City 0 FGR 0

[Canary Saint]

 

Not a great game. League positions a good indicator of the quality of both sides. Hope we get something at Southport as it seems that we play better away. Just wish we were creating more goal chances.

[Webbo MFI]

One thing that needs to change from last season...

 

"Goal kick taken long by Paul Bastock (St Albans)."

 

to...

 

 

Bastock rolls ball out to Seeby, Seeby short pass to Davis, Davis cross ball to Batt, Batt cross to Hakim. GOAL Hakim from centre of penalty area (10 yards)

 

Oh the BBC....

[clarke is god]

we nned to create more chances its so fustrating when we have the ball at the edge of the are and were all on our tip toes ready for something to happen and we give it away so easily!

[Midweeksaint]

And where was the width last night? And five across the back? We were playing the mighty Forest Green (look at their away record!) so might have expected a bit more of a positive attitude. Flynn and Batt looked completely lost in that formation. Hakim and Jackman ran all night but in the first half the gap between them and the midfield was huge. Any news on Elphick (seems to go off injured more often than he is sent off!) and Marwa? Saw Ram limping away on crutches in the second half and looked like his right leg was already in plaster (presumably that's why they called for the club doctor). At least after the enforced changes the shape looked a bit better, but still pretty toothless. Whilst it did end the run of five defeats, one point at home to FGR isn't good enough to keep us up!

[Rob_the_Saint]

Elphick has a recurrence of his hamstring injury, don't know how bad.

 

Ram has an ankle injury, not broken but will be out for at least two weeks.

 

No, I'm not the physio, just passing on information received.

[Zagreus]

What a terrible game to watch! If only all our players had the same work rate and drive as Hakim. I agree Midweeksaint, we had no width at all. Positives? - we didn't lose!

[Midweeksaint]

Thanks Rob. If Ram is only out for two weeks that will be great as it looked a lot worse. Bad night for Tom Davis to have a nightmare as well. So what formation for Saturday? For me 4-4-2 with Seeby at right back, Norris on left (I thought he was supposed to be pretty useful so how come Simpson came on ahead of him last night?) and Batt on right with Tom D and Nicolas in the middle. Up front I'd go with Hakim and Jackman again. Tough on Clarke but he hasn't been doing it this season.

[JKiF]

Hakks was the only one to come away with any credit last night.

 

very very poor.

[AFF]

Hmmnnn.

 

It's hard to be a Saint in the City sometimes.

 

For the first time this season, last night I thought that the opposition were working harder than we were from the start, and FGR worked very hard. I agree that we didn't seem very comfortable playing with wing-backs, and the oppsoition exploited that from early on[/doors?] putting us under pressure deep in the corners. It's one thing knowing how to play as a wing-back - which both Lee "Lee" Flynn and Damian "Damo" "Batty" Batt do - it's quite another to play in that position at this level every week, and be comfortable there.

 

Batt is a right-back at this level, in my view. And a very good one, too.

 

In addition, for the first time, I felt that we showed a lack of confidence, which is understandable, I guess.

 

I don't knopw anything about football, but I do know that Rob "Norro" Norris is a wide right sided midfield player, and Nathan "Simmo" Simpson is a wide left-sided midfield player.

 

Rarely do I disagree with my good friend JKiF - we have very different views of Chris Piper in the Enfield debacle in 1999, mind and that is between us - he was rubbish that night, as were the rest of 'em - but Paul Bastock earned his corn last night, once again.

 

One last point. An interesting dichotomy. It's fine for me to regard finishing 18th as a major achievement. However, watching each match along the way towards that end can be painful.

[cityman]

I thought it was a fairly drab game but I would not say we were poor. For me the number of injuries is more of a concern as we simply don't have a big enough squad.

Unfortunatley the requirment to bring in untried players may increase unless we can get some money to buy in some permanent team members.

[AFF]

Surely, Cityman, the limitation upon acquiring "permanent team members" is as much to do with the transfer window thingy as the need for cash?

[Electric ~soul~]

I saw Helen C at the bus stop this morning, and she assured me that there are plenty of positives to be taken from this game, so that's good enough for me.

[AFF]

The first prize in the raffle was a bottle of Zambuca, Zealster. Although I didn't win it, that was one of the positives that I took from the game last night.

 

Give me a couple of hours and I might be able to come up with another.

 

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

[cityman]

Not sure AFF as someone mentioned to me at the game that we were posibly looking to get a couple of more players in.

 

To be honest I don't fully understand the new transfer window in all it's detail...I didn't think we could sign anymore unless ofcourse the person I was speaking to meant Jan '07.

[JKiF]

I stand corrected, what a marvelous advert for non-league football last nights game was. End to end goal mouth action, I couldnt keep track with all that was gong on. It was like the first 20 mins of Woking all over again.

 

spot on about the confidence thingy AFF...

[AFF]

Although you might find it hard to believe, I don't know anything about football, Cityman, but I understand that this transfer window thingy prevents clubs from signing any other player, on contract or just on forms, who is currently registered as a player with another club at the same level of football's pyramid.

 

So, we could sign 'Simmo' from Bromley of the Ryman Premier league, and "Jack" Nicholas who was a free agent, and "Jacko" from Stortford, but we could not sign, say, the striker from Gravesend until Januarywheneveritis 2007.

 

One small point to bear in mind. With the exception of about four clubs, everyone else at our level is full-time, and I imagine that, say, Charlie MacDonald from Gravesend is quite happy earning a full-time wage with them rather than a very good, no doubt, but nevertheless, part-time wage at The Mighty Saints, club Ferrari or no club Ferrari.

 

As an example of someone we could have 'gone after', Chris Sutton was signed by some team from Birmaingham yesterday. I wonder if Colin made an approach?

[Laz]

Quote:

AFF said:
The first prize in the raffle was a bottle of Zambuca, Zealster.

WH Smith have a special offer on Chocolate Oranges at the moment if anyone is after raffle prizes.

[AFF]

Hi JKiF. Now don't start throwing the toys out. I certainly didn't suggest that it was 'good', merely that your suggestion that Paul "Haks" Hakim was the only player to emerge with credit was not totally and completely, fully and comprehensively, accurate, as Paul 'Bazza' Bastock had yet another good 'un.

 

Your "very, very poor" was a fairly succinct summary, but not one that I would strongly criticise. Unlike Chris Piper that night at The Woood.

[JKiF]

actually i did reply to cityman ;-)

 

yeah Bazza was good, when isnt he....i was referring to the outfield players ...maybe we should play 'rush' keeper

 

 

 

as for toys...

[Rob_the_Saint]

I believe it is also NOT possible to get players in on loan from another club outside of the transfer window. You can though bring them in if they are free agents. Think that's what Villa have done with Sutton.