National League opening day fixtures - 21/08

[OneDecentLester]

Yeah we didn’t really trouble you defensively but better attackers will cause your defence problems - agree that your pony-tail defender was very good, and whoever came on for you on the right near the start of the second half changed the game.

Danny Rowe is a funny one - I thought he was one of the worst players on the park today and contributed absolutely nothing. Can’t see him scoring too many this season.

Think you mentioned the yellow cards - ref was good but a bit card happy (another ref may have let one or two go), to be honest they were all yellow card challenges so you can’t have any complaints. Rowe obviously told your lot to be physical. No idea on the offside but first thoughts were that he was off but difficult to tell.

The sub was Jack Clarke, top player and no surprise that once he was introduced we began to tick as a team.

Danny Rowe is just one of them players, he will always score goals even if it seems like he’s not done anything all game, because he could literally stick one in the top bin from 30 yard out of nowhere at any point. I still suspect once Asante returns, Rowe will be pushed a little deeper to play as more of a 10 which will help him get more involved in the game.

 

[John Still]

I think today’s match proves you can have all the marquee signings you like but you can always get beat by an actual team, yeah we have spent some cash but nowhere near the likes of Stockport.

Our best player went off injured and 5 mins later we were 3-1 up, probably should have score 1-2 more but let’s not get greedy now. We dominated from the 10th minute until the last, playing out from the back is not for the national league sooner Rusk sees that the less chance he’s has of getting sacked.

it’s only one game, but what a game and performance from our boys.

 

[jacobncfc]

I mean it’s well known Notts attack using width and full backs + you know Roberts is going to start wide and look to cut in (although I’m presuming this was the case today). Not setting up to match this accordingly is very inept. That’s a basic that should have come from common knowledge of football at this level, let alone some scouting.

A narrow diamond against that team is incredibly short sighted.

To be fair to Kewell (which I really don’t want to be), it did work first half. We had a lot of the ball but struggled to create many clear chances and it was pretty even going into half time. What was weird was that he didn’t change it once we got in front - then it was quickly 3-0 and game over.

The scary thing from our perspective is that Rodrigues and Roberts got three goals between them but were miles off what they can be. It was Palmer/Francis in midfield and DKE/Taylor at wing back that took control of it really.

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

I think today’s match proves you can have all the marquee signings you like but you can always get beat by an actual team, yeah we have spent some cash but nowhere near the likes of Stockport.

Our best player went off injured and 5 mins later we were 3-1 up, probably should have score 1-2 more but let’s not get greedy now. We dominated from the 10th minute until the last, playing out from the back is not for the national league sooner Rusk sees that the less chance he’s has of getting sacked.

it’s only one game, but what a game and performance from our boys.

Told you that you’d beat us

We’ve got lots of good players but a quite terrible squad considering the money we have spent.

Four slow right-footed CBs who range from average to poor with the ball at their feet.

Four slow, immobile, CMs who apart from Rooney aren’t capable of passing forward and also apart from Keane (who’s is the most incapable passer) can’t shield the defence

Three wingers (who we play out of position), non of which are above average pace wise.

No proper targetman in our squad

Add to that we play a formation that i’d suggest only suited one of our outfield players today.

 

[Kim Mitten]

First thing I'll talk about was the atmosphere, absolutely fucking superb. Best away atmosphere for years, non stop singing, however if you're taking numbers there good luck, was a shambles, more of that later.

The game - Kings Lynn got well and truly Phil Browned. It's like he's never been away, we start well, we score, we play for about the next 10-15 mins, then we just drop back and decide to try and play on the break. Having said that we still had by far the best chances and if Murphy especially had, had his shooting boots on it would have been 3 or 4. I couldn't tell what formation we were playing and he played Jack Bridge as left wing back, he does love a random non-winger on the wing does Phil.
Best players were Coulson, looked unfit and carrying a few extra pounds but his reading of the game was exceptional, right place, right time all the time. Ogogo who looked equally composed in the midfield and Dalby up front who scored, got the flick ons, held the ball up well, did all that was asked of him.

Kings Lynn looked ok up top, some really nice football from them in and around our box, just not clinical but at the back they were not so good. Any pressure they gave the ball straight back and couldn't hit an accurate pass any further than 5 yards. Their keeper was their best player, pulled off some wonder saves. I'll predict that they will give someone a spanking 4 or 5 but one or more of the better teams in this division will give them a pasting 7 or 8. Oh and they also had a winger who was slower than Jason Demetriou, who is now 65 years old and doesn't have knees.

