Slough v Yellow Sudbury

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

What a pathetic game that was, Sudbury were an average team and played well enough, but we were dross.

 

Only player who put in an effort was Sonner.

 

Martin was yet again a waste of time - how does he get in the team? - there was great relief behind the goal to see it was him who was subbed, yet Bateman made the call too late and should have used all 3 subs to change things around, and bringing on Sippets for the last 5 mins is far too late.

 

That is 3 points lost which should have been won - this game will come back and haunt us at the end of the season!!!

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Agree Sonner run his socks off today and generally we had a very poor game, hopefulyl will improve monday!

[Chris]

Disagree about Martin, but yes he did have a poor game today but so did nearly everyone. I like Sean and he works hard but i'd like to see him more centrally. Comes too wide too often in order to take thows/get involved in the play - in that box is where we need him.

 

Anyhow probably our worst home performance under Steve Bateman against a very ordinary side. 0-0 looked like a cert until they scored. Only bit of good today was Yiadam Yeboah, who I thought had a very good debut.

 

Personally I'd like to see Mo Sharif brought back onto the bench as he's a flair player and could be used when needed. He offers something different to what we have when were not playing well and could have opened something up for us today in a tight game.

 

Fair play for the Sudbury fans as well - best set of support we've seen all season.

Edited February 13, 2010 by Chris

[Matt]

We didn't really get going today. It's a shame but I wonder if expectations just need to be lowered. The table doesn't make pretty reading if we're going for the title (10 points off top spot now) but we're still comfortably in a play-off place at the moment, which is what was generally agreed as the target at the start of the season.

 

I still think it'll be Hitchin or Bury for the title as both are so consistent, and Chesham and Sutton Coldfield challenging for a play-off place with ourselves. I was quite impressed by the latter on the opening day and I was surprised they had such a slow start to the season. I'm not saying it's impossible for us to win the league, just very difficult as the top 6 or 7 are all good sides - unlike the South & West which I believe to be a much weaker league overall and has been a two-horse race virtually from the opening day.

 

It's important though that we get back to winning ways against SYCOB (who were spanked 7-1 today) and go into the Burnham game with confidence.

[chris sliski]

Yes not a good day at the office ..and all the result went against us today ! We need to get back to winning ways asap !

 

it makes for an interesting run in for the season...

 

As for AFC sudbury maybe some might think its was Slough's poor play that got us into trouble today , but be fair to AFC sudbury they really worked hard

and most of the time 2 men were on each Slough players and that takes some effort ..and they certainly put effort in the defence...and credit where credit is due !

 

come on you Rebels...get your heads up and start playing the way we have come to expect...

 

chris sliski

[Reading Rebel]

What can you say about a performance as poor as that!

 

Very similar to the away game at Atherstone where the whole team failed to function.

 

Sudbury succeeded in what they set out to do, work hard at closing us down, double up on Sincs and hope to score on the break which they did with virtually there only shot for 90 minutes.

 

Although most players were poor any move that looked half promising broke down when the ball was played into Simon Martin's feet and he continually failed to control the ball.

 

I think SB did leave it far too late to make the substitutions. It was patently obvious after about 15 minutes of the second half that things were not improving and changes were required.

 

Still, after the Atherstone debacle we came back to win our next 4 games and that's what we need to do now starting Monday.

[Tom]

Agree with Chris, the whole team today just didn't click but I believe that was down to Sudbury getting it right tactically. They doubled up and pressured Slough extremely quick and didn't allow any of the team time on the ball. Slough just couldn't cope, perhaps the illness passing through the squad at the moment didn't help things.

 

Slough's best opportunities in the game fell to NBH with their keeper pulling off two fantastic saves, perhaps if they had fallen to a forward we might be talking about a different result? To blame Martin for the result is ridiculous. Perhaps Bateman could have made changes earlier but I don't think it would have effected the result.

 

Positively, I thought Yeboah had a good first game. I think he can certainly help the team tighten up defensively and stop shipping the odd goal which is the difference between the top 5 teams at the moment.

