Match Discussion: Exeter City (Home)

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Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2014:11:10:18:41:23 by Deadly Submarine.

This should be the perfect game for RE to display his managerial abilities.
Exeter were unable to make many signings, so we will be playing a team which RE knows well, the players their strengths and weaknesses, and their manager's approach and tactics.
Conversely, whilst their manager may know RE inside and out, will not have the same knowledge of the vast majority of our players (Gill and Richards aside), so RE is on paper most definitely holding an advantage.
I hope that he demonstrates his abilities on Saturday, and manages with a bit more courage.

failure to win on saturday will send the edwards out hysteria through the roof, i hope for edwards, Tranmere`s and this sites sake we win

True we need a win or people will be calling for his head louder than they have and he nay as well go back on the team coach with them save a journey! Surely we can't have a 3rd consecutive 0-0??

The only people who will be calling for his head are those who want miracles overnight and haven't from the start been prepared to give him time. Next Saturday is just one more game-worth 3 points just like all the others.The sane reasonable supporters know what what he's tasked with will not happen overnight and will be patient.

What has he been tasked with?
Recent interviews seemed to suggest that promotion was not one of them.I ask because I simply do not know what the club expects of him.
Is it performance related, linked to transfer fee generation, or based upon attendances?
Is it merely to consolidate and avoid further relegation this season?
Please share what you know, so that we may take a balanced viewpoint as you request - it would be helpful if you could substantiate, as I have obviously missed something in the press that you have picked up.
Does anybody know what the club's goals are for this season?

1. Not being relegated
2. Consolidation both on and off the pitch
3. Establish a stable base from which to move forward.

Achieve these three goals and anything else is a bonus. Anybody expecting anything else is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Every ball's a White ball!

Quote:

Croydonwhite
1. Not being relegated
2. Consolidation both on and off the pitch
3. Establish a stable base from which to move forward.

Achieve these three goals and anything else is a bonus. Anybody expecting anything else is living in cloud cuckoo land.

Absolutely agree with you and Hoots.

Regardless of what he's been tasked with, we should be playing to win!

Bore draws are not entertaining.

So which matches would you say have been ''bore draws''?

Quote:

Croydonwhite
1. Not being relegated
2. Consolidation both on and off the pitch
3. Establish a stable base from which to move forward.

Achieve these three goals and anything else is a bonus. Anybody expecting anything else is living in cloud cuckoo land.

I do agree with these objectives, however does that really have to be with 1 lone striker all season? i wouldnt say ive seen one entertaining performance this season yet. And as a big club in league 2 , we really should be doing better against the likes of Newport, Accrington and that elk!

Quote:

Hoots Mon
So which matches would you say have been ''bore draws''?

The last 2? Particularly last night where the manager accepted a nil nil at home and subsequently the team were booed off the pitch by certain members of the diminishing crowd!

We should be playing to win every game, not bottle it and settle for a draw!

The Hartlepool match certainly was not a bore draw and,apart from the last 20 minutes[after the two substitutions],neither was last nights IMO.

Quote:

TranmereFan

Quote:

Croydonwhite
1. Not being relegated
2. Consolidation both on and off the pitch
3. Establish a stable base from which to move forward.

Achieve these three goals and anything else is a bonus. Anybody expecting anything else is living in cloud cuckoo land.

I do agree with these objectives, however does that really have to be with 1 lone striker all season? i wouldnt say ive seen one entertaining performance this season yet. And as a big club in league 2 , we really should be doing better against the likes of Newport, Accrington and that elk!

These are the targets I have been talking about for ages. And they are completely correct. As for entertainment, every game I have seen this season (Shrewsbury, Cheltenham, Accrington and Newport) has been entertaining, just the wrong result. As for saying we should be beating "the likes of" [insert league 2 club here] that it reminding me of teams like Leeds, Southampton and Sheffield United who came into league 1 and decided they had a god given right to beat everyone because they are a "huge club". It's too embarrassing when you hear it from your own fans. We don't have any more right to beat these teams than anyone else.

OK, 1 and 2 speak for themselves as does the timescale.
As for 3 - what is deemed to be moving forward, and what is a realistic and acceptable timescale (not necessarily the same) for this to be achieved?

