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Crawley Town 1 v 0 Cheltenham Town
SkyBet League Two
Friday, 16th April 2021 Kick-off 15:00
dalianwasexciting added 18:31 - Mar 8
Where to start. The most entertaining aspect of today was the songs about matalan aimed at the geezer in the Boro end! The team selection was wrong, not only in terms of who was picked but also the complete tactical failure that saw Chambers taken to the cleaners by Caroyan and the overlapping boro full back at will. The formation left Chambers exposed totally and I was half expecting him to get a red card as the game wore on. Gerken yet again showed just why some of us are asking questions and is now hesitant off his line as well as making errors. The defence is ok byt our skipper is not a right back. The midfield is full of journeymen and non achievers none of whom possess any creativity and today they created even less than is the norm. The deciosn to remove Noible was the right one, but why Hyam? Tabb was again totally ineffective and was left on the pitch far too long, Skuse plays so deep we have no idea how good he is, Paul Green looked so poor it just reinforced the views of Leeds fans pleased to be rid of him. Murphy ran about and had our one shot on target which drew a huge cheer from us visiting fans. Taylor did ok first half but should have scored when one on one with the keeper, but he was played wide and there seemed no attacking combinations. Nouble justified why he is being lambasted by some. Ebanks Blake does look powerful but needs games. At the end the management team failed to acknowledge the travelling fans with the likes of Tommy Smith. Berra. Chambers and Cresswell making the effort to come across. The worst bit is that there seems to be no plan B, so thanks Mick but its time for us and you to move on.
4



cbower added 20:50 - Mar 8
"We knew they liked to pump it long". These were the words of Boro striker Danny Graham after his two goals had sent Town home with the "nowt" that this performance merited. His words were, unfortunately, spot on the money. Town's only tactic today was to lump it in the general direction of the strikers as the hard working Boro front players never allowed the Town backline to settle. The pumped balls were, as a result, even more hopeful than usual and often failed to find a Town shirt. Time and again, Town players gave the ball away cheaply. This was the worst performance I have witnessed all season.

The Riverside holds just short of 35,000. Today, south of 14,000 witnessed the game. Without the drummer and the 1000 or so Boro fans singing in the stand where Town fans have been for the last few seasons, this really would have been "football in a library".

Mick's 433 looked attacking on paper but in reality, the midfield was outfought and outplayed simply couldn't hang on to the ball. Green doesn't have the engine for that formation as he afforded Chambers no protection at all. Time and again the skipper was left alone to be confronted by a rampaging Carayol and Friend with Green 10-15 yards behind the play. So much was this the case that Nouble found himself on several occasions tracking back in the right back position to help his captain out. Credit to Frank but let's be honest, he was playing up front and should not really be required to this kind of work on a frequent basis.

Boro started on the front foot but it was Taylor who created the first bit of excitement, wriggling free and firing in a low cross which perhaps should have been turned goalwards that came to nought. Boro pressed and most of their best work came down the left from the aforementioned Carayol and Friend. They used the width of the pitch well but did not make the most of the openings that this brought them. Efforts off target and a great saving tackle from Berra saw the game remain goalless. Gerken did well to push a further effort around the post. For Town, Murphy appeared to make no contact with a headed opportunity but it was Taylor who really ought to have opened the scoring midway through the half. Murphy's scuffed shot ricocheted kindly into Taylor's path. Clean in on goal, he elected to shoot first time with the outside of his right foot from 16 yards. The ball flew over the bar. He really should have hit the target and scored and he knew it too.

Shortly after, Carayol again cut inside Chambers and fired a shot from 25 yards at the Town goal. Gerken spilled the shot straight out, Graham pounced from 5 yards and Boro had ended their seven game goalless streak. Gerken has his defenders and detractors on here but for me, this was an error. A top keeper would have held it or at worst parried it to the angle and away from goal. To push it straight out is an error in my book.

Thereafter, Boro were better. Most of their play coming down the left saw a succession of corner as the game entered first half stoppage time. Ah, the irony of it all - a Leadbitter corner saw Graham get between Green and Berra and glance his second of the game into the Town goal for a 2-0 scoreline.

