2nd best again

[Hannah]

No I believe we will have a few more wins in the bag by then.

And I'm not in a grumpy mood because of a few losses I have bigger fish to fry at the moment

 

[Hempstead Gaz]

At least you get the chance to see Fleet.

My next game will be Grays on New Year's Day!

[Hempstead Gaz]

As for not being in a rut, if you exclude the 5-4 result, which was one of those once a decade matches, the remaining 8 home lewague results are:

2-1

1-0

0-1

0-1

1-0

2-1

2-0

0-2

 

which would suggest either low scoring, exciting games, or low scoring dull games.

The consensus is that we have reverted from the free flowing passing game evident in the pre-season freindlies, to so called "hoofball". I prefer to call it route 1 as players are lacking in confidence to play short crisp passes, or keep possession themselves.

The easy option is to get rid of the ball as far as possible up front, as quickly as possible.

Not an easy problem for LD to solve , but sort it out he must. He knows it, as has gone public saying so.

Whilst most, if not all would be satisfied with a top 10 finish this season, our style of play is winning us few new supporters, regardless of any incentive schemes promulgated by the club.

Word does get around the the football isn't great, it is very difficult for the media (Distorter, Chas W, RK) to embellish reports positively.

 

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

My next game will be Grays on New Year's Day!

You should enjoy that Gary. This is from their forum:

Originally Posted By: Grays forum

Im not sure what tactics are used by our trainer with the players or if indeed they even listen to him, cos if he is satisfied with what they turn out, then i can only say he needs glasses !! IF thats the way grays players train its [****!!****] !!! If you remember some time ago i said i will reserve judgement until xmas, i said if we continue playing the way we had, even THEN, that by xmas we will be near bottom of league....i got shot down for those comments for various reasons....but i think what i was saying THEN has come true NOW, before xmas.......
We need to stop hoofing the ball up and down the pitch....we need to get a striker who pulls out all the stops, aaron is a good player with some moves, but hes not consistent, hence lack of goals....Midfield go to sleep and act like they are lost without a clue....we are not passing and keeping the ball low...we end up depending on our defenders, who seem ok at times and then seem to play for themselves and leave the others to twiddle thumbs.....goal keepers are ok....after all, if we had it going on pitchwise, goal keeper is not needed...(if u get my drift)....
I dont see such a problem with weight as some keep saying on here.....dont think thats the issue at all....dont think its got anything to do with them "being paid too much so dont have to try" etc either....end of the day, if thats the case they know they will not have contracts renewed, so would be looking for another club, which cant be good....
I would have em in training for longer periods, i would look at the way they play move em about etc...keep looking,keep trying until im happy ...most of our players dont seem to be thinking ahead, and work out where the ball will be going, if u get what i mean??? if it lands at their feet its a plus....then its hoofed away....bloody pointless.......

[Hempstead Gaz]

Perhaps if we use a medicine ball for that game, maybe, just maybe we won't see so much arial stuff!!

[jc]

Originally Posted By: Kevin - EUFC TIL I DIE!

Some of us think "Oh, the Setanta Shield and Kent Cup are sh1t", but at the end of the day, it's still a trophy to be won.

Also, it's alleged that prize money for the Setanta Shield is greater than that for the Trophy.

Two defeats in a row doesn't constitute a 'rut' in itself - it may develop into one, but at the moment they're just two defeats. All this is a reflection of the foolish short-termism inherent in football these days - lose a couple of games and you're supposedly on a downward spiral; win a couple and you're suddenly proclaimed genuine play-off contenders. It's all a bit silly, really.

[Hirsty]

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

Perhaps if we use a medicine ball for that game, maybe, just maybe we won't see so much arial stuff!!

I am looking forward to your post Grays match ramblings already !
You know that you have now put the kiss of death on the game ? It will be gale force winds with sleet or snow ! So, even if we manage to play like Brazil by then ( do you moan when they lose ?), conditions will be against us !

Note to diary - check Teletext for cheap holidays leaving on Jan 2 !!

Cheers.......

[American FLEET FAN No1]

You could come and stay with me Hirsty............But..........We only have one Pub, and, they don't know what Cider is!

Oh, and it's snowing!

[Andrewc]

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

At least you get the chance to see Fleet.
My next game will be Grays on New Year's Day!

and??

[Andrewc]

Originally Posted By: American FLEET FAN No1

You could come and stay with me Hirsty............But..........We only have one Pub, and, they don't know what Cider is!
Oh, and it's snowing!

Or us, it's 30 degrees most days and rains quite a lot this time of year which increases the humidity to almost 100 per cent. A brisk walk not only keeps the legs going, you get a mobile sauna thrown in for free. That said the thunderstorms are really something to see.

