Herts Derby (In Middlesex), the Dembele special

[BeesKnees]

Looking forward to renewing our battles with Stevenage.
However we have a few issues at the moment which make me nervous. Too much huff and puff, not enough ball playing with a defence that is playing so high up the pitch it's almost in the oppositions half. Basically our pressing game doesn't work, our skilful players are being side-lined by workhorses, Akinde's confidence is shot and we are very vulnerable to balls in behind our defence. This has become a very big game for us, a win is vital if we are to get underway this season, The excuses that we have been playing the top teams and that we've been unlucky are beginning to wear very thin,
Our first choice keeper is injured, our second choice keeper got sent off last weekend and our 17yo youth team keeper that took his place showed he isn't really ready yet. Here's hoping Allen makes use of the loan system. The only shining light so far this season has been Dembele.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Good sumnation.
I haven't really kept track of how our "friends" up the A1 are doing and how Sheringham is doing managerially. I'm sure that they're confident that they can grab three points at the Hive.
I don't want to have a third match in a row against Stevenage that was an utter disaster for us.

 

[Urban]

This is the game which I earmarked at the fixture release as the start of season properly. I completely disagree that 'playing the top teams' is an excuse, it's true! Look at our league fixtures to date:
- Orient away: Decent first half performance but their very high quality attack overran us in the second.
- Wycombe home: Ridiculous game from the ref and opposition. We didn't play overly well but they're a strong side.
- Northampton home: Winnable game, and win we did.
- Rovers away: Poor performance against a team who are better than most Barnet fans want to admit.
- Cambridge home: Another winnable game and we were fairly unlucky to draw.
- Carlisle away: Long journey and an unbelievable performance, how we didn't win I don't know.
- Portsmouth away: Similar to Orient, good performance first half not so great in the second. Huge club at this level and they should really always be beating us with their resources.

That is a tough, tough start to the season - Orient, Rovers and Portsmouth all away! Our next 4 home matches have to be looked at as very important but they already look to be much easier than the ones we've had so far. Hell, I'd even say there's not a match that would be unrealistic to expect atleast a draw from until Oxford away on 24th October. Our season is only just beginning.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Blimey, that's optimism from you Urban.
I'm hoping that you're right and that our start hasn't demoralised our squad. This is where MA needs to show his motivational powers.
I have been to the Orient, Wycombe, Cambridge and Pompey matches and your summary of those matches is about right. There's been small differences in most of our matches, we've been on the wrong side of them and we've paid for them. It may be that in the forthcoming fixtures that trend will be reversed but I still think that MA needs to change something either in the composition of our team or in the way we play to make that so.

 

[BeesKnees]

This is the game which I earmarked at the fixture release as the start of season properly. I completely disagree that 'playing the top teams' is an excuse, it's true! Look at our league fixtures to date:
- Orient away: Decent first half performance but their very high quality attack overran us in the second.
- Wycombe home: Ridiculous game from the ref and opposition. We didn't play overly well but they're a strong side.
- Northampton home: Winnable game, and win we did.
- Rovers away: Poor performance against a team who are better than most Barnet fans want to admit.
- Cambridge home: Another winnable game and we were fairly unlucky to draw.
- Carlisle away: Long journey and an unbelievable performance, how we didn't win I don't know.
- Portsmouth away: Similar to Orient, good performance first half not so great in the second. Huge club at this level and they should really always be beating us with their resources.

That is a tough, tough start to the season - Orient, Rovers and Portsmouth all away! Our next 4 home matches have to be looked at as very important but they already look to be much easier than the ones we've had so far. Hell, I'd even say there's not a match that would be unrealistic to expect atleast a draw from until Oxford away on 24th October. Our season is only just beginning.

We'd have been making the same arguments if we had lost to Luton and Notts County. Bristol Rovers scored more against us than they have in their other 6 games combined so it appears to be just us that found their attack a problem.
If you think Plymouth and Wimbledon away are any easier than the games we've already faced then you are very wrong. I can already see the posts if we lose to Stevenage saying we shouldn't expect a result as they made the play-offs last season. We need to stop this inferiority complex that says half the division is too good for us and we must accept the loss.
Last time we were in league 2 we gave Gillingham, Rotherham and Chesterfield decent games and picked up points by being more solid at the back and more capable going forwards on the day. This season we have been fragile and it's cost us, regardless of the opposition.