To Mick's credit, he recognised that 433 wasn't working and moved to 442 after the break. He has rightly pointed out that it could have been any of the front three but it was Nouble who was sacrificed. Green was pushed to right midfield but he is a square peg in a round hole in that position for me. Tabb move wide left and Hyam with Skuse in the middle. Nothing changed. Without being especially threatening, the home side were better. Town's first strike on goal came from Murphy on 66 minutes. It drew ironic cheers from the Town fans. It was so weak, my old man could have bent down and picked it up. Worryingly, Berra went down after a heavy challenge with Friend. After hobbling for a while, he seemed OK. Taylor was replaced by Ebanks-Blake for the final 20. He had worked hard and showed flashes but never really got free. He is not suited to high ball pumped in his direction after all! My guess is it will be back to the bench for him on Tuesday although I would like to see him given a run of four or five starts - that would be a fair crack of the whip for me. Creswell dragged a long range free kick wide, Green spooned a effort similarly off target and Williams came on for the ineffective Tabb. In the last five minutes, Town seemed to try to up the tempo. Cries from the travelling faithful of "Shoot, shoot" showed our desperation but saw several players fail to take responsibility and oblige when the opportunity seemed to be there. Smith headed awkwardly wide from a corner and just before the whistle, Berra force a sort of save with a header, clattering into the stanchion behind the goal as a consequence.

As I said earlier, this was a s bad as I have seen us this season. Mick's honesty in that we were "second best and deserved 'nowt" will be of scant consolation to the 500 or so Town fans who made the trip. Three points at Yeovil are now essential.

Comments on the players:
Gerken - there will be those who don't agree but that was a poor error. Neither he nor Loach are good enough if we are to be genuine challengers.
Chambers - exposed over and over. Eventually booked. I love Chambo but this was poor as I have seen him. His distribution was simply terrible.
Smith - Distinctly average today. Never comfortable and never allowed to settle
Berra - He was OK but I think he let Graham get infront of him for the second
Creswell - not on the top of his game. OK defensively but it's not happened going forward since Tunners left.
Green - either play him in the centre in a 442 or just don't bother - he doesn't have the engine for 433.
Skuse - pretty anonymous to be honest
Tabb - no denying the industry but to what end?
Taylor - flashes of skill and working the space for himself but then failed to capitalise. Really should of scored.
Murphy - oh dear Daryl. Nothing worked for him. He was dominated aerially, gave the ball away countless times and looked very lumbering and lethargic
Nouble - not great but he worked hard, especially trying to help Chambo out. One such occasion was classic Frank. Worked his nuts off, tracked back, won the ball, moved clear with a lovely little shimmy and then looked for a pass to a teammate. He put the ball straight into touch whilst under no pressure.
Hyam - booked six minutes after coming on. Tightened things up but that's all.
Ebanks-Blake - never had a sniff of goal. Tried to link up play but the gap between the front line and the midfield makes this a thankless task. At 2-0 down at half time, Mick should have brought him on earlier.
Williams - energy but in this game he had little chance of impact

Truly terrible today - let's hope a kick up the backside brings three points on Tuesday!

Thanks for reading.


6



gippeswyk added 00:35 - Mar 10
I agree with everything cbower says. I made the trip up to the game and was full of optimism with a squad full of promise. I was in the directors lounge with some boro friends and was putting bets on a town win, laughing at the fact that boro were favourites according to the bookies. But when I saw the team sheet, my confidence wained. Tab, Nouble and Murphy on, when we had the likes of Williams,Ebanks- Blake, Hyam and Hunt on the bench. We were poor from the off.All long balls. Not the style of play town are known for. Boro deserved the win. We had one weak shot on target. The subs were too little too late. Chambers was completely outclassed/outpaced. Not many positives. Berra the best of a bad bunch. Taylor the best of the forwards but Mick took him off. I spoke to Steve Gibson after the game and he thought Mick got it wrong. We made a poor side look good. Hasn't that been town all season? Beat Reading but come from behind to draw with lowly Barnsley. Its been a long time since it was pleasing on the eye to watch town play. Not worth the high home ticket prices.
1



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