Tisdale’s Lost the Plot: Part 2, great expectations

After the perfomance, albeit, for ten minutes of the Chesterfield match we were looking forward to putting an anhilation of the scum (paintpot or not) into the record books, a little treat we could have enjoyed for many a year. Tisdale inexplicably bottled it. The performance of one Mr Nardiello  against Chesterfield had easily warranted a week off even with our limited options up front. Lenny Pidge was given his chance to impress as he should have been but that was about as far as it went.

Although we won on penalties thanks to some heroics from the man in goal the 1-1 scoreline was an embarassment not to mention the attendence. Tis continued with his Troy in midfield experiment allowing the impressive Danny Coles to play at center-back. Troy’s presence in front of the back four may have been an effective barrier against Liverpool but the flawed logic had been shown against Chesterfield. The injury crisis also Billy Jones return to the side at left back and Scott Golborne pushed forward. Now there are two problems with this Billy Jones has a relativley decent cross but never gets forward, has two moves the pass inside which often goes astray and the hoof down the line which not only does not suit our play but when it is possible to determine the player he was aiming for it usually tends to be Golborne, Nichols, Shepherd or Nardiello allof whom are just too small against most defenders except for Danny ‘Marcus Stewart’ Nardiello who is too busy sulking, arguing and being lazy to bother challenging. The other problem is that poor Scotty is a decent left-back in a back four but has been messed around and more importantly cannot cross if his third leg depended on it. I would rather if i have to deal with seeing the incompetant (and i’m being nice) displays of Billy Jones see him on the left wing he might actually cross the ball the one thing he can do then and would be better placed for corners.

Shepherd who had been are one genuine spark was dropped to the bench. While Nichols was left stranded up front with Rowan ‘the unfit and therefore slow’ Vine on the right wing offering nothing and Nardiello offering more shite to his pile manure that has made up his performances so far on the left wing. Troy in def mid meant Noble was pushed forward- now as much as I respect Nobles quality and skill he dwells on the ball and does tricks on the spot and generally slows the game down which is the very opposite of what we need from the attacking role. Dunne along side him plays with his heart on his sleeve everygame and is a firm favorite rightly so but he is having a shocker of a season so far at least in possession.

It simply did not work and while Vine was slow he has quality and hunger while Nardiello has an attitude and Tisdale putting Shepherd on would have been great if he wasn’t stuck out wide right where he does not have the chance to drive at defenders or play throughballs and is essentially neitralised was never the answer. Logan who had been the catalyst on Saturday if only because Shepherd got move to the right position was introduced for Nichols with no effect late on too.

The incredible thing is we have a young talented pacy left/central/attacking midfielder in Callum McNish on the bench. If there was ever a chance to give the young players the opportunity and to commit to a way of playing which had been proven to work against a better opposition this was it. Personally, I would have liked to have seen us attack Argyle with a bit more enthusiasim although the formation was right the selection was so very wrong.

Pidge

Tully   Coles/Duffy   Troy   Golborne

Noble

Dunne Shepherd

Logan/Keohane      Nichols                   McNish

From here on in its just got worse we have reverted to a 5-3-2 which against Notts County a team with all due respect we should be attacking at home we had 5 defenders, 1 box to box midfielder, 1 holding midfielder, 1 striker (Logan who was ineffective and sluggish), Nichols who, might now be eighteen but, needs support and service given his limited physical development  and Shepherd given a free role in behind the strikers (as he should be) but with the nearest midfielder either the wrong side of the half way line anytime he was anywhere near the ball or it was James Dunne running at the ball (let’s just say its not a good dribbling take after all) and with the best in will in the world his distribution at the moment is shocking and when it comes to playing clever one-twos he is not the man to have. Shepherd  with his diminutive stature and relative inexperience needs support and players around to help him link play especially against a side like Nott’s County who are, to a man, big.