What did you all expect?

td53

td53

Well-known member
The fanbase is mental. One minute it's all 'Critch is the Messiah, everyone must grovel at his feet and forgive' and then we go to Exeter and play in a totally Critch away game style and half the same people are moaning about it.

This is Critchball. I thought we did fine today. We've not conceded a goal and between the 3 games I can only think of one decent save that our keeper has made.

Critch is totally made of battling 0-0 draws and making us solid.

That's who he is and I for one will take that point and stash it happily in the inner pocket of my gilet
 
td53 said:
The fanbase is mental. One minute it's all 'Critch is the Messiah, everyone must grovel at his feet and forgive' and then we go to Exeter and play in a totally Critch away game style and half the same people are moaning about it.

This is Critchball. I thought we did fine today. We've not conceded a goal and between the 3 games I can only think of one decent save that our keeper has made.

Critch is totally made of battling 0-0 draws and making us solid.

That's who he is and I for one will take that point and stash it happily in the inner pocket of my gilet
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St Elmo's Fire pumpin' on your stereo 🤣👍
 
I think it was just the manner of today. Only two decent chances all game. Just didn’t strike me as a team capable of challenging. Maybe expectations are too high.
 
td53 said:
The fanbase is mental. One minute it's all 'Critch is the Messiah, everyone must grovel at his feet and forgive' and then we go to Exeter and play in a totally Critch away game style and half the same people are moaning about it.

This is Critchball. I thought we did fine today. We've not conceded a goal and between the 3 games I can only think of one decent save that our keeper has made.

Critch is totally made of battling 0-0 draws and making us solid.

That's who he is and I for one will take that point and stash it happily in the inner pocket of my gilet
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I’ve seen more people moaning about people moaning than actual moaning.

Majority are pretty calm after today.

Always gonna be a few drama queens, just ignore them.
 
td53 said:
The fanbase is mental. One minute it's all 'Critch is the Messiah, everyone must grovel at his feet and forgive' and then we go to Exeter and play in a totally Critch away game style and half the same people are moaning about it.

This is Critchball. I thought we did fine today. We've not conceded a goal and between the 3 games I can only think of one decent save that our keeper has made.

Critch is totally made of battling 0-0 draws and making us solid.

That's who he is and I for one will take that point and stash it happily in the inner pocket of my gilet
Click to expand...
Yep, it’s pragmatism all the way with NC.

We look solid enough apart from when Marv plays their striker through on goal.

The team today will change and evolve after the window and it will be well coached. We know what we’re getting.

We need a few more signings as the triple change today resulting in their best period of the game where we couldn’t do much with the ball if anything.

I would like another wing-back, striker and midfielder. Not much to ask for but easily done.

Trybull looks like he’s off but we’ve got Weir in. So we need a Virtue upgrade from the bench and with KJ seemingly injured we need a Beesley upgrade. I also don’t think, in-fact I know I can’t do a season watching CJ roast his man on the right wing on the outside and cross the ball with his right foot. If ever that Roy Hodgson meme of him getting excited then basically nodding off sat on the bench for England it’s that….


Tell you what though, Norburn is one very tidy signing 🤩 we just need to get the mix right with him. Both have flattered to deceive so far, but we’re two games in.

Looking forward to the next two home games…
 
Adams Kebab said:
Yep, it’s pragmatism all the way with NC.

We look solid enough apart from when Marv plays their striker through on goal.

The team today will change and evolve after the window and it will be well coached. We know what we’re getting.

We need a few more signings as the triple change today resulting in their best period of the game where we couldn’t do much with the ball if anything.

I would like another wing-back, striker and midfielder. Not much to ask for but easily done.

Trybull looks like he’s off but we’ve got Weir in. So we need a Virtue upgrade from the bench and with KJ seemingly injured we need a Beesley upgrade. I also don’t think, in-fact I know I can’t do a season watching CJ roast his man on the right wing on the outside and cross the ball with his right foot.
If ever that Roy Hodgson meme of him getting excited then basically nodding off sat on the bench for England it’s that….

Tell you what though, Norburn is one very tidy signing 🤩
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Fun Matty Virtue fact - he had exactly half of all our shots today.. Not sure that means owt tbf
 
It's way too early to determine whether a point at Exeter is a good result or not. What I will say though is that we have made some very shrewd signings this summer - one's that will ensure we avoid defeat in the vast majority of games imo. This summer has been chalk and cheese compared with twelve months ago. The question is whether we have the cutting edge to get the goals to finish top 2, but I'd be surprised if we don't already have it in us, with the squad as it is, to finish top six.
 
td53 said:
I started saying 'Critchball' taking the piss cos people banged on about bielsaball and that and the idea of us having a 'ball' manager made me laugh. I think 'larryball' makes me laugh most of all though.
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I hear you!

Let's just stick to FOOTball though and then a dissection of tactics.
 
I think some of the fans (maybe younger ones) think it's just a case of turning up in this league to get three points
Those of us who have experienced the majority of our pool watching years in the lower divisions know how difficult it is down here
Especially now we are seen as a bigger fish
Whilst it wasn't a great game to watch and cautious critchley was in full effect , in seasons gone by we'd of probably lost by a goal .
It's going to be a long hard season and there will be plenty of scrappy games unfortunately.
We need more up top thats for sure and the fact Joseph has picked up a different injury already definitely concerns me
But let's all come down to earth a little bit
We are capable of a top six finish but it's going to be a scrap in most games
 
The best chances today were their centre forward on the stroke of half time, then the header blocked by their keeper, and lastly, the sitter missed by Virtue. All he needs to do there was dink it, as everyone behind the goal was telling him.
 