Wpato,I remember about three seasons ago after we drew 1-1[quite deservedly] at Sheffield United how irritated I was as I walked back to the railway station after the game when I heard a female Sheffield supporter complain to her mates that ''I don't see why we should have to play the likes of Tranmere,Walsall and Oldham''.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:17:20:51:36 by Hoots Mon.

Sorry, one other question - what is the attendance level that we need to hit to fullfill the financial requirements for consolidation?
Can we afford attendances to fall to a certain level, (no it may not be in the public domain, but it certainly is a vital component of point 2!)

I think "moving forward" is building a squad throughout this season and next that can achieve a comfortable mid-table position in League one the season after next. So I'm thinking play offs next year minimum.

Quote:

Hoots Mon
Wpato,I remember about three seasons ago after we drew 1-1[quite deservedly] at Sheffield United how irritated I was as I walked back to the railway station after the game when I heard a female Sheffield supporter complain to her mates that ''I don't see why we should have to play the likes of Tranmere,Walsall and Oldham''.

Exactly. It's belittling and stupid.

Consolidation should be a minimum expectation, but the playoffs is still not a unrealistic aim, because when the likes of Ridehalgh and Woodards return both of which I think will be used, there should be a settled team selection again, although the defense in the last two games have coped without them.

Believing the team should be "up there" is a flawed policy. It wouldn't make much more sense even if Tranmere had had someone like Sean O'Driscoll in charge and Palios was the kind of guy prepared to let him have another £1,000,000 for wages, because O'Driscoll would still need time to get his way of doing things across and there could still have been juggling of the training staff and methods, which has happened for Edwards, but Edwards doesn't have that experience or that extra big money cash, so things will take longer to settle.

Tranmere were never going to get the situation someone like Justin Edinburgh has at Newport, where there's a settled backroom and only a few new players need to come in and adapt, not every player.

This situation will take time and Palios will understand this as much as any rational person does, so for now Edwards is probably 99% likely to still be in charge in 2 weeks even if the team drew the next 2 games and I'm very optimistic they will get more than 2 points.

Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.

Shrewsbury seem to have managed it?

Look how many new signings they have made, and a new manager too, so it proves it can be achieved.

True, but Stevenage and Yeovil proved small budget teams can make the playoffs in league 1 and Accrington proved it in league 2, but it's not the norm, it's the exception rather than the rule.

Tranmere's situation and all the changes, permitted high flying as much as it has for Shrewsbury, but that doesn't mean Shrewsbury fans necessarily expected it.

Also Melon has the benefit of history in management and Edwards doesn't.

Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:17:21:34:46 by Matt34.

Quote:

Matt34

Also Melon has the benefit of history in management and Edwards doesn't.

And it's showing by his inept tactics and bad decision making during games.

Got to be a cut off point where M.P will hit the Panic Button.

Not saying he should go just yet, but he needs to assess our season so far and make amends before we get into another season of doom and gloom.

I reckon he should get half a season before being taken to task, but unless he's prepared to show a bit of guile, then he might be gone before that.

Everyone has different opinions on how well we should be doing. We have no "right" to beat anyone that is obvious. But seeing the results we don't seem to be creating is going to hurt us, Palios and all the fans want this club back in the Championship. And fans getting frustrated is fair enough as we are all fans, none more in the right than anyone else just different views perhaps. And RE said we would have attacking football this season, this is the frustrating thing for me at least, I've mot seen it or the formation to create it. But im sticking by RE for the season and that's about enough to of made a balanced decision on how i think its going to pan out in the future. Nothing wrong in passing judgements, that's what fans do all the time.

pez said
'I think hes lost the plot, out of his depth and totally clueless!
I wouldn't put this clown up to stud @#$%& chickens!

Think he's blagged his way into a managers job, and hasn't delivered anything he told us he was going to.

Taxi for Edwards! Clueless F*ckwit!'

wpato7 said


'Well that escalated quickly...'


Pez said


'Not saying he should go just yet. I reckon he should get half a season before being taken to task'




So the taxi's turned around?

Post match frustration... We are all guilty of it.