 

On a side note, its getting pretty tiresome listening to certain people behind the goal always singling out the same particular 3 or 4 players who are deemed at fault no matter the scoreline, the final result or whether they are on the pitch. Just because someone runs around a lot doesn't mean they should be MOTM as a result. The same goes for when Bateman is making substitutions and particular players are taken off. Given the position of the club in comparison to previous seasons Bateman and his team are obviously doing the correct things, stupid comments don't need to be made every time a decision is taken that isn't to your liking.

[Reading Rebel]

Agree with Chris, the whole team today just didn't click but I believe that was down to Sudbury getting it right tactically. They doubled up and pressured Slough extremely quick and didn't allow any of the team time on the ball. Slough just couldn't cope, perhaps the illness passing through the squad at the moment didn't help things.

 

Slough's best opportunities in the game fell to NBH with their keeper pulling off two fantastic saves, perhaps if they had fallen to a forward we might be talking about a different result? To blame Martin for the result is ridiculous. Perhaps Bateman could have made changes earlier but I don't think it would have effected the result.

 

Positively, I thought Yeboah had a good first game. I think he can certainly help the team tighten up defensively and stop shipping the odd goal which is the difference between the top 5 teams at the moment.

 

On a side note, its getting pretty tiresome listening to certain people behind the goal always singling out the same particular 3 or 4 players who are deemed at fault no matter the scoreline, the final result or whether they are on the pitch. Just because someone runs around a lot doesn't mean they should be MOTM as a result. The same goes for when Bateman is making substitutions and particular players are taken off. Given the position of the club in comparison to previous seasons Bateman and his team are obviously doing the correct things, stupid comments don't need to be made every time a decision is taken that isn't to your liking.

 

 

 

Tom, I don't think anyone is solely blaming Simon Martin for our defeat today, just saying that he was getting balls played into his feet and because of his lack of control was continually giving the ball away and was subbed accordingly.

 

As for SB not subbing earlier not effecting the result is something we will never know because it never happened.

[Rouser Rebel]

Agree with Chris, the whole team today just didn't click but I believe that was down to Sudbury getting it right tactically. They doubled up and pressured Slough extremely quick and didn't allow any of the team time on the ball. Slough just couldn't cope, perhaps the illness passing through the squad at the moment didn't help things.

 

Slough's best opportunities in the game fell to NBH with their keeper pulling off two fantastic saves, perhaps if they had fallen to a forward we might be talking about a different result? To blame Martin for the result is ridiculous. Perhaps Bateman could have made changes earlier but I don't think it would have effected the result.

 

Positively, I thought Yeboah had a good first game. I think he can certainly help the team tighten up defensively and stop shipping the odd goal which is the difference between the top 5 teams at the moment.

 

On a side note, its getting pretty tiresome listening to certain people behind the goal always singling out the same particular 3 or 4 players who are deemed at fault no matter the scoreline, the final result or whether they are on the pitch. Just because someone runs around a lot doesn't mean they should be MOTM as a result. The same goes for when Bateman is making substitutions and particular players are taken off. Given the position of the club in comparison to previous seasons Bateman and his team are obviously doing the correct things, stupid comments don't need to be made every time a decision is taken that isn't to your liking.

 

 

Sorry to say both Chris's apart from a long throw (which could in certain games be useful) what difference did Yeboah make, it is a shame we name a MOM when you watch a game like today, both sides very poor , we should now be expecting more from Slough, however are we suffering from Batemans mistake of signing to many players who are not better than we already have. We seem to be in the situation were he is accomodating every ex Hemel player good or bad, what happens Monday if Edgeworth is fit will he then change the side again on todays performance we need to start to worry

[Reading Rebel]

Agree with Chris, the whole team today just didn't click but I believe that was down to Sudbury getting it right tactically. They doubled up and pressured Slough extremely quick and didn't allow any of the team time on the ball. Slough just couldn't cope, perhaps the illness passing through the squad at the moment didn't help things.

