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Post by Andy K on Nov 27, 2021 21:18:26 GMT
Back to the game.
If people thought Tuesdays game was poor, I shudder to think what they thought of today. I can think of at least 2 defeats where we've played better and lost.
Barrow were awful upfront and I don't think we'd have had 3 points today if they were OK, although Dean dealt comfortably with everything thrown at him.
Win is a win and keeps that momentum going. Now 2 league free games to deal with.
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Post by garethl on Nov 27, 2021 21:30:37 GMT
Well I wrote it so it’s my opinion. If you think differently say so. I have no doubt that if little old Sutton keep winning games at this level, having already got a NL championship under the belt, a bigger club will come knocking for Matt. As for the players there will be 3 or 4 absolutely who will be hard to keep hold of. I respectfully disagree. In terms of players I think there are a maximum of 2 players who would be looked at. One probably isn't ready to move up a level and another one who certainly is but for more than one reason I doubt will move unless a significant offer is made, both financially and status wise for that player. As for Matt, I expect you didn't know that he has no intention of leaving Sutton and made that clear. He also is smart enough to know that 20 games as a league manager isn't anywhere enough to set him up to be successful in a bigger job and is modest enough to admit it. Just like any career and any other job finances will play a big part. Whilst Matt I’m sure is very happy, money tends to talk. He’s not going to actively say to us that he’s intending to move is he? And he doesn’t have to intend to, an offer can just land in his lap. I’d be surprised if we still have him in 12 months but would love to be wrong. Especially at the rate managers in league football are getting the chop!! I’d say Goodliffe, John, Rowe and Ajiboye, obviously Olaofe but not our player, possibly Smith, would all be being watched by other clubs. It doesn’t need to be up a level either, there are several clubs in this league who’s resources dwarf ours and can put together an offer the club won’t refuse and the player can’t refuse. I can’t believe that someone won’t take a punt on Ajiboye either in January or the summer, he’s a game changer and has proven is still one at this level. Every single team is fully aware of his danger and he often is doubled and even tripled up on! |
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nonsuch
Youth Team Player
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Post by nonsuch on Nov 27, 2021 21:50:30 GMT
I respectfully disagree. In terms of players I think there are a maximum of 2 players who would be looked at. One probably isn't ready to move up a level and another one who certainly is but for more than one reason I doubt will move unless a significant offer is made, both financially and status wise for that player. As for Matt, I expect you didn't know that he has no intention of leaving Sutton and made that clear. He also is smart enough to know that 20 games as a league manager isn't anywhere enough to set him up to be successful in a bigger job and is modest enough to admit it. Just like any career and any other job finances will play a big part. Whilst Matt I’m sure is very happy, money tends to talk. He’s not going to actively say to us that he’s intending to move is he? And he doesn’t have to intend to, an offer can just land in his lap. I’d be surprised if we still have him in 12 months but would love to be wrong. Especially at the rate managers in league football are getting the chop!! I’d say Goodliffe, John, Rowe and Ajiboye, obviously Olaofe but not our player, possibly Smith, would all be being watched by other clubs. It doesn’t need to be up a level either, there are several clubs in this league who’s resources dwarf ours and can put together an offer the club won’t refuse and the player can’t refuse. I can’t believe that someone won’t take a punt on Ajiboye either in January or the summer, he’s a game changer and has proven is still one at this level. Every single team is fully aware of his danger and he often is doubled and even tripled up on! Goodlife and Ajiboye. Possibly Smith. The others still have to put a consistent level of performances at a level that they achieved in some games. |
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Post by Amber Aleman on Nov 27, 2021 21:51:51 GMT
Whatever will be will be. This afternoon's game was a scrap in difficult conditions, with a gusty wind blowing across the pitch towards the main stand. David Ajiboye's first half goal, following a Rob Milsom free kick, illuminated the game, but otherwise there wasn't a great deal of quality.
Dean Bouzanis was my Man of the Match, as he pulled off a great save in each half. Barrow, who offered more of a threat than Mansfield on Tuesday, comfortably won the corner count, but still failed to score. Three more points for us, and we're back up to 6th.
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nonsuch
Youth Team Player
Posts: 131
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Post by nonsuch on Nov 27, 2021 21:53:46 GMT
Other than that, we got back to back wins, three of the last four in the league, or 5 out of 6 if you count official games. Not a good time to criticize even if we had bad periods in these games.
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kpinwp
1st team Player
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Post by kpinwp on Nov 27, 2021 23:16:17 GMT
We did seem to conceed an epic number of corners in that match. No complaints of our defence intended.
Is it me, or was that it an unusually large number that we conceeded?
