from ducks to swifts

[YELLOW]

What I meant when I said J.K was underrated was that whilst he plays well week in, week out, it's the likes of Boylan, Minton and Greggors who get all the plaudits. J.K is a definite player of the year contender but somebody like Boylan or Minton will probably get it.

Every successful team has to have a player like this. Somebody who gets their head down, works hard and gives 110% so others can profit. Man United had such a player in Denis Irwin a player who rarely gets the headlines but you take him out of the side and you notice his abscense straight away.

J.K could certainly hold his own at Second Division level and is probably still young enough to realise this but hopefully he won't be going anywhere in the near future.

[Matt H]

Point taken Dave, Player of the Year has to be Minton or JK this year, all the players have shown their strengths throughout the season but I don't think anyone has been as consistent as these two. Even Boylan went on a goal drought for a while!!

 

Matt CIFC <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

[YELLOW]

You have to remember that Boylan won player of the year without being a regular in the side last season. He only gained a regular starting place after Christmas. Most of the goals he scored in the first half of last season came in the few starts he had and when he came off the bench (I seem to remember he scored a hattrick against SAVE FC in the cup after coming on for the last half hour). This makes the fact he scored over 40 goals in all competitions a major achievement.

 

In terms of player of the year there are probably four contenders in my eyes:

J.K for sheer consistancy and his never say die attitude all season.

 

Jeff Minton for his skill and flair that have illuminated our recent revival.

 

 

Lee Boylan because once again he has proved he is one of the best finishers at this level of football.

 

and Greggors for some of his battling displays, he may not be scoring the goals recently but he has provided so many assists especially with his head.

 

<img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

 

[The Great Eckscape]

I think that Minton is my POTY so far. He has dropped a long way in a short space of time, and when he first joined us I thought it was another of Stimson's cheating tactics, sending us Essex's top Jeff Minton impersonator! However, since then he has settled down to life in the Ryman, and even though he knows that he could be playing at a higher level he is giving his all for CIFC. As long as he remains content to stay with us, his experience and talent will be a major asset to our campaign.

[Merv]

Every now and again a player drops out of the league scene in order to join a non-league club. Many of them think that it will be an easy time (I won't name them, but we all know three or four) but a few others do it because they want to continue playing quality football, albeit at a lower level. Glen Pennyfather was one, Steve Tilson was another. I believe that in Jeff Minton we have found another player who has a lot to offer and wants to offer it to a non-league club. Thankfully, it was us.

 

Every game he demonstrates his class. Not only that, other players around him adopt him as their role model and their game improves. Compare that to some other ex-league players who have joined us. You wonder if they would get into a Concord Rangers fist XI, let alone Colchester.

 

Oooops, did I say Colchester? Perhaps Frenchy would edit that out for me, save embarrassment all around.

[CANV EFM]

well there were 2 from colchester this season merv, so as it could be either you are perfectly safe with your views ;-)

[pabird]

How good to have a debate on the differing but high class performances of players as good as Jeff M and JK for me edged by the extra skill levels of Jeff, not many teams can have such a debate.

Merv I go along with your Swifts report virtually 100% but your report does raise a question

Why? did our ball and player movement drop back a peg or two against quite low level skills from the opposition

Ok they dug in but we had as much time on the ball as against recent opposition

For me we lacked the ability to give the mid-field early on the floor accurate supply

By the time mid-fielders got the ball they were smothered

We played a great deal more long ball from the back after defenders having dallied on the ball found the mid-field closed down

Looking good standing still? its not a skill

[Merv]

You ask why? I think the ball coming out of defence was often far too slow, or inaccurate, or both. I said in the report -

 

"Canvey's main problem seemed to be the defence, who were playing with great authority at the back, but couldn't manage to get any balls out to the midfield. Some of the passing was dreadful..."

 

By the time a ball was released (or chased and retreived) our players had been very closely marked. The pitch didn't help and credit to Swifts, they did manage to close Canvey down. Trouble was, they couldn't sustain this style of play and eventually, the higher skill level of Canvey came through.

[pabird]

The problem being would a Saints or a Shots opposition fold in the second half

Or would they have scored from the 3 or 4 times a defender dallied on the ball long enough to be caught out with the ball being blocked and remaining in play

We have several selections available in mid-field all of which are better than the rest

but

We must allow them to control the game IE give it to them early and support them (back to pass and move)

Let the long ball be a clearance or the intended (occasional) long pass

No hidden agenda Merv just in love with the game when played simply with style

[Matt H]

Just been on the Swifts website, and their pathetic excuse for a discussion board. Their only contribution to it about Saturday was that they believe Merv was some joker and how his report speaks nothing about the game that they saw. I've replied by saying they must have the same distance of vision as BBC Essex and their Manager, (to the half-way line) and missed most of the decent action!!!

 

That's the cheap end of Maldon for you...

 

Matt CIFC <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />