By Nathan Jackson
October 24 2010

If Steve Tilson didn't know the size of the task ahead of him before kick off against Stockport, he certainly does now. Midfielders that don't create, strikers that don't score and quite possibly the worst set piece taking in the land.

I'm going to start this reaction with one of the few positives to come out of yesterday, the defence. It's not often our defence get praised, but they kept Stockport's attack fairly quiet and also helped Anyon out for once. Only one shot on target was made against Anyon and that is mostly down to a defence that played well for once, it's also the second home game in three where we haven't conceded. However, that's where the good news relatively stops.

Let's put it nicely, how patient can you be with strikers that don't score, never look like scoring and barely even have shots? Ben Hutchinson is lazy, bone-idol and in twelve matches, he has only managed eleven shots on target, missed four open goals and the worst part about his play is that virtually all he does is moan when it's not played directly to his feet, almost as if it was an insult to make him run. I am still not actually sure what he brings to the side.

As I've said before, if you can make Rene Howe look like a competent striker then you know that something isn't right. At least Rene Howe's arrogance was sort of backed up by him occasionally scoring, what's Ben Hutchinson's excuse. How the hell he has played a high level is beyond me and if he ever becomes a first team regular at Celtic, I'll eat my hat.

Then you get onto Drewe Broughton (right). I am still, after nearly a complete year, at a loss as to the positives that he brings to the side. He never seems to win headers, that despite his size, is more likely to get sent off than score (shown by his elbow on Rose against Stockport) and after 17 games for the club, you'd be struggling to count on one hand the amount of times he has played well.

At what point do you actually just have to say "You've got 2/3 games to prove your worth, otherwise you're dropped?" It's just so frustrating that players like Hutchinson constantly do nothing and yet somehow get into the starting 11 every single week. Tilson doesn't strike me as a manager who will wait long and he had a half decent record of bringing in competent strikers. You get the feeling the days of Broughton and Hutchinson up front are certainly numbered if they don't start creating.

Then again, you could argue that they are getting scraps to feed on, especially at set-pieces. We haven't scored from a corner since the 1-1 draw with Cheltenham last season and it's obvious to see why. There's very little point at getting excited when we get a corner because the delivery is absolutely atrocious. What sort of footballer can't lift a dead ball over the first defender? Whenever we get a corner you know it's going to either go to the first defender, over everyone and out the other side or straight into the goalkeeper's hands. Who can actually recall the last time we actually forced a chance from a corner.

I suppose it could be worse, our next two League games are against the current bottom two and three of our next five League games are at home.

Reaction to the draw with Stockport

Discussion started by theimps.ka (IP Logged), 24/10/2010 12:04

theimps.ka
24/10/2010 12:04

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skeggyimp
24/10/2010 15:01

Got to agree about the strikers, they don't seem to have any instinct in front of goal at all. (Can you teach them that!)

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Rob Peel
24/10/2010 18:42

Article spot on Hutchinson and Broughton simply not the answer.....I am pleased in a twisted sort of way they were poor yesterday. Tilson who is no mug will have seen first hand how inept they are

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79imp
24/10/2010 20:46

Have to agree as well about Hutchinson and Broughton. How the former was ever worth £1 million I'll never know. On that basis players like Simon Yeo, Gary Fletcher and Jamie Forrester would be pushing Ronaldo for the tag of world's most expensive footballer! Broughton looks like an old horse roaming the field who does his best to move around but has none of the pace or instinct that is required to score goals. Facey must be a shoe-in for Saturday with hopefully another striker on board by then as well. The defence did look pretty sound with Swaibu having a very solid game but we badly need another centre-back simply for options and another midfielder because we have no options there either. You do have to wonder just how Sutton could have used up his playing budget putting together such a threadbare squad, especially in all the central positions. Hope we can get Hone back before Xmas but doubt whether Sutton would have had the intelligence to put in that option. You'd therefore also have to just hope that there is a break clause in Hutchinson's loan because I bet his wages aren't cheap and he has yet to show that he is justifying them.

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Cambridgeimp
25/10/2010 17:22

I thought we looked solid enough but apart from the Hutchinson chance i never felt we looked dangerous going forward. 6 out of 7 we have now drawn blanks and the goals we did score against Macclesfield were by defenders!!! Dont need to be jose Mourinho to work out the problem.

Just like to say thought Swaibu played well, I have had my doubts in the past but credit were credit is due.

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Kate Jackson
25/10/2010 18:19

Well here's the most chilling fact, we haven't scored from open play since September 4th.

Good Luck, Mr Gorsky

http://twitter.com/#!/katejackson84
http://www.katejackson84.blogspot.com

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