Some positives

[Quakerz]

1) We now have 15 points. Five matches ago, we had 8.

2) 4 points is a decent haul considering the opposition in the last 2 matches. I'm sure most of us would have settled for that if asked on friday night.

3) Only 1 goal conceded in 2 matches, and also is this not the first time we have done 2 matches without a defeat?

4) We did actually close the gap to 22nd by a point, to 11 points, and of course if we were to win the re-arranged match Cheltenham may get nervous. I'm cerain Cheltenham are going to go down, only question is, will it be with us or somebody else?

5) The team is clearly better than the pre Christmas shambles, it is finally fairly settled, the players are ours and at least we can build for next season on it, whatever the league.

[Spyman]

1) We now have 15 points. Five matches ago, we had 8.

2) 4 points is a decent haul considering the opposition in the last 2 matches. I'm sure most of us would have settled for that if asked on friday night.

3) Only 1 goal conceded in 2 matches, and also is this not the first time we have done 2 matches without a defeat?

4) We did actually close the gap to 22nd by a point, to 11 points, and of course if we were to win the re-arranged match Cheltenham may get nervous. I'm cerain Cheltenham are going to go down, only question is, will it be with us or somebody else?

5) The team is clearly better than the pre Christmas shambles, it is finally fairly settled, the players are ours and at least we can build for next season on it, whatever the league.

You are of course correct on all counts.

I'm still no less gutted, although I suppose this allows me to stick to my guns that we're not staying up. If we'd won tonight I must just have started to wobble.

[loan_star]

A negative....

Josh Gray!!

Came on against Crewe and looked useful. Came on tonight and did an excellent impression of a headless chicken. Why did he choose to cut inside when he was in front of goal on his strongest foot? Also kept on giving the ball away when we needed to keep possesion.

[mikkyx]

A negative....

Josh Gray!!

Came on against Crewe and looked useful. Came on tonight and did an excellent impression of a headless chicken. Why did he choose to cut inside when he was in front of goal on his strongest foot? Also kept on giving the ball away when we needed to keep possesion.

If he'd put that away it was game over, 2-0, 3 points in the bag. It was as if he was trying to walk it in when he was only 8 yards out. Swing a leg at it. He didn't. Wasted it. We paid for it at the end.

[fat tony]

Point 5 is the main one. We're on our way down, the last 10 teams to be relegated from this division had more points than us at 26 games. But its great to see us starting to find a settled team and be able to take the lead in games.

The optimism for me at the moment is that we might be able to have a decent promotion push in the conference next season if Staunton can continue to develop this team.

[Shieldsy]

A negative....

Josh Gray!!

Came on against Crewe and looked useful. Came on tonight and did an excellent impression of a headless chicken. Why did he choose to cut inside when he was in front of goal on his strongest foot? Also kept on giving the ball away when we needed to keep possesion.

I say this every time i see him, he infuriates me so much because he has no right foot whatsoever. If he had, he would have had a shot with that chance and maybe it would have been 2-0, game over.

[loan_star]

He didnt need a right foot for that chance, it was on his left. He chose to cut in on his right though, for fucks sake have a fuckin shot!!!!

[Shieldsy]

Yeah, true about the original chance, but then once he did cut in he was never gonna score, he may as well be Heather Mills for all the use his other leg does.

[mikkyx]

Yeah, true about the original chance, but then once he did cut in he was never gonna score, he may as well be Heather Mills for all the use his other leg does.

Funny, I heard something similar in the row behind me.......

[loan_star]

Be fair, if Heather Mills had had the shot with her wooden leg, the leg would be in the net & the ball elsewhere

[uncovered]

Yeah, true about the original chance, but then once he did cut in he was never gonna score, he may as well be Heather Mills for all the use his other leg does.

Funny, I heard something similar in the row behind me.......

one of connors funnier lines. i had said that Gray had no right foot, to which my 9 year olds reply was "what, like that lady on Dancing on Ice." anyway he has gone to bed gutted but bless him, he still blue tacked his curtis main poster above his headboard before being tucked in.

[fat tony]

Does anyone actually rate Josh Gray? I think he's absolute turd.

Overly harsh.

