Review of the Season
Mel’s comments now up. Interesting that some of the younger players already signed for next season plus expecting two or three new faces. Personally I think it needs a lot more than two or three otherwise we are going to struggle. Message seems to be that young players are naive at times and that will improve but not sure how much less naive they will be in just three months time. Reading between the lines it doesn’t sound like a major change in the budget.
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Lord Elpus
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Ah yes...just posted on twitter. Short interview about yesterday's game. Seems reasonably fair, talks about how the young players will learn from it. Shame he didn't use the experienced ones like Inman, Wishart, Donaldson and Whittingham as much during the run in then really...
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Shepperton Supporter
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Think I would agree with these comments. Would like to know who is signed up for next season. Would agree two or three new players would not in my book be sufficient.
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EastTerracer
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A string of poor results cost us the playoff place. Seems a bit unfair to blame it on the inexperience of some players. Mel picks the team at the end of the day. It would be interesting to compare the tactics from when we were on the good run to what they were come the end of the season. In the October to December period we scored 30 league goals in 14 games (i.e. over 2 per game average). In February to April, we scored 18 league goals in 18 games.
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Lord Elpus
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Even during the unbeaten run, some of the actual football wasn't great. Results were good so people tolerated it but we really rode our luck at times.
Telling stats. Maybe opposition worked out how to play against us. My observation is that the better teams deployed a high pressing game against us which we found hard to play through. This forced us to go long up to Seymour with predictable results. We rarely pressed the opposition and tended to concede possession particularly in the second half of the season.EastTerracer wrote: ↑Sun Apr 21, 2024 11:39 am A string of poor results cost us the playoff place. Seems a bit unfair to blame it on the inexperience of some players. Mel picks the team at the end of the day. It would be interesting to compare the tactics from when we were on the good run to what they were come the end of the season. In the October to December period we scored 30 league goals in 14 games (i.e. over 2 per game average). In February to April, we scored 18 league goals in 18 games.
For most of the season Hampton played poorly but we're lucky in several games with late goals. Their league position was often better than their actual abilities. To put the blame on the younger players for the poor finish to the season is passing the buck. Mel picked the teams and had a say in their recruitment. If no more money is available for next season it will just be more of the same.
I think the "progress" made this season in terms of performance really depends on where you start the comparison from. Clearly, we are in a better place than we were at the end of December 2022, but that was a low point. That season seemed to go wrong after a couple of months, with Gary seemingly running out of ideas and Tommy Wood not living up to Gary's hopes as our goal scorer.
However, if you look at our NLS standings historically, the progress made this season isn't so obvious:
23/24 9th
22/23 17th
21/22 11th
20/21 6th Curtailed
19/20 8th Curtailed
18/19 15th
17/18 4th
16/17 7th
I guess it can be argued that NLS has become much more competitive and perhaps we now have a more solid foundation on which to build.
I suppose we also at least have the possibility of an increased budget for players in future. Attendances are up so gate takings should of course also be up although we don’t know the level of discounts and perhaps free tickets that might have been given out which might have boosted headcount to some extent. (Hopefully the club took a slice of the matchday pizza sales!) Running costs are also clearly higher than they were.
Let's hope Mel can get to grips with what has gone wrong lately and bring in players over the summer that can produce more consistent performances next season and truly show the progress being made.
However, if you look at our NLS standings historically, the progress made this season isn't so obvious:
23/24 9th
22/23 17th
21/22 11th
20/21 6th Curtailed
19/20 8th Curtailed
18/19 15th
17/18 4th
16/17 7th
I guess it can be argued that NLS has become much more competitive and perhaps we now have a more solid foundation on which to build.
I suppose we also at least have the possibility of an increased budget for players in future. Attendances are up so gate takings should of course also be up although we don’t know the level of discounts and perhaps free tickets that might have been given out which might have boosted headcount to some extent. (Hopefully the club took a slice of the matchday pizza sales!) Running costs are also clearly higher than they were.
Let's hope Mel can get to grips with what has gone wrong lately and bring in players over the summer that can produce more consistent performances next season and truly show the progress being made.
