Today's game

[Hempstead Gaz]

Got to agree there as well 442. All of our centre halves, Pennock,Duku,Shearer and Moore are about 30 minutes over 100 yards. Whenever we play against quick strikers we are found out.

Can't remember Wilkins or Nick Burton being that slow. Perhaps worth investing in this department too.

Might be worth making Canvey an offer for Protheroe, what a footballing centre half he could be!

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Not sure about a penalty in the first half, but that free kick the ref gave right on the edge of the area earlier in the second half looked very much inside the area to me.

[UP FLEET]

Is it just me or as the standard of reffing gone down hill this season compaired to last season.Some of them would struggle on a sunday afternoon down the park.Perhaps lack lusture was a bit strong but the mistakes just keep on coming, when we spray the ball about we can worry any team in the conference, but on other occations we make our selves look bad.Some one said to me all you need to do is keep picking up a point per game in order to survive,so on a match of games to points you shouldnt go down, so with 23 played and 20 points in the bag were just short,lets hope to put that right against margate.

[Stu B]

It's interesting to see people talking about spreading the play,we do look very impressive when we spread it,knock it about etc. The weird thing is a few years ago i did a football course at Gravesend and Northfleet and Andy Ford was helping out,and he kept empthasising to us the importance of spreading play and particularly "switching play"...yet we as a team rarely do this..

[jc]

Quote:

Chatham Gary said:
Does Andy actually practice that ludicrous blast towards the opposition corner flag from kick offs. WHAT IS THAT ALL ABOUT.

Correct, Gary - the players standing on the wing are never going to reach the ball. I haven't seen the tactic work once.

[Hempstead Gaz]

It just gives the impression to the opposition that we cannot keep possession for more than 2 passes. Not intelligent football, not conference football, not even Kent league football.

Let us ban Wilko from hoofing the ball upfield, only throws or short passes to defenders; defenders only short /medium passes to midfielders; let the skillful midfielders lay on the passes to our front men.

This way we might see a little football played, and we may even win a game or two.

[KShep]

Well, if we beat the 'Git by two clear goals, we'll go 17th. Andy Drury was easily MOTM, his creativity, crosses, and clever play make you trhink how he was bought from a lower league team! Lee Protheroe was excellent, he looked cool and reassured in center-mid. Ben Walshe can pull of most of the tricks in the book, but not once in the past few games I've seen (I attend all home games) has he made a good pass or cross. Wilko was once more fantastic, if we'd have played with the desire in the last 20 for the whole 90, we'd have taken the points.

 

HEY, IT REALLY IS CHRISTMAS! BEN ABBEY SCORED and WAS RUNNING AT MORE THAN HALF-PACE!!

 

Bring on the homeless Gyppos....

 

 

[Gordon T]

I was wondering would they think of getting money from Gladwish??? hopefully not, or if they did ask he wouldnt give them anything. But he is mental so anything could happen if they asked him

[Student Scum]

Quote:

Someone said to me all you need to do is keep picking up a point per game in order to survive, so on a match of games to points you shouldn't go down

Not the same someone who mentioned that to both Nuneaton and Southport last season was it...?

They dropped out with 45 and 46 points to their names from 42...!

[UP FLEET]

point taken, fingers crossed, forever optimistic.

[Hempstead Gaz]

On the basis that we now need at least a point per game from now on, and having established that route 1 football is not only ugly to watch but it appears to be route 1 back to the Rymans League and so far has been particularly unsucessful, why don't Andy and Ade shuffle things around and play a team based on skill and passing ability (our strength).

Accordingly, our best line up would be :-

Wilkerson

Lee Duku Gibbs

Protheroe

Owen McKimm Walshe

Perkins

Drury Haworth.

 

The idea is that Protheroe would play defensively in front of a back three who can actually pass the ball. A strong centre midfield of McKimm and Perkins, plenty of pace down the line, and a combination of big target man who holds the ball well with our most astute front man.

 

As long as the ball is played on the deck, this team could worry most clubs in this league.

 

 

[Stu B]

Andy's view of the match

[JimGNFC]

Quote:

Vera said:
By the way, do any of you agree with what I felt, that we played the passing game a lot more today?

Yes. Presumably the passing footie had something to do with the strong winds! Lets face it, if the team can play good quality, passing football in those conditions why not adopt this style of play every week?

Has anyone ever asked Andy why we tend to adopt the long ball approach when the team can clearly pass the ball as a unit? It would be interesting to hear his opinion on this subject in the matchday magazine - considering the number of fans on here that feel a passing game suits us better.

[David Holden]

Might have more to do with the fact that we had two fast forwards who were able to get to the ball rather than having Rob Howarth whose strenth is in the air.

[Hirsty]

Who do you slag off when Abbey isn't playing ???

[Graham S]

Exactly. Must admit, I'm a bit surprised by these Billy Whizzes who reckon Ben has no pace. I work with someone who coached him & the Duke when they were 6th formers at St Francis Xavier & when I mentioned they were with us, his first question was whether Abbey was still "bloody quick."

 

Sorry chaps. I know he hasn't always had great games for us, but your judgement is definitely clouded. NLP gave him 7 for Saturday & 7 at Burton, where we were hammered & he only came on as a sub. Why not take the poo tinted spectacles off & look at him properly from now on.

 

Graham S

[FleetFanatic]

I always maintained he had pace - a few goals to prove he has the ability will prove me wrong about the rest.

 

I think the reservations people have is that he is quite a small attacker, playing against all these big conference centre-halfs?

 

However, aren't Aldershot's forwards of a similar nature?

Look where they are!!!!!

[Rotten Johnny Shawcraw]

I'm not normally one for slagging off referee's but Saturdays one was not the best I've ever seen although he could have sent Wilko off in the opening minute and whilst I couldn't see the penalty incident clearly some Woking fans were adament that it was not handball.

We could have won it in the end, oh well lets take six points from Margit!

[KShep]

Ben Abbey has the pace, but earlier on in the season, he lacked the desire, he isn't that inteligent on the field (although bloody good run for his goal on Saturday) and he lacks height. I feel it will all change...

[Graham S]

Cheers! Optimism is everything!