v Chippenham Town

[Curtis]

Predicted final table still shows us finishing in a play-off spot with 69 points...... it’s predicted results are that we will pick up 13 points from our next five matches though:-

https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/national-league-south/league-table/predicted

[rebelbrewer]

32 minutes ago, Neil Baker said:

Obviously you mean 5 points ?

ability to count is optional ?

[Jon Underwood]

23 minutes ago, Curtis said:

Predicted final table still shows us finishing in a play-off spot with 69 points...... it’s predicted results are that we will pick up 13 points from our next five matches though:-

https://www.footballwebpages.co.uk/national-league-south/league-table/predicted

Yep that will do! ?

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Value your reply Neil and you don’t have to worry about my feelings as said I think you and Jon are doing a cracking job, I won’t take it to heart that you seemed to be mainly replying to me. I didn’t see the scoreboard to check but I would guess we must have had somewhere in the region of 20 shots yesterday, and usually with those chances (deliberately not naming anyone I would have expected us to get 4 or 5) I am fully aware we have implemented a new formation and it definitely seemed to be working first half. As for my dobbo comment it was purely that on a number of occasions we missed the early whipped ball in that had become his speciality. I don’t think there were any really obvious “sitters” missed so didn’t use that phrase but we had some very good chances that usually we would convert.

all in all as said “one of those games” but I thought they were there for the taking yesterday at half time and was realistically thinking we’d get 3 or 4 and keep a clean sheet.

 

To be honest I blame Gary for the half time scoreboard “entertainment” in that game we were 2-0 up at halftime and ended up drawing so think he jinxed us! It was just unfortunate they scored the first as my feeling was at 2-1 up we were just not going to win. Hey ho we go again. As said Neil and as I stated earlier it’s been a great season with ups and downs and that’s the slough rollercoaster I’ve been riding for 30 years now!!

[Neil Baker]

Thanks Marcus, all I will say is you mention they were there for the taking and you expected us to score 3 or 4 and keep a clean sheet, however that was only because we had played so well and not because they are poor, our performance caused them to make two changes at half time and change formation, and you have to say it worked for them, Josh Smile and Nat Jarvis were two stand out players for them especially second half.

I have watched the game back today and I am always quite hard on missed chances from forwards etc, but there weren’t any that I expect us to score from in those instances, plenty of blocks and decent goalkeeping,  also looking at the goals against, we have had some bad luck in how the balls have fallen on both occasions, the first is a whipped ball from a corner into the box that hits a crowded group of players and falls nicely for their lad who just gets to it before Guy and stabs home through the legs of Wazza, whilst their second is a miss hit shot that fires into the ground that through the bounce  lobs Jack and the players who are defending  and finds itself in the net.

As Unders says on his interview it is just football... these things happen, believe me I felt a lot worse when we actually threw away two points last year against Hereford in injury time due to making wrong decisions, looking back today, I can accept what happened.

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Was there some debate about the second our players seemed to be appealing for something...?

 

Again thanks for reply Neil. Just one of those things and totally agree the Hereford draw was a real kick in the balls!!!

[Reading Rebel]

I don't know the answer but was the Chippenham player who tried to touch the ball by the post offside?

Perhaps our players thought he touched it?

[Reading Rebel]

605 in attendance was slightly disappointing but Chippenham are not a big draw and I think there were only about 25/30 away supporters behind the goal so not a great away support either. 

Edited January 20, 2019 by Reading Rebel

[3spirit]

Neil, just watched/listened to Jons interview on the Chippenham match,  you better tell Jon off, as he said it was ' two points dropped' ! lol !      I'm with you, Neil, on this, though, I thought it was 'one point gained'. Yes, we were all over them in the first half but second half they were much improved and we had our work cut out to hold them.

Neil, on your long post replying back to Dom[not just him but in the main], I agree pretty much with everything you say there. From my perspective, I was sorry to see Dobbo go but I also view his leaving as an opportunity to enhance our attacking play, and that way not to be so reliant on one player's skills.

