Salford City v Barrow, match thread

[blue nige]

Talk is cheap PW and you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig!

It's not simply a case of one bad game. The current collapse started 6 weeks ago since Jan. 06, with only 1 win since then.

We have the worst last 7 games Performance (5 points from a possible 21) except for 2 of the bottom 3 teams.

Facts don't lie and no post-interview sweet talk or pitch blaming can make up for the on-field disgraceful performances and results.

Something is not right, something has gone wrong with the defence and allowing 5 goals today, the season's worst proves that, as we have an excellent goalie.

I didn't see today's game, but would suggest going 4-4-2 and playing 2 proper full-backs who can tackle and defend instead of asking 2 attacking wing-backs to do that.

If we continue with a seemingly flawed formation and poor team selection, we will undoubtedly drop out of the play-off zone.

But with a 6 point cushion and 5 of the next 7 games at home, IF we play our best players (ie: Whitfield who only came on at 80 mins!) and stop rotating so many players every week, we've every chance to make the play-offs.

Get all this into perspective, team's with a lot more money, support and sponsorship are also struggling, we have a squad of about 14 really good player's, we couldn't afford to strengthen, we have player's who probably know they won't be here next season, as much as I want promotion I won't be too upset if we just fail. We don't want to do a Carlisle. We'd need much better player's and no disrespect to Pete Wild he's never managed at that level and if it all went wrong it could finish his enthusiasm etc , we're giving it our best , I thought what's happening now could happen, I told the legend Mr Daly such, let's try to keep cool head's over these results!

[Kieran]

Bizarre. Been pretty solid at the back for months, but crying out for a striker, now we seem to have to the answer to one, plug one hole and the other starts leaking

That's always the way. Plug one hole and a leak appears elsewhere.

It just isn't though is it?

[bhbb]

Send him back to behind the bar or whatever he was doing before this.

Whom do you suggest for the next manager? Paul Simpson may become available soon.

Get Luke Williams in when he gets the boot from Swansea on Monday

[Gaffer]

Farman was outstanding today. Mazeed also put a real shift in and Stockton scored goals again. However, we give teams the whole park to play on and especially wide. For some reason the wing backs tuck inside leaving themselves a 1 on 1 most times with them backtracking. They don't stop the delivery and that leads to goals especially with the likes of Smith hanging about. They are obviously following instructions but it's causing havoc and leading to us conceding.

Their equaliser was very contentious today. He took a quick throw after a scuffle with Spence. Ref then blew whistle. Our players stopped for a sec and their guy smashed it home. Also handball for their first goal.
But the biggest turning point was Gotts not shooting with the goal at his mercy. They then go up and get the equaliser. It wasn't great. They played pretty well and looked like a ream trying to make an impression for their manager. Annoyingly, 5-2 down we started to play.
Bizarre Barrow at the moment.
We look a bit lost. Pete Wild has got us having nosebleeds in the upper echelons of the league. Now his jobs to keep us up there.

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

Get all this into perspective, team's with a lot more money, support and sponsorship are also struggling, we have a squad of about 14 really good player's, we couldn't afford to strengthen, we have player's who probably know they won't be here next season, as much as I want promotion I won't be too upset if we just fail. We don't want to do a Carlisle. We'd need much better player's and no disrespect to Pete Wild he's never managed at that level and if it all went wrong it could finish his enthusiasm etc , we're giving it our best , I thought what's happening now could happen, I told the legend Mr Daly such, let's try to keep cool head's over these results!

I couldn't agree more. We are on a journey. The club is growing slowly but surely. Pete Wild is only nearly 2 seasons into a five year contract. Promotion would be great but it's not the be all and end all this season IMO. Finish higher than ninth and get more than 63 points increase our average attendance then thats progress .

[SayitagainSam]

A White and Gotts midfield was wrong on Tuesday and it was wrong again today, why would anyone of sane mind think otherwise? We are where we are this season because of Wild, but that doesn't make him immune from questions being asked and you do have to question his decision making recently. Is he feeling the pressure? Possibly, as he's demonstrated on a number of occasions so far that he doesn't do well when things start to go wrong.

Maybe I'm wrong because I don't know the man personally, but I get the impression respectively, that he's bloody-minded and a little stubborn. eg. playing White and Gotts again when the combination clearly failed Tuesday.

He seems to like to do things 'his-way', that's his prerogative as the Manager and for the most part of the Season he's been right.

But no one is perfect and sometimes you have to admit that your decision making was wrong and that the opinions of others, ie: the fans, are better.

I'd hazard a guess that many if not most of the contributors on this forum are former experienced soccer players who know the game pretty well.

[ossickbluebird]

Why Gotts didn't have the appetite to bury that chance is beyond me, any midfielder worth his salt would have been licking his lips, lack of confidence

[DDevine]

A team can only play with freedom if you let them.
It didn't require 5 changes we just had to put a midfield out then cut out the daft mistakes at the back.
Terrible starting line up for the 2nd game in a row.
Can't believe we pass back to the goalie every time we kick off....
Keep the bloody ball....its so frustrating

Bang on this, making 5 changes smacked of desperation. Bring Campbell and Spence back in and trust the players who got us here (plus Stockton). A White and Gotts midfield was wrong on Tuesday and it was wrong again today, why would anyone of sane mind think otherwise? We are where we are this season because of Wild, but that doesn't make him immune from questions being asked and you do have to question his decision making recently. Is he feeling the pressure? Possibly, as he's demonstrated on a number of occasions so far that he doesn't do well when things start to go wrong.

