It was the referee and the pitch to blame would be my summary

https://www.gloucestershirelive.co.uk/s ... ad-2652502

If my memory serves me correct , the cheltenham pitch has always been pretty shocking, nonetheless it amazes me how managers use it as a deflection.

I very much doubt that a team still not safe from relegation have been playing scintillating football on other pitches this season.

Yes they have lost 17 games this season - 16 on billiard green surfaces and just one on our ploughed field.

County Exile wrote:Yes they have lost 17 games this season - 16 on billiard green surfaces and just one on our ploughed field.

Quite disrespectful to our players as well considering half of them would walk into the Cheltenham side.

The pitch just an easy excuse for losing managers but these words I think we're OTT "That summed up the referee I thought, he didn't see it for us and he saw it for them."

This is an example of what I was saying the other day no one gives us credit, we were better than them simple as.

Blaming our pitch frankly makes opposing managers look quite ridiculous. Surely by now they can think of something more original.

It's funny that Pep brought his Man City side to Rodders and not once made an excuse about the pitch saying "you have to adapt to all pitches"

Bristolexile wrote:It's funny that Pep brought his Man City side to Rodders and not once made an excuse about the pitch saying "you have to adapt to all pitches"

Difference being the man has a bit of class ( and they won of course ) . It would be interesting to note how many managers of winning teams mentioned the pitch eh ?

I haven’t read his article but if he’s complaint about the state of the pitch he has a fair point - and if he said the football was dire he’s not alone there either as so did our manager and nearly everyone at the game - the only good thing was they were as poor as us and missed chances to kill us off - the last time we were so crap was at their place where we lost but at least we won this one which is of course a good thing - UTC

The NCFC Hippy wrote:I haven’t read his article but if he’s complaint about the state of the pitch he has a fair point - and if he said the football was dire he’s not alone there either as so did our manager and nearly everyone at the game - the only good thing was they were as poor as us and missed chances to kill us off - the last time we were so crap was at their place where we lost but at least we won this one which is of course a good thing - UTC

Well I agree about the standard of play , as you say most anyone who was there couldn’t fail to agree , it was dire. However, from what I remember their pitch is far from marvellous and I think the complaints are merely a convenient peg on which to hang his hat. Let’s be honest, a decent footballer can play on any surface even on a beach using a Jaffa orange as a ball! To me that sort of performance is down to a lack of skill, pace and tactics and possibly fitness , it’s not the pitches fault .

I’ve seen very entertaining and skilful games played on total mudheaps and anybody my age was brought up playing and watching football on pitches that were far worse than RP - I don’t recall any lack of skill and excitement then.

Perhaps of course Cheltenham usually play like Barcelona and the trip across the border to RP reduced them to mediocrity though their league position tends to dispute that unless most L2 pitches are farmers fields compared to Cheltenham’s supposed bowling green.

The NCFC Hippy wrote:I haven’t read his article but if he’s complaint about the state of the pitch he has a fair point - and if he said the football was dire he’s not alone there either as so did our manager and nearly everyone at the game - the only good thing was they were as poor as us and missed chances to kill us off - the last time we were so crap was at their place where we lost but at least we won this one which is of course a good thing - UTC

Sorry mate I don't think our pitch is any worse than a lot of lower league sides and the amount of use its had I reckon its decent

Some of our results at home have come about because, despite the irregular playing surface, we still try to play a passing game. Other teams come here, take one look at the pitch and abandon their regular style. A prime example is Mansfield, hence the rant by their manager. We got it wrong in the first half on Friday, it was a bit like going back two seasons when Plan A was to launch the ball forwards and hope for the best. Second half we were a bit more on track, hence Matt having two one-on-one runs down the middle from the halfway line. We get results when we start the game all guns blazing and put the opposition on the back foot. We can do that against any team in this league.

UPTHEPORT wrote:

The NCFC Hippy wrote:I haven’t read his article but if he’s complaint about the state of the pitch he has a fair point - and if he said the football was dire he’s not alone there either as so did our manager and nearly everyone at the game - the only good thing was they were as poor as us and missed chances to kill us off - the last time we were so crap was at their place where we lost but at least we won this one which is of course a good thing - UTC

Sorry mate I don't think our pitch is any worse than a lot of lower league sides and the amount of use its had I reckon its decent

You obviously don’t go to many away games, there aren’t any pitches as bad as the one we welcome teams to !

It may be the best surface it can be, given the traffic on it, but that doesn’t make it a decent surface though.