 

Slough's best opportunities in the game fell to NBH with their keeper pulling off two fantastic saves, perhaps if they had fallen to a forward we might be talking about a different result? To blame Martin for the result is ridiculous. Perhaps Bateman could have made changes earlier but I don't think it would have effected the result.

 

Positively, I thought Yeboah had a good first game. I think he can certainly help the team tighten up defensively and stop shipping the odd goal which is the difference between the top 5 teams at the moment.

 

On a side note, its getting pretty tiresome listening to certain people behind the goal always singling out the same particular 3 or 4 players who are deemed at fault no matter the scoreline, the final result or whether they are on the pitch. Just because someone runs around a lot doesn't mean they should be MOTM as a result. The same goes for when Bateman is making substitutions and particular players are taken off. Given the position of the club in comparison to previous seasons Bateman and his team are obviously doing the correct things, stupid comments don't need to be made every time a decision is taken that isn't to your liking.

 

 

Sorry to say both Chris's apart from a long throw (which could in certain games be useful) what difference did Yeboah make, it is a shame we name a MOM when you watch a game like today, both sides very poor , we should now be expecting more from Slough, however are we suffering from Batemans mistake of signing to many players who are not better than we already have. We seem to be in the situation were he is accomodating every ex Hemel player good or bad, what happens Monday if Edgeworth is fit will he then change the side again on todays performance we need to start to worry

 

 

Yes, Edgeworth will be the first name on the team sheet and after today quite rightly so.

 

SB has signed so many players because injuries, suspensions and fatigue will come into play with so many game coming up.

 

Chris Heron was on the bench today so I don't think SB is totally biased towards ex-Hemel players.

[Chris]

Sorry to say both Chris's apart from a long throw (which could in certain games be useful) what difference did Yeboah make, it is a shame we name a MOM when you watch a game like today, both sides very poor , we should now be expecting more from Slough, however are we suffering from Batemans mistake of signing to many players who are not better than we already have. We seem to be in the situation were he is accomodating every ex Hemel player good or bad, what happens Monday if Edgeworth is fit will he then change the side again on todays performance we need to start to worry

 

Yep, we really need to start to worry, 4th in the table sitting fairly comfortably in the play-off zone with more points already in the whole of last season. Bring back the 'GLORY DAYS' of the last 4 seasons eh! I so missed getting thumped 6-0 by teams with less than 50 supporters every week - spending £8 to watch our starting eleven contain Sunday league players.

 

Some people need to get a bit real. Come the start of the season if you had said we would be in this position all supporters would have taken that. Every time we win were not Brazil, and every time we loose we are not doomed. That's the view you get on here sometimes, and on the terraces from a small % of our fans which is ridiculous. We have good players and we've simply had two bad results in two games.

 

As for Yeboah, positionally I thought he was excellent and won most headers and tackles which is all you want from a centre-back. As for Edgey he should come straight back in Monday as well, we missed him today badly IMO.

Edited February 13, 2010 by Chris

[Rouser Rebel]

Agree with Chris, the whole team today just didn't click but I believe that was down to Sudbury getting it right tactically. They doubled up and pressured Slough extremely quick and didn't allow any of the team time on the ball. Slough just couldn't cope, perhaps the illness passing through the squad at the moment didn't help things.

 

Slough's best opportunities in the game fell to NBH with their keeper pulling off two fantastic saves, perhaps if they had fallen to a forward we might be talking about a different result? To blame Martin for the result is ridiculous. Perhaps Bateman could have made changes earlier but I don't think it would have effected the result.

 

Positively, I thought Yeboah had a good first game. I think he can certainly help the team tighten up defensively and stop shipping the odd goal which is the difference between the top 5 teams at the moment.

