Newest article: Fund our Future plea by johnnybaker26/4 16:10Fri Apr 26 16:10:49 2024view thread
Oldest article: "Hither & Thither"? by alan ainsworth24/11/2013 12:59Sun Nov 24 12:59:08 2013view thread
Next thread: Positives! by Paul Butler28/12/2016 13:44Wed Dec 28 13:44:31 2016view thread
Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3179
I dismissed today twenty minutes in. Not for this season's reasons, but for the annual, albeit presumed entertaining Boxing Day spectacle which has become as far removed from reality as the type of drivel we are dished up on the likes of ITV3. It's more akin to Basketball, seriously we should distribute the rights to Disney.
I would feel the same had we won 10-0! The only reality is we've lost 3 points.
Hopefully the lads are working towards some defining sustainable pattern of play which can make us competitive.
In reality we are probably better on the road at present. Home games left against all the top sides.
Everybody, I'm sure is working their socks off. Hope the lads aren't to down. It's part the healing process.
Players returning and away games will give us the opportunity to bed in our shape and function.
Time to knuckle down. We'll get there.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3012
Have to say I have been watching Hendon for many years and I am beginning to think we have lost the plot.I am a firm believer in that the players you bring in have to be better than the ones you already have.I hate criticising my own players but here goes.We need a better keeper than we currently have.The kid from Borehamwood just isn't good enough in future he will no doubt prove me wrong..We have umpteen midfielders all much of a muchness but probably the best 2 central are Spencer and keagan .Luke is more of a centre back and Murphy more of a central midfielder.Our defence gets little cover withMurphs and Da Costa in front of them.We were 4-3 up at half time despite the fact we probably should have been about 3 behind.Should have brought Spencer on and put Casey back in defence taking off the kid from Wood.When we a substitution we ended up with Arthur lee at left back probably his worst position.I'm not sure what our best 11 are but if we keep putting square pegs in round holes we will be in 1 north.As has been said we have an apalling goal difference and the table doesn't lie.All in all we are up the creek without a paddle..I pray we can get out of it just aren't too confident at the moment.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3147
Stats speak for themselves, 57 goals against (worst in the league), 20 goals against in the last 5 games, goal difference -22 (tied for second worst), last in home performance but 8th in away. Most teams ahead in the table have now played fewer games. Definitely time to knuckle down as time is now working against the team.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3075
Team is doomed pure and simple. Positivity Police will tell you otherwise but with 4 going down it's gonna need a miracle to stay up. The second half today was very average. HB wanted it much more and could've scored more. Having said all that today was amazing entertainment wise. Won't forget this one in a hurry. Hope someone was filming this match so we can see these goals again.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3125
Ample points and games left. No denying we are in a tough spot, we all know that. It's like turning round a ship, you have to slow down ten miles in. It's not quite 20 odd cup finals left territory. Just getting Kevin and Seebs back will change our dynamic. My only personal disappointment has been our unqualified injuries, (justified excuse), despite fans not liking that particular mantra and I would personally question our effectiveness with the formation. If Gary can get something like a settled side and get our natural game up and running we have more than enough in the tank. Our 'game management' at home, despite the changes in personnel has been truly shocking. I welcome top sides visiting - we tend to turn up more. It needs to start to come together - patience is required, if we can demonstrate over the next couple of games we are making progress, we should be fine.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3109
41 players used so far (I think).
We've just signed a player (Merrick James-Lewis) who appears to have played for about 22 clubs in six years.
I've given up trying to get to know who the players are.