So onto their shambles of a set up - I turned up 30 mins before kick off to find a rammed away end which had 2 stewards attempting to hold back hundreds of Southend fans from a section (with our fans in already) that they had decided to close. You can obviously imagine how that went. The open terrace behind the goal they gave us one half and as more people piled in the suggestion was made by one or two that they should just open the other half to us as well (at this point the other half had about 30 Kings Lynn fans in). That was too sensible for them, they just let more and more people pile in. They eventually opened it around 40 minutes into the first half.
I hang around to speak to players after the game, while I was there I was chatting to some Kings Lynn official, he said they'd sold too many tickets to us and also had the problem that they'd halved their stewarding numbers for the coming season. I asked what they're going to do when others come to town, notably Notts County, who I'd think could bring double what we took. He just said he didn't know, they'd see when the time comes! I reckon they should just give 2 full sides and half the seats to the clubs that will bring a lot to them.

And finally - briefly met the Kings Lynn owner before the match and you'll be pleased to know other than his shirt he and Phil Brown were dressed completely the same.

 

[Hollywood Red]

Every worry we discussed a few weeks back came to fruition and more.

Square pegs in round holes plus no pace, power, passing ability, mobility and with no Quigley a couple of dwarfs up top.

Rusk is absolutely cluelessly tactically and him and Wilson can take the blame for our terrible recruitment (and re-signing of substandard players) which is good players on paper but not what we actually needed in terms of attributes in that position.

What injury does Quigley have?

 

[DontBringBertie]

Lost 1-2. Woking the better side first half and took a 2-0 lead at the break. But all Stones in the 2nd 45 mins. Woking barely got out of their half as we pinned them in and moved the ball really well. Josh Umerah got us back into it and we had more than enough chances to equalise, however a combination of good defending and being wasteful meant Woking took the 3 points. Alot of positives for the Stones, this is a very different side to last season with far more quality. We'll still be in a dogfight to stay up given our resources, but will be far more competitive.

Lost 1-2. Woking the better side first half and took a 2-0 lead at the break. But all Stones in the 2nd 45 mins. Woking barely got out of their half as we pinned them in and moved the ball really well. Josh Umerah got us back into it and we had more than enough chances to equalise, however a combination of good defending and being wasteful meant Woking took the 3 points. Alot of positives for the Stones, this is a very different side to last season with far more quality. We'll still be in a dogfight to stay up given our resources, but will be far more competitive.

The biggest ‘game of two halves’ I’ve seen in a very long time.

I don’t think we even had a shot in the 2nd half.

A win is a win thought with our team of giants.

as many as 6 opening day wins in a row now.

 

[DontBringBertie]

Stand outs for you were Tshimanga and the Grealish lookie likey when he came on. The yellows were deserved, Rowe clearly told your lot to kick Kinsella which they did. One thing I’ll say, if that’s your first choice back four, better teams than us will score plenty against you, I’ve seen milk turn quicker than the CB’s, and the RB King looked like he’d been found in Weatherspoons on the way down, he had the piss taken all afternoon by an academy lad who making his debut in men’s football.

Kinsella still a whinging chav then after his first game for years?

 

[Who Needs Mourinho]

What injury does Quigley have?

Our manager pretends we don’t have injuries then players reappear but I think it’s hamstring.

 

[Master D]

Just watching the highlights show and saw Stockport doing that thing where they lie a man down on the floor when defending a free kick. Oh dear.

This is the National League FFS, we don’t do that Premier League UEFA A License influenced nonsense down here.

 

[Fyldefan]

Just watching the highlights show and saw Stockport doing that thing where they lie a man down on the floor when defending a free kick. Oh dear.

This is the National League FFS, we don’t do that Premier League UEFA A License influenced nonsense down here.

To be fair to Stockport all there players are ex football league, champions league big guns

 

[jacobncfc]

Just watching the highlights show and saw Stockport doing that thing where they lie a man down on the floor when defending a free kick. Oh dear.

This is the National League FFS, we don’t do that Premier League UEFA A License influenced nonsense down here.

Happy to report no draft excluder on show at Meadow Lane despite all of our coaching badges.

 

[Leewilson]

Just watching the highlights show and saw Stockport doing that thing where they lie a man down on the floor when defending a free kick. Oh dear.

This is the National League FFS, we don’t do that Premier League UEFA A License influenced nonsense down here.

Was kind of them to lie down for the rest of the match also.

 

[Day out with your mates]

Was kind of them to lie down for the rest of the match also.

