Northwood 3-4 City

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

We played pretty well up to when we went 2-0 up, Watts and Clarke was battering them and it was no surpise when Watts put us 1-0 up after the keeper kindly parried the ball to him for no apparent reason, then EFM's favorite player sprung the offside trap to make it 2-0. They scored one towards the end of the first half.

Was in the bar for their 2nd and the 3rd was a penalty which they took while I was buying a burger.

We then scored when the number 5 poked a cross across the 6yd box into his own goal and then Castle tryed about 6 times to beat the keeper from 2cm's before Clarke beat him from 3cms.

 

We weren't very good after we went 2-0 up but up to that point we looked pretty good, both teams are pretty shocking. Watts looks like a class above, the midfield is terrible. The pitches must be bigger in the league as Castle's balls all went out of touch, either that or he's just crap!

[Webbo MFI]

you should write the match reports!

[Guest]

How long will it be before watts moves on. he looks very good and we can't sell him. Sounds like we need to buy another john challinor or get rid of castle. But at least we got 3 points

[Billericay Blue]

[quote

 

we looked pretty, both teams are pretty

 

 

 

 

Hmmm.. <img src="/images/graemlins/achso.gif" alt="" />

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

Is that Jon "let him go on a free to become a conference player, a semi-pro international and a FA trophy QF goalscorer while we get that donkey Wraight in" Challinor?

[Guest]

You hit the nail on the head.

[Woody]

3 points it may have been on Saturday but this was utter garbage. Northwood have to have been the worse side we have played this season and apart from the first half hour we were just as bad. As stated earlier on this thread, the only saving grace was Steve Watts, who shone out alone in a sea of dross.

 

What is it about playing ok for the first 30 and falling apart for the next 60? It is starting to become a habit, which leads me to believe that there is a big problem fitnesswise with the team. I am also getting increasingly p****d off with the tactics our manager is employing. As soon as we concede a goal, as in the recent Basingstoke and Northwood games (amongst several others), our heads seem to drop immediately and from playing half decent football, we revert to lumping the ball out of defence, at all costs, into the stratosphere to all corners of the ground. Now, no-one is going to convince me that they are not told to do that by the manager/coach. UEFA 'A' coach? - what a joke. It is not only the results that are causing the attendances to go into freefall but also the way we are playing and it's about time it was addressed.

 

Someone remarked to me on Saturday that the game resembled a couple of Sunday pub sides playing against each other. I don't think they were too far adrift.

 

 

 

[AFF]

Hi Woody.

 

Yes, 3 points. That was essential on Saturday.

 

I'm not sure whether fitness is the issue when heads appear to drop, actually. I wonder whether it is simply morale. That may be the reason we see, what I call, the speculative long ball when there is any degree of pressure applied on defence, particularly after the other team have scored.

 

Now you know that I don't know anything about football, Woody, but I had an interesting chat with one or two of t'lads after the game on Saturday. There is something in football called "channels" which involves, either a "W" or an "M" shape in the opposition half. It's only one of those and whether it's a "W" or an "M" depends upon one's own perception, presumably. "Channels" involves both the person in possession of the ball and the person wanting to receive it. It's 'hitting the channels' when kicking the thing and 'running the channels' when hoping to receive it. It is only to be adopted when there are no other options available, apparently.

 

Now I'm not quite sure whether "channels" is something that every other team does and we don't, or quite frankly, whether every team other doesn't, but we do. It's a little complex. I'm not sure whether the opposition would know that the other team is doing the channels thing or not. It might be a surprise tactic or it might be a fixed thing like 4-4-2, my personal preference over 3-5-2 as you probably know.

 

Anyway. Time didn't permit an in-depth discussion Woody, but I'll have another word tonight or on Saturday. The lads that I spoke to were quite familiar with the concept and seemed to think that it is pretty straightforward. I was a little lost, quite frankly, but then I have modest knowledge of the oval-shaped ball which is based on possession.

 

Have you come across this one?

[JKiF]

 

 

big fat ron

 

used to speak highly of channels

 

 

my knowledge is sadly limited to taking on the opposition and scoring more goals than them...

[Rob_the_Saint]

Whereabouts in the ionosphere can you find these channels then?

[JKiF]

 

 

i think u have to use your remote!

[AFF]

I have just spoken on the telephone to someone who knows a bit about football and I have more news on this channels thing.

 

Apparently, it involves more than two members of the team in possession of the ball. An attacking player runs in one direction or another taking his defender with him. That is called "run off" the defender. A gap is then created where the two of them were standing and that becomes the 'channel' [one of the legs of the "W" or "M"]. Another attacker runs into that channel to receive a pass from his own defender, hence 'running the channels' and 'hitting the channels'.

 

Her's an interesting bit. It would seem that modern-day thinking is that when the pass into the channel is made, the ball should remain as close as possible to the grass at all times. I forgot to ask the chap why that is.

 

I wonder how the players communicate to each other that they are about to attempt this manoeuvre.

[Webbo MFI]

Is that why they go training on a Thursday?

[Nos]

Somewhere near Planet Sorted, I reckon, Rob.

 

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/bbcthree/tv/sortitoutman/sortitoutman_biog.shtml

[Woody]

Hi AFF,

 

I seem to remember that Howard Wilkinson used to go on and on about playing down the channels. It never worked for him and it won't work for us.

[Canary Saint]

In my humble opinion what's needed is as follows:

 

1) Someone with a good knowledge of football at this level

2) Someone with good contacts at this level

3) Someone who doesn't p*ss the players off as soon as things go wrong

4) A Russian billionaire to be conned into thinking that City are the next big thing

 

Hopefully City will win 6 nil tonight and make me look very silly <img src="/images/graemlins/wurm.gif" alt="" />

[Canary Saint]

 

On the other hand 0-2 at HT

[Canary Saint]

 

On the third hand 0-3 at FT

 

Maybe we need a change

 

Maybe I need to take more water with it

 

At least City are consistent - they seem to let in 3 goals every game

 

FFS Gibbo do do something !

[Webbo MFI]

bit late now me thinks

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

Although I wasn't there last night from comments and my viewing of recent games I'd say this!

 

1. We need a new defence - Campbell is a shadow of the player he was, get rid of him. Derek Brown is toilet, I've never known somebody manage to last so long at a club on previous reputations, he was good for about 4 months before our suspension and his traitorous switch to Bedford. When he returned and broke up the rather good partnership of Campbell and Townley it was no coincidence that we became crap then as well. This season he doesn't want to be here, he will go in the summer and is playing like this, not the sort of attitude i'd expect from a club captain.

 

2. We need a new midfield - Castle, Wraight and Thomas is possible the worst midfeild I've ever seen at the club. Cockram, Duffield, King and Brett would be turning in thier graves (if they were dead)

 

3. The attack isn't too bad, just let down by the rest.

 

4. That keeper looks well dodgy to me, why not give Jackman a chance for a few games - he is a international you know!

 

5. The manager - well no comment needed, does anyone actually know if the players like him, and what goods a UEFA A badge if you can't motivate.