Reaction to Forest Green

[hops]

Surprised nobody else has mentioned it but i thought FGR played us off the pitch first half and should have been 2 or 3 up but for the second half played very negatively. They wasted time from the whistle and seemed happy to break up play rather than go looking for the second goal. I must admit it worked as they were capable of holding the ball and passing in triangles - something we did a couple of times and started to look good before yet again resorting to the direct style. We had poor games over the past few years, St Albans at home in the CS, Stevenage last season etc but we have always bounced back and will again. Keep the faith people. One thing that does worry me though are the crowd figures, with only one scoreless game last season at home the one thing you can expect coming to Histon is goals so why no fans. Get out there everyone and bring a friend - hopefully they will like it.

[pitchmark]

I thought it was fairly obvious what was about to transpire when our lot lined up for the first whistle. The whole formation was shunted into the left hand side of the pitch leaving NOBODY to the right of the centre spot. This put midson (right wing) in the centre - kicking off, with Lanre collecting the ball behind him. Lanre then thumped the ball towards the left corner flag (actually out of play - probably landed in Macs lookout tower). This begs the question - why go to the intricacies of passing the ball back first?. Why not just punt it out of play from the centre spot and be done with it?. It was quite funny watching FGRs left winger trying to work out whether to stick or twist, though.
We have our strategy, but when the ball is badly delivered or the forwards are as leggy as Danny looked, the two ends are never going to meet and (as Saturday) your opponents will easily mop up the fallout.
Let's be honest aswell, if we had won 2-0,3-0,whatever - against the form team - using the direct attack, nobody would have complained about it. Success through attrition.
We'll turn it around on Tuesday - get along and see!.

[stags08]

Aug 31, 2008 11:32:53 GMT @localfan said:

Histon finished 7th last year playing largely that style of football, and John Beck has made it successful wherever he has gone. Histon are boxing above their weight and have to play to their strengths, if you think you can come up to this level and finish higher than 7th whilst also playing attractive football...well, you certainly will be disappointed.

John Beck didn't really make it work anywhere apart from us, he didn't achieve too much at Lincoln.

[marke]

We've got where we are today playing direct, so don't knock it on the basis of one poor performance. I think we lost on Saturday because we played poorly, not because of the tactics. There was a lack of quality and basic ball control and we were often second to the ball. The fact that Forest Green kept the ball so well just put the difference in tactics of the two sides into stark relief. All credit to them, they played really well. They kept the ball and tired us out in the heat. Their goalie was commanding on set plays and they kept 3 up front whilst defending them.


We did make a few chances from set plays and on another day might have snatched a goal. Kingy missed a simple header and had a snap shot straight at the keeper.

So bring on Altrincham and let the players make amends.

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2008 9:42:07 GMT @mikecheck said:

The lads only on paper round money, he struggles to pay as it is, the away day will cost about £40 and waste a whole day of his time, so whats the point if hes just going to be dissapointed!

Someone has been stalking me
And to local fan, no we won't finish 7th again this year playing 'hoof ball' because everybody will know how to stop us.
I'd rather see us pass it about, playing attractive football and finish 15th, than watch us hoof it and finish 7th.

[bobby]

I'm starting to get to the stage where I agree with you Tom, but I feel that we have the quaity that when we do pass it around, we may finish 7th again or higher

At the end of the day, we've won two games. In both those games, we passed the football round much better that in the Forest Green game, and we got a result from it. Surely if we win games using a particular style, we should maintain using that style. We've beaten two of the top teams in this league, whilst losing ourselves to a team that is 'above average'. Surely the way forward is to start passing the ball more on the floor, instead of the unnatractive, tedious, and half of the time-useless tactic of long ball. Defence can use long ball, I'm fine with that, but make it a long or direct ball to our midfield, who can then get the ball on the deck and play with it.

Oh, and P.S. Antonio Murray is a right-midfielder, play him there and keep him there, don't play him there one week and in a different position the next, he can't get into a steady rhythm

[Deleted]

I have taken some friends to watch us play, however, they have never wanted to return. Our play reminds me of Herefore who moved up from the fourth to the old second by belting the ball forward for Dixie McNeil to latch on to it. Unfortunately that style runout of steam when they started to meet more quality teams and they quickly found themselves back from where they came.

It's early to draw any conclusions about the rest of the season but I must admit to a nagging believe that we may have a lot tougher season this time around. Our play is easy to read and after watching us for the last few seasons can't think of an occasion when we were able to change our game plan.

[Deleted]

Agree with Strikers.

It is surprising to see the posts on here after Saturdays game. Don't knock a successful formula on the back of one defeat.

The huge diagonal ball to NKP to flick or battle for a throw-in - then chuck the ball in the box and press was the tactic all last season.

It creates pressure and sometimes the percentages pay off.

Also don't understand the argument about other teams 'finding us out', so to speak. They are pretty slow if it has taken a whole season to find this out. For anyone planning to play us would have known within 10 minutes of the Burton game last season.

Its not pretty, but you play to your strengths.

[JSmith]

Well I'm sorry but I'm going to have to knock it now I'm afraid. I for one can't question for us deploying that tactic over the last couple of years as it has worked a treat against sides who can't deal with it due to our physical presence.

But now we are at the pinnacle of non-league football, teams are stronger, more intelligent, and better footballing sides. Admittedly you do get the odd-few that try and out play us at our game, long ball, but I think you'll find out this year that more teams will get it down on the deck against us and just sit back all day picking balls out of the air.

It truly is going to be a more difficult year for us this year, no question. But I can't see long ball getting us near to the top anytime soon, and we need to buck our ideas up soon.

[Deleted]

My comments early are not directed at the players, the players don't enjoy hoofing it, we dnt enjoy hoofing it, so get them passing it John Beck!

[jasper]

I don't think anyone was blaming the players. They do as they are instructed but it must get habit forming. Just mix it up. A quick short pass can be just as effective and hit them with the long ball when required. It works for most teams.

[mikecheck]

Everyones attendances drop in the last week of summer holidays. i know ours was a large drop but oh well, some fans can afford to spoil themselves:P

we will be back to the huge figure of 1000 soon.

[davo]

So.. do FGR deserve to be top?

[mikecheck]

ye

[Deleted]

Of course they do, although they're not top right now ;D