Now we are 10 games in

[Boney Crisp]

What is everyone's predictions now on how this our season will go?

 

I think from i have seen from the first 10 games we will concede little, but uncertain on the goalscoring front. I think we will just steal the final play-off spot as we dont have strength in depth and that will prove to be a key point at some parts of the season.

 

Sorry if you think it is a silly post, but the forum has gone a bit quiet of late.

[MargateFan]

I think it is a very good post to strike up a discussion, Alex.

 

It is a very close run thing, this league. Bromley are 4 points clear at the top, but then there are 12 teams with only 4 points between them. It is going to be very tough for any team to run away with it. We should not underestimate any of the teams in it.

But if we truly want to win this league, we should be showing a bit more than we did at Heybridge today. Because to win it, or to reach the playoffs, these are the sort of teams we need to beat. We have a way to go yet.

I do think that Bromley are the force to be reckoned with this year.

[teamster]

not good enough Last four games 2 points 1 goal.

we were lucky to have played the so called weaker teams at the start of the season because on our goal scoring form at the moment we would be someware near the bottom. I went to see Ramsgate play yesterday and I can tell you they were very poor but at least they managed to steal a win against a good looking Slough side who this week have managed to sign a couple of strikers If a club with no manager and no money can do this why can,t we. Ramsgate are only 2 points behind us now and the rest are cathing up fast. I,m afraid and this is my personel opinion only unless we can get at least one striker with abit of pace i cannot see us getting anyware near the playoff places at the end of the season. The defence is doing ok but we do need to be scoring more goals and winnng our home games.

[seasidesteve]

we can finish in the top 6 but we badly need a striker and someone in midfield who can make things happen.our midfield is ok but none of them are matchwinners.we also need a quicker central defender.without these signings we will be mid table.

[Gate Watcher]

I think Trotty was spot on when he told the Gazette that he is looking for a striker and a winger. Ideally both with pace (in my opinion).

[michael]

Yes-good to be debating proper football topics again !!

 

Ideally need the signings SS points out as above,but that probably won't happen.

 

The players we have got shouild be good enough just the same to secure a top 5 finish but teory and practice are different.I still think we will 'improve' when the winter really kicks in, and then the likes of McKimm ,Jackson and skinner will see us good in those winter battles.Having said that, i'l stick with my original prdiction of 7th or 8th and just hope we do better.

I'll be satisfied with 7th or 8th

(though i do want us to win the FA Cup and Trophy to bring some financial stability).

 

A good FA cup run -to 2nd round proper minimum-and 7th /8th would satisfy me.

 

Can we do better-yes.

 

will we do better-not so sure

 

I read n last weeks Thanet Times that RT is being very bullish-talking of bulding the squad this season for conference south !!

Great to read, but its games like yesterday where we should be getting at least a point-Bromley and Wimbledon came to us and got a point-but we did not go to Heybridge and get our point.Thats the difference !!

[Andy .]

we can easily claim a play off spot providing we add to the squad , the longer the season goes on we will have the injured and the suspended situation so its very important to add some depth to the 1st team , could find that other clubs have already got this situation sorted for the final run in but that word ( MONEY ) is the obstickle thats in the way , so important to have a good cup run as we`ve all said to bring in some revenue which the club will let RT hopefully have to buy in who he needs.

[Gate Watcher]

We've had the injuries and niggles problem for a few weeks now which is hampering us a lot I believe but every club has this problem so it is not an excuse. At the end of the season the two clubs that deal with this best and react in the most positive way to their setbacks will get promotion.

[Andy .]

no what you mean and totally agree with you , think the only problem we have got though is the likes of JJ , McKimm , Proths , Oates , Trotty , Skinns are a big chunk of our squad and there at an age where the niggles might take a bit longer to heel than a younger player.

The lads are playing week after week with no real time to recover and when 1 or 2 are out it unsettles the side having to push whoevers left to fill there boots . We all want the cup runs to carry on but that will mean more games and if we are the only team left in any of them out of say 10 top clubs in our league our league form might suffer unless club releases money to buy in .

[MargateFan]

On the plus side, as I said before, this is really an even league in terms of points so far, and these are problems a lot of the clubs have.

So it may also come down to who has the luck on their side?

[Andy .]

so that should be us then with the luck on our side after the past 3-4 yrs we`ve had then .Up the gate.

[MargateFan]

Would that life were that fair, then good luck should follow bad. But it is not always like that.

We could, however, say that we have been lucky with the FA cup draws so far, as we could quite easily have faced sterner tests from other teams than the ones we have played.

Let's hope we overcome Potters Bar on Saturday, and then get another reasonable draw.

[wenger]

some of the changes are the managers fault.
Smith playing regularly recently and then dropped for a midfield player. Why?Is this to accomodate a hard core gruop of players that play regardless of whether someone is in their position so accomodate them elsewhere?
Wisker , Hoggart not on bench but Holden is. why? If Holden a striker why not put him on whemn one nil down? but put on a full back to release a midfielder???Never seen Williams play for first team and rarely Hoggart maybe for 10-20 minutes. By the way how can they be considered players of the month on your survey if they have not played???
Yiga is no winger so why put him there?
When someone comes up with answers that are logical then let me know.
Heard 3 players got signed from reserves to play Ryman premier one of which is Holden. Then we hear signing a new striker. Presumably the new reserve signings like the ones at the beginning of the season are just to make up numbers on the bench. ie they aint gonna rock the boat if they travel but never get on.