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Post by shaneaib on Nov 27, 2021 23:38:15 GMT
In tough weather conditions it was never going to be a Mona Lisa game but Ajiboye took his goal like a great artist. Bouzanis made two excellent saves to keep us alive in the game. At times Barrow dinked the ball around nicely but were wasteful up front, no matter how many corners they got. This game was not in my view awful one, scrappy in tough weather conditions. As Matt the Manager says the team put bodies on the line to get this result and you could see that in the last ten or so minutes when we retreated into our shell to defend our one goal lead. In the circumstances, good result bearing in mind we have six injured players, takes us from seventh heaven to super sixth.
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Post by shaneaib on Nov 28, 2021 1:05:59 GMT
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Post by terrier on Nov 28, 2021 8:24:41 GMT
No, Mansfield and Barrow weren’t the greatest of games, but neither, in my opinion, were they poor games. I appreciate the effort put into both games by the Sutton players, who managed to score three good goals, concede none and pick up two successive wins. That’s the sign of a decent side, and that’s what Sutton definitely are, at this level. I enjoyed both games.
An interesting conundrum, for me, is what will the club’s approach be in the January transfer window, assuming Sutton are still in a playoff position (potentially with 40 points or so in the bag). Surely that situation, if it arises, means the team is greatly exceeding pre-season expectations. What will the Board do? I’m assuming significant expenditure on the ground is being budgeted for already, so do they push the boat out to bring in another couple of players, stick with the squad that is already doing so well, or only bring any new players in if players leave?
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nonsuch
Youth Team Player
Posts: 131
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Post by nonsuch on Nov 28, 2021 8:29:46 GMT
I’ve been replaying about half of the game on the club site (you need an iFollow account) and, inspite having a very low possession (35%!) and less shots than the opponents, the team efforts can’t be faulted, on a terrible day with ball moved erratically by the wind. The central defenders are real kamikaze, especially Ben, who this season blocks at least one dangerous shot per game with his body.
Having a solid playoff position (by that meaning that even with a defeat next game we cannot go below seventh) is incredible, relegation is - let’s be honest - no longer to be consider. A victory in the FA Cup and it is already an amazing season!
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Post by davef on Nov 28, 2021 9:48:48 GMT
Given the very windy conditions I thought it was a really entertaining game with quite a lot of goalmouth action. I enjoyed it. Thank you to everyone who came along on such a cold day.
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Post by Del on Nov 28, 2021 10:21:00 GMT
Barrow had a lot of possession yes but most of that was in their own third of the pitch where they continually tried to play football from the back. Only occasionally did their goalkeeper launch the ball forward.
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markf
Top Performer
Posts: 3,317
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Post by markf on Nov 28, 2021 16:46:42 GMT
Fifteen to one. No, not the Channel 4 quiz programme hosted by William G Stewart and latterly, Sandy Toksvig, but yesterday's corner count in favour of the visitors. However, corners don't win football matches, nor does having the lions share of possession. So, they lost 'cos U's scored and Barrow didn't.
They had their chances mind and Zanzala missed their best two. David A didn't miss. Having already shown his pace to set up a chance for Will R, he controlled a free-kick from Rob M burst past two challenges and using his left foot curled a fine shot into the far corner.
Barrow played a nice passing game keeping the ball out of the clutches of the wind except when they used it to good effect to bring their left winger into the game in the first half. Their 3-5-2 set up caused U's a fair few problems throughout with their skipper, the impressive but equally annoying, Ollie Banks, playing a pivotal role.
Ordinarily, Barrow would have got something out of this but they didn't because they missed the target or found Dean B and his defenders an unmovable obstacle when they did get shots on goal.
The ref didn't appear to like Omar and I suspect the feeling was mutual. I thought his yellow for totting up was based on Barrow complaints but their attempts to get him a second (no 13 in particular) were out of order particulalry as the ref could have sent off Kay (no 11) following his poor challenge on David A earlier. The upshot of all that was Bank's getting carded, assumably for dissent. I thought he had a few ticks on the totting up stakes himself. Strange performance from the ref. Ben G's yellow, was it that bad a tackle? I didn't realise Kenny D got one too. Can't complain about Dean's though.
Another battling win in difficult conditions. Fortunately standing on the mound meant we had our backs to the wind and I have to say the cold wasn't as bad as I was expecting. This wasn't Margate away at Ashford Town cold but it was nippy.
As stated above Barrow will be aggrieved not to have got something, especially their travelling support and they should be congratulated in making such a long journey on an awful day in decent numbers; no way will we take that many up there in April. However, I think back to a few matches at Holker Street when we deserved more than we got, the 2-1 defeat with the two disallowed goals being the most notable.
Let's hope it is less windier and a bit further up the celsius scale on Tuesday for Stevenage.
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Post by Andy K on Nov 28, 2021 17:32:48 GMT
There was a great stat mentioned in the EFL show last night. If the league started on Sep 1st, we'd be top.
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Post by garethl on Nov 28, 2021 19:59:50 GMT
Luckily our manager isn’t worried about those meaningless stats!
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