Quote:

pez
Shrewsbury seem to have managed it?
Look how many new signings they have made, and a new manager too, so it proves it can be achieved.

They also got quite a lot of money from Peterborough for Jon Taylor the nippy little lad on the wing.

Quote:

wpato7
Post match frustration... We are all guilty of it.

Totally agree.

I remember coming out of Accrington saying it was the worst performance I had ever seen. Took me the journey home before I could calm down and post.

Quote:

wpato7
I remember coming out of Accrington saying it was the worst performance I had ever seen. Took me the journey home before I could calm down and post.

The train journey home was even worse.

That's the problem chaps.
In one sentence, consolidation and avoiding relegation........in the next play offs shouldn't be out of the question.
Somebody else says play offs as a minimum next year.
Realism goes out of the window again.
Surely the result of consolidation is likely to see a reduction in attendances as witnessed thus far.
In turn a likely reduction in playing budget making a promotion challenge even more difficult next year..........which is when RE will really need to demonstrate his managerial abilities.
My prediction, and hope, for this season - lower mid table. But I do fear that attendances may well fall below 4,000 many more times this season for league games

I said play offs minimum next year, only because I don't want us to become an established league two side like we became an established league one side. We need to get out but this isn't the season to do it. If we were promoted this season I could only see us struggling on for one maybe two seasons before going straight back down again.

Can I remind everyone that the great revival of 1987 began with a start of season that would have made RE's efforts look exceptionally good in comparisaon. It was only in N ovember of that seaswon that we started playing consistently.

I still maintain the 3 goals set out earlier but I do not rule out the opportunity of reaching the play-offs, which in this division tends to be wide open until the last week of the season.

Regarding attendances, if we are going to have to play midweek home games against teams from more than 150 miles away at the same time as our senior colleagues across teh water then I would think attendances are bound to fall below the 4000 mark. I would consider averaging 4500 would be respectable for league 2, 5000+ would be an achievement.

Every ball's a White ball!

Quote:

Hoots Mon
pez said
'I think hes lost the plot, out of his depth and totally clueless!
I wouldn't put this clown up to stud @#$%& chickens!

Think he's blagged his way into a managers job, and hasn't delivered anything he told us he was going to.

Taxi for Edwards! Clueless F*ckwit!'

wpato7 said


'Well that escalated quickly...'


Pez said


'Not saying he should go just yet. I reckon he should get half a season before being taken to task'




So the taxi's turned around?

Hoots, I still don't rate R.E, I'm being a realist and know that he's got to be given time.

I would love to be proved wrong, but up to now I don't think he has the know how or bottle to turn this team around.

His tactics and substitutions are very very questionable, his post match comments are laughable and he doesn't seem to be getting the best out of his players.

He strikes me as the type of person who wont be told anything and it's his way or the highway.

We will see how he does between now and christmas, but I wouldn't be surprised if we see lots more of the same.

Saturday should be interesting......RE himself said we need more wins.
We will see what happens if we are not in the lead with 15 minutes to go.....plan b or c (hopefully no need)

Quote:

Croydonwhite
1. Not being relegated
2. Consolidation both on and off the pitch
3. Establish a stable base from which to move forward.

Achieve these three goals and anything else is a bonus. Anybody expecting anything else is living in cloud cuckoo land.

i think your underestimating how poor league 2 is, to accept consolidation and look to finish mid table is appalling, especially when top 7 gets you a shot at promotion, we can finish top 10 no problem, i believe we will grow into this season and by christmas we`ll be a force, as for consolidation off the pitch that wont come from hanging around in league 2 looking to finish mid table and as for the stable base i think with edwards, palios and butler on board that has been achieved

With the current squad we really should be finishing in the top 7, when the season began i thought mid table would be fine and then promotion next season. But I didnt really realise how gash the other teams were until I've been watching this year!



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:18:20:06:00 by TranmereFan.

If the team find the where with all to keep concessions to a minimum like they did in the last 2 games, then more goals will come and progress will be more forthcoming.

I don't think consolidation is a terrible aim, because otherwise teams like Luton and Cambridge who have played in higher leagues than league 2, could look at Stevenage and Crawley in recent seasons and automatically strive to get consecutive promotions, but if their teams finished in or just outside the top 10 would most of their supporters be griping about it?

