Darlo Uncovered

Just watched a team that were well organised, playing a system that they clearly knew, closing down the opposition, being physically strong and played as though they wanted to win. Oh how I wish it was us..... seriously, those on here that thing TW is doing a decent job is just wrong, end of, he hasn’t a clue.
Why change the 532 which the players have just got used to, to simply to play 2 players in Ainge and Henshall who are just not good enough.
Even worse, at 0-1 down carry on playing with one striker.
Clearly 433 was not working so try something different for God’s sake.

I rest my case about his tactical awareness and game management. People say “ who would we get instead” . I really don’t care, just get a “ people manager” who can motivate the players and an “organiser” to coach a tried and tested system into the players.

It’s just so frustrating seeing our club that we all love going down the pan!

Woeful.

Fitness levels anyone ?

Lack of penatration in the box

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Not enough getting in the box


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Quakerlad wrote:Just watched a team that were well organised, playing a system that they clearly knew, closing down the opposition, being physically strong and played as though they wanted to win. Oh how I wish it was us..... seriously, those on here that thing TW is doing a decent job is just wrong, end of, he hasn’t a clue.
Why change the 532 which the players have just got used to, to simply to play 2 players in Ainge and Henshall who are just not good enough.
Even worse, at 0-1 down carry on playing with one striker.
Clearly 433 was not working so try something different for God’s sake.

I rest my case about his tactical awareness and game management. People say “ who would we get instead” . I really don’t care, just get a “ people manager” who can motivate the players and an “organiser” to coach a tried and tested system into the players.

It’s just so frustrating seeing our club that we all love going down the pan!

Spot on. Seemed in first half that we only had 9 men, Ainge incapable of winning any header or holding the ball or creating chances. Henshall not able to find anyone in a Darlo shirt or make a tackle to win any 50/50 ball.
When the MOTM had scored a cracking OG, it just showed what little effect everyone else in the starting XI had.
Some slight signs of improvement in attack when Saunders came on for Ainge & Kneeshaw for Henshall, but TW left it too late for them to make much of a difference.
Brackley deserved to take all the points and were one of the best teams we have seen at BM this season. Reckon they will be in the playoffs at least, if not automatically promoted.

jjljks wrote:

Quakerlad wrote:Just watched a team that were well organised, playing a system that they clearly knew, closing down the opposition, being physically strong and played as though they wanted to win. Oh how I wish it was us..... seriously, those on here that thing TW is doing a decent job is just wrong, end of, he hasn’t a clue.
Why change the 532 which the players have just got used to, to simply to play 2 players in Ainge and Henshall who are just not good enough.
Even worse, at 0-1 down carry on playing with one striker.
Clearly 433 was not working so try something different for God’s sake.

I rest my case about his tactical awareness and game management. People say “ who would we get instead” . I really don’t care, just get a “ people manager” who can motivate the players and an “organiser” to coach a tried and tested system into the players.

It’s just so frustrating seeing our club that we all love going down the pan!

Spot on. Seemed in first half that we only had 9 men, Ainge incapable of winning any header or holding the ball or creating chances. Henshall not able to find anyone in a Darlo shirt or make a tackle to win any 50/50 ball.
When the MOTM had scored a cracking OG, it just showed what little effect everyone else in the starting XI had.
Some slight signs of improvement in attack when Saunders came on for Ainge & Kneeshaw for Henshall, but TW left it too late for them to make much of a difference.
Brackley deserved to take all the points and were one of the best teams we have seen at BM this season. Reckon they will be in the playoffs at least, if not automatically promoted.

Henshall is presumably scared to enter 50-50s because of the injury he suffered in the last year or two. He'll have to at some point if he wants to make it as a half decent footballer.

Honestly didn’t think we were that bad tonight. The moans started from minute one at Ainge though but he got absolutely no service for the time he was on the pitch. We were playing a good side so we would always need to defend at some point.

We moved the ball around well when we did it at pace but unfortunately the final ball was sadly lacking and that went for Nicholson, Thompson, Henshall, Wheatley, Elliot and Trotman (O’Hanlon never really troubled the attacking third).

Build up wise we moved the ball quite smartly. Pressing wise I thought we actually did quite well the subs people were clamouring for weren’t really the right ones either as we still didn’t really have a proper outlet.

