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Next thread: Loyalty by Mike Cox16/11/2015 15:28Mon Nov 16 15:28:55 2015view thread
Fireworks at Earlsmead
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Unfortunately these came from neighbouring gardens and not from the Greens who continued on their seemingly relentless downward spiral.
Re: Fireworks at Earlsmead
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Wow mike.are you sure you are really a Hendon fan.confidence is at an all time low and you spout s***t about fireworks next door.I personally am fully behind Gary Scott Freddie and the committee.will you be at Tonbridge if you are maybe we could meet in the bar pre game and you could maybe give me an opinion on rockets Catherine wheels Or where we can sign some sparklers from .
Re: Fireworks at Earlsmead
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I can assure Rainham don that I am 100% behind Hendon as I have been in the 2,000 or so games I have watched over the last 60 years. I liked your comment about the "sparklers" - sadly don't think the club's budget will allow a lavish purchase. We must all keep everything crossed that form and confidence will return sooner rather than later to ease our current parlous position.
Re: Fireworks at Earlsmead
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The players gave so much today. Backing, support and confidence in the team and management to turn the results around are vital. It will happen I am sure. Outbursts, which may be well intended but actually have the opposite effect simply don't help.
Edited by dw at 00:42:46 on 15th November 2015
Re: Fireworks at Earlsmead
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I'm going allow my thoughts on the 90 mins to develop a little longer.
However, I do wish we could leave the personal stuff aside. Agree, disagree, agree to disagree, whatever. Just treat people's opinions with a bit of respect, whether they've just witnessed Hendon for the first time today, or have been following the club for 50/60 years.
Re: Fireworks at Earlsmead
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Agreed - folk are entitled to their views whether good or bad. No point attacking each other when a bit of unity would be handy.
First half woeful. All credit to Needham Market, they battled hard with great spirit and took their chances.
Second half much better. Their keeper played a blinder and one cleared off the line too. Draw would have been a fair result for me, but wasn't to be today.
Only criticism for me would be stud selection - was like Bambi on Ice at times.
And apologies from me for turning off the floodlights too early, genuine mistake.
Re: Fireworks at Earlsmead
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Very constructive Mike....I'm sure the team needs reminding it was a 'shit' result...
Re: My own personal views - part 1
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Needham - on the day - I was uber impressed with them. Their numbers, 2,7 and front lad killed us off in the first 45. I thought the whole team was exceptional. Their work-rate, they won 90 per cent of tackles and their defence was utterly outstanding.
I can now see how they beat Tonbridge - as poor as we were - you do have to acknowldege the opposition.
If I was the manager of Needham tonight I would be over the moon.
I am now officially drunk and intend to get stuck into Hendon....
Edited by rwakeley at 02:05:40 on 15th November 2015
Re: My own personal views - part 2
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This is where I think we are:-
Goalkeeper:- Gaffer clearly prefers Joe. Both steady keepers. Fans seem a bit split. Not a bad thing. I worry about both commanding the box and worry about Joe's kicking and in particular light of Lee's absence in flicking on. Personally hope over time we don't adopt the Laurencin/Reading syndrome of inconsistent selection.
Edited by rwakeley at 02:10:24 on 15th November 2015
Re: My own personal views - part 3
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Defence
I believe we have been shambolic in selection all season - don't blame the management, circumstances prevailing.
Right-back:- Youngster, always suspect to being overran. Maidstone effectively ended Brandon Horner in 20 minutes. Parks, Coke, Eddie, I think it's time we really made a decision in the short-term who is best equipped, good to see Seebs back on the pitch.
Left-back:- Olls, I think the lad as struggled this campaign. Over exposed. Out-paced three or four times today. Failure to stem crosses into the box. No protection from wide or behind. I love the lad but I feel he is really feeling the effects if anybody is out there.
C/H:- To be honest I am not sure we know what our best pairing is. I will leave it at that. Errors and poor judgement creap in.
Re: My own personal views - part 4
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Midfield / Fowards
Today I thought we had nothing in terms of width - from a defensive standpoint lost the game.
I go back to St Neots, down the flanks we were on fire. We now go one down or fail to deliver after the opening period we fall off. We conceed and congregate only to be hit on the counter-attack.
A major positive in my view is Short. I think that lad is a real player. He is Fisher-esque.
I don't think we at present have a definitive role for Da Costa and Murphs whom are probably equally symbolic of our predicament. We miss absentees. I worry about Azza's role and it's impact. It's not akin to Anthony Thomas as a introduction. Irrespective of creativeness I believe our balance is out of sync. Our dependence on knocking passes into Leon or Kezie is limited reward without width.
Our lack of midfield freedom is restricting our chances.