Let’s hope they do the same next week against us , Southend. Watched the Daggers pre season against my local lower league club who Southend also played, view of myself and friends at the time Daggers look a good bet , sounds like today they proved that

 

[slaphead]

Kinsella still a whinging chav then after his first game for years?

Not this time, he was one of the senior pros who would stand up for the kids when Rowe bullied them in his time here, he's never forgiven him. No one holds a grudge like James Rowe, it was clear that they knew he was a threat from wide so all were detailed to boot him if they got near him.

Good result for your lot today though.

 

[CFC91]

Not this time, he was one of the senior pros who would stand up for the kids when Rowe bullied them in his time here, he's never forgiven him. No one holds a grudge like James Rowe, it was clear that they knew he was a threat from wide so all were detailed to boot him if they got near him.

Good result for your lot today though.

What’s the deal with Kinsella? Came right over to our fans at full time applauding them and Rowe spoke highly of him after the game too? We’re not lining him up are we?

 

[EnglishRed]

What’s the deal with Kinsella? Came right over to our fans at full time applauding them and Rowe spoke highly of him after the game too? We’re not lining him up are we?

May as well, you seemingly have a bottomless pit of money to draw from.

 

[#Beebot]

Just watching the highlights show and saw Stockport doing that thing where they lie a man down on the floor when defending a free kick. Oh dear.

This is the National League FFS, we don’t do that Premier League UEFA A License influenced nonsense down here.

It's daft at this level as there are very few free kick takers with the foresight to try to roll the ball under the jumping wall. You only ever really see it at the top level.

 

[Master D]

May as well, you seemingly have a bottomless pit of money to draw from.

Their mysterious backers will keep spending and spending throughout the season, that’s for sure.

 

[karlready]

What’s the deal with Kinsella? Came right over to our fans at full time applauding them and Rowe spoke highly of him after the game too? We’re not lining him up are we?

Insider says bully-boy Rowe has grudging admiration for Kinsella, a no- nonsense character, presumably had disagreements when together at the Rec. Not sure about the motive for Lewis applauding fans, though; hopefully nothing much in it. If Kinsella leaves, we would be even further up shit creek.
As for the game, a half-time kick up the arse from Rowe was enough to turn the match, the result was inevitable. The fact that Searle’s tactics were solely damage limitation says it all. Long season ahead, not much joy, I fear..

 

[jacobncfc]

Isn’t Kinsella a left back? That is one of Rowe’s positions where he likes to collect players.

 

[SpireiteDan]

I don't doubt Rowe has a bit of an edge to him but you got to laugh at "bully-boy" and such....

We've signed about 63 players in the last 12 months, some of them signing for Rowe twice. If he's the second coming of Hitler, why are so many players happy to play for him?

 

[Hollywood Red]

I don't doubt Rowe has a bit of an edge to him but you got to laugh at "bully-boy" and such....

We've signed about 63 players in the last 12 months, some of them signing for Rowe twice. If he's the second coming of Hitler, why are so many players happy to play for him?

Money in brown envelopes?

 

[EnglishRed]

He promises them the earth.

Poor old Adi Yussuf had to move all the way down to Yeovil!

 

[SpireiteDan]

He promises them the earth.

Poor old Adi Yussuf had to move all the way down to Yeovil!

After Solihull and Blackpool, Yeovil will feel like Tuscany.

 

[karlready]

I don't doubt Rowe has a bit of an edge to him but you got to laugh at "bully-boy" and such....

We've signed about 63 players in the last 12 months, some of them signing for Rowe twice. If he's the second coming of Hitler, why are so many players happy to play for him?

He was not popular with the youth players at Aldershot. Make of that what you will.
Not difficult to sign bottom- feeder professionals when you wave money around.If you sign dozens of players, there’ll be a lot that will love bench-warming…

 

[Shrimper92]

Looks to have been a typical NL Saturday

Yeah, Dover didn't play so a pretty typical one.

 

[GTFCfish]

If he's the second coming of Hitler, why are so many players happy to play for him?

 

[OneDecentLester]

Another brilliant read

Keep em coming lads. My prediction is that the next ones gonna be that there was a deep dark rumour doing the rounds that Rowe used to lock the tea ladies in cages when he was assistant at Aldershot just to get a kick out of it… despicable human

 

[SpireiteDan]

I think i'd rather go to work somewhere where i was content and not working for tossers than earn a few extra quid elsewhere (in relative terms) but each to their own.

Edit: Read this morning that he has a win ratio of just under 60% for us......you keep being a bell-end, James!!