Spennymoor away

[fenlander]

You can listen to tonight's game by downloading a Durham OnAir app to your mobile phone

https://www.durhamonair.com/how-to-listen

[DougJR]

I’d like to feel confident about tonight but, regrettably, have a sinking feeling. Oh to be proven wrong…

[DougJR]

Just looked at our line-up…yet again, just one attacker. This is too defensive as I have said previously and doesn’t bode well for a result, sadly.

[Non League]

Away form far too poor to be eventual champions, especially when it seems to be a journey that's 3 hours equals no win. All the remaining away games fall under that.

[DougJR]

I’m sorry to say I have to agree. Why, why, why can’t we play with two attackers away from home?  As you say. The remaining away games look difficult.

[Ytsejam]

Sadly this fall from form and increasing poor away results has been coming for a while now. We will comfortably be in the play offs (hopefully 2nd or 3rd) but winning the league is starting to slip away unless two more quality players are added to the squad in the next week or so (before the Fylde match).
It’s all very well having games in hand but look at the “Covid season” when we were only saved when the season was abandoned early as we were losing or drawing game after game of our “games in hand” over York.
Still got to be very happy with the season so far but fear it’s starting to drift away a little now.
Not too late to save it but with the squad as it is now, it’s not big or good enough to cope with the injuries (and suspensions!) we are having/going to have.
Finally, well done to the 24 Lynn fans who travelled all that way for a midweek game, they deserve full respect.

[Mallard]

Come on guys, give ya heads a wobble.    We are top of the League.  What could be better than that in February.    All teams hit a ‘sticky’ patch (if that’s what you could describe this as).  Ok lower teams have been a little bit of an Achilles heel,  but I’m sure it’s something Tommy is well aware of and I’m sure will get into the players when then next game against teams lower in the table.   Though it wasn’t the case v Boston, in either game.

As for the size of the squad.  Missing last night were

Keller,
Fleming
Hargreaves ( massive miss)
Stephens
Gold
Scott

Makes a squad of 22 plus the younger lads on contract.   

A win on Saturday followed by 3 points at home to Telford on Tuesday might make people look more positive on the situation

[Blue_and_Gold]

Come on guys, give ya heads a wobble.    We are top of the League.  What could be better than that in February.    All teams hit a ‘sticky’ patch (if that’s what you could describe this as).  Ok lower teams have been a little bit of an Achilles heel,  but I’m sure it’s something Tommy is well aware of and I’m sure will get into the players when then next game against teams lower in the table.   Though it wasn’t the case v Boston, in either game.

As for the size of the squad.  Missing last night were

Keller,
Fleming
Hargreaves ( massive miss)
Stephens
Gold
Scott

Makes a squad of 22 plus the younger lads on contract.   

A win on Saturday followed by 3 points at home to Telford on Tuesday might make people look more positive on the situation

Agree. A couple of disappointing results, but I'm not really at the "loss of form" kind of thinking just yet.

I would have expected a win against Buxton, but a draw away to Spennymoor was not such a great shock.

[Nigel nigle]

I think before those two results we had won 5 and drawn 1 of the previous 6 games.

How much of a miss are Clunan and Barrett going to be for one game - this Saturday??

[TonyM]

Come on guys, give ya heads a wobble.    We are top of the League.  What could be better than that in February.    All teams hit a ‘sticky’ patch (if that’s what you could describe this as).  Ok lower teams have been a little bit of an Achilles heel,  but I’m sure it’s something Tommy is well aware of and I’m sure will get into the players when then next game against teams lower in the table.   Though it wasn’t the case v Boston, in either game.

As for the size of the squad.  Missing last night were

Keller,
Fleming
Hargreaves ( massive miss)
Stephens
Gold
Scott

Makes a squad of 22 plus the younger lads on contract.   

A win on Saturday followed by 3 points at home to Telford on Tuesday might make people look more positive on the situation

Agree. A couple of disappointing results, but I'm not really at the "loss of form" kind of thinking just yet.

I would have expected a win against Buxton, but a draw away to Spennymoor was not such a great shock.

