Where's It All Going Wrong?

[GHA EFM]

Well. That wasn't the best performance one will ever see from the Saints, today. In case you didn't already know, we drew 1-1 with Ford. Shots for Saints: 92. Shots on target: 4

 

First half, we were all over them, clearly the better side. But, once again, we weren't scoring. Why can't we put our bloomin chances away?

 

Midfield didn't provide much support. I have to say that Steve Castle is not impressing me much at all at the moment. For the last 20 minutes of the last couple of games I can't remember seeing him break into a sprint. A lot of walking, though. Challinor's trying hard, credit to him, and playing quite well. But when he's within 20 yards of the opposition goalmouth, and they break, we go to pieces. I am pretty sure the last 3 goals we have let in in the league have been due to the midfielders not covering back. The person that crossed the ball in for their goal was Evo's man. As you all know, I'm not really Evo's biggest fan. At all. Nowhere near. A bit like him nowhere near his man. He can't cut it. Tries hard, bless him, but the skill level rivals the lowest of the low. Castle. Is he past it? Is he unfit? Is his heart not being warn on his sleeve? I don't think he bleeds blue and yellow-striped blood. Not yet.

 

Oakes is getting frustrated. Rob Kean continues to play well. But something strange is going on. In the last couple of games, Oakes has started on the right, and Keano on the left. They've then switched midway through the first half. Is this a tactic to try and confuse the opposition? I know footballers are stupid but Jesus H. Jones. That's ridiculous. The opposition right back is there to mark the left winger, and the opposition left back is there to mark the right winger. They don't get confused by that. They don't think to themselves, if the two players have swapped, 'oi, my left winger is playing on the right.' Oakes and Keano were playing well before they swapped, with Oakes looking especially dangerous.

 

Craig Mackail-Smith. Give him a chance. Sending him on with 5 minutes left isn't the best of tactics. He's hardly going to make much of a difference then, is he? And it's hardly a moral booster for the lad (seems strange me saying that considering he's 8 months older than me), knowing that he's a last resort.

 

Derek Brown is another player whom I'm not the biggest fans of. I think he's quite good. But. Out of him, Corey, Rhino and Leon Townley, I think he's the worst. No offence. So with Leon gone, in my opinion our 2 first choice centre backs should be RM and CC.

 

I thought we were over-budget. If so, why do we keep looking at players and trying to sign more etc. Dean Brennan. Some 'former professional' that never materialised. It also would appear that Robbo is only taking players that are offered to him. Stafford Browne. Available on a free. Lee Gledhill. Seen through the NLP. These aren't players we've tried to sign for ages and then come available.

So many rumours as well. Every week in the Observer we hear something else about 'looking at a forward from the Conference' or 'a midfielder from the Ryman.' As I said, I thought we were over-budget?

 

I have my views on Gibbo and the new stadium but they will be shared in due course and on the 'Page 3' thread.

 

These are worrying times at the moment. We have an excellent chance of promotion this year; our best chance for a decade. We're 7 points off the top, possibly (hopefully but I'm not optimistic) 4 points behind the leaders come Christmas. But something needs to be done. Something needs to be sorted out.

 

Last point (I promise!). Training round the outskirts of the pitch is ridiculous. We're top 3, and training in a space as wide as the clubhouse. No wonder we haven't seen a passing game for a long while. There's no room for it in training. Either train on the pitch, or find somewhere that is available to train. As I said, Francis Bacon gymnasium and weights room. There's a million gyms in St. Albans. 'Av a look. As they say. Westminster Lodge. Woolams. London Colney. Somewhere with floodlights. Gosling.

 

Arsenal Ladies play at the Park. We have links with Arsenal. Any chance of someone making some phone calls, using some contacts, people speaking to people in the know? Put 2 and 2 together and you get 5. No, wait, 4. Yeah, 4. Surely Arsenal (much as it would pain someone like Zeal) would let us borrow a pitch or two to train on occasionally? They've got enough for crying out loud. And I would've thought they are floodlit as well.

 

Cue RSI

 

P.S. RSI from typing, nothing else you innuendouistic fools

[SAINTS64MAD]

Lets face it guys.Winning the league was a dream and its not going to come ture! We can play football but we dont seem to have the drive or effort any more.My season is over for watching the saints pretty much!