I assume not, but they could especially in Luton's case believe they should then aim for more, not just look like a mid table team for years.

If Leeds ever got back into the premier League anytime soon, would Chellino expect Europa league football first time of asking? Maybe, because with that unpredictable clown, he might just have aims that instead of being plausible, became mandatory must have achievement and screw any manager who failed to deliver.

What you can be is not necessarily an over the top ideal, depending on what that ideal is, but what you are and what you should be are not always the same thing.

Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.

It took a long time to get to where we are now and it is unreasonable to expect Edwards and Palios to turn things around quickly.In the summer posters like me were labelled As pessimists for claiming that the squad is weak.It is in terms of mounting promotion challenge. RE will have done well if he keeps us clear of relegation.It will buy time to set the club in a new direction. Beb End is right about too many having inflated expectations.
If we are to stay clear of relegation then it is teams like Exeter,Accrington and Hartlepool that we should beat. Failure to gain full points against any of the 3 would be deeply worrying

Quote:

DevonExile
It took a long time to get to where we are now and it is unreasonable to expect Edwards and Palios to turn things around quickly.In the summer posters like me were labelled As pessimists for claiming that the squad is weak.It is in terms of mounting promotion challenge. RE will have done well if he keeps us clear of relegation.It will buy time to set the club in a new direction. Beb End is right about too many having inflated expectations.
If we are to stay clear of relegation then it is teams like Exeter,Accrington and Hartlepool that we should beat. Failure to gain full points against any of the 3 would be deeply worrying

absolute garbage that, if he just keeps us up he`s grossly underachieved and needs sacking, and palios will do it

One quick point, isn't the game at home?

I think it,s a HOME game or has it been switched? Anyway do you think RE has the Ba..s to play Fanimo from the start against a poor Exeter side....Fanimo is suposed to be faster than Bale for god sake...lets give him a go....PLEASE.

With the exception of Hill, I'd expect him to start with the same 11 again, though i would like to see Fanimo have some time on the pitch

Fanimo needs time or West Ham will potentially pull the extension.

Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.

I think Koumas' opinion holds more wait than most on this thread.

Wait..........or weight?

Couldn't decide between 3 and 4-0,gone for 3-0,we will click at both ends soon and someone is in for a beating,today is the day..hopefully.

Davies in for hill,only change from last week.

That's not a good start!!

Abysmal. The two centre backs look like Sunday league players. Upfront we are shot shy, and Edwards seems unwilling to change the shape of the team.

Finding it really hard now to stay positive after today, have kept quiet so far on here this season but I think after what ive just witnessed its time to start worrying.

Why sign fanimo keep him on the bench? Negative defensive tactics at home again 1 point out of 2 home games subs are useless tactics are clueless we signed him on johnsons budget under his watch wonder if palios will change that?

think fanimo would be better off goin back to west ham whats the point of him being at tranmere

^ to learn how not to play football off a clueless 🔔 en

I have to say, taking off Gill and Richards was the worst decision he could have made. Richards was again our main attacking threat, and without Gill we had no link between defence and attack. Laird unfortunately put in one of the worst performances I can remember, but remember we missed a hat full of chances as well. Once Odejayi was on there was only one tactic... hoof it to him, which is what the fans around me were shouting the entire game, "Get it in the box". They got what they wanted and guess what? Weren't happy. "Why are we just hoofing it?" was the new cry. Thought Max and Danny Holmes were joint MOTM today. At least they gave it a go.

Hurts to see that...
OFW, watch the highlights, Davies twice seeks guidance from Fonners, nothing came.
Gill would have / should have stayed on, but that silly first half foul meant he was walking a tightrope.
Laird very poor, got in the way far too often.
Abs, as you say came off his line far too often, got a rollocking from Koumas for not moving......looks for Holmes to do work for him, but won't reciprocate. Also crosses too early doesn't hit the line.
Looks like RE has lost a lot of goodwill.
Tisdale clearly put one over him.

If I was Fanimo I,d be packing my bags and getting on the 1st train to london ...RE what a dreadful way to treat a promising player ..putting 2 muppets on instead of him. Today was awful...I,m so disappointed.

