a striker ffs with absolutely no service

Strange how that reasoning does not let Wilkinson off the hook in some fans eyes.

Many could not understand why Eaves was left out for Wilko as he chases the hoofballs better. Well look at Saturday for your evidence.

Doesn't matter who is up front at the moment. They are always going to be isolated without quality passes and crosses.