Saturday's game

[Drummer Scott]

Ross Smith man of the match for me. Played brilliant. He certainly got in some great tackles. I thought on a whole we deserved to win but none the less we got as point a hopefully we will get 3 on Monday.

[Fleet fan]

tall striker like theres he was hopeless how tall was 7 ft

[Greenie967]

What a great advert for Conference football that was this afternoon! When the man with the whistle (wont call him a ref because... ) blew the full time whistle I couldnt believe that we hadnt seen a goal.

 

What a signing Ross Smith looks like now. I was impressed with him at Margate last season, but his performance this afternoon I just couldnt believe. That said the shiner he had on and above his left eye when I spoke to him live on Radio Kent afterwards makes me fear that he might not play on Monday... I hope I'm wrong but the swelling is in a very awkward position almost above the eye brow itself.

 

But as for young MacShane in goal, what a fantastic double save it was on the stroke of half time!!! The first save for me was made even better because of the distance he got on the push away from goal. I did fear that the game would go the same way as the Exeter game if the goal had of gone in.

 

Jay Saunders and Bobby Bowry in the middle of the park look like a heck of a potential partnership -I just hope that they can stay fit because the thought of those two and Steve McKimm competing for midfield places does really make me excited!

 

And as for Charlie Mac??? Tirelessly working against two experienced giants and coming up trumps more often than not... I'd love to see him play up front with a big man though... As someone else has said elsewhere Iwan Roberts is now free, but I think if he's going anywhere I get the feeling it may well be Cambridge. But that said on the BBC website earlier in the week he said he'd welcoem more "work" with BBC Wales and SKY so who knows!

 

The whole shape to the team was better today and I get the impression that the watching Woking boss would have driven back around the M25 with more to consider than perhaps he'd thought he'd have...

 

The signs are encouraging, but they need your support. The atmosphere today was terrific and I'm sure that if Danny Slatter's brilliant volley just before half time had gone in, I somehow get the feeling that Ross' Mum and Dad in Toronto would have heard me...

 

Ah well they'll have to wait until Monday!

[Jimmy]

Drury was injured, calf strain.

He wasn't "not selected".

[Jimmy]

It's easy to see why Matt Nolan chose to go there and be an unused sub.

[kmj]

I have to disagree with you Hannah. I thought Lee played well and was not too far short of the excellent Smith and Skinner. They all made brave and timely tackles and interventions. The best all round team performance I have seen for several months. I also hope that we can add a tall striker to the team though. Keep up the good work!

[John Pearce]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said: We obviously need a tall striker, but why some of you seem to blaming Daish for the lack of signing one shocks me. How can it be his fault?

In case you hadn't noticed Daish is the manager. Amongst other things it is the manager's job to seek out new players.

Daish was well aware that the club needed a decent strike force at the end of last season (even mentioned himself in a number of interviews), so I am afraid yes he is the person to point the finger at!

[Harry J Allstars]

If you had been at Waltham Forest you would have seen a tall coloured guy by the name of Armond One. Awful he was. Obviously though your superior knowledge means that a tall striker, any tall striker needs to be signed up. So I think we should spend all our budget on him.

 

It's not about getting a tall striker but the right tall striker. I'm tall but a crap footballer, does that mean I should be signed up?

 

The club released an email yesterday telling of how we tried to sign another striker, they were asking to much and so we couldn't have him. Who knows though he could have been the one.

[Stu M]

Hey, WVN, I like your new avatar! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

 

Thought Smith was a colossus today, superb. MacDonald, too, never stopped running. Quite what the ref was on in the second half, though - Bowry cleanly won the tackle he was booked for, the first Cambridge yellow was a joke, Manny's booking - unless it was for dissent - was also pathetic. And was it only me who saw the double elbow parrying the ball in the penalty area?!

 

Their no 9 was a bit handy with his elbows too, he caught Skinner in the face shortly before that excellent cross-field tackle Skins made as last man in the first half.

 

PS. From the BBC: "Cambridge had the best chances after the interval with Mark Angel's long-range shot saved by Luke McShane." Who did they send to cover the game? Stevie Wonder?

[StuThompson]

I hate villa

[carjam]

Tha game today was entertaining and the home teams performance was inspired. Cambridge had their moments, but then you would expect them too. Well done Daish and the players for doing so well. Good luck for Woking.

[jc]

Quote:

Stu M said:Manny's booking - unless it was for dissent - was also pathetic.

