BURNHAM ON SATURDAY

[readingrebel]

I think people are doing a bit of a dis-credit to Burnham who I thought were a good, typically solid well organised team with some lively forwards.

 

There was not a lot between the teams in the first half. In the second half I thought we started the brighter but once Burnham scored their second from a defensive mistake and then the third from a penalty we started to chase the game and that's when the holes started to appear and Burnham could have scored a few more.

 

I'm with Clive T, it's next week when the real stuff starts and I have every faith in the team.

 

COYR!!

[readingrebel]

Is the bubble bursting I wonder ? To have ambitions of winning the league we have to beat teams like Burnham-they were easily the better side and could have scored more-but that's not saying a lot I am sure.It is no good saying " well they are in a higher league ",but reality tells us they have only just left our league, and to me looked a bit young and green.I have a feeling that the managers loyalty to their team from last year will get in the way.

 

 

Hotspur I doubt we will play a team as good as Burnham this season.

 

They deservedly won the league last season and have strengthened their squad for the coming season so i don't see why we had to beat Burnham if we any ambitions to win the league.

Edited August 10, 2013 by readingrebel

[readingrebel]

Yeah 4-2 flattered us a bit, they could have had 6 or 7 and the penalty we got was one of the most bizarre decisions I have seen.

 

My first look at the new players today and whilst I don't really pay much attention to pre-season performances, only Warren Harris really impressed me. I'm sure we'll have it sorted next week when it really matters. COYR!

 

 

I was down the other end but it looked like Burnham's keeper came out, missed the ball and then clattered our forward which the incompetent Ref missed but the Linesman spotted?

[readingrebel]

It's going to be another long hard season.

Only consolation from todays game is that Burnham are better than most sides we will be playing in our league.

 

 

The season was never going to be easy but agree with your second comment.

[HEAVY TRUCKER]

the problem today is an age old one in football when you start to play the other teams game, burnham kept the ball high in the air so that their quick forwards latched on to it, they hardly played anything along the ground (though with the state of the pitch who could blame them) we did not play to our strengths today we lumped the ball forward high in the air where the burnham forwards easily out powered us,when we kept the ball down and played to our strengths ( which was woefully far and few between) we looked the better side if we can play this way in the league then things do not look to bad but if we start lumping it forward and chasing then i think it is going to be a long long season.  

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

I was down the other end but it looked like Burnham's keeper came out, missed the ball and then clattered our forward which the incompetent Ref missed but the Linesman spotted?

They both went for the ball. From where I was both missed it but our striker fouled the keeper. Who had the stud marks on his thigh to prove it (which he tried to show everyone!)

[Neil Baker]

Well I have had time to reflect, not a great performance in the slightest.....

 

Are we worried?? Have to say a little, as a number have not had great performances pre season, and we know they can do an awful lot better, however I go back to it, at present it is pre season, where the games mean nothing, last year I remember getting beat 3-2 by Ascot, and putting in a very poor performance... Yes it worried us, however 7 wins on the bounce soon alleviated any concerns.

 

I could go through plenty of players today who were lucky if they were a 5 out of 10 but the thing I ask myself is do they become bad plaers over night, and the answer is no, do we back our judgement?? too right... If we are having this discussion a few games in to the league season, that is when we need to worry...

 

In terms of the game, we caused our own problems today, with uncharacteristic defensive mistakes... I would rather this happened against Burnam today than next week v Northwood.

 

All I ask is not to panic, as I can assure you we are not, and try to back the lads that we put out....

[3spirit]

 

Well I have had time to reflect, not a great performance in the slightest.....

 

Are we worried?? Have to say a little, as a number have not had great performances pre season, and we know they can do an awful lot better, however I go back to it, at present it is pre season, where the games mean nothing, last year I remember getting beat 3-2 by Ascot, and putting in a very poor performance... Yes it worried us, however 7 wins on the bounce soon alleviated any concerns.

 

I could go through plenty of players today who were lucky if they were a 5 out of 10 but the thing I ask myself is do they become bad plaers over night, and the answer is no, do we back our judgement?? too right... If we are having this discussion a few games in to the league season, that is when we need to worry...

 

In terms of the game, we caused our own problems today, with uncharacteristic defensive mistakes... I would rather this happened against Burnam today than next week v Northwood.

 

All I ask is not to panic, as I can assure you we are not, and try to back the lads that we put out....

