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Would the heat lamps accelerate growth or would the cost be prohibitive?

Did we borrow some fairly recently?

If the science checks out, surely it's got to be worth a go given it's a good window of opportunity.

Huge credit must go to the management team for learning from previous poor outcomes - firstly by sticking with your first XI but also by showing much more willingness to ring the changes earlier on - rotating from the start and then running everyone into the ground for 90 really was the worst of both worlds and I have no idea why we did it.

The double change exactly midway through the second half was absolutely spot on, in terms of timing and personnel - and effectively ended their spell of pressure. George Wilson is having to learn fast at this level and was starting to look a touch ragged, whereas Newbs has played a lot of minutes compared to JD. Mitch Hancox made a positive contribution in the last 25.

I think Jake Cooper deserves a shout out too, for bouncing back so well after Gateshead - he looks assured taking the ball under pressure and saved the skin of Lewis Baines in the first half when he uncharacteristically lost the ball when committed quite high beyond the defensive line.

Regan Linney is so dogged and crucial to everything we do - I feared his deflected shot off the post might have been a bit of a sliding doors moment, and he definitely deserved a goal for his efforts.

The lads should all hopefully feel fresher for Dorking and let's hope we can get Justin back too.

What an Easter!!!

I do hope that Kiddy find a way to stay up - a 'proper' non-league club who I'd much rather have over the likes of Boreham Wood.

Quote from: Leon on March 27, 2024, 11:21:25 AM

Quote from: Alty Dave on March 27, 2024, 09:08:37 AM

For me the time for rotation has ended unless it needs to be for injury/fatigue. Play your best 11

              Ross

Banks  Cooper Baines Jones

     Osbourne   Wilson

Mooney     CCC   Newby

         Linney


Kosylo, Angus, Hancox, Roscoe, Donowa

Massive game, won't be easy but win needed.

I wonder if anyone on this forum has ever said 'I'm in favour of us rotating the squad for this game'? For a meaningful game, that is. Every manager in professional football pretty much believes in squad rotation but us fans don't seem to share that view.

If we weren't severely weakening the team by rotation, most on here would favour it. The brutal truth is that that's not the case.
Our next step should be to have a larger squad to be able to do this but at the moment we really should be playing our first choice till games are won and then subbing key players like we did last night.
Every game from now is vital and we can't afford to tinker.

That's it, it's not rocket science is it - get the game won like we did the other night, then withdraw key players.

One contradiction of the management team's approach is claiming rotation from the start is necessary due to fatigue, and yet they often make changes so bloody late in the game meaning everyone goes (almost) to the full 90.

I think we can probably get away with rotating the wingers a bit more than the spine, and at the moment Dan Mooney is chipping in with his own contribution - albeit he's still as wasteful as he was in his first spell!

Great win after a slow start, with some key players taken off and rested before the end of the game.

One more down, five to go.

...underwent ankle surgery yesterday.

Hopefully back for the start of the new season I guess.

Gutted but best wishes for his recovery - huge loss.

Quote from: TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe on March 24, 2024, 07:28:21 PM

Aside from the opening 30 minutes or so, I thought that Gateshead were the better team and ultimately deserved their victory.

We really struggled to get going in that second half and our defending was well below its customary standard this season. Two uncharacteristically poor headers by Jake Cooper which teed up their second and third goals.

Superb strike from Dan Mooney, but their debutant in goal largely had very little to do. The introduction of Linney for Kosylo came far too late, to my mind.

What troubles me is that Gateshead exhibited far more facets to their game overall. Yes, we are fully aware that they can play it out from the back and always have good technical players in midfield who can pass the ball around nicely, but they were also not afraid to be more direct (as demonstrated by their first goal).

We rarely take the opportunity to put a speculative cross into the opposition penalty area, after which we might profit from a defensive error. I can't help but feel that on too many occasions we overelaborate and appear to be on a mystical quest to score the 'perfect' goal.

Ironically, Alex Newby's goal did result from an enforced 'route one' punt from Ethan Ross, which their defender duly made a complete hash of.

I thought that the booing of Dinanga when he was being substituted was rather uncalled for. If he scores the winning goal for Gateshead in their forthcoming FA Trophy Semi-Final against Macc, I will consider crowdfunding for a statue of him to be erected on George Street.

The booing was embarrassing......do not recall him slagging us off after he left the club (unless someone can remind me)...... do not remember him being lazy or half arsed either.....think his crime might be that he is much improved at another club and may well be playing in a Trophy Final soon

I don't condone the booing at all - some might argue it's part of the pantomime, but given he got a fair bit of stick when he was here it doesn't sit well with me at all.

He didn't exactly force the move - most of us were pleased to get a fee for him - and I still maintain the move was best for all parties, it just wasn't going to work properly here for him.

Personally, on a human level, I'm pleased he's done well.

I don't think we should drop Jake Cooper after one poor performance unless he's struggling for fitness.

We decided to over-react after the Aldershot game - and look where that got us. It'll be a one-off, he struggled with the conditions.

Lewis Banks back to right back for me, Justin Donawa should be considered as a forward option off the bench. Hancox at left back if Eddy is still unavailable.

The main rotation we should be considering is obviously Regan Linney - and I'd also be keen to give Dan Mooney a go from the start too.