match thread

[stokepogesrebel]

any news

[Guest]

0-0

[Staines-upon-Thames Rebel]

Final score please anyone?

[Ian]

You don't want to know. Lost 3-1.

[A Rebel and a Saint]

yet another shocker from the rebels, decent attempts at playing footy broke down too easily, set pieces always went into the arms of the keeper, poor defending, and just generally poor. the only reason we got the goal was cos it was an own goal, did hit the bar and had a decent chance from a v good carbon cross missed.

[Russ_Rebel]

What was the line up today

[Barry Scott]

every single player should be thoroughly ashamed themselves after that shower of sh1t, as we somehow managed to make a fairly crap croydon athletic team look like world beaters. But what options do we have to bring in? None. What hope do we have for the rest of the season? None with our current squad

[A Rebel and a Saint]

parkin

carbon

ballard

daly

avery

alexis

wilko

mason

hodges

seedal

lovegrove

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

"i think i will take an hour to calm down before I post" eh Liam?

[Barry Scott]

thought id say it now, rather than reflect and maybe not be harsh enough on the team

[A Rebel and a Saint]

i think wed be better off sticking to 4-3-3 or putting mason down the left, anything but lovegrove!

[Matt]

Utter rubbish today, that's perhaps the politest way of expressing it on a public forum.

 

Yes, we know that the budget's been cut and some players are injured, but just how much longer can this be used as an excuse for some of the stuff we're seeing? Clearly the team have had no desire to repeat last season's magnificent cup runs, or at the very least, put in a respectable performance.

[Ted]

As individuals, I think they are all committed and trying hard. There does appear to be little shape, plan or purpose to the way they play though.

 

I would like to see Ballard playing in midfield, but realise that we'd need new players before this could happen.

[Barry Scott]

commited? trying hard? I haven't seen any of that this season

[Chris]

This time last year we were beating a Ryman One side 7-0 and this year a 3-1 defeat. just what's gone wrong? Our defending at the moment is v.poor. All three goals were due to defensive mistakes - the first two Parkin (Hate to say as he was excellent for us last season) and the last goal a comination of none of the defenders going for the ball and the left-winger having all the time in the world to pick his spot. Second-half we just looked like conceding every time they went forward. Really are missing Murphy and Saulsbury this season.

 

Only plus point was Josh Millar who I thought offered something that we lack throughout the side - energy and a willingness to run and chase down lost causes. Josias also worked his nuts off as normal.

 

Agree with Ted that i'd like to see Ballard in midfield as we were V Poor there today and i'm not totally convinced by Ballard at the back. We need a naturallly left footed player play left-centre back like last year, and I'm afraid I don't think Paget or Lovegrove are the answers.

 

Lots of thinking and decisions for Eddie to make me thinks...

[Ian]

By my reckoning there's at least three players just not good enough (of the starting 11) and at least another three who should be left out based on current form. I agree with Ballard in the middle and don't see any benefit in not doing it straight away as we'll hardly be splitting up a solid defence by taking him out of it.

 

Thought Miller once again looked lively and has to start and Josias had another blinder. Confidence is very low at present, however. Don't care what Eddie says, we are missing Micky Lewis.

[Martin]

I think I know who two of your three are Ian. Shocking performance in a truly dire match. Last season Mickey Lewis made a real difference to the defence. The problem is we have lost four excellent players in Haddow, Saulsbury and the two Murphys and today (and for much of the rest of the season) they were not adequately replaced. The problem is the budget has been cut and I do not believe that we should be surprised that the quality has slipped but that is not justifying performances like today.

[Radders]

I presume the three who just aren't good enough, Ian, are Lovegrove, Alexis and Avery. If so you have no arguments from me there. The (at least) 3 off form; Mason (just coming back from injury), Seedel and Parkin? The only players currently playing well enough to be picked if we had a big enough squad are Hodges, Carbon, Wilkinson, Daly and Ballard (although would also like to see him in midfield). Someone else mentioned it behind the goal, but why have we let Shep go out on loan when we only have four subs on the bench (one of which is Rav who NEVER comes on). I felt that some people were slightly harsh on the team after the Staines game but I can offer no defence for that performance today. Obviously we can't take out all those players as we don't have a big enough squad but on Saturday I hope we see some changes, personnel and positioning wise. My XI (presuming none of the injured players return)

 

Parkin

Daly, Avery, Lovegrove

Carbon, Paget

Ballard, Mason, Wilkinson

Hodges, Miller

 

When everyone is fit;

 

Parkin

Daly, Ballard, Avery/Paget

Carbon, Woodruffe

Harris/Mason/Metcalfe/Wilkinson (3 of 4)

Hodges, Miller

[A Rebel and a Saint]

have to agree with you on all that radders, well said

unfortunately we dont have enough players to shift ballard into the centre, which is a shame

[Ian]

Actually I wasn't going to name them on a public message board as I didn't think that was fair! That said, I'd keep Michael Alexis .

 

Maybe ultimately he'll warm the bench a bit when others are fit and whilst he was very poor in the first half today I thought in the second he offered us something going forward (which not many others were) with some brilliant crossfield balls to switch play.