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Reply | Altrincham FA Trophy Match Thread
at 21:46 1 Mar 2025
On the tiredness issue which was apparent, a midfielder is required more than ever. At some point we should look at resting a defender too. It’s not something you’d normally do, but Ferguson and Kingdon shouldn’t only play because someone else gets injured for weeks.
Praying Bird is ok, but his display has shown McNulty that we need that type of forward for the long term. Not that it was ever a doubt, but the results literally prove it now. |
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Reply | Altrincham FA Trophy Match Thread
at 21:36 1 Mar 2025
We played the usual formation but Rodney was able to get in and around Bird because he actually held it up. This meant everyone moved further up the pitch and the distances were reduced between players. Same with East and Gilmour. Formation wise it was the same throughout, something Alty’s manager noted in his interview. It is something McNulty will still have to be more flexible with. |
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Reply | Altrincham FA Trophy Match Thread
at 19:17 1 Mar 2025
Listening to McNulty’s interview, looks like we have to accept Bird won’t be featuring for 90 minutes every week yet due to his match fitness. He also noted he was “feeling a little something” when he went off, so hopefully it’s not a real problem. |
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Reply | Altrincham FA Trophy Match Thread
at 18:34 1 Mar 2025
Mitchell and Rodney don’t play as a partnership! Rightly or wrongly, we haven’t played a front two all season. Bird’s presence allows both Rodney and Barlow to play off him. That’s one of the reasons why the latter was man of the match. They also changed formation and had an extra midfielder after the subs in the second half.
But yes, the later part of the game illustrated the point about needing a forward who occupies defenders and brings others into the game better than Mitchell.
Now, playing Mitchell in a two with Bird could be interesting. But that would require a change in how we set up. [Post edited 1 Mar 18:35]
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Reply | Altrincham FA Trophy Match Thread
at 17:20 1 Mar 2025
A great afternoon’s entertainment. Impressive win against a good side in a game where both sides played their part.
We look so much better with a focal point up top that others can play off, Bird has some similarities to COG in how he moves and he occupies defenders in a similar way (no, that’s not saying he’s as good, simply an observation). Barlow was excellent and all our best play went through him. Both looked shattered when they went off and hopefully the timing of the subs was planned with their lack of game time recently taken into account.
Defended really well too, Waller with some super saves as well. Credit to all involved and to fans at both ends of the ground who backed the team well throughout.
It’s a results business and it’s an entertainment business. Two out of two today. |
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Reply | Season 24-25 Bar Operations & Feedback
at 22:00 28 Feb 2025
Also, are prices the same for the away games shown in the Ratcliffe as a matchday?
The communication has been great from this area of the club so I’m sure this can continue with an understanding around any changes. |
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Reply | TAMWORTH
at 22:00 25 Feb 2025
And I reckon with VAR it might have been offside after Henderson almost missed it into Mitchell’s path.
Positives: we changed formation and created some chaos by actually making the opposition think. It deserved the equaliser and Henderson will be disappointed to probably not have had a hat trick. That alone has finally illustrated that McNulty will change how we set up.
Negatives: it came too late and the game was only going to be a draw at best once the changes were made.
It’s a results business. |
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Reply | New signing but not a manager
at 18:59 25 Feb 2025
Henderson starts but still the same formation. Where we find positives there’s always a potential negative. |
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Reply | Time to go Jim. The turning point
at 18:58 25 Feb 2025
For most of his last two years the football was anything but fun. The Tottenham cup run and a remarkable escape from relegation masked a lot.
The only time I’d have had Hill back as manager would have been after Hartlepool away during the relegation season when it was obvious Bentley wasn’t changing anything and we needed a miracle. It was a heart over head moment because the squad was that bad it would need something of a magic touch over a couple of months to stand a chance. On personality alone he could have managed it. But longer term the issues are well documented. |
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Reply | Match Thread, Dale v In form top of the table Barnet
at 10:50 23 Feb 2025
The interview with Barnet’s manager on their YouTube is a really interesting listen.
On a side note, he mentions how bad the pitch is and if Hornets play today with all this rain, dread to think how bad it will be next Saturday. |
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Reply | Match Thread, Dale v In form top of the table Barnet
at 19:28 22 Feb 2025
3 points in 5 games too. It’s obvious to everyone that what we are doing is not going to get us enough goals and points yet nothing is visibly changing. Especially during games.
