The Opposition View - Bury

Following yesterday's superb 4-1 win at Bury, here are some views on the game from the Shakers' assistant manager Peter Shirtliff and a few of their fans.

"At the end of the day it's all about goals and we've let four in and only scored one at the other end," said Shirtliff.

"And they were four pretty cheap goals," he added. "I thought the fourth one was a good finish to be fair, but the others were pretty cheap goals."

Asked if his side's penalty miss at 2-1 down was a turning point in the game, Shirtliff replied: "Well you could say that, but you've got to be above that, you've got to not let that affect you and just carry on playing as you were doing when you were in the ascendancy."


The Bury fans had little to say about Wycombe, preoccupied as they are with dark thoughts of lazy loanees, impending doom and an urgent need to sack their manager.

The following extracts are taken from themightyshakers message board.


blackpudding_bury wrote:
"Same story every game, playing 'ok' but keep letting goals in for fun.'


StringyUK wrote:
"Carson made four very good saves to stop the scoreline looking MUCH worse.'


BarryStrange wrote:
"It appears we need to score 5 to win a game.'


puddin wrote:
"We've had very little luck on our side this season with one thing and another, and now you can add the ball going out of play before they scored their first.'


stonekeeper wrote:
"No-one's this unlucky.'


hudd_white wrote:
"It wasn't unlucky that we were playing a team whose players were taller than ours yet we kept playing the ball in the air. It wasn't unlucky that our players were indecisive. It wasn't unlucky that our players couldn't string three passes together. It's no coincidence that the more you practice the luckier you get.'


tommy wrote:
"Their 1st goal went out of play. Their 2nd goal was because we fell asleep after we equalised. Then Coke missed the penalty when we were on top. Their 3rd was offside and their 4th took a deflection. But that's what happens when you're in freefall. How the ref failed to book anyone for time wasting is unbelievable the number of times they blatantly kicked the ball away.'


Milesy wrote:
"We started 4-2-4, then went 4-4-2 after their right back burst into space twice to create both their goals. We need a settled team in a settled formation.'


burytilidie wrote:
"I get the feeling with a few of these players that they couldn't care less if we stay up or go down. I was expecting to see a few things on twitter from the players apologising for that performance but there's nothing at all from any of them.'


fenton91 wrote:
"Bury FC has lost its identity. It's not all Richie's fault but how many loan players do we have who have nothing to do with the club.'


giggabyte wrote:
"The moral of the story is - don't rely on loanees to save your job for you.'


Poolie_Shaker wrote:
"At the end of the day, we have a vast amount of loanees who will still be playing in Lg 1 next year at a different club if we go down and probably even if we stay up. The main thing on their mind is getting much needed first team football. The lack of desire is rife throughout the whole squad, so why the hell should a bunch of loanees care?


nick01 wrote:
"The team is in freefall and the manager clearly has little idea of how to change it. Relegation (and it IS coming, folks) will see us cast back into the netherworld of League 2. We are now just 5 points ahead of the pack and dropping like a stone. The team are so heavily loaded with loan players that they play like the strangers that they are.'


6768 wrote:
"I've supported Ritchie but he won't be able to keep us up. We now need to gamble on new management.'


heysidays01 wrote:
"I will be utterly bemused if the board haven't acted before Monday morning. I thoroughly expect to see a statement saying RB has been relieved of his job before then.'


boltonshaker wrote:
"We need a change now. Ok it may not work but we need someone with different ideas. Just look at Tranmere since Ronnie Moore took over.'


RNaj1 wrote:
"We have to hope that new manager syndrome is enough to see us over the line. I think someone like Ian Dowie, who is apparently a mate of one of the directors, could come in as a favour until the end of the season and crack the whip with this underperforming shower.'


D-L-T wrote:
"I really like Barker but today was abject and I can't see any other solution. It KILLS me to say it but Martin 'Mad Dog' Allen may be an option. We struggled for too long in League 2 and worked too hard to get out of there. We have to throw the kitchen sink at staying up or at this rate we'll be gone with a whimper and won't return for another 10 years.


DamienM wrote:
"Martin Allen would keep us up.'


shakerandy wrote:
"A lack of ambition by the club in general and an unwillingness to act on the current situation has destroyed the hard work spent getting out of that god awful league.'


Radcliffe Loyal wrote:
"I don't think sacking the manager or his assistant will change anything. I hate to say this, but we are a League 2 club attempting to survive in League 1. The team wasn't strengthened; six key members of our promotion squad are now playing elsewhere; loan signings have failed to improve our form. Add to this - poor attendances; the infuriating tendency of club employees to blame the supporters and the failure of the residents of the borough to respond to the club's promotion. We are living on borrowed time in this division.'


Not a happy bunch then!


Next Game: Exeter v Wycombe - Tuesday 20th March - 7.45pm

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