V Yeovil (A)

[localboy86]

Sept 4, 2019 9:45:39 GMT billy said:

I fear the new manager is on a hiding to nothing by following Paul Doswell. Good luck to him.

Hard to say of course after just one month of competitive matches, we’re struggling with injuries currently that are holding us back I feel. I have faith in Matt!

[baboonfish]

its a tough one. im sure other sides have struggled with injuries from the usual tidal wave of matches and the unusually early start, but our squad is particularly shallow. I assume all the youngsters out on loan have 24 hour recall clauses, surely we need to bring the likes of Pearce back temporarily?

Our back 4 hasnt been the problem, its been the fact that we've a) struggled on set peices and b) been ruthlessly exposed on the counter at home without Barden. Its lack of goals that's killing us. We only look a threat from set pieces with Milson's corners and a luxury of excellent free kick takers. I like Jarvis but he's not strong enough to do the lone striker role. He's very similar to Biamou and hopefully will come good in a similar vein, but for me we've struggled ever since we let Lafayette go. A strong, physical striker who gives his all for the team and makes every game difficult for the oppo back 4. Without that we are relying on Tommy to get fit and sharp as without him i cannot see any of our forward players getting near double figures.

Matt G is still finding his feet but needs to learn quickly as this division is tactically very strong now. Just look at the amount of away wins, nearly every team including us knows how to set up on the road and do a job. We need to find a way to pressure teams at home early on. One thing you'd almost always get from Dos was a strong start during home games. Under MG we have looked a little cautious in the first 20, when the oppo are always sitting back to suss things out.

I know its pointless lamenting about lost manager/players, but letting Ayunga go and replacing him with Bugiel might be the worst bit of business I've seen at GGL in a long time. Bugiel puts himself about but Ayunga's quickly proving he's a natural goalscorer and we will regret that decision at our leisure if we cant quickly find the right combo amongst our current attacking options.

[Andy K]

The number of points gained may have been the same as Saturday, but that's probably the only thing we can draw a parallel with. Last night we played with purpose and a strong team spirit, and I'm pleased to report that the long ball tactics were a lot less. As a result we looked more like scoring (even though we didn't) and especially in the first half we were resolute to some quite intense Yeovil attacking pressure. Even their goal, when it came was a little unlucky - it fell kindly for them after Eastmond had cleared off the line.

Bearing in mind we could only name 4 subs, and as it transpired we literally signed a player at the services on the way down, you could argue that this was a better performance than points against Chorley, Aldershot and Barnet. Sometimes these things happen and I'd say we were unfortunate not to get a point last night. Obviously we failed to score again, and with 2 goals in our last 4 games (both being from JC) there's something we need to work on, but on the positives Barden being back was a huge lift for us, and Kenny and Ajiboye had their best games of the season.

I've seen comments around social media saying we need to "get a grip" and "we're heading for a relegation scrap" etc etc, usually from "fans" who are not at the games. Worth remembering that teams don't get relegated after 9 games at the start of September. And also worth remembering who are sitting around us - Chesterfield (tipped as a promotion candidate) have not won this season. Wrexham sit on the same points as us and many people's pre season favourite Fylde with their amazing strike force of Danny Rowe et all sit below us on the same points having scored the same number of goals as us this season. Saturday was a performance where we could have been critical. I don't think we could say the same of last night.

[markf]

A first trip to Huish Park for, give or take, 20 years. The place hasn't changed but that's because it doesn't really need to. Comfortable viewing although sitting in the back row you lose sight of the ball from a drop-kick but then, you don't have to sit in the back row when there's 82 of you in the away seated section. Well done to all who got there and I hope the fella who needed assistance at h-t is ok.

From U's listed squad on the back page and ignoring the last name - a poor cut and paste job by the YT prog team there - there was ten names missing for various reasons. Losing the three players from Saturday is hard to take and while yes, other teams may have suffered too I think we have had around fourteen who have been unable to start a match through injury/illness thus far and we're only nine games in.

With the above in mind, Ben Wyatt was signed yesterday afternoon and he made an impressive debut at left back. He probably made on error late in the match as perhaps tiredness set in but other than that he defended well and perhaps more impressive was how he used the ball. Ben made up a back four that also included Craig E as the other full-back and both would have been contenders for my Sutton MotM. Also in there would have been Jon Barden who's return sitting in the front of the back four gave the team more resilience.

Going forward, U's produced the best football probaly of the entire match to set David A down the right and his cross was met by Harry B and the resultant shot was well saved. That would prove as good as it got for U's in the home team's defensive last third.

It was a pity how the goal arrived as U's had dealt pretty well with a host of first half corners and had enjoyed a decent spell. But with two runners in front of him Aaron J opted for a diagonal pass that was cut out and Yeovil ended getting a free-kick on the left. Their was more than a hint of offside when the ball was delivered but not unlike Aldershot's equaliser attempts to clear didn't work out and after Craig E had blocked one shot the ball fell nicely to Bradbury to net.

Far better than Saturday against a Yeovil side who don't look to me like they're likely to bounce straight back to the EFL. Only time will tell on that opinion though.

Ref, by NL standards was pretty good if maybe a bit of a homer. However, there was one first half challenge by a Yeovil player that looked a two-footed lunge and maybe on another day, a red card could have been the result. He was lucky Carl Brook wasn't in town.

A couple of other observations. The Yeovil prog had a couple of errors; firstly we didn't have ground issues when not taking promotion in 1985. And while there was the need to replace the old stands, the club decided it wasn't ready to take the step. Secondly, and thanks to them for referring to it, but Mr Shaw ate a pasty not a pie and I suspect it was far better than the sausage roll KBB chucked in the bin last night. Looked and apparently tasted dreadful.

Some above have made queries about certain players and statements on others. So far Jonah A has shown he is a natural goalscorer in the division below backed up by a NL squad of players playing in the NLS. Good luck to him for doing so, it will do his confidence the world of good. He has taken his chance at H&W as had Kedwell been fit I am not sure he would have been starting. By a similar token, Brad Pearce was an used sub for struggling Hampton & RB last Saturday, suggesting he hasn't fully recovered from his foot injury sustained last season or isn't considered to be first choice. A young lad still learning his game and has plenty of potential as we have seen.

Onto Notts Co who hopefully will bring a few to GGL on Saturday to boost the coffers. The third set of Magpies to arrive at Sutton in a matter of a few weeks and another against who our record can be improved by avoiding defeat.

[baboonfish]

I dont think Kedwell has been fit since about 3 years ago, fattest player ive seen on a football pitch outside of sunday football. Yes, fair play to Jonah, but I think the gap is narrowing, the South is extremely competitive this year, perhaps even more so than last (look how Woking have started). Its been a tough start with injuries but its very disappointing that we dont look any more likely to score from open play than we did last season, and obviously the insult to injury is our ex-forwards banging in the goals, albeit at a slightly lower level. Tommy Wright, we've never needed you fit and firing as much as we do right now!!

[medwaysider]

Kedwell always had problems with his weight. Very good at holding the ball up and winning knock downs but totally immobile

[sallycat]

Whereas Ciro Immobile never had any such problems...