Boston (H)

[zeke]

HT losing 2-0. Att 504

[zeke]

A game of 3 mistakes. Firstly giving them a soft penalty. Secondly missing our own penalty and subsequent rebound. Thirdly gifting them a free kick on the edge of the box and poorly set up wall giving Boston a straight line passed the wall into the nearside bottom corner

[cityforever]

Murphy penalty was woeful. A really poor strike which the keeper saved and then he was so slow to the follow-up that defenders put him under pressure and he managed to hit the underside of the bar from 6 yards!!!!!!!

2nd was dreadful. Only English and the Keane brothers did enough today.

[jupu]

As soon as the second goal went in there was only ever going to be one outcome. The second half was indeed woeful and I thought even the Keane brothers were poor by their own standards. For me only Junior English emerged with any credit, I cannot fault that guy's commitment. Otherwise we looked like a bunch of players who are all much better than their performances today, but who are sadly lacking in confidence. They were all pretty much going through the motions towards the end.

[Tim Munslow]

I thought we were awful from start to finish today and deservedly lost. We definitely looked like relegation material.

The only bright note of the day was that Gainsboro' lost again. Brackley up next Tuesday and they won 6-0 recently at Telford, so we ain't gonna get much from that one.

[alwaysnextyear]

zeke said it all

"A game of 3 mistakes. Firstly giving them a soft penalty. Secondly missing our own penalty and subsequent rebound. Thirdly gifting them a free kick on the edge of the box and poorly set up wall giving Boston a straight line passed the wall into the nearside bottom corner "

A horrible, scrappy game on a horrible, bobbly, hard surface. We played with little width, and just gave the ball away time after time after time. The players have just forgotten how to score, how to manage a game and the ref, and how to win a game. We created next to nothing all game. We lack leaders and characters on the pitch. As per usual, only Junior English and Jordan Keane put a shift in. We can only keep hoping that Gainsborough keep losing as well.

[glevumblues]

We are capable of playing decent football on the floor but panic took over this afternoon and our only plan was to hit inaccurate high balls in the general direction of Boston's goal. While generally the players can't be accused of a lack of effort, there are a couple who need to start earning their money.

[leon]

I see the caretaker manager is bemoaning the fact that City carry no threat from set pieces which is top category of stating the bleeding obvious.
Just a thought is this not what should be happening at training as well as what to do when defending them?

[crosscountrymark]

This was a must win game against a poor Boston United side who were better organised and had a game plan, which we had none. Our lack of shape as a unit was shocking, no threat up front, the midfield couldn't keep the ball or pass it. The Boston penalty was debatable in or outside the box, he evened up with Jordon Murphy poor penalty effort and still failed to convert the rebound. Their second goal was another giveaway goal as Ethan Ross failure to set up his wall with four player, allowed the Boston player to pass the ball home in the gap left by the keeper. It looks like the players have given up and a number are going through the motions as they know they wont be here next season, it probably the chat the chairman had with them after Lee Hughes left the club. We lack leadership on the pitch, someone to organise things, I have major doubts about John Snapes ability to motivate this underperforming bunch. the lack of game plan and slow to make changes. I personally cannot see this side avoiding relegation, and without a win since November and the league table doesn't lie, no wonder Carl Heeley got out as he could see what lay ahead with the loss Lee Hughes and budget cuts. The board will get their wish to play at lower level next season in front of crowds of 300 every week, its a pity this decision wasn't made when the club left St Georges Lane instead of wasting thousands on players wages they couldn't afford. The boards lack of business plan to live within its means has brought the clubs to its present plight.

[jimbo]

Lets hope that Snapper & his team don't read this. Because it sure as hell won't help any motivation !!

[zeke]

Mar 20, 2017 16:34:13 GMT jimbo said:

Lets hope that Snapper & his team don't read this. Because it sure as hell won't help any motivation !!

If you're talking about the thread as a whole, if there was any motivation in the team on Saturday, then none of us spotted it.

[Noboddy aka Lord Ealing]

I never understand why anyone playing a sport needs motivating whether professional or amateur.

[Down The Pan]

I think the biggest de-motivator this season was the badly timed announcement by the Board of Directors that the players weren't wanted by the football club, that all of them could leave whenever they wanted! an announcement made just at the time when, if we are really trying to avoid relegation and play at this level next season, we needed a fighting spirit throughout the club.

[adycrean]

Mar 22, 2017 10:43:08 GMT Down The Pan said:

I think the biggest de-motivator this season was the badly timed announcement by the Board of Directors that the players weren't wanted by the football club, that all of them could leave whenever they wanted! an announcement made just at the time when, if we are really trying to avoid relegation and play at this level next season, we needed a fighting spirit throughout the club.

Totally agree. The Board was like a giant rabbit in the headlights when Heeley announced he was leaving. It was clear that Carl called the shots and the Board towed the line on everything - hence the budget overspends and the nonsensical moves like the signing of Connor Hughes.

What was needed was some calm and a short term plan to navigate the period of uncertainty. A sensible, (motivational even) conversation with Lee Hughes could've prevented his departure, for example. He was one of the few players who had the quality to make a difference.

[alwaysnextyear]

Couldn't agree more with the point about the Board announcement regarding the de-motivation and fighting spirit of the players. The financial predicament in reality was as bad the day before the Board announcement as the day after. The Board then panicking and sending Mark Wilcox to meet the players at training just made the situation worse, whilst in general the overall financial situation stayed the same. Worrying about the budget is a bit late after year after year of losses, and was a farcical shutting of the stable door. The damage was already done.

Whilst Lee Hughes, Connor Hughes, Micah Evans, Steven Craig and Colby Bishop have left, we've still signed Nathan Vaughn and Pa Sulay Njie, so is the overall effect in the grand scheme of things been worth it ? Our financial future hasn't really changed has it ? Announcing it then, was just that I understand that it had finally been pointed out to the Board in simple level headed terms, the state of the finances, now that Carl had gone, the facts of the matter that the Board had been ignoring in their continuous dereliction of their duties for years.