Season's Thoughts

[Rich]

After a few days to recover from the Telford game I can now reflect clearer on the season.

Was it a poor league or was it just many teams were of the same ability?
Have to consider that quite a few teams are 'seasoned' in this division having been at this level now for a number of seasons where as we were only in our second season and the manager new to many of the teams. 9 months ago if I was told did I think we would finish 5th I would honestly have said no.
Thoughts now are 'if only' and we could have won the darn thing.

Russ has had a good tight squad for the season and seen the styles of other teams in the league so here's hoping we can add some quality in certain positions and go that extra step in 25/26

I do feel about 3 or 4 players need to go and maybe we need an extra couple of squad players to strengthen our bench as we were certainly very limited some games.

Think its imperative we get a quality Forward, we saw the difference when Ponts signed. Interesting to know how much we were restricted by the signing and inability to get Yussuf off the books and the restrictions put on the budget with him staying. Deffo a lesson learned there I feel.

Nothing at all against our Centre Midfield this season, they worked there balls off every game and cannot be faulted but we need goals from this area, we relied too much on KD and Tee, you didnt really know where goals would come from if not these 2. We had quality build ups but failed with the final touch many times.

Defensively, I think we looked good, Wynter was immense and needs to be signed up asap.
Overall a very pleasing and entertaining season, these points are really minor ones and I think if we can hold onto most with some quality (and size) added things look good.

Thanks to all players, management and everyone concerned with the running of the club for another very proffesionally run operation and to the many fans for making Saturdays at the Grove a memorable experience

[YeltzBaggieNick]

After a few days to recover from the Telford game I can now reflect clearer on the season.

Was it a poor league or was it just many teams were of the same ability?
Have to consider that quite a few teams are 'seasoned' in this division having been at this level now for a number of seasons where as we were only in our second season and the manager new to many of the teams. 9 months ago if I was told did I think we would finish 5th I would honestly have said no.
Thoughts now are 'if only' and we could have won the darn thing.

Russ has had a good tight squad for the season and seen the styles of other teams in the league so here's hoping we can add some quality in certain positions and go that extra step in 25/26

I do feel about 3 or 4 players need to go and maybe we need an extra couple of squad players to strengthen our bench as we were certainly very limited some games.

Think its imperative we get a quality Forward, we saw the difference when Ponts signed. Interesting to know how much we were restricted by the signing and inability to get Yussuf off the books and the restrictions put on the budget with him staying. Deffo a lesson learned there I feel.

Nothing at all against our Centre Midfield this season, they worked there balls off every game and cannot be faulted but we need goals from this area, we relied too much on KD and Tee, you didnt really know where goals would come from if not these 2. We had quality build ups but failed with the final touch many times.

Defensively, I think we looked good, Wynter was immense and needs to be signed up asap.
Overall a very pleasing and entertaining season, these points are really minor ones and I think if we can hold onto most with some quality (and size) added things look good.

Thanks to all players, management and everyone concerned with the running of the club for another very proffesionally run operation and to the many fans for making Saturdays at the Grove a memorable experience

Echoing Rich's excellent post above!

I've loved this season and it's been a great time to spend father and son time regardless of the result and season finale. There have been some cracking football matches home and away and but for a few individual errors here or there, bit of poor discipline we'd probably be promoted but that's football and Telford away in the semi was always going to be a big ask.

Season highlight for me was Kiddy away- the whole day and occasion was excellent despite us falling short. Stourbr*dge at home obviously was a cracker! The obvious lowlights were Redditch away in the cup and not beating Barwell amongst others.

It may be an age thing but nowadays I enjoy football for the game, the day and the company rather than the pressure to get points and win games. It'll be tough to get promoted next season but let's see what we do it rhe summer in terms of ins and outs.

Well done to the players and management at the club - we've had a wonderful time this season.

