v Hitchin

[3spirit]

Wasn't at the match and so cannot comment on the performance.To be honest I'm not bothered about this result. I'm looking for a couple of decent,committed displays before the end of the season just to cement our place in this division.The Hitchin game can now be consigned to the dustbin marked 'rubbish' ! 

 

Rather like to see better against St Neots at home and the Berkshire derby at Hungerford.

 

If Bakes and Unders can re-focus the current squad's attention, that they are playing for a place in next season's one,then perhap's they will show the effort they showed against Cirencester and Corby to get us a couple of wins from the remaining games left.

 

From my view of our current squad,I would be looking next season to bring in 5-6 players with 5 leaving through the exit door ! 

[Bernie Gogan]

It wasn't great, having made the trip in reasonable hope, we were 1 down and a player sent off after 12 minutes. I thought OK tighten the game up and hope to knick something, but we seem incapable of defending anything and not just in this game. I felt like going home at half time at 3-0 down, but stuck with it, so we drew the second half 2-2!! Whatever we tried we couldn't get any momentum.

 

Hope the managers manage to sort out our defensive issues for next week let alone next season.

[jonblack]

Should we be LUCKY enough to stay up , if we intend to challenge for at least the play offs then the defence needs a radical overhaul.Hope we can retain the goalkeeper and Mr Smith and find some quality players to compliment them.Any reasonable supporter can see that previous gungho spirit of play does not always work at this level, most teams get their defence right first.

The managers and a few supporters have passed the poor displays off as a learning curve this season, can only think they are slow learners,after all only two teams are going up so we have to face those opponents left next season.

[Gashimoto]

I was unable to attend yesterday so I can't cooment on the game but I agree with the majority of comments regarding discipline and our inability to defend well.

 

Let's hope we can get a good performance on saturday and maybe even finish the game with 11 players on the pitch!

 

Coyr

[HorshamRebel]

A very honest interview from Neil.

 

Not sure what I witnessed yesterday but it definitely wasn't a game of football.

 

I've no idea what has happened but it seems like even the basics are coming apart at the moment.

 

Anyway, I hope Chris's brother is OK

[Jon Underwood]

It is very clear that we have not been good enough defensively this season. And whilst every player (GK and defender) who has played for us this season has played some part in that at some point this season let's be very clear, the responsibilty for this lies with myself and Bakes.

 

As two experienced defenders who have played at the highest level of non-league football we are well aware of this issue and will accept any criticism that this should have been dealt with by now. The truth of the matter is we are extremely loyal to our players and maybe too loyal at times. Dunstable won our league last season and immediately got rid of 2/3 of their squad in preparation for the southern premier. We chose to reward the squad who had done fantastically well in getting us promoted by giving them a chance at the higher level but it is clear we need to change a few things for next season.

 

We will get it right, I have absolutely no doubt about that. Some of the squad have an important month ahead of them if they want to be part of that and we have made that very clear.

 

An important week ahead, please stay behind us.

[Reading Rebel]

A refreshingly honest interview from Bakes making no excuses for the poor defending and our current issues with ill discipline. 

 

Very few players came out of the game with any real credit, one of the exceptions being Ed Smith who battled away and was rewarded for his efforts with two goals. 

 

Well done to Hitchin who are a relatively young team and on the day thoroughly deserved their win.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Reading Rebel

[3spirit]

Should we be LUCKY enough to stay up , if we intend to challenge for at least the play offs then the defence needs a radical overhaul.Hope we can retain the goalkeeper and Mr Smith and find some quality players to compliment them.Any reasonable supporter can see that previous gungho spirit of play does not always work at this level, most teams get their defence right first.

The managers and a few supporters have passed the poor displays off as a learning curve this season, can only think they are slow learners,after all only two teams are going up so we have to face those opponents left next season.

Think you're right,Jon Black,about the defence needing a radical overhaul and I'm also in agreement that Luke Williams and Ed Smith are two definites for next season but the rest of what you say seems to be an unnecessary dig at the management.

 

I think Bakes and Unders will admit they've made one or two mistakes this season but what manager doesn't? We are lucky to have both of them at our club in my opinion and I think we fans need to be patient and realistic on what Slough can achieve without a ground.I think they are doing a sound job and will get it right.

 

That said,we will need to strengthen and have at least,two,three or four new experienced Premier Division or Conny South/North players in our first eleven for the new season. Bakes and Unders have good contacts and I'm sure they are well ahead in terms of who they want to bring in next term.  

[3spirit]

It is very clear that we have not been good enough defensively this season. And whilst every player (GK and defender) who has played for us this season has played some part in that at some point this season let's be very clear, the responsibilty for this lies with myself and Bakes.

 

As two experienced defenders who have played at the highest level of non-league football we are well aware of this issue and will accept any criticism that this should have been dealt with by now. The truth of the matter is we are extremely loyal to our players and maybe too loyal at times. Dunstable won our league last season and immediately got rid of 2/3 of their squad in preparation for the southern premier. We chose to reward the squad who had done fantastically well in getting us promoted by giving them a chance at the higher level but it is clear we need to change a few things for next season.

 

We will get it right, I have absolutely no doubt about that. Some of the squad have an important month ahead of them if they want to be part of that and we have made that very clear.

 

An important week ahead, please stay behind us.

 

Dunstable have done no better than us either,if we won our two games in hand, on them,we would be level with them.I know it's a big if but at the start of the season most of the rational supporters among us,just wanted to stay in this division,which we will do.

 

I think when we look back at the season as a whole,come the end of our games,we won't have done too bad.

 

If we can perhaps get two more wins under the belt or even,a win and a couple of draws,that's surely good enough in our first maiden season in the Premier division,especially doing it with two rookie managers who have never managed in it before and a gradual evolving squad.    