As I said in my original piece, 9th would be fine if we had built momentum towards it with the feeling that steady improvement would be carried into next season. But the last 10 games have been dire and begs the question about several players and tactics. Not sure I would be very confident that a similar line up would see any different result. If the players recruited have proven pedigree ( and are fit) then maybe they can drag the others along to better and more consistent performances. But until we see some signings it’s hard to say.
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Shepperton Supporter
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It is difficult to make suggestions if you do not know the budget! Mel saying 2-3 new players would fill many contributors with worries as looking at the present squad and what we consider required would be in excess of this.
If we knew who was signed on for next season it might help, although certain names might draw adverse comments! The other factor will be who Is attracted away by other clubs.
Perhaps we should start by listing players we hope to be present next season?
I will give it some thought as no doubt others will.
If we knew who was signed on for next season it might help, although certain names might draw adverse comments! The other factor will be who Is attracted away by other clubs.
Perhaps we should start by listing players we hope to be present next season?
I will give it some thought as no doubt others will.
Here is my thoughts on the current squad:
PLAYERS TO RETAIN:
Desbois, Fernandez, Thomas, Pitblado, Anifowose, Revan, Gray and Seymour are the certainties I would keep.
Desbois and Fernandez speak for themselves, winning the supporters and players player of the season for a reason, keeping us in several games and saving us many points throughout the season.
Thomas is a solid option when played in his correct position, right back. His pace down that right is lethal and up until his injury at Braintree was having a superb season.
Pitblado is an incredible player, so underrated and gets disrespected too much. As a young player, he has more than held his own in a competitive league and has made that left-back spot his own. When featured there is where we see the best in him, not at centre-back or right-back.
Anifowose is highly talented and should have featured more than he did. Although Mel's thinking may have been to nurture him and not want him to burn out so early as he is still very young, the potential in him is there to see.
Again, Revan has been solid, but it is clear that his position is centre-half. If he, along with Thomas and Pitblado are retained, they must be played in their best positions, so they can play to their true potential. instead of the chopping and changing of them that we saw during the end of the season.
Gray has looked off the boil towards the end, (as have others) but his leadership is vital and on his day is a very technical player, so would still like him back for next season.
Finally, Seymour, whilst relying on penalties for a lot of his goal tally this season is still clearly talented. At times this season I've felt so sorry for him with the service he was given, with the constant persistence on long balls, which is not playing to his strengths at all.
LOAN PLAYERS:
Dreyer and Gibson-Hammond are the ones I'd like back, both of whom are out of contract at their parent clubs. However, how easy it would be to sign them up is a different question.
Dreyer has proven himself to be a solid understudy to Inman and has deservedly been given a run in the side.
Gibson-Hammond constantly looks a threat and always injects pace into the teams, exactly what is needed, and when played out wide proves a real danger.
Fadahunsi, sadly has not looked up to it and not the target man type player we thought he would be.
REST OF THE SQUAD:
Despite their obvious quality, Bloomfield, Brown, CKB and Hunt are too injury-prone for me, so it would not surprise or disappoint me too much if they were not retained. Bloomfield in particular has not been the goalscorer we thought he would be and his hold-up play in recent matches has been poor.
With us supposedly moving to morning training it may also rule out certain other players, such as Donaldson and Wishart among others, and this also may explain why they were seemingly frozen out of the team at the back end of the season.
Cheadle has rarely featured this season, suffering from a long-term injury so can't see him still being here next season.
Rob Hall has also rarely featured in a playing capacity, so would keep him in the coaching role he is doing well in.
Whilst I would like to see Whittingham retained, I can't see it, purely based on the fact he was bizarrely loaned out to Havant, then recalled and used as a sub in one game, before being frozen out of the team again. Alfy has quality, but it appears as if Mel doesn't rate him, and it seems such a shame.
Deadfield is a tricky one, had a solid first half of the season but was poor in the second half, and for me is too inconsistent.
Comley, I assume is now only taking up the role of coach having not featured in a matchday squad this season, again this is a role he is excelling in.