By the way man of the match was the right choice tonight. Thought Will Smith was quite immense he was unlucky with the OG and the second one we just seemed to fall asleep. They are the small margins though.

Brackley missed at least 3 gilt edged chances. On another night we could have been 3 down at half time and 6 at full time. We never broke a sweat.

I only really remember the two which hit the bar. Thing is I expected Brackley to be a better side than us but Nicholson, Elliot, Wheatley and Thompson I thought worked hard - more so in the first half to close then down in their defensive third.

As I said as well final ball was really lacking on our part I think I counted at least five times in first half where we had good build up and then tried the really difficult cute pass in a crowded area or bad execution of the final ball.

We also seemed to have an unbelievable knack of finding yellow shirts from crosses. I don’t think we hit a white shirt all night.

They were the best side I have seen this season, shape,strength,strong at the back,broke with pace,lots of width and their midfield were excellent.The service from our midfield was non existent, passed the ball around ok but felt sorry for Ainge who was isolated up front on his own and was not given a decent ball all night.O'Hanlon gave their winger acres of space all night,Henshall made zero impact and surely that's his last chance,and why Tommy does not give Kokolo a game only he knows,a complete waste of a loan signing.Also what did Palmer do wrong on Saturday to warrant being dropped for Wheatley...I just don't get it.Not sure also why Tommy scrapped the 3 at the back after all this time as it seemed to be working at long last...surely Ainge should have been put there and Harvey and Kneeshaw up front...certainly worth a try.Atmosphere flat last night and quite frankly cannot wait for this season to end.

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And thus my main problem with Tommy once again rears its ugly head. We start getting success with 3-5-2. Galbraith is injured Ainge slots in well against Southport. Next game we abandon the formation that has seen us keep clean sheets in 3 of our last 5 games when we would have been perfectly able to keep playing it. He didn't get great results when we had a good budget. He's seen an upturn in form in January, but still hasn't got great results.

Henshall has a lovely story about how he walked out of Man U but he's not been up to it this season. Burn has been a massive flop and needs to be jettisoned, Maddison is disappointing me more and more. O'hanlon is a shadow of the player we had last season.

Sorry but for me Tommy is a Nice bloke. Trying very hard no doubt. But just not very good.

The building blocks of the squad for next season:

-------------------------- xxxxxxxx --------------------------

----------- xxxxx ---- Hughes ---- Galbraith -------
Trotman ------------------------------------------- xxxxxx

--------------- Elliott -------------- Wheatley -------------
------------------------ Nicholson----------------------------

------------------ Xxxxx ------ Thompson ---------------

Subs: Hall, xxxxxx, xxxxxx, Glover, Kneeshaw

If we can move on:
Maddison
Burn
O'Hanlon
Henshall

QUAKERMAN2 wrote:They were the best side I have seen this season, shape,strength,strong at the back,broke with pace,lots of width and their midfield were excellent.The service from our midfield was non existent, passed the ball around ok but felt sorry for Ainge who was isolated up front on his own and was not given a decent ball all night.O'Hanlon gave their winger acres of space all night,Henshall made zero impact and surely that's his last chance,and why Tommy does not give Kokolo a game only he knows,a complete waste of a loan signing.Also what did Palmer do wrong on Saturday to warrant being dropped for Wheatley...I just don't get it.Not sure also why Tommy scrapped the 3 at the back after all this time as it seemed to be working at long last...surely Ainge should have been put there and Harvey and Kneeshaw up front...certainly worth a try.Atmosphere flat last night and quite frankly cannot wait for this season to end.

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And what makes you think next season will be any better ?
An unfit team led by a clueless manager.

QUAKERMAN2 wrote:They were the best side I have seen this season, shape,strength,strong at the back,broke with pace,lots of width and their midfield were excellent.The service from our midfield was non existent, passed the ball around ok but felt sorry for Ainge who was isolated up front on his own and was not given a decent ball all night.O'Hanlon gave their winger acres of space all night,Henshall made zero impact and surely that's his last chance,and why Tommy does not give Kokolo a game only he knows,a complete waste of a loan signing.Also what did Palmer do wrong on Saturday to warrant being dropped for Wheatley...I just don't get it.Not sure also why Tommy scrapped the 3 at the back after all this time as it seemed to be working at long last...surely Ainge should have been put there and Harvey and Kneeshaw up front...certainly worth a try.Atmosphere flat last night and quite frankly cannot wait for this season to end.

