Stamford Updates

[juanillo]

Sorry to say , we got it wrong today , if Ben had started and possibly Lait they were there for the taking we could have been out of site by HT
they were slow on the turn at the back and the space between there back 4 was shocking , we shouldn't have been hanging in to a 1-0 ,

I have to agree. Christie gave his all but was isolated largely on his own. They had one or two chances but offered little for the most part so the seemingly over cautious formation for the first 70 minutues seemed misplaced. Referee wasn't great and in a way I think that contributed indirectly to their equaliser through one or two players lacking some concentration and being too busy going on at him rather than focusing on seeing the game out. With nearly a third of the season gone, a few wins are needed as it's getting tough near the bottom.

[lutleyyeltz]

Despite today's disappointing result, we actually improved our league position due to ALL our immediate rivals losing - including that lot by the 9 terminus.
A heartbreaker- yes. A disaster -no.

Two boys in blue were in the far corner - I believe they were looking for a man dressed in black who was impersonating a referee!

[RobYeltz]

Some of the comments on here are unbelievable.

Questioning the fitness is unfair, this the same team all bar an individual error in the 3rd minute of injury time that would have taken 3 pts against a FULL TIME team with an average age of around 21.

As for the comments about the management, again it is unfair. We all but won the game comfortably on Monday and JH kept pretty much a winning team. The game should have been wrapped up by half time yes, but hindsight is a wonderful thing and we can all pick a team at the end of the game, only JH does it before the game.

I think we have to remember where we have come from, and where we are. The players do need to wise up, and bloody quickly but the criticism on here is unnecessary and uncalled for, let's hope it is heat of the moment stuff.

None of these players deserve criticism individually, collectively they need to wise up and start giving away 3pts, but getting on their backs is hardly going to help. They know as much as us they need to see games out. Maybe if more people got behind the team they might do better, rather than the usual half a dozen behind the goal/dugout.

Stop whining, and put your efforts into supporting the team. If you are goin to be critical, at least be constructive.

[Yeltz27]

Questioning the fitness is unfair

That is your opinion and that's fine. But i have seen this team enough to know that the fitness levels aren't very high and in my opinion, as I said, if the problem isn't addressed then they are going to struggle.

This isn't heat of the moment. I said the same throughout last season as well. Ok we won the league which was fantastic, but the step up is showing the deficiency a lot more. I appreciate you don't like me saying it but if I believe it to be the case I am entitled to say what I think

[piearce9]

Very disappointing. Stamford weren't all that and were there to be beaten. Unfortunately I think questions have to be asked of the management team. Can somebody explain to me what the 1st half tactics were? The other thing that concerns me is the fitness levels. The other teams we are playing against seem to be stronger and more mobile than the players that we have and it is going to be a big problem throughout the season

Oh deary me. Out of your six sentences, I'd say you've got one right, and five terribly wrong. Stamford were crap, I'll give you that.

In my view, the tactics were sound. On paper, you'd say we've picked a very conservative starting eleven, but in the first half we created plenty. Christie WAS the right choice up top, they had absolutely no clue on how to handle him and he was first to every ball. Unfortunately, his influence on the game was limited by a ref who like to second guess whether the players were looking for fouls, instead of just giving them how he saw them. The first half was perhaps the best 45 mins we've had at The Grove this season.

And so the set-up allowed us to bring on Ben, RTB and Laity, to unlock the door second half and guess what- they did exactly that.

Stamford's equaliser was harsh, and there's no-one to blame. It wasn't individual error, lack of fitness, or tactical naivety. It was just hard luck, so let's not get all panicky and start blaming/moaning. If we turn in the same performance against Rushall, we'll nail them (and, for reference, they lost 5-1 at home today).

[welshyeltz]

Cos of the forum updates I took a much closer look at the game today. Despite Andy Ken and Kevin's distractions I agree that in the 1st half we had a side consisting of a team set out to contain a Stamford side who have been successful lately. The 2nd half changes were well timed and allowed us to be more creative in the last quarter - successfully. The equaliser came well beyond the expected added time. Unlucky.
Well done to all 14 players and the management team. Play like that on Tuesday and 3 points will be ours.

[RobYeltz]

Questioning the fitness is unfair

That is your opinion and that's fine. But i have seen this team enough to know that the fitness levels aren't very high and in my opinion, as I said, if the problem isn't addressed then they are going to struggle.

This isn't heat of the moment. I said the same throughout last season as well. Ok we won the league which was fantastic, but the step up is showing the deficiency a lot more. I appreciate you don't like me saying it but if I believe it to be the case I am entitled to say what I think

I base my opinion on being at every game this season. I base it on the fact that against a team of full timers with an average of 21 or whatever didn't finish stronger on Monday than us. This despite our lads being at work all day. We completely nullified any threat they had today, a team who was top of the league early season. It's easy to say 'they were crap', but we made them crap by our tactics and JH's team selection.
I'd like to see their goal back really before commenting about it but I don't recall Sarge making a save all game. Yes we should have won, but we didn't, but the players can't do any more collectively than they did today.

Time to back to back the boys on management on Tuesday

[dazzlingdazza]

Tell me this, if we are so unfit then how come we have scored so many late goals/equalisers !? (Ok we have conceded a few late goals too) but this sniffs of a team that keeps going right to the end, never say die and at least has a very good amount of fitness !

[RaidenYeltz]

Some of the comments on here are absolutely hilarious!

Questioning fitness? Is that serious? These players work their proverbials off every match. This is simply an astonishing accusation. Completely laughable.

Questioning the management? Really? We played well enough to win. John Hill can't put the ball in the net himself can he? We more than created enough chances to win the game.

I've got my opinions on who I'd like to see in the starting line up and those who I don't want to see in the line up. That's football it's all about opinions.

But to question the management after a draw against a team right up there and after we played well is frankly a joke.

Personally John Hill the management and the players are doing a great job this season. We are so close to being a great side at this level.

If we'd have held on Monday and today we'd have been pushing towards the top ten, such is the margin of this league.

I'm as gutted as anyone to have drawn how we have in the last two games but on reality we'd have taken two points off these two tricky fixtures.

We now face Rushall on Tuesday who are pushing for a play off place then travel to Buxton who currently lie in second - I believe. This is a tough test and we need to be fully behind the lads who give their all.

A serious reality check is needed.

[Yeltz27]

It is my opinion. And I stand by it whether people believe me to be wrong or not. The fact is, for all of the effort, I also see a lot of fatigued players after about 60 minutes. There is no pace in the side and this can be related to fitness as well. Fitness can be a matter of perception. People view things differently

The lack of pace does also fall at feet of the management. It does need to be addressed. I like Christie a lot but he was very isolated in the first half, especially with the number of long balls, so how people can say tactically they got it spot on confuses me slightly. And why Lait doesn't play is a mystery