Davies......didn't look fit!

We were totally comprehensively outplayed from start to finish by an Exeter team who were the best team I've seen us play this season. I know they were second to bottom before today but they played crisp attacking football,got their tactics spot on and deserved to win by a good few more than they did.We were desperately poor but should give credit where it is due.The decision for the first disallowed goal looked distinctly dubious from where I was sat.


The worrying thing from our point of view was not just that we lost but how badly we lost. I have normally supported OFW but he should be dropped after today. It was at least as much if not more his fault as Davies for the first goal and every time Exeter attacked I feared the worst.

The 3 substitutions early in the second half were a reflection of how badly things were going and I presume an attempt at a plan B which was hoofball. But they didn't work at all as Donnelly and Koumas were dire and Odejayi not much better.


Where do we go from here? Good question. Next Saturday's game at Carlisle is absolutely massive. One thing's sure-we can't be as collectively bad as today again.


Or can we?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2014:09:20:20:01:06 by Hoots Mon.

We are failing to beat teams likely to be in the relegation mix.It was clear from the start of the season that this is a poor squad. The argument then was that no one should be judged until they have worn a tranmere shirt. Sadly wearing the shirt has only confirmed.that too many are simply poor.
Is it really all the fault of Edwards or at least in part the wage constraints that were placed on him.
On the other hand exeter had to manage with a transfer embargo.A relegation battle is no longer the rantings of the pessimistic but the realistic evidence of results

Am I reading it right on here that fans actually prefer power to laird ?,may I ask why when the game I watched today I saw that man laird cover every blade of grass for that team.Granted he is not the most technically gifted of players but every team needs a water carrier an that is what the man is,now if every other midfield player put in a shift an done what they are supposedly good at the team would be in a much healthier postion,as for young max never tackles doesn't track back(shrewsburys two goals come to mind)an basically if he's not in acres of space does not want to know.take the blinkers off people look at the bigger picture an let ur eyes wander round the pitch an see who's really puttin a shift in,you will be pleasantly surprised.

Unless Laird is given a rest ad someone else given a chance we'll never know.

R.E seems too spineless to experiment or rotate and seems to keep the same faces in the team.

Total lack of bottle and his tactics restrict the selection of other players who might well perform better.

I know we were lucky with the 2 disallowed goals(particularly the first being given just as we were about to kick off) and some abject defending but we did make quite a few decent chances and how Odejayi missed the late cross only he will know.

Why did Koumas come on so late?

Why is Fanimo not being given a chance?

So many questions and so few answers from the man in charge.

Carlisle who are adrift at the bottom have to be beaten next week
have to be defeated or else the pressure is really going to build
on RE.

Pez. When he changed the team there were complaints he wasn't keeping a stable team. Now that he does, there are complaints! He cannot win (in more ways than the obvious)

Quote:

pez
Unless Laird is given a rest ad someone else given a chance we'll never know.
R.E seems too spineless to experiment or rotate and seems to keep the same faces in the team.

Total lack of bottle and his tactics restrict the selection of other players who might well perform better.

And they might well not.Look how dreadful the subs were when they came on.

A poor result and it has to be put to bed next time with a good win, although when Hill got crocked earlier in the week, I suspected the possibility of this, as I thought having 2 clean sheets could be compromised by having to make an unwanted change in personnel.

Oh and Rob, use Fanimo for lords sake, or at least properly explain why you don't, instead of just saying he's "not ready", as that's what someone might get told in a chip shop, if they ask what's happening with their fish supper, 2 minutes after they ordered it.

Unless Edwards brought him in to get experience of watching players who are allowed to tackle; to see how a player he isn't does it.

N:B: I am now resorting to using sarcasm to mask my frustration on this matter.

Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.

I have to say that the protest against the manager is gathering pace. I also have to say why we are not givingRE the same respect that was shown Les and Ronnie? We have put up with survival football for far too long, and the transition was not going to be easy especially with the budget constraints!
Having said that that was really poor against a very poor Exeter side. No better than Sunday league!
We simply do not have the quality to achieve wins. The fans can't put all the blame on the manager when we have so many poor

Poor players! It wouldn't have mattered who you played it was shocking performance.
I predicted mid table, if the manager and lads don't get their act together it could be worse!
Why can't we send Fonners out on loan instead of Ramsbottom? Dear me! Calamity must be his middle name!

