BWFC v Cheltenham Town

It’s a difficult one rftr because I think both FV and Evatt are in the learning process. Had FV been experienced with football managers, they may have seen through Evatt’s naievity and inexperience and not believed the guff he’s coming out with. Luckily for IE, they seem to have shifted all the blame so far onto Phoenix and binned him instead of both of them, giving Evatt an opportunity to prove that left to himself, he can produce a better team. In fairness, the signings of John and Lee look good ones but bringing two untested kids in and throwing them straight into action without even a training session seems incredibly stupid and unnecessary when you have experienced players like Gnahoua and Greenidge busting a gut, on the bench. I really want him to succeed, as I’m sure we all do but I’m beginning to agree with OM that he may be more of a Charlatan than a genuine leader. Time will tell but these next two signings he’s supposed to have lined up had better be good ones or the knives will really come out for him.

What was Tobias's biggest mistake? Not necessarily the job lot he signed. Try the manager - non other than Ian Evatt, at a price, too. Surely this was his darkest hour after all his talk about training - bringing in two players and putting them straight into the side for such an important fixture. I'm not too happy with the Lee signing either. He's doing anything but holding midfield. Jackson's CV claims he is a midfielder, so maybe he will eventually take up that challenge - at least, as Davidm, says he has two feet.

In 480 BC the Persian King, Xerxes 1, infamously ordered his men to give the sea 300 lashes  after a pontoon of bridges he was building into the Dardanelles as he prepared to invade Greece collapsed because of sea currents or storm.

In 2021AD Ian Evatt of BWFC ordered the abandonment of the proud dugout, witness to so many victories and patrolled by managers Todd, Allardyce, Lee, Megson, Coyle, Freedman, Phillips, Lennon, Parkinson, and Hill. So many memories. RIP, proud dugout and at last we understand where all those previous went wrong or were misguided in the trajectory of their divine right to harangue referees of fourth officials.


What utter XXXXXXXX

And so too much of Marc Iles report and IE's reaction. Yes, I thought that there was a hint of something more balanced and yes with Lee in place we have someone who can collect throw-ins and will run off the ball as does Thomasson. Such a shame then that all throw ins are programmed backwards. I thought the first half was tedious, one paced and as whites since 63 pointed out the final passes or crosses were just appalling. It was as if no-one was looking for or still less had any sense of where colleagues might be nor the ability or desire to find them, unless in avoidance of shooting

And where has gone that old favourite the shot. I'd exempt Thomasson and Tutte from this both have had recent shots. Maybe even Gnahouha has shown willing. Doyle looks to shoot from distance but isn't very good at it. Sarcevic who is is so obsessed with one twos and plays them so riskily that some of the time he'd be better shooting. Isgrove had one effort glanced away. But who else had a shot in earnest. Who looks to?

I'm afraid I can only see a relegation battle at the moment. Tranmere, Orient and Mansfield are on the horizon and  we didn't get much change out of any of these earlier, did we.

If we believed the hype we'd think we were a fit, passing team-- well that being the case why do we do better in a hurricane at Carlisle, on a beach in Exeter and so easily lose or draw our home games, once even conceding six goals.

We live in hope but nothing, absolutely nothing IE has done, still less that he has said have been remotely impressive, incisive or accurate nor has his match demeanour and continual criticism of referees and everyone else done other than detract from any positive assessment. Maybe he can improve and turn things round, some people do. But it didn't end well for Xerxes.

just looking at their goal from a corner ..at 1.10.

there's only really Sarce free. everyone else man marking.

this is the flaw with man-marking..you're vulnerable to block offs .
I think you want a mix of zonal & man marking. pick up their key targets
but also mark key areas.


ideally i'd want someone on that key area of our penalty spot..which
is exactly where Boyle ..their main aerial threat makes his header from.




Boyle gives Delaney a mini push to get free.

god knows what 's going on front post. is Santos holding or him being held. maybe their tactic was
to keep Santos away from that penalty spot. not sure what Doyle doing either ..tussling with his man rather than watching the ball.

Isgrove too looks like he was possibly fouled. again tactic seemed to be keep the pen spot area free.

Alfie May is doing the Kevin Nolan role of blocking the keeper...both physically and his sight lines..so although
it looks bad for Gilks, I do have some sympathy .

I don't claim to be an expert on set pieces...but i suppose it's no different to normal play ..if they have
a massive threat..a tricky winger...you might double up on him. so consider doubling up on Boyle.
if you crowd him out, he can't run to the ball...even with a little fella blocking him.

I fear we won’t be having the Darcy discussion much longer Andy because it’s obvious Evatt doesn’t rate him. I’d be surprised if he wasn’t sent out on loan at least before the end of the window, because he needs games and clearly isn’t going to get them here. In fairness, it might do him good and give him a chance to prove to Evatt why he should be considered. If he does well he might be able to come back for next year or be sold on for a decent fee if we don’t get promoted. I’m not in the Darcy is a world beater camp but just can’t accept that he wouldn’t be an improvement on some of the choices Evatt is making. As for being defensive too, I suppose in Evatt’s “total football” world, he needs every player to be prepared to help out when not in possession but as you say, the defenders themselves need to learn their job properly before putting the emphasis on creative players like Ronan and Arthur.

Like you Westy, I just don’t know what’s wrong with Ali. I was expecting so much more from him and at this level he should be tearing it up. I could accept one thing going awry but he seems to have lost everything, shooting, passing, free kicks and corners, all really poor. Frankly he’s just not worth a place at the moment so I’m not surprised he’s on the bench. We don’t really have anyone who can shoot from outside the box and our shots on target clearly illustrate that. I wonder if Evatt ever works on that aspect or just on pass8ng sideways and keeping the ball? We’re so poor in so many aspects that it doesn’t seem so. Every time a ball comes into our box, you expect our defenders and keeper to miss it and you never expect to win a header from a set piece in the opposition box. I’d love to see them training because if they are practising these areas, then they aren’t doing enough.