MATCHWATCH : Stockport County (a)

[Royal_jimmy]

Thanks to the spastics who decide to do roadworks on the M56 and M6. Well done

[morganb]

Sam Smith out for a few weeks with a foot injury. Big blow. Hoping to maybe be back for Stevenage (Earnshaw)

[leon]

LOL at those saying there’s nothing to learn from tonight and it’s only one game.

We’re shit away from home and Selles has done fcuk all about it.

Our goal difference is poorer because of it and the longer it carries on the more the pressure on home results will be.

Oh and look at our next few fixtures!!

[morganb]

Ehibhatiomhan to have a scan on his hip. (Earnshaw)

[bloody Volvo driver]

Lucky for me back in hotel room…feel for those on the buses and trains…

Whilst the Ref and Lino were atrocious, it was no excuse,

We were outmuscled from the first whistle, a non existent press just played into Stockport’s hands allowing them to grow in confidence. Sadly Garcia looked his age tonight, flashes going forwards but misjudgement and no real support , he looked visibly shaken by the penalty. Need to be careful we don’t break his confidence.

Campbell is a waste of space, as ever the team effort is there but no composure on the ball resulting in it coming straight back at us.
With this team we know we are going to get plenty of days like this, the table flatters us but we will be fine come May

on the 22.13 towards Bham New Street as is Harlee Dean, he didn’t hang around too long for the post match analysis.

As to the game, not sure who was the shittest, our entire outfield, RS’s too open style away from home, the ref or the lino with the yellow flag. All were shockingly poor.

[Clyde1998]

Sam Smith out for a few weeks with a foot injury. Big blow. Hoping to maybe be back for Stevenage (Earnshaw)

Hopefully it’s only the two cup matches he misses from here - Fleetwood (FA Cup) and Cheltenham (EFL Trophy). I imagine Wareham would’ve started both up top anyway.

[Snowflake Royal]

I do wonder if Selles gets an easy ride for our away results due to the young squad and situation of the club, and his general likeability and connection with the fans. We're so open and we only know one way to play. When our press doesn't work teams just walk through our midfield.

The club's situation is a fair mitigating excuse and I don't think you can pin it on him. I'm just curious whether being able to make signings would make us noticeably better.

With the squad we have just don’t think we have a lot of options

He prob does get a bit of an easy ride and the difference between our incredible home and dire away form is a headscratcher. Still doing far better than we’ve any right to be

Historically, this is where stranded pops up to say our away form is bound to equalise with our exceptional home form some time soon and all will be good for the world. Then our home form declines and it's struggle city.

I miss optimistic stranded. Even if I didn't agree with his optimism.

[windermereROYAL]

Sam Smith out for a few weeks with a foot injury. Big blow. Hoping to maybe be back for Stevenage (Earnshaw)

And Kelvin needs a scan on his hip, seriously short up front at the moment.

[WestYorksRoyal]

It's a reminder how much I want this ownership saga to be over. One disappointing aspect of last night is that it didn't surprise me at all. I even posted before kick off that I was half expecting it.

I'd love to see us build a squad where we can make trips like this with an expectation to win, and if our away form is shit we can genuinely hold the manager accountable for it. We're not in that place. It's so tiring still not being in that place.

[Mid Sussex Royal]

Its partly due to who we've played away that the form is different. We've had a pretty easy run of home games except for Huddersfield, and they were on a dodgy run at the time.

The likes of Bolton, Wrexham and Stockport were never going to yield many points.

[Snowflake Royal]

I do wonder if Selles gets an easy ride for our away results due to the young squad and situation of the club, and his general likeability and connection with the fans. We're so open and we only know one way to play. When our press doesn't work teams just walk through our midfield.

The club's situation is a fair mitigating excuse and I don't think you can pin it on him. I'm just curious whether being able to make signings would make us noticeably better.

I think the way we play away from home just lets teams dominate. We haven’t dominated possession at home for a while so playing the same way when away from home makes it even worse. Not saying park the bus, but at least try to make it difficult for the opposition. Opposing teams seem fitter to me as well.

We all go straight for the jugular and try to score quickly. I know scoring is literally the point of football, but we never seem happy to put our foot on the ball and control possession a bit. Wing in the DM role goes for Hollywood passes instead of slowing the game down. We saw it as we hung on against Exeter and Bristol Rovers.

Away from home, a bit of boring possession to take the sting out of the game and quieten the crowd is effective.

That being said, we have put in good away performances. The 1st halves at Birmingham and Exeter were close to perfection, so a high press can be effective away.

Yeah, this. We have a little too much youthful exuberance.

Even our goal last night, which was full of really good probing attacking play that still retained the ball, basically came because Mbengue took a risky touch and tried to beat a player from deep. It was an exceptional goal and it worked, but it was a slightly worse touch, slip or tackle away from being a Stockport break and glorious opportunity.

We leave ourselves with no outlet far too often and our out ball even when we have an outlet rarely goes to them. I like us being direct, but you need to have more gears than Charge! And pack the 6 yard box.