Edited March 29, 2015 by 3spirit

[Reading Rebel]

After getting promoted I'm not sure there's a right or wrong way to approach the coming season in a higher league.

 

Dunstable get rid of 2/3 of their players because they don't think they are good enough to make an impact in the premier division.

 

With a healthy budget and some indifferent results Dunstable sack their Manager and currently lie in 14th place with 4 games left. 

 

 

We remain loyal to most of our squad giving them a chance to prove themselves at a higher level.

 

On what I can only guess is one of the lower budgets for this level we are currently 16th with 6 games to go.

 

Two teams who have done things very differently but end up in similar positions in the league.

 

 

You only have to look at the top six teams in this division and not only do they have the biggest budgets but they have been at this level or above for a while now.

 

Sometimes it takes time to get things right.

[Fulham Rebel]

I never think its right or nice to name players that we think should stay or go. Every player has their off day like most of us and one mans favourite player might not be the choice of others.

 

The main thing is to stay 100% behind the managers and the team and remember none of us are perfect.

 

Well apart from Aidan who also thinks he is always right as well !!

 

Sue

[Mr Rebel]

Think defensively the midfield has often been far too easy to bypass and leave the defence horribly exposed as well this season

 

Really frustrating to give 3 or 4 goals away from corners especially when our own corners don't seem to often produce goals despite having so many routines rehearsed seemingly

 

16th would have been fine by me at the start of the season. Losses are bound to happen but it is worrying how often we have been comprehensively beaten in games we have started well in or had good spells

 

Really depends on how ambitious we will be next season.

 

League position wise we could do a lot better without still being anywhere near playoffs and it still be an improvement for example top half finish.

 

Hard to see us making a dramatic jump any higher than that but we have learned some harsh lessons and some valuable ones in our 1st season back at this level and I know the managers will do what they feel necessary however tough a decison it is to put as in best shape possible

[rebelade]

We had a conversation on the coach back about us having 2 defenders as managers but we have a team which is defensively poor at times and then Unders posts the same thing. You do have to remember defending starts with the strikers and ends with keeper , it's not just the back four that should get the blame.

There wasn't really a bad tackle throughout the game but it resulted in 8 yellows and 1 red but all were justified.

Saturday against St Neots is a chance to banish yesterday's performance and show what we're all about on and off the pitch.

COYR

[Mr Rebel]

Anyone know if the other div 1 sides who came up changed a great deal of players out of interest? Cirencester and paulton wasn't it? Both are doing pretty well

[Brighton on holiday]

When did we last have a season like this? No chance of promotion or relegation. Not our usual roller-coaster thru the mangel season but even tho yesterday was dreadful more than happy with where we are and have seen some great Slough performances

[Irishadrian]

Brighton on holiday   Actually we do have something to play for. We have games in hand on Dunstable Lets make sure we are'nt the worst performing of the four promoted sides. Let that be an end of season motivation for the lads.

Edited March 29, 2015 by Irishadrian

[Reading Rebel]

Think defensively the midfield has often been far too easy to bypass and leave the defence horribly exposed as well this season

 

Really frustrating to give 3 or 4 goals away from corners especially when our own corners don't seem to often produce goals despite having so many routines rehearsed seemingly

 

16th would have been fine by me at the start of the season. Losses are bound to happen but it is worrying how often we have been comprehensively beaten in games we have started well in or had good spells

 

Really depends on how ambitious we will be next season.

 

League position wise we could do a lot better without still being anywhere near playoffs and it still be an improvement for example top half finish.

 

Hard to see us making a dramatic jump any higher than that but we have learned some harsh lessons and some valuable ones in our 1st season back at this level and I know the managers will do what they feel necessary however tough a decison it is to put as in best shape possible

 

 

Bakes and Unders are very ambitious so I'm pretty sure they will not be happy with anything less than a place in the play-offs next season.

 

Agree with you on the point that although it's our defence that's been taking all the flak, our midfield has to take some of the responsibility for the lack of protection it has provided.

[Ian]

Rebelade is quite right about defending as a team. Hitchin's first goal yesterday came from us having the ball by the right hand corner in an attacking position. We gave it away cheaply and in less than ten seconds we'd allowed the ball to travel into our penalty area. From the resulting corner we then failed to mark the smallest player in their team who scored with a header. That's poor.

[3spirit]

Rebelade is quite right about defending as a team. Hitchin's first goal yesterday came from us having the ball by the right hand corner in an attacking position. We gave it away cheaply and in less than ten seconds we'd allowed the ball to travel into our penalty area. From the resulting corner we then failed to mark the smallest player in their team who scored with a header. That's poor.

 

I've always thought that the object of the game of football is to score more goals than the opposition.

 

Yes,we need to have players to put in a good shift in their appropriate positions throughout the side and of course,you need to build a strong defence and have a good spine in the team.Team morale,togetherness and players proving their mettle all come into it but you cannot legislate for individual mistakes,untold injuries,lack of confidence and poor discipline.

 

To me,our weaknesses this season have been,not being able to name a settled team for a run of games,our lack of height/physicality throughout key areas especially relevant in midfield and up front against the strong teams of this division and our lack of pace,which Chris Henry has gone someway to rectifying but not entirely.We are rather predictable at free kicks,crosses and corners,too.A couple of our signings haven't achieved what we hoped either but all these things can be put right,going into next season.

 

Being that it's the second season syndrome next,I think it is over the top to expect to make the play-offs. I would be happy if we make the Top 10 and have some great Cup runs but obviously it's no harm aiming for as high as possible.   

[C'est la vie]

I'm with you on this one 3spirit. Think it will be very tough to make the play offs next season, infact the next couple of seasons. We really need to get a settled team first and foremost with some experienced heads in there then we can think about kicking on.