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Not a great Atmosphere less than a 1000 there last night..

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19/20

GK: Loan
RB: Trotman
CB: Galbraith
CB: Smith (On loan again)
LB: Loan/Free transfer
CM: Loan
CM: Loan
LM: Nicholson
RM: Thompson
FW: Kneeshaw
FW: ???

Subs:

Free transfers/released academy players etc

The rest can all leave. Either unfit, uncommitted or not good enough.

Reset the finances and start again in 20/21.

https://www.buildlineup.com/shared/5c6e ... 2e24acec99

OnTheTerraces wrote:19/20

GK: Loan
RB: Trotman
CB: Galbraith
CB: Smith (On loan again)
LB: Loan/Free transfer
CM: Loan
CM: Loan
LM: Nicholson
RM: Thompson
FW: Kneeshaw
FW: ???

Subs:

Free transfers/released academy players etc

The rest can all leave. Either unfit, uncommitted or not good enough.

Reset the finances and start again in 20/21.

https://www.buildlineup.com/shared/5c6e ... 2e24acec99

Pretty much agree but would add Hughes and Wheatley to that list.

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It’s getting to the time of year again where the club will be asking the fans to invest in the budget for next season, with crowds dropping it’ll be up to us to supplement the budget. Given last years recruitment I don’t have faith that TW can spent it wisely enough and I imagine a lot of people feel the same, I think we’ll have to rely heavily on the loan market, I know I won’t be investing until we get a new manager.


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Hurworth, we have a problem.

We began the season with the idea that adding to the existing firepower of Styche and Syers, which had proved pretty effective, with the alternative outlet of Ainge would give an extra dimension to our attack. This was largely the basis on which it was projected that we would be going for the playoffs.

But the idea of having two contrasting ways of playing, with a target man who required service from the wings, versus a fast paced forward passing game, releasing a spearhead attacker, was not used as a plan A or plan B, but rammed together to try and shoehorn our two expensive assets into a single formation. And early doors it seemed to have a chance of working when we had an excellent result at Brackley. But as things wore on it became clear that this was a Frankenstein formation whose parts were tearing at each other to the overall confusion of the team.

There was some opportunity to realign things whilst Ainge had to fill in at the back or was injured, but, by then the momentum and confidence of the second half of last year had been lost and the management didn't appear to be able to reestablish the feel good factor.

So we hit the financial skids and we had to sell up to square the circle. Styche and Syers, last season's golden couple were sold, which left us with a midfield largely set up to service their style with a target man who looked out of place in their company. The team had the odd success, but this was rarely when we had Ainge playing up front, and our best moments appeared to be when we had the interchangeable midfield/attack of Saunders, Thompson, and Nicholson. But even that formation was crying out for a regular finisher, as all the above could not supply the regular flow of goals that every side needs.

We had the cameo appearance of Nelson, who suddenly showed us what we were missing. For half a dozen games we looked threatening and began to score in numbers. Sadly he had to depart and it is clear that since that time we have had little or no cutting edge. Thommo has managed a few goals to keep us picking up a few points, but goals from Saunders and Nicholson have completely dried up (not for the want of trying) and it is clear that we need a regular goalscorer.

So we again had Ainge available to play up front after doing well at the back and, once again we have the issue of a midfield not set up to service him, and a disenchanted forward who is drifting around looking for something to do. It is also possible that his previous injuries have left him less effective in that role.

So we now have moments where the team can shut out an attack, but has very little to offer up front. As noted above, we can look quite good in our approach play, and we still have a set of players who can get switched on and chip in with goals. But they need the glue of a strong focal point of the attack that, last year, was Styche and for a moment this year was Andrew Nelson. The side clearly does not suit Ainge and it looks like his only role is destined to be in defence, where he has proved to be worthy of a place.

We badly need a goalscorer and it is not Simon Ainge.

Anyone there last night will have seen that Ainge is finished up front. There is absolutely no justification to having him play up top for the remainder of the season.

Ainge should have slotted in for Galbraith, with Thompson & Saunders up front and Nicholson playing off them both.

Even when he did bring Saunders & Kneeshaw on we were still playing 4-5-1, however I saw more from them both than what Ainge offered all game.

