Five Conclusions: Yeovil Town 0 Solihull Moors 1

Well, I guess someone had to do the negative one.

Gloverscast Ben was watching on National League TV – with a Camera Operator who couldn’t keep track of the football – and watched the Yeovil Town produce a… flat… performance against Solihull Moors. Conclusions, five of them, incoming.

Are we unfit or just a bit knackered?

Post match, Matt Worthington called the performance, ‘leggy’ and ‘lethargic’ and it was absolutely evident from very early on we had some players really feeling it.

As early as the latter stages of the first half, some players were running in custard whilst our opponents were gliding across the pitch, making closing down and pressuring look really easy.

This staggers me, I cannot believe that a Mark Cooper side would ever not be fit, but I don’t quite know what else to think?

Is it the many, MANY motorway miles? The quick turnarounds? The sheer effort that as been exerted against Boston and Fylde or something else that it catching up with a few players? I don’t know, but it’s a long old season and on the face of it, we already look like we could use some time to rest.

For what it’s worth, only Olly Wright has played every minute so far this season, (820), with Nouble (669), Smith (649) and Matt Worthington (651) next on the minutes played list. 

We were done by the dark arts again.

Just like against Hartlepool, we not only gave our opponents something to hold onto, to defend, but we also… let them defend it.

Our very own Ian Perkins made a great point on commentary that when Laurie Walker, the Moors’ keeper was booked for time wasting on 79 minutes, it was really only the crowd who got on the official’s back to do something… are we being too nice?

Where was the oomph we saw at Boston? the Ability to give a bit back to let the referee know about every pulled shirt, every kick out of sight, every second delayed?

I don’t get it, make a song and dance about it lads, there were times that Frank Nouble literally had the shirt lifted off his back and it was just… let to pass by.

A couple of times Solihull players felt the whiff of a nearby passing of wind and decided to have a roll about and really take their time to get back going – I’m not knocking it, I’m wanting us to play those games too, or at very least put up a bit of a fuss that it’s happening.

Right, breathe, let’s do a positive one.

Jarvis is the real deal up top – let’s get with him

Aaron Jarvis chased back over 50 yards in the 94th minute to snuff out one final Solihull counter attack. He and Sonny – who had just been brought on – found more in their legs than just about anyone to get back and prevent a second goal.

Ok, that’s great, but Jarvis again was doing so much up front but really felt lonely at times.

We’ve chopped and changed the trio of attacking talent in behind the front man, but he’s been a fairly constant figure and for the most part and has put his body on the line and played really well for annoyingly little return.

Mark Cooper said he was underwhelmed with his attacking players, I say let’s give Jarvis a partner. He’s got all the attributes to either do the back to goal stuff or get himself into the box, but all too often there’s not enough bodies around him to either pick up the pieces or be a second body in the box for a cross, or even provide the cross for Jarvis to get on the end of.

Is it Sims, maybe a big-man-little-man? Could it have been Greenslade if it wasn’t for the injury? Is there a Sonny Cox-style striker out there? I’m not going to go full Mike Bassett here, but would 4-4…2… be worth a go?

…and actually maybe that’s the point.

What is our best team line up?

We’re heading to Oldham next week for the tenth game of the season, and even if the next two go badly, we’ll be sitting on 12 points from 10 games, not bad at all.

But there’s still this rumbling debate on the terrace (and on the pod… and in the WhatsApp chats)… “Is that a four at the back? Have we gone to wingbacks? Surprised to see him starting, I thought he’d be on the bench. Isn’t he more of an impact player?”

You’ve had those conversations haven’t you?

What is our preferred way of setting up? Because last year you could rattle the eleven off in seconds, you know where each of them are going to be and how well they’re going to do it.

This season, through injury, suspension and new faces and new opposition, I don’t think we do know.

We’ve now made the Half-Time double sub Hail Mary on each of the last two games, suggesting the first eleven probably wasn’t right, we’ve seen the defence chop and change more times in eight games than we did in 48 last year. 

Is it time to nail down a team, a style, a formation, a way of playing and sticking to it?

Let’s get Huish Park back to the fortress it can be.

In the National League South, Huish Park was essentially every team’s Wembley final, some loved it and pushed us all the way, some wilted under the pressure of playing in a stadium with more than three stands in it.

This year, it isn’t the same, teams have been to us before, it’s not the big day out for them. So, what we have now is an expectant home crowd, who’s heard our last two away games, watched on streams and heard the Gloverscast wax lyrical about them… now they want to see some of that for themselves.

Matt Worthington is right, it’s a two way street, the players need the fans behind them (booing in September, by the way, have a word… it was poor, but come on) but also, you need something to cheer.

How about this, on Saturday, Glovers fans promise to give you everything, the drum will beat, the ‘Everywhere we go…’ chat will fill the Thatchers stand..

But as the lyric says… ‘watching super Yeovil putting on a show’.

Glovers fans will do their bit, the team will do theirs… deal? Good.

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