After a good start (points wise) to the season we hit a purple patch when Barrett proved his fitness and came into the starting XI and we went 3-5-1-1, playing some really good football, culminating in very, very impressive performances against Darlington (h) and Donacaster (a) which had both looked hard games on paper.  Post-Stevenage we have gone off the boil and whilst people continue to call for more attackers the real difference between pre and post Stevenage is the loss of the midfield trio of Widdrington with Clunan and Hargreaves.  Tommy set the team up to get the best out of those three - Theo gets exposed in a midfield two (too much distance to cover highlighting lack of pace and less chance to read the play which is one of his strengths) and we have so much less movement without Clunan and Hargreaves playing those more advanced midfield areas which in turn allows teams to focus on closing down Barrett and the wing backs, only games since Christmas this hasn't been the case were both Boston games where their right hand side was naive and subsequently exposed.

Fingers crossed Hargreaves can come back to the form he showed pre-injury but also that Theo can regain some fitness and form, if we can get that trio back firing again then I am confident that we will create plenty of chances for Cosgrave or Ponticelli even if one has to come on from the bench.

[Birc1959]

Mallard......spot on...BUT Tommy is definitely on the Conservative side away from home?
But top of the league in feb    as mallard would say.....give ya head a wobble 

[DougJR]

Agreed…I have said before we’re too defensive away from home. I’m all for TW but am just concerned that he hasn’t modified his approach to away games after repeated defeats to teams much lower down. Why not play two  attackers?  Cosgrave is on form yet spent most of last night on the bench. Why didn’t he start alongside Ponticelli?    If we want to win the League we must take risks. Seeking to play safe isn’t working. I think we’re at a crunch point in the season - either we settle for the play-offs or we push hard for the title. The former should be all but guaranteed now (unless we bombed completely) so what’s to lose?

[GrahamB]

i find it strange that some yet again find it necessary to question a man, TW , and his backroom staffs tactics when we are top of the league 19 games to go, 11 of which are at home.
is the answer to go gun ho all out attack , just like Keegans entertainers, and end up with sod all? As TW says when you walk out onto the pitch you have one point in your pocket. I'm all for winning but at what cost how many of the points gained away would have been lost with more attacking line ups? Also have to agree more may have been gained but is it not better to be cautious?
If Tommy has got it so wrong what advice does everyone have for the Darlington manager 28 points from a possible 48 at home.
Keep Calm and Carry On come the end of April we will all be smiling

[Ytsejam]

Come on guys, give ya heads a wobble.    We are top of the League.  What could be better than that in February.    All teams hit a ‘sticky’ patch (if that’s what you could describe this as).  Ok lower teams have been a little bit of an Achilles heel,  but I’m sure it’s something Tommy is well aware of and I’m sure will get into the players when then next game against teams lower in the table.   Though it wasn’t the case v Boston, in either game.

As for the size of the squad.  Missing last night were

Keller,
Fleming
Hargreaves ( massive miss)
Stephens
Gold
Scott

Makes a squad of 22 plus the younger lads on contract.   

A win on Saturday followed by 3 points at home to Telford on Tuesday might make people look more positive on the situation

Still need to “give our heads a wobble” do we? How many more games and poor results does it have to be before we are allowed start getting concerned about the sharp decline in the form last two or three weeks?!!!
Smell the coffee time I’m afraid. A play off position (which we should get unless we implode completely)is still a great season and one we should be proud of, BUT we are not going to win the league unless better players are brought in or we suffer NO a more injuries or suspensions for the rest of the season!!

[Mallard]

Wobble it ? Maybe.

Ok short term makes for grim reading.  Just a single point out of a possible 9.  That’s a poor return.  However bigger picture shows we are averaging 4 points every two games throughout the course of the season.  That has to be a positive in anyone’s book.

Look at Saturday’s result.  Darlo beaten at lowly Boston.  Brackley dropping two points.  The problem we are up against an on fire Fylde side who are on one hellva a run.  Who is to say they won’t hit a dip ( most teams seem to).  Likewise we could go on a real decent run once we get ourselves out this current dip.

Next two home games are ones we should look to take maximum points from.  Nothing less. 

If the worst case scenario happens and we end up in the play offs we still get a 2nd bite of the cherry.  So all still to play for.  Our   Two games against Flyde could go on to define the season.