Post by stevek192 on Aug 7, 2015 10:27:26 GMT
So the new season is just a day away and I can feel the excitement building inside as we approach our return to the Football League but how will we fare in this challenge that many of us in the past have thought was well within our capabilities to succeed under successive Managers Buckle, McGhee and Ward? History shows that all three failed when given the chance to Manage from the first game!! Buckle probably failed because his side did not gell and belief in his leadership soon fell away; McGhee failed to bring in players who were fit enough to start the campaign and tried to get "names" to sign rather than build a squad for the level we were playing, Ward spent too much time chasing one target and again failed to bring in the wingers and forwards necessary to get out of a defensive shell which was the only way to describe the "Ward" way. In both McGhee and Wards case they did far better with another mans players than when they needed to bring in their own at the start of a new season.
So, how are we placed this season? Well I see it as entering the unknown. I look at the squad and I see 20 players vying for the 18 man squad with the addition of a small sprinkling of youngsters who could break into the squad Lucas,Broom, Thomas and Greenslade could all have a part to play. I see it as the unknown because so many of the players in the 20 are unknown at this level- Taylor,Leadbitter,James Clarke,Ollie Clarke,Ellis Harrison,Gosling,Blissett,Sinclair and Puddy all unproven at this level but let's be honest,DC is no fool and I have confidence in his judgement that enough of these players can be successful.
I will try to look at the negatives and positives of this situation but will immediately say that I feel confident that DC can bring us success this season. I wouldn't at this moment in time want to be led into this campaign by anyone else.
Looking at our squad for tomorrows game I think the keyword could be "fitness" and by that I mean not the general fitness of the team because I have yet to see DC put out a team that is not fit but what I mean is the fitness of key players. Mansell, McCrystal and Brown are probably our three most experienced players and all three seem very likely to be missing and in two of those three positions I do not feel we have signed the qualities needed in those positions (Mansell and Brown). McCrystal will be missed for his consistency of performance but we have Tom Lockyer and James Clarke who may be capable of doing a simialr job and in the shape of Clarke maybe a better job (I have only seen him at Mango and not sure if he does have the pace to improve the defence but perhaps somebody could enlighten me). The other two I am not so sure. I don't see any "natural" left back other than Greenslade who I fear may not yet be up to the standard required and so it leaves Clarke, Leadbitter or Lockyer to play on their unnatural side-not an ideal situation for the first game. In midfield I see a slightly different situation- our worst performances last season were when we didn't have Mansell in the side- we missed his leadership in their and his ability to cover the defence and the midfield area. Ollie Clarke IMO was not good enough to dominate a midfield and Stu Sinclair wanders too much to do the job.
Anyway that is the negatives IMO out of the way first. The positives could well out weigh this because what DC has brought to the table is a squad who will give us everything for the cause and will fight from the first whistle to the last. We still retain the back four and goalkeeper who even in our relegation season proved to be good enough.It was in front of them that we failed massively being unable to score goals. Only OToole could be relied on to hit the net but unfortunately in doing this all the other aspects of his game crumbled and his performances as a general player hardly warranted selection. We were wingless,often playing with a "striker" out wide and creating very little and when we did create the forwards could not be relied on to put them away. We were toothless with no 20 goal a season striker and it soon became obvious to everybody except Ward that it would be a struggle for any of our strikers to even reach double figures!
This season we start with four wingers Montano, Monakana, Bodin and Gosling and five forwards Blissett,Easter,Taylor,Harrison and Lucas. On paper it looks exciting each having their own qualities. For once we have a midfielder in Chris Lines who can bring these players into the game. How we fare will depend if these players can finish off the chances we will undoubtably create. There has been a worrying lack of goals in pre season and a lot will depend on how we start off tomorrow. Get an early chance and put it away and this team could be off to a flyer backed by the confidence and momentum of last season with a crowd 100% behind them. I have a feeling myself that we might even see Bodin as a striker rather than a wideman. Who will he start with? Will he go far the big man/Little man with Blissett partnered with Taylor or Harrison? Will he go for the pace of Harrison and Taylor? Perhaps Easter is a certain starter and he will be partnered by Taylor,Harrison or even Bodin? The permutations are endless!! In central midfield Sinclair could well prove to be the ace up our sleeves as his effort is there for all to see as he competes for every ball. whether he can draw that in to retaining his position only time will tell. It is make or break for Ollie Clarke this season. whether he can improve and become a force will make or break his career as a League player- i am not convinced but would love to be proved wrong.
The key to all of this is how DC sets us up to play. He now has the wingers but does he have the workrate in them to compensate for only two central midfielders or does he only play one of them to employ an extra defensive player behind Lines and Sinclair? Lines can be so exciting going forward but getting the right players in there with him is vital.
I have not really mentioned the Keeping position because I must admit at the present time I find that worrying more so than last season where we had the same keepers but with no question marks about Mildy and an unknown in Puddy. Puddy improved and became the rightful first choice but is he good enough to be number 1 in this League? Can Mildy put the errors that are creeping into his game behind him or is he well past his best? Time will tell-I just don't know.It would not surprise me if Puddy made a surprise return tommorow.
