Monday 29 October 2012

Barnsley 1-4 Nottingham Forest, Saturday 27th October 2012

The view from Camberwell:
Start as you mean to go on – badly.  The ‘Super Reds’ enter the arena to a bunch of kids waving flags while wearing the blue and white stripes of local rivals Sheffield Wednesday.  Whatthehell was that all about?  Can one of you supporters club types ‘have a word’???

The match?  I heard rumours we went ahead and looked comfortable.  My version of events was that they were all over us, looked a constant threat, missed an unbelieveable chance when Sharp headed wide and we hit them on the break.  Great goal too, which the Football League Show sadly edited to one pinpoint throughball from Mellis.  I’d have shown Dawson breaking past 3 players first, before laying the ball off to Mellis to make an easy pass into acres of space to a weirdly unmarked Harewood.  Cool finish as well, though when he rounded the keeper I still thought he was thinking twice about actually putting the ball in the net against his old team. (Previously, Forest fans were regaling his name, something not likely to happen with us).

What an odd game Harewood had.  Either you thought he had a smashing game and was our greatest threat, or he was a comedy of errors.  Anyone putting him 3rd in their top 3 is bottling the decision.  He’s either MOTM or stunk to high heaven, save for scoring a one-on-one under no defensive pressure at all.  I thought he was pants.  He blazed an early free kick over the bar but even that looked half decent compared to when he was clean through wide right and kicked the pitch rather than the ball, which trickled out of play to derision.  He did whip in a couple of good balls, but equally, he was falling over himself half the time – it being difficult to co-ordinate one’s self if one is over 6 feet tall and carrying 16 stones (and the rest).

And I haven’t even got to the goalkeeper, yet.  It’s been said before, and it’ll be said again – he’s an accident waiting to happen.  Only this time, he was 3 accidents waiting to happen.  I blame him for all the first 3 goals and as my dad said at half time ‘It’s a bit depressing to know we’ve lost already.’  #1 was the softest goal I’ve seen in an age.  Halford cuts inside and nudges a ball goalwards with the outside of his right foot.  5 minutes later the ball is still trickling towards our goal when a slight deflection off Foster takes the ball to within a yard of the middle of the goal.  Where our keeper was or what our goalkeeper was doing is a mystery beyond me.

#2 involves the keeper actually saving something but serving it up on a plate for Cox to tap in the rebound.  Sharp should’ve buried the first effort but he doesn’t hit it hard enough and, for me, the keeper shoulda caught it, nevermind pushing it round the post for a corner.  Still, 10/10 to Alnwick for jumping up after conceding to belatedly shout for offside.  The desperate measure of a desperate man.  He wasn’t.  Then, as the stadium announcer tells us there’s gonna be X amount of minutes of injury time, I see their bloke hit a harmless looking 25 yarder, nice height to save….it flies through Alnwick’s grasp.  #4 sees Jenas deftly dink the ball over Benny, a cool finish, but I note this:  Steele saves more one-on-ones than he lets in.  He’s top drawer and if he’s fit enough for the bench, he’s gotta be fit enough to play.  And if he’s not fit enough, then get someone else in, cos this bloke in the nets now is a disaster.
Ode to Ben Alnwick:
Oh Alnwick,
You make me panic.
You pr*ck.

*** Dawson.  Foraging runs from midfield, getting stuck in, kept Reid quiet.  So the manager takes him off after 55 minutes.

** Done.  Looked quick and a threat out wide.  So the manager takes him off after 60 minutes to put on a left back and push Golbourne further forward.  Like that’ll work.

* Kennedy.  Said left back.  Thought he did alright actually.

Sponsors MOTM?  Teacher’s Pet , Scott Wiseman.  Errrr….kept them down to 4 goals?  Still, he had a lovely view of the Jenas goal as he stood and watched him run through.  Thankfully, Forest were happy to sit back and take the ‘pressure’ 2nd half, rather than go for the jugular.  Much appreciated.  I don't like being embarrassed.

I was babysitting this game.  My dad’s friend couldn’t make it, so he gave my ticket to another mate while I sat in first friend’s seat looking after a 10 year old.  A little voice half way through the first half said  ‘Why isn’t Bobby Hassell playing?’  I don’t know, Bailey, I don’t know.  (He was on the bench.)

Despatches:
Perkins had that 'other' game of his, the one where he is 2nd to everything and gave away what ball he did have.  While his midfield mate Mellis...well, if he'd played till now he still wouldn't have a sweat on.  To call him a stroller would be an exaggeration.  The way he lays a ball off square, pretends like he's gonna turn and run forward, but instead trots back to his centre circle role to take an easy ball back reminds me of McPhail in his pomp.


ps, a great day was cemented at full time when I stood outside the club shop to meet Gerry, as arranged beforehand.  He never turned up.  When I rang him ‘Where are you?’  ‘I’m at the station.’  Great.  Still, there’s always drinks on the train to look forward to.  So Andy accidentally buys ginger beer instead of ginger ale to go with our spiced rum.  I don’t know whether the burning sensation in my throat was from the rum or the ginger.  Still, it was drinkable.  (Mind, I worry that it's taken Andrew 45 years to find out ginger beer is different to ginger ale.)

