Sutton United 2nd August

[Whoryer]

I am guessing alot of the budget has gone on Massey and the 2 sick notes. Signing 1 of them was very risky,but signing both is mad.I will be amazed if they play 20 games between them all season. As others have said we need better more athletic players,and at least 1 goalscorer .It is going to be a very long season,especially with the very hard start.I can see us doing an Aveley starting poorly and never recovering.Alot of people were expecting us to finish clear bottom last season,unfortunately unless we get in some better players very quickly I think it will happen this season!

[Sparky]

Another thing that struck me from the first two Bev friendlies was how quiet we are as a side.

Sutton always had four players constantly barking at each other, in a non-threatening way, just reminding each other what they were doing. And you could tell it was helping them move as one.

We were virtually silent.

[BeaverWatcher]

I think that when looking at the budget and players, whilst the club have mentioned about the issues retaining players the same applies for bringing new ones in. Jules won't have been able to speak to anyone and offer anything concreate until the take over was completed. It's entirely likely that many of the targets we could have been after were missed out on.

Even with an increased budget we are still probably in the bottom 8, at best, in terms of weekly wage. A low five figure weekly budget is only going to be mid-table at best so anything below that and you are fighting against the tide.

Like last season my idea of success is 5th from bottom and retaining our Step 2 status so the club and owners have something to build on and get a bit of consistency going after 2.5 years of constant changes and off pitch issues.

Off the pitch the improvements during the close season have been most welcome, including the removal of the Hamrich branding on everything including the beer pumps AND the club reducing the prices of not just entrance but in the bar's as well. A pint is now £5.50 rather than £6 last year, this is something that hasn't really been mentioned but is another good move by the new owners.

On the pitch the season isn't going to be defined by the first seven games but we need to make sure we are picking up wins and draws against our comparable rivals, the likes of Tonbridge, Slough, Horsham, Hornchurch, Hemel, Enfield, Dover, Bath and Chippenham. The occasional surprising victory over one of the big 'full timers' ala Torquay away like last season is a bonus!

[BeaverWatcher]

Match highlights - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ULr1wL1O7E&t=9s

[HamptonMad]

Match highlights - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_ULr1wL1O7E&t=9s

I cant watch that again but thanks for the link. May watch the first 3 goals then stop.

[Tony]

I watched it so you don't have to. It was an object lesson in how any errors are ruthlessly exploited by teams such as Sutton. First goal an own goal under pressure from an attacker; second, a good shot but no closing down on the edge of the box; third, error by the keeper passing straight to the Sutton player; fourth, defender robbed of the ball too easily and a cool finish; fifth, a comedy of errors all round with the ball bouncing around in the box. We saw at the end of last season, that trying to play consistently out from the back when we couldn't resist the high press, just invites errors. Opposition managers know what we are going to do and set up accordingly. Some teams can only keep the high press going for 20 minutes or so but the full time teams have the fitness to keep it going for much longer.

[TW10]

We play it around at the back with no purpose and invite the press on us so we end up hoofing it, getting robbed or making a mistake. On sat we didn't press at anytime and gave them all the time in the world on the ball. This was a combo of having no legs in the middle and effectively playing 5 at the back. We had no real plan on saturday. It really was abject.

[Lord Elpus]

We play it around at the back with no purpose and invite the press on us so we end up hoofing it, getting robbed or making a mistake. On sat we didn't press at anytime and gave them all the time in the world on the ball. This was a combo of having no legs in the middle and effectively playing 5 at the back. We had no real plan on saturday. It really was abject.

Very worrying at this stage of pre-season isn't it. I know they're in the division above etc but I didn't think Sutton had to try that hard to beat us. As others have said we will come up against quite a few sides like Sutton this season.

Any idea where there is STILL no media? I mean, when is it going to start?

[JimS]

There seem to have been regular score updates on Twitter on Saturday.

[tones]

But no match reports. Thought the club wanted to keep quiet on how bad the team are, how the manager didn't seem to know how to put ithings right and have thrown in the towel before the season has even started.

[Big Rich]

But no match reports. Thought the club wanted to keep quiet on how bad the team are, how the manager didn't seem to know how to put ithings right and have thrown in the towel before the season has even started.

At least it meant Jules didn't have to 'take the positives' from the game on camera!

I am hoping things will be better on Saturday. Up the Beavers!

[JimS]

But no match reports. Thought the club wanted to keep quiet on how bad the team are, how the manager didn't seem to know how to put ithings right and have thrown in the towel before the season has even started.

I suspect what you posted isn't what you meant and I'm afraid it makes little actual sense - "thought the club" perhaps "as if though the club"?

Anyway my post was in reply to the comment that there was no media coverage when there clearly was.

Things look difficult but personally I'd rather keep things in perspective and not deal in wild inaccurate speculation.