I think he's an 18 year old kid with a lot of raw pace and skill, but he still has a lot to learn.

[QUAKERMAN2]

He easily loses the ball, like Main has some talent but not ready for league2, should have buried that chance late on, no excuse whatsoever.Curtis had an awful game last night, far too easily knocked off the ball, the same as Diop, who for a big lad does not put himself about enough and is too much of a luxury player along the lines of N`Goma and N`Sumbu.Just cannot see the lad scoring a goal and this is the big problem we will have unless 2 players can be brought in.Deane is obviously not the answer or he would be playing, Devitt and a half decent striker to play alongside Purcell would be great.

[divas]

someone with absolutely no right foot, and i mean ABSOLUTELY no right foot, surely cant make a career in the professional game, he needs to put on about 2 stone, get some bottle, train his right foot and learn how to tackle, then he might have half a chance.

[TinShedDarloFan]

also 5 points behind Grimsby now, yes overtaking them wont keep us up but it will be a huge boost to move off the bottom after being rooted there all season, its just pleasing to see that we now have a fighting chance, most likely to hard a fight but this team are now trying and are slowly closing the gap

[Norm_D_Ploom]

someone with absolutely no right foot, and i mean ABSOLUTELY no right foot, surely cant make a career in the professional game, he needs to put on about 2 stone, get some bottle, train his right foot and learn how to tackle, then he might have half a chance.

Ahem, cough..... Diego Maradona ?

[bigrichiet]

someone with absolutely no right foot, and i mean ABSOLUTELY no right foot, surely cant make a career in the professional game, he needs to put on about 2 stone, get some bottle, train his right foot and learn how to tackle, then he might have half a chance.

Ahem, cough..... Diego Maradona ?

yeah, but his right foot was better than Terry Butchers, Peter Reids, Terry Fenwicks and Trevor Stevens and lefts and rights all put together!!

[divas]

someone with absolutely no right foot, and i mean ABSOLUTELY no right foot, surely cant make a career in the professional game, he needs to put on about 2 stone, get some bottle, train his right foot and learn how to tackle, then he might have half a chance.

Ahem, cough..... Diego Maradona ?

Maradonna had no bottle? he might also have been small but he was muscular and could hold people off with ease

[Norm_D_Ploom]

I was refering to the left foot comment Divas.

I could also add Ryan Giggs to the list.

The point is just because a player can only kick with one foot doesn't mean he can't make it as a pro, providing he does enough with that one foot, and has some of the other qualities you list.

[Spyman]

I was refering to the left foot comment Divas.

I could also add Ryan Giggs to the list.

The point is just because a player can only kick with one foot doesn't mean he can't make it as a pro, providing he does enough with that one foot, and has some of the other qualities you list.

There's a difference between being very good with one foot, and having no right foot whatsoever.

Maradona and Giggs may both favour their left, but both are/were capable on the right even if they are far more effective on the left.

[divas]

have you seen Gray play much Norm? I know what you mean, but seriously i dont think ive ever seen the lad use his right foot to pass ever, it makes him so limited its untrue, maradona and giggs could/can at least knock a short pass with their weak foot, it seems Gray cannot.

[LoidLucan]

I know last night was hard to take, it's always galling to let the points slip with the last kick of the game. But I'm surprised to see people putting the boot in on our kids. They're young, they're learning the game and some of them have been thrust into a very difficult situation that would have sorely tested a seasoned pro. Players like Curtis Main and Josh Gray have got some talent and the way to see if it develops further and they can make the grade and make a living out of football is to be patient, give them encouragement and introduce them in the right way. Quite frankly comments like "absolute turd" are disgraceful however bad you feel about last night's result. Josh Gray has shown some promise and Main had a great game against Rotherham and has sometimes shown a real spark. The future of this club probably lies in developing more of our own young talent, treating them right and giving them a chance. Some of the comments thrown at the kids show just what a tough task they are likely to have here at the hands of the baying mob. For pity's sake give them a break.