Agree with this.
No one (or the majority of us at least) is gunning for the team or the manager but he can be questioned!
Just as the lads themselves can be & have been.
But I feel like from Wimbledon onwards, his heads blown!
His decisions are more than questionable & I’ve no idea who’s agreeing with his ‘positive’ post match interview because let’s not kid ourselves, we scored 3 because they were terrible defensively. We could have equally conceded more than the 5.
Problem being, what’s next. If he reverts back to those ‘who got us to this point’ does he have to admit he’s made mistakes in the last 3 games selections/formations…

[blue nige]

Farman was outstanding today. Mazeed also put a real shift in and Stockton scored goals again. However, we give teams the whole park to play on and especially wide. For some reason the wing backs tuck inside leaving themselves a 1 on 1 most times with them backtracking. They don't stop the delivery and that leads to goals especially with the likes of Smith hanging about. They are obviously following instructions but it's causing havoc and leading to us conceding.

Their equaliser was very contentious today. He took a quick throw after a scuffle with Spence. Ref then blew whistle. Our players stopped for a sec and their guy smashed it home. Also handball for their first goal.
But the biggest turning point was Gotts not shooting with the goal at his mercy. They then go up and get the equaliser. It wasn't great. They played pretty well and looked like a ream trying to make an impression for their manager. Annoyingly, 5-2 down we started to play.
Bizarre Barrow at the moment.
We look a bit lost. Pete Wild has got us having nosebleeds in the upper echelons of the league. Now his jobs to keep us up there.

That's why I complain about wingbacks, our back 3 are too slow so they more or less have to take turns going forward, if we stick with this formation next season, if we don't address this , we'll end up in the same situation , to make it work YOU have to push forward but with White there it doesn't happen he sits far too deep ( might be told to do this ) ,so consequently everyone sits back , Canavan whilsthe is a solid reliable defender, has to push the player's forward, on Tuesday night at times you could hear a pin drop, hardly any talking etc ! The squad needs strong leadership on and off the pitch !

[Jonty]

Just seen the goals- 2 conceded today from almost identical throw in positions and one from a wide free kick delivery. All conceded with multiple Barrow shirts in the box. That’s not formation- we have got to be stronger in the tackle or the challenge to win the ball in these situations, although the first one from a throw in looked like we had a player off the pitch.

[Bombadel]

Send him back to behind the bar or whatever he was doing before this.

You mean getting Halifax to have the best home record in the National League with 17 wins and just three defeats? Like a previous post said, cool heads are needed, you’d think we’d just lost a cup or something.

[Hadrian]

Some people see to think the saucer has gone missing, too.

[Bingo]

Talk is cheap PW and you can put lipstick on a pig, but it's still a pig!

It's not simply a case of one bad game. The current collapse started 6 weeks ago since Jan. 06, with only 1 win since then.

We have the worst last 7 games Performance (5 points from a possible 21) except for 2 of the bottom 3 teams.

Facts don't lie and no post-interview sweet talk or pitch blaming can make up for the on-field disgraceful performances and results.

Something is not right, something has gone wrong with the defence and allowing 5 goals today, the season's worst proves that, as we have an excellent goalie.

I didn't see today's game, but would suggest going 4-4-2 and playing 2 proper full-backs who can tackle and defend instead of asking 2 attacking wing-backs to do that.

If we continue with a seemingly flawed formation and poor team selection, we will undoubtedly drop out of the play-off zone.

But with a 6 point cushion and 5 of the next 7 games at home, IF we play our best players (ie: Whitfield who only came on at 80 mins!) and stop rotating so many players every week, we've every chance to make the play-offs.

Get all this into perspective, team's with a lot more money, support and sponsorship are also struggling, we have a squad of about 14 really good player's, we couldn't afford to strengthen, we have player's who probably know they won't be here next season, as much as I want promotion I won't be too upset if we just fail. We don't want to do a Carlisle. We'd need much better player's and no disrespect to Pete Wild he's never managed at that level and if it all went wrong it could finish his enthusiasm etc , we're giving it our best , I thought what's happening now could happen, I told the legend Mr Daly such, let's try to keep cool head's over these results!

But we have a top 7 budget according to the chairman.

[spirit of 1990]

That was as bad as I’ve seen this season, as if Tuesday wasn’t poor enough!
Too much messing about with our better performers, how Gottsy & White are being picked to start games is baffling to say the least. Then to their third (or was it fourth) goal…another stroll past two or three players without a tackle going in.
Gottsy….2-1 and a clear sight on goal and he didn’t shoot! Not many midfielders (apart from White) would’ve turned that opportunity down, one minute later it’s 2-2 and all downhill from there.

We are where we are and it’s a great position to be in but that doesn’t mean PW shouldn’t accept a bit of responsibility for this slump over the last six weeks.

[olbarrafancumbak]

Send him back to behind the bar or whatever he was doing before this.

Pathetic!

Seriously, we have waited years and years for this where we are now and you say shit like this? Ah man, give yourself a wobble and just have a think!

I'm loving where we have come, I'm loving the progress and unless we bloodywell stick together at this critical time, you may as well dream of where we were... Yes, don't forget only a few short years ago we were scrapping for 1000 crouds, no roof, shit football and no hope... Look where we are now ya daft cabbage..

Give yourself a pinch, yes it's not great loosing (as we all know) but ffs, we are STILL there and In the mix, we can still this but not with negativity like that.. c'mon dude, wake up!