When you are Bournemouth fans there are bad days and there are worse days… Today we touched new lows as a dispirited, clueless and passionless side managed to lose 1-0 to ten man Macclesfield. Macclesfield have conceded more goals than any team in the football league – today we made them look defensively like the Arsenal side of George Grahams era.
It was also the first time in years, no doubt as we had no target left on the bench, that the fans completely turned against the players – ‘what a load of rubbish’ ringing out of three stands during the match and at the end as the players sank to the ground.
Before the turning point there is normally a point of hitting rock bottom – for all our sakes lets hope it was today. While Quinn and Tindall escape blame for the make up of the squad it was concerning that they fell into the trap of removing width and replacing it with more and more central forwards when playing against ten men. It played into Macclesfields hands and was management naievety of the highest order.
The exciting new playing era promised by Sports 6 got off to the worst possible start when a pumped clearance by Morgan was completely missed by the hapless Ward allowing EVANS to run clear on the left channel and fire a soft shot past Jalal into the bottom corner. You could almost sense Macclesfield deciding to bed down for the next 89 minutes.
Unusually attacking the North End for the first half Quinns men then had a period of decent possession but the end product, particularly from Ward, Pitman and Wagstaff was appalling. Indeed things started to look up when referee Phillips (the only man on the pitch to have a worse day than Pitman) strangely sent off goalscorer Evans on the quarter hour mark for what looked like a leading elbow with not much contact on skipper Anderton.
This may be my post match gloom but I can’t remember the last time we came from behind to beat a team with ten men – and today was no different. Macclesfield massed behind the ball leaving Yeo stranded up front and we resorted to shooting from further and further out. Anderton twice and Hollands warming Brians hands from 30 yards.
Bradbury cut in and fired at Brian and Pitman, on one of his dodgy afternoons, twice selfishly blazed over from acutely wide positions with people queuing up in the middle for a cross. The best chance fell to Ward from Andertons corner just before half time but his snap shot was cleared off the line.
HT Cherries 0 Macc Lads 1
The second half strangely saw no changes in either personnel or tactics allowing Macclesfield to develop even more comfort. Keeping four at the back when the opposition had withdrawn a forward was nothing but tactical stupidity and it allowed the blues to grow and grow in confidence.
Our first chance fell on 48 mins when Ward headed Cummings corner over but then Bournemouth fell into a pattern of knocking the ball around at the back and all chances ceased as the blue hoardes held shape and fought for every ball.
Golding came on for Wagstaff with half an hour left and the team then lost all shape – no width left or right and resorted to tapping it about for hours then launching it at noone when the crowd told them to! Pitman flashed a good volley just over the crossbar in the 63rd, his only real contribution, before being withdrawn to mass cheers for Mcquoid.
And that was it. Another 20mins of abject crap with only a couple of flashing headers (wide and saved) from the decent looking Golding to get mildly excited about.
The last ten minutes saw the only couple of times we got close to getting off our seats. First Hollands thumped a stinger inches wide of the far post from a Mcquoid knock back then, in our best move of the match, Cummings, Golding and Mcquoid combined to give Anderton a clear shot of goal in the98th minute. As the England international unleashed one of his specials it was our best hope until Brians flying right hand ruined the moment.
FT – Cherries 0 Macc Lads 1
Star Player – Anderton. The only one that looked interested or able to play football.
Jalal 5 – Some dodgy distribution and not at fault for goal – no other real chance to impress.
Ward 4 -Badly at fault for first goal when completely switched off, poor distribution, woeful crossing.
Pearce 5 – Battled away willingly but given ball too often to come forward.
Cooper 6 – Strolled around and played from the back intelligently. Only other one to emerge with credit.
Cummings 5 – Hot and cold – a lot of possession but no end product of note. Looks short of pace.
Wagstaff 4 – Didn’t go at full back once and completely inoccuous in second half
Bartley 5 – Good first half, breaking forward and strong in challenge, faded to nothing at all after the break.
Hollands 5 – Could not get grip of game and although tackled well could not get involved with forward play at all.
Anderton 7 – Never stopped trying to play make all game, intelligent passing and non stop wanting to make things happen
Bradbury 5 – Apparently has not stopped scoring in training all week. Quinn forgot to point out this was against our defenders! held ball and spread but completely impotent going forwards.
Pitman 4 – Selfish and wasteful in possession, lazy when not in possession – needs to take a long hard look at himself.
(Golding – looked a good target man, Mcquoid – buzzed well could have done with longer, Lindfield – not on long enough to make an impact)
Verdict – As poor as it gets really. Quinn has an idea of job in hand now but could have been a bit more intelligent today. Players shocking and don’t deserve the support they get. A few should be told to try or never play again. Onwards to a weeks full training and a trip to table topping Bradford…..
DannyHollandspockets is being controversial…
JIMNNINA was unimpressed…
A few should be told to try or never play again.
Apart from Goulding, everyone went hiding in the second half, mindless hoofball, no on field leadership.
Looks like a long fair and reasonable 18 months. Time to shape up or ship out for everyone in the squad.
abts is fed up of excuses…
Good point about singing What a load of rubbish. The players have largely escaped criticism because Bond was unpopular. The harsh truth, as we’re about to see, is that quite a few of them are simply not good enough. It’s a long time until the transfer window opens again?
DannyHollandspockets is being controversial…
This may not be a popular opinion, but, I think Anderton is the problem.
I’m not doubting his quality, but I feel he suffocates the rest of the midfield. We play more flowing football with Anderton out of the side.
Hollands and Bartley could develop a long term quality central midfied partnership without Anderton in the side.
I really do appriciate Anderton’s obvious passion, commitment and outstanding quality, but I do feel the long term future and League 2 survival depends on a Hollands/Bartley partnership.
