Enfield Town 1-0 Farnborough

[symptomless]

16 hours ago, Towningaround said:

Unpopular opinion and you could never leave him out but Youngs is a very poor footballer who has no contribution to the games other than a goal….madness to say, I know and I wouldn’t leave him out but he can get away with being that poor as a forward but to play as a 10 or an attacking midfielder he has to be better. He has one assist all season and I understand that where we’d be without his goals doesn’t bare thinking about but in a better team in this division he wouldn’t get in it. 

I've heard everything now! Sam Youngs is one of the reasons watching Towners has been so enjoyable for the past few seasons. Fast, skillful, accurate! 

Whatever the reason for him struggling at the start of the season, the fact that he's turned it around and is as good as ever against a tougher level of defender is testament to him. And it's not a coincidence that his return to form has coincided with us getting more points in the table. 

🤯

 

[Towningaround]

The front two are getting nowhere near the credit they deserve for yesterday.

While neither were eye-catchingly spectacular or a constant source of goal threat they literally worked their absolute nuts off defending from the front.

The lack of awareness or appreciation of this from fans and it seems the management in post match interviews is staggering.

We had a midfield where we badly missed the quality of Peake and as hard as Leonard worked he didn’t produce one moment of quality in the final third in terms of creativity. As I’ve said, Youngs is a goal source but offers little or nothing else (I’m not faulting that btw as without his goals we’d be buried already - but it’s a fact). Parcell and Brown were hard working but have no real quality and Stallard adapted well and didn’t let his leg down but again offered nothing going forwards. 

For a forward that’s a midfield made of nightmares!!

The front two chased and pressed and forced so many poor clearances / throw ins / corners it gave us an ‘out’ and relieved us of some pressure. 

They created a shooting opportunity for each other in the first half and competed for everything.

Hutchinson in particular gets overlooked for his defensive work in our own box also and even late in the game both were stretching the game and giving us some relief from constant pressure.

Theres more to playing up front than scoring alone. Whilst I appreciate it’ll always be the final analysis when you’re in a team like ours who basically rarely if ever control games or carve teams open it’s a thankless task. 

For me having two of them up there has worked even if we’ve not been scoring loads. The last three games have seen us with 2 up front and we’re unbeaten and the main difference has been that we’ve conceded just two goals…that’s down to the work from the front and the ability to relieve pressure for longer periods. 

Were never going to score loads so if either of them manage 4/5 goals in some close games over the next 17, it may be enough but no one’s going to score 10/12! 

Youngs has 11 and 5 of them are penalties….fair play to him to tucking them away but it’s evidence that opening teams up for consistent clear cut chances has been a problem for a long long time. 
 

Edited February 2 by Towningaround

[Towningaround]

11 minutes ago, symptomless said:

I've heard everything now! Sam Youngs is one of the reasons watching Towners has been so enjoyable for the past few seasons. Fast, skillful, accurate! 

Whatever the reason for him struggling at the start of the season, the fact that he's turned it around and is as good as ever against a tougher level of defender is testament to him. And it's not a coincidence that his return to form has coincided with us getting more points in the table. 

🤯

 

Can you read?

I was very clear that Sam Youngs goal scoring record cannot be questioned and without him we’d be buried already. 

However he has 1 assist all season as an attacking midfielder / forward that’s not enough. To put that into context for you Hutchinson has 3 assists and he’s been in and out the side and heavily criticised (rightly in some cases).

5 of Youngs goals have come from penalties that someone else has won…he has to score them of course but my observation was just that…an observation not a criticism…his contribution out of possession is literally nothing and his contributions in the build up of creating for others is next to zero. 

He’s literally been allowed a free role. 

In our side that’s ok because his goals are literally giving us some hope….my point was I don’t think he’d get away with that in any of the decent sides at this level. 
 

 

[symptomless]

It was a good opening 30 minutes and we took the game to them, they didn't have much confidence tbh. Bailey Brown looked determined to make up for his mistake last week, good on him. Even won the penalty with a driving run.

Just as well because it gave the back three a chance to bed in without too much pressure. Thompson was called to a family emergency just before kick off, best wishes with that. Stallard was drafted in late and Oyenuga put in as CB. 

Considering the last 60 minutes was us managing their attacks they did well under the circumstances. 

A lot more punts off the park and slowing the game down near the end which is not pretty, but after last week's last minute blunder, the right thing to do and demoralising for the chasing team.

We even had a free kick by their corner flag, put no one in the box and tried to hold the ball down their end. Times have changed for the better.

 

[symptomless]

Not sure what your point is? He scores goals and penalties but doesn't set up our strikers, who don't know where the goal is. Hutchinson can't even control the ball or win a header! 

You make him sound like a poacher. On the contrary he's consistently involved in the buildup, does a lot of work outside the opponent's box, he's accurate, creative AND has a killer finish.

 

[Towningaround]

39 minutes ago, symptomless said:

Not sure what your point is? He scores goals and penalties but doesn't set up our strikers, who don't know where the goal is. Hutchinson can't even control the ball or win a header! 

You make him sound like a poacher. On the contrary he's consistently involved in the buildup, does a lot of work outside the opponent's box, he's accurate, creative AND has a killer finish.

 

He is a poacher. Hes a player who poaches goals from making late runs into the box from midfield.

Apart from 5 penalties, name me a goal that wasn’t pretty mica one touch finish in or around the 6 yard box. I’ll wait….

You make it sound like it’s a criticism. It’s not it’s essential to have that in your team.

Now name me a chance some one missed where Sam Youngs carved open a defence with some skill that opened up a clear goal scoring opprtunity?

He doesn’t…that’s not a strength of his which is why at 33 he’s playing the best level of football in his life…

He’s industrious and busy in the attacking third and his runs into the box are excellent. But he’s not someone helping anyone else to score. That’s a simple fact.

