Having seen all the friendlies

[Jessica]

I think Andy has hit the nail right on the head. The lads who played today have never played as a team before. Some of them featured very little in the friendlies.

 

We at times looked like the away side, chasing down and scrapping for every ball, where has the flowing football that one is the Ryman title gone. We have two small strikers, the long ball simply does not work, they need the ball played across and down the wings and then crossed. I am not knocking the effort that they both put in but let's face it they are hardly going to win many headers with a player standing behind them who is over a foot taller. When we play the ball on the ground and to feet we look a much better side.

 

Speaking to Steve Perkins after the match, he said that todays game was about only the third full match he has played in 5 months, so he did extremely well considering.

 

It all went pear a-shaped after the subs were used, no disrespect to them but perhaps a straight forward replacment for Pennock, instead of a complete new formation, may not have been so un-settling.

 

Some positives. I thought Trott had a first class game, as did Strouts. Perkins played well and Adrian Pennock was as usual exactly in the right place and the right time.

 

Our front pair were disappointing and again in my opinion are much too similar in style. They each offer nothing to the other by way of a different approach.Pinnock made little difference when he came, on and Gradley did not have enough time to make any difference. I thought Tostao was also disappointing.

 

Every player I think did well just to survive the heat, and thought the Ref should have allowed more time for drinks to be taken.

 

Not the start I had hoped for, I really cannot hide my disappointment and neither could the players.

 

Lets just hope we do better in the cool evening air at Woking.

 

 

[JimGNFC]

Tactically speaking Andy got it spot on from the start - 5 at the back with Pennock playing the cameo role of sweeper appears to be our safest bet while the players gell. Pennocks composure and movement enables us to retain possesion, while his distribution from the back at least generally brings other players into play - the other centre halves tend to hoof it in the air, which gives our strikers little, or no chance of retaining possession.

 

Like many others, I feel it all went wrong when Pennock was substituted and the formation was changed from 5-3-2 to 4-4-2. Why the change of formation?

 

We were a goal to the good, had no need to chase the game and 75% of the players have never played together in a REAL game. On top of this, all these new faces were expected to adapt to a different system of play - half way through the game? Please let's keep it simple and stick to the 1 pattern of play with the same 11 players if possible, while the team is gelling!

 

As for all this talk about "small strikers" - I agree that we need a big target man to act as a foil but Burton's Christian Moore clearly demonstrated there is room for a pint sized striker in a Conference team - providing he is good enough - after all he spent half the game twisting and turning Francis Duku who is your typical Conference defender in terms of size.

 

And why was Christian Moore so effective? Because Burton played ball to feet. All 4 (Abbey, Huggins, Evans and Pinnock) of our strikers lack height so why is the ball hoofed forward to them from the back?

Its just so infuriating to watch when time and time again the ball is punted upfield only for the opposition defence to return the compliment - thereby putting our defence back under pressure.

 

On a more positive note, the new Club Programme is quite brilliant!!!

[CC]

couldnt agree more, jessica.

 

thought trott was brilliant, he won everything in the air and he looks strong. pennock's positional knowledge is great, he was the lynchpin, and so taking him off proved distructive, especially as they were beginning to really put pressure on us at that time. i assumed andy made the change to avoid us sitting back too much, but i think we were beginning to frustrate burton and im sure it could have been possible to guard the lead until the final whistle, had we kept the system. if pennock was tired, he could have just bought shearer on.

 

perkins was lively and did well considering. but we definitely need drury!! this long ball stuff just wont do. think he'll be the link. but we do need a bigger striker in case we have to resort to the long balls again. surely we can get one on loan if nothing else...

[Gordon T]

Yep the formation change was a real blow. I thought McClements did quite well. We need to keep the formation the same so that the players know their roles inside-out and there is no confusion. I think that the defence is and will be strong providing they arent being changed about too much.

Well i believe the players we have, have the abillity to win so its just a matter of time.

 

I was a little dissapointed at the turnout though. I hope it was due to the heat

[Mepis]

As i said earlier on another thread i am totally cheesed off, taking Pennock off cost us the game, and i would like to see Rob Owen, Lee Shearer and Jamie Pinnock start the game at Woking.

 

Team. O'Rieley

Lee, Shearer, Duku, Pennock, Trott

Pinnock, Mckimm, Owen, Perkins

Abbey.

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

O'really

Shearer duku pennock trott Skins

OWEN Strouts McKimm

Perkins

Abbey

 

Subs; Huggins, Pinnock, Slade, Kwashi, mcClements

 

Would do for me on Tuesday night, I thought that Perks played in the hole well on Saturday, but we can't afford to have him play that role behind 2 strikers away from home...

But lets wait and see.

 

[John@TheFleet]

I believe Pennock was taken off because his knees were totalled. We've known this weakness for a while. Owen had a slight injury so he wasn't in the reckoning which I think was a shame 'cos he's looked good pre-season. As for poor Tosty, after the game he told me " I want to vomit. I should have scored." His words. Poor lad was distraught. Despite what may be said about our performance, there's no doubt the players are really up for it and if we can get a result at Woking, which Andy & the lads feel is totally realistic, then I think we will go from strength to strength. Faith, never lose the faith.

[David Holden]

Rob Owen is injured which was why he didn't feature on Saturday.

 

I don't know if he will be fit for Tuesday.