Slough v Arlesey

[Windsor Rebel]

Great chance for another three points tonight I think, especially after Saturdays excellent showing. We have nothing to fear, they are no better than

Hitchin.

[HorshamRebel]

When a team has confidence and commitment to play their own game (as we have at the moment) it doesn't matter who you play, as long as you continue to play your own game and not change it atround too much.

 

The problem comes when you think too much about the oppostion and play around their way of playing to stop them. Let them stop us instead.

 

Of course, you have to compensaet for the other team and change it slightly.

 

The best teams have the attitude of : We play like this, let them counter us.

[readingrebel]

Great chance for another three points tonight I think, especially after Saturdays excellent showing. We have nothing to fear, they are no better than

Hitchin.

 

 

I know some people will be disappointed if you don't give your score prediction WR?

[Windsor Rebel]

RR: I will go for the same score I predicted on Saturday : 2-1 to Slough

[Tom]

[Mark44]

I think we should be good enough for the points tonight.

 

Looking at their team though they have a very good squad and it will depend how they react to saturdays defeat.

[Sue]

Right OFF with WR's head!!!!!!!!!

 

 

[Max and Paddy]

I'm hoping to get to tonight's game. Hope it's as good as the Hitchin match - that was one of the best games I've seen at any level this season.

 

Is there any chance of it being off cos of a waterlogged pitch? I'm assuming not, but I thought I'd double check.

[Mr Rebel]

its a game we really have to be looking at winning and if we can play with 100% commitment and play to our strengths i think we will get the 3 points. saying that a draw wouldnt be the end of the world

 

regarding waterlogging i have been told previous that the type of soil at Beaconsfield soaks the water up leaving little chance of waterlog (no idea if true)

[readingrebel]

I'm hoping to get to tonight's game. Hope it's as good as the Hitchin match - that was one of the best games I've seen at any level this season.

 

Is there any chance of it being off cos of a waterlogged pitch? I'm assuming not, but I thought I'd double check.

 

 

I don't know but if there were any problems/pitch inspection etc I would have thought that we would have been informed by now.

 

So looks like game on!

[GarySTFC]

No inspection planned. Has been dry all day down the road and heading up there in a minute. Might be wet and heavy, but do not forsee any issues.

[Nathan]

I see that Daventry Town (who are 6 points behind us with 4 games in hand before tonight's game) are in League Cup action tonight, making both this game and the one on Saturday all the more important to win. Come On You Rebels!

[Tom]

Great chance for another three points tonight I think, especially after Saturdays excellent showing. We have nothing to fear, they are no better than

Hitchin.

 

Hmm.

 

I'd say after tonight's showing they were actually better than Hitchin. Their organisation and pressure when they didn't have the ball made them so difficult to break down, even with 10 men. I'd be concerned for the Woodford game since they were able to put 2 past them.

 

I still haven't seen Slough put a goal past Hayward.

 

 

 

Edit: Although I have just seen Northwood beat Woodford, what a funny league this is turning out to be!

Edited January 18, 2011 by Tom

[Ted]

Ten man Arlesy showed us how to play football, and were quite simply a lot better than us.

 

Losing 3 points is the important issue as play off hopes recede, however had it been a close result maybe there would still be something to hope for. It wasn't close, and we were outplayed in all departments by 10 men, with several of our players looking decidely average. A pity as on Saturday we were very good.

 

I know others will disagree, but for me, this season's team is a lot weaker than last year's side. The table at the end of the season will determine who is right on this, but I think we will be well short of the play offs.

[Nathan]

After our latest failure against one of the top teams in the league, I have to say that some of the points about our playing style and team balance I made earlier in the season (and some people jumped down my throats for saying so) I think were thoroughly exposed tonight.

 

Despite going down to 10-men, and despite never putting our goal under sustained periods of pressure, they managed to score 3. By stark contrast we spent the entire game huffing, puffing and getting absolutely nowhere. Short forwards like Sean Sonner and Danny Burnell (despite their 100% workrate) were never going score against defenders that are nearly twice their height and contain the likes of Marc Leach.

 

I don't recall Charlie Fanner having an awful lot to do tonight, but it was obvious every time that Arlesey broke that they were the more likely to score. The blame for this I feel lies with defenders who are unable or unwilling to put tackles in or mark opposition forwards from set pieces.

 

On the whole, I have actually seen worse performances than that this season (although some of our passing tonight was comical). I had a gut feeling before the game that we were finally beat one of the top teams. We didn't look like doing so (and to be honest, haven't looked like doing so the entire time Steve Bateman's been the manager). THIS MUST CHANGE IF WE EVER HOPE TO BE PROMOTED.

