Southern Scotland Saturday

[Lcbdagger]

The new Captain certainly isn't bringing a lot of luck this season

[Dagdale]

Just got home, that's a 20 hour day trek- thoughts? Well its one of our biggest problems we just couldn't bang in a pretty quick second goal, which I think would have probably given us the strength to see out the second period. Most of the first half Carlisle were easily there for the taking they looked very poor but the longer it went on especially after half-time you knew it would be a turnaround for them. Was praying on an equalizer but just couldn't seem to get through their defense strongly enough, twice in 5 months we've come all the way back failing any points but what a great crack around Carlisle, a few pints in some fairly decent boozers, Wayne and the boys honouring well our support at station nicely en route back and even though a bit peed off we did make the most of it well on the long train journey back and neutrals would have thought we'd have won!

[Dagdale]

Pretty good point Paul, whether its reflected on budgets but seems to be a bit of a topic lately, team's arrival would surely go down better with at least a day 'bedded in' locally, a few guys bought it up on return leg the likes of Portsmouth etc generally arrive sometimes two days early. Although travelling back from the North West last season noticed Stevenage done exactly the same on their visit to Carlisle

[Diggerthedog]

1 win in 7 is relegation form, results and performance of late have improved but we have still not been winning. I don't like to comment on games I do not attend so can't comment on yesterday but if you take the lead you should be getting at least a point and the defending of the goals is awful from the highlights. we really do need to start winning especially at home or it will be another long season of looking above or over the shoulder.

I don't expect miracles but accy and Morecambe are showing want can be done with crap budgets.

[Mark]

Rather disappointed by yesterday tbh. A decent first half with chances for both sides but second half we were rolled over with minimum fuss.

Carlisle had a man behind the strikers which we failed to pick up for the majority of the game. Either our bench can't see it or they feel it in our best interests to leave it. Perhaps we didn't want to sacrifice a more attacking player but for all Chambers did you might as well have brought on an extra central midfielder.

Our best moments came with getting the ball into the box from wide yet second half we failed to take numerous clear opportunities to do so. When we did the ball in was poor. We'd have been far better off with Hines right and Jones left so they could cross instead of cut inside. Without the ball coming in it nullified Doidge without Carlisle having to do anything.

[steeevooo]

A few of us had a little discussion yesterday on the way home from the game - is Andre Boucard the least inspiring/motivating captain that we've had? I know that we've been blessed with some great leaders - Ogogo, Arber, Uddin, Matthews etc, but Boucard seems to show no leadership or rallying qualities whatsoever. On the (all too frequent) occasions that we are losing, he never seems to be rallying the troops or leading by example - he spent most of the second half yesterday just strolling around midfield with no urgency at all. I know that we aren't exactly spoilt for choice with the players that we have, but someone like Hemmings clearly thrived and enjoyed the responsibility when filling in as captain in Boucards absence...

[Alan]

Andre Boucaud is, to my mind, a luxury player. He dithers on the ball and then gives it to the centre halves. Their first yesterday and Exeter's goal, were scored by players walking into the area while he stood watching. We have won 2 games this season and he played in neither of them, but then walked straight back into the team.

[Adrian]

Nothing about how Boucaud plays suggests he is captain material.
He is one of the most negative players I've seen us have - the vast majority of his play goes nowhere. It's always backwards, sideways or to players in worse positions.
He can't tackle and doesn't do much in challenging for headers.

It probably ain't coincidence that we won two games when he wasn't available.

I'd not have him on the team regularly, but as captain he's pretty much guaranteed a start whenever he's available.

[leewilson]

Just seen the highlights, the 2nd goal in particular is very disappointing. I'd like to hear 'keeper coach's' view considering his criticism of Cousins not commanding his box earlier in the season as O'Brien should have been out for that ball into his six yard box. He looks very suspect on high balls. That aside, he's done well so far but I'm not sure it's worth alienating Cousins over. Both are out of contract in the summer, and if we had to keep one or the other, I'd keep Cousins all day long.

[A S dagger97]

Wayne wont drop Boucaud. He wasn't that effective last season and he still got plenty of games when we had more options than we do this season so he must see something commanding about him.

[Mike the Dagger]

Andre Boucaud is, to my mind, a luxury player. He dithers on the ball and then gives it to the centre halves. Their first yesterday and Exeter's goal, were scored by players walking into the area while he stood watching. We have won 2 games this season and he played in neither of them, but then walked straight back into the team.

Interesting to see Boucard flapping his arms like a penguin after the equaliser on the highlights, like it was someone elses fault the guy had the freedom of the area.

Nice header from Christian Doidge though.

[SUSSEX DAGGER]

Nothing about how Boucaud plays suggests he is captain material.
He is one of the most negative players I've seen us have - the vast majority of his play goes nowhere. It's always backwards, sideways or to players in worse positions.
He can't tackle and doesn't do much in challenging for headers.

It probably ain't coincidence that we won two games when he wasn't available.

I'd not have him on the team regularly, but as captain he's pretty much guaranteed a start whenever he's available.

Think you are being a bit harsh i got rather excited when he went forward yesterday,then somebody reminded me that it was only to toss a coin.

[Diggerthedog]

I think it goes to show what we are missing when you have him as captain.

[lupins]

Without talking about the Captaincy I do wonder if people are actually watching that closely. Bouchard is the only player in the Team who will always be available and always take a pass even if he is under pressure. Backwards, are you sure. Granted rather than give it away then yes but you must be missing the through balls at pace to feet which inevitably don't stick and come back. It's no coincidence that Bingham thrived last year playing alongside him. Running around like a headless chicken and shouting and fouling might make a more visible Captain but not much else. Surprisingly enough there are a few players on our books I enjoy watching and he is one of them

[Mike the Dagger]

Without talking about the Captaincy I do wonder if people are actually watching that closely. Bouchard is the only player in the Team who will always be available and always take a pass even if he is under pressure. Backwards, are you sure. Granted rather than give it away then yes but you must be missing the through balls at pace to feet which inevitably don't stick and come back. It's no coincidence that Bingham thrived last year playing alongside him. Running around like a headless chicken and shouting and fouling might make a more visible Captain but not much else. Surprisingly enough there are a few players on our books I enjoy watching and he is one of them

Watch him take free kicks round the half way line and just beyond. He almost always plays it back to one of the centre halves. Fine if its Rio Ferdinand and a bunch of internationals back there, but inevitably three panicky passes round the back later its hoofed long and generally comes to nothing. His other specialism is the quick short pass to someone under pressure when they don't really want it, who panics and its hoofed long and generally comes to nothing, or worse, loses it in a dangerous position.

He may well be a better footballer than those around him, but a lot of what he does makes little sense in the context of a strugggling League Two team. He doesn't particularly track back or defend that well for a central midfielder (see the Carlisle equaliser for instance), and he doesn't particularly lead the team by example, by being vocal or doing much more than pointing at things after the event (see the Carlisle equaliser for instance).

Odd choice of captain really. Like Brian Saah was.