I think Barrat could do with a drop - hes been tosh for a few weeks/ months now - In Dec he averaged 7.1 but in Nov 6.5; Jan 6.3 and so far in Feb 6.5.
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What I’ve noticed these last few games in that he isn’t winning balls dropping in the middle of the park.He was winning absolutely loads of 50/50’s and balls just infront of their defence at times.I’m not knocking him btw it’s just an observation, he’s had a really good season so far until recently.
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Was driving back Saturday evening, busy all day yesterday, and it would probably be lost in all the noise anyway, so left it until today before posting this thought.
The weather wasn’t as bad as it was for a couple of the wins in our record-breaking win streak, but still not the best (horrible drizzle), and it added to the awful pitch which slowed things down a lot - both of which contributed to it being more of a hoofball battle than “the beautiful game”. Given that, and the benefit of hindsight, I was thinking that today was one where McEntee as a midfielder would have been a better call. In fact (before seeing that Williams was dropped to the bench because of a sore knee) I’d also have said Allen in midfield too as we needed strong battlers (who can also pass and shoot) rather than the usual creatives. So that would be Dave, Williams and Weir at the back, McEntee and Allen in the middle - and maybe Stirk should have been rested for Comley? And up front, Amantchi starting with Jamma might have been a good call.
Barrett and Gordon would have been my pre-game choice to start for their defensive qualities even if they didn’t produce going forward, but they were poor in both aspects so Asiimwe and Albert might have been better? If not as starters then should have come on for the last 20-30, along with maybe Jellis and Harrison and/or DJ as the fresh legs to turn the game after the battlers had worn down their defence a bit.
I’m not saying that was my starting pick before the game, just what I think may have worked better after the event. But given that we are going to get more of this type of away game over the next few weeks, maybe it’s a Plan B we could resort to if we think the weather/pitch/team of bruisers we’re playing against requires it?
At home against Gillingham tomorrow I wouldn’t go that way but we might need to give a couple a rest and start with a fresh lineup? Was a bit disappointed that a couple more of the new signings weren’t on the bench although, again with hindsight, probably not a game that would have suited them, but tomorrow ought to be better on our own pitch?
I think MS has to be bold and not sentimental about keeping players/units game after game. He needn’t go full Darryl Clarke with a scattergun approach to team selection every single game, but he has an embarrassment of riches to choose from now so he ought to use them. He definitely needs to learn to use Albert as a supporting creator not a forward.
Disappointed that we have let our previous high standards slip, but I don’t think we have suddenly become a bad team just because Lowe has gone. We were good enough to get ourselves into a position where we had that 12 point cushion, and I’m sure that we are good enough not to blow it completely despite a blip. The worst thing we can do now is let the fear factor come in and the fans’ qualms get through to the players and start affecting them.
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It’s looked to me like he’s been targeted by opposition managers - he’s now not getting any time on the ball before being closed by 2 if not 3 players. He’s not the only one - the other clubs are finally sussing what has been working for us and playing the spoiling game (have we been outfootballed in the last 4 games?). We need to rise above that and find new ways to win.
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Taylor Allen, that show’s a lot of good character to apologise. Let’s forget it now and move on. The last thing we need is negativity towards the players, that will get us nowhere.
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+1 He’s also having to do too much work because the midfield is collectively tired and misfunctioning, and the wing-backs are being closed out by more teams.
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Yep…it’s everyone else’s fault that Stirk is ineffective.
Incredible
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No, Stirk is effective…but he’s effective at what he does and what he’s there for, which is ball recovering and ball recycling.
Theres been a lack of attacking quality in midfield areas all season but the quality of Lowe masked it to a degree.
Also it’s so much harder for teams to negate attacking threats when there’s more than one…we’ve had threats from both sides…so without Lowe to be concerned with, and until another forward finds some form it’s easier to shut down the wing backs and the delivery from wide needs to be even better than it was previously.
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Good post. I think when all the midfield are playing well there is more than enough creativity in the team but when one is not playing so well we are under par but when two are out of form we get into trouble. Maybe MS should give Comley a game and one of the loanees simply to change it up and give a couple of players a rest. We are missing Earing and Hall a lot.
I think that’s why I was so vocal (and a little disappointed) we didn’t go out and get a real quality (peak 
) player in one of those 8 positions to push us on.
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Dan Azza levels of nonsense
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You entitled to you view on Stirk and you’ve made it pretty plain your not a fan .for me the mistake you make is making that judgment about his performances .regardless of the team performance.When we were dominating teams and the team performance was really good and CS as given some very good examples of why this was so. Stirk was excellent and stood out in many games .But you still insisted that his performances were poor and he was a poor player .Stirk at the moment is a player part of a team (as is every other player )who’s performance levels have dropped due to the factors SC outlined and others .he’s no worse than any of his teammates at present .we started this Season really well the Lowe factor being one of the reasons a lot of the teams now in the top 7 were slow to get of the mark don’t think we we’re ever that superior to those teams even though we opened a 12 point advantage.That gap was always going to close even probably if Lowe had stayed .Defence wise I’ve never been that confident we were good enough.Losing our captain Daniel’s through injury and loss of form and Priestley has also become a factor. having said all that after 18 games we were top of this league averaging 2 points a game .that is still the case as of today after 29 games ,59 points .
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We should have mate crying out for it the midfield can be a tad negative and non creative.Jellis doesn’t do it then no one does.
Really sorry Taylor had a stupid sending off especially as it was his 
appearance.
And?
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Rightly so! Does he like the Midlands better than Essex? I remember that he mullered Oisin that day, made McEntee look like a cart-horse - we could do with his pace!!
So that’s three clubs that have voted for their goals of the season against us, in the post-January matches!!
Gillingham, Accrington and now Colchester.
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All crackers though - one could say it took a worldie to score against us
Beautiful finishes but all enabled by rank bad defensive play.
As was our goal of the season. Jellis v Grimsby where he was found in space by a beautiful cross field ball by… a Grimsby player.
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