Hendon away

Discussion of all things related to the club and first team
Shepperton Supporter
Posts: 1605
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:18 pm

Lost 2-0. Not a happy return for Gary.
Tony
Posts: 1304
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:57 pm

Whilst pre season is more than about results, and the side that played last night is clearly not our starting XI, the lack of goals in pre season must be a concern. Five games and four goals, three of those coming in the QPR game, and not one goal against lower league opposition.
TW10
Posts: 346
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:21 pm

i am really not sure of the value in including so many academy players who are no where near conference south level..fair enough it is good experience but by now we should be playing our first team squad plus a maybe the occasional trialist especially against full strength isthmian sides.I have seen Kingstonian on a couple of occasions and this is what they are doing so the first team really hit the ground running when the season starts. They incidentally look impressive.
Shepperton Supporter
Posts: 1605
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 10:18 pm

I understand the comments from Tw10 . Gary is giving the young players a lot of exposure to first team football, whether in such numbers is a point of conjecture. Time will tell whether our approach or that of Ks is the better. Would expect the final teams in friendlies to be near full strength.
Agree with Tony about scoring, we seem light in this area, needs to be remedied as if not, then plans for the season ending in playoffs might be in jeopardy .
GRTourist
Posts: 219
Joined: Sat Jan 23, 2021 11:38 am

Bear in mind we lost two (maybe three, I can't remember) friendlies to COVID cancellations, so I think the amount of Academy players in use is probably more about gradually building the minutes for the first team, as opposed to necessarily giving the Academy boys the opportunities - though I'm sure there is an element of that as well.
Tony
Posts: 1304
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:57 pm

Agree TW10, there are a number of trialists and Academy players who realistically are not going to feature during the season other than the odd minor cup game. Let’s see the final squad now playing out the final friendlies to see how they gel particularly now we have some injuries to contend with. Right back now seems a problem with no Cox or Ruddick so might we go to a back three? Would be interesting to see if we experiment with that in the final three friendlies.
tones
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:32 pm

Can't understand why Hampton always seem to be lightweight in the striker department at the beginning of a season. Surely the first priority of any successful team is get get a proven goalscorer on board.
Tony
Posts: 1304
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 8:57 pm

If only it was that easy. We are of course without Nathan Minhas who has been injured throughout pre season and so we have looked at a few trialists. I hear we might be close to signing one of them. The top and proven strikers come at a heavy price.
tones
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:32 pm

Goodness gracious me we already have players out injured and we haven't even started the season. What on earth do they get up to during the close season?
Lord Elpus
Posts: 643
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 3:09 pm

tones wrote: Thu Jul 29, 2021 6:07 pm Goodness gracious me we already have players out injured and we haven't even started the season. What on earth do they get up to during the close season?
Happens at all clubs. Pre-season is pretty strenuous, even at our level.
tones
Posts: 91
Joined: Thu Jan 21, 2021 5:32 pm

Some of these players don't even seem to have taken part in the pre-season activity!
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