Histon (h) - 30 August

[Stuntman Mark]

 

 

 So lets all sit back, enjoy the ride and be content with just surviving at this higher level.

 

No, let's get behind the team. We will get better as the season goes on.

[Mark44]

Totally agree mark, you look at who's missing and you see we are going to struggle

 

Smith, dyer, warren and Scott Harris, guy hollis, Adam foulser,

 

We then have some playing that are not 100%

 

I'd say this is similar to the injury crisis we had in December. The only differences are we possibly have a but more strength in depth but we are playing teams a whole lot better

 

Did I hear correctly that Histon are full time? If so then fitness will show last 20.

[Mr Rebel]

The squad has definitely got more depth this season and its been needed. Lots of important players missing but it is not like the players we had out there are not talented & proven players.

 

Having listened to the interview with bakes and unders have to say its probably the most honest interview yet. They could have come up with excuses or defended their players but the sense of how gutted they were showed just how ambitious and how much hunger they have to take our club forward.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Mr Rebel

[Reading Rebel]

Totally agree mark, you look at who's missing and you see we are going to struggle

 

Smith, dyer, warren and Scott Harris, guy hollis, Adam foulser,

 

We then have some playing that are not 100%

 

I'd say this is similar to the injury crisis we had in December. The only differences are we possibly have a but more strength in depth but we are playing teams a whole lot better

 

Did I hear correctly that Histon are full time? If so then fitness will show last 20.

 

 

Mark44, 

 

Not sure some of the teams we've played so far have been a whole lot better than last season i.e. Banbury and Histon IMO would struggle in Div 1.

 

Because reportedly Histon are skint, I couldn't believe that they were full-time so I asked one of their supporters and he said they were part-time. 

[Manor Park Rebel]

As much as I've tried to be disappointed, I don't usually find it that difficult, I think we have had a pretty decent start to the season. Taking into account the very unfortunate list of injuries and the steep learning curve, to have only suffered the one defeat and be sitting in mid table is great. I thought that Histon maintained an incredibly high tempo for the whole match and thoroughly deserved the point for their workrate alone. Hope we don't see that referee again for a while.

[Reading Rebel]

As much as I've tried to be disappointed, I don't usually find it that difficult, I think we have had a pretty decent start to the season. Taking into account the very unfortunate list of injuries and the steep learning curve, to have only suffered the one defeat and be sitting in mid table is great. I thought that Histon maintained an incredibly high tempo for the whole match and thoroughly deserved the point for their workrate alone. Hope we don't see that referee again for a while.

 

 

I really like the fact that our managers are not happy to just tread water in mid table or below and will say when they think the players have let them down.

 

Also not sure on the 'steep learning curve' as a lot of our players have played at premier level in the past.

[Rebel Ron]

As much as I've tried to be disappointed, I don't usually find it that difficult, I think we have had a pretty decent start to the season. Taking into account the very unfortunate list of injuries and the steep learning curve, to have only suffered the one defeat and be sitting in mid table is great. I thought that Histon maintained an incredibly high tempo for the whole match and thoroughly deserved the point for their workrate alone. Hope we don't see that referee again for a while.

What worries me though is that we have not played a team in the present top ten ! Just hoping the better the opposition the better we will be .

[Reading Rebel]

What worries me though is that we have not played a team in the present top ten ! Just hoping the better the opposition the better we will be .

 

 

We were last season but that was with most players available.

 

One things certain those teams that are at the top are there because they have players who can convert a lot of the chances that come there way.

[epicrebel]

What worries me though is that we have not played a team in the present top ten ! Just hoping the better the opposition the better we will be .

(When we played Chesham they were in the top 10 at the time)

 

Sorry let me put this the way I ment,

 

When Chesham beat us they went to I think into the top 10 , and IF biggleswade had beaten us they would of gone top.

 

SO we stopped that, by drawing with them. Which we could of won and gone top ourselves. 

 

What I'm trying to say it's to soon to say were we'll end up.

Edited August 31, 2014 by epicrebel

[HorshamRebel]

The managers basically said it all in their post match interview.

 

Onwards and upwards

[Chris]

Yep, let's forget yesterday & remember where we have come from. To be disappointed to only draw against a side who were two leagues above us last season in the Conference North shows how far we've come!

 

Think I saw Adrian Sear watching on yesterday. He knows this level well having played in it for St Neots & played higher up as well with Histon.

 

Think he'd be a good signing if he is someone we are looking at as he's a leader on the pitch and a very good player.

 

Is quite vocal as well, which is something we lack in the side. We're a very quiet side without people like Foulser, Woozley from last season.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Chris

[Reading Rebel]

Yep, let's forget yesterday & remember where we have come from. To be disappointed to only draw against a side who were two leagues above us last season in the Conference North shows how far we've come!

 

Think I saw Adrian Sear watching on yesterday. He knows this level well having played in it for St Neots & played higher up as well with Histon.

 

Think he'd be a good signing if he is someone we are looking at as he's a leader on the pitch and a very good player.

 

Is quite vocal as well, which is something we lack in the side. We're a very quiet side without people like Foulser, Woozley from last season.