He and Gleeson swung each other around a bit. Strange that they weren't both booked, really - but oh yes, that's right, Gleeson was booked just a moment earlier, wasn't he? <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Quote:

Stu M said:Their no 9 was a bit handy with his elbows too, he caught Skinner in the face shortly before that excellent cross-field tackle Skins made as last man in the first half.

Skins himself was a bit lucky in the last minute when he swung an arm. Swings and roundabouts, as they say.

[jc]

Quote:

mikefleet said: sadly though manny is like last year, just doesnt want it

Weren't at Canvey, were you?

Quote:

Slartibartfast said:Even though MacShane steadies the whole defence and looks a superb keeper I can't see us having three full-time keepers on our books. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

As I've said before, Liam's got himself into a bit of a mess by signing two 'keepers full-time, when only one was really needed, and then discovering a 'keeper who (admittedly only on the evidence of two matches) appears better than them both. McShane really should be signed up on current evidence, though, whatever it takes.

A positive all-round display today, with no players putting in what could be termed poor performances.

[Harry J Allstars]

If we don't find the money for our tall striker what about using that money to sign McShane?

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Thought Ross was outstanding today - and to think that the Margate fan,Michaelmichael(I think),suggested that hemight get done for pace -you could hardly get a speedier centre half!

 

The rest of the defence did well - Proths,McCarthy and in particular,Skins - who did brilliantly to get across and make that saving tackle in the right back position when Cambridge broke in the first half.

 

The midfield worked hard, although Jay was slightly off the pace today on occasions - his finish after the great work by MacDonald on our left in the second half being a case in point.

 

I also felt there were times when Cambridge had too much time and space in the middle third when our attacks broke down.

 

Up front, Charlie worked his socks off again and almost got the important goal his efforts deserved with that turn on a sixpence and fierce shot from about 12 yards that the Cambridge keeper did well to block.Manny probably wasnt at his best today, but even then had his moments.

 

As for McShane, he didnt have a great deal to do, but he commanded his area well and the superb double save just before half time was,as Greenie put it, "World Class" - what made it all the more impressive was the fact that he had to get across from one side of his goal to the other to make the second save.

[Hempstead Gaz]

A really good all round performance against a team who WILL be challenging for a play off spot. That puts the result into perspective.

Thought, however that Manny and Jay looked a bit off the pace (Jay's virus still with him a bit?).

ONe query, A tannoy announcement about a collection for the Fleet trust went out - could't hear most of it. The words £10 donations, the Trust would match the donations, and £1000 were mentioned. Can anyone enlighten me on what this was for, please?

[Vera]

The announcement was for a sponsor a player collection. Trust have already donated £1,000 and if supporters have donated £5,000 or made it up to £5,000 (don't quote me, not too sure which) they will double it. Not sure how long we have to do this. There was too much noise for me to hear perfectly, but HEY what good news for W.V.N. he can now put his money where his mouth is and help buy the striker he feels sure is so easy to obtain. Perhaps he could let us know how he feels about this.

[John Pearce]

Quote:

Harry J Allstars said:

The club released an email yesterday telling of how we tried to sign another striker, they were asking to much and so we couldn't have him.

How naive can you get?

Of course they are going to ask 'silly-money'. Who is going to let a good striker go for next to nothing, days before the transfer window closes.

The likelyhood of any decent striker still being "out there" looking for a club is remote to say the very least. If they were any good someone would have already signed them.

Daish has left it too late and there is no excuse as he knew what the club needed.

[Harry J Allstars]

Yes Gary, the Trust have been asked by the club to start a players pledge. You pay your donations to the Trust (and the Trust only) and then when the time comes whatever has been raised the trust will match it up to £5,000.

 

As Vera says the Trust will start the donations at £1,000.

 

W.V.N I'm tired of talking to you about this, Daish was in the bar yesterday after the game. Why didn't you go up to him and ask him why he didn't buy a striker? The chairman was with him and you could have asked him the same question.

 

Not sure if you'll be able to ask him next Saturday as the bar will be packed with England fans wanting to watch the Wales match. However we play Halifax at home on the 17th, why not ask him there?

[Stu M]

Quote:

White Van Nistelrooy said:
Daish has left it too late and there is no excuse as he knew what the club needed.

But how naive is that? You're suggesting that Daish has sat on his ar$e all summer and not bothered looking for a striker. He acknowledged the problem in the summer and has said he's been looking for a striker ever since. They don't grow on trees, and I'd still rather have MacDonald, Manny and Grant (while still acknowledging the desperate need for a target man) than Roy, Pinnock and Sigere.