PS: I'd stick Dave and Casey at centre-backs and start from there.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 2910
With the Pantomime season in full swing,yesterday's matinee performance at the Silver Jubilee Theatre would have delighted those in Red,had those neutrals present rejoicing at the veritable goal feast and for those of us in Green left almost totally bemused. There is still time of course to pull out of the downward spiral,we aren't adrift from our fellow basement dwellers,but we really have to get some points on the board to improve morale without too much delay.A lot depends on whether or not our returning from injury boys can hit the ground running. I know that none of our defenders are playing below the level needed on purpose but sorry to say that the Chuckle Brothers wouldn't look out of place in our back line at present.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3074
I personally agree with your centre-half view. It's ironic that we may soon have Elliott back into the mix. Interesting options for the Gaffer - will hopefully shore things up. Another factor, I don't know how relevant is that Arthur Lee spent pre-season at left-back. The Gaffer started out versus Worthing with that very notion, only to dismiss it. That maybe down to the centre-half predicament, but it may well translate into a another re-vamped back four. We have, hopefully, some stability on the horizon.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3032
Cheer up all - I don't think we will lose another home league game this year!
Our last home league victory was at the end of February - 10 months and 17 successive winless home league games could possibly be something of a (very unwelcome) record for us. Maybe one of our several statisticians will know.
I've said it before and will say it once more - the only way is up!
Happy New Year to everyone.
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3119
I'm going to try and focus on the positives to begin with.
The return of Diedhiou - clearly nowhere near match fit but worked his unmentionables off and dragged us back into the game.
Stanislaus - mobile, strong, linked the play really well and a quite wonderful strike to give us a half time lead.
Rob Wakeley talks about patterns of play and at times going forward with Murphy feeding Oliyide through the channels, and Karl linking up nicely with Reis, we looked good. However, that hard work means little when we are so brittle defensively.
Make no mistake, 5-4 flattered us today. After being 4-3 ahead at the break we put in another truly anaemic performance after the break and had Harrow been able to take their chances, they would have beaten us 8 or 9-4.
Second half I was kicking a ball around with my boy level with our penalty area. I lost count of the number of cheap free-kicks we conceded. There was no communication, there was no organisation, there was no-one putting a name on anything, there was no-one taking any responsibility. The ease with which sides can pull us to shreds is frightening. A simple ball into the box and it's not so much panic stations as DEFCON 1.
Twenty (20) goals conceded in our past five league matches tells its own story.
Last season's 5-5 draw after being 4-1 up hurt, today stings massively. It feels as though we are pinning all our hopes on messrs Maclaren (K), Brathwaite and Seeby to drag us out of the mire - three players who, for various reasons, have played about 25 matches between them since the beginning of 2015/6. That feels like a pretty ruddy huge gamble. Elliott hasn't played in the best part of 18 months, are we really expecting him to slot back in and be the centre half he was during 2014/5? He's going to have to, because what we have at the moment simply aren't up to it. Likewise with Kevin. Are we just expecting him to add the missing steel single handed? To roll up his sleeves and dig in alone hoping that some of the others might follow?
Last season, throughout our struggles, I always thought we would manage to survive, and we did, just. This time around, quite honestly at the moment, I can't - not if we are going to have to score four times just to have any hope of getting so much as a point from a game.
I hope that the return of injured players does help us and that we can turn it around. But it needs to begin pretty quickly because there is a chance that we could become cast adrift.
And I know this probably comes across as overly negative, but quite honestly, I've got the hump and I'm hurting.
I'm hurting because I was expecting better than this.
I'm hurting because I was promised better than this by people on a weekly basis in the local press.
I'm hurting because I don't like watching us concede three, four and five goals every week.
I'm hurting because the number of players that seem to turn up this season, ponce around for a couple of weeks and then sod off when the going gets a little bumpy seems to be getting towards an all-time high.
I'm hurting because we've had countless players talk a good game off the pitch and then go into five-a-side mode, or just play for themselves on it.
I'm hurting because Gary, Freddie, Mark, Simon, David Bedford, Mike Harte and Rob deserve so much more than they are getting from some at the moment for the amount of time, sweat and heart they put into getting things off the pitch right.
I'm hurting because those last two second half performances at home this afternoon and against Grays were not okay. They were lacking heart - not effort necessarily, but heart. This afternoon, you could see within a minute of the restart which side believed they could win and which were cowering on the ropes. It wasn't the team with the lead that looked all at sea.