I do genuinely think we need to re-vamp our style to reflect our resources.
Re: My own personal views - part 4
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Summary
I am really not being critical - far from it - it's the views of one fan. I cannot resort to personal condemnation, its a prelude to sharing opinions on what I feel as a fan of whom want's us to turn the corner.
I feel Hendon are in a Karma, Ying/Yang or what-ever thing. It's a balance.
I look at these lads and genuinely maintain we are so much better than what we are displaying. We are a far better side than what we have shown to date, irrespective of circumstance.
I remain defiant.
Balance
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We're shipping goals. Without looking, who can even remember the last clean sheet? Our left back is struggling one on one. He misses Taggs or Andre in front of him, no doubt. Our centre-backs have their moments but generally as a pairing lack height/aerial dominance/strength.
Our midfield lacks creativity. For the most part yesterday, our chances seemed to be created by the forwards themselves (a great turn, a decent shot etc). As stated by RW....there's a lack of genuine width.
Our forwards are lacking goals. Last season, Leon's brilliant back heel would have crept in, this season the keeper makes a great save. It's just not happening for them, so we can't rely on them to suddenly start scoring the 2s and 3s that we currently need to get points.
So, time to go 4-5-1? Or at least a 4-4-2 with hard-working wide men to protect the full-backs.
Picking the team is only part of managing a club but here goes (subject to availability in the short term!!) 4-5-1 in order to make us harder to beat. We're no good at chasing games at the moment so need to stay in games for longer.
Minter - Flegg Diedhiou Kirby Sprague - Murphy Short Morgan Cracknell DaCosta - Ibe
Of course, this is all subjective because there are knocks, attitudes, issues that we supporters aren't necessarily privy to. But essentially, let's try to get Murphy and Da Costa out wide to create, stretch and defend in equal measure. And get as much height into the defence as possible, not least because we seem to have a problem with corners at both ends. The 4-5-1 also, in theory, gives Morgan a platform to go on his runs and pick up the bits high up the field.
But deep down I wonder if the attitude of some of the players is right? Are people making themselves unavailable for selection because of routine knocks? Or are they genuinely carrying injuries that prevent them from performing at a decent level? I've seen it myself...players all want to play when things are going well but some do find excuses when things are tough.
Let's hope that whatever the team selection, we can get past Northwood tomorrow night. Even a lucky win on penalties would do for me.
Re: Balance
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Our last clean sheet was at Needham Market in August.
Re: Balance
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Good healthy debate. Excellent post as always.
On the way home on the train last night I actually put down a near identical line-up. I changed the keeper of whom I think has excellent overall qualities and included Taggs, (I know he is injured). I prefer your option, but I would involve Taggs as I maintain he has shown better glimses of form. There's also the omission of Shults upon return which offers options and depth.
I really feel for the Gaffer, he has had an awful selection problem every week.
We need to get an established line-up that keeps us in contention and get drilled into performing consistently.
Looking at this there is cause for optimism.
Edited by rwakeley at 11:13:29 on 15th November 2015
Re: Balance
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There's not a lot to add really from all that has been said so far, except for one thing from my point of view.
On at least four occasions after going behind yesterday, a Hendon attack broke down with five players in advanced positions. The reaction as Needham broke forward wasn't good enough. Players were meandering back, rather than busting a gut. As a result, the back four found themselves overrun time after time with no shield.
I don't think for a second that anyone is deliberately shirking, that they don't give a damn so can't be bothered. Look at their reaction coming off the pitch and you know that they're hurting. I know what it's like to lose week after week, to experience that sinking feeling as soon as you fall behind. But I remember being told once that even if the ball isn't running your way, even if you're not achieving much in possession, there is no excuse for not making life difficult for the opposition by working hard, digging in, grafting and putting them under pressure. We didn't do that first half and I was absolutely steaming at the break. Not everyone was guilty of this, and I'm not going to dig anyone out specifically, but we just looked beaten.
We did play better in the second half, we did create some decent opportunities and for the umpteenth time this season found an opposition keeper in inspired form. *Had* we scored early in the second half, Needham may have caved in - we'll never know. Overall, I thought they did a similar job to that we did so often last season. Get a healthy half-time advantage and then defend deep, and defend well. They were full value for the three points imo.
If the scale of the task facing us now wasn't obvious before, it ought to be now. We are in the thick of a dogfight to stay up. However, I have absolute unswerving faith in Gary, Scott & Freddie to turn this around and we know the quality the majority of the squad has is far better than we have shown so far and by sticking together we can turn this around.
Previous thread: I believe..... by mello11/11/2015 17:48Wed Nov 11 17:48:47 2015view thread