 

 

Searsy said once he gets himself fit/over his injury, the the plan is go on loan to get some game time.

 

I keep saying it but if he can get himself fit and wants to sign for us, it will be a massive new signing for the club. 

Edited August 31, 2014 by Reading Rebel

[Rebel Kay]

I detect a note of sarcasm in your post Reading.  I am not suggesting that we be content just to be in the Prem and not worry about how we do.  We must strive to be the best we can be and I honestly believe that is what they do. However, we also need to be realistic and not expect 3 points every week.

 

Chris is right, forget about yesterday, it has gone and there is nothing we can do to change it.  The Managers will pick themselves up and the team will do likewise.  Next Saturday is a new day and they will give it their best and what is really important is that we are there right behind them.

[3spirit]

Yep, let's forget yesterday & remember where we have come from. To be disappointed to only draw against a side who were two leagues above us last season in the Conference North shows how far we've come!

 

Think I saw Adrian Sear watching on yesterday. He knows this level well having played in it for St Neots & played higher up as well with Histon.

 

Think he'd be a good signing if he is someone we are looking at as he's a leader on the pitch and a very good player.

 

Is quite vocal as well, which is something we lack in the side. We're a very quiet side without people like Foulser, Woozley from last season.

 

You've stolen my thunder,Chris,as I think you've made a very valid point about the lack of someone that can bark instructions and has leadership skills and offers constructive advice on the pitch.Dave Woozley did this last season.

 

No slight intended on Jamie McClurg's captaincy,as he deserves his chance but yesterday highlighted the need for a wily vocal campaigner to rally the troops. 

 

As Slough have been challenging at the top of the table for quite a few seasons [albeit the Central Division] I do think some supporters are unrealistic in their lofty ambitions for Slough this season. Our priorities must be to stay away from the relegation zone this season. I'd be happy with mid-table.

For me it's not about losing games,it's about the character we show in our efforts not to be beaten and how we go about getting results in our favour.

 

Mind you it's to Bakes and Unders credit that we fans hope and expect more,because our co-managers are the best managers we've had for years and they've given us the belief that our beloved team can achieve much more.

 

I think personnel will be chopped and changed to find the right formula for this season,if players fail to live up to their billing and put in dreadful displays like yesterday's second half but at the end of the day,at least we didn't lose the game and we have a decent squad to shake things up for the next matches.

 

Keep believing.     

[3spirit]

By the way,Jamie McClurg is featured in the Non League Paper this week.

 

He's let the cat the bag and he hasn't done the Slough programme interview yet ! Damn and blast!

[Reading Rebel]

You've stolen my thunder,Chris,as I think you've made a very valid point about the lack of someone that can bark instructions and has leadership skills and offers constructive advice on the pitch.Dave Woozley did this last season.

 

No slight intended on Jamie McClurg's captaincy,as he deserves his chance but yesterday highlighted the need for a wily vocal campaigner to rally the troops. 

 

As Slough have been challenging at the top of the table for quite a few seasons [albeit the Central Division] I do think some supporters are unrealistic in their lofty ambitions for Slough this season. Our priorities must be to stay away from the relegation zone this season. I'd be happy with mid-table.

For me it's not about losing games,it's about the character we show in our efforts not to be beaten and how we go about getting results in our favour.

 

Mind you it's to Bakes and Unders credit that we fans hope and expect more,because our co-managers are the best managers we've had for years and they've given us the belief that our beloved team can achieve much more.

 

I think personnel will be chopped and changed to find the right formula for this season,if players fail to live up to their billing and put in dreadful displays like yesterday's second half but at the end of the day,at least we didn't lose the game and we have a decent squad to shake things up for the next matches.

 

Keep believing.     

 

 

With all the injuries do we currently have enough players available to shake things up?

 

Certainly we don't in respect of our forwards unless Ed Smith, JD and Scott Harris make speedy recoveries.

Edited August 31, 2014 by Reading Rebel

[3spirit]

With all the injuries do we currently have enough players available to shake things up?

 

Certainly we don't in respect of our forwards unless Ed Smith, JD and Scott Harris make speedy recoveries.

We've got Guy Hollis back for Weymouth and I thought Jake Parsons and Scott Harris would have done us a job yesterday especially as subs to change our poor showing in the second half.

 

Obviously we can reason why they are out  on loan. Is Hatchet still injured? Was surprised when he went to Ashford on loan,considering he scored for us in the previous game against Biggleswade but the managers know the reason for that.I don't. 

 

For Weymouth game we could opt to return Tom Moran to right back and use Sean Fraser on the right wing.That's something we haven't tried yet and we then have the option of using Jake Parsons or Jemel Branker in the second half from the subs bench. 

[Jon Underwood]

Yes we have Guy back this week and we are hopeful that both Eddie and Johnnie will be fit for Weymouth.