 

Agree with what you've said here,Neil.I thought we were desperately unlucky to lose Ed Smith,as we had started so brightly.I think he would have made a big difference.

The problem was,as soon as he went off,our hold up play up front was awful.

 

Why did we persist in kicking long,aimless balls to their big defenders?

 

With the players we have at our disposal surely we should have played pass and move floor football to counteract Burnham's strengths.Burnham outmuscled and bullied our team and frankly many of our players bottled it,when it got too physical.

Surprised you took off George Short.Did he have a knock,Neil? I thought he should have stayed on and been pushed up front to upset the tall Burnham centre halves.

 

Adam Foulser was my MOM again.Thought Wooz seemed out of sorts to his high standards but he will improve with regular league games.

 

Ironically,I believe Slough's team that started last season,would have coped better with Burnham's style of play by having the prescence of bigger lads in the team ie Bowden Haase,Brown,Logie and Rhone.My worry is that this present batch of players will lose games against well organized,physical teams,as we did yesterday.

Players like Darren Wheeler,Aaron Couch and Ollie Burgess just do not cope well with these sorts of battles.

 

On a positive note,I thought Johnny Dyer looked sharp when he came on and Warren Harris battled gamely upfront and there was me thinking it was Scott Harris! I have still to master which one is which,lol!

[readingrebel]

 

 

Agree with what you've said here,Neil.I thought we were desperately unlucky to lose Ed Smith,as we had started so brightly.I think he would have made a big difference.

The problem was,as soon as he went off,our hold up play up front was awful.

 

Why did we persist in kicking long,aimless balls to their big defenders?

 

With the players we have at our disposal surely we should have played pass and move floor football to counteract Burnham's strengths.Burnham outmuscled and bullied our team and frankly many of our players bottled it,when it got too physical.

Surprised you took off George Short.Did he have a knock,Neil? I thought he should have stayed on and been pushed up front to upset the tall Burnham centre halves.

 

Adam Foulser was my MOM again.Thought Wooz seemed out of sorts to his high standards but he will improve with regular league games.

 

Ironically,I believe Slough's team that started last season,would have coped better with Burnham's style of play by having the prescence of bigger lads in the team ie Bowden Haase,Brown,Logie and Rhone.My worry is that this present batch of players will lose games against well organized,physical teams,as we did yesterday.

Players like Darren Wheeler,Aaron Couch and Ollie Burgess just do not cope well with these sorts of battles.

 

On a positive note,I thought Johnny Dyer looked sharp when he came on and Warren Harris battled gamely upfront and there was me thinking it was Scott Harris! I have still to master which one is which,lol!

 

 

'Kicking long aimless balls to big defenders' has a ring of familiarity to it.

 

How many times last season did we see balls pumped in the air to the 5ft hobbit Danny Burnell?  

 

I also remember a lot of people last season saying that we struggled against physical, well organised teams.

 

Agree that Woozie looked out of sorts.

 

I certainly prefer Hollis alongside Foulser because of Hollis's pace when the ball gets played in behind the defence.

 

No offence to Woozie but he is vulnerable to pace when in a one on one situation.

Edited August 11, 2013 by readingrebel

[hotspur]

Hotspur I doubt we will play a team as good as Burnham this season.

 

They deservedly won the league last season and have strengthened their squad for the coming season so i don't see why we had to beat Burnham if we any ambitions to win the league.

Lets just see where Burnham finish in their league-and are you sure their won't be some decent teams in our league better than Burnham ?

[readingrebel]

Lets just see where Burnham finish in their league-and are you sure their won't be some decent teams in our league better than Burnham ?

 

 

Cannot discount it with money being thrown around by Dunstable and Royston. As you say we'll just have to wait and see.

[3spirit]

 

'Kicking long aimless balls to big defenders' has a ring of familiarity to it.

 

How many times last season did we see balls pumped in the air to the 5ft hobbit Danny Burnell?  

 

I also remember a lot of people last season saying that we struggled against physical, well organised teams.

 

Agree that Woozie looked out of sorts.

 

I certainly prefer Hollis alongside Foulser because of Hollis's pace when the ball gets played in behind the defence.

 

No offence to Woozie but he is vulnerable to pace when in a one on one situation.

 

You're spot on,RR.

