Tisdale’s Lost the Plot: Part 3, the players

This is not necessarily a go at the players merely the way in which they have been used. the formations and tactics have been eratic and have collapsed into a negative un-sptirited un-confident all out defend policy which really does not suit our players or our style even with the sorely lacking striking options due to injury we have a wealth of young promising attacking minded midfield players and its all about getting the best out of them now.

Goalkeepers

To be fair Tisdale has done this bit right. He committed to Artur who I still believe has masses of potential but after bad performances the Argyle game was the perfect opportunity for Pidge to stake his chance. This he has done and I have been really pleased to see he’s not afraid to speak his mind at the lackluster defending we have exhibted at times. he seems confident has kicked well and made some great saves. Pidge should continue in goal.

Defenders

Troy Archibald Henville – Troy has been good he’s played well. However, after being deployed as a defensive midfielder against Liverpool at the back of a diamond 442 was placed there for the Chesterfield and Argyle games. This does not suit him he is not a consistent passer even if he can be brilliant at times. The other big problem is that it pushes Noble forward. Troy should be one of the first names on the team sheet but as a centre back. Tisdale’s realised this but his answer has been to play with five at the back now that…….

Danny Coles – ………….Danny has broken into the team with some impressive performances competent on the ball, a massive presence in stength and in teh air, a quality defender but runs the risk of being exposed to pace as he really is quite slow. However a partnership of Coles and Troy seems the best bet at the moment as………

Richard Duffy– ………… Duffers has been having some dreadful form i think he has struggled with the change in partners week in week out. He is classy player but is now horribly off form, for which I blame Tisdale due to the aforementioned reason. Unfortunatly therefore I think he needs a bit of bench time.

Steve Tully – Legend standard solid Tully doing his job except for that brief stint at the start of the second half against County where Tisdale tinkered him to right wing. Tull’s is a legend but aint as quick as he was has a consitent but not great delivery and is thrity-three…..don’t teach an old do new tricks,especially when their one of the few things that’s working.

Scott Golborne – Scotty proved at the back end of last season what a good player he can be and why there was so much hype in his earlier carrier. He can’t cross so the old 5-3-2 we have returned to really does not suit him. He plays good football and is quite silky at times. He is a decent defender and when settled can be a major asset. However, in the last three weeks he has played at right back, left wing and central midfield and ultimately been unceremoniously dropped to the bench. In his place we have had to suffer……………..

Billy Jones – At this level he just is not good enough I really have tried to see the best in him and he can cross and doesn’t piss around with corners but that is as far as it goes. If its not a hoof down the line which invariably comes back at us its a short inside pass that is 50% successful at best. Defensively he’s barely adequate if i’m being forgiving too weak to cover for his lack of technical ability. Its best for everyone if we can find him a nice conference club to see out the season in my honest opinion.

Midfield

David Noble – Nobes has bags of quality there is no doubt about that but he really needs to be played very deep. Holding up the play is all very well and good in that deep central area and picking out spraying passes and playing very much an early Matt Gill role. Noble however needs wingers in this role too often he looks up to see Nardiello looking at his feet in the centre circle when he is supposed to be wide left or in the 4-4-2 to have the whole team to play much too narrow to give him the options outwide, especially when the right sided player is Dunne and the left is Golborne looking clueless. On top of this the Troy to midfield experiment Nobes was pushed up and really took the sting out of our own attacks he sometimes think he’s just a bit too clever with allo those drag backs and step overs. I also very much got the impression he was fed up and thought he was a bit above our current situation against Notts County. Worrying considering he is meant to be our captain but I am willing to see this as frustration and the failing system we are employing of 5-3- lets give up now 2.

James Dunne – I love James Dunne he’ll give you everything he fast string a better Bertie perhaps? However, he has been so diabolical with the ball so far this season and it just seems to be getting worse. I also wince everytime he slides in as more than once I thought we’d be seeing the wrong kind of red for the right reasons.  If we had an other option I would suggest resting him but he needs to play in the center and be given a free reign so as far as i can see its back to 4-3-3.

Liam Sercombe – probably his worst game against Brentford although Tisdale remarkably called him the best player on the pitch. He’s still a quality player and it’s a big shame to see him out for as long as he has been. We could do with some of his grit and determination right now.

Chris Shepherd – Sheps has been a birght spark and has gone some way to filling the Harley void. He is happy to run at people, links up brilliantly with Nichols, has a quality delivery and a knack for threading the killer ball. however he is tiny at least for a professional he is inexperienced. He needs to play through the middle but like Noble needs wide players as options (not Nardiello) and he needs protection and support which I believe Nobel and Dunne can provide in a 4-3-3.

Forwards

Bauza –  I believe the accepted phrase is ‘a different gravy’. Quality player but needs to stop being injured.

Logan – If he plays it needs to be out wide right he just has not found his place this season. Too many years of being used out wide right seems to have prevented him from really linking up as a strike partner. Against Notts County he was too far from Nichols and failed to read the game. It almost seems as if he is suffering from the losing the puppy fat maybe the extra weight made it easier to hold people off and stay grounded he certainly does not seem to be winning many headers at the moment.

Nichols – Absolute quality there is nothing better than seeing a local lad come through the youth system as a free scoring talented footballer and goal scorer. However after the impact of Chesterfield he has been forced to make do with scraps. i was really looking forward to seeing the like of McNish and Keohane work with him and Shepherd to give us a more free flowing attack but instead from the Argyle game Tisdale has treated him almost as if he’s a League One Kevin Davies and is expected to be a complete striker having just turned eighteen. if we are not careful we’ll end up shooting his confidence through. Perhaps this new loanee can offer the option out wide and McNish might be given his chance at last.

Nardiello – The worst performance I have ever seen in a city shirt does not even begin to cover just how much I detest this idiot at the moment. He has since he arrived suffered from a serious attitude problem. I accept the frustration of injuries and the struggle to regain form. I don’t accept the unadularted laziness sloppiness and downright selfishnesss which has continued to be exhibted by Nards climaxing in the straight red for foul and abusive langage against an offical who simply called it as he saw it. Nard’s goal was a goal at Charlton in that it was over the line but had he 1) kicked the ball properly or 2) channeled the frustration of having a legitimate goal ruled out into his own perforance to right a wrong this last paragraph may have read differently although my opinion was already pretty set. now there is no excuse and we should look to get rid as soon as despite his quality.