Looking back do we really need a better 2005.

[Guest]

In my view Canvey have performed not to bad this year. We have been promoted and have been unlucky not to be in a much better position than we are.

 

Compare us to other teams promoted, this year and most of them would swap our league position.

 

We are expecting too much from a promoted side that has consistently punched above itself. If you compare the conference to any other league and at the begining of the season say to Norwich would you settle for fourth from bottom in year one, I bet they would take it.

 

In my estimate 45 points is above the relegation Zone, we have 57 points to fight for. That means we need 20 and can afford to drop 37.

 

We can take three points from Leigh, Northwich, Burton, York, FGR and maybe gravesend.

 

That leaves two from a potential 29.

 

Alternativly we can mirror the 1st half of the season and pick up an additional 25 points leaving us way out of the Zone.

 

If as I suspect we will have a better second half to our season with new players and a few back from injury, we might even finish in the top half.

 

We may be asking a bit much but for information 12 wins and a draw will see us in the play offs.

 

Or 37 out of our potential 57 points. I wonder what odds Paddy Power would give me.

 

HAPPY NEW YEAR IT IS LOOKING OK!

 

Please vote now.

[YELLOW]

Doubt we'll make the play offs. A top half placing is definitely possible if we can get on a decent unbeaten run but think we'll probably finish 12th or 13th.

[Phil Old Boy]

Interesting analysis there MOB.

 

From my take on things:

Q1 – Better than expected.

Q2 – Worse than expected.

Q3 - ?

Q4 - ?.

 

As we have not won since October, thank goodness we had the start that we did with excellent results.

 

From those teams you have listed where we can three points, we can take points, but perhaps currently with the exception of Leigh, all others will be extremely difficult. as these teams will have a lot to fight for also.

 

We need to get back into the groove that we had at the start of the season. While other teams have now settled down, we have had to make many changes. What was noticeable until fairly recently was the lack of presence up front where it took over half an hour on occasions to have a shot on goal. We must bolster this position quickly which means adding a permanent name to the squad again.

 

In all, we must keep chipping away , but a win now and again is required as draws are not having an effect on our league position.

Farnboro were perhaps the worst team I have seen this season and were there for the taking while the substitution of Chenners instead of Buzz for Wardy’s position just did not make sense and perhaps cost us two points there. I like Chenners and he will always go down as one of the best players and hero of the club, but the like for like swap should have been Buzz with his pace.

This was 4 points we should of taken very recently, but did not.

[Guest]

Phil

 

I sort of agree and like everyone I have my opinions about what we could and should do in all situations.

 

Some of our recent substitutions seem bizzare to me, (great servant in his day but why oh why does greggors stay on, no pace blah blah blah).

 

I hear fellow supporters in the crowd one day to my left I heard "please do not put Smithy on he is crap"! and to my right "whats a matter with Kingy surely he should be playing Smithy".

 

The only consistent has been our venerable leader who has taken us from obscurity to the heady heights.

 

He has stated time and again "this is going to be a new experience for us, we are on a learning curve and it will be tough. We are used to winning our fans are going to have to understand we have been spoilt in recent years. Our target for next season will be to stay in the conference and that will not be easy." (June 2004).

 

I have heard him say this or similar 9 times now,what has changed he set our target and I think he will achieve it. I like many hoped for a play off position, but then I am not Mr King and look through tinted glasses.

 

The big thing for me is what he sets as our next years target or five years.

[Phil Old Boy]

MOB, yes its great that everyone has and can voice an opinion. I don’t like the ones however who actually voice it on the day by telling a player that he isn’t doing too well when in fact as supporters, they need our support.

 

In response to your post:

Last season after his injury problems, Buzz’s distribution wasn’t too clever at times, maybe lack of confidence, but for that pace and sticking a leg to get to the ball and us out of trouble, then he is up to Wardy’s level.

 

Yes, there is no questioning who has taken us to the position we dreamed about now and its great to hear of future ambition plans.

 

Yes, Greggors has looked out of his depth at times. However, you feel with him that he is a big piece of the jigsaw and will come good. Problem is maybe the jigsaw around him may not be quite right at the moment. His lack of pace is a problem however when we just launch the ball down the pitch. Other teams seem to have forwards who can get to the ball and create and do more damage.

[Guest]

But surely that is about the "learning" maybe when we launch it down the pitch next year our forwards will get on the end of it.

 

Also I feel we will become a little wiser and not let in the goal in the last or 1st minute.

 

I hope the goal at aldershot will not happen again or the Farnborough.

[A Non E Mouse]

Tend to agree with the reasoning behind the posts of both MOB and Phil Old Boy.

 

The only constant factor over the next few seasons will probably be Jeff and Glenn. They both need to learn, and continue to learn, this year. It's a steep learning curve, and I think next season will be just as big a test when they have to put all this back into practice without the possible safety net of a "Leigh or Northwich" making it a lot tighter.

 

I have very little doubt that we will get through this season finishing around 13th or 14th.

 

I don't believe Gravesend or Aldershot changed the bulk of their Ryman winning players when they undertook their first year in the Conference, as we haven't.

Don't think any manager would be suicidal enough to completely change his squad for a new season in a league higher, where they have little or no experience. They will bring in a few new faces which is exactly what we have done, but its interesting to note a lot of the names who are no longer in the starting line up anymore. We could all trawl through the names of the squad and give pro's and con's about the way they play - at the moment I've been watching Midgely and he seems a little to lightweight and slow - particularly noticed this against the big players of Woking.

However, I don't expect many of our Ryman players to be around next season. I don't think we have had a settled side all season through injuries or suspensions and the rotation of new, old, reserve and on loan players has made it a little difficult for us to show any real consistency. Another lesson to learn? The management can make as many "iffy" decisions as they like, so long as they are able to learn from them and improve our game.

 

I don't feel we did fantastically at the beginning of this season - we scrapped and worked hard for a share of the spoils and won the odd game where we felt, on form anyway, that we should. It's not been easy. We need to get back to that dogged determination which got us points on the board, and I feel we are starting to do that again, especially whilst we are creating more chances. In the last few games we have gifted other teams with the points, but shown flashes of very good passing and flowing football.

 

Our players have got to learn to adapt to this league as well. Whether it is Chenners or anyone else making foolish or needless mistakes, they need to learn and cut them out. Look at our game last year with Telford - they were a typical Conference side with big pacey players who didn't really impress or push us to the limits which is what you would have expected. Most of the teams this season I have seen have mirrored this. Instead we beat them playing good football, but made hard work of it by giving away silly on the edge of the box fouls. They then took possibly the only two or three chances they had and scored from set pieces. These are the sort of things that we should have learnt from last year and improved on. You must take the scarce few chances you get and eliminate the "gifts" you give away - every game is just so tight and can easily change on something trivial such as officials or conditions etc.

 

Above all - I'm enjoying it. We now have the crap weather and conditions to contend with and other sides are going to start having injuries and suspensions, when hopefully ours will be behind us and we can start to make a push up the table starting with the Daggers tomorrow. Here's to 2005 C'mon yer Yellows........

[Guest]

OOPS! I FORGOT TO MENTION THREE FROM D&R.

 

WHAT A NICE DAY OUT I AM NOW SCRATHING ME EAD FOR A NOTER GAME, I know we all jump on the bandwagon but are we better than recent performances or was this a fluke.