National League North 2024/25

[BigDaveCUFC]

Been a lot behind the scenes at shields if I remember, isn’t as much cash as before.

Always say location can be enormous at this level, Curzon benefit currently because Manchester is a great place for part time players, but they have first picks currently.

I certainly do think the north east also has some great part time picks but suffered of late due to sheer amount of clubs, shields, Gateshead, Hartlepool now on full time, Darlington, spennymoor, Blyth part time, think there is another one rising also in hebburn town.

 

[Bottega Don]

Location is definitely a huge factor.

We benefit from being pretty close to Yorkshire, just over an hour drive to both Sheffield and Leeds. I know a few of our players commute from Leeds.

I would also imagine we have a bigger budget than a lot of NL teams due to our attendances and general club revenue. We get better crowds than everyone in the NL except Oldham, Southend and York. That helps us bring players in.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Big home cup draw for Curzon, good chance of tv

 

[High Peak Blue]

Big home cup draw for Curzon, good chance of tv

I can see Chesham v Lincoln being the main feature.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Possibly, although we have a silly name so that might help and while I don’t think Mansfield is a tv draw ‘cloughs’ Mansfield helps.

But hopefully it’s a good 2-3000 gate which is always good for the kitty.

Not as such good timing league wise we have some crucial games coming up….hereford home, Scarborough away, Chester home before it, for me could be make or break good chance to throw down the gauntlet for the title or drop down to the play off pack

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Oh well we didn’t get on, hopefully now just a Saturday game and not moved for worthless reasons

 

[Bottega Don]

Can't see anything other than a loss today

Chester in great form, we're in terrible form.

Would snap your hand off for a point

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Even game so far 1-1 about right neither side giving a lot to the other side really and not much surprise both goals from shots outside area.

Ours was a ridiculous 25 yard curler although Hereford should be wondering why the lad had so much space for so long, theirs after a couple of back to back corners which we constantly didn’t clear well enough and their shot went in although for me was poor gialkeeping and should have been saved, but Hereford will say they deserve to be back in it.

Think we missed the boat today, one of our central midfielders out, Mahon has decided to play himself in central midfield and while I do like Mahon I feel it was an opportunity to try two up front, we have some great wide players and struggle like mad at home to score because we play the 4-5-1, 4-3-3 approach which works superbly away but leaves you stumped at times when at home.

 

[Bottega Don]

How the fuck are we still top? We haven't won a game since we beat Curzon on the 3rd September

As I said before would've taken a point beforehand, didn't go so not sure if we deserved a point or not

 

[Prodigal]

Felt we missed out today, again concedingnthe points in the last few minutes, we have to learn to manage the game late on. Oh well on to Tuesday now at home to Darlo.

 

[Railway Blue]

Can't see anything other than a loss today

Chester in great form, we're in terrible form.

Would snap your hand off for a point

We're not in great form. The iron came for a point and we missed so many chances. The ref also missed a hand-ball in the box in the 68th minute. Points shared.

 

[Bluandwite]

How the fuck are we still top? We haven't won a game since we beat Curzon on the 3rd September

As I said before would've taken a point beforehand, didn't go so not sure if we deserved a point or not

You did. Both sides were fine, nothing more or less and it was the right result. We had some chances but didn't do enough do deserve more. You seemed to settle for the point quite early after the break.

 

[Swedes]

Scarborough Athletic 1-2 Southport

A smash and grab from us. Under the cosh in the first half, then picked them off on the counter-attack from their corner. Second goal was a great far-post header from a corner, and we could have had a couple more on the counter with better finishing. Scarborough pulled one back through a near-post header, then it was backs-to-the-wall for us until -time, with a couple more counter-attacks that came to nothing.

It looks like things may be starting to click a bit more for us now, we're far better organised at the back than earlier this season, and we look like we can cause teams problems when going forwards.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Showed our flaws yesterday and where MAhon as a manager needs to improve.

It isn’t we drastically played bad, felt game was dead even, Hereford are a side who currently has great away form doesn’t score many, doesn’t concede many…….we are a side who currently has great away form, doesn’t score many and doesn’t concede many.

It showed the game had a lot of ‘chances’ and having a go by both sides but frankly large swaites of those chances snuffed out, we scored a ridiculous worldie which most of time would miss, they scored a deflected long range effort…….not much of a surprise.

