Dean has been talking to the star and says Defensive reinforcements are a possibility And Keates admitted he is prepared to dip into the transfer market to sort out his leaky defence.
I would say it was more a necessity…after watching the second half collapse.!! He also said we have got a full week on the training ground now. There will be bits that have to be worked on this week. We have to make better decisions. Christ it needed sorting weeks ago I am starting to get really worried know Dean !
You can buy all the defenders you like, unless you set the whole team up to defend properly and ensure they all stay switched on for 90+ minutes, you’re going to continue to let in goals. I think most fans are starting to see beyond the idea that it’s one or two individuals.
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How will one week of training make any difference when the last 40 haven’t Deano? We’ve the same back 5, plus the expensive addition of Wussell Martin. It’s either the personel, or the coaching staff, one or both, have to change.
Spot on SHROPS…we should defend as a team. Even 4-4-2 can work with the right players and the right coaching.
I genuinely think the players can’t hack his brand of football and/or his more old school style of management.
Look back to last season and the start of this. There was a plan, the team was squeezing when not in possession, very organised.
It’s shambolic now.
I don’t think you are too far away with that conclusion, the manager IS the root cause of the problem. His team, his players, his tactics or lack of them and his leadership.
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His default position has always been to blame the players, I don’t think that there are many people now that actually believe that. It doesn’t, however, exclude the players, he has had ample opportunity to replace the problem defenders, obviously he knew before the season started that the central defensive position was key hence his 3 unsuccessful bids for his former centre half from Wrexham, Sean Pearson, all of which were turned down. It appears that he ran out of ideas at that point. D…I…….M - DIM.
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How far is Purkiss off full fitness? I’m only half-joking.
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His statement after the game sums him up for me. Dithering and DIM.
At the beginning of the season we were well organised playing 442. It was noted that the 2 banks of 4 made it difficult for teams to break us down and they were restricted to long range shots.
What’s changed?
Russell Martin + Kinsella + change of formation + loss of form + wingers not doing their job
Now you can drive a bus through and even around our defence.
Are the wingers failing to do their job? Have teams worked out how to beat the system?
Are we too attack minded?
For me it’s back to basics.
You need players who will put a shift in.
Without us sigjing new defenders
I’d play Edwards and Osbourne in the centre midfield, Jarvis on the left and either Kinsella or Morris on the right.
Back 4 of Devlin Leahy Fitz Guthrie (the best of what we have)
Cook and Ismail up front.
What we have is two forwards and two wingers who pay lip service to their defensive duties and who, in at least two cases, make poor decisions in possession high up the pitch. You then have two young lads in centre midfield who certainly aren’t good enough to form that partnership as yet.
Even the most miserly defence would struggle with that in front of them. Unfortunately, we don’t have the most miserly defence, we have bang average lower league one players at best.
Behind them we have a young keeper who isn’t yet at a stage where he can be a commanding organiser of the defending in the way that a walker or ince was.
As for Martin, if he has had an effect, I suspect it’s only to demotivate those who have been displaced from the team by the need to fit him in and I also don’t like the way he moans at other players and looks disgusted with them after a goal for which he is also culpable. There was a perfect example after the own goal yesterday.
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I thought the same watching that back. He doesn’t point out the positional errors to the players around him, just waves and moans towards the half way line, utterly pointless and not exactly coaching our defensive unit. That cross came in under absolutely no pressure and neither of the centre backs attack the resulting ball in #powderpuff
Our defence couldn’t jockey a clothes horse.
From the start of the season, when we looked pretty good, we should in theory have a stronger squad! Edwards is fit, Chambo must be nearly fit (last update said he should be back in full training mid-December), Kinsella has forced his way in, Cook has improved and is now a 100% reliable league one goal scorer, and we’ve replaced Ginnelly with Jarvis (I won’t mention Martin).
Add to that, we’ve had hardly any weeks where we’ve had real injury/suspension problems. To contrive a relegation scrap following the longest third tier unbeaten start to a season in the club’s history is rank bad management I’m afraid. Too much tinkering, too much talking us down, low expectations etc etc. We’ve “managed” to get ourselves in a situation where getting 52 points really is the focal point of the season, possibly by saying it often enough.
I would be amazed if Keates signs a centre-half, because that would be an admission that the two (sorry three!) he’s signed, and in particular Martin, havn’t worked, likewise a new keeper. Personally, I would put Edwards at right-back, get Chambo back in, organising, managing winning positions, and doing the simple things. Stick with Cook and Ferrier, and let Jarvis have a free role ahead of a midfield whose primary role is defensive. Scunthorpe at home next week, followed by Gillingham, Plymouth, Wimbledon and Rochdale!!! Ten points an absolute must from that lot.
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Stolen off WFHYS. Video of Martin when a ball comes into the box 
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