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

I have to agree with GHA - When Rob Kean went off yesterday why did Richard Evans come on to play right wing when we had Beckett on the bench. Castle is not really doing it, when he signed I posted on the Stevenage board to ask what he was like, lazy, just passes backwards, breaks up more of your own attacks than anyone elses was the response and it's starting to look that way. I aggree with GHA about Derek Browne as well, why isn't Townley or Ryan playing, we had a solid fluid team at the start of the season and its been chopped and changed and seems to me that it's the managers mates who are first on the team. Why on earth Beckett isn't playing I'll never know and Sippetts should still be here, the idea of players down the pecking order is to wait and seize their chance when offered, at least he has scored a few goals for the first team something that I'm afraid I can never see Craig doing.

 

Onto the Arsenal connection - Loan players, some talented hungry 17 year old must better than a few of the old timers we have going through the paces at the moment.

 

The last two results may well of shaved 500 of the Aldershot gate - we need to win that game otherwise forget it.

[t.henry]

I must admit i haven't got along to as many games as i would've liked to this season but the games i have seen have been absolutely diabolical. Take for instance the game against Hampton&Richmond, alright fair enough 3 points is what's most important but if we are looking to go up, we realistically need to be scoring 3 or 4 past these so called poorer teams, it happened again on saturday, 1-1 with ford utd what is that about! has anyone bothered to look at the rezzies play this season?they play much better football than the first team,at least they pass it around.Why not give a few of the lads a call up to the 1st team, players like greg deacon,dean stannard,tom butterfield,matt jones,pete hanson should at least be considered.if i was in their boots i wouldn't like to be playing reserve team football for another year & the club could loose these talented young players to other rival clubs.if the club are so strapped for cash then why are they looking to bring in more players with high wage demands,especially when these rezzie players are quite capable of filling in.what is the point of having a reserve team if none of the players will get a look in.

[Woody]

<blockquote><font class="small">Quote:</font><hr>

has anyone bothered to look at the rezzies play this season?

 

<hr></blockquote>

 

You have to wonder don't you? The reason they pass it around I'd imagine is because that's how they're coached to play. One of the problems is that certain individuals can't seem to grasp that this football club shouldn't just consist of the 1st team, it should embrace all the levels below, including the Youth as well. It would be good to see one or two of the rezzies gradually given the chance to show what they can do. Atleast they would be hungry for it, unlike all these ex-league has beens we keep hearing about.

[t.henry]

I'm glad someone agrees with me.But at the end of the day its not what we think its what robbo & cooky think.We can only voice our opinions. But i can see the club going downhill if things aren't changed.

[GHA EFM]

I don't think that bringing in the reserves will solve the problems. And they're only the problems on the playing front, I'm talking at the wider overall picture.

 

It's not the ability of the players that needs to be called into question, it's the attitude.

[t.henry]

fairplay although i do think some of the rezzie players could do a job i think some first teamers think all they need to do is turn up to win

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

I don't agree with this reserve buisness - doing the buisness in a poxy reserve team doesn't mean Ryman football will be easy, Craig Mackial-Smith is head and shoulders above anyone in the reserves but he hardly sets the first team on fire

[Colin Zeal EFM]

I agree totally with what you say there, Mr Thorns - sick of hearing how great the reserves are actually. If they're so great, they wouldn't be playing for a Ryman League Second XI.

 

Why did we hang onto Craig and offload Sippetts. Sippetts scored every time he got on the pitch. He was quality.

 

 

[Laz]

I think the reserves need more of a challenge. They seem to win easily every week. Why not enter them in the South Midlands League otherwise what's the point.

[t.henry]

i agree with you but the rezzies are in div one so they'll be promoted to the prem next year anyway which will be tougher

 

[t.henry]

craig mackail-smith is head & shoulders above the rest! that is the biggest load of bollox i have heard in my life. take away his pace what are you left with zilch my friend no 1st touch & can't finish either. has had a few chances i hear aswell like from 6yds out.greg deacon &dean stannard are much better players & don't give me crap that they play in different positions.if you actually try & get to a reserve game then you might understand what i'm talking about.

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

sorry I watch the first team ,that's what they're there for!

[EFM The Firm, The Voice]

Lets face it we haven't had a good player through the youth ranks since Martin Gurney and maybe David Ross. I've seen them all come and go - Andy Sissons, Simon Dean. If they were any good at 17/18 they'd be attached to a leauge club.