Team

[Phil Old Boy]

Something needs to change quite drastically to get things back on track. Replacing and gelling together the players this year is proving difficult. I would go for trying to keep as many players from the last two years to play and in their normal positions and change the captaincy.

Team:-

 

Harrison

 

Ward

 

D Gregory/Adedeji Chenery ©

 

Kennedy Bennett Duffy

 

Minton/Protheroe Forbes

 

N Gregory Boylan

 

[pabird]

phil old boy if we take out from your team those who were not present in the last two years I believe you are left with the following:

 

-----------------------Ash

Wardy---------------------------------------------Cheners

JK--------------Benno-------------Duffers

NG---------------Boylan

 

out of interest who from players who are with the club now and have been last season or the season before would you choose to fill the gaps

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[Phil Old Boy]

A difficult one as the existing players left in the squad have their spaces filled. To be honest, if fit, I would only add Knight and Parmenter and that’s it. I wasn’t a great admirer of Bennett last year but given the circumstances, feel he can do a holding midfield role. The turning point in our recent success of the last two years were the Port Vale and Southend games. From there, we were a top 6 conf side and grew so much in confidence. Davidson was not quite good enough to make the 14 for the trophy final and I was surprised when we resigned him as I thought we would be looking for players of at least conf standard.

[SAINTS64MAD]

but ur team aint conference standard so y look for those players???

[AFF]

Forgive a small contribution.

 

I thought that your lot played very good football on Tuesday evening. Real pace, very quick on the ball and very fast to close down our players. There wont be many better sides in the Ryman Premier this season.

 

I suspect that your players and management know that they were beaten by a better side and no disgrace in that.

 

Turn the corner? I think that you probably turned the corner on Tuesday.

 

Good luck for the rest of the season.

 

 

 

 

[SAINTS64MAD]

ignore him

[pabird]

just out of interest Davidson played in the first Port vale game and the Southend game you refer to

I would trust the judgement of the management team that has steered the CIFC meteoric rise to a position where they are (repeat are) one of the more feared teams to play against in non-league

evidence the proof in the snide manner of nah nah comment of supporters from teams that have achieved little or nothing in their recent history

the problem is getting the mix to gel when two such high profile performers as Stimmo and Tilly leave at the same time either player would be extremely difficult to replace but both at once??

 

[Phil Old Boy]

Yes Davidson did play in the PV/ Southend games, but I feel we improved further after that with those experiences. By the time the Trophy matches came, Davidson did not feature much and could not make the first 14 for the final. As you say, losing the players we have, plus others, at the same time has and will make this a hard season. With all the changes, I would of thought we would at least keep the players we had from last year playing in their normal positions with the newcomers slotting in. Especially at this time, we should go back to basics and start off with those players who have been tried and tested so at least there is a team out there rather than individualists. Saying that, there have been mentions about us turning a corner but time will tell. I have no qualms about the management and still cannot believe what we have achieved in the last 10 years, and especially the last two seasons. Let’s hope that we have turned the corner and come October, things may look a little different. It’s not like the teams at the top at present are winning 4,5 –0 every week. Also just to say I can’t believe the amount of time other fans spend on this site with their jibes. Are they also looking at every other non league clubs sites and commenting, or is it only ours.

[CANV EFM]

the only way to achieve widespread popularity is to lose a lot.. so by november things should have quietened down nicely ;-)

[pabird]

phil old boy just out of interest how are you judging progress

in my opinion we need to gain conference level status before we can judge further progress

but lets briefly examine your claim that we have move forward

 

Hitchin home 00/01 = draw 1-1 01/02 = draw 2-2 02/03 = win 3-1

Basingstoke---00/01 = draw 0-0 01/02 = draw 0-0 02/03 = lose 2-1

Sutton------- 00/01 = win 6-2 01/02 = draw 0-0 02/03 = draw 1-1

St Albans-----00/01 = win 4-1 01/02 = win 4-1 02/03 = lose 2-1

 

---------------8 points-------------6 points-----------4 points

 

after 6 games 00/01 = 13 points final position 2nd trophy ? FA Cup?

after 6 games 01/02 = 13 points final position 2nd

after 6 games 02/03 = 04 points final position ??

 

all in all we have achieved everything but the big move upwards

are you suggesting our players have improved or our results

have we improved in the league? the trophy or the FA cup?

 

football is a great great game because everybody has an opinion which is unique to themselves

In my opinion we played our most entertaining football 00/01

in league terms the facts say we played our most effective football 00/01 and 01/02

the way forward may take a little longer I look forward to the ride and I trust the team that got us this far

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[CANV EFM]

that teams peak was the first half of last season glorious stuff

[pabird]

CANV were you ever a gunslinger

your that quick in response

[CANV EFM]

its a quiet day in the office

[Phil Old Boy]

Pabird.

All I can answer from your last message is:-

 

Yes, we have achieved everything but the big move upwards.

 

Our best football has been from the FA cup games 00/01 peaking against the FA cup game against Burnley, from there, the performances dropped.

 

Do you mean “and I trust the team that got us this far” to be the management?

 

In all you have fired quite a few questions, but in your opinion, what would you do to change things round?

 

[cangull]

Not as fast as you though pabird!!

[pabird]

Phil old boy yes I do mean the management team, of course I do not agree with all their decisions but they have a proven record of long term success

If some idiot were to take my advice I would consider you only get CIFC type football at its best with players who are able to work hard off the ball

If you speak to opposition players when we are really performing they tell you its the movement off the ball that creates so many scoring chances and (at the back) so many good covering positions that stifles opponents

this term we have persevered with up and down straight line players who are reasonable when recieving but from 15 minutes in the opposition have them tumbled and smothered and away goes the long ball

interesting that this week (6-1) 50% of those standing still players were dropped

Just think back to your favourite games (CIFC) and the movement was at times spellbinding

The final thought from an under qualified source is that my own favourite goals came from free flowing (moving) intelligent football

 

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[Phil Old Boy]

Good comments there pabird. Watching us play round Burnley at times was one of my most memorable games. On another note, I’m quite surprised the points Grays have only picked up so far with the players they have signed. Could be they are having problems getting the players to gel.

See that Wayne V has scored a few for Purfleet.

 

[pabird]

I go along with your highlights but tops for me was where we added shock value IE second half Port Vale where eleven full time pro!s could not believe the energy and intelligence of movement that so very nearly blew them away, what a recovery

secondly in freezing cold conditions at Purfleet March 01 Duffy goal in 2 minutes and that was the result but a remarkable display of skill across the entire team, no weaklinks but top class craft from back to front

the shock ? how they could perform so well in such bloody miserable conditions

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[Andy the Marsh Rat]

One of my highlights last season was away to Heybridge,talk about flowing football,the opposition didn,t know which way to turn.Lets hope they dont get their revenge this season