Just Back  (merged)

Quoted from Swansea_Mariner

Come on we just started the season with a win, just enjoy it.

Given the Covid disruption and the rash of injuries, that was a pretty good day at the office.

No doubt it needs to improve but, in my mind, there’s no doubt it will. UTM.

Quoted from fishcake63

lol it's weymouth we win 1/0 let's come on here after tuesday because weymouth are whipping boys if we get a point at best at stockport i'll start getting excited 🪑

You can only beat what’s in front of you. I’ll take 44 1-0 wins this season.

I thought considering the disruption to the prep, the first competitive game, players still to gel, strikers being eased back in etc. etc.. I thought the lads did very well and deserved the win.

As you’d expect from a PH side the work rate, effort, application and attitude was excellent. Thought the players where blowing a bit around the hour mark but their fitness will get better. What I also liked was improved movement, mid fielders getting forward, numbers in the box and everyone wanting the ball.

We won’t take this league by storm or dominate anyone but we do have a group that look like they will put a shift in and work hard for each other. Stand out for me was McAtee but only just ahead of half a dozen+ who did very well.

Off the pitch it was so good to be back at BP though the place in reality isn’t that different the feeling and atmosphere was a million miles away from the poison rank negatively that the previous leadership cultivated by their own apathy. I think the positive feel rubs off on the players.

The “cherry on top” was the players giving their shirts away at the end, that’s what kids and their parents will remember for ages.

So the view after 1 league game? Will we go back up? I think it’s possible but unlikely but what I saw today on and off the pitch made me feel like “we’re on our way” maybe not to the football league but potentially having a team and club that we can feel good about.

UTM!

3 points....disrupted pre season ....clean sheet

Yes please x

Quoted from fishcake63

lol it's weymouth we win 1/0 let's come on here after tuesday because weymouth are whipping boys if we get a point at best at stockport i'll start getting excited 🪑

You and Vinnygtfc, can just intercourse right off and get a life, boring pair of male masturbators 😡

Quoted from VinnyGTFC

Then tell me why I'm wrong instead of being arrogant

Don’t worry about the criticism, you are entitled to your opinion even if it does show a poor understanding of the game of football .

Best thing for me was the attitude of our players.  There was no expectation that we were automatically going to win, just because we were playing Weymouth.  Our players put the effort in constantly, I didn't see much drifting or complacency, and I think we dominated much of the game.  I kind of wish that we could avoid looking at tables and results throughout the season, and just assume that every team we play might be a contender for top of the league - just to keep the players on their toes and make sure that we maintain the kind of mentality that was shown today.

Not sure about Weymouth - apart from a very short spell of attacking, the only thing I really noticed about them was that they seemed to spend a lot of time falling over.

Quoted from marinette

Best thing for me was the attitude of our players.  There was no expectation that we were automatically going to win, just because we were playing Weymouth.  Our players put the effort in constantly, I didn't see much drifting or complacency, and I think we dominated much of the game.  I kind of wish that we could avoid looking at tables and results throughout the season, and just assume that every team we play might be a contender for top of the league - just to keep the players on their toes and make sure that we maintain the kind of mentality that was shown today.

Not sure about Weymouth - apart from a very short spell of attacking, the only thing I really noticed about them was that they seemed to spend a lot of time falling over.

It was quite clear they came for the draw. What was that player coming over to take a free kick every time and not even taking it all about?

It's always satisfying to see a team time-wasting from the first minute lose.

Quoted from Billywhiz

Don’t worry about the criticism, you are entitled to your opinion even if it does show a poor understanding of the game of football .

is that what is called 'love bombing'

Have to admit, I felt slightly emotional being back at BP for the first time since February 2020. It felt both utterly familiar and incredibly strange at the same time - a day which felt like it might never come at times over the course of the past 18 months.

The minute’s applause before the game almost had me choking up - absolutely for those we’ve lost in the time since we beat Scunny away last March but also for the moments lost by all of us in not being able to do what we love on a Saturday afternoon for so long.

In terms of the game, a reminder of what’s to come this season  - Weymouth were prepared to defend deep in numbers, more with determination than quality, in the hope they can sneak something when they have an inevitable spell of control. They indeed had that spell, and came close to scoring on a couple of occasions up as, but I don’t think it’s any coincidence our goal came during the one spell in which they decided to have a go.

The standard in this division is noticeably lower. Less pace, less power, players technically not as sharp as in League Two, but we do possess quality in the likes of McAtee and Fox, whilst Sousa looks an interesting wild card if we can get him playing consistently at full tilt - he needs to work on his end product but showed promise.

It’s always difficult to make judgement after one game, especially against a side not expected to be up there like Weymouth. I feel there’s more to come from this side though, and given the disruption to our preparation for this game I think we have to take a hard fought and deserved win as a positive.

All in all, brilliant to see and hear the ground in such good spirits and to see so many familiar faces that I haven’t seen for so long. There will be setbacks this season. There will be games like today which we don’t win, or maybe even lose. But in my opinion we have a solid team who appear to want to play in the right way. We’re not Wrexham, but we appear to have a solid platform upon which to rebuild ourselves.

UTM!