Friday 8/Saturday 9 November fixtures

[HutchECFC]

We used to have a specific away ticket booth but seem to have done away with it this season with all collections being from the home ticket office/ portakabin, literally 20 yards away.
Given that we aren't exactly flush with space, I'm not buying that.

Think it’s still used, the away one. I know they change the posters on there about welcoming whichever away team we are playing. I’ll have a gander on Saturday, as I go in Jungle Path entrance

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

We are pretty pants (in general) but especially away from home. Leaburn is back in the side and has a few goals in the cup competitions. Again, our weakness is creativity, we play two pressing midfielders in attacking midfield but neither have any attacking ability if they do win the ball on the press. Tyreece Campbell is our main threat but he is a winger and we don't play with wingers.

With Lloyd Jones and Kayne Ramsay out for a while our defence is looking leaky.

I can't see us winning this.

I saw you a couple of months ago against Stevenage and the pressing wasn’t right yet.

With how NJ has played since his second spell with us, the key thing was to set traps in the press which got us into areas of the pitch we couldn’t have done through incisive play as to be frank we didn’t have the quality of player to do it. So the pressing system became the playmaker rather than any one individual. We also had 2 mobile centre forwards who were the trigger for it too and whilst Godden has scored a few goals for you, he didn’t look like that sort of player to me. Maybe it could be Leaburn.

There’s also the added issue that in games where we were expected to make the play ourselves rather than let the other team expose themselves to our press, we often struggled - see the record we had in cups against lower division opposition. I imagine that happens to you a lot which kind of nullifies the whole thing.

 

[masi51]

I saw you a couple of months ago against Stevenage and the pressing wasn’t right yet.

With how NJ has played since his second spell with us, the key thing was to set traps in the press which got us into areas of the pitch we couldn’t have done through incisive play as to be frank we didn’t have the quality of player to do it. So the pressing system became the playmaker rather than any one individual. We also had 2 mobile centre forwards who were the trigger for it too and whilst Godden has scored a few goals for you, he didn’t look like that sort of player to me. Maybe it could be Leaburn.

There’s also the added issue that in games where we were expected to make the play ourselves rather than let the other team expose themselves to our press, we often struggled - see the record we had in cups against lower division opposition. I imagine that happens to you a lot which kind of nullifies the whole thing.

The problem with playing one way with one system is that you soon get sussed out. What worked three or four seasons back hinders these teams/managers today. We have seen this in the way Bolton/Evatt play. Some say Evatt is still making it work as we are continually in the top six. Bar Birmingham we have the best squad/team in the league and it would be criminal not to get into the top 6. Problem with Charlton is they have a team fans more hoped than expected to get into the top 6 and what worked 4 years ago with Luton will not Work Today hence the best they will end up is 6/10th

 

[DaveBirm1875]

Brummies, any decent pub recommendations on the way to the ground?

head into the city centre mate, sun on the hill, the briar rose or the Shakespeare by new street station would be ideal for you

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

The problem with playing one way with one system is that you soon get sussed out. What worked three or four seasons back hinders these teams/managers today. We have seen this in the way Bolton/Evatt play. Some say Evatt is still making it work as we are continually in the top six. Bar Birmingham we have the best squad/team in the league and it would be criminal not to get into the top 6. Problem with Charlton is they have a team fans more hoped than expected to get into the top 6 and what worked 4 years ago with Luton will not Work Today hence the best they will end up is 6/10th

Yes a lot of managers are way too dogmatic at the moment imo. We really took advantage of that in the Championship with teams who thought they were Man City and wanted to play out from the back all the time, pressed the shit out of them into inevitable mistakes. I imagine that doesn’t really work quite as well in League 1 where teams don’t do that as much

NJ can play different ways though, so be interested to see if he looks to evolve at Charlton. He kind of had 3 distinct teams here, it’s only the last one that was the high press direct one. Before that we played 442 diamond (which I note he hasn’t returned too with Charlton yet), and looked to properly control the game in midfield with aggressive wingbacks. He’s far more tactically astute and adaptive than his memeworthy stints at Stoke and Southampton would have you believe.

 

[folletto]

I saw you a couple of months ago against Stevenage and the pressing wasn’t right yet.

With how NJ has played since his second spell with us, the key thing was to set traps in the press which got us into areas of the pitch we couldn’t have done through incisive play as to be frank we didn’t have the quality of player to do it. So the pressing system became the playmaker rather than any one individual. We also had 2 mobile centre forwards who were the trigger for it too and whilst Godden has scored a few goals for you, he didn’t look like that sort of player to me. Maybe it could be Leaburn.

