Passing, Passion,Pace and Luck

[Greenfinch]

When I watched England v Hungary on Tuesday, it reminded me of our style of play,backwards, sideways, backwards, forward a touch, backwards, sideways, shut down, then big boot up field, or pass it to opposition,sometimes it works playing out of the back, but from a fans point of view, tedious to say the least, zzzzz.Visiting teams are getting to know how we play,and are reaping the rewards, it invites pressure,as at the moment we haven't got an outlet,and the league table reflects that.Mark is a good manager, not too long ago we reached the playoff finals, but where are the attacking full backs, wingers with pace that take players on? It used to be a case of how many are we going to win by, now its are we going to lose or draw.Don't mean to be a pessimist but that's how I feel,and I'm not alone.
So to sum up, our passing needs to improve, at times there is plenty of passion, pace, we need more of it, and luck,it never seems to come our way.Of course, I will be there on Saturday as usual, and because of the above comments, I will probably have to eat my hat, fortunately, I haven't got one, but you know what I mean.

[steve.max]

When you are in the bottom half of the league, let alone the bottom four, luck is certainly not on your side - re Hednesford hitting the post. That`s why we should perhaps look towards a good strong start to the season. Sadly this seems not to be the Hitchin way as proved over the last few seasons. It is always not until mid November that things seem to improve once we admit we are in trouble.

[Brian]

The first six or so games set the tone for the season in my book. I know there are plenty of occasions when that's not been the case. We have had seasons where we have been in potential relegation trouble and then shot up the table during the autumn. Likewise we have seen sides suddenly drop like a stone.

However if you get a good start it takes all the pressure off and gets the fans excited at the thought of a potentially successful season.

[pudgy]

Greenfinch makes an excellent point, a lot of games at every level have become tedious to watch since most teams adopt the same boring style, playing the ball back and forth across the pitch until they either lose possession, often on the edge of their own penalty area, or hoof the ball forward in the general direction of a winger, who may gain control or, more likely, it goes out of play or the opposition win it. The style is somewhat reminiscent of Shankly era Liverpool sides, very successful for them, but, quite frankly, much like watching paint dry, and risky if you don't have players focused and comfortable in possession.

I never watch 90 minute matches these days, they send me to sleep, and even Match of the Day highlights are the same old same old, hard to distinguish any particular team despite the efforts of the Linneker and his bunch of idiots.

So unless we have skillful players, comfortable in possession and perfect passers, perhaps not the game for us, and is it entertainment?

[Piltdown]

IMO, the team has been treading water for a few seasons now , manager seems to have no new ideas , perhaps time for a change

[Brian Parker]

I'm surprised that nobody has come on here to show any anger at today's shambolic performance. The team looked clueless and despondent. No shape, zero penetration, hapless defending. We are supposed to have a supporters' trust that's the envy of the league so why have we got such a poor team? Why are we unable to compete with even the most ordinary teams in this league? Torn apart by a side below them (until tonight!). Where is the coaching? How to use the wall to defend a free kick. How to break down a defence. How to attack a high ball into the box, etc, etc.

I could go on and on, but that's enough for now. As someone who has been a contributor to the trust since its' inception, for the first time I am beginning to wonder what's the point if this is the best we can afford.

[Piltdown]

Brian, as I have already said , maybe time for a change of manager.
All the things you mention have been the norm for some time , tactics never seen to change .
It all seems very stale and can not see it changing any time soon .

[russell]

I wonder if the league we are in is a factor in not being able to recruit players? Both Jai Dillon and Alex Marsh had to leave for work reasons with Marsh choosing to play in a more local league. I'm confident Mark will turn things around with some new faces.

[Brian Parker]

I don't think tinkering around the edge is going to do it. I think we need something of a rebuild. A bit like when Andy Melvin took over and we turned up one Saturday to find much of the side changed with several new players such as Rob Johnson and Aaron Tighe, but I suspect that cost quite a lot at the time. Three signings I think is a bare minimum and then only if they are quality.

[pudgy]

I suspect that at the time AM had rather more enthusiasm for the club than at present, which may be the underlying problem. Our next match is away to St. Ives, who actually have a poorer home record than ourselves. Could be a good opportunity for us to re-launch our season. Our record over the last eight games certainly suggests we need more quality, and conceding six at home to a side then beneath us also suggests a lack of on-field discipline, unity and leadership.