Matt is right - this IS a tough League. I've been mouldering on about it for two years plus now. If you look at Div 2 you can pick a whole raft of teams who simply aren't going to challenge for the top, but down to the National, they're few and far between, teams are much of a muchness, being a bit prone to concede or being able to come up with a late goal can mean the difference between top and bottom.
Tackling and playing in midfield is MUCH more demanding than full-back, trust me. At full back everything is in front of you. Muggleton has played there quite a lot. If he is going to be good enough anywhere it's there - midfield is demanding, I don't think JBW is up to playing there either. At the moment we are using Muggleton for ONE thing only, last few minutes to rectify an inability to score with his throw. IMO it is a message to the opposition that you've run out of ammunition, you're going to start throwing stuff. Once you've spent 80 minutes heading stuff clear what is another two long throws ..... the time to catch teams out is in the first ten minutes of each half. Maybe the last few minutes of a game pressurise too, IF the opposition feel like our team, that they are supposed to win the game, and that's the other thing about bringing Muggleton on, our team immediately knows the manager ain't happy, they know he wants a goal and once they focus on that they concede one.
You need also to consider that Weir always tends to look as though he is struggling to complete 90 minutes. If MA leaves him on do we concede anyway because he can no longer cover the ground ......?
Barnet should at least make the play-offs if their team begins to match the individual ability of the players.
To me, our failings look to be:-
AGE: you need experience but we have too many important players at the very dog-end of their careers
GOAL POTENTIAL: Shaw is not in the team and Carter is injured, Gozie has scored goals, but you have to remember he was Woking's penalty taker, Zavon and Fortune have never really been known just for their goals
CRAFT/CREATIVITY: we lack in spotting a pass and playing it, beating men and seeing ways in on goal
DEFENSIVE CO-ORDINATION: we apparently showed it at Ebbsfleet and held them quite confidently, but since we have looked vulnerable.
It's a lot to get right. And the opposition is quite tough. Marcus Dinanga would make our starting line-up IMO, at Hartlepool he is coming on 90th minute to waste a bit of time. We need to be realistic. If we win today, it is a very good win!
Tackling and playing in midfield is MUCH more demanding than full-back, trust me. At full back everything is in front of you. Muggleton has played there quite a lot. If he is going to be good enough anywhere it's there - midfield is demanding, I don't think JBW is up to playing there either. At the moment we are using Muggleton for ONE thing only, last few minutes to rectify an inability to score with his throw. IMO it is a message to the opposition that you've run out of ammunition, you're going to start throwing stuff. Once you've spent 80 minutes heading stuff clear what is another two long throws ..... the time to catch teams out is in the first ten minutes of each half. Maybe the last few minutes of a game pressurise too, IF the opposition feel like our team, that they are supposed to win the game, and that's the other thing about bringing Muggleton on, our team immediately knows the manager ain't happy, they know he wants a goal and once they focus on that they concede one.
You need also to consider that Weir always tends to look as though he is struggling to complete 90 minutes. If MA leaves him on do we concede anyway because he can no longer cover the ground ......?
Barnet should at least make the play-offs if their team begins to match the individual ability of the players.
To me, our failings look to be:-
AGE: you need experience but we have too many important players at the very dog-end of their careers
GOAL POTENTIAL: Shaw is not in the team and Carter is injured, Gozie has scored goals, but you have to remember he was Woking's penalty taker, Zavon and Fortune have never really been known just for their goals
CRAFT/CREATIVITY: we lack in spotting a pass and playing it, beating men and seeing ways in on goal
DEFENSIVE CO-ORDINATION: we apparently showed it at Ebbsfleet and held them quite confidently, but since we have looked vulnerable.
It's a lot to get right. And the opposition is quite tough. Marcus Dinanga would make our starting line-up IMO, at Hartlepool he is coming on 90th minute to waste a bit of time. We need to be realistic. If we win today, it is a very good win!