Just back. Nice little ground I had never been too. Pleasant staff . Deceptively windy but not cold. The game was competitive without being exciting. I came away thinking "clean sheet" , 1 point more . Win all our home games at the "fortress" and get a point at every away game and we go up with no fuss.
Sort of boring but then I,m trying to get into our managers thinking.
 
What has come of Oakley Boothe who played against Hibs. I thought he did very well in his 20/25 mins. Nothing
has neen reported of the trial he has had ?
 
You'd obviously hope to win but away games are never easy, Exeter have some real momentum and are in the best place they've been for a long long time so it was never going to be easy.

We've got players to come in and players coming back from injury, too early to judge anything but winning at home, drawing away will get you promoted 90% of the time.
 
td53 said:
I started saying 'Critchball' taking the piss cos people banged on about bielsaball and that and the idea of us having a 'ball' manager made me laugh. I think 'larryball' makes me laugh most of all though.
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The Feyenoord Youth coach is the ex-Newcastle winger Brian Pinas…..he favours a tall fella through the middle and two small inside forwards either side of a front three.
 
td53 said:
The fanbase is mental. One minute it's all 'Critch is the Messiah, everyone must grovel at his feet and forgive' and then we go to Exeter and play in a totally Critch away game style and half the same people are moaning about it.

This is Critchball. I thought we did fine today. We've not conceded a goal and between the 3 games I can only think of one decent save that our keeper has made.

Critch is totally made of battling 0-0 draws and making us solid.

That's who he is and I for one will take that point and stash it happily in the inner pocket of my gilet
Click to expand...
For me it's the fact were meant to be playing better football, as evidenced at Derby with some of the passing.

Critchley himself hasn't been happy with some of the halves we've played, so it's not what he wants. He doesn't want us to be turning over the ball cheaply and on the back foot again.

Yet today at times we abandoned build up play and had to go long, just conceding possession, whilst Exeter carried on playing on the deck.

People were claiming we had the best midfield etc and how we're all so comfortable on the ball, yet we abandoned our principles from a bit of closing down? A real top team at the level sticks at it and takes control of the game, although we did have our moments and some good bits.

1 mistake from Ekpiteta and his confidence to pass goes, plus it was another atrocious mistake under no pressure.

We were solid and they didn't create a whole lot but if we can't deal with a team who press and can pass the ball without throwing our own passing principles away at times, then it's a bit concerning. However it's early days and they aren't a bad side and we have some players to add in, but I expected a bit more control from us.
 
JJpool said:
For me it's the fact were meant to be playing better football, as evidenced at Derby with some of the passing.

Critchley himself hasn't been happy with some of the halves we've played, so it's not what he wants. He doesn't want us to be turning over the ball cheaply and on the back foot again.

Yet today at times we abandoned build up play and had to go long, just conceding possession, whilst Exeter carried on playing on the deck.

People were claiming we had the best midfield etc and how we're all so comfortable on the ball, yet we abandoned our principles from a bit of closing down? A real top team at the level sticks at it and takes control of the game, although we did have our moments and some good bits.

1 mistake from Ekpiteta and his confidence to pass goes, plus it was another atrocious mistake under no pressure.

We were solid and they didn't create a whole lot but if we can't deal with a team who press and can pass the ball without throwing our own passing principles away at times, then it's a bit concerning. However it's early days and they aren't a bad side and we have some players to add in, but I expected a bit more control from us.
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Fair post. Early days yet though.
 
td53 said:
I started saying 'Critchball' taking the piss cos people banged on about bielsaball and that and the idea of us having a 'ball' manager made me laugh. I think 'larryball' makes me laugh most of all though.
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What a load of balls 😂🤣
 
OneStepBeyond said:
And can please stop with adding the word "ball" to any managers name to describe their tactics.

Cringey yank import.
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I see.

Please can you advise me it's OK to put ball on the end of a posters - a poster who rights about a certain tactic adopted by a manager with ball on the end - name ?

Is the term Mitchball acceptable ?
 
A good, if not spectacular, point. This team have far more to come though, so it is important we get off to a steady start. With Port Vale and Leyton Orient at home to come, we have a chance to build on that decent start. This team were awful last season, in performance, organisational and confidence levels. Dobbie is part of the change but I can see a team starting to believe again. Let's get right behind them this week, get 2 more good results and head to Lincoln with our tails up.
 
Wilburrabbit said:
Decent performance but we need to stop Marvin dwelling on the ball and then panicking. Nearly cost us today.
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I'd go a bit further than that. Marv shouldn't be in the team at the moment. I'd like to think that Casey is currently above him in the pecking order. I'm sure every player experiences a "howler" at some point in their careers but with Marv it's now successive matches. So far he has got away with it, but his luck will run out, no doubt about that.
 
Good point I reckon - Exeter looked confident, well organised and have some very decent players. We're going to come up against far worse teams this season.
 
I expected sharp, swift interplay that would cut through Exeter's defence. With Beesley and Lavery running the channels, taking advantage and putting us 2-0 up within 25 minutes. I expected solid, "they shall not pass," defending and Norburn being master of all he surveyed in midfield.

Oh wait on...no, that's what I wanted. Expectation is a different creature altogether.
 
Wilburrabbit said:
Decent performance but we need to stop Marvin dwelling on the ball and then panicking. Nearly cost us today.
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Another one happy with a good away point BUT why do we keep giving them those one on one chances with Grimshaw because we’re messing about trying to pass it out from the back? Marv is probably the best defender we have had in the last 10 years but that’s what he should concentrate on, defending
 
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