The defence looked and played in a very disorganised way.Every time Exeter attacked you felt that they might score.Surely in training they learn to work together and someone takes responsibility or are am I being too simplistic.

Both their goals were totally preventable with a bit of organisation.

Back to the drawing board even if it means 0-0 draws rather than
defeats in some games

As regards defence............often the chaos follows a fonners clanger.......he blames them and they lose confidence in him..breakdown of organisation.
As regards quality of players..............how many of them did Edwards sign.........few of these signings are showing any suggestion of the ability to play in a higher league as suggested!
I am at a loss to understand what is going on..........wwe are told they train well, yet organisation,understanding and dead ball scenarios all remain very poor.
I do take comfort from Palios being in the background rather than PJ.....he should know how to support, and when to react

Quote:

beb end regular
As regards defence............often the chaos follows a fonners clanger.......he blames them and they lose confidence in him..breakdown of organisation.
As regards quality of players..............how many of them did Edwards sign.........few of these signings are showing any suggestion of the ability to play in a higher league as suggested!
I am at a loss to understand what is going on..........wwe are told they train well, yet organisation,understanding and dead ball scenarios all remain very poor.
I do take comfort from Palios being in the background rather than PJ.....he should know how to support, and when to react

Agree with you totally regarding Fonners.

Regarding your second sentence,we need them to be good enough to play in this league first before we worry about a higher league. I heard somebody say yesterday that in their opinion quite a few of our players could be termed as ''nearly players''. When I heard the comment I laughed, but thinking about it, it might not be too far wide of the mark.

Corners and free kicks to us, particularly the former ,are just a waste of time at the moment as we don't remotely look like scoring from them. I noticed in the second half that we still had nobody attacking the ball at a corner from the back post. They all again went to the near post and the ball sailed over them all to the back post from where it was easily cleared.

I do know that some of the club hierarchy thought that Exeter were as good on the day as any other team we've played this season.

having lived in Mallorca for 11 years I come back for about 8-10 home games a season costing about 200 euros each time,after yesterday I wonder why?what a shambles we have fonners not giving any confidence to the team-holmes who loves trfc but so do I very poor passer of the ball,2 centre halves who like they,ve just met each other,davies nightmare at fault for goal why do we get these loanees,baggie should stay out wide and run the full back,gill good at what he does but do we need a holding midfielder at home v exeter,power all heart but short on skill,laird cant remember him doing anything,richards looks promising but subbed again,stockton on his own no chance,the subs odejayi another sidibe,ricketts,bet he doesn't score 5 a season,donnelly RE paid a fee for him hasn,t had a a chance yet? koumas surely must start and be our playmaker and finally RE sadly lacking we have fanimo on loan for what we should play 2 bupfront Stockton and Richards and baggie and fanimo wide and run at them and put the ball in the box thank god I,m not cming again till new year hope RE,s gone and we,ve got a proper manager in by then

Hoots
Re player's ability..........that was my point, in that few have lived up to the promise expected of them, certainly failed to achieve the hype.........but that appears to be a common thread on numerous team aspects thus far.
Other aspect needs addressing, is the nature of delivery, our crosses by and large are chipped in with little pace, whilst their were whipped in, with resultant punishment for us.

Shaun Garnett doing a great job with U18s unbeaten in 9 , big step up I know but when RE is punted he would b cheap option for Palios

Quote:

stewinoz
Shaun Garnett doing a great job with U18s unbeaten in 9 , big step up I know but when RE is punted he would b cheap option for Palios

It's a well known fact that Sean doesn't want the managers job. He's been in the frame before and turned it down.

I think Sean is doing a great job with the youth players and would be better staying in that role at the moment.

If were going to change the manager we need someone with experience and an ability to motivate the players, something Rob Edwards seems to be lacking in sadly.

Would Ebbrell want to step up and has he ever been sounded out?

Then I ate his Liver.......... with some baked beans and a can of coke.