The tone was set from the first minute when Mbengue flew in totally unnecessarily miles under the ball and took out their player, hurting himself, in the RB slot for a ball that was likely going out anyway.

We never got in Stockport's defence's face in numbers from the off. The press was piecemeal, not in a pack, and Stockport simply weren't playing like Exeter did, slowly dicking about with it at the back under pressure.

I said it yesterday, but I think this one is a total failure in scouting the opposition and adapting your game.

Before the game, this is what I said I wanted Selles to do, play differently away. Go with a higher harder press from the start with a stiffer midfield, like Exeter. I hadn't seen Stockport play though. And actually, I think a defensive half press would have worked much better against their big, quick, strong players. I don’t scout the opposition, but I expect our manager to do it.

[windermereROYAL]

No real surprise given our beyond appalling midweek away record, 7 wins now in 60 games.

The was an uncomfortable watch until I had enough when the 4th goal went in, the lads try but god there`s something really missing under the lights when we travel.

`16 goals shipped in 6 games on the road so far this season.

[Hound]

My opinion on this is pretty much no matter how we set up for this we’d have been dicked

We don’t have the players to deal with but physical threats. Mbengue is relatively small, Bindon still growing and can get bullied, fullbacks aren’t even fullbacks and one is 16 and looks it

The forward line of Wareham, Akande and Campbell should be playing U21s with the odd appearance on the bench not starting away at Stockport. They got bullied and outmuscled throughout

Of course they were scouted but with that line up we had and a few others just not having good games (Savage, Wing, Knibbs) it was a struggle

Could argue a bit on selection but even then very little scope. Maybe Dean for Garcia but that’s still not great. Kelv probably should have started and Camara over Akande (but not sure he is fully fit yet)

Some of the more physical players we have - Smith, Yiadom, Dorsett are injured. They were all missed.

And sometimes you just have to credit the opposition. They looked the most dangerous team we’ve played this year, had a set plan and executed it. Whether we should have high pressed, low blocked, played compact, etc etc really don’t think it’d have changed anything

[Hound]

Oh and Stockport have some very decent players - Barry, Fiorini (who we were quite excited about trying to sign last year), Wootton, Horsfall - all very impressive

[leon]

Oh and Stockport have some very decent players - Barry, Fiorini (who we were quite excited about trying to sign last year), Wootton, Horsfall - all very impressive

Nothing we can do. We might as well just not try next time.

Great stuff as always Hound.

[traff]

My opinion on this is pretty much no matter how we set up for this we’d have been dicked

We don’t have the players to deal with but physical threats. Mbengue is relatively small, Bindon still growing and can get bullied, fullbacks aren’t even fullbacks and one is 16 and looks it

The forward line of Wareham, Akande and Campbell should be playing U21s with the odd appearance on the bench not starting away at Stockport. They got bullied and outmuscled throughout

Of course they were scouted but with that line up we had and a few others just not having good games (Savage, Wing, Knibbs) it was a struggle

Could argue a bit on selection but even then very little scope. Maybe Dean for Garcia but that’s still not great. Kelv probably should have started and Camara over Akande (but not sure he is fully fit yet)

Some of the more physical players we have - Smith, Yiadom, Dorsett are injured. They were all missed.

And sometimes you just have to credit the opposition. They looked the most dangerous team we’ve played this year, had a set plan and executed it. Whether we should have high pressed, low blocked, played compact, etc etc really don’t think it’d have changed anything

Think that is fair, I imagine we travelled up and back on the day again too.
There is only so far that this small, young squad can be stretched and we are performing way above realistic expectations.
Unless a takeover is completed very soon it maybe some time before we see another run of 9 points from 12.

[windermereROYAL]

The fixture computer certainly hasn`t done us too many favours this season, up till January 1st next year the lowest team we would have played away based on the current table will be the next one, Stevenage who sit in 15th place.
After thar we have posh, Barnsley Wycombe and Lincoln.

[Snowflake Royal]

Oh and Stockport have some very decent players - Barry, Fiorini (who we were quite excited about trying to sign last year), Wootton, Horsfall - all very impressive

Very true. I'm not saying it would have worked, but I think a smarter approach would have made the game less one sided and given us half a chance, rather than what seemed like no chance.

Not scouting is of course hyperbolic, but clearly the wrong conclusions were taken. We played very open, which played right into their hands.

Their RB was quality too.

[Snowflake Royal]

The fixture computer certainly hasn`t done us too many favours this season, up till January 1st next year the lowest team we would have played away based on the current table will be the next one, Stevenage who sit in 15th place.
After thar we have posh, Barnsley Wycombe and Lincoln.

Are they up there because they're good, or because they played us at home and got an easy 3 points early in the season when it makes a big difference?

[katweslowski]

Agree that Reading were really poor. But I was really impressed by Stockport. They seemed really well organised and very creative in their attacks. They surged forward almost every minute and ripped our team to shreds.