Match Day 18th March

[Semi-skimmed Silk]

We managed to take 1 point from Woking, Solihull and Boreham Wood. If we'd taken the 9 we should/could have done we'd be third right now.

We've taken 0 points from Boreham Wood, Guiseley and Bromley at home; if we'd won all those 3 then we'd be ahead of you with 3 games in hand.

But we didn't.

We've still got games vs Dover, Aldershot and Dagenham to play so not fair to judge entirely, but Gateshead have probably been the best set up against us and if they were to continue close to their current form into a play-off campaign then I can see them upsetting FGR/Tranmere/D&R.

 

[Shotsfan1993]

Dover, Gateshead, Barrow and Macclesfield will surely be wanting us to beat Dagenham tomorrow. 2 from 6 is better than 1 from 5 for all involved.

If we get 4 points from Dagenham and Macclesfield i'll believe we have a chance. If not, its see most of you next season

 

[Monkey Tennis]

Exactly. So not really in a position to judge then, are you? Just ask fans of the likes of Tranmere, Aldershot, Wrexham, Maidstone, Woking etc and i'm sure a lot of them will say we play nice stuff.

Watch the highlights above and you'll see the ball on the floor 90% of the time, us constantly playing it out from the back and the sort of passing and movement that you rarely see at this level. That is the way we always try and play, whenever we can. At your place we had to show a different side to our game, cos it's impossible to play it out from the back on that pitch and we'd have played into your hands.

Also we are comfortably the top scorers in the league.

But that's exactly the point - everyone has seen their own side all season, and the other teams only one or two times - everyone has an inflated opinion of their own side. I think we're a better side than 90% of the posters on here would have you believe - 6 points from Lincoln and 6 from Dagenham isn't half bad - but we've equally played some shite. As have FGR.
Aldershot and Dover play the best football, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN. Others will have their own view.

 

[LeWhites]

We've taken 0 points from Boreham Wood, Guiseley and Bromley at home; if we'd won all those 3 then we'd be ahead of you with 3 games in hand.

But we didn't.

We've still got games vs Dover, Aldershot and Dagenham to play so not fair to judge entirely, but Gateshead have probably been the best set up against us and if they were to continue close to their current form into a play-off campaign then I can see them upsetting FGR/Tranmere/D&R.

It wasn't meant to be an "if my aunt had bollocks she'd be my uncle" type comment, was just proving the point that the chasing pack aren't actually all that far behind the top 4.

Dover, Gateshead, Barrow and Macclesfield will surely be wanting us to beat Dagenham tomorrow. 2 from 6 is better than 1 from 5 for all involved.

If we get 4 points from Dagenham and Macclesfield i'll believe we have a chance. If not, its see most of you next season

I'd like to see you draw with Dagenham although I'm not all that bothered. If Aldershot, Dagenham and Gateshead can all drop points I'd be very happy however.

 

[Master D]

Aldershot and Dover play the best football, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN. Others will have their own view.

Agree with that, 2 good teams. Aldershot play better stuff than Miller Athletic though.

 

[Sparrow]

Dover play the best football, FROM WHAT I'VE SEEN

This must be a wind-up. Kinnearball is awful to watch.

 

[Chris FGR]

Agree with that, 2 good teams. Aldershot play better stuff than Miller Athletic though.

Agree Aldershot play good stuff, but when we played them, especially at The Rec, we gave them a footballing lesson. Waddock said afterwards that they were aspiring to play like us. Would love to play them in the play offs, their approach to the game suits us perfectly, same styles but we do it better.

 

[Luke Imp]

Danny Cowley reckons FGR and Aldershot are the two best possession based teams in the league and he KNOWS HIS STUFF.

 

[DontBringBertie]

This must be a wind-up. Kinnearball is awful to watch.

Yeah, when we played Dover at Kingfield I came away pretty unimpressed with their hoofball. But it clearly works given their league position and would rather be them than us.

Thought FGR were by far the best footballing side we've played this season. Dagenham were pretty good too. Lincoln were a lot more long ball than those two.

Although we played them all at home in August so a fair bit may have changed since then.

 

[RLC]

Danny Cowley reckons FGR and Aldershot are the two best possession based teams in the league and he KNOWS HIS STUFF.

I think we are on a par with them when we have a full complement, certainly Aldershot anyway.

The best three teams I have seen this season are FGR, Dagenham and Aldershot, in that order. I am not having a deliberate dig at Lincoln, but they were just functional in the two games against us really.

 

[Sparrow]

FGR play the best football in the league. The speed at which they passed the ball at their place was very impressive.

I'd rather be top of the league than play the nicest stuff, though.

