St Albans

[thecoldend]

"One positive was that the ETFC Ultras put the rather conservative St Albans support to shame. A great new addition this season!"

 

Lucky you said that as.....  none of the St Albans City goals but a few highlights and our goal with the Ultras celebration...

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nCt3qmt6L6M

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Impressive editing to remove ALL six St Albans goals....or perhaps they didn't really happen...?

[OldTowner]

Any news regarding James Elmes injury ?

[Chase Side Towner]

Any news regarding James Elmes injury ?

 

Didn't look good. He was hobbling out of the ground on crutches with his ankle strapped up. Certainly a few weeks out I'm guessing.

[1F in Enfield]

6-1 is an absolute disgrace. I don't remember losing by these margins in the old days. Even when we faced a team 5 divisions above us (Leister City in 1995) we only lost by 2. The management lack drive and ambition. We should be challenging for the title this season, not just aiming to avoid relegation. Changes need to be made, it's time to move on.

 

Another excellent display from the Ultras again - long may it continue.

[andyetfc]

6-1 is an absolute disgrace. I don't remember losing by these margins in the old days. Even when we faced a team 5 divisions above us (Leister City in 1995) we only lost by 2. The management lack drive and ambition. We should be challenging for the title this season, not just aiming to avoid relegation. Changes need to be made, it's time to move on.

 

Another excellent display from the Ultras again - long may it continue.

The result was not good but I cannot comment on the performance as I was at a wedding. However, this club, Enfield Town FC has never played Leicester City FC.

[CD Towner]

Promotion this season is too optimistic and not realistic as an ambition. I believe that the management are driven and ambition, but they lack the skill, knowledge and mouse to put it into practice.

 

Just what do Jason Dale and Pete Hammatt offer?

[StoneCold]

Saturday was a very poor performance & do agree with CD Towner regarding what exactly does Jason & Pete offer? Throughout the second half Steve & Jason stood motionless on the sides without any kind of encouragement to the players and you could see they had given up and that reflected onto the players. You could hear Kirbs trying to 'gee' the players up and keep them fighting till the end and that in part comes from being the captain but surely this should also be coming from the management??!!

After last weeks display at Canvey Steve said it was one of the worst performances he's seen - I'm sure he will probably be saying the same after this game. Surely something needs to be done as you cant keep coming out with these comments week after week!

 

Reading the tweets from some of the players & management they are all obviously disappointed & gutted about the result & performance. Just how disappointed we'll only find out when we play Lowestoft in our next game. Win this and I'm sure it will go some way in proving it was just a one off.  

 

IMO the only way we can start to win games a little more comfortably is to start playing players to their strengths - Jordan at full back, Wingers in Tyler, Gunz & Corey actually out on the wings. I for one would like to see us play a 442 with Kirbs & Lee Allen in the middle and try Liam & Osei up top. Wild has been awful so far this season so maybe drop him along with Noel & give Chalky a chance in goal!

[CD Towner]

I agree with some of your points Stonecold. The management did seem to be motionless but in the 2nd half what could they realistically do? They'd made 2 subs at H/T to try and change the game and were then dealt a blow when Elmes needed to be replaced just after. The thing for me is in the preparation before games - as a supporter it's hard to know how this works but when the same mistakes and excuses are being made it appears there is little evidence of this. SN seems to have an excuse for many things but rarely accepts blame himself?

 

I was disappointed to see how the team and management collectively threw in the towel on Saturday. I could see somep players like Kirby, Kendall and Hope trying to 'keep the players going' on the pitch and Bryan Hammatt was the one member of the management encouraging from the sideline.

 

4-4-2 may work but im not sure we are competent enough in midfield to just play with 2 central midfielders? Osie perhaps deserves his chance although i'm not certain he is ready. Wild, White and Imber have been some of our weakest performers this season - but who replaces them? I agree that Chalk should be given a go in goal although i'm not sure he's the long term successor at this level.

[1F in Enfield]

The result was not good but I cannot comment on the performance as I was at a wedding. However, this club, Enfield Town FC has never played Leicester City FC.

Quite right! Although the club Enfield Town FC broke away from did and one can't help casting their mind back. Perhaps challenging for the title is over ambitious at this stage, but we certiantly ought to be aiming a bit higher and playing more consistently.

[Chase Side Towner]

I see St Albans have been drawn at home against Billericay on the 28th in the next round. Let's see if they can run rings round their defence as well.

 

Just looking at the other ties and you realise how unlucky we were to be drawn away against a side that may well be in the Conf South next season. There's a few games I noticed involving clubs from the step below the RPL.