I might be the only Slough supporter, that isn't bothered about making the play off's.  I would rather see Slough spend a few seasons in the Conference South, and then be at a stage with the squad to stay up in the National League,if we were to get promoted. Not go up with a squad that isn't ready for it, and then to just struggle. I think we currently have a good squad and a great foundation to build on but while I can appreciate that 7 places are up for grabs and Slough are holding their own, I don't see the need to make the play off's this season.

I know, at times, that I [and other fans] think you can magic up signings at a drop of your hat, and that as a club we are not quite as flush [in the money stakes] to recruit the best players, as some clubs are but I do think there are reasonable players out there, playing at lower level/s that we could take chances on when needed, during any playing season.

I don't think it is unreasonable to be looking for another striker, at this current time. Nothing says it needs to be an expensive one or an experienced one. I would prefer to take a chance on a younger player [age 20-23] from a lower level non league club, if money is tight at this stage of the season, preferably with pace. Someone up for the challenge to make our squad for next season and who doesn't expect to be playing ahead of our current 3 strikers but someone who's willing to vie for a starting place in the team.

I don't want to see our club over stretch it's budget but I also don't want our team to get complacent, by not experimenting in improving our attack options. Having  Matt Lench back ,and giving Louis Soares a run in the team, and also having Sean Fraser around, gives the team some fresh ideas/fresh faces to the line up. I thought bringing Sean Fraser on to shore up the midfield against Chippenham was the right call, and was extremely unfortunate that Chippenham scored before he would settle into his role. You can't legislate for that !

I'm realistic that there are some very good sides in the Conference South and that we are not going to get everything our own way. We are well ahead of being relegation fodder and are more than capable of beating the majority of teams in this division, which in our first season in a new league is a fantastic leap forward, in terms of progression of our team. So it's certainly not doom and gloom with where our team is at. 

Edited January 21, 2019 by 3spirit

[Jon Underwood]

5 hours ago, 3spirit said:

Neil, just watched/listened to Jons interview on the Chippenham match,  you better tell Jon off, as he said it was ' two points dropped' ! lol !      I'm with you, Neil, on this, though, I thought it was 'one point gained'. Yes, we were all over them in the first half but second half they were much improved and we had our work cut out to hold them.

Ha ha well we don’t always agree on everything! To be fair it’s probably the difference between being interviewed 10 minutes after the game versus having 24 hours to reflect as Bakes did. Always disappointing to let a 2 goal lead slip but as he said we could have lost it too.

Anyway it’s done now, we’ll learn and move on!

[Reading Rebel]

7 hours ago, 3spirit said:

Neil, just watched/listened to Jons interview on the Chippenham match,  you better tell Jon off, as he said it was ' two points dropped' ! lol !      I'm with you, Neil, on this, though, I thought it was 'one point gained'. Yes, we were all over them in the first half but second half they were much improved and we had our work cut out to hold them.

Neil, on your long post replying back to Dom[not just him but in the main], I agree pretty much with everything you say there. From my perspective, I was sorry to see Dobbo go but I also view his leaving as an opportunity to enhance our attacking play, and that way not to be so reliant on one player's skills.

I might be the only Slough supporter, that isn't bothered about making the play off's.  I would rather see Slough spend a few seasons in the Conference South, and then be at a stage with the squad to stay up in the National League,if we were to get promoted. Not go up with a squad that isn't ready for it, and then to just struggle. I think we currently have a good squad and a great foundation to build on but while I can appreciate that 7 places are up for grabs and Slough are holding their own, I don't see the need to make the play off's this season.

I know, at times, that I [and other fans] think you can magic up signings at a drop of your hat, and that as a club we are not quite as flush [in the money stakes] to recruit the best players, as some clubs are but I do think there are reasonable players out there, playing at lower level/s that we could take chances on when needed, during any playing season.

I don't think it is unreasonable to be looking for another striker, at this current time. Nothing says it needs to be an expensive one or an experienced one. I would prefer to take a chance on a younger player [age 20-23] from a lower level non league club, if money is tight at this stage of the season, preferably with pace. Someone up for the challenge to make our squad for next season and who doesn't expect to be playing ahead of our current 3 strikers but someone who's willing to vie for a starting place in the team.

