Todays Game

[Guest]

Going to sound like a broken record

 

First Half, coundn't ask for more from the players, Owen was running everywhere and was the engine in the midfield. The defence was solid and the build/link up play was great.

 

Second Half, terrible, the midfield (what midfield) were all over the place, the defence went AWOL, i'm not sure if this was due to telfords extra fitness, as our players didnt seem to match them second half.

 

Players,

Pat Gradley, brilliant , gave everything, and Man of the Match

 

Rob Owen, as i said, great first half, second half nothing

 

James Pinnock, First touch was terrible, if he could have held the ball up we could have created a few more changes. I must amit very impressed with the amount of running he done today.

 

Steve Mckimm, He may be the captain, but he needs to give alot more, his passing was terrible (again)and feel he if lucky to still be in the team. Was waching him during the game, waiting for him to gee-up the lads, but nothing!!

 

 

[FleetFanatic]

Evans came on as sub 80 mins too late.

Haworth was out of puff after about 60 mins.

 

Andy Ford really has some strange ideas on team line-ups and tactics.

 

In the past I have held back & no doubt he will still be there come monday, but I don't agree with his idea of 'things are that bad as we are losing each game by just one goal' as come the end of the season we would still be bottom if we lost every game by that margin.

 

Oh by the way, we are now the ONLY team yet to put any points on the board.

[Stu M]

Well, that was my first game of the season and - obviously - it was not very good. Gradley didn't impress me at all though he improved as things went on. Perkins looked good first half, quite Bentleyesque, but ran out of steam.

 

Pinnock I expected a lot more from, maybe he'll look better as a midfielder, but the defence and midfield went walkies for most of the second half, probably not helped by the fact it got buggered about with so much after the substitutions.

 

Ninety minutes might not be enough to say definitely, but first impressions tell me most of those players are very good Ryman League players. But they are not Conference standard and that's why we're bottom of the table.

 

We can't use the excuses that the team need to gel, that we're only losing by the odd goal, that we've been unlucky, becuase four games with zero points could very well turn into eight games with one or two points, and by then we'll be seriously in the sh*t.

[Stu B]

I was impressed the first half,thought we might even sneak a win.Second half completly different story,we were sh*t,we were backing of,and i don't think the ref helped at all(I'd have given two penalties to us,and telford were getting away with murder!).I don't think we deserved that consolation goal either. It was like a graveyard there today,very quiet,though somewhat understandable but at times like these we need to get behind the team.As i was standing there in the deadly silence i was thinking(yes it did hurt),how long do we go before the board has to change things?Do we wait for andy to turn things round or do we change things now?How long are we suppose to wait?Is there going to be that miracle signing?Many questions...and it seems only one answer...relegation...Hopefully i'll be feeling more confident tommorow...maybe..... <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[new to the game]

my first game too of the season

fair result, no moans, good ref,

we had the better play first half

thought perkins outstanding for us

and yes like bentley

it must be difficult for them

not having played together for long

the danger is that their heads go down

pinnock's didn't

but why if we are short of forwards is not evans given a run?

he will leave us soon if he doesn't get a decent chance

and then where will that leave us?

i'd far rather have played evans than the loan signing

who to be fair, as he is in the enfield reserves, was short of pace.

good luck v farnborough

and be careful for the first 10 mins after half time

that is where we fell short last season

 

[Stu B]

Quote:

new to the game said:
good ref

Sorry got to disagree there!He was very biased!

[carjam]

My first game...The performance wasn't very good. The players were lacking in fitness, lacking in ideas and badly organized. It breaks my heart to see my beloved team looking that bad. Carry on like that and it will be 42 games 0 points. Reminded me of that season back in 1971. I will continue watching as I love the club. I don't know what or who to blame, maybe the heat, maybe the manager, perhaps the players or perhaps the board for not giving Mr Ford enough cash. Some team somewhere are going to give the team a big whalloping very soon I fear unless something happens. Oh dear..hope I'm wrong.

[mik]

what midfield i hear you ask....... didnt we have 8 midfielders 1 defender and 2 strikers on the pitch at the end? the tactics are mystifying to say the least.

 

what has louie evans done wrong to stay on the bench when we have a striker shortage? surely he has to be given a chance or he will be another who got away !!

 

i thought pinnock run his ass off again today , shame we dont have a few more players with his commitment and passion.

 

the gate dropped down to the 800's and who can blame the fans who stayed away , im sure they are the first of many if the current vein of form continues.

 

i know we can play better than we are and i believe we can turn things around , but is it gonna happen with mr ford at the helm? i think we shall know by this time next week , if we still have 0 points then i think we have to look at our options.

 

ade pennock player manager sounds good to me. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

 

anyone know how drury's injury is doing?

 

 

[Red Marauder]

I know we need to get behind the players and I for one will always back the team but we've got to be honest with ourselves and say that the team we have at the moment just is'nt good enough. They are giving their all but the majority of them are not Confernece standard.