 

On a side note, its getting pretty tiresome listening to certain people behind the goal always singling out the same particular 3 or 4 players who are deemed at fault no matter the scoreline, the final result or whether they are on the pitch. Just because someone runs around a lot doesn't mean they should be MOTM as a result. The same goes for when Bateman is making substitutions and particular players are taken off. Given the position of the club in comparison to previous seasons Bateman and his team are obviously doing the correct things, stupid comments don't need to be made every time a decision is taken that isn't to your liking.

 

 

Sorry but didn't we ship the odd goal today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Reading Rebel]

Agree with Chris, the whole team today just didn't click but I believe that was down to Sudbury getting it right tactically. They doubled up and pressured Slough extremely quick and didn't allow any of the team time on the ball. Slough just couldn't cope, perhaps the illness passing through the squad at the moment didn't help things.

 

Slough's best opportunities in the game fell to NBH with their keeper pulling off two fantastic saves, perhaps if they had fallen to a forward we might be talking about a different result? To blame Martin for the result is ridiculous. Perhaps Bateman could have made changes earlier but I don't think it would have effected the result.

 

Positively, I thought Yeboah had a good first game. I think he can certainly help the team tighten up defensively and stop shipping the odd goal which is the difference between the top 5 teams at the moment.

 

On a side note, its getting pretty tiresome listening to certain people behind the goal always singling out the same particular 3 or 4 players who are deemed at fault no matter the scoreline, the final result or whether they are on the pitch. Just because someone runs around a lot doesn't mean they should be MOTM as a result. The same goes for when Bateman is making substitutions and particular players are taken off. Given the position of the club in comparison to previous seasons Bateman and his team are obviously doing the correct things, stupid comments don't need to be made every time a decision is taken that isn't to your liking.

 

 

Sorry but didn't we ship the odd goal today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

 

6-0, 3-0, 4-1 hardly the odd goal difference!

 

 

I think one of the problems we have is that we don't have a 20/30 goal player in the team.

 

Yes we have midfield/defenders who are chipping in with goals but when they don't score we tend to struggle because we don't have a real top notch goal scorer.

[HEAVY TRUCKER]

well i think that was a game that should be consigned to history , we had no mid field today and an inneffective forward line, i think changes should have been made earlier as it was obvious from early on that sudbury had our measure ,we were never given time on the ball so our ball control and passing were rushed / panicked we played far to narrow in general, before christmas we were playing with two wide men and were being successful, so why the change of strategy ? we really missed edgy today as the mid field had no cohesion and were missing for most of the match so the back line were continually under pressure, perksie seemed to be having a nightmare with his kicking today though other than that seemed to have not a bad game,as a team today we just did not perform that goes from the management right down to the fans, we were being outsung by just a handfull of fans in or out of the covered end they seemed to want it more than we did today, so yes we can all take a bit of blame for todays result , so come on all of you rebels give ourselves a kick up the jacksie and get out there and perform as we all let the team down today.

Edited February 13, 2010 by HEAVY TRUCKER

[Ted]

 

I think one of the problems we have is that we don't have a 20/30 goal player in the team.

 

.

 

 

None of our current forwards really attack the ball. They all have something to offer but they would all benefiet from playing alongside someone who is strong and who they can feed off.

[3spirit]

I'm surprised Slough fans singled out Simon Martin today,as I would have left him on, as he's the only aerial threat/target man we've got up front.I would have taken off Sean Sonner [ I know he's the fans favourite! ] but does he score enough goals. We should play Elliot Buchanan up front not wide on left.Funny enough,one of the Sudbury supporters said to me, ' why aren't we playing Buchanan up front,he always scores against us.He scored a hat-trick for Northwood against us last time ! '.

I don't know if this statement is true but to my mind Buchanan is a natural goalscorer,very much like Gary Sippets.

It's those two who should be vying for one position up front,once Gary is fit.I'm not saying that we should discard Sonner but since his arrival it does seem to have upset the equilibirium of our forward line and his game is not like Craig O'Connor's,so we seem to be accomodating players ie Buchanan on left wing,Edgeworth-centre back etc, because we've now got too many clique players and some, who could do just as good a job aren't getting a look in ie Danny Jordan,Tommy Hayes,Gary Sippets,Mo Shariff etc.