Sick of watching puzzling tactics and personnel changes, every team-sheet is guess the formation. Sick of watching un-fit, yet well-paid, footballers run around a pitch and sick of watching half-arsed performances from certain players.

It was probably supposed to be as much a 4-4-1-1 as anything last night but invariably it was a 4-5-1 most of the time which meant when anyone in midfield got the ball with an opponent in their face the only forward option we had was Ainge who isn't physically able to get behind anyone, can't run the channel, and was usually 20 yards away from a team mate. Hence Henshall twice having to perform backpasses of 60 yards +.

The depressing thing about last night was that it went exactly as it looked like it would before the game.

I don't think it was as bad a picture as some have painted on here. Sometimes you just have to give credit to the opposition, who were really really good. Yes Ainge was poor and we did look more threatening when Kneeshaw & Saunders came on. Thought O'Hanlon was equally as poor as Ainge. Hard to pick MOTM, but at least Smith scored!!

jjlewis1k89 wrote:It’s getting to the time of year again where the club will be asking the fans to invest in the budget for next season, with crowds dropping it’ll be up to us to supplement the budget. Given last years recruitment I don’t have faith that TW can spent it wisely enough and I imagine a lot of people feel the same, I think we’ll have to rely heavily on the loan market, I know I won’t be investing until we get a new manager.


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There is a good post on Facebook by Doug 'peugeot' Embleton. He worries that BTB has been wrongly linked with playoff/promotions rather than fans owning&funding the club.

The BTB point is a good one. The BTB is to get us out of the Martin Gray Financial Abyss

I would additionally chip in to my earlier post that had we had a Nelson playing last night there might have been a chance of capitalising on some of the approach play of the first half. Scoring the first goal would have changed the dynamic of the game and made a whole pile of difference to the way things went. But you can see that we don't have faith that we can score and going a goal behind made an already tough task seem impossible. The team came out with good intentions after the break, but that short burst of momentum broke on the already failed set up of Ainge as central striker. The changes came too late and were followed almost immediately with their second goal, completely wiping out the potential that those changes might have had. From that point the game drifted and with an already comfortable Brackley just managing the game to its inevitable conclusion.

our team isnt playing with the intensity required because they arent fit enough.

They should be playing like Harvey Saunders level of intensity.

Liam Hughes has had his issues but he should not be allowed to turn up to pre season with a belly like that and should be told to shift it in X weeks or he is out of the club due to a breach of contract.

https://darlingtonfc.co.uk/news/video-i ... at-tonight
Bloody hell TW holding his hands up saying he got tactics completely wrong, there's a first

OnTheTerraces wrote:our team isnt playing with the intensity required because they arent fit enough.

They should be playing like Harvey Saunders level of intensity.

Liam Hughes has had his issues but he should not be allowed to turn up to pre season with a belly like that and should be told to shift it in X weeks or he is out of the club due to a breach of contract.

I'm no lawyer, but that won't be legal. Secondly, I think it's commendable how the club have dealt with Liam's issues and believe we have an extremely good player, even more so if he shifts the weight.

he should be in the heart of the midfield but somehow the club is a soft touch and let him get so unfit he is not usable in his correct position.

We were well and truly beaten by a team which, if you will forgive the pun, were in a different league. That, for me, sums up our situation. We can, with justification, say that Player A should be preferred to Player B (with different people having contrary views) and we can say good and bad things about TW but, at the end of the day, we are not promotion material - and tweaking this and that is not going to change that.
The "good news" is that there are at least three teams worse than us. The practical situation is that monetary and other restraints will see us continuing to struggle in our current league beyond this season.
The vital thing is that we continue to support the lads, including whoever is our manager. Sadly, an attendance of 916 is a sign that support is weakening, at least partly because of unrealistic expectations.

After cooling down from last night's debacle and looking at the game again I,m still mystified how Alex henshall was on the pitch ahead of other more potent players, Alex was out of position making it a very narrow game ,he should have been out wide but kept moving into the middle leaving no out option for the midfielders to lay the ball to ,Alex is I think out of his depth at this level, liam Hughes for me played well but was caught for pace a few times, o hanlan bang average, Thompson did ok Smith definitely man of match,nicholson unlucky not to score Elliott poor last night all others just so so.