 

I felt sorry for Perkins, Shearer and Owen who are the only ones with any idea. We won absolutley nothing in the air today and Haworth, what the hell has Andy seen in him!

 

However, I am glad that Andy realised that Matt Lee was being turned inside out in the first half to take him off at half time. McKimm, his heart doesn't seem to be in it.

 

Anyway, it could be worse, we could be playing Chester at home next week.......Help!!!!!!!

 

[mik]

thought haworth played ok for the first half , considering he was dropped straight in , i think he should get another chance on monday.

[StuThompson]

I know it was a bad performance today but was it necessary to boo at the end of the match, the confidence of the players must have hit rock bottom after that.

[FleetFanatic]

Bit like our table position.....

[John@TheFleet]

Quote:

Stuart Thomson said:
I know it was a bad performance today but was it necessary to boo at the end of the match, the confidence of the players must have hit rock bottom after that.

See the thread "Noise". I've got a very big and very nasty bee in my bonnet at the moment...and I've been drinking....

[Gordon T]

Firstly like the rest of you I agree that the first half was good. I am just amazed at how the team can go from stringing together 5-6 passes and creating good chances to suddenly not stringing 2 passes together, and that was in the space of half-time. what was said?

The second half performance left little to sing about. Criticism was well deserved going by the second half performance. We seemed to lose the basics of football, Passing and control were poor. If we keep playing 2 completely different halves of football then we wil never win. Im dreading Chester Next Saturday

[I.C.@G&NFC]

I thought both teams looked very evenly matched during the first half. We both looked strong going forward and both had chances to score. Defensively we both looked shaky and likely to give away possession. The second half was a different story. Telfords first goal was due to loss of control on the edge of the box and the other two (including their disallowed one), was because our defence was so ragged, Telford had a man over each time. With the exception of O'Reilly, Owen, Pinnock and possibly Gradley, no one looked fit. And, once Telford had scored their second even they faded, despite Gradley' goal. No one, not one single solitary squad member looks capable of playing in the Conference. Telford today, and Woking, both looked poor. Burton looked average at best, but we look worse.

 

Andy cobbled together a team in time for the beginning of the the season, but it is mismatched and inexperienced (not all our players were fit or have Conference experience). They all want to do their best for the fans and the club, of course, but if they haven't got the physical or mental ability they're no good to us.

Andy must now know he is hanging on by the skin of his teeth. He has taken us as far as HE can, and a brilliant job he's done. There are other,however, more suitable managers out there who would happily take Gravesend and Northfleet up to a higher level. It is time to say, thank you to Andy, but goodbye, good luck and all the best in the future.

A new manager will be able to bring in new players. How? Every manager, at no matter what level, has players that respect them and will join him at his new club. There's one former manager I know, whose name carries a lot of weight in non-league football. Who is respected and has the ability to get players interested in joining him. It's not Adrian Pennock, he hasn't got the experience, and would need to learn the ropes first, anyway.

As for singing the team on. You can sing until your throat is ulcerated and bloody, but it won't make a player any better. It may boost his spirit, but if he's a 'donkey' he won't perform any better.

[Matt (GNFC)]

Agree with u 100% IC. Seen it coming since June thats why im unfortunately top of the prediction league. We will draw on Monday though !!! Still think i talk [****!!****] with my views Dave??

[Hempstead Gaz]

Sadly, our problems started when we lost Wilkins, Bentley, Jackson and Hatch. The problems have been compounded by losing Wilkerson, Duku's loss of form and injury and McKimm playing like he wants a transfer. Nil points from 4 games comes as no great surprise and there is no quick fix. Andy has made a serious error of judgement by bringing in players he thought were as good as or better than the players who have gone. They are not. He is now in a no win position. Attendances are falling (not surprising) and little money will be available to improve the team.

I suspect Andy's reign as manager will now be short lived, for although he proved he was an exceptional manager at Ryman level, he has never shown either the tactical, man management skills nor talent spotting skills at Conference level.

Time for a change before it is too late.

[Matt (GNFC)]

This may sound ludicrous but i think we need a high profile manager like a Mark Wright, Nigel Clough. These people bring exposure to their clubs and generate cash through television money etc etc. Now, what do people think about Paul Gascoigne as potential manager. The commercial spin offs for this club would be huge. He´s looking to get into management and the ideal place to start is the conference. He wouldnt ask for sky high wages as he doesnt need them plus we´d get a division 1 midfielder in the team. May sound "daft as a brush" but i dont think we have anything to lose by appointing someone like him if Ford were to go.

[Guest]

Wembley Stadium 1991, Spurs versus Arsenal, enough said. Give him the job. Legend.

[Gordon T]

Having Gazza is a bit dodgy due to his mental state and the fact that none of the oplayers would be able to understand what he is saying. Im starting to think that a new manager is needed now but with lack of funds to change the team a new manager would find it very hard to do better.

On the subject of cash i suppose that the 23k we got for hatch went into the running cost of the club.

Did we have to accept the offer and let him go?