Barrow v Oldham match thread

[spirit of 1990]

Genuinely interested who people want Dunn to be replaced with, and where the money will come from to pay out a year and a half wages for the management team?

can we afford to be relegated?

Throw it back at you Nige....where (to everyone asking for Dunn to go) is the money coming from? No one has yet answered that apart from the usual replies like the one above.
There have been numerous calls for DD to be sacked but still no solution as to where we will get the money from. No gate money, no match day money, dwindling sponsor money so where’s this magic pot of money coming from?

[pjdaly]

That has shocked me tonight, far and away the worst I've seen this season. I was not expecting that. There's a lot that could be levelled against the team across most of the 90 minutes tonight but the thing that alarmed me the most was the way the whole team seemed to switch off after we went 1-0 ahead. A proper team has the professionalism to build on a lead but we went to sleep and Oldham ran rings round us for the rest of that first half. That was about attitude rather than lack of ability. I couldn't name one player to credit in the last 30 minutes of the first half . . . . a complete lack of passion and urgency across the board as we allowed them to grow totally dominant and turn the match around before the half-time whistle.

[russell_anderson]

We played 3 at the back last season and had the best defensive record in the league, I think. The difference being we had a midfield with a couple of quick, non-stop runners in White and Hardcastle and a guy in Rooney who controlled the pace of the game and made sure we kept the ball. The back 3 was protected and the strikers were supplied. This season we have a midfield where we have 2 players in Jason Taylor and Mike Jones who seldom pass the ball anywhere but sideways or backwards and are slow ageing players plus a generally non-existant third midfielder since Hardcastle was injured. Jason Taylor has played well until tonight but he looked shattered almost from the start tonight.

so are you agreeing or what?

I'm saying that playing a back 4 won't necessarily make our defence tighter. As with playing 3 at the back it depends on what you have in midfield and I believe without Hardcastle we're very weak there and even with him we won't be strong. I don't believe whatever we play that you can play Jason Taylor and Mike Jones together. However, other than Hardcastle we have nobody good even to take either of their places. Sadly, I can't see any system where we won't have a problem. Even when we've played well I've been alarmed just easily teams can get through into 1 on 1 positions against our defenders.

[janwilder]

Josh Kay (the attacking midfielder - according to our manager) playing at right wing back in LG2 has played 9, scored 2 and assisted 3 goals, as well as winning a penalty that let to a goal.

Unless bookings equal inconsistency (admittedly, he’s too hotheaded and/or a little too keen/passionate) I’m pretty lost with your comments.

My opinion is based on watching all of his performances and judging them.

Two goals and three assists in nine games is a good record - as I said he offers a lot going forward. But he's had some poor games, Bolton being one of them.

I'm not getting at him. He should have started tonight.

EDIT: Also he's been playing left wing-back, not right wing-back. Do you watch the games or just look at stats? Might explain why you were lost by my comments.

Typo sir (regarding RWB). I’ve watched every game on ifollow.

Bolton was poor for Kay because Evo knew to isolate his threat by pinning Kioso higher up the pitch. Kioso was by far the best player on the pitch and Evo played a blinder by doing that. I think Kioso is on loan from a Championship club, so clearly has a lot of talent. Evo nullified the threat of Kay, and Kioso dominated him by staying high up. Kay clearly couldn’t commit and allow a player like that too much space, but in turn took away his own threat.

[russell_anderson]

That has shocked me tonight, far and away the worst I've seen this season. I was not expecting that. There's a lot that could be levelled against the team across most of the 90 minutes tonight but the thing that alarmed me the most was the way the whole team seemed to switch off after we went 1-0 ahead. A proper team has the professionalism to build on a lead but we went to sleep and Oldham ran rings round us for the rest of that first half. That was about attitude rather than lack of ability. I couldn't name one player to credit in the last 30 minutes of the first half . . . . a complete lack of passion and urgency across the board as we allowed them to grow totally dominant and turn the match around before the half-time whistle.

Agreed. Tonight was a shambles. Against both Cambridge and Forest Green the man who was protecting the defence and doing all the tackling was Jason Taylor. Tonight, he looked shattered as was likely with players of his age and without him continually harrassing players in the midfield we were lost.

[Barra Marra]

Agree with what you're saying. To look at it differently, as he's a big attacking threat is it time to move him into the midfield? Possibly in place of Biggins or even as an out and out wide midfielder/winger?

As for the calls for sacking Dunn. Where's the money coming from?
As I've said in other places. I think we have the ingredients. It's getting the mixture right. At the minute the back 3 (5?) Is leaking goals. I don't profess to know the answer but I'd say it might time to tweak the system a bit to try and stem the flow of goals.

He looked comfortable in possession tonight and was looking to get on the ball at every opportunity, especially when he moved into the middle tonight.

