Salford Score Fred sponsored by Beermen.

[MTFCMusings]

Overall performance was ok, didn’t take our chances and gave them a two goal head start. Still some questionable selections and substitutions. But Salford looked pretty well organised for an opening day side with a new manager.

[Cleveland_Stag]

I’d love a reporter to ask Clough something like: “Nigel, today you started a right footed striker at left wing back and started the leagues best left back at centre back. What was your thought process behind this?” I really would like to hear how he justifies that decision.

I like Clough, but too often his tactics and team selections are way off it. At any minute in the game today the 11 on the pitch was so incredibly makeshift. Baffling. He subbed off two natural centre backs in O’Toole and Harbottle and put the striker Jordan Bowery at centre back! Why would he do that?!

His ridiculous team selections and tactics cost us the playoff final and they cost us again today. He needs to get a grip and sort it because on paper this team is too good to not go up.

If he played a formation where everyone playing was playing in their natural position and we lost then fair enough. He’s rightly being ridiculed for his idiocy today.

[victor A block]

We have 2 natural goal-scorers at the club.
Each capable of getting 15 to 20 goals a season. Unfortunately one of them has been sent out to Walsall.

[St Hilary Stag]

I’d love a reporter to ask Clough something like: “Nigel, today you started a right footed striker at left wing back and started the leagues best left back at centre back. What was your thought process behind this?” I really would like to hear how he justifies that decision.

I like Clough, but too often his tactics and team selections are way off it. At any minute in the game today the 11 on the pitch and was so incredibly makeshift. Baffling. He subbed off two natural centre backs in O’Toole and Harbottle and put the striker Jordan Bowery at centre back! Why would he do that?!

His ridiculous team selections and tactics cost us the playoff final and they cost us again today. He needs to get a grip and sort it because on paper this team is too good to not go up.

If he played a formation where everyone playing was playing in their natural position and we lost then fair enough. He’s rightly being ridiculed for his idiocy today.

sadly , i agree with you ........ he got it wrong AGAIN ..& it cost us !!

[Johnny H]

I agree with most of the comments about team selection.

Both goals came from balls into the Macca’s area, where a proper centre back should have been playing.

As soon as we brought Hewitt on and had players playing in more natural positions we became the better side and created some decent opportunities and limited them to very little.

Bad result but no need to over react.

I though Nartey was pretty solid for them.

I think the 'Over Reaction' is folk realising that the games we actually lose are almost certainly down to poor management and poor team selection.
We lost the Play off final due to that......and we dont seem to have learnt from it in the signings being made and todays selection.
His stubbornness is becoming boring now

[northern stag]

Meanwhile I was at Morecambe v Shrewsbury watching Faz Rawson deservedly pick up Sponsors MOM….league 1 and he didn’t put a foot wrong !!

[bobbystagsfan]

Meanwhile I was at Morecambe v Shrewsbury watching Faz Rawson deservedly pick up Sponsors MOM….league 1 and he didn’t put a foot wrong !!

Just wait till next week.

[Cleveland_Stag]

I agree with most of the comments about team selection.

Both goals came from balls into the Macca’s area, where a proper centre back should have been playing.

As soon as we brought Hewitt on and had players playing in more natural positions we became the better side and created some decent opportunities and limited them to very little.

Bad result but no need to over react.

I though Nartey was pretty solid for them.

I think the 'Over Reaction' is folk realising that the games we actually lose are almost certainly down to poor management and poor team selection.
We lost the Play off final due to that......and we dont seem to have learnt from it in the signings being made and todays selection.
His stubbornness is becoming boring now

Yep. This. He’s constantly getting his tactics wrong. During the run-in towards the back end of last season he was constantly making subs and formation changes early in games because he initially got his selections and formations wrong. Nearly every game. Happened in the playoff final. Happened again today.

[five to three]

Oh dear, Nigel saying it'll take us a couple of months to get up to speed
Re-run of last season?

I thought he'd said that wouldn't be the need with a settled squad!!!!

[Vice President]

Meanwhile I was at Morecambe v Shrewsbury watching Faz Rawson deservedly pick up Sponsors MOM….league 1 and he didn’t put a foot wrong !!

