Looking back at the Cheltenham game.
Jimmy Bullard made his Latics debut this week in a game which should have been sewn up by half time.
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It was clear to see that Town were playing 4-3-3 with Julian Alsop and Damian Spencer pulling onto our smaller full-backs. They also had three centre midfielders to our two which was causing trouble.
Really we should have admitted defeat in the middle and pushed our wide men in Teale and Bullard right onto the flanks and up alongside the frontmen and really given their defence something to think about. Howver to me it felt as though we needed to go with a 3-5-2 system.
I know we always play 4-4-2 etc... by I sincerly felt that this was hindering us on Saturday.
A back three of Breckin, Jackson and De Vos with Eaden and Kennedy at full-backs. Dinning, Bullard and Mitchell in the centre of midfield feeding Ellington and Liddell may have reaped more rewards.
After the first 30 minutes our game plan seemed lacking and the crowd began to apply pressure on the team to get the ball forward instead of constructing controlled passing attacks.
As a result the ball was pumped aimlessly to the two smaller frontmen and headed back into the middle of the park, were they had the extra man. Surely three centre mid's would have eliminated this?
This would have also allowed Eaden and Kennedy to wander forward and push onto their full-backs.
Maybe it would have left us exposed slightly at the back with 3 vs 3 but I'm sure that those three defenders would have had less trouble than the in-experienced Shane Duff and brother Michael.
One point which I must stress is that the crowd seemed very impatient at 0-0 approaching half time. I know that things are not going to plan when the game is like this, but I'm sure that yelling for the ball to be smashed forward aimlessly does not help the cause!
Over 6,000 were there on Saturday which is a very heathy crowd considering our opposition, with full respect to Cheltenham Town.
Here is what Town boss Bobby Gould had to say, "If we'd played everything up the middle, their centre-halves Jason de Vos and Matt Jackson would have gobbled up everything.
"It was a point which could mean a lot to us at the end of the season," he said.
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"I think my reaction at the end of the game, when we went over to our supporters with a double-fisted salute - it showed what the result meant.
"It was a point which could mean a lot to us at the end of the season," he said.
"We went there with a game plan and it worked. It was a very, very solid performance.
"I think my reaction at the end of the game, when we went over to our supporters with a double-fisted salute - it showed what the result meant.
"You have to look at our defenders and John Brough went off with a groin and young Shane Duff went on," Gould said.
"They were truly superb, and there was a goalkeeper called Book out there today who was absolutely magnificent.
"The double save was a world-class save. I've got to say that, even though we're playing in the second division.
"We looked at their two central defenders. De Vos wins everything in the air with Jackson alongside him, so we had to think how to give them a problem rather than worry about what they were going to do.
"We decided to go with three up to close on their full-backs and see how they handled that.
"Tactically, we have to experiment to reach a situation where we can come to places like this and get a point."
Congratulations Cheltenham.
Jimmy Bullard
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I gave him an eight in my match report and he was only out-shone by the very impressive Gary Teale.
When asked about Jimmy, Jewell said: "We're delighted to have Jimmy Bullard. He gives us something different, he's got a great range of passing, he wants the ball and is comfortable in possession and he will be an asset for the club.
"You can see he's a bright intelligent footballer looking to score goals. He tries very hard and he's going to be a real asset to us."
Manager of the Month
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