What defines a good performance???

[The Gaffer from the Rock]

After our start to this season, what does everyone think defines a good performance? At the moment we are in 5th position and the popular conscientious is that we haven't played well or put in a good performance! The Aveley defeat this week was what most people would call a terrible performance, but was it and if so why? When we played Carshalton in our season opener I thought that we played pretty well and was unlucky to end up pointless, then the following Tuesday we went to A Hornchurch side that had just scored 5 against Cray and came away with all 3 points after what most people would say was a pretty poor performance! But having thought about the discussions on the New Striker topic I want to know what a good performance is. Hornchurch were better in possession than we were that night but our midfield broke up a lot of attacks, our defence was very strong and Rusty was also strong. We didn't play flowing Barcelona-esque one touch football and we didn't bombard their keeper with countless shots! We did though score 2 goals to their 1 and came away with 3 points which after all is the name of the game! I didn't see the Kingstonian game but by all accounts we again held it together and were well worth the 3 points. Against both Thurrock and Harrow we didn't play the flowing exciting football that you see week after week in the Nou Camp but we did put in strong midfield and defensive displays. We again broke up countless attacks and kept clean sheets in both games. Now although we didn't smash either team of the park we did put in good performances in both games, they weren't edge of the seat thrillers either but we got exactly what we have settled for if given that option before the game, 3 points and clean sheets in both games! Then we went to unbeaten Wingate, we were tested within the first minute but when required and as he has done on so many occasions Rusty pulled of a cracking save. For the next half hour or so we had the lions share of possession and took the lead, couldve had more but went in at half one up. We then proceeded to dominate the game and we created a few more chances, had a goal ruled out for offside but couldn't find that all important 2nd goal. From about the 70th minute onwards we were put under pressure but we defended excellently and prevented the current leading scorer in the league this season from scoring! We got that 2nd goal and deservedly got another 3 points and a clean sheet! Was that a good performance! I missed the 1st half against Bury so can't comment on that but from what I saw of the 2nd half we deserved to take something from that game.

When we got promoted to the conference we were beating teams with ease in front of crowds of 1000 plus at every home game, we had cup runs that were selling the ground out and everyone on the Island loved going to watch the super exciting Canvey Island. We then make it into the conference and the super flowing all conquering football was replaced with efficient but effective football against much bigger and better virtually professional teams and one league away from LEAGUE football! But with this efficient football came the decrease in the home crowds and although we managed to just stay in the Conference that season the next season saw the crowds diminish even more and again after an even better finishing position it became impossible for us to sustain that level of football with the income we were generating through the home gates and demotion to the Ryman 1 North was our only alternative! Now isn't the whole point of playing football about getting as many points as possible in a season or is it about playing end to end football irrelevant of the score! Is watching two teams battle out a tight 1-0 with few scoring opportunities considered a bad game, what about the art of good midfield play were a player constantly breaks up play, does everything in football revolve around wether a flying winger can do a maisy run with a couple of Cruyff turns and a Maradona flick, followed by a cross were the striker scores with an overhead kick!!! How often at this level of football are we going to see that, I know it was exaggerated but reading comments lately, is that what we have come to expect?

[Matt H]

For me, simply put, a good performance is one where we play to our strengths and score as many goals as possible from the opportunities presented to us. Be it 6-0 against someone we have torn apart with Brazil-like football or 1-0 in a really difficult match against superior opposition, where we've had to make our limited chances count. We've all seen a 0-0 that was actually quite entertaining due to the good football on display.

 

A poor performance is when we are forced by a team to revert to head tennis and long balls over the top. For me this is purely because I don't think we have the players to compete effectively against such tactics.

 

When we had a forward like Antoine up front, long balls weren't that bad as he got up to many of them but currently our forwards prefer to trap the ball first and then move it about the deck only to be closed down too easily. Either that or they let it bounce past them in order to run onto it, but again they're closed down too easily.

 

Currently our most creative players are our central midfielders, but against big, physical teams they appear to be bypassed, not always because of the long ball, but because they have about three players on them and they can't spend more than half a second with the ball before having to get rid of it, and is the probably the second most common place we lose possession behind opposition defenders out jumping our forwards.