[andyetfc]

Quite right! Although the club Enfield Town FC broke away from did and one can't help casting their mind back. Perhaps challenging for the title is over ambitious at this stage, but we certiantly ought to be aiming a bit higher and playing more consistently.

You said it yourself earlier by saying its time to move on. Therefore, let's not compare as the respective teams are nothing like each other.

[StoneCold]

CD I know SN made the changes at half time but for me it was a case of make the subs and see what happens. Obviously if it had worked we'll all be here saying what a great half time decision it was. My main point is that he made the subs and it didn't work and left it at that. No encouragement or changing tactics we just stuck with what we had and let them pick us off with ease - change in formation? Have Kirby dropping deeper? No we just stuck with the 433 and allowed them to run through us and at times mug us off!!

One good point you noted was the preparation before games. I noticed in the programme they had us watched 3 or 4 times to give them a better chance. Is this something that we did? Does Steve or the other 2 scout opposition in the weeks leading up to games? 

 

It would be interesting to read the local papers to see what excuses are used this time

[CD Towner]

You very rarely see encouragement from this management team i'm afraid. Do we have a chief scout? Many other clubs do at this level?

[CD Towner]

You very rarely see encouragement from this management team i'm afraid. Do we have a chief scout? Many other clubs do at this level?

[1F in Enfield]

Fair point Andyetfc.

 

If St. Albans do run rings round the Billericay defence they will receive £4.5k for the privilege!

Edited September 16, 2013 by 1F in Enfield

[Steve Newing]

They played 4,4 ,2 on Saturday and so did we from the game I was watching. Even with the changes it was the same , maybe a change of formation may have helped who knows. Simple fact was we defended awfully and that is the main reason why we lost. I have seen people moan when the management are shouting at the players , now people moan when they say nothing. In the first half the difference in the teams was we gave them two goals on a plate with defensive mix ups. We didn't make the most of our opportunities , Kirby free header , Lockie open goal , Wallace blocked on goal line. Changes were made at halt time rather than later on to have a more attacking line up , but then we conceded 2 more soft goals and that was that. As for watching the opposition , Steve and the management team do this and Steve speaks to other managers. St Albans were watched by Steve and Jason . I think Steve watched them

V Hitchin in the week when he was at Redbridge on the Tuesday , watched another player on the Wednesday and was at training on the Thursday. His family must wonder what he looks like at times.

[andyetfc]

I think the issue is what's shouted and the manner in which it is shouted.

[Jim Cunneen]

That was Dave Kendall's 100th game.. stats on the web site

[Enfield United]

That's a lot of reading to catch up with on this thread and the passion can be felt for wanting to win every game and to be outplaying every opponent, but thats not going to happen.

 

I feel like i'm repeating comments i've previously made and thats remember back what state our first team were when Steve Newing took over and where we are now, facts are we are gradually progressing.

 

This season we have made a better start than last season which actually makes it our most successful start to a season bearing in mind we are in a Step 3 division.

 

We have had some good gates against teams (Met police and Thamesmead) who do not have a man and a dog between them to take to games.

 

I believe bar takings on match days and at weekends are going fine. We have 3 elite youth teams at U16,17 and 18s this season to hopefully bring through good local youngsters as well as an inaugral Ryman U21 Team, all of which have started the season well too.

 

HOWEVER, letting in 6 on Saturday and at least an average of 2 in league games is not good and is and must be a concern for Steve. Just like all of he too would like blank sheets every week. In Pre Season us Towners had no complaints of Lockie, Wild, White and Kirby to be 3 of our back 4 with Bardle an able Left Back supported with the experience of Imber,  but goals are leaking in with us needing to score between 3-7 goals to win or draw games.

 

i'd say we have a fine attacking team and on our day we are as entertaining as any other team if not more so with Campbell, Whiteley, Wallace and Hope to choose from, Le Allen is a refreshing performer in midfield and Kirby is setting the example too.

 

I'm sure Steve and his coaches are seeking solutions to the goals against column but it can't be done overnight it will need a little time to resolve in my view and may need Kirby to drop back again. Elmes injury is a shame as it was a good signing.

 

A win on Saturday against a Lowestoft team who are having their own problems bearing in mind the money they have available to them (and getting knocked out the cup last week by Harlow) and our league position will look fantastico. I also believe the players will have in mind they owe the supporters a good performance and a result to send us singing to the bar then home after the final whistle.

 

I for one do not see any issue in pressing any panic buttons yet. In fact we are a long way off it.