Cheltenham Town video: Goulding strike sinks Davids' Barnet

“Hi LP1212
Well now I think I understand where you are coming from,you obviously know your footy,which makes a change on here most only see the very basics .
I think we made quite a few chances early on in the first half but nobody was taking a chance on getting on the end of a cross and a midfield which consists of two holding players like Pack and Carter rely on the others getting involved in running into the box,Zeb,McGlashen the new guy were all guilty of not ancipating or taking a chance at times on Saturday.
The Robins are a very good side but teams know that and set up to counter attack us which gives M Y the problem of how to change things in games,I dont want to see the ball being lumped up the field all the time but at the same time we do miss a big man up front to keep there defenders quiet.
On the point of not feeding McGlashen I agree however if you notice he is often double marked and this opens up other passes if we could only get Mo to use his speed to just push and run he could be a match winner but he also prefers to cut inside and generally runs into a cul de sac,because unlike McGlashen he as not got the tricks to wriggle out of tackles and make things happen.
Roll on the Bulls,put them to the sword then off to Old Trafford :-)...just for the day out.”

“I agree the midfield didn't play too badly, but they are no longer making the number of chances they should be: 3 shots in total in the game against Rotherham, 9 v Chesterfield, and only 13 against Barnet, a side they should have been pummelling. The creativity seems to have gone missing in the last few matches - when did we last see a ball played inside the opposing left back for Jermaine MacG to run on to? Or a series of "triangles" played to release a striker into the box? And we are not getting to the byeline often enough to pull back crosses into the penalty area (always the hardest to defend), on either wing. We seem to have become too dependent on dead ball situations (though it is nice to have that weapon in our armoury) - and even they dried up somewhat against Barnet, with no corners at all in the first half.

Get a good big man in? Mmmmm - not if that means we revert to lumping it forward in the air out of defence, please. Enough teams in League 2 have shown us the benefit of passing the ball to the forwards' feet - Crewe last year, Bradford, Accrington and Southend this season. And those teams also use their wingers properly and frequently.

We needed that somewhat fortunate win against Barnet - let's hope the team can show us what they are really made of against the Bulls.”

“It is certainly interesting what people see,I personally thought the midfield did not play too bad in the first half,and Zeb was putting in plenty of effort,however in Zeb I see a frustrated centre forward not a left winger and we did create plenty of ball across the face of goal,however like last year we do not pocess a big man up front,someone who can put big defenders under pressue or hold the ball up to bring others in the game,I will admit we began to lose energy in the second half and Yeates left it far too late to make changes,when he did he put Deering on the left wing where his best position is cenral midfield where he gets in an arounf people and makes things happen.
M Y needs to look at getting a good big man in ,like the end of last season(too late for automatic promotion) and maybe Carter as got himself reasonably fit now and as other offers coming in (just a thought)
Looks like another useful younf gun from readsing and look forward to D'ath coming back.
We rode our luck again Saturday and although a good height Brown made a good stop on the pen,I would think Barnet would be scratching their heads as to how they came out of the game with nothing,however we got the points now M Y can sit down and rewatch the video and try to tweak the side again,but Yeatsy look to a bigger guy up front.”

“Not really, Bob - all teams go through patches like this. The main problem is the midfield - they simply aren't creating chances. They did well in the Burton game, passing it around well and on the ground rather than hoofing it upfield after 2 or 3 passes. In that game they were much more like the free flowing side that started last season so well. But they still don't use MacGlashan well enough - they need to get it out much more quickly to him on the wing, to let him run at the full back. Though MacG doesn't do himself any favours either by coming infield too much. Harrad did well yesterday, showing a goal poacher's eye for goal - I hope MY selects him to start in the next few matches as he is the the best source for goals. Zeb looked out of it yesterday. The new lad from Reading looked keen and useful. It will be interesting to see what midfield MY selects for the Hereford game when D'Ath is fit.”

“So ..... a saved penalty away from dropping two points at home to the worst team (currently) in the football league. Anyone have any theories as to what's changed in the last three weeks ?”