Match Day Thread Can town break the chain?

McGavin played a few brilliant passes, which we have not seen first team players even attempt since McCarthy came in. I can see why he got a game and he's 20, not 16. If he can't handle League One football at 20 he is never going to be a top player. I want to see more of this and less of the status quo.

I am encouraged that the **** has finally hit the fan. Lambert dropped an idle threat about Bury last night but I have to say that if Marcus Evans had never come to the club, we had dropped out of the league and had to rebuild that over ten years later we might be in exactly the same position in League One or League Two even, but with an upward trajectory and without £100m of debt.

 

Again without wishing to sound pro Lambert, the line-up he didn't have too much choice in. Apart from Woolfeden most of those changes were enforced due to injury or suspension. We were without 6 players who would've likely have been in the first team (KVY, Skuse, Huws, Downes, Norwood, Jackson). Plus one long term who may have played in their place (Nydam). Add to that Bishop and Sears have played very little football and probably aren't ready to start 2 games on the trot.

Then people were banging on about why Dobra didn't play, I think he has looked promising but he's made 1 first team start. Further add to that Dozzell, Keane and Judge who've had long term injuries and hadn't had a pre-season neither did Nolan plus Garbutt has had a few injuries this season it's hardly surprising this 'strong' squad is struggling.

In my experience players coming back from long term injury rarely are the same player they were before and rarely does a player have a good season if they miss pre-season.

Given this situation I really have found it difficult to judge Lamberts tenure. The squad has too many players who've had long term injuries or didn't have a pre-season or lack first team experience.

We should've strengthened more over the summer and then in January. I mean over the first few months we only had 2 fit first team strikers neither of whom had proven themselves above league 2 level, you can't expect a promotion campaign with that. Add to that we had 3 fit CBs one of whom hasn't played well in years, one who has very little experience and one who was a Lincoln reject. Our midfield is full of players who've had long term injuries and to add to this we lost arguably out best player over the past 5 years (Bart). This was mainly the squad which took us down last season who were awful and not good enough and we barely strengthened it.

I really do not know what we expected which is why I've so far given Lambert the benefit of the doubt. Our anger should be directed at Evans, no one pushing for promotion should be expected to put a team out like Lambert did on Tuesday night.

 

Lambert brought in quite a lot of these players - including Will Keane. He had the opportunity to play Norwood and Jackson together who scored plenty early on and didn’t. He trains them every day and picks the team, formation and tactics. He is responsible for motivating them and for their psychological state.

He has said our players bottled it when they were top and whether or not that is true, in spite of Evans failure to invest, Lambert has been far more pathetic than we could have expected.