FL2: Accrington Stanley vs Torquay Utd - 23rd November 2013

Didn't make any changes until we had thrown it away and only made one overall. Pfft

I admire your optimism hullgull and I really hope you're proved correct.

Scunthorpe PETEF invited me to join forum, this is a game I would make a come back for Dave Caldwell

Thanks for joining the forum Dave always good to here views and opinions from an ex player and a great one at that
and who perhaps understands the workings of the a club of our size from the inside looking out.

Nice report and photos from Felix, if we're not careful we will be visiting those type of grounds a lot next season! I note that Felix used a particular word in his report and it sums us up in one word - vulnerable. I heard most of the commentary yesterday. On one hand it sounded we were close to scoring more goals on several occasions and we can consider ourselves unlucky not to have scored more. BUT there were contless times when Accrington seemed destined to score only for us to do some last ditch saving, mainly from Rice or O'Connor. But you know that from all these clear-cut opportunities the opposition will eventually put one or two away and indeed that's what happened again yesterday. It is just so predictable and just like at Wycombe a few weeks ago, even when we do take the lead we end up losing. This season we always look like conceeding and invariably we do.

On paper our back four looks decent, so what is going wrong? Is there a lack of protection from central midfield and the flanks? Certainly Mansell cannot be accused of this. Have we now got too many luxury players who are good on the ball but do not do their defensive duties?

I agree with Felix, Ricey does stay on his line too much and is asking too much of his defence. Ricey has done very well this season but I still think it is time to put Poke back in. He is not the most commanding himself but is still more commanding than Rice. It is interesting that Felix singles out Tonge as being a weak link. The trouble is Tonge is our only dedicated senior right back at the club after Knill dismissed the services of Oastler and Leadbitter. Not good management in my book and it is difficult to see how our fortunes will turn. We are simply too vulnerable and however well we may play in patches we just don't seem capable of winning (or even drawing!).

If we had a centre-forward like this:



and a manager like this:



Scunthorpe would be quaking in their boots.