 

[Luke Imp]

I think we are on a par with them when we have a full complement, certainly Aldershot anyway.

The best three teams I have seen this season are FGR, Dagenham and Aldershot, in that order. I am not having a deliberate dig at Lincoln, but they were just functional in the two games against us really.

None taken. We certainly aren't the best footballing side and are, as you say, more of a functional, organised side. When allowed, we've played some really good stuff but not on a consistent basis because that's not what we're about. Difficult to play nice, fluent football when you're asked to play at a high tempo and press. Everything seems 100 miles an hour.

We don't take any risks at the back and when you've got Rhead up there as your out ball, you can afford not to take any. When we've not had Rhead, which hasn't been too often, we've had no choice but to find different ways and found them but our Plan B certainly isn't as good as our Plan A (see the two Barrow games, for example).

I missed the Tranmere and Aldershot home games but to me, there seems to be more direct teams in the league this season.

 

[RLC]

None taken. We certainly aren't the best footballing side and are, as you say, more of a functional, organised side. When allowed, we've played some really good stuff but not on a consistent basis because that's not what we're about. Difficult to play nice, fluent football when you're asked to play at a high tempo and press. Everything seems 100 miles an hour.

We don't take any risks at the back and when you've got Rhead up there as your out ball, you can afford not to take any. When we've not had Rhead, which hasn't been too often, we've had no choice but to find different ways and found them but our Plan B certainly isn't as good as our Plan A (see the two Barrow games, for example).

I missed the Tranmere and Aldershot home games but to me, there seems to be more direct teams in the league this season.

The best bit of football you played against us was your counter-attack for the winning goal at Sincil Bank.

That summed up the difference between the two teams in many ways: you were ruthless. going from one end of the pitch to the other in about six seconds, whereas we spent the majority of that game camped in your half, playing lots of nice football, but not forcing your keeper into many saves. Your first goal was a set play as well, which we don't score enough of.

We play good football under Mellon but don't get the balance right at times, particularly with someone like Cook up front.

 

[Shotsfan1993]

Agree Aldershot play good stuff, but when we played them, especially at The Rec, we gave them a footballing lesson. Waddock said afterwards that they were aspiring to play like us. Would love to play them in the play offs, their approach to the game suits us perfectly, same styles but we do it better.

I wouldnt read too much into the game at the Rec, we had a 20 minute meltdown and by the time we recovered we were 3 down and had a man sent off. The game at your place was a better reflection and we matched you and should have drawn.

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I wouldnt read too much into the game at the Rec, we had a 20 minute meltdown and by the time we recovered we were 3 down and had a man sent off. The game at your place was a better reflection and we matched you and should have drawn.

Pretty much agree with that. We were quick out of the blocks but the sending off changed everything and the scoreline flattered us IMO.

 

[LeWhites]

This must be a wind-up. Kinnearball is awful to watch.

I dunno, I've quite enjoyed it the last few seasons.

How much have you enjoyed watching Woking?

 

[Sparrow]

I dunno, I've quite enjoyed it the last few seasons.

How much have you enjoyed watching Woking?

It was great watching us at the end of last month when we beat...Dover.

 

[LeWhites]

It was great watching us at the end of last month when we beat...Dover.

Was it? I thought you were poor

 

[Greenacres]

For some reason I can't quote on this site any more, but Sparrow said this:

FGR play the best football in the league. The speed at which they passed the ball at their place was very impressive.

I'd rather be top of the league than play the nicest stuff, though.

I agree with this, based on current performance, but you would be amazed by the number of groans I hear from people sat near me whenever the ball is passed around the defence or back into our half from midfield. It appears at times that the players are looking for a clinical defence splitting pass, rather than just chucking the ball into the box, but our recent home games have shown this approach to work. We are still vulnerable in defence at times but against Macclesfield and Wrexham our opponents found themselves chasing the ball at times and appeared to lose heart when our second goal went in as maybe they couldn't see themselves getting anything from the game. At the start of the season I had, perhaps foolishly, expected us to be giving a few teams a walloping by around now. That hasn't quite happened, partly due to our mini-wobble around Christmas time, and the manager's subsequent attempts to get the balance of his squad right. I know that form is temporary but I do think we are building up a head of steam, with the odd blip, that should make us more competitive in the play-offs than we were in the previous two seasons.