Solomon by all accounts has performed very well on loan at Wingate, should they go up it would be interesting to see if they keep him on, as when with us never quite looked up to NLS standard, but he will have learnt and gained experience from his loan and may be a different player.
Dunne has not looked up to it for a while for me. I didn't get him starting at St. Albans and seems a bit of a liability and a player who is never far away from a booking.
Obviously, a lot of this is out of our hands, and as Shep says, suggestions of new signings are difficult without knowing what budget we have, but keen to know others' thoughts on the current squad.
PLAYERS TO RETAIN:
Desbois, Fernandez, Thomas, Pitblado, Anifowose, Revan, Gray and Seymour are the certainties I would keep.
Desbois and Fernandez speak for themselves, winning the supporters and players player of the season for a reason, keeping us in several games and saving us many points throughout the season.
Thomas is a solid option when played in his correct position, right back. His pace down that right is lethal and up until his injury at Braintree was having a superb season.
Pitblado is an incredible player, so underrated and gets disrespected too much. As a young player, he has more than held his own in a competitive league and has made that left-back spot his own. When featured there is where we see the best in him, not at centre-back or right-back.
Anifowose is highly talented and should have featured more than he did. Although Mel's thinking may have been to nurture him and not want him to burn out so early as he is still very young, the potential in him is there to see.
Again, Revan has been solid, but it is clear that his position is centre-half. If he, along with Thomas and Pitblado are retained, they must be played in their best positions, so they can play to their true potential. instead of the chopping and changing of them that we saw during the end of the season.
Gray has looked off the boil towards the end, (as have others) but his leadership is vital and on his day is a very technical player, so would still like him back for next season.
Finally, Seymour, whilst relying on penalties for a lot of his goal tally this season is still clearly talented. At times this season I've felt so sorry for him with the service he was given, with the constant persistence on long balls, which is not playing to his strengths at all.
LOAN PLAYERS:
Dreyer and Gibson-Hammond are the ones I'd like back, both of whom are out of contract at their parent clubs. However, how easy it would be to sign them up is a different question.
Dreyer has proven himself to be a solid understudy to Inman and has deservedly been given a run in the side.
Gibson-Hammond constantly looks a threat and always injects pace into the teams, exactly what is needed, and when played out wide proves a real danger.
Fadahunsi, sadly has not looked up to it and not the target man type player we thought he would be.
REST OF THE SQUAD:
Despite their obvious quality, Bloomfield, Brown, CKB and Hunt are too injury-prone for me, so it would not surprise or disappoint me too much if they were not retained. Bloomfield in particular has not been the goalscorer we thought he would be and his hold-up play in recent matches has been poor.
With us supposedly moving to morning training it may also rule out certain other players, such as Donaldson and Wishart among others, and this also may explain why they were seemingly frozen out of the team at the back end of the season.
Cheadle has rarely featured this season, suffering from a long-term injury so can't see him still being here next season.
Rob Hall has also rarely featured in a playing capacity, so would keep him in the coaching role he is doing well in.
Whilst I would like to see Whittingham retained, I can't see it, purely based on the fact he was bizarrely loaned out to Havant, then recalled and used as a sub in one game, before being frozen out of the team again. Alfy has quality, but it appears as if Mel doesn't rate him, and it seems such a shame.
Deadfield is a tricky one, had a solid first half of the season but was poor in the second half, and for me is too inconsistent.
Comley, I assume is now only taking up the role of coach having not featured in a matchday squad this season, again this is a role he is excelling in.
Solomon by all accounts has performed very well on loan at Wingate, should they go up it would be interesting to see if they keep him on, as when with us never quite looked up to NLS standard, but he will have learnt and gained experience from his loan and may be a different player.
Dunne has not looked up to it for a while for me. I didn't get him starting at St. Albans and seems a bit of a liability and a player who is never far away from a booking.
Obviously, a lot of this is out of our hands, and as Shep says, suggestions of new signings are difficult without knowing what budget we have, but keen to know others' thoughts on the current squad.