As for Hutchinson I think his link up play is pretty good. Often up front alone trying to bring down a hopeful punt against 3 defenders who not have to head it clear he has struggled at times but go back through clips of games and he’s often involved in the build up getting the ball wide to players like Peake and Leonard. 

He has to score more goals I agree. Not the easiest in this side but there have been chances I think he should score but not many.

But regardless of that the facts are we’re better when he’s in the team than when he isn’t. 

Edited February 2 by Towningaround

[symptomless]

1 hour ago, Towningaround said:

He is a poacher. Hes a player who poaches goals from making late runs into the box from midfield.

If you seriously think that then you're missing so, so much. 

[djwilf]

Thought the job of our forwards was to score goals and hold the ball up......in addition to winning corners throw ins free kicks etc.

 

Sam has NEVER been a poacher but much more. 

[Towningaround]

18 minutes ago, symptomless said:

If you seriously think that then you're missing so, so much. 

You’re somehow turning this into an argument of the value of Sam Youngs which is unarguable….

 

[symptomless]

6 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

You’re somehow turning this into an argument of the value of Sam Youngs which is unarguable….

 

You brought it up 🤔

[The Crowing Cockerel]

1. Playing two up front has helped massively. Its meant that we have at the very least had the possibility of an out ball plus its prevented the opposition from throwing another player further forwards. My gripe now is about the quality of forward play. I appreciate that Jake and Chuks ran their socks off yesterday. However, we need them to actually get on the end of the balls played into them, hold the ball up. Chukwu's touch is terrible, and whilst I appreciate it isn't his game, Jake isn't strong enough against the defenders - even though I wouldn't describe Farnborough's back four as big and physical. What we need is a Scott McLeish type player, someone who can get themselves into the right position to win the ball, hold it up and/or draw the foul.

2. I think we've been fortunate with our timing recently. Granted, you can only beat whats in front of you, but Chelmsford and now Farnborough have been absolutely woeful. Very much hoping that our luck holds in that respect!

[Towningaround]

4 minutes ago, symptomless said:

You brought it up 🤔

I gave my opinion and validated it.

Im still waiting for an example of a goal that was more than a one touch finish in or around the 6 yard box arriving from midfield….or an example of him opening up a defence to create a goal for someone else….

Hes good for what he does…but he wouldn’t get in any other team outside the bottom 8 because he does nothing else. 

[Towningaround]

23 minutes ago, djwilf said:

Thought the job of our forwards was to score goals and hold the ball up......in addition to winning corners throw ins free kicks etc.

 

Sam has NEVER been a poacher but much more. 

Yeah it is. But for that to happen there needs to be some creative play to move teams around or open teams up. We do neither…and that’s fine because we are where we are and we are what we are…

But there isnt a forward in the league that would’ve scored many from the service in our team. Gavin can talk about crosses into the box all he likes the fact is 90% of them are of terrible quality or delivered too late. 
 

There’s a simple process for creating or taking chances….there needs to be space….then the ball has to arrive….then the player has to arrive…in any other order there’s not really a chance and players are standing still…or defenders are set and defending the right areas. 

[ETFC2001]

Think it’s quite a pointless argument. 

The way I look at it is, if you score goals, which is ultimately the most important thing in football, you can do what you want for the other 89 minutes.

Sam Youngs definitely deserves a mention for Team of the season if we stay up. I mean, most of our survival chances lay on him I would say with also hopefully Peake coming back and Thompson.

Strikers worked hard yesterday, and they definitely showed effort where we’ve lacked that upfront this season but I do need them to start doing a bit more. Need to be a bit more of a handful for defenders. I understand getting no service is another thing, but I felt they could do better with what they was provided with yesterday. It is a new partnership though, I don’t think they’ve played upfront together since Chuks has been here

[The Crowing Cockerel]

3 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

I mean, most of our survival chances lay on him I would say with also hopefully Peake coming back and Thompson.

No criticism of Adam at all, but any thoughts on Hawkins actually growing into the most important centre back?

[djwilf]

Last 6 games have been better....but we werent great yesterday and their coach knows they were worse.

We ll have to be better v Aveley and Welling.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

We really will have to take it up a level.

17 games left.

28 more points needed to guarantee survival.

Predicted table says we're only getting 6 more points.

Lets keep fighting!

[ETFC2001]

2 hours ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

No criticism of Adam at all, but any thoughts on Hawkins actually growing into the most important centre back?

I think that’s very fair. I also think Hawkins could be here for the long run if we do get relegated as he has an established relationship with Gavin. In an ideal world, both stay and we have an outer-worldly pair of centre backs for step 3.

Personally I think Thompson edges it due to his experience and leader role since coming in but Hawkins has been amazing since coming in no doubt. Really impressed with him.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

7 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

I think that’s very fair. I also think Hawkins could be here for the long run if we do get relegated as he has an established relationship with Gavin. In an ideal world, both stay and we have an outer-worldly pair of centre backs for step 3.

Personally I think Thompson edges it due to his experience and leader role since coming in but Hawkins has been amazing since coming in no doubt. Really impressed with him.

I would be very very surprised if Thompson and Hawkins stayed with us at Step 3 next season. Don't forget that several of our squad joined specifically to play at Step 2. Oyenuga and Smith left relegated Step 2 sides in order to remain at Step 2. Leonard and Hawkins left Step 3 in order to play Step 2. Peake and Forster could potentially remain at Step 2 next season.

Facing facts, next season back at Step 3 would most likely be a complete rebuild around Parcell and Youngs.

[djwilf]

Had a rebuuld after BQ left.    I dont think it would be much different to then despite a few different teams in the league.