Maidstone United 4-0 Enfield Town

[Towningaround]

12 minutes ago, Barney said:

There's as strong an argument for me of keeping it compact, frustrating them and maybe nicking something as there is playing more attacking players. Probably the same outcome either way... even a goal down, we're in the game and you never know. Obviously like us to be more positive if it remains 1-0 deeper in to the 2nd half.

You can’t defend better with two up as well you know……

[Shep]

Even the radio Kent guys who haven’t seen us before can’t believe we don’t put another forward on to hold up the ball

[seemgee]

2 up front 70 mins in

[The Crowing Cockerel]

As predicted. 70 mins gone: Chukwu on for Smith.....so 2 up front!

[seemgee]

Chukwu on for Smith

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Goal Maidstone.

2-0

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Goal

3-0

[The Crowing Cockerel]

4-0

[The Crowing Cockerel]

On 08/01/2025 at 19:52, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Back in the real world, out-classed by the full-timers 4-0 and we swiftly move on.

Just going to remind everyone of my prediction.

[Tally Ho]

"Two up top"

[Barney]

Just now, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Just going to remind everyone of my prediction.

Yup, largely how I saw this one playing out too... let's swiftly move on as you suggested, rather than wasting too much time and energy handwringing.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Just now, Tally Ho said:

"Two up top"

...for the last 20 minutes, a goal down and having had 1 effort on goal in the first half.

[Albury_Walker]

5 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Just going to remind everyone of my prediction.

Bighead 😁

28 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

As predicted. 70 mins gone: Chukwu on for Smith.....so 2 up front!

So that worked well then . Not such a clown as you lot think is he. 

Edited 5 hours ago by Albury_Walker

[Barney]

Honestly, there's no right or wrong here... it could have ended 4-0 if we'd started with 2 up front, or played 90 minutes with 1 up front. We need to be less fixated on formations, accept there are teams that are much better than us and that we'll get well beaten at times, and try to back the team as much as possible. Still think there might be a couple of twists to come, we're obviously bang up against it, but that's not making me want to support the players and manager any less.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

8 minutes ago, Albury_Walker said:

So that worked well then . Not such a clown as you lot think is he. 

Albs, we may as well lose 4-0 as 1-0 at this stage. The fact of the matter is that its all rather predictable. 

[Towningaround]

What was wrong with the side that won last week? Replace Alfie with a midfielder…..maybe a midfielder who’s meant to be a midfielder….

The last 20 mins was nothing to do with 2 up front (other than we saw what we already know about Chukwu…he’s not very good). The game just got stretched because we’d conceded so much territory and ball for 70 mins and we wer running on empty.

Kaunda proved my theory that your first appearance is your easiest one and he was dreadful….however I felt for him because he is a kid who was hung out to dry by inept management.

However we saw the clear difference between being an impact sub for 20 mins when someone’s already run the legs off the back for an hour and starting on your own up top isolated and starved of the ball. 
 

Edited 5 hours ago by Towningaround

[Albury_Walker]

21 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

What was wrong with the side that won last week? Replace Alfie with a midfielder…..maybe a midfielder who’s meant to be a midfielder….

The last 20 mins was nothing to do with 2 up front (other than we saw what we already know about Chukwu…he’s not very good). The game just got stretched because we’d conceded so much territory and ball for 70 mins and we wer running on empty.

Kaunda proved my theory that your first appearance is your easiest one and he was dreadful….however I felt for him because he is a kid who was hung out to dry by inept management.

However we saw the clear difference between being an impact sub for 20 mins when someone’s already run the legs off the back for an hour and starting on your own up top isolated and starved of the ball. 
 

I did tell you about Chucky some weeks ago . He's ok at level 3 and Cringegate and mingey was his perfect fit . He wasn't all that when we briefly had him with us . I was glad when he did one. 

[Barney]

47 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

What was wrong with the side that won last week? Replace Alfie with a midfielder…..maybe a midfielder who’s meant to be a midfielder….

The last 20 mins was nothing to do with 2 up front (other than we saw what we already know about Chukwu…he’s not very good). The game just got stretched because we’d conceded so much territory and ball for 70 mins and we wer running on empty.

Kaunda proved my theory that your first appearance is your easiest one and he was dreadful….however I felt for him because he is a kid who was hung out to dry by inept management.

However we saw the clear difference between being an impact sub for 20 mins when someone’s already run the legs off the back for an hour and starting on your own up top isolated and starved of the ball. 
 

Genuine question, is the issue the formation, or the personnel?

As far as I can tell, without having gone to either game, the formation we started with was the same for Chelmsford and Maidstone, with Youngs just behind a lone striker, a back 3, wing backs and 3 in midfield. Smith came in for Tuck, which I think is like for like - I've not seen much of Smith, but I don't think he's set the world alight the times I have seen him. Obviously Payne for Peake is a downgrade from an attacking perspective, and hopefully he was just unavailable today, and back next game.

So the main difference is that Kaunda came in for Hutchinson. It's impossible for me to comment on Kaunda, having not seen him play, and I do rate Hutchinson (maybe not as much as you do), so is your main issue that Hutchinson didn't start, as that would be consistent with many of your posts since you joined the forum?

At the risk of repeating myself, and boring everyone, I think there are games in this league that we aren't going to win, no matter what we do with personnel, formation or tactics. It's the games like St Albans, where we weren't the worst side on the day, and should have done better that are hurting us most, and likely going to see us getting relegated unless we can find a way to consistently win them.

Edited 4 hours ago by Barney

[The Crowing Cockerel]

20 minutes ago, Albury_Walker said:

I did tell you about Chucky some weeks ago . He's ok at level 3 and Cringegate and mingey was his perfect fit . He wasn't all that when we briefly had him with us . I was glad when he did one. 

The 'striker buffet' wasn't exactly piled high with tantalising options! We've got a Worthing reject, a Welling reject and a Cambridge United youngster. Somehow Gavin needs to conjure up 30 points using those ingredients!

[The Crowing Cockerel]

1 minute ago, Barney said:

Genuine question, is the issue the formation, or the personnel?

As far as I can tell, without having gone to either game, the formation we started with was the same for Chelmsford and Maidstone

Lets be very clear: Chelmsford were really not very good. It strikes me that that was probably the most important difference.