It is what makes this season so exciting because there are so many unknowns but if most of these come off then we could be in for a really special season. Some come off and it could be rockier BUT I have confidence that DC will bring in players at the right time to compensate for those who "fall by the wayside".
Lets get right behind the lads tomorrow. Northampton will be tough opposition. We will,in Marc Richards come up against a different class of striker to most we faced last season,we will face more uncompromising defenders. Be ready for the ride because we really don't know how it will go!!!
So, how are we placed this season? Well I see it as entering the unknown. I look at the squad and I see 20 players vying for the 18 man squad with the addition of a small sprinkling of youngsters who could break into the squad Lucas,Broom, Thomas and Greenslade could all have a part to play. I see it as the unknown because so many of the players in the 20 are unknown at this level- Taylor,Leadbitter,James Clarke,Ollie Clarke,Ellis Harrison,Gosling,Blissett,Sinclair and Puddy all unproven at this level but let's be honest,DC is no fool and I have confidence in his judgement that enough of these players can be successful.
I will try to look at the negatives and positives of this situation but will immediately say that I feel confident that DC can bring us success this season. I wouldn't at this moment in time want to be led into this campaign by anyone else.
Looking at our squad for tomorrows game I think the keyword could be "fitness" and by that I mean not the general fitness of the team because I have yet to see DC put out a team that is not fit but what I mean is the fitness of key players. Mansell, McCrystal and Brown are probably our three most experienced players and all three seem very likely to be missing and in two of those three positions I do not feel we have signed the qualities needed in those positions (Mansell and Brown). McCrystal will be missed for his consistency of performance but we have Tom Lockyer and James Clarke who may be capable of doing a simialr job and in the shape of Clarke maybe a better job (I have only seen him at Mango and not sure if he does have the pace to improve the defence but perhaps somebody could enlighten me). The other two I am not so sure. I don't see any "natural" left back other than Greenslade who I fear may not yet be up to the standard required and so it leaves Clarke, Leadbitter or Lockyer to play on their unnatural side-not an ideal situation for the first game. In midfield I see a slightly different situation- our worst performances last season were when we didn't have Mansell in the side- we missed his leadership in their and his ability to cover the defence and the midfield area. Ollie Clarke IMO was not good enough to dominate a midfield and Stu Sinclair wanders too much to do the job.
Anyway that is the negatives IMO out of the way first. The positives could well out weigh this because what DC has brought to the table is a squad who will give us everything for the cause and will fight from the first whistle to the last. We still retain the back four and goalkeeper who even in our relegation season proved to be good enough.It was in front of them that we failed massively being unable to score goals. Only OToole could be relied on to hit the net but unfortunately in doing this all the other aspects of his game crumbled and his performances as a general player hardly warranted selection. We were wingless,often playing with a "striker" out wide and creating very little and when we did create the forwards could not be relied on to put them away. We were toothless with no 20 goal a season striker and it soon became obvious to everybody except Ward that it would be a struggle for any of our strikers to even reach double figures!
This season we start with four wingers Montano, Monakana, Bodin and Gosling and five forwards Blissett,Easter,Taylor,Harrison and Lucas. On paper it looks exciting each having their own qualities. For once we have a midfielder in Chris Lines who can bring these players into the game. How we fare will depend if these players can finish off the chances we will undoubtably create. There has been a worrying lack of goals in pre season and a lot will depend on how we start off tomorrow. Get an early chance and put it away and this team could be off to a flyer backed by the confidence and momentum of last season with a crowd 100% behind them. I have a feeling myself that we might even see Bodin as a striker rather than a wideman. Who will he start with? Will he go far the big man/Little man with Blissett partnered with Taylor or Harrison? Will he go for the pace of Harrison and Taylor? Perhaps Easter is a certain starter and he will be partnered by Taylor,Harrison or even Bodin? The permutations are endless!! In central midfield Sinclair could well prove to be the ace up our sleeves as his effort is there for all to see as he competes for every ball. whether he can draw that in to retaining his position only time will tell. It is make or break for Ollie Clarke this season. whether he can improve and become a force will make or break his career as a League player- i am not convinced but would love to be proved wrong.
The key to all of this is how DC sets us up to play. He now has the wingers but does he have the workrate in them to compensate for only two central midfielders or does he only play one of them to employ an extra defensive player behind Lines and Sinclair? Lines can be so exciting going forward but getting the right players in there with him is vital.
I have not really mentioned the Keeping position because I must admit at the present time I find that worrying more so than last season where we had the same keepers but with no question marks about Mildy and an unknown in Puddy. Puddy improved and became the rightful first choice but is he good enough to be number 1 in this League? Can Mildy put the errors that are creeping into his game behind him or is he well past his best? Time will tell-I just don't know.It would not surprise me if Puddy made a surprise return tommorow.
It is what makes this season so exciting because there are so many unknowns but if most of these come off then we could be in for a really special season. Some come off and it could be rockier BUT I have confidence that DC will bring in players at the right time to compensate for those who "fall by the wayside".
Lets get right behind the lads tomorrow. Northampton will be tough opposition. We will,in Marc Richards come up against a different class of striker to most we faced last season,we will face more uncompromising defenders. Be ready for the ride because we really don't know how it will go!!!