Just Back

must be the first time a just back thread is done 3.5 hours after the final whistle!

Pluses were the King and Castle plus the Station Inn, which was even better - good cheap beer and friendly locals.

Downside was the 90 minutes- not good enough sums it up. For a Hurst team to be out battled is not good enough. To create beggar all chances is not good enough. To be second to almost every second ball is not good enough

Playing 3-5-2 was a worthwhile experiment , it would appear to be a natural system if you're playing efete and revan , but we simply didn't look comfortable. Didn't look like they'd practised it at all and to persist with it , with so much money at stake, seemed a bit perverse.
Kiddy probably deserved the win, and certainly a draw, just coz they worked more and battled harder. Very little quality, but we looked half hearted whereas they wanted it more which is a sad indictment, especially as a number of those players were trying to claim a 1st team place. Coke and Fox showed once again why their partnership doesn't work. Add Clifton in there and its 3 good players who just seem to inhibit each other.
Bapaga didn't seem to have a clue as to what he was supposed to be doing and Taylor hardly touched the ball in the first half.
Waterfall had his hands full with the centre forward and Longe King was anonymous.
Towler was my motm - looked imperious; almost too easy for him. he is a class act. No way i can see Revan or bapaga playing at a high level for very long, but Towler is 'different gravy'
The Shop came on and improved things massively - unfortunately it was at exactly that time that they got their soft penalty from a 'mini wealdstone' ref.

Quite where we go from here i don't know, but i suspect we need Efete, Sousa, Taylor & Hunt back on form very quickly. At the moment we look  a bit toothless and lacking in creativity

Echo that, especially the Station Inn....

The penalty I thought looked softish at the time but have seen the highlights on the BBC and looked clumsy from Waterfall.

just 1 other thought. Coke , is weirdly, a sign of what a different team we are this year. Thought last year he looked a class baove what we'd got and really improved us.Generally looked a class act. This year, i'm afraid to say, he looks like a weight round our neck, an impediment to our play. Sits too deep, slows things too much. and doesn't really offer   deal.Plus he seems to impede Fox in particular.
sorry to have to say that

Well, that was sh!t...only way I can describe it tbh.
For as good as Coke was last season he was poor today, always passed the ball backwards, bapaga was too far away from Taylor, long-king couldn't pass a stool.
One player that did impress me though was Crocombe, excellent stop in the first half and his speed of delivery was very good.
Kidderminster just looked brighter, pressed harder and looked up for it. We were slow, passed with no conviction and don't think we played the ball to Efete anywhere near enough
We really do miss Macatee, don't want to say one man makes a team but without him we're pretty much toothless.
Taylor had no service at all.
All in all a good opportunity lost to proceed in the cup and get some funds in the coffers to get Fenty paid off early.

Quoted from forza ivano

just 1 other thought. Coke , is weirdly, a sign of what a different team we are this year. Thought last year he looked a class baove what we'd got and really improved us.Generally looked a class act. This year, i'm afraid to say, he looks like a weight round our neck, an impediment to our play. Sits too deep, slows things too much. and doesn't really offer   deal.Plus he seems to impede Fox in particular.
sorry to have to say that

He looked good in a poor team, he just seems to slow any progression up the pitch now. Thought he'd control the midfield in this league but I'm not sure having him there is doing us any favours..

Our midfield hasn’t got enough depth. If it isn’t Hunt, Fox and Clifton, we struggle.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Our midfield hasn’t got enough depth. If it isn’t Hunt, Fox and Clifton, we struggle.

No Hunt = no creativity or dead ball accuracy, he helps others to be the best versions of themselves

Thing is with the scale of the rebuild after last seasons disaster, a lack of depth was inevitable to a degree

Were all obviously feeling down at the minute but if we look at where we are we'd have been happy at the current outcome if we'd been told that at the start of the season. I'd actually argue, now that were currently in the title fight, a creative player could be equally important to our chances as a striker. Were our strikers missing chances left right and centre today? Not really

bapaga is really young and sousa lacks experience despite his age, been impressed with both of them at times but I dont think it would be fair on either of them to completely rely on them to be consistant enough to maintain a title challenge. I'd just write scannell and max wright off now and get someone else in, if either of those two can stay fit and get into the team then bonus

Quoted from WHYWONTYOULETMESIGNUP

Thing is with the scale of the rebuild after last seasons disaster, a lack of depth was inevitable to a degree

Were all obviously feeling down at the minute but if we look at where we are we'd have been happy at the current outcome if we'd been told that at the start of the season. I'd actually argue, now that were currently in the title fight, a creative player could be equally important to our chances as a striker. Were our strikers missing chances left right and centre today? Not really

bapaga is really young and sousa lacks experience despite his age, been impressed with both of them at times but I dont think it would be fair on either of them to completely rely on them to be consistant enough to maintain a title challenge. I'd just write scannell and max wright off now and get someone else in, if either of those two can stay fit and get into the team then bonus

I’m afraid Max’s body isn’t up to full time professional football. As for Scannell, if, and it’s a big if, we can get him fit, I think he’ll rip this league up. That said, we can’t wait forever.

Quoted from WHYWONTYOULETMESIGNUP

Thing is with the scale of the rebuild after last seasons disaster, a lack of depth was inevitable to a degree

Were all obviously feeling down at the minute but if we look at where we are we'd have been happy at the current outcome if we'd been told that at the start of the season. I'd actually argue, now that were currently in the title fight, a creative player could be equally important to our chances as a striker. Were our strikers missing chances left right and centre today? Not really

bapaga is really young and sousa lacks experience despite his age, been impressed with both of them at times but I dont think it would be fair on either of them to completely rely on them to be consistant enough to maintain a title challenge. I'd just write scannell and max wright off now and get someone else in, if either of those two can stay fit and get into the team then bonus

Completely agree with this re getting a creative player in. As much as everyone wants a goalscoring number 9 (including me!) perhaps what we are more in need of is a number 10 who can create goalscoring opportunities while also getting involved in the penalty area