Matt Harrold

[Bergen]

Why was he taken off today?

If we had another target man to replace him; fine. But he ran off when he was substituted and didn`t look that tired to me. Also very stange that we kept playing long balls to our strikers after he was taken off.

I agree that this wasn`t his best game over the last couple of weeks, but it was a wrong decision to replace him with Dennis.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

It was the right decision.

[Joe_Mayo]

Why was he taken off today?

If we had another target man to replace him; fine. But he ran off when he was substituted and didn`t look that tired to me. Also very stange that we kept playing long balls to our strikers after he was taken off.

I agree that this wasn`t his best game over the last couple of weeks, but it was a wrong decision to replace him with Dennis.

We didn't play to Harrold's strengths today.
We had absolutely no one running off him even though he won most of his aerial battles. When he went off we still lumped the high forward but with no one to win the aerial battle.
We played decent football first half but because we don't shoot we don't score. 2nd half was poor. Again we we don't shoot
and have barely any goal threat. We almost gave the game away as Carlisle grew in confidence as the game progressed and they put in more effort to get a winner.
.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

They doubled up on him and he barely won a header or got the ball to stick at all second half.

[gshaw]

After playing Sat, Tue, Sat without a break would imagine it was taking a toll on him physically. Only so much you can expect from a 35 year old.

[RicketyCricket]

Yeah can understand taking him off due to fitness, problem is we had no options on the bench.

[gshaw]

Yeah can understand taking him off due to fitness, problem is we had no options on the bench.

That's what happens when you play with a squad of 3 + Alabi. Not enough depth to cover the inevitable injuries and suspensions. Spend big in January and give Fletcher the backing to do his job effectively.

[Bergen]

problem is we had no options on the bench.

My point.

[Howling Mad Murdock]

Yeah can understand taking him off due to fitness, problem is we had no options on the bench.

That's what happens when you play with a squad of 3 + Alabi. Not enough depth to cover the inevitable injuries and suspensions. Spend big in January and give Fletcher the backing to do his job effectively.

That wont happen.

[Ronnie Hotdogs]

problem is we had no options on the bench.

My point.

You said we shouldn’t have taken him off. That’s an entirely different point.

[gshaw]

Yeah can understand taking him off due to fitness, problem is we had no options on the bench.

That's what happens when you play with a squad of 3 + Alabi. Not enough depth to cover the inevitable injuries and suspensions. Spend big in January and give Fletcher the backing to do his job effectively.

That wont happen.

The questions have to be asked of the board where all the funds are going. Bonne and Koroma transfers, increased TV money, increased sponsorship, probable sale of Sweeney if loan to Fulham goes through etc.

[Howling Mad Murdock]

That's what happens when you play with a squad of 3 + Alabi. Not enough depth to cover the inevitable injuries and suspensions. Spend big in January and give Fletcher the backing to do his job effectively.

That wont happen.

The questions have to be asked of the board where all the funds are going. Bonne and Koroma transfers, increased TV money, increased sponsorship, probable sale of Sweeney if loan to Fulham goes through etc.

Overheads?

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

That's what happens when you play with a squad of 3 + Alabi. Not enough depth to cover the inevitable injuries and suspensions. Spend big in January and give Fletcher the backing to do his job effectively.

That wont happen.

The questions have to be asked of the board where all the funds are going. Bonne and Koroma transfers, increased TV money, increased sponsorship, probable sale of Sweeney if loan to Fulham goes through etc.

Explaining the same thing to you is tedious. The board said there were funds available for the team/squad. But for whatever reason we chose not to use them. Maybe as they wanted to wait for the permanent head coach to arrive and bring in the sort of players that he wants.

[gshaw]

That wont happen.

The questions have to be asked of the board where all the funds are going. Bonne and Koroma transfers, increased TV money, increased sponsorship, probable sale of Sweeney if loan to Fulham goes through etc.

Explaining the same thing to you is tedious. The board said there were funds available for the team/squad. But for whatever reason we chose not to use them. Maybe as they wanted to wait for the permanent head coach to arrive and bring in the sort of players that he wants.

If you believe a manager would honestly choose to not sign players I make you very naive.

We'll see how much backing they give Fletcher in January. He's very tactfully avoiding saying outright about certain areas of the squad but you can tell he's not happy with certain parts of it already.

[Smendrick Feaselberg]

The questions have to be asked of the board where all the funds are going. Bonne and Koroma transfers, increased TV money, increased sponsorship, probable sale of Sweeney if loan to Fulham goes through etc.

Explaining the same thing to you is tedious. The board said there were funds available for the team/squad. But for whatever reason we chose not to use them. Maybe as they wanted to wait for the permanent head coach to arrive and bring in the sort of players that he wants.

If you believe a manager would honestly choose to not sign players I make you very naive.

We'll see how much backing they give Fletcher in January. He's very tactfully avoiding saying outright about certain areas of the squad but you can tell he's not happy with certain parts of it already.

I'm not naive. I just listen to the evidence and decide from that.

At the start I, like you, thought we should bring some more players in. But it looks more like they wanted to see how the current squad does and then go from there once there was a larger sample size of performances to evaluate them on. They'd then gauge each player's usefulness ongoing and look to bring some players in while phasing kthers out. I mean, think about it. If we extended Harrold and said we'd keep Alabi (neither of which I agreed with) then we're hardly going to do that and stash them away and not use them at all.

[tuffers#1]

He got so wet today, the ginger nearly got washed away .
Not seen a fella look so dishevelled by weather in a long while

[gshaw]

I think if there were any lingering doubt about where the strengthening needs to happen Fletcher must have a pretty good idea already. With quite a few contracts up over summer January is going to be key to getting new players in so they can settle ready for a better crack at the league next season.

Until then though I think we're going to find the winter fixture schedule tough going.

[Red_Army]

Not bringing Alabi on said a lot for me. He didn't have any other options really and was unlucky that Angol and Wilkinson were both unavailable.

[Thor]

I think if there were any lingering doubt about where the strengthening needs to happen Fletcher must have a pretty good idea already. With quite a few contracts up over summer January is going to be key to getting new players in so they can settle ready for a better crack at the league next season.

Until then though I think we're going to find the winter fixture schedule tough going.

I do wonder what instructions were given at half time. Then the changes he made unbalanced us and gave further advantage to the opposition. Fletch gets a 5 for today's effort I'm afraid.

[EliotNes]

When we play at home why only one out and out forward is my continual thought

[redintheface]

Not bringing Alabi on said a lot for me. He didn't have any other options really and was unlucky that Angol and Wilkinson were both unavailable.

Perhaps indicative of Fletcher’s shrewd footballing brain?

[gshaw]

When we play at home why only one out and out forward is my continual thought

The only other fit one is Alabi, that has something to do with it. If only we had a strong enough midfield pairing to be able to play 4-4-2...

[Thor]

When we play at home why only one out and out forward is my continual thought

Cos the wide men are supposed to support and attack at speed working off him.

[North Stand Dave]

Early days boys, early days.
To early to start making assumptions of what Fletcher is thinking?
Leyton wasn't built in a day.

[RedDwarf 1881]

That wont happen.

The questions have to be asked of the board where all the funds are going. Bonne and Koroma transfers, increased TV money, increased sponsorship, probable sale of Sweeney if loan to Fulham goes through etc.

Explaining the same thing to you is tedious. The board said there were funds available for the team/squad. But for whatever reason we chose not to use them. Maybe as they wanted to wait for the permanent head coach to arrive and bring in the sort of players that he wants.

I'm hoping Carl's first signing is a Vincelot/Dawson type midfielder either permanently or on loan.