A pair of strikers need to develop an understanding together but because of our chopping and changing,no two players are getting a regular run of games.That's why Boot and Hodges were so successful.I know the weather has set us back[as it has all the teams] but Marlow/Sudbury games are two games we should be winning at all costs.We should be peppering the goal with shots, not sitting back and going through the motions with lethargic actions and no energy or commitment.

 

Sean Sonner's work rate at putting defenders under pressure is admirable but he does get drawn out of position too often, to be a goal threat. However,with the amount of talented players we have in our squad, especially forwards, we should be causing teams havoc.Yesterday,we only had three shots all game ! and as I've mentioned before in previous posts,Steve Bateman's lack of substitutions suck.It's always too little too late.

If we are serious about being title/play off challengers,the team should have had a rollicking at half time and if things hadn't have improved after ten minutes we should then make alterations.

 

As mentioned by someone else previously,our midfield was non-existent yesterday. Kean and Clark,while very able footballers neither of them wanted to do the dirty,donkey work often needed in that midfield battle.Yes,Edgeworth was missed but I thought we should have changed our formation at half time,as it was clear that Sudbury had done their homework on us.I would have reverted to a 4-3-3 and given our opponents something to worry about but instead we lost to a very average Sudbury side[taking nothing away from them]. We went down with a whimper rather than any battle cries! If we can't adapt our play and beat these sort of sides,then what chance have we of beating the Hitchin's,Burnham's and Bury's of this division.

Of course,I realise we can't be Manchester Utd or Brazil every week but we have at our disposal,a very capable squad,by anyone's standards in this division.So anyone should be hauled off, if not doing the business,regardless of who they are.

 

I,too, thought Y.Yeboah had a decent debut and wasn't just about his phenomenal throws. Looks a good acquistion.

Here's praying for better performance against SYCOB !!

[Martin]

Immensely frustrating game, we just never got going and didn't play any football at all. We were very one dimensional, everything seemed to go long and we couldn't get the ball out wide to use our most threatening players.

 

In fairness to Rob Kean and Dean Clark they tried to get the ball down to pick the passes but seemed to be off the pace today and were under too much pressure. Credit must go to Sudbury for their work rate.

 

Whilst we weren't good we still managed to force the keeper into three good saves and had two arguable penalty shouts for fouls on Martin in the first half and Sincs in the second half.

 

Here's for better things tomorrow, at least we have a chance to put things right quickly!

[Tom]

Sorry but didn't we ship the odd goal today!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

6-0, 3-0, 4-1 hardly the odd goal difference!

 

People just don't bother looking at the whole situation do they?

 

I don't care how many goals the other teams score, look at Burnham for example. Out of the top 5 teams in the league they have scored the least, Chesham have only scored slightly more than them. All that is separating the top 5 teams at the moment is how they are defensively, to which Slough have the worst defensive record.

 

Slough need to stop conceding the odd goal in games which they could have easily got better results in - (a) v Sutton Coldfield, (a) v Chesham, (h) v Bury, (h) v Marlow and yesterday v AFC Sudbury. Potentially that was an extra 6+ points gained by being better defensively.

 

What Slough can't do at the moment is grind out a result like some of the top teams they are competing against. Am I concerned though, no, because my expectation prior to the season starting was mid-table/play-offs and certainly not promotion (2 seasons I reckon). Peoples expectations have been raised and perhaps, they should instead take stock and be pleased regardless given the times before this season.

[hotspur]

Sadly Tom people are so impatient, and more sadly Staines et al have very limited knowledge or experience about non league football at the higher levels-if you remember originally he thought Sweetman was a good manager until RWG put him right on that score.And I have to agree with RWG that Bates will get us promoted this season.

[Roger Rebel]

We have a couple of bad results and the 2 know it alls come out of the woodwork.