Chester FC V Tranmere Rovers MATCH THREAD

And you're a knob, can't even be arsed putting a reasonable argument for a clown like you.

I have mixed emotions. Firstly, RIP to Gary, the Chester fan who died. When I saw the CPR I was really worried for him. Also, I felt like coming over to help as I passed a CPR test in primary school but I had a feeling that I might have to go back. RIP true blue! 💙🙏
Back to the match, we battled well and gave a good account against a strong Trampmere side who will be in the mix with that budget. I saw the replay in the blues bar at half time and it was 100% out of the box. Alabi did well to score in front of the away fans. Also Harris' elbow onto Richards deserved a red card. Horrible player. Hughes did well as captain and him and Sir Astles did well to win headers. I'm not getting carried away here, but maybe Astles' goal had a lucky touch off me as I put it on the corner spot 😅. It was great to receive a hug from James Alabi and celebrate with the players. The two new lads did well when they came on and Dawson looks a good, neat player. I would never jump on any of our players backs but I understand most fans' views on Richards lacking the quality. He did have a stinker tonight, but we must get behind him. I heard a few boos when he came off, and don't forget we were winning 2-1. That is over the top in my eyes. Also, Mahon looked lively when he came on. I'm glad that he is coming back stronger. Trust Cook to score the winner, hey!
There are much more important things than football, and the passing of Gary made me shed a tear, although I never knew him. It's never nice to hear that a supporter will go to a match for the last time.
RIP in blue heaven!

Agree. Been delighted with a win, satisfied with a draw. and this loss hurts as their two final goals came so late in the game. However the commitment and effort of the team can't be faulted IMO. They were devastated at the end after giving everything. 

What you say is true about Hudson. When he plays we are guarenteed to concede 2,3 or 4. Proof that Sam should always play CH. Still if we'd brought Mahon on at 2-1 and not given Cook the freedom of Chester we might have nicked a point. Pretty good since we carried a player for well over an hour

Trampmere.... ffs 😂

Let's put some of the criticism of ours tactics into perspective here.

Yes. We sit very deep. Partly through design, and partly through the opposition having better, more experienced players. If West Bromwich play Man City do they attack and open up the game? No. They keep compact, disciplined and try to break into space. That's what Macca has had us doing all season. We won a load of games earlier in the season doing exactly that.

Tranmere's playing budget is over £1m. Ours is £370k. They told their supporters they were expecting to lose more money this season than our entire playing budget. Unfortunately the lack of financial fair play in this league ruins it. We need to be smart on the pitch and off it.

Given the players we had missing we did really well last night. Remember the same match last season? We were outplayed all over the park then, not tonight. The midfield of Durrell, Joyce, Lloyd and Horwood were always going to struggle with theirs. I was actually happy when Harris came on, as he's average at best. 

Macca tried to play Sam tucked in in almost a three at times. That worked well. We had no-one to play right back, except maybe O'Brien?? 

Richards tried fairly hard, but his touch and overall hold up play was poor. Having only two strikers is a real issue, even if both are fit and playing well.

There were 4 or 5 occasions in the 2nd half where we broke really well, but each time chose the wrong option. Those chances were what we were playing for, allow them to bring the ball out, then break off the midfield and run at the centre halves. Unfortunately we made poor decisions each time. That's what young players do. That's why the teams at the top have highly paid, experienced players and lots of them.

Comment on the referee too. He probably came off thinking he's had a really good game. There were 3big decisions, and he got them all wrong. It wasn't a penalty. Harris should have been sent off. Our goal wasn't offside. Sums up the officials in this league. Not surprised Managers get fined for their rants after games. Good job supporters don't, it would cost us a fortune!

I thought it was the correct decision to disallow our goal for a foul on their keeper.

Yes Tranmere have a bigger budget and a bigger squad, but no mention of Tranmeres injury list and unavailability. Rovers have been managing injuries and cobbling a side together for weeks now. Mekki Mangan and Stockton all starters last night have about a dozen games between them all season. Harris hasnt even been in the squad recently. a strong Tranmere side yes when Norwood and Cook came on, but dont think poor cash strapped Chester are the only ones who get injury problems.

Proud of the performance from the lads. Each one of them put a shift in. Tranmere's options off the bench were the difference in the end. We've now played the best team in the league (Lincoln) and the second best Tranmere at home and have matched both of those big spending, quality sides for large parts of both home games. Although not picking any points up in either there is plenty of positives to take from both.