To not even try a three man midfield, if only to help out East and Gilmour is a choice which is on the manager. To not try a front two, again a managerial decision. To not take off a central defender and go to a back four, manager’s choice.
All simple adjustments which the players would immediately recognise as changes designed to assist them and increase problems for the opposition. All season long we haven’t attempted this no matter the type of football we play, and it’s creating a predictability that frustrates supporters.
Any manager who wants to progress in the game has to illustrate they have different game plans. The evidence is everywhere - look how Hill shifted when we went to L1/at the highest level when teams started shifting their full backs into midfield. Then we can consider the best example right now of a manager who is rigidly sticking to a formation and how that’s working out - Amorim at Man Utd.
McNulty’s insistence on playing the 3-4-2-1 is hard to explain. He has played differently last season but now we seem to be totally Amorimed into sticking with something that isn’t working as well as it has. Something which is impacting players, supporters and results. |
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Reply | Match Thread, Dale v In form top of the table Barnet
at 17:06 22 Feb 2025
Awful. Don’t even know what we were attempting to do today, we neither kept the ball or even attempted to build attacks. Defensively all over the place too.
To continually rotate players around the same bloody formation is tactically inept. It makes every sub like for like and the opposition don’t ever have to think.
Results business, we’re not getting them and the players now look lost. |
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Reply | Match thread Halifax Town
at 22:46 19 Feb 2025
His runs are a joy to watch at a time when there’s not much else joyful about in the last third. If anything he’s getting better year on year with his movement and it’s getting ridiculous how little he’s being used.
There was one run tonight that should have won us the game, but Barlow didn’t get his head up and went in the opposite direction.
We’re meandering towards the end of the season right now. The manager has to change that, pressure is on. Big time. |
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Reply | The race for seventh, midweek 18th/19th Feb
at 14:22 19 Feb 2025
Once more, despite not disagreeing with so much of what is being said, the “winning mentality” aspect has to be looked at with facts applied.
We have won almost half of our games (48%). Only four teams in the division have a better win percentage. Gateshead and Halifax have won one more game having played four more than us. Oldham have won two more games having played five times extra.
Our issue, where having the recruits in the areas identified may help, is not turning losses into draws. We need to get better results, full stop. |
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Reply | The race for seventh, midweek 18th/19th Feb
at 10:19 19 Feb 2025
In the interest of fairness, the Halifax home game was a great example of us being able to find a way to win when the other team was probably better. Defended well, went direct when required and battled throughout to secure the points.
Let’s not rewrite history again because if we’d produced a similar display against Oldham we might have got something from that game.
Fitz’s post covers most of the issues - can’t work out why we haven’t added players in midfield and attack. |
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Thread | The race for seventh, midweek 18th/19th Feb
at 17:31 17 Feb 2025
Here’s a trade off we’d probably all take:
Dale to drop to 12th if Sutton, Hartlepool, Southend and Solihull Moors all win tomorrow night. We’d prefer the last two not to get three points but if it means a chaos theory win in the main, it’s actually a decent set of results. [Post edited 17 Feb 17:40]
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Reply | The race for 7th (Saturday 15th Feb)
at 12:22 17 Feb 2025
It’s not just Dale who have priority windows! This was brought up at the forum by a supporter to ensure season ticket holders get priority for some games - they have.therefore the club have listened.
The digitally challenged will still need to take a trip to the ground to get a ticket or have to queue before the game at the ticket office. Queues that would be much larger if those in the ticket office have to spend extra time taking the seat details from a ST holder. They can also ring the club, it’s in the story.
The club are not making things difficult, as you note I will call out issues and attitude when it needs to improve. In this case it’s a total non-issue as it’s a recognised process that has existed previously with no problems at all. [Post edited 17 Feb 12:24]
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Reply | The race for 7th (Saturday 15th Feb)
at 09:18 17 Feb 2025
The argument about the ability of those at the club is of course one we all have showed interest in and offered opinion on.
For some reason, a point made about the priority window for season ticket holders has now been forgotten about. Probably because it was proven to be a non-issue. |
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Reply | The race for 7th (Saturday 15th Feb)
at 23:59 16 Feb 2025
Two different issues. The season ticket priority window is fine, if anything the bureaucracy around that protects their interests.
Other initiatives? Valid points for a lot of games but also worth considering that as it’s a cup competition we would presumably be splitting the gate with the away club and would require their agreement when ticket offers are discussed? ie/eg we’d have to offer free entry to their season ticket holders too. |
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