[michael]

Can see your points Wenger, but i have slightly different take, insofar as i don't think the younger players are consistently good enough.

 

Agreed Smith shows good potential, but still makes mistakes which could be crucial.

 

I think as spectators, we also underestimate how intensive and tough physically and mentally this league is, and frankly, it may have done Smith good to have a break for one game,learn a bit more by observing at tough places like Heybridge and return the better for it.

 

Also, as winter beckons and pitches get softer, you need a different type of player out there.

 

Its no use going for youth for the sake of it.

Some ofthose younger players will come good, but it is a very gradual process.

 

It looks like RT is practicing'squad/bench rotation with the younger players which is all part of their learning process.

 

( i do agree entirely about your point re:Yiga-)

[michael]

Margate fan- i think we would also have to admit that we have had a bit of luck in some of the games-Fleet twice,Whitstable,Worthing.We rode our luck a bit.

 

I think on this season alone, luck has perhaps favoured us so far-long may it continue, but the fear is it may not !!

[MFC Forever]

I think that along with luck, momentum is also needed. We had momentum at the start of the season, and are gradually building it up again despite losing at Heybridge. Looking at the table, Bromley have momentum along with some other sides.

For me, and it is easy to say, the key is the number of goals against. Bromley have so far only let in four goals in ten games this season. So it goes to show why clean sheets are so important.

As michaelmichael says: 'don't concede the nil!'

[michael]

The top teams-certainly the top two are invariably those with the best defences !!

(assisted by a good midfield)

 

Thats why i'm still sad enough to still be hurting over the B Wood debacle !!

[michael]

Different league to our own, but think the chatham manager here in a statement posted on

 

www.Kentishfootball.co.uk

 

makes similar points about playing too many young players at once and too early:

 

Chatham Town manager Phil Miles has been forced to blood youngsters into his first team squad due to having a budget that is “not that great,” writes Stephen McCartney.

 

The Medway club fell at the first hurdle in the FA Trophy, losing to an injury time winner at Maidstone Road in yesterday’s preliminary round defeat to AFC Sudbury.

 

Chatham born striker Rob Denness glanced home a header with 19 minutes remaining, scoring his second goal of the season, to cancel out Luke Hammond’s drive after just 26 seconds into the second half.

 

But AFC Sudbury, who reached three successive FA Vase finals from 2003, booked a home date with Kingstonian on 21 October when Neil Calver looped a header over goalkeeper John Whitehouse to send Chatham crashing out in front of 230 fans.

 

Miles handed slender winger Tyrone James his debut, having impressed in the reserves.

 

The 18-year-old played for Tooting & Mitcham United last season and is attending University in Chatham.

 

“I thought he done really well,” Miles said EXCLUSIVELY to www.kentishfootball.co.uk after yesterday’s defeat.

 

“It’s a difficult game to come into as Sudbury were a very strong side.

 

“But he showed in places he could, in the future, give us something out wide.

 

“His impressed me in the reserves, looks lively, gets crosses in, takes players on, and I think he will be a very good acquisition in the future.

 

“Ideally I didn’t want to start him. I wanted to put him on (during the) last 15-20 minutes but at the end of the day circumstances said that I had to start him.

 

“He will be allright. I think he’ll be a good little player.”

 

 

But former assistant manager Miles, who replaced Steve Binks as first team manager during the close season, admitted he’s throwing youngsters into first team football too early.

 

“I do mention budgets and our budget here is not that great,” he said. “We have to bring players through our youth system to the (under) 16’s- 18’s to the reserves and we gradually feed two or three in.

 

“At the moment I’m probably playing too many youngsters for the league that we are in because we play other teams and you are playing eleven experienced older players.

 

“When we turn up we’ve got six kids who are 18.

 

“So I may not get the benefit of them but in the next four or five seasons they will become good players.

 

“But I know they will become good players but at the moment they have to start learning a little bit quicker.

 

“But they are all good players ability wise, but we need a bit more experience a few more games for the first team.

 

“But I am more than happy with what I’ve got at the moment.”

 

 

Chatham travel to Cray Wanderers next Saturday before welcoming Hastings United (17 October) and local rivals Sittingbourne (28 October) to Maidstone Road.

 

Visit Chatham Town's website: www.chathamtownfc.net

[abdullah]

I knew it was a chat page - didn't know it was a Chats page!

 

As MargateFan says - "Its good to talk"!

 

Abdullah the Quote!

[wenger]

Can we state what is a young player?

17-19 yrs or over 21yrs.

The so called young players such as Wisker, Robinson, Williams , Smith are all over 21 and played Kent league for 2 seasons if they cant cut it now they never will.

Chatham have been playing 18 year olds. Only two as far as I am aware in the Margate team come into this category namely Hoggart and Stellon.

The argument above that you all put on this website does not hold up. Lastly wasnt Yiga and Sesay under 21 when they were playing last year?

Also if the current rumour is correct why are we signing a young 18 year old trainee if the argument your correct. If you are good enough you should be given the chance whatever age. Yes introduce one or two at a time or for even 20-30 minutes to see what they are capable of but dont write these players off or dismiss them they will get fed up and leave.