Black & Amber v The Bees (Cambridge v Barnet)

[Urban]

Sadly people not liking the football and not coming might be another factor in poor crowds. I'd rather see entertaining football and less wins but I guess I'm in the minority.
That said I don't get the impression Cambridge saw us at our best.
As I didn't go can anyone confirm that Cambridge played exciting Barcelona style football?

I doubt it seeing as we took more than last season there. Maybe home crowds but there's more valid reasons not to be turn up at home than the style of football.

It's competitive sport, a win is a win. I come from a sporting background and know that especially in professional football, style means nothing unless you're doing the job you're paid to do. So I embrace whatever style we play as long as it gets results like yesterday (a draw there isn't wholly bad at all). If people want to watch polite tippy tippy stuff, they can buy a Sky subscription and come back when we next get a continental manager again.

But I do agree in that we weren't good yesterday until late on in the second half, where it has to be said we played attractive stuff. We can play nice football when we play well. But long ball to Akinde is effective so log may it continue.

 

[BeesKnees]

We took more this season because it wasn't the week before Xmas.
As we both expected a defeat, I'm definitely not complaining about a draw.
There will always be the contradiction between managers/players being results driven with a desire to see exciting football and it's not often the two both happen at any level.

 

[rudebwoyben]

It was the week after Christmas last season!
Cambridge did not play the most scintillating football either, Vickers didn't actually make any saves.
Why was the home crowd for this fixture so much lower this time than it was last season though?

 

[huddsmoose]

We've got nothing against Akinde as far as I know? United fans I was with agreed that we'd love to have him in our team. If you're referring to boos it must just be the one incident, where he kicked Berry and the ref only had a polite word with him.

On reflection, it wasn't a great game but probably won't end up being a bad point for either side.

I think I predicted Barnet to finish 8th on the other thread and they look like they might have enough to sneak a play off place. Akinde and Dembele are amongst the best in the league in their positions, Watson looked a classy midfielder and Akpa-Apro and Campbell-Ryce caused problems when they came on.

If we can win at Col U on Saturday it will have been a reasonable start.

 

[huddsmoose]

It was the week after Christmas last season!
Cambridge did not play the most scintillating football either, Vickers didn't actually make any saves.
Why was the home crowd for this fixture so much lower this time than it was last season though?

We were dire, the goal aside.

The attendance was lower than our average but we always have low attendances for the first few games (unless it's a particularly big match) - Summer holidays are blamed and we do seem to get bigger crowds as we go through the season. Is this the same with other clubs?

 

[BeesKnees]

It was the week after Christmas last season!
Cambridge did not play the most scintillating football either, Vickers didn't actually make any saves.
Why was the home crowd for this fixture so much lower this time than it was last season though?

Sorry you are right. I think crowds are always quite poor in August.

 

[rudebwoyben]

We were dire, the goal aside.

The attendance was lower than our average but we always have low attendances for the first few games (unless it's a particularly big match) - Summer holidays are blamed and we do seem to get bigger crowds as we go through the season. Is this the same with other clubs?

I got the impression that your crowd against us last season was particularly big too. Maybe it was because of the Christmas holidays.
Certainly Mingoea and Berry caused us a lot of problems with their movement in the first half and exploited Harry Taylor's inexperience at first team level but they didn't sustain it in the second half.
Akinde wasn't at his best but he still contributed a lot whereas Gash was too deep and didn't have any sort of goal threat.

 

[SVH]

We're a small club, you expect us to bring our entire support around the country every week? Attendances don't mean shit. Style of football doesn't matter - I'd rather play like that and get a draw than play pretty little passing triangles and lose in front of 3k travelling fans, but have it be ok because Weston got 96% passing accuracy.

Basically, it's not pretty, it's effective and it gets results, so I couldn't care less. People who don't like - don't come!

I wasn't having a pop, I was just stating I was surprised you didn't bring more despite your good pre season and it being the first game.

At the end of the day if it gets you results and plays to your strengths then why not.

 

[AtaturkOzgutson]

Last year's gate was higher because of the time of year. We were away on Boxing day and there was no NYD fixture last season.

I'd say the difference in gates was down to the respective times of year. August games are always a bit lower, (Plymouth excepted) Christmas usually among the top few of the season.

To my eye, the attendance is pretty much where I would have predicted for both sides. Nowt for anyone to be ashamed of really!

 

[Tom_CUFC]

Think it's fair to say both teams weren't at their best. Said to some Barnet fans in the pub before the game I wouldn't have taken a draw but wouldn't be dissatisfied with one and that was the case. There were bits to be encouraged about, Mingoia in particular, concerns over the goal and the general lack of understanding between Pigott and the midfielders behind him who weren't getting anywhere near our flick ons. It's one game though, we will get better and I think when we click we're going to be very, very good.

4-2-3-1 hasn't really worked at all under Derry at home but he's not really had a chance to use it with Corr as the 1. When he's fit I still think that's the best system but maybe until then we need to go 4-4-2 at the Abbey. Away from home it's always been absolutely fine and Williamson has proven he can play that role absolutely fine as long as the we play the way that suits him, which we typically do unlike with Pigott on Saturday when it was a bit too direct.

Taylor and Coulson should start tomorrow and if they do alright I'd be inclined to start them Saturday too, Long didn't fill me with confidence and Dallison obviously at fault for the goal. Clark made it easy for him to be dropped so either put in Keane/Newton (if fit), or go to that 4-4-2 with Williamson alongside Pigott. Think we can use tomorrow as a good opportunity to experiment a bit whilst still putting out basically our best XI.

 

[George Reilly's Hairpiece]

I doubt it seeing as we took more than last season there. Maybe home crowds but there's more valid reasons not to be turn up at home than the style of football.

It's competitive sport, a win is a win. I come from a sporting background and know that especially in professional football, style means nothing unless you're doing the job you're paid to do. So I embrace whatever style we play as long as it gets results like yesterday (a draw there isn't wholly bad at all). If people want to watch polite tippy tippy stuff, they can buy a Sky subscription and come back when we next get a continental manager again.

That may be the case for the participants, but given that we had a very good home record last season, it didn't translate into significantly better crowds. Unfortunately, on more than one occasion last year, I found the draw of the pub with the scores on the doors more appealing than a trip to The Hive. Our stupid ID requirements for memberships makes it even easier to do that this year, when getting me to come to games should be easier than falling off a log.

Anyway, decent point for an opening game.