18-12-2017, 13:42
Don't think Ricky's appearance was so much a chance as a very wise move to stop Dennis getting sent off, but I'm glad he made the bench. Nine minutes is three times longer than Kevin Hector was given to save the World Cup though.
I don't know what to make of Ricky. Now is the time he has to break through. But I doubt that Jack was in the best mood following that entire performance anyway. Apparently his cat left home for several hours.
I didn't like this stuff on the website with Robbie Weir saying they were never a bottom of the league team, IMO that is a certain way to go back there. They were clearly the worst team in the division and would now be clear at the bottom without Jack Lester. They need to want to keep proving themselves. You can't win by dominating possession, having four efforts on goal and zero on target. But everybody has a bad day at the office.
We have to be at our best to have even a chance at Stevenage. They signed five strikers, one of whom is now out on loan, but any combination of the rest can cause us big trouble. They are inconsistent certainly, but at their best they WILL beat us, so we have to stop them being at their best. We have to do what Port Vale have done. After their good run, which had it continued would have got them into the play-offs, they lost and have also once been hammered, but they have re-grouped. A hard-working draw at Stevenage would be a good result. 22nd place at the end of the season would be a success.
Now the other explanation for Dennis being taken off on Saturday might be that Jack is wondering what would happen if we sold him. We all blithely talk about recruiting in the January window, but look what happened to Gary Caldwell without financial backing. If DA doesn't put in, what kind of players can Jack recruit to take up the contracts we can make available. For instance I keep advocating a trip to Kidderminster to recruit players, and apparently Pompey are about to snap up Joe Ironside their striker, with Mansfield, Cambridge and Fleetwood all in the wings hoping something goes wrong - but he won't be free ........ If they are watching Ironside, they are also seeing Sonupe and Ngwatala who I think might do for us, but although the fee might be small I'm sure Kiddy would want something. If Jack sold Dennis he might be in a position to recruit the 4/5 players Tommy Wright says we need ......... if we recruit the right up-and-coming players from non-league. Non-league clubs in general are cash-poor and don't expect huge fees. If we don't sell Dennis and DA doesn't dive into his back pocket, who do we recruit? Youngsters again? I can see one at Forest I'd like but in our position fighting spirit is as important as skill and youngsters in general have no experience of really competitive games. And if we recruit older players who are being freed-up you have to ask why they are available mid-season and what they will add to our team. It is a difficult one! I'm glad I'm not Jack Lester. (Or his cat!)
I don't know what to make of Ricky. Now is the time he has to break through. But I doubt that Jack was in the best mood following that entire performance anyway. Apparently his cat left home for several hours.
I didn't like this stuff on the website with Robbie Weir saying they were never a bottom of the league team, IMO that is a certain way to go back there. They were clearly the worst team in the division and would now be clear at the bottom without Jack Lester. They need to want to keep proving themselves. You can't win by dominating possession, having four efforts on goal and zero on target. But everybody has a bad day at the office.
We have to be at our best to have even a chance at Stevenage. They signed five strikers, one of whom is now out on loan, but any combination of the rest can cause us big trouble. They are inconsistent certainly, but at their best they WILL beat us, so we have to stop them being at their best. We have to do what Port Vale have done. After their good run, which had it continued would have got them into the play-offs, they lost and have also once been hammered, but they have re-grouped. A hard-working draw at Stevenage would be a good result. 22nd place at the end of the season would be a success.
Now the other explanation for Dennis being taken off on Saturday might be that Jack is wondering what would happen if we sold him. We all blithely talk about recruiting in the January window, but look what happened to Gary Caldwell without financial backing. If DA doesn't put in, what kind of players can Jack recruit to take up the contracts we can make available. For instance I keep advocating a trip to Kidderminster to recruit players, and apparently Pompey are about to snap up Joe Ironside their striker, with Mansfield, Cambridge and Fleetwood all in the wings hoping something goes wrong - but he won't be free ........ If they are watching Ironside, they are also seeing Sonupe and Ngwatala who I think might do for us, but although the fee might be small I'm sure Kiddy would want something. If Jack sold Dennis he might be in a position to recruit the 4/5 players Tommy Wright says we need ......... if we recruit the right up-and-coming players from non-league. Non-league clubs in general are cash-poor and don't expect huge fees. If we don't sell Dennis and DA doesn't dive into his back pocket, who do we recruit? Youngsters again? I can see one at Forest I'd like but in our position fighting spirit is as important as skill and youngsters in general have no experience of really competitive games. And if we recruit older players who are being freed-up you have to ask why they are available mid-season and what they will add to our team. It is a difficult one! I'm glad I'm not Jack Lester. (Or his cat!)