I don't want to see our club over stretch it's budget but I also don't want our team to get complacent, by not experimenting in improving our attack options. Having  Matt Lench back ,and giving Louis Soares a run in the team, and also having Sean Fraser around, gives the team some fresh ideas/fresh faces to the line up. I thought bringing Sean Fraser on to shore up the midfield against Chippenham was the right call, and was extremely unfortunate that Chippenham scored before he would settle into his role. You can't legislate for that !

I'm realistic that there are some very good sides in the Conference South and that we are not going to get everything our own way. We are well ahead of being relegation fodder and are more than capable of beating the majority of teams in this division, which in our first season in a new league is a fantastic leap forward, in terms of progression of our team. So it's certainly not doom and gloom with where our team is at. 

3spirit, I think we talked about this at the game on Saturday.

I think the vast majority of our supporters, including our managers, would want to get into the play-offs and have a shot at getting promoted.

If we were ever to get promoted our squad of players would not be ready for it, so whether it was this season or in the next 3 seasons we would still not be ready for it and would most definitely have to strengthen to cope with the step up in standard to the National League.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Reading Rebel

[epicrebel]

1 hour ago, Reading Rebel said:

3spirit, I think we talked about this at the game on Saturday.

I think the vast majority of our supporters, including our managers, would want to get into the play-offs and have a shot at getting promoted.

If we were ever to get promoted our squad of players would not be ready for it, so whether it was this season or in the next 3 seasons we would still not be ready for it and would most definitely have to strengthen to cope with the step up in standard to the National League.

Didn't we say this last year? and we only got in 2 new faces, and now without Dobbo.

[Reading Rebel]

30 minutes ago, epicrebel said:

Didn't we say this last year? and we only got in 2 new faces, and now without Dobbo.

We already had players who had played at this level so IMO it was only fair that they were given the chance to play at National South level and they've come up trumps.

The Vanarama National League is a whole different challenge and any team who got promoted would have to strengthen to be able to compete. 

[Curtis]

I just think that a play-off place finish, although unlikely to result in promotion, will attract some even higher quality of players to the Club next season..... and that could provide the impetus for a serious promotion challenge next season (although it could be an incredibly though league next season if Aldershot & Maidstone are relegated).

[Irishadrian]

And of course at this seasons end there will be a number of quality players out of contract with their current clubs who may be of interest to us  without having to pay a fee.

Edited January 21, 2019 by Irishadrian

[3spirit]

5 hours ago, Reading Rebel said:

3spirit, I think we talked about this at the game on Saturday.

I think the vast majority of our supporters, including our managers, would want to get into the play-offs and have a shot at getting promoted.

If we were ever to get promoted our squad of players would not be ready for it, so whether it was this season or in the next 3 seasons we would still not be ready for it and would most definitely have to strengthen to cope with the step up in standard to the National League.

When you say about the squad not being ready whether it was this season or in say, three seasons, I disagree with you that the squad situation would be the same.

This seasons squad was built largely on players experienced in the Conference South but was also built over time in the Premier division and previous seasons. The biggest stroke of luck we had for this season was the recruitment of Sam Togwell, who has been a fantastic signing and has bought his know how and expertise to shore up our defence, and he deserves massive credit in how he approaches and plays the game but he is 33 and may not want to get back involved in higher level football. When I look at our squad currently we have a good few players that simply wouldn't be good enough for the National League. Playing a one off cup game against a Conference side and getting a positive result doesn't mean that you will beat all and sundry, if the team were to be promoted. 

Don't get me wrong, I'm not against our team striving to be the best but for me I don't see what the rush is about, to get promoted. We should be enjoying this season for what it is but not getting carried away by the success we've had. Just looking at the current Wealdstone situation shows what happens when you rush for success and overspend on players, so why should our club be bursting a gut to get promoted and to spend over the odds to do it. To me that would be a foolish way to go on.