 

Dave Woozley will come good.Just think he's still finding his feet with how Adam Foulser plays.He is having to work harder,too as he doesn't have the luxury of two centre halves beside him,which Steve Bateman favoured with him.

 

I think we should use him at left back to start with,as this way he gets to come forward with the ball,which is one of his assets.

Also gives Ryan Lake good competition for a starting place,as so far he has been only mediocre going forward and not performed that impressively.

Edited August 11, 2013 by 3spirit

[A Rebel and a Saint]

Have to agree we were outmuscled all over the pitch yesterday and we just kept running out of ideas.  The biggest issue was that we started brightly and then Burnham went up the other end and scored from their first move into our half.  Slightly concerned about the defence we have at the moment, we've looked shaky at the back a few times in pre-season.

[readingrebel]

 

 

 

You're spot on,RR.

 

Dave Woozley will come good.Just think he's still finding his feet with how Adam Foulser plays.He is having to work harder,too as he doesn't have the luxury of two centre halves beside him,which Steve Bateman favoured with him.

 

I think we should use him at left back to start with,as this way he gets to come forward with the ball,which is one of his assets.

Also gives Ryan Lake good competition for a starting place,as so far he has been only mediocre going forward and not performed that impressively.

 

 

I must admit I do have a problem with playing Woozie out wide, as I've said, when he gets isolated and run at, he is vulnerable due to lack of pace.

Edited August 11, 2013 by readingrebel

[The Cameraman]

'Highlights' now online here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aBb1OEeGpKo

[Sir Rebel1965]

Friendlies mean nothing, league games mean points - next week against Northwood will be the true measure.

Having now seen the "highlights" I hope Jon and Neil will be reminding the new squad that next week is for league points, as from the video it looks like some of the players are still in holiday mode.

 

If the ambitious words of the new management of seeking promotion are to come true, then home games like Northwood will need to be turned into 3 points in a convincing manner.

 

Looking forward to rewarding year of following the Rebels.

[Graham C]

Outfought, outmuscled,out-thought  and outplayed especially second half...............agree with all the comments about long ball stuff and also feel that our choice of defending at such a high line will mean nippy forwards enjoying playing against us on good pitches (assuming there are some!)

 

Agree with Hotspur to a degree about loyalty to last year Godalming squad and the earlier misgivings have to  a level returned with too many not looking up to the job ahead, Wes Harris and Ollie Burgess being notable exceptions on Saturday's performances.

 

Also wonder whether the ex Godalming contingent had the feelings usually associated with local derbies and how much the fans want something out of them- Burnham have been the real rivals for several seasons now..........maybe Neil and Jon should have told them they were playing Guildford !

 

Saturday isnt far away............a training session between now and then gives the opportunity to get things right before then........lets get the first three points on the  board early on please !

[hotspur]

Where its only fair to give the NEW TEAM A CHANCE once the season starts,its also only fair that I can utter my early doubts.The main two being that as a team we are not BIG enough stature wise-and I hate to say it the goalie is nowhere nearly tall enough-so lets hope he is exceptional in all other department of keeping goal.

In the modern era only one keeper was that height that was any good and he was also fat,but he was different class and played for the good Enfield side in the conference.

 

Graham Cox-are you the ex Slough goalie ?

[Neil Baker]

I hate to say it Hotspur, but you will eat your words on Jake believe me.... he is the best keeper I have worked with in all my time in football..... and I have played with some good keepers... he has weaknesses no doubt and you would expect that at a young age, and whilst his height is a potential disadvantage, I can count on one hand last year when he conceded a goal due to being "too small"

 

Funnily enough when he went on trial with Fulham last year, they were really impressed with his all round game, and extended a one day trial for a week, however his height for them would hold him back, as you would expect at a premiership club,

His height puts people off, no doubt... but I guarantee that he will be In the running for player of the year awards etc come the end of the season....

 

Saturday for him was an off day no doubt..... and something he duly acknowledged...

[HEAVY TRUCKER]

neil if you havn't noticed already hotspur only makes himself heard when there is a bad performance to crow about so that he can offer his free wisdom to anyone who'll listen on many occasions  as many on here will attest to he has offered bets but has never met the conditions  ie see you in the bar and we will shake on it or come in to the bar and lets discuss it. he is definiatly the biggest key board warrior we have on herebut for some unknown reason wants to remain anonymous so like many of us pay little attention to him he'll just wind you up.