[Yeltzbaby]

For many football isn't just about the results, which league you are in and the position you finish. It's about spending quality time with family and friends, enjoying a shared interest and passion. Building life long memories. This season has had all that for me in bucket loads. I have even enjoyed (most lol) of the banter on here.......thank you to all those at the club who give up there time to make this happen for me and many more fellow fans.

This season - over achieved
Next season we must aim to be top 3

[old git]

For many football isn't just about the results, which league you are in and the position you finish. It's about spending quality time with family and friends, enjoying a shared interest and passion. Building life long memories. This season has had all that for me in bucket loads. I have even enjoyed (most lol) of the banter on here.......thank you to all those at the club who give up there time to make this happen for me and many more fellow fans.

This season - over achieved
Next season we must aim to be top 3

Some serious money will be flying around next year but Kettering have proved you can’t win a league with money …but it certainly helps

[YeltzBaggieNick]

For many football isn't just about the results, which league you are in and the position you finish. It's about spending quality time with family and friends, enjoying a shared interest and passion. Building life long memories. This season has had all that for me in bucket loads. I have even enjoyed (most lol) of the banter on here.......thank you to all those at the club who give up there time to make this happen for me and many more fellow fans.

This season - over achieved
Next season we must aim to be top 3

Some serious money will be flying around next year but Kettering have proved you can’t win a league with money …but it certainly helps

I'd much rather be a club spending money than not. But there again I'm also an Albion fan, a club that would attempt to skin a fart.

[RobYeltz]

A few days on from Telford. I can't help but have mixed feelings on the season. Having only missed one game all season away Sudbury there have been some memorable moments and some disappointing ones too.

At the start of the season the ambition was to be in the the play offs with that in mind Russ and the team clearly hit their target. In my mind if we finished above Telford and Kettering we would win the league, nobody really saw the threat of Bedford (credit to them though). I would have been delighted with a third place finish and saw 3rd/4th very much as 'par'.

However, at one point looked like it was perhaps an ambitious target. Early season frustrations in a defeats to Bedford and Hitchin with a draw to Leiston sandwiched between them meant that we needed a lift. Then Ponticelli arrived, as he started to getting more like match fit forming a partnership with Donnelly really caused teams problems. Teams focussing on the goalscoring exploits of KD were leaving Ponticelli alone and he started scoring regularly, as teams picked up on him, they started watching him closer leaving KD often 1v1. When KD is 1v1 versus a defender you know his work rate and desire alone will see him get chances. KD's finishing was getting better as he knew he would get 3 or 4 chances per game. Of course, Ponticelli not on contract, in the form he was in and having previously played at levels above, keeping him was going to a problem. Ponticelli used Halesowen as a shop window and fair play to the lad he earned the opportunity to move on to levels above. Tamworth's Spurs' FA Cup game was the surely the carrot on the end of the stick that meant Jordan was on his way. With that, our form dropped off, as did the chances we created as Russ reverted back to the KD up top with two wide men formation.

As we got to January a draw at Sudbury, defeats at Stratford and Spalding meant we had gone three away games without a goal and barely a shot on target. A well earned 0-0 draw at Kettering in February meant 4 away games without a goal and the lack of Ponticelli (or a replacement for him) with the formation we were playing was becoming problematic as KD again was getting isolated.

The back end of the season saw us appear to be more focussed on being unbeaten, rather than going at teams trying to win. Stamford away, a terrific away following with players 'rested' for the midweek play off game versus Telford. Admittedly we had two tough games including a tough away trip to Leiston but the game ended in a draw. At half time we knew Stamford had nothing to play for due to results going against them and we more importantly knew Telford were losing to Royston. A win for us would have given us a home tie for Telford in the play offs, even though Telford scrapped a draw in the end. We played the last 20 minutes with out best players not even on the bench therefore missing out on the home advantage versus Telford. I feel this was a poor decision, with a home advantage there for the taking for the play off semi final - yes we had a good go at them and the players, much like all season have worked their knackers off for the team but I honestly feel at home we would have had a better chance to beat them.