 

Regarding Scott Harris, he went on loan to Ashford on the day we went to Paulton as we had 3 fit forwards for that game when we made this decision (we didn't know at the time that Daryll would fall ill) and rather than take him all the way there for potentially 10-15 mins game time we made the call to get him the opportunity of 2 games over the bank holiday weekend with Ashford. It was his wish to do this too as he is desperate to get fit and challenge for a starting place as we all know he is nowhere near fit enough yet having missed all but the last week of pre-season through an injury he picked up at the end of March. Unfortunately he pulled his groin and managed only 55 mins on the Saturday. He may be fit for this weekend but for the reasons already mentioned he needs to stay on loan and get himself fit.

 

Jake Parsons is in the same boat in terms of his fitness, nowhere near fit enough to challenge for a starting place at this level of football at the moment. We have 3 attacking midfield options on the bench on Saturday, all of which were used, so can't see how having Jake there would have made any difference to what we were able to do. As it was FA cup weekend for the majority of Step 4 and 5 clubs the options to get him a game were extremely limited but we managed to get him a game for Iver, a lower level than we would have hoped for him but with a decent group of experienced players such as Stuart Swift, Will Dunlop, etc so it would have been a good fitness exercise for him and a step in the right direction.

 

Adrian Sear has been mentioned and he was there on Saturday. He had a 10 day holiday right at the start of the season and was due to start training with us when he returned to get fit but then managed to twist his ankle while stepping off a ladder at work. No, I am not joking! He saw Kev on Saturday and hopes to start training this week and is someone who we are keen to give an opportunity to as we know what a good player he is when fit.

 

To be honest we are absolutely fed up with having to talk about injuries. We have been doing it ever since joining the club and have never known anything like it. We would have loved to have played these first 7 games with Adam Foulser, Warren Harris, Eddie Smith, Johnnie Dyer, Luke Knight and everyone else we've talked about fully fit. It feels like we are making excuses every week and anyone who knows Bakes and I would know the last thing we try to do is to make excuses for poor performances, dropped points, etc. Any squad would find it tough missing players of that quality and we are no different.

 

Having said all of that it's not all doom and gloom and we have been generally pleased with the start to the season until Saturday's performance which was clearly not good enough. We know the reasons for this and we also know we will improve as the season goes on. The comments on here have been very understanding and generally positive which is good to see and your support is massively appreciated. We have two extremely tough games coming up but Bakes and I (and our players) are up for the challenge and look forward to seeing a good number of travelling Rebels fans behind us as always. 

[Reading Rebel]

Yes we have Guy back this week and we are hopeful that both Eddie and Johnnie will be fit for Weymouth.

 

Regarding Scott Harris, he went on loan to Ashford on the day we went to Paulton as we had 3 fit forwards for that game when we made this decision (we didn't know at the time that Daryll would fall ill) and rather than take him all the way there for potentially 10-15 mins game time we made the call to get him the opportunity of 2 games over the bank holiday weekend with Ashford. It was his wish to do this too as he is desperate to get fit and challenge for a starting place as we all know he is nowhere near fit enough yet having missed all but the last week of pre-season through an injury he picked up at the end of March. Unfortunately he pulled his groin and managed only 55 mins on the Saturday. He may be fit for this weekend but for the reasons already mentioned he needs to stay on loan and get himself fit.

 

Jake Parsons is in the same boat in terms of his fitness, nowhere near fit enough to challenge for a starting place at this level of football at the moment. We have 3 attacking midfield options on the bench on Saturday, all of which were used, so can't see how having Jake there would have made any difference to what we were able to do. As it was FA cup weekend for the majority of Step 4 and 5 clubs the options to get him a game were extremely limited but we managed to get him a game for Iver, a lower level than we would have hoped for him but with a decent group of experienced players such as Stuart Swift, Will Dunlop, etc so it would have been a good fitness exercise for him and a step in the right direction.

 

Adrian Sear has been mentioned and he was there on Saturday. He had a 10 day holiday right at the start of the season and was due to start training with us when he returned to get fit but then managed to twist his ankle while stepping off a ladder at work. No, I am not joking! He saw Kev on Saturday and hopes to start training this week and is someone who we are keen to give an opportunity to as we know what a good player he is when fit.

 

To be honest we are absolutely fed up with having to talk about injuries. We have been doing it ever since joining the club and have never known anything like it. We would have loved to have played these first 7 games with Adam Foulser, Warren Harris, Eddie Smith, Johnnie Dyer, Luke Knight and everyone else we've talked about fully fit. It feels like we are making excuses every week and anyone who knows Bakes and I would know the last thing we try to do is to make excuses for poor performances, dropped points, etc. Any squad would find it tough missing players of that quality and we are no different.

 

Having said all of that it's not all doom and gloom and we have been generally pleased with the start to the season until Saturday's performance which was clearly not good enough. We know the reasons for this and we also know we will improve as the season goes on. The comments on here have been very understanding and generally positive which is good to see and your support is massively appreciated. We have two extremely tough games coming up but Bakes and I (and our players) are up for the challenge and look forward to seeing a good number of travelling Rebels fans behind us as always. 

 

 

Thanks for the info Unders, keeps us all in the loop and much appreciated as always!

[Chris]

Just thinking out loud. I see Ryan Bird has left Portsmouth today. He can play higher that's not a doubt, but maybe a short-term deal could suit both parties until our strikers are back and fully fit?

Edited September 1, 2014 by Chris