[DarloOnTheUp]

I know last night was hard to take, it's always galling to let the points slip with the last kick of the game. But I'm surprised to see people putting the boot in on our kids. They're young, they're learning the game and some of them have been thrust into a very difficult situation that would have sorely tested a seasoned pro. Players like Curtis Main and Josh Gray have got some talent and the way to see if it develops further and they can make the grade and make a living out of football is to be patient, give them encouragement and introduce them in the right way. Quite frankly comments like "absolute turd" are disgraceful however bad you feel about last night's result. Josh Gray has shown some promise and Main had a great game against Rotherham and has sometimes shown a real spark. The future of this club probably lies in developing more of our own young talent, treating them right and giving them a chance. Some of the comments thrown at the kids show just what a tough task they are likely to have here at the hands of the baying mob. For pity's sake give them a break.

Finally, some common sense prevails.

[divas]

I know last night was hard to take, it's always galling to let the points slip with the last kick of the game. But I'm surprised to see people putting the boot in on our kids. They're young, they're learning the game and some of them have been thrust into a very difficult situation that would have sorely tested a seasoned pro. Players like Curtis Main and Josh Gray have got some talent and the way to see if it develops further and they can make the grade and make a living out of football is to be patient, give them encouragement and introduce them in the right way. Quite frankly comments like "absolute turd" are disgraceful however bad you feel about last night's result. Josh Gray has shown some promise and Main had a great game against Rotherham and has sometimes shown a real spark. The future of this club probably lies in developing more of our own young talent, treating them right and giving them a chance. Some of the comments thrown at the kids show just what a tough task they are likely to have here at the hands of the baying mob. For pity's sake give them a break.

where has gray shown this promise? its stauntons fault for playing him, but still to see a lad who is supposedly a home grown player shirking challenges left right and centre and putting us under pressure is unacceptable, no matter what the age.

how can you defend a performance that undermines what 11 other lads have spent 90 mins working their arses off?

main had a quiet game last night, but he's shown to all that he's at least willing to battle, whereas gray has shown nothing but a lack of fight - im not even talking skill now, just a basic fight to win the ball and help the team out defensively

he's got a massive amount of work to do before he can be considered for first team football again imo

[LoidLucan]

You're unfair in the extreme in putting it all on Gary's shoulders. The reason we conceded last night was a collective thing, failing to keep possession of the ball all across the field and inviting pressure. Gray was one of those but to select him out for special treatment is wrong. Ask Maddo and Lidds if they think he's got some potential. You know what the answer will be.

[divas]

i'm not laying the blame at gray's door, altho it could be argued that he could have got rid of the ball easily before lincoln won the free-kick they scored from, im saying he's not good enough to come into a team that needs everyone to graft, win their tackles and hold their positions, until he learns how to make a pass with his weaker foot, put a tackle in, and work on the defensive side of his game

i dont doubt he's got potential, but he's not ready for the first team yet, i've seen him 3 or 4 times and not once has he looked as tho he can make the step up, nor has he looked to have improved, if anything he's gone backwards.

he's too much of a liability when we're trying to defend, i bet giddings was pulling his hair out having to take care of their left winger and left back at times when they pressed.

its not even as if we're THAT short on numbers that he has to play, its a shame we dont have a reserve team as he needs to play again men and toughen up a hell of a lot.

[real_darlo_85]

There have been alot more positives in recent games (especially picking up a couple of wins!) but I think a major one is SS finally having a settled 11 each game. The team now contains players who have far more desire and fight than some of the weak, chop and change loanees we had before the enforced Christmas/New Year break.

I must admit I was beginning to doubt SS before Christmas with his management and player judgement. However, it seems that now he is gradually achieving at least the minimum requirement in that we now have a good core of players that are prepared to give this relegation challenge a go. If we are relegated then so be it but so long as we see more performances like the last couple of games, then I think the signs are positive and we are heading in the right direction.

[LoidLucan]

I think probably Staunton felt he could have done better and obviously feels he IS capable of better based on his knowledge of the player and that's why he picked him. Hopefully we'll give the lad a chance to prove himself in the future and not just immediately write him off with some of the abuse above.

[loan_star]

I dont think many are writing him off, but based on his performance last night its a case of must do better if he wants to remain a professional footballer.

[StevieMardenboro]

I wasn't there last night so don't know how bad he was but I can't believe the amount of stick an 18-year-old lad is getting. I think Gray is the pick of our youngsters and should get better with games and support.