As I look back at the season as a whole, I can't help but feel that we've missed an opportunity. With teams around us all slipping up almost every week, only Bedford really proved to be consistent enough. The players I feel have been brilliant, they've worked so hard to get us to where we finished. I appreciate that if they played at their potential every week, they would, with respect be playing at levels higher than where we are. I don't expect us to win every week, I don't expect us to play well every week but ultimately I feel too many games we dropped points.

For example the following games only saw a return of 3pts from a possible 18. Disappointingly, five of those games were at home.

Defeats to:
Hitchin (H)
Stratford (H)
Bromsgrove (H)

Draws to:
Leiston (H)
Sudbury (A)
Barwell (H)

I'm sure Russ will argue that during a season we will not play well and pick up points, but in a season where teams around us stumbled looking back now it is a little gutting.

Of the teams around us I don't think on the whole we faired too badly really, the league winners doing the double over us and Stratford doing the same in their two cup finals.

Bedford - we lost both games - 0pts
Telford - we took 1pt from a home draw
Kettering - we took an excellent 4pts (3 at home)
Harborough - 4pts (3 at home)
Stamford - 4pts (3 at home)
Spalding - 3pts (at home)
Stratford - we lost both games - 0pts

So, despite feeling where we finished was probably indeed 'par' I think the squad does need to be looked at closely. Whilst 25+ a season goal scorers don't grow on trees and certainly don't come cheap I think it is imperative we do all we can to keep Donnelly and add a big, strong experienced striker alongside him. Jason Cowley has left Hereford and would be my first choice if we can, if not Freemantle from those lot at the tumbling cricket pitch. It's noticeable that in both games we lost to Bedford and Stratford we've been bullied physically, against Telford in all three games they got the better of us in the air in both penalty areas. I'm not finger pointing at individual players in this instance but when you see us defending set pieces against the likes of Stratford, Telford, Bedford and to a lesser extent Kettering we've struggled to compete physically and conceded goals. We're too easy to get at from set pieces.

Oh well, there's only next season. I assume we'll have another strong team from Bedford next season with Real Crypto Bedford FC and no doubt Kettering will be strong again. Spalding I guess will have a go, and Stamford will play the underdog card all season but be there or there abouts. With Needham Market and Rushall rejoining this league they'll add stiff competition and we could possibly have Hednesford and Worcester City it promises to be another tough league with local derbies against that lot, Bromsgrove, Alvechurch and Redditch.

Roll on August - Up the Yeltz!

[Yeltz7]

Don't know anything about the Club but Quorn FC had an amazing season in step 4 40 games 103 points 1 defeat, could be a surprise team next season as well with a record like that.

[piearce9]

Great thread, this. Nice to read so much pragmatism and positivity. I deffo echo the OP’s comments about how well the club has been run this year. Something we all know we should never take for granted!

The proposed lineup for next season’s league is ridiculous. So many big local clubs and some major additions. It’ll take some winning.

With regards to changes - we will likely have to replace KD AND solve the lone striker issue, so that’s got to be number 1 priority. I clocked Cowley too - the calibre we should aspire to attract - and we may have been able to do some groundwork on this already. Wynter, Smile and Tee are crucial to retain as well.

Lastly - I do agree we were too tentative in the run-in. I’d have like to have seen us roll the dice more often (like we did in the playoff final tbf).

[Dazzie76]

We done better than I expected in a very odd league fair play to Bedford winning it on a modest budget. Definitely going to need more goals from other areas next season. Would like us to sign jamie meddows and carter Lycett at the earliest opportunity.

[andy]

Has there been any rumours of KD going? Some of these posts seem to suggest so. I really hope not. Another Ponticelli type alongside him plus retaining 4 or 5 others that have already been mentioned and I would have us down as favourites from day one.