There’s also the added issue that in games where we were expected to make the play ourselves rather than let the other team expose themselves to our press, we often struggled - see the record we had in cups against lower division opposition. I imagine that happens to you a lot which kind of nullifies the whole thing.

I think you've nailed it and it explains why we were able to beat Birmingham but have struggled more against lower sides in the league. I don't particularly think Leaburn is great in that specific role either. We have Kanu, who's out injured at the moment, who is perfect for it. The football has at least improved slightly from the start of the season but we are still struggling at the moment.

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

I think you've nailed it and it explains why we were able to beat Birmingham but have struggled more against lower sides in the league. I don't particularly think Leaburn is great in that specific role either. We have Kanu, who's out injured at the moment, who is perfect for it. The football has at least improved slightly from the start of the season but we are still struggling at the moment.

Given his penchant for a former player, I wonder if he will go in for Harry Cornick at Bristol City. He’s out of favour, not especially prolific but he lead that pressing style for him very well

 

[folletto]

The problem with playing one way with one system is that you soon get sussed out. What worked three or four seasons back hinders these teams/managers today. We have seen this in the way Bolton/Evatt play. Some say Evatt is still making it work as we are continually in the top six. Bar Birmingham we have the best squad/team in the league and it would be criminal not to get into the top 6. Problem with Charlton is they have a team fans more hoped than expected to get into the top 6 and what worked 4 years ago with Luton will not Work Today hence the best they will end up is 6/10th

We actually have a squad I would ordinarily expect, not hope, to finish in the top 6 but it's Charlton and we've been perennially underperforming for years now. We have the 4th biggest budget in the league and asides from Birmingham, I don't particularly look at another squad in the league and think it's better. We came 16th last season and things take time which is why it's more a hope of top 6 for me. It's still achievable but I do think it may require some smart business in Jan or Jones being mor adaptable.

 

[EricSabin]

head into the city centre mate, sun on the hill, the briar rose or the Shakespeare by new street station would be ideal for you

Cheers mate usually do the Shakespeare/sun/bull ring tav when in brum as we often connect there for our away days

Any on the walk to the ground that would be suitable? Half an hour walk calls for a couple of pit stops

 

[DaveBirm1875]

Cheers mate usually do the Shakespeare/sun/bull ring tav when in brum as we often connect there for our away days

Any on the walk to the ground that would be suitable? Half an hour walk calls for a couple of pit stops

Some decent pubs around digbeth on the way to the ground, but The Cricketers arms 48 Little Green Ln, Birmingham B9 5AX is super away friendly but its past the ground.

you wont be wearing colours i presume so to be fair no place is really off limits, as it should be

 

[thewwfc]

We really took advantage of that in the Championship with teams who thought they were Man City and wanted to play out from the back all the time, pressed the shit out of them into inevitable mistakes. I imagine that doesn’t really work quite as well in League 1 where teams don’t do that as much

Ha! You would think that, wouldn’t you - third tier teams are far too limited to do all that pissing about at the back nonsense, aren’t they?

But you’d be wrong, there’s a bunch that do it now (including us) - drives me up the wall.

 

[AdamStag]

Aye the shakespeare is a decent pub, been there a fair few times.

The briar rose wethers usually popular for meeting up too. No offence to walsall but it’ll be more fun going there playing you instead

 

[Pilot_Phonic]

Ha! You would think that, wouldn’t you - third tier teams are far too limited to do all that pissing about at the back nonsense, aren’t they?

But you’d be wrong, there’s a bunch that do it now (including us) - drives me up the wall.

Correct, football has gone to shit. Can't dribble, can't tackle, have to make a million passes, no-one shoots from 35 yards for a laugh, can't get to the byline and make crosses. Bores me to tears. And then watching it over and over is shite. And don't forget getting yellow cards from nudging the ball away from restarting a game, but don't get cards for clear and obvious fouls/handballs.

 

[Casey]

He played for us a few times, think he signed on as second choice and a GK coach.

Jensen was keeper at Crawley for a season (or 2) a few years back as well.

Casey

 

[That Fat Centre Half]

Ha! You would think that, wouldn’t you - third tier teams are far too limited to do all that pissing about at the back nonsense, aren’t they?

But you’d be wrong, there’s a bunch that do it now (including us) - drives me up the wall.

Seems to be working for you at the moment though. Good to see Fred seemingly doing well