 

[FGRJC]

For some reason I can't quote on this site any more, but Sparrow said this:



I agree with this, based on current performance, but you would be amazed by the number of groans I hear from people sat near me whenever the ball is passed around the defence or back into our half from midfield. It appears at times that the players are looking for a clinical defence splitting pass, rather than just chucking the ball into the box, but our recent home games have shown this approach to work. We are still vulnerable in defence at times but against Macclesfield and Wrexham our opponents found themselves chasing the ball at times and appeared to lose heart when our second goal went in as maybe they couldn't see themselves getting anything from the game. At the start of the season I had, perhaps foolishly, expected us to be giving a few teams a walloping by around now. That hasn't quite happened, partly due to our mini-wobble around Christmas time, and the manager's subsequent attempts to get the balance of his squad right. I know that form is temporary but I do think we are building up a head of steam, with the odd blip, that should make us more competitive in the play-offs than we were in the previous two seasons.

That annoys me too especially that bloody screaming women.. You'll have for example Carter with 3 players a head of him closing him down so he turns and passes it back and she goes mental, and I don't think any of them know about protecting the ball! You can't always pass forward!

 

[The Jovial Forester]

I do reckon Darren shows a poor first touch at times for a bloke who's played at the highest level but he does a lot of great work too. Whatever, I really can't understand getting on players' backs during a game.

 

[Chris FGR]

Whatever, I really can't understand getting on players' backs during a game.

I swear I've come this close to start swinging at one or two of those fucking half bakes. Don't want another banning order though, so it's not worth it. They do NOTHING for the team. Embarrassing.

 

[FGRJC]

I do reckon Darren shows a poor first touch at times for a bloke who's played at the highest level but he does a lot of great work too. Whatever, I really can't understand getting on players' backs during a game.

Unfortunately some of our fans are idiots, I can name two players who whatever they do get moaned at, wishart and Cooper, these fans will not praise them for their good work but they seem to thrive of any little mistake they make, Pisses me off.

 

[Luke Imp]

We all have them.

There used to be a guy who sat next to me and he, every game for years, kept shouting at the linesman when he didn't flag a striker for offside from a GK. I let it go for a few months, but eventually I had to put him out of his misery and explain you couldn't be offside from a GK. Which he then decided to argue against. He saw the errors of his way eventually.

 

[Greenacres]

FGRJC - A couple of seasons ago someone sat near me shouted abuse at one of our players, I won't name him but it was Elliott Frear, and he heard what was said...the look he gave him in return was a mixture of disbelief, anger and pity. It wasn't long after he joined the club and, to be fair, at that time he was having a good game about once every three, but improved rapidly to become one of our best players last season. At our level, given the size of the crowd and the atmospherics in grounds, players will hear something shouted at them from the stand if they are nearby...I still don't understand how verbal abuse can be considered a good way to motivate someone, it doesn't work for me!

 

[The Jovial Forester]

FGRJC - A couple of seasons ago someone sat near me shouted abuse at one of our players, I won't name him but it was Elliott Frear, and he heard what was said...the look he gave him in return was a mixture of disbelief, anger and pity. It wasn't long after he joined the club and, to be fair, at that time he was having a good game about once every three, but improved rapidly to become one of our best players last season. At our level, given the size of the crowd and the atmospherics in grounds, players will hear something shouted at them from the stand if they are nearby...I still don't understand how verbal abuse can be considered a good way to motivate someone, it doesn't work for me!

I know they hear you because there's times when I get a nod when I shout encouragement or praise.

 

[FGRJC]

FGRJC - A couple of seasons ago someone sat near me shouted abuse at one of our players, I won't name him but it was Elliott Frear, and he heard what was said...the look he gave him in return was a mixture of disbelief, anger and pity. It wasn't long after he joined the club and, to be fair, at that time he was having a good game about once every three, but improved rapidly to become one of our best players last season. At our level, given the size of the crowd and the atmospherics in grounds, players will hear something shouted at them from the stand if they are nearby...I still don't understand how verbal abuse can be considered a good way to motivate someone, it doesn't work for me!

Doesn't work for me either, even when we're 3-0 people still bloody moan, it's completely different at away games though the people who Constantly moan don't seem to travel.

 

[Chris FGR]

it's completely different at away games though the people who Constantly moan don't seem to travel.

True. Hopefully that will be the case on Saturday, we need everyone getting behind the lads. I know I fucking will be. We're going to be massively outnumbered. Any moaners can fro.

 

[Greenacres]

I know they hear you because there's times when I get a nod when I shout encouragement or praise.

Definitely, a few seasons back I shouted an appreciative comment at one of our players (Jared Hodgkiss) as he jogged past the stand, to which he responded with a thumbs-up in my direction.

 

[FGRJC]

Definitely, a few seasons back I shouted an appreciative comment at one of our players (Jared Hodgkiss) as he jogged past the stand, to which he responded with a thumbs-up in my direction.

He's a player I'd have back in a heart beat