I liked him in a front 3 last season when we went 4-3-3. It removed the defensive responsibilities for him, where he struggles a little. Cracking out ball to have too. That’s said, we don’t seem to look to hit that ‘big switch’ ball across the field anymore into space. We seem somewhat lackadaisical in moving the ball. Kay needs it into space and we almost always seem to play it to him with a 5 yard sidewards pass with the opponents having 2 banks of 4 back (on the edge of the 18 yard box). Play is literally dead upon arrival

That would be my opinion too. Fantastic going forward, you hold your breath when he's defending in and around the box. In which case, you could make a case for playing him in a front 3 or an out and out winger, depending how we'd line up in front of a back 4. Wingers can still track back to help out the back 4 too. And having played at wing back, it should, theoretically be slightly less leg work.

[JammyBluebird]

Genuinely interested who people want Dunn to be replaced with, and where the money will come from to pay out a year and a half wages for the management team?

can we afford to be relegated?

Ok so you want to take a gamble financially. Who do you bet your money on so to speak in terms of a replacement?

[blue nige]

can we afford to be relegated?

Throw it back at you Nige....where (to everyone asking for Dunn to go) is the money coming from? No one has yet answered that apart from the usual replies like the one above.
There have been numerous calls for DD to be sacked but still no solution as to where we will get the money from. No gate money, no match day money, dwindling sponsor money so where’s this magic pot of money coming from?

I know what you're saying Ian but if we go down it will be a financial disaster you know lots of fans will desert us , the money you get from being in the Efl etc ,the board took a massive gamble with Dunn's appointment and they will ultimately make a decision because we cannot let this situation carry on !

[Jonty]

lost the game in the first half. We got the lead and then were second best to everything and those two goals were coming for half an hour. We only started to show any real purpose going forward when he brought on Kay and Angus. Pace and now taking the game to the opposition paid off and then we get back into it and immediately give away the pen. Frustrating!!!. The fourth goal is what happens sometimes when chasing the game.

[Il Metronomo]

Typo sir (regarding RWB). I’ve watched every game on ifollow.

Bolton was poor for Kay because Evo knew to isolate his threat by pinning Kioso higher up the pitch. Kioso was by far the best player on the pitch and Evo played a blinder by doing that. I think Kioso is on loan from a Championship club, so clearly has a lot of talent. Evo nullified the threat of Kay, and Kioso dominated him by staying high up. Kay clearly couldn’t commit and allow a player like that too much space, but in turn took away his own threat.

Can't argue with that.

Kioso is from Luton I think.

[russell_anderson]

My opinion is based on watching all of his performances and judging them.

Two goals and three assists in nine games is a good record - as I said he offers a lot going forward. But he's had some poor games, Bolton being one of them.

I'm not getting at him. He should have started tonight.

EDIT: Also he's been playing left wing-back, not right wing-back. Do you watch the games or just look at stats? Might explain why you were lost by my comments.

Typo sir (regarding RWB). I’ve watched every game on ifollow.

Bolton was poor for Kay because Evo knew to isolate his threat by pinning Kioso higher up the pitch. Kioso was by far the best player on the pitch and Evo played a blinder by doing that. I think Kioso is on loan from a Championship club, so clearly has a lot of talent. Evo nullified the threat of Kay, and Kioso dominated him by staying high up. Kay clearly couldn’t commit and allow a player like that too much space, but in turn took away his own threat.

Agreed. Kioso is on loan from Luton and he definitely gave Josh more than he could handle but if you read the Bolton forums I think Kioso is highly rated by almost every fan. However, Kay is still one of our better players and should be an automatic choice when fit. To be fair to David Dunn, I think he's been generally pretty much on the ball with team selections.

[janwilder]

Typo sir (regarding RWB). I’ve watched every game on ifollow.

Bolton was poor for Kay because Evo knew to isolate his threat by pinning Kioso higher up the pitch. Kioso was by far the best player on the pitch and Evo played a blinder by doing that. I think Kioso is on loan from a Championship club, so clearly has a lot of talent. Evo nullified the threat of Kay, and Kioso dominated him by staying high up. Kay clearly couldn’t commit and allow a player like that too much space, but in turn took away his own threat.

Agreed. Kioso is on loan from Luton and he definitely gave Josh more than he could handle but if you read the Bolton forums I think Kioso is highly rated by almost every fan.

Scored again tonight for Bolton. 3 wins from 3

[ossickbluebird]

It was a very poor performance tonight of that there is no doubt, but opposition managers don't say we are one of the best teams they've played for nothing! Oldham had some decent players and I'd be surprised if they aren't in the play-offs.
Too many players had a bad night, James very quiet, J. Taylor seemed to lack energy, Platt defended well but distribution was poor.
Players play in L2 because there quality can be very inconsistent and tonight too many players played poorly.

[blue nige]

can we afford to be relegated?

Ok so you want to take a gamble financially. Who do you bet your money on so to speak in terms of a replacement?

someone with a track record of managing a team at this level or someone who has a proven record with a small budget (I remember Dunn saying he couldn't get a centre forward with the budget he had ,wonder if he said this at his interview!)listen I don't want anyone to lose their job but we can't just can't go down this season!

[allenadale]

Qiggs ok falls alotinpen area llooks forpen so did j asonn walker he use to get them hopequigs not going to be a harrison