Today vs Stevenage

[Hannah]

I have to admit it.. Gravesend were a bit rubbish today. Definitly noticed the absence of Skinner, Proths and Saunders. And why didn't Daish start with Sodje? We had a very weak team. However I couldn't see any goals getting past their keeper, he was super and made some great saves.

 

We may not have scored any goals, but we sure know how to injure the other team! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[thatguy]

Agreed. Their keeper was superb. As for our team, I felt they played like a sunday outfit. No one was playing as a team again. I had to leave after the second goal. I feel bad normally if people leave without praising the lads. But today I did not feel they deserved any praise. And I mean the team as a total! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/angry.gif" alt="" />

[Drummer Scott]

Where do we start! I thought our overall performance was very poor. I agree we definatly missed Protheroe, Skinner and Saunders. I thought Paul McCarthy played poor today. To substitute Drury when he had a couple a good chances I think was a bad decision as well.

 

The crowd today was higher than previous weeks, but with a performance like todays I think it will certainly turn them off. I just hope 2 weeks rest can help the players revive their performances from games like York and Hereford.

[Slartibartfast]

The crowd was only higher because of the Stevenage fans.

[Robbo]

That was crap. A distinct lack of commitment, passion and creativity from the Fleet. If the other team are lucky enought to get an early goal (what was our keeper doing?) we have to be able to get the ball down and break their defence down. We couldn't do that. The stevenage defence easily dealt with our strikers, unlike our defence which couldn't deal with theirs. And was Macdonald actually on the whole 90 mins? Because I really didn't notice him much.

 

Pretty scrappy in defence today too. Glozier was rubbish, Macarthy was way too slow and weak, and the new bloke was average. If it weren't for Smithy we would have got mullered.

 

And the Stevenage players once again proved that the way a team behaves is an accurated reflection of their manager. Hence the timewasting, manhandling of our players, diving, and general unprofessional play acting. But what else would you expect from Westley?

 

I'm p***** off, correct. Not neccessarily so at the result, but the fact that any new people that came down today are gonna be put off ever coming back again. Please, don't let this be the start of another poor run as happened last year after going out the cup. Lets get the plough end sorted asap and get that home atmosphere back because it was like a bloody funeral today.

[EUFC superb]

I'm not going to come on here and start mouthing the team off. Bad game today - just long ball football. Jako didn't seem to know where he was playing.

A couple of postives though, Drury looked to be in fine form apart from a couple of bad touches. I thought that new player had quite a good game today - made a few promising run. I felt Glozier had quite a good game, unfortunately Glozier dosen't have the same combination with Jako that skins does. Where was skins today?

[FleetFanatic]

Well, I disagree with nearly all of you.

 

First half & on another day against a different team, we would have been 3-1 up at half-time.

 

Although the 2nd half was indeed poor & we ran out of ideas VERY quickly.

[UP FLEET]

3-1 i think is not to un realistic and i agree with you in that respect i didnt think the 1st half was bad and they certainly are not a great team if it was'nt for their keeper, 3 top draw saves . ol clary certainly is a class keeper. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

[Harry J Allstars]

Where are the drugs, after reading some of your comments I think I want to kill myself.

 

In the first half we matched Stevenage, had luck gone our way we could have gone in 3-0 up.

 

Second half Piss poor. Their keeper didn't have a save to make, Charlie didn't look in the game and he wouldn't while the defence pump it up to him.

 

Honest assessment of how I saw it I can't say fairer than that.

 

However hello, we were playing Stevenage! Self professed Conference Champions, they weren't mugs. You saw from their second goal what quality they have. They turned up today to do a job on us. That second goal was quality, they picked us off and decided to score when they wanted to and that was it.

[jc]

Quote:

FleetFanatic said:First half & on another day against a different team, we would have been 3-1 up at half-time.

Julian's three saves were excellent, but the way they sliced us open a few times in the first half did ominously hint at what was to come. What was particularly frustrating was Harry's point that they just scored when they wanted to in the second half, having only had a couple of efforts wide before that after the break. But as Harry also says, it was Stevenage. I expected us to lose today to a side clearly better than us on paper, and that's what happened - no complaints. The Aldershot and Alty games will be more of an indicator of where our season is heading.

On the plus side, good to see Bobby back today, and Jay's back for the game at the Rec.

Quote:

Robbo said: Glozier was rubbish

What a pleasant comment. He had a few poor moments, but also made a few accomplished pieces of covering defending. Inconsistent would probably be a more balanced assessment of his performance.