I think we were right to let Faz go.
Harbottle is his replacement - let's wait and see.

[nigegray]

Get a proven striker in for gods sake points behind already

[yorkshire stag]

& what’s Clough had to say about his bonkers formation & team selection anyone heard an interview yet ?

[Vice President]

Players playing out of position (particularly the entire defence) still seems to be a big issue. Also releasing a natural goal scorer (Johnson) without an adequate replacement has not strengthened the team from last season.

Pym & Boateng are quality signings. However, I think we continue to be 2 players short - (just as we were with our last two 'almost made it'/playoff attempts).

Maybe the pre-season friendlies flattered to deceive? (as they so often do).

There is a little time to put it right before the transfer window closes - but I think we still need that quality defender and a goal scoring striker in order to achieve automatic promotion.

[gazza1988]

We probably won that on Xg...... Just saying.

[adamstag]

.

playing macca at CB isn’t ideal.

We looked as if we’d never played with each other before.

i don’t get his fascination with playing akins whatever the cost. Out of position today but he’s a busted flush

Rwb? he’s a donkey, macca should be there

[BH_Stag]

Some strange comments by Clough saying the team pretty much picked itself.

Barely anybody picks Macca at LCB, barely anybody picks Akins at RWB, barely anybody picks Bowery at LCB?

It was a back 5 with only 2 players in a natural position. Nobody picks that side

[Stag95]

Let’s be honest playing Macca CB, Bowery LWB and Akins RWB is nothing short of bizarre. Buck stops at Cloughie for this one, hope he realises the mistakes.

[Johnny H]

Clough has let us down today with this team and all the changes in formation.

Fitting around his favourites players

Just like Wembley

Get ready for the usual NC interview......
Individual mistakes costing us goals and failing to hit the target and put the ball in the net.

He has never yet stated he got things wrong......and his stubbornness is his biggest failure !

Yep.......Virtually his exact words again..

[Cleveland_Stag]

Some strange comments by Clough saying the team pretty much picked itself.

Barely anybody picks Macca at LCB, barely anybody picks Akins at RWB, barely anybody picks Bowery at LCB?

It was a back 5 with only 2 players in a natural position. Nobody picks that side

There’s a chance he’s genuinely lost the plot?

Like you say, how on earth can he say the team picks itself when he started a right footed striker at LWB, Akins at RWB and Macca at centre back?

I really hope it doesn’t take us 10-15 games to finally get going again. His lack of accountability towards his bizarre tactics today have made me somewhat skeptical. We’ll see.

[gazza1988]

Said law is out for 2-3 months. We've got to get another CB and LWB in. Especially if 1 injured CB means we start a game with a right footed forward at LWB and finish it with the same forward at CB.

[old ram stag]

They have assanti we have swan, not a dig at the lad but he's untested and a risk, assanti is a live wire at this level and not always in the game but always a danger, we need to stop borrowing players from forest they hardly ever work out, that said I'll give them more time.

[yorkshire stag]

Said law is out for 2-3 months. We've got to get another CB and LWB in. Especially if 1 injured CB means we start a game with a right footed forward at LWB and finish it with the same forward at CB.

i’ve said from day one Cloughie squad size is too small, caught us out last season& looks like history is about to repeat itself

sort it out Clough

[tillydog123]

Love Nigel to bits but beginning to think he lives on the name a bit and not 100% sure about his football management skills but statistically he has improved sides year by year
Season is not judged on first day but a more positive start should have been possible with players we have
Going to be a long season again
Hold on !!

[SeanieStag]

I think he mean't that the squad picks itself because they were our best players in pre-season and were the only ones with minutes under their belts that were available due to injuries.

[oldweststander]

Said law is out for 2-3 months. We've got to get another CB and LWB in. Especially if 1 injured CB means we start a game with a right footed forward at LWB and finish it with the same forward at CB.

i’ve said from day one Cloughie squad size is too small, caught us out last season& looks like history is about to repeat itself

sort it out Clough

An experienced L2 centre back and a striker is needed, now looks as though a midfielder is req too with Jaso Law out for 2/3 months and Wallace injured for some weeks to come.
Thought the midfield was woeful first half but picked up when Lapslie came on.