 

[Urban]

We'd have been making the same arguments if we had lost to Luton and Notts County. Bristol Rovers scored more against us than they have in their other 6 games combined so it appears to be just us that found their attack a problem.
If you think Plymouth and Wimbledon away are any easier than the games we've already faced then you are very wrong. I can already see the posts if we lose to Stevenage saying we shouldn't expect a result as they made the play-offs last season. We need to stop this inferiority complex that says half the division is too good for us and we must accept the loss.
Last time we were in league 2 we gave Gillingham, Rotherham and Chesterfield decent games and picked up points by being more solid at the back and more capable going forwards on the day. This season we have been fragile and it's cost us, regardless of the opposition.

Bristol Rovers was a very poor performance though. These happen to every team throughout the season and can be excused in the overall outlook of a successful season. I purposefully didn't mention Plymouth away as its a difficult one (probably just on par with Portsmouth) although Wimbledon is definitely winnable/drawable. The difference is that these tricky always are now sandwiched between 'easier' home games against perennial bottom halfers like York, Accrington, Dagenham, or teams in a relatively poor start (Stevenage). Overall this run of matches we're facing now is much easier than the one we've just come out of.

It's also not an inferiority complex, it's a bit of realism. We will pick up more points in the next 7 matches than we did in the past 7, simply because the teams we're due to play are much closer to our level in terms of support, club size and resources. We can expect better results against teams than Portsmouth away, Orient away etc. It's not lying down, ignoring defeats, it's about saying where positive results are more likely to come from.

 

[BeesKnees]

Would that be Accrington who drew with Pompey and beat Bristol Rovers?
Another team we shouldn't expect to beat then. Stevenage are unbeaten in 4 with 2 wins and 2 draws, doesn't sound so bad a start to me.

All games are winnable.

 

[Urban]

Would that be Accrington who drew with Pompey and beat Bristol Rovers?
Another team we shouldn't expect to beat then. Stevenage are unbeaten in 4 with 2 wins and 2 draws, doesn't sound so bad a start to me.

All games are winnable.

It's like you're actually trying to miss the point I'm making here.

 

[BeesKnees]

It's like you're actually trying to miss the point I'm making here.

Actually I think the reverse is true and you are so desperate to show that the first seven fixtures were hard that you are trying to belittle our future opposition.
We can no longer rely on the claim that we are playing the top teams as an excuse for failing to win. If we lose to Stevenage then the claim that they are a top side MUST not be used by Allen as it will not wash. Hence the point that the claim we are playing the top sides is now wearing thin and if we continue with this claim then we effectively are admitting we are only good enough for a relegation battle.

 

[E10rifle]

if we continue with this claim then we effectively are admitting we are only good enough for a relegation battle.

Probably is about time you moved past the denial stage, to be fair.

 

[BeesKnees]

Probably is about time you moved past the denial stage, to be fair.

Too early, I need another week yet.

 

[WSBee]

With the greatest of respects, I really hope we smash the scummers.

 

[DoorBuzzer]

Been waiting years for this fixture to come around again but oh look, another goal keeper crisis.

A bit more than just the 3 points at stake here. I hope the players are up for it.

 

[Look Out There Are Llamas]

Too early, I need another week yet.

I'm still utterly convinced that with another midfielder who isn't Togwell, Champion or Weston and one that has some sort of attacking idea Barnet could be a top half team*.

<Also requires Gambin and Vilhete playing on the wings and Yiadom at right back>

*Presuming Batt and Muggleton aren't let near the team.

It seems that Hertfordshire (presuming we're adhering to pre 1963 boundaries and ignoring Barnet's move to The Hive) teams just wish to prove me wrong this season...

 

[WSBee]

I'm still utterly convinced that with another midfielder who isn't Togwell, Champion or Weston and one that has some sort of attacking idea Barnet could be a top half team*.