But second half showed the flaws, they grabbed a goal right at the start as we were asleep (did that vs scunny also need to clamp down) and then we did next to nothing until minute 80 about it, plan A isn’t working because they have set up well for it but we had zero plan B,

we have dangerous wide men with an ability to beat players who are completely wasted at home where ‘counter attack’ doesn’t work because teams don’t leave room or gaps, Spencer is wasted left on his own and we always have one touch too many to really test other side.

We will battle for top 7 as it works aaay when sides are more open and have gaps to expose but if Mahon won’t gamble on changing the home approach we won’t do much more than hope for 7th he’s wasting a talented atttack at home with extremely basic tactics that don’t work.

Deservedly lost because once 2-1 down it too is another 30 minutes to finally change things

 

[JE93]

Felt we missed out today, again concedingnthe points in the last few minutes, we have to learn to manage the game late on. Oh well on to Tuesday now at home to Darlo.

Sounded like a game of few chances in our 1-1 draw vs Rushall. Rushall defender clawed one off the line near the end but other than that sounds like we didn't create enough.

We've been a lot more solid this season. But 6 or 7 different first team players (Barrow, Forbes, Hedley, Platt, Leesley, Salkeld and Main) suffering injuries that have kept them out for various amounts of weeks at different points in the early season has hurt our creativity. Very workman like side atm and certainly not a poor one just need that creativity at the top end of the pitch.

No worries, just a trip to Chorley next where we always seem to get turned over. Can't be worse than the 8-0 last year.

 

[Kenneth Dodd]

How the fuck are we still top? We haven't won a game since we beat Curzon on the 3rd September

As I said before would've taken a point beforehand, didn't go so not sure if we deserved a point or not

I think you’re trying to win promotion using the Tamworth method which is conceding very few goals and nicking one to win the game,
You played a lot of hoofball and also stopped us playing out from the back which is how we normally play so we also had to play the ball ball long which doesn’t suit the players we have.

 

[Railway Blue]

You did. Both sides were fine, nothing more or less and it was the right result. We had some chances but didn't do enough do deserve more. You seemed to settle for the point quite early after the break.

Should we have had a penalty in the 68th minute when a Scunny defender blocked a shot with his arm? I think the referee was just as incompetent as virtually everyone we've had this season. He booked Woodthorpe when a Scunny payer fell over, then just awarded a free kick for a horrendous foul by a Scunny player when it was definite yellow and possibly red. Their GK started time-wasting at the start of the second half.

 

[Bottega Don]

I think you’re trying to win promotion using the Tamworth method which is conceding very few goals and nicking one to win the game,
You played a lot of hoofball and also stopped us playing out from the back which is how we normally play so we also had to play the ball ball long which doesn’t suit the players we have.

Yeah that seems to be an issue for us.

We played too much football last year while Tamworth got promoted playing hoofball so we decided to go the complete other way rather than find a medium.

Whitehall is okay in the air but not as good as most CBs so hoofing it to him does nothing most of the time.

Sounds like I made the right choice missing the game

 

[Bottega Don]

You did. Both sides were fine, nothing more or less and it was the right result. We had some chances but didn't do enough do deserve more. You seemed to settle for the point quite early after the break.

I think the club and most of our fans see that as a good point really, which is why we settled for a point. The team just seems so low on confidence at the moment. I think you’ll be well up there at the end of the year

 

[Railway Blue]

I think the club and most of our fans see that as a good point really, which is why we settled for a point. The team just seems so low on confidence at the moment. I think you’ll be well up there at the end of the year

We need to start playing players in their right positions, i.e. Willoughby as a central striker and dropping one of Weeks and Glendon. Harrison Burke is wasted at full back too.

 

[David Curries Mullet]

Felt we missed out today, again concedingnthe points in the last few minutes, we have to learn to manage the game late on. Oh well on to Tuesday now at home to Darlo.

Usually one for you to fill your boots.

 

[Quakerz]

I think the problem is being full-time at this level means having the worst full-time players, whereas part-time teams have the best of the part-time players. Buxton and Kings Lynn may also fall into this category. I won't include Scunthorpe in it as they at least have a level of prestige and history that may attract players rather than full-time status alone.

Possible.