Monday 22 October 2012

Charlton 0-1 Barnsley, Saturday 20th October 2012

I think we can all agree that was a great day - even allowing for standing at London Bridge station for half an hour waiting for Gerry!  We controlled the match from start to fin...well, from start till the 80th minute, when they went down to 10 men then all of a sudden we couldn't get out of our own half.  Excellent crowd, great atmosphere.  It was good to see so many Reds fans take advantage of the offer to get in for a fiver.  Tho a 'boooooooo' to all those who said they'd come and then couldn't be bothered/had better things to do.

*** Perkins.  Interception after interception, then played balls along the floor to teammates.  It's THAT simple folks.  The Charlton fan at work also agreed 'that little blond fella in midfield looked great for youse'.

** Davies.  Took the game to Charlton up front, a constant threat.  Woulda been good had he a little more support sometimes.

* Alnwick.  Only made one difficult save (that I can think of) but came and collected plenty of times and his kicking remains very good.

Despatches:
Well, full marks for winning, but I'd have taken Davies off sooner - he was knackered.  Altho on top, the shooting was woeful.  4 pathetic long range efforts 1st half (none of which came from the one man we have who CAN kick a ball - Davies).  It was noticeable Charlton stuck 2 men on Davies and made sure he couldn't do his trademark cut inside from the left and strike with his right.

I also thought Dawson had a tremendous game, great back up for Perkins, while Mellis seemed happy to stroll through the game.  I also thought the Polish guy hadn't done much - till he scored.  Stones was quiet, whilst Foster and Wiseman generally had things under control.  And even when Wiseman was done, there'd be little David Perkins, back to clear up the mess.

And how ironic that on a day when I see Craig for the 1st time in yonks, I end up at an all night party involving copious amounts of class A's.

It's just a perfect day....Lou Reed knew what he was on about!

You Reds!!!!!!!

Monday 1 October 2012

Barnsley 1-1 Ipswich Town, Saturday 29th September 2012


Decent game and we dominated the 2nd half, yet we problies didn’t quite do enough to win. A point earned, I’d say, rather than 2 points lost against a side 2nd off bottom and out of form.  We didn’t miss that many chances, cos we didn’t create many.  We had plenty of the ball in their box, but it pinged around to anyone but our own players.  And Ipswich were a cynical bunch, full of professional fouls and timewasting.  Mellis in particular was targeted.  Needless to say, the ref didn’t help.  Those with a better memory than me had already commented how ‘Trevor Bloody Kettle’ never gives us anything.  2 decisions summed it up:  Their goal was never a free kick in the 1st place, whilst he couldn’t wait to disallow Foster’s ‘goal’ for a foul on the keeper.  The good thing about being a cynic is that it saved me getting off my chair when Foster bagged.  I just knew the ref would call a foul, they always do.  Having seen it on TV, Foster certainly makes contact with the keeper, but no more than he would do against an outfield player without a foul being given.  Going down like a sack of s*** always  helps.

*** Dawson.  Official MotM.  He was everywhere, and of course, hit a superb equaliser.   Grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck as it looked like nothing would go our way.  Whilst it’s early days and a little harsh on Dawson to compare him to Redfearn, the guy behind me hit the nail on the head – ‘He’s a better Gary Jones’.

** Wiseman.  Thought he controlled the centre of defence.

* Cranie.  Not sure he’s the ‘Rolls-Royce’ that Hill describes, but he’s tidy and keeps things ticking.

Despatches:

- Mellis.  Excellent 1st half, faded 2nd.

- Dagnall.  Another super game.  Will he ever score tho? (No).  Today he hit the post from an acute angle.  Shame no-one followed up!

- Stones.  Came on and arguably changed the game.  Upped the tempo of our attacks, neat one-twos and effortlessly beat players.

- Alnwick.  Didn’t I say t’other week he makes it exciting?  How he failed to save that shot…well, it didn’t surprise me at all, to be honest.  Excellent use of brass neck by getting up and screaming at the defence for his f*** up.  Later on made a tremendous save from a header.  Also, made 2 of the best passes of the game, to our right.  Get him in midfield!

The train journey:
As Andy said, interesting.  After our train was cancelled, we managed to get on the next one an hour later where we had the ‘pleasure’ of one of Millwall’s top boys and his gaggle of apprentices. Whilst there was an air of menace from him, at least the coppers were only 2 punches and a knifing away in the vestibule.  (Andy) you were right telling the Hudds fan he shouldn’t have ‘had words’ with said hooliefan, as he did happen to mention how close Hudds boy had been to a kicking.  I must have had 3 too many vodkas cos I lectured him on how that would hardly be fair, given there were about 8 of them and only of one of him.  Anyway, if you meet a Millwall fan with a Cornish accent and looking like a pirate, that’ll be him.
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