 

 

[readingrebel]

What can you say about such an awful performance like that?

 

How can you legislate for 10 out-field players ALL having p#ss poor games?

 

Have to disagree with the comment that Arlesey were 'better that Hitchin'. We were that bad tonight we would have made the Girl Guides look good.

 

When you continuously and aimlessly pump the ball into the air against the big and un-compromising Arlesey defenders you get what you deserve, absolutely nothing.

 

When you finally get the ball and immediately give it back to the opposition with sloppy passing, you get what you deserve, absolutely nothing.

 

I think we will just have to forget about tonight and put it down to a performance that was just too bad to be true.

 

 

[HEAVY TRUCKER]

will the person that keeps putting waxwork lookalikes on to the pitch in slough colours please stop! we just did not turn up tonight we were bereft of ideas of how to beat a side like arsley big, niggely and willing to rough you up and to be honest we never have, why oh why do we insist on playing the long ball against such sides when we are just not equipped to deal with it , we seemed to get this eventually tonight and started to play the short passesthat is until the last third when we insisted on going wide then lobbing in the ball, where as short passing and low hard shots should have been the order of the day. imothe only player not to have made mistakes was the goal keeper there was not alot he could do when the defence kept leaving him so exposed, there were ten players out there tonight that had complete nightmares, to be honest things do not look bright for the future.

[Ian]

I had a gut feeling before the game that we were finally beat one of the top teams. We didn't look like doing so (and to be honest, haven't looked like doing so the entire time Steve Bateman's been the manager). THIS MUST CHANGE IF WE EVER HOPE TO BE PROMOTED.

 

I agree with the overall sentiment that we have to better against the "good" teams but we managed against Hitchin in the playoffs last year. Shame that was the exception rather than the rule.

[Rebel Yeller]

I was very impressed with Arlesey. They were organised, skillful, a bit rugged and had a game plan. Two in fact because when their man was sent off they took off a forward and sent on a defender and set about keeping what they had. They couldn't believe their luck when we gifted them two more goals through shocking defending again.

 

Arlesey were everything that Slough were not. What depessed me more than anything last niught was the abysmal quality of our passing. Everything was too short or too long, there was no accuracy, balls just bounced along the floor with little power and were easily intercepted by Arlesey. Also some of our players were very despondent in the second half - I noticed Coyne and Swift in particular not bothering to chase balls they could well have reached.

 

Interesting that Slough stayed on the pitch at the end whereas normally they always head for the dressing room, even for a bollocking.

 

A rotten day at the office for the Rebels, but in this crazy division we are still in with a chance of the play-offs. However, even if we get there and by some fluke get promoted, with this side as the nucleus we would just come straight back down. We may not be worse than last year, but we're not any better.

 

Bateman says in the programme that he is looking for a forward to replace the retiring Sippetts. A request please Steve. Please, please, please don't get another small bloke. We desperately need some height up front. I'm afraid Simon Martin has gone off form again. Sonner has a lot of workrate but doesn't get enough goals for a promotion challenging team, and that surely is what forwards are in the team for.

 

The Daventry and Woodford games are now very important. Two wins and we're back on track. Two defeats and we're probably stuffed.

[Mark44]

Well.......what do we say about that performance...

 

Yes the fact is that they were good and set out to do a job and did it well, credit to arlesey for playing in the way they did, it wasnt pretty but they got the points.

 

There are still a number of problems with our side and I think that these need to be addressed before we can make a real go at the playoffs. Before I say though please note that we have turned it around to a certain extent since the start of November and credit where credit is due as we have had some brilliant performances.

 

So the problems for me are........

 

1) We need a target man, if we are going to play the wings and knock balls in to the box then we must have one. Else we need to change our attacking style of play. Anytime we come up against big strong defenders we lose (Arlesey, Uxbridge, Daventry, Leighton etc).

 

2) We need a plan B. Fair enough SB does not always know what the team will be up against but if the shape and style we are playing is not working then at half time tell the players to get it on the floor. There seems to be only one style of play and if that doesnt work then we are screwed.

 

3) we need more shots from outside the box. Paul Coyne showed last night he has got a hell of a shot on him so please use it more. If it doesnt produce a goal doesnt matter, it mixes the play up a bit and keeps the opposition defenders on their toes.

 

If these are addressed further then I believe we will still be ok for the playoffs, we have turned it around from that underachieving team that was 15th start of November and the playoffs are ours for the taking so lets all pull together and get a string of results to cement our position

 

UP THE REBELS