 

That isn't a reflection of just our current squad either. I remember when we played Aldershot at Park Lane the season they won the league. Jeff Minton had three players marking him at all times, thus literally cancelling him out the match and we had to go with the long ball option and made little progress.

 

Of course if we had a team full of 6 foot 5 behemoths then we can have the ball in the net within the space of two flick-ons, which has happened against us at times. Ironically, I think we're strongest in the defence department as reflected by the league table and players like Easterford, Alaile, West and Dumas are, rightly so, the first on the team sheet and provide great competition for places.

[Canvey Fan 1926]

Canvey Island v Bishop's Stortford - 1st October 2011.

 

To answer the question: that's a good performance.

[The Great Eckscape]

For me a good performance is one where we play our passing game, create opportunities, and get stuck in when required to limit the opposition. The up and under game is frustrating as we know that it isn't playing to our strengths.

[canveyiseastlondon]

Good question & inspires much debate...

 

A good performance in my opinion is 3 points at home & 1 point away... simple as that. Do that & you are there or there abouts at the end of any given season.

 

Sport in my book is about winning & is how we remember anything sporting related is by winners.

 

For me the way you perform against the opponent in front of you that matters & that is where tactics come in.

 

If you know that you are playing side that can pass you to death & you have to park the bus & play on the counter then so be it, if it is affective & works & the result is 3 points then no complaints here.

 

If you are playing against a load of huge strong lumpy f*****S then get it down pass it sharp get 3 points result.

 

If you know your opponent’s weakness is balls into the box & looking for mistakes or knock downs then who cares if it gets 3 points?

 

My point is too many people say they want to see Barcelona football & believe that we will win the league playing this way, well I don't. My dream would be for us to win the league by playing to our strengths against our opponents weaknesses as & where it suits.

 

Now I'm not saying that we should play long ball every week but when needs must they must. This is SEMI PRO football remember, not park football, we pay to watch & deserve the opportunity to see a side try to win with the guidance of their manager & the tactics he asks the side to employ.

 

The one thing I can't abide though is lack of effort from individuals or collectively though, no effort no shirt.

 

Of course there can be occasions where you lose 1.0 & their keeper plays a blinder & is MOM, well that's football.

 

Well I'm off over the club to watch what John tells the boys to do & by god they better put it in...

 

COYY

[Eastside Urchin]

Sh1t performance today then!!

[haynab66]

Sh1t performance today then!!

1st half was dreadful watching us play with one up front at home and healsy sitting on the bench i couldnt understand, didnt have a shot til he came on and brought others into it, rhodesy looked fed up with lack of options up front, 2nd half was better but didnt really look dangerous, everything was there but just nothing up front, shame 3 points lost and lewes wasnt that good had a couple of decent players but were there for the taking and we will struggle to make the play offs without a decent goalscorer and is it me or does the whole place including the yellow army seem subdued, it cant carry on like this at home it has to change it was like the last game of the season and what makes it worse ricay are top and scoring

[Golden Boots]

In my book, a good performance is one that produces at least 1 point, and even better 3 points.

 

Football is a results business. Would people still watch Barca if they got royally tonked every week, but 'ooooooh don't they pass it about well' ???

 

There are times that you take postivies from a game in which you've lost, but let's be honest - there is no such thing as a 'good' losing performance, because unless there were individual mistakes made, or a lack of effort, cohesion, organisation at some point during the match - you'd be walking away with a result.

[The Gaffer from the Rock]

I was rambling the other day as you can tell by the cr@p in my post but I think most are getting the whole gist of what I was trying to say. Of course I would love to see us playing free flowing football with 3 or 4 goals every game but that just isn't going to happen. I didn't like seeing us play with 1 up front at home in the 1st half vs Lewes on Saturday either but what other option was open to us, Healesy had the Tom tits and Jay Curran was still struggling!!! I think this season is going to be just as close as last season as it seems most teams are capable of beating each other!!! COYY

[Wickford-Gull]

Hello everyone! My first post! When Canvey play the ball aong the ground they look really good. We have a very good team at the moment but we definitely need someone to grab those all important goals! Come on you Gulls!!!