Whoever wears the Green and Black will always get my full backing whilst they are on the pitch. But, if players are going to come off the pitch after a second half showing like that and share a chuckle with a mate waiting for them at the tunnel then quite frankly, they can join the various other charlatans that have shown attitude deficiencies this season in finding somewhere else to play their football.
It will be onto Staines and I shall be supporting the boys, as I will at Dulwich.
I dearly hope that we can begin to get ourselves out of this rut then...
COYG!
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3047
Amazing entertainment, especially for the neutral lads I dragged along. As well Alan Hansen wasn't going over it on Match of the Day or the programme would just be finishing. My first 4-5 since November 1984, when Hull City came from 4-1 down at Brisbane Road to beat Orient.
Make no doubt. This is a relegation battle. But it's one that can definitely be won with one vital signing....
Until Gary finds a big, ugly, loud, experienced and confident goalie, Hendon will continue to leak goals, regardless of who's in front of him. The keeper doesn't have to be an amazing shot stopper, but someone who frightens and gains respect from his own defenders. Someone opposing forwards watch for out of the corner of their eyes. Someone who makes sure that crosses are cleared out of the way; players, ball, the lot.
While I'm not 100% sure in all of the current back four, I don't believe they are being given the best chance, because they have no confidence in the bloke behind them. They are making bad decisions based on this. This then adds pressure on to the midfield as the ball's coming straight back far too often.
The management and most of you guys know this league and players better than me. There's got to be a keeper out there to fit the bill?
Apart from the above, if the formation is to stay the same. I'd be on the blower to Mayo to see if he fancies a run at left back now that Ollie Sprague has moved on. He has impressed me every time I've seen him in action at SJP.
May it be worth trying 3-5-2? As I say, you fellas know more about the players and if it's been tried before, but a good loud keeper and three competent defenders with a five man midfield may work with the current personnel? It would stop the current exposure of the full backs if we played with two wing backs? It also gives scope to fielding 3 central midfielders; at least one of which could sit in front of the defence?
Anyway gents, and ladies!, wishing you all the best. See you at Staines!
Re: Any-other day I would have to have been sedated
Views: 3019
Another day, more thought processes. Totally agree with the goalkeeping situation. Dulwich on the horizon. Last 3 games there, Berkley suspect handling, Joe Wright fumbled one in and as for the Shermanator. Two Tonbridge games, their Gaffer openly advocates the strength down the left. The amount of in-coming is going to be interesting to watch. Both could adopt a shoot on sight policy. Basics become more imoportant. No free-kicks, corners, we know their 'Goons' on the back post.
It was only late last night reading Rainham Don's post I realised Arthur had been at left-back, which given that development surprised me that Big Dave and Casey were not utilised as Centre's. According to Rainham, Arthur looked suspect, he did play that role at Concord. Elliott may well be off the pace. There are genuine options on the horizon to shore things up at the back. John mentioned the work done by Karl. Long advocated that - It may over the next couple of games come together.
Given the above, we have the possibility to redeem our problems at centre-half, with possible genuine solutions.
With Kevin and Seebs potentially re-united there is quiet cause for some optimism.
Re: 3 clips from the game.
Views: 3091
Totally agree about the keeper situation. We need a proper ugly bruiser type. Look at the first goal. Ok it's a good free kick but I think the keeper got both hands to it but lack of height failed him. Mind you the Borough keeper was a midget as well. Is this why there were so many goals? haha!
Here are 3 clips from the match. I missed the worldy goals though.
First goal. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oAwsxixA4Y4
Pen by Murphy. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b_b_iJxMxbc
Near miss to make it 5-5. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VBDKi_Sjevc
Previous thread: any other day I would have to have been sedated by lesskinner27/12/2016 12:28Tue Dec 27 12:28:32 2016view thread