O'Brien, Mahon and Dawson were massive positives. Coming into a game like that it's difficult to get up to match speed but all 3 did excellently. Dawson in particular was impressive those 2 tackles he performed in quick succession was and impressive bit of defensive play and he looked tidy on the ball.

We desperately missed Shaw, Lloyd looked a little lost in the midfield and was having to carry Joyce.

My only gripe with recent performances and an area I think we need to improve is retaining the ball from our throw ins. Due to the conditions last night the ball was out of play a lot but we rarely kept possession when it was our throw. It is only Lloyd who will make runs to show for the ball or it's a case of launching it down the line to Alabi who is unlikely to win the ball in the air.

Overall though plenty to build on after a decent performance against a quality side. It's just a shame the next game is ages away as I'm sure the lads are eager to put this disappointment behind them.

At the end of the day the difference was the quality that Tranmere could bring off the bench. I'm trying to laugh at our friend a couple of posts up who is trying to gain pity from us for Tranmere's injury 'crisis', yet seems unable to recognise that they still have players like Norwood and Cook sat on the bench. I would hardly call that a crisis! We played extremely well last night, but in the end the quality in front of goal was the difference. That's what you get when you throw money at it like Tranmere have.

Sam Hughes was a colussus last night. Unfortunately his performances since returning have been at such a level that any chance we had of retaining him for next year have well and truly gone. He won absolutely everything and it was a true captain's performance. I hope Luke George, wherever he was, was suitably embarassed watching such a young player play and organise us in a way he has failed to do all season.

My greatest concern is moving forward. We were carrying three players last night: Richards, Joyce and Hudson. In the end we were exposed by Tranmere because of the final two in particular. McCarthy, being the decent chap that he is, is sure to try and retain all three of these. They quite simply are not good enough for this level. With players like these being re-signed and our better players like Hughes, Alabi and Astles likely to leave in the Summer I am concerned about us moving forwards into next season. McCarthy has to show us that he can recruit players who can come in and play to their kind of level. The new lad, Dawson, looked okay when he came on last night, but let's wait and see how he performs over a period of time. McCarthy has to prove he can recruit players that will continue to move us forwards, without having the astronomical budgets of clubs like Tranmere, where any 'crisis' is just resolved with another big money signing.

However, as an advert for conference football and the level this team can play at on a good day, it was second to none.

Add to that the fact that he did not send a player to the touchline after being treated for injury. 

To be honest, I thought it was a fair result but frustrating because they only won it right at the end - I thought we might have hung on for a draw.

I don't think anyone can question the commitment of the team as a whole but the difference in class and experience told in the end.
We badly missed Shaw who adds some quality in midfield and Vassell who is our best RB but we all know the issues regarding the depth of the squad, budget etc.etc.

However, loathe as I am to criticise individuals as I'm more inclined to give them the benefit of the doubt, I've reached the point where I can't defend Richards any longer.
When he arrived, I genuinely thought there was a real talent alongside his pace that could be developed but it seems that he's stalled (sometimes almost literally).
I think that, while the talent is still there, his big problem is his "awareness of the game around him". As examples, it seems that he is often unaware of players positions/runs etc (both our lads and the opposition). As a result, he often runs INTO dead-ends usually ending up grounded by a hairy-arsed defender OR holds onto the ball when the simple, obvious pass is there to make. I think this is where the crowd's frustration stems from.
This begs the question - is he being coached in this aspect of the game (I would hope Macca is trying) or is it that he CAN'T or WON'T be coached? I suspect it's the latter which suggests to me either a misplaced arrogance or that he's reached his level or both.
Either way, at the moment I feel he's a bit of a passenger and cannot see what he brings to the team - with a wafer-thin squad we can't afford to carry anyone.
With Mahon back and looking sharp. I'd like to see him or Durrell or Chappell up front with Alabi who desperately needs support.

I think both Richards and the Club are at the crossroads now - does he REALLY want to improve (look at Alabi's development)? If not do we agree a parting of the ways at the end of the season?

Watched the last 20 mins last night and was delighted with the result but just popped in to say that your shed looks even worse on TV than when you are actually there.. Mind that gap

How's your promotion push going? Or will you get promoted 'next season', like your fans have claimed for the past ten years? Then you can start filling the Kop again...