<Also requires Gambin and Vilhete playing on the wings and Yiadom at right back>

*Presuming Batt and Muggleton aren't let near the team.

It seems that Hertfordshire (presuming we're adhering to pre 1963 boundaries and ignoring Barnet's move to The Hive) teams just wish to prove me wrong this season...

You're exactly right.

Hoyte is a completely average L2 full-back. I'm pretty sure he was signed under the impression that Yiadom would no longer be with us come August 8th. As Barnsley tabled a series of ''derisory'' offers over the summer, Yids is still here and is being shoe-horned into the team at right-midfield. He isn't half as effective on the wing.

As for the attacking midfielder, you're spot on again. Conor Clifford, granted, is not the messiah. But he gave the midfield something that none of our current options do - the ability to switch defence into attack in one pass, much needed urgency and from time to time, a defence-splitting pass.

Some will argue Weston is the man to do this - I can assure you he's not. Top player in the Conference, distinctly average in L2. If you play a two-man central midfield, you generally have one man sitting (Togwell) and sweeping up defensively, and the other driving play forward and acting as a 'playmaker'. That's what we're missing.

 

[Brox]

Been looking forward to these next two, Barnet and Cambridge away, doubt we'll do much this season so good to have a couple of games with a bit of edge to them.

How's Bira been doing? Him or Bondz are bound to score, well either one of them or Akinde, back his in Ebbsfleet days he absolutely tore us apart.

Hopefully Parrett will be back for us, missed him on Saturday, would like to see him partnered by Conlon in middle but more chance of pigs flying than Conlon being given a start it seems!

 

[BeeArmy]

How many Stevenage will make the trip?

 

[DoorBuzzer]

Didn't they take 300 to Daggers a few Saturdays ago? So not a lot I presume.

It will be a special moment when we can say Woking brought more fans than Stevenage.

 

[BeeArmy]

Didn't they take 300 to Daggers a few Saturdays ago? So not a lot I presume.

It will be a special moment when we can say Woking brought more fans than Stevenage.

Yeah.

They took 320 to Dagenham and 400 to Orient.

We will definitely take a lot more to them than they bring to us.

 

[Urban]

Well this has been worth the entry fee.

I don't quite understand how we look so different to the team that won promotion last season... It's awful, awful football here at the moment.

 

[Roly]

Hahahahahahaha. Superb.

 

[rudebwoyben]

Well this has been worth the entry fee.

I don't quite understand how we look so different to the team that won promotion last season... It's awful, awful football here at the moment.

What a difference a half makes. We up the tempo and Stevenage crumble. They look a worse team than us, which is quite reassuring...

 

[Urban]

What a difference a half makes. We up the tempo and Stevenage crumble. They look a worse team than us, which is quite reassuring...

We looked a completely different team in that second half! Less aimless punting, more runs and opening space up for a decent ball to the wing... Lovely. Stevenage did look awful though.

Only thing is that I'm concerned we need to have to score so many to get a result... We have solid defenders yet seem to concede so often... Something doesn't add up there. Anyway, 3 much needed points. Let's take this momentum into Dagenham next weekend now

 

[Roly]

Top marks to Steveage's song smiths "get up you pussyhole" was tip top...

 

[BeesKnees]

We were poor first half but I was unimpressed with Stevenage who were one trick ponies.

They seemed to have been told to play long diagonals all game that were generally ineffective and made no attempt to go through midfield. In the end Allen took off our holding midfielder because nothing was coming down the middle to defend against, After that we deserved the win but very nearly blew it.
Special mention for the awful officials, I'm fairly sure one linesman was tossing a coin to decide throw ins

 

[rudebwoyben]

Stevenage played even more as a Westley team today than at any point during his three(?) spells with them.

 

[Roly]

I'm still laughing. Superb.

Anyway, echo the above. Awful first half and then we were alright. Sweet.

 

[DoorBuzzer]

Wonderful result. 2-1 and they f*cked it up.

I give it two more months before TedShez is pushed/quits.