Quote:

Robbo said:I'm p***** off, correct. Not neccessarily so at the result, but the fact that any new people that came down today are gonna be put off ever coming back again.

I thought it was generally accepted as an unwritten rule that we put in one of our poorer performances when extra people come to home games.

Quote:

Drummer Scott said: I thought Paul McCarthy played poor today.

Quite possibly not fully fit after last week's injury. I have to say I turned up at the ground today expecting Tann to play in the middle with Ross, with Proths still at right-back.

Quote:

gnfc superb said: Where was skins today?

Leaving out one of our most key players as part of ringing the changes after defeat does seem a little strange, it has to be said.

Quote:

rd79 said: I had to leave after the second goal.

A prior engagement, was it? Leaving before the end is one of those footballing conventions that's always baffled me.

[jc]

Also, it looks like James Smith may be available again.

 

From Margate forum (1st post)

[David Holden]

Quote:

jc said:
Also, it looks like James Smith may be available again.

Smith I believe is injured after being stamped on in Margate's match against Fisher. Skinner wasn't playing for personal reasons.

[Hempstead Gaz]

Bit puzzled by the team selection and substitutions.

Skins, fair enough. But to change half of the defence against one of the more potent strike forces (Boyd, Nurse, Stamp, Maamria)in the league was folly.

Slatter off, why Surey on instead of Prothers. It would have been a straight swap.

Why leave the striker substitutions SO late AGAIN.

At 0-1 with 30 mins to go we didn't look like scoring, but had plenty of time to do so.

At 0-2 with 13 mins to go bringing Sodje on was too little, too late.

He is NOT superman.

Without it getting personal, was I the only one who thought Ben's passing was dire. When he didn't pass it into a void space he made "hospital" passes on at least 2 occasions.

And Manny's control!!!! First touch took the ball at least 5 yards away most times, compared with Slatter and Drury, where the ball appears glued to the boot.

Things are going wrong and it does need sorting urgently.

[Slartibartfast]

Funny how we all see different things from the game, still thats all part of the fun isn't it.

I was surprised that Manny was selected but he caused them a few problems today and certainly looked the most dangerous of our strikers.

Yes their keeper made some good saves in the first half but everytime they attacked we looked vunerable. It's all very well saying that we could have been 3:1 up at half time but we could just as easily have been 0:3.

Ross Smith was, once again , superb but the rest of the defence didn't inspire any confidence. It was good to see Bobby back in the middle and for twenty minutes in the first half we played the ball through him and kept it on the floor. Unfortunately we soon resorted to the more normal kick it as hard as you can and hope Manny can outjump the 6ft 4in centre back game we know and love.

[michael]

When do you think Porter will be back for you.

 

Do you need him back ?

[Ian_D]

Quote:

Slartibartfast said:
It was good to see Bobby back in the middle and for twenty minutes in the first half we played the ball through him and kept it on the floor. Unfortunately we soon resorted to the more normal kick it as hard as you can and hope Manny can outjump the 6ft 4in centre back game we know and love.

Exactly. For most of the first half I was counting how many long and how many short balls we were playing. I think 5 out of 6 Bowry played along the floor, probably 4 out of 5 of them into a space where we could play constructive football. On the other hand, Glozier was the complete opposite 7 out of 8 times I think it was he hoofed it long, and all of those times it got cleared by the Boro defence.

However, to my amazment <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />, some of the people near me behind the goal, were actually moaning at Bowry playing it short, and they got quite upset about it. Quite shocking.

[Guest]

To me the first half was good with both teams creating chances and their gfoalie doing some superb saves. Adn some superb shots particularly from Mac.

 

The second half they went 4-5-1 and just sat back. We didn't have a clue how to break it down. We desperately needed to get behind their defence so bringing Sodje on at 0-1 was obvious to me. Also Jacko needed to be pushed wider to aid our attacks out on the right. Why doesn't DAISH react quick enough? Is he still tactically poor?

[Guest]

Jacko? - i mean't on the left not the right. It's very bleary this Sunday morning.

[Hempstead Gaz]

A sign of a weak or poor manager is an inability to see problems early, and react apppropriately to remedy said problem. This is true in all walks of life but is especially important with football managers, as they only have a limited period in which to act.

Yet again Liam reacted too little, too late.

[jc]

Quote:

michaelmichael said:
When do you think Porter will be back for you.

Do you need him back ?

He's played 75 minutes in the reserves at Redbridge, so he's nearing full fitness, it would seem.

As for the second question, every little helps now that injuries and suspensions have started to come into play.