Today

[Paulo GNFC]

Think it's not a bad thing to get rid of that unbeaten tag otherwise teams tend to do that extra bit more to end it. Ok it's now gone but it's how we threw the game away that bugs me. Given, Hereford are a good side but they were not the best I've seen this season.

 

Some good footie played 1st half, some good crosses but no one on the end of them. Perhaps Jeff & Roy should have been out there together. 2nd half we gift two soft goals and spend most of the time hoofing the ball, and against the wind, instead of playing it on the deck.

 

Some of our key players went missing yesterday when big a performance was needed. Some changes required for Barnet game.

 

Anyway, well to all for a great run the biggest test will be bouncing straight back. As Alan W points out, we could now go on and do another 18 match unbeaten run!!

 

[jc]

On the other hand, though, reacting well to losing such a long unbeaten run may be tricky, especially with such difficult games coming up.

 

I agree that there were too many long balls again though. As we all seem to agree, we have a lot more success going forward when we actually pass along the ground. Unfortunately, with both Roy and Jefferson on at the end, the temptation just to hoof long balls forward at the death was just too great.

[chilled out entertainer]

We look absolutely abysmal when we pump balls forward, and in windy conditions it was never gonna produce, the link up from midfield to defence is generally very good esp from full backs to macca/surey/saunders. Drury was a little quiet i thought apart fromhis obvious showboat/near goal. That would have been awesome.

I think macca had a poor game today, but he was not the only one. Hereford were not good in the first half at all, but in the second half they were quick, worked hard and deseved their fightback.It's a shame they took away all 3 points, but there you go.

We need to play football all the time,not just when we are winning. Long balls are a recipe for rubbishness.If we are going to use our height lets put in crosses.or win corners.

two soft goals.

Roll on next week and lets get back to winning ways.

On anoter point, can we ban that prat in the yellow wig from hereford. He is an obnoxious ****.

And while we are at it, lets ban brown from our ground. I detest him.

[American FLEET FAN No1]

Steady Squawks.........banning people????? You are starting to sound like forum moderator material! <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[Red Neck]

Still pumping it aimlessly long and high, Wilko. Generally though,you look very nervous. Despite some class stops yesterday, you look out of your depth, at times. Two soft goals given away in a game we should of finished off in the first half.

 

Protheroe was my MOM, he just kept going and going. Everyone else was pretty average, no one else stood out especially.

 

Can't see us beating Barnet or Accrington, but once those games are out of the way there shouldn't be anyone to stop us, not even Aldershot.

[Paulo GNFC]

The game should have been put beyond Hereford in the first half. Yes, the wind was a major factor yesterday but we threw the game by playing the long ball and too many poor performers.

 

Surey was my MOM but have to say Mooro, Provs, Macca & Wilko were poor, the latter two should be dropped for next week. Move Provs & Lovell up into midfield.

 

 

[Richard C]

Hehe!!

 

how views differ!! Proths put in superb crosses, didnt stop running, and defended cooly.... possible fault for second but it wasnt his fault nobody covered...

 

As for Macca - he was ok and should not be dropped! He knows when hes been average and will come back even stronger - dont panic on that front.....

 

the only real debate in my eyes would be wilko! BUT even then heonly made a mistake and saved us on other occassions id stick with him - but then what must mitten think!!??!!??!!??!!??

[FleetFanatic]

Personally, I'd go for Mitten. Not the first time this season that Wilko has poorly positioned in goal.

 

Provs / Surey contenders for MoM yesterday - my vote went to Provs earlier today.

[Slartibartfast]

I can't believe the number of people in this thread and others who want to see Manny dropped, one couldn't even find a place for him on the bench!

I must have been at a different match on Saturday because in the first half he was the best player on the pitch by a mile.

I think Surey and Saunders have been excellent this season and I can't see why we would need to play Macca ( who hasn't been ) alongside them.

Side for Barnet:

Mitten

Protheroe,Shearer,Moore,Skins

Drury,Surey,Saunders,Jacko

Essandoh,Manny

Subs:Wilko,Lovell,Moussa,Louis,Pinns

[jc]

As I've mentioned before, Macca being left out is unlikely given that he is the captain, and this shows the problem of having captains in football. Unlike in cricket, having a captain in football isn't really all that necessary, and in fact creates problems when the captain isn't really in the side on merit (as, in agreement with Slarti, is the case at the moment in my view).

 

As for the team Slarti, it's a pretty good one, and with Jacko in the side, the midfield would perhaps have a little more balance compared with our current one, which house three more centrally-minded midfielders and so is a little lopsided. But as some have mentioned in other threads, maybe putting Gledhill in at right-back would provide a bit of extra defensive steel - although then you'd lose Proths and his crossing ability. Who'd be a manager?

[JimGNFC]

A couple of fans I spoke with suggested the lacklustre second half display may have been due to the fact a number of players were suffering from flu. Apparently this is why Skinner was missing.

 

We have been playing some really good football over the last few games so it seems strange that a lot of the game was spent "lumping" the ball forward, especially given the conditions.

 

Against 1 of the fancied teams who can clearly knock the ball about rather well maybe it was felt we shouldn't "play them at their own game", so players resorted to the long ball tactic. However, this may not have been part of the game plan, so much as a players gut reaction when being pressurised by Hereford players.

 

Regardless of Saturday's disappointment, the players have done us proud this season but the results need to keep coming if the club is to keep moving forwards.

[chris blanc]

I have to admit to not feeling too disappointed on Saturday.

 

It was a shame we lost, and it was definately a game of two halfs for both teams. But I think we played well in the first half, and lost to a good team who played mostly fair football(imagine Stevenage breaking our unbeaten run, I would have topped myself lol).

 

We're 4th in the league, playing some great football, and have a team to be proud of. I'm not interested in who should and shouldn't play, I leave all that to Andy, he knows what he's doing. I just sit here and wait for the next time I can see the fleet play.

 

So hopefully, we'll take a fair few up to Barnet on Saturday, and pack out the ground for the Dagenham match. Let's raise the roof so to speak.

[Stu M]

Hey, we've lost our unbeaten run, but we're still ahead of Hereford in the table. I'd've settled for that state of affairs at the beginning of the season...

 

...unless Hereford were bottom!

[Hempstead Gaz]

Chris B quoted "I'm not interested in who should and shouldn't play, I leave all that to Andy, he knows what he's doing. I just sit here and wait for the next time I can see the fleet play".

I and along with 1500 or so other Fleet fans are all midweek armchair managers. We KNOW we can never emulate Andy, or what he has achieved, but it is fun comparing the merits of different sides/line ups/formations in the downtime between games.

None of us take it too seriously, but if it promotes healthy, intelligent, interesting discussion and debate on this forum, I don't see any harm in it.

Besides, it's more fun than slagging off Sodge.

 

 

[Alan W (GNFC)]

And, it has to be said that the Hereford fans comments have generally been complimentary to us as well - a pleasant change from the comments we generally got last year - full credit to them for that.

 

Hereford fans often take a fair amount of flack, but they deserve praise as well.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Agreed, Alan. Check out their forum. I have made a couple of postings to that effect. In fact, we seem to have a mutual admiration society going.

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

Chatham Gary said:
Besides, it's more fun than slagging off Sodge.

Squawkident says slagging off Sodje is an artform! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[UP FLEET]

we got speaking to a few of them in the bar after the game, and they all had good things to say about us, and they enjoyed the banter, and look forward to our next meeting