[Stu M]

Originally Posted By: jc

Also, it's alleged that prize money for the Setanta Shield is greater than that for the Trophy.

According to a post on ConfGuide (so bear in mind the source!), the prize money compares as below (FA Trophy figure in brackets), which if true is less than has been bandied about:

01 1500 (4000)
02 2000 (5000)
03 2500 (6000)
04 2500
05 3500
QF 5000 (7000)
SF 5500 (16000)
RU 6000
W 12000 (50000)

[Hannah]

Originally Posted By: jc

Two defeats in a row doesn't constitute a 'rut' in itself - it may develop into one, but at the moment they're just two defeats. All this is a reflection of the foolish short-termism inherent in football these days - lose a couple of games and you're supposedly on a downward spiral; win a couple and you're suddenly proclaimed genuine play-off contenders. It's all a bit silly, really.

Couldn't agree more

[Graham S]

Firstly congratulations to Hannah for not rising to naughty Gary's attempt to dangle sexist bait. (Though I trust Gazza himself is no sexist, I'm sure he was looking for a reaction in suggesting that, if she's grumpy now, H will be in a similar mood in a calendar month's time.)

 

Secondly, however, I don't really see any "negative rubbish" in this particular thread. Nobody has talked of plummeting down the table or called for Liam's head. People have questioned whether our current team is as good as we thought, which is not unreasonable after being outplayed by teams against whom we'd have expected to put up a reasonable showing. I can understand Liam being angry after the FG match & he retains my respect because, despite his anger, he did not name individuals on the radio or bully any particular players from the sidelines - both of which have been done by previous Fleet managers.

 

I think we can all be confident that it will be turned around because it always has been before under this management. I do not think we will make the play offs anymore then I think we are ready for promotion. Like some others, though, I do think we need to do more than just pick up the results; we need to have a long term plan of building a team that can keep possession, play the ball on the ground, pass its way past the opposition & build a formidable winning & scoring record at home. It won't happen overnight, but if it's done, I think we might be surprised at the proportionally growing effect on our attendances, despite what has been said about the ceiling on our expected support.

 

Graham S

[Jeff]

Nicely put Graham.

 

Teams go through dodgy patches. I was going to type 'slumps' but I think that's too harsh.

 

Week off this weekend gives us a bit of a break and I would imagine by the time that Oxford come around, everyone will be fully up for it.

 

As least that's what I hope...

[Hempstead Gaz]

I still find it odd that some feel all is ok, apart from a couple of defeats, and we are Not in a 'rut'.

Clearly we do have problems. It has been evident in one way or another for most of the season, either with formations, scoring goals, or reverting to the direct approach.

Fortunately, LD has also identified

the problem, and is looking to break us out of the run that we apparently do not have, but ssibly getti n blood in

[Slartibartfast]

I must admit that when we lost one match (away to the league leaders) out of nine I thought to myself "we are having problems here why can nobody but C.G. see it" and when winning four home games on the bounce I did think "this is getting to be a bit of a rut"

If we don't get out of this run of losing one league game in a row we will soon be plummeting down to the middle of the table.

 

[Bill Kent]

Love it Slarti

[DA11]

Originally Posted By: Chatham Gary

I still find it odd that some feel all is ok, apart from a couple of defeats, and we are Not in a 'rut'.
Clearly we do have problems. It has been evident in one way or another for most of the season, either with formations, scoring goals, or reverting to the direct approach.
Fortunately, LD has also identified
the problem, and is looking to break us out of the run that we apparently do not have, but ssibly getti n blood in

Very true Slarti.
Unfortunately footie fans are just too fickle. I think most people confuse results against performance. I would be more than happy winning every game 1-0 playing average than losing 3-1 try to play fancy football. At the end of the season the tables only show results not what style we play. Liam will get it right in the end. It's going to take time. Give me mid table conference over Ryman any day.

[Stu M]

The fact that - barring a disaster - we're not thinking of relegation in early November is a testament to how far we have come on the field in less than 18 months when 'those who knew better' had us down as dead-certs for relegation.

[jc]

Thanks for the kind words, Hannah.

 

Originally Posted By: Graham S

People have questioned whether our current team is as good as we thought

 

How good did people think it was though? That's no slant on those who have come in this season; Charlie, Ross and Onome were always going to be tough to replace, so a lower finish than last season was always possible, particularly with the question of how the loss of the latter two's goals was going to be covered.

 

Anyone who thinks we should definitely be right in the play-off mix is deluded - one season alone of such status does not make a team established play-off contenders, and nor should we expect it to. It's best as a supporter to just see how things pan out, rahter than setting expectations - if we're challenging for the top five at the end of the season, then great. But a mid-table finish such as where we are now is perfectly respectable, all things considered.