Or you can end up with some mercenary players who don't perform as well as they should.

 

[Bottega Don]

Finally a win! Only took us 7 weeks to get one

A very comfortable 3-0 win against Rushall, think they had 1 shot all game.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

listened to the Curzon fame tonight because Carlisle fame was over after 2 minutes.

Usual away performance, quite a confortable win, for all it fails miserably at home Curzon seem to have perfected away football, 2nd top away form last season only behind Tamworth, joint top this season away. Was as good pretty much when Lakeland was manager for 2 1/2 seasons away football seems a doddle……just cannot do the same at home!

If they could just find a different approach, style at home

 

[Quakerz]

Darlo bent over 3-0 at Chorley. I make that 14-0 on aggregate in our last 3 meetings. I dunno what it is about them but they always absolutely destroy us.

We looked OK for large chunks of the match but Chorley pressed and pressed, two of their goals stemming from Darlo players giving the ball away. At the other end in the second half we had a string of half chances but woefully missed the target over and over.

On the other hand Chorley missed a couple of chances where it seemed easier to score and Jameson made a couple of fine saves, so as much as we can say we gave them their goals (the other was a soft looking penalty) they can claim they should have scored some of those other chances, therefore 3-0 is about right.

Chorley look a very good side, strong at the back, energetic pressing, and really good attacking.

 

[Prodigal]

Darlo bent over 3-0 at Chorley. I make that 14-0 on aggregate in our last 3 meetings. I dunno what it is about them but they always absolutely destroy us.

We looked OK for large chunks of the match but Chorley pressed and pressed, two of their goals stemming from Darlo players giving the ball away. At the other end in the second half we had a string of half chances but woefully missed the target over and over.

On the other hand Chorley missed a couple of chances where it seemed easier to score and Jameson made a couple of fine saves, so as much as we can say we gave them their goals (the other was a soft looking penalty) they can claim they should have scored some of those other chances, therefore 3-0 is about right.

Chorley look a very good side, strong at the back, energetic pressing, and really good attacking.

Yes, as expected a fairly comfortable win again against Darlo. Result never really in doubt and perhaps could have been a few more. Sorry to say Darlo looked very poor up front and what half chances came their way were wasted with generally wild shots. We pressed well as a team, and worked hard throughout, Touray with 2 goals tonight having his best game of the season.

 

[Quakerz]

Yes, as expected a fairly comfortable win again against Darlo. Result never really in doubt and perhaps could have been a few more. Sorry to say Darlo looked very poor up front and what half chances came their way were wasted with generally wild shots. We pressed well as a team, and worked hard throughout, Touray with 2 goals tonight having his best game of the season.

Yeah we've been poor up front all season.

Maskell who scored a tonne of goals a couple of levels below is only 20 but to be frank doesn't look good enough for the level. Main has barely featured all season due to injury and last night was his first start for a long time and he looked very rusty.

Getting Main fit and keeping him fit will help, and we need to be looking at getting another forward in if budget allows.

 

[Bottega Don]

Southport away for us on Saturday, I predict a scrappy game with there being very few goals in it.

We got two late winners against them last year, I would take the exact same thing again.

Just hopefully not a Marcus Carver revenge game

 

[Swedes]

A lot depends on which version of us shows up. The one which can defend well and take pressure will give you a game, the one which turns off on set-pieces will give you 3 points.

Carver may not be at his goalscoring best yet, but he's starting to look a bit sharper. If he doesn't score he should at least give you a hard time and make space for others.

No doubt Danny Whitehall will bag for you and probably kiss the badge, this after watching his dad play for us when he was a kid, then going on to make his debut in senior football for us.

 

[BigDaveCUFC]

Chester at home for Curzon hoping I can go but getting to games not easy currently and it’s all ticket for a weird reason.

We will draw or lose UNLESS Mahon finally decides to gamble on anything else at home.

Great away tactics, great away style, great away set up……..no complaints there most of the league will envy how good we are as an away side.

But we are dreadful at home and dreadful because we play the same way and the problem is the opponents play different away than at home and it doesn’t work…..we have limited space up front, Spencer gets nothing and it is just a case of hoping big to nick it.

We may get hammered but I see no harm in trying something else whether diamond, 2 up front, 3-5-2 or 5-3-2 just not the 4-3-2-1