BFC 2-0 Gillingham, Saturday 26th September 2015

‘Can I have the veggie breakfast, with a side order of bacon?’

One unemployed keeper

Brought some pals from that there London for the Gills match.  How much do you reckon it is for an East Upper ticket on the day? That’s right, 27 quid.  And you wonder why our on the day walk-in gate is pitiful.  Maybe it’s cheaper if you buy in advance – but I didn’t know who’d want to come (given the last time involved a goalless draw, a missed pen and a thorough post-match drenching).  Ho hum.

The fayre was improved this time.  I have to say I think LJ is being a bit harsh when he says we ‘won ugly’ – cos that was the best I’ve seen them thus far.  Perhaps he prefers ‘losing beautifully’ (Everton, home).  Aside from the 1^st 10 minutes, when Mawson nearly gifted them a goal and then was too hapless to bring their lad down (Nyatanga to the rescue, on the cover), they never threatened.  Ok, they hit the post – in injury time.  We controlled it.

The Gills' hordes. All 248 of 'em.

At the epicentre was Pearson, who broke down opposition moves before laying it off for our pile of attacking midfielders.  He then drove home a 20 yarder from the edge of the box when the cross was half cleared.  Then, in 1st half injury time, Winnall made it safe, running from 5 yards behind their defender who simply stood and stared as the ball came to him.  I’ve seen defending like that before at Oakwell.  Winnall nicked in front of him and dragged it into the bottom corner.  He is the Jimmy Greaves of the lower divisions.

If there was any disappointment, it was in not being greedy and pasting them in the 2^nd half. If this Gills lot are promotion contenders (they’re not) then we’re absolute certs for promotion.  As has been said, we lost it a bit when Crowley came on, but for all he lost the ball with his 1^st 5 touches, he was supreme thereafter.  Just needed to get his eye in!

The Ponty

*** Pearson of Manchester United.  Ran the game.

** Smith of Barnsley.  Seemed involved in most things, which was odd for a left back.  LJ likes him cos he gets up in support and crosses a ball.  Shame then that LJ doesn’t play anyone he can cross it TO.  Twitter MOTM.

* Harris of Cardiff City. I like this bloke.  Runs at people, worries them..and even if he loses it, balls run loose to oncoming midfielders.

Londontykes' Top 3:

1. Pearson

2. G. Smith

3. Watkins

Despatches:

The attacking midfield did well as a unit, without pulling up trees individually.  Though, stealing a line from an earlier report, ‘Hourihane proved he’s Premiership class by blaming other players when his passes went astray’.  Well, once.  But I do get p***ed off as he hangs into the ball too long, waits for the wide player to run past him (offside), THEN he plays the ball.  It’s not that I specifically look out for these things, they happen.  (Late 2^nd half, down our left – so I’d be amazed if the three mouseketeers of Reedy, Slacki and Salisbury never saw it).  LJ – have a word.

Nyatanga was class at centre half.  Or does Mawson make him stand out?  Mawson can look a class act, intercepting a through ball before strolling out confidently…only to get tackled in possession in their half or pass the ball to them or the stand.  For me, he’s got to improve before he becomes the new Jim McNulty/Brian O’Callaghan.  (‘But half the Championship want him!’  Yes, that’s why he signed for us.)  I also thought Wabara had a strong game at right back, while the kamikaze keeper Townsend was calmness personified, making a couple of decent stops and claiming everything in the air. 

Drink du jour: without me for the journey, I know Slacki was keen to hit the gin.  Sounds like he did. 

Away: 248.  Meaning barely over 8,000 Reds.

The subs warm down afterwards

Oakwell empties.

Match action

The old Main Stand

BFC 4-1 Swindon Town, Saturday 12th September 2015

‘We score when we want….’

Oakwell...the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow

What a weird game.  I could say it was just like the old days, as an enterprising opposition coming to play football were rewarded for their open play by being caned by the Super Reds.  Swindon should’ve done what Shrewsbury did last week and just sit in their own half waiting for us to get impatient, then pick us off.  But I fast forward…
We arrive to find that we think we’re Spain, Lee Johnson electing to go without a centre forward.  This actually pays dividends later, as Shrewsbury refuse to play any centre halves and let Marley Watkins run through unchallenged for our equaliser.  Hilariously, he was so alone he even had time to look behind him for a defender and/or an offside flag.  None came, cool finish.  Then Williams (crazy start, lost the ball loads but ran around like  madman trying to make up for it) gets injured and Winnall gets to take his rightful place offside.  (Sorry, cheap dig, I don’t think he was offside on Satdy).

Defence and attack await a corner

But that is to ignore one of the single most entertaining debuts I have ever seen in a Reds shirt – step forward (not TOO far!) the keeper, Townsend.  I’ll be honest, I know nowt about him.  A free transfer from Brum or somewhere? He is CALAMITOUS.  A poor man’s Manuel Neuer, he races out of goal so often he needs to be put on a lead.  Early doors he sprints out twice, they round him, yet fail to score.  He couldn’t even get a connection on their player(s), which would have been a straight red.  He makes it a hattrick by coming out for a ball he’d no right to get…Nyatanga nods it gently (presumably hoping the keeper has stayed back, cos Lewin himself is under pressure) and the ball TRICKLES into the net.  Comical.  In the second half, Townsend finds himself in the LEFT BACK spot and the forward is so confused he elects to square it (to a Reds player) rather than simply kick it into an empty onion bag.  So there’s at least 3 more goals the Robins should’ve scored.  I say GET HIM IN EVERY GAME.

The Red Red Robins (not bob-bob-bobbin)

Still, we go into half time 2-1 up when Swindon show no intention of closing Wabara down from right back and he unleashes an absolutely BEAST of a shot from 25+ yards.  It was a cruise missile of an effort, rather than the scuds we’re used to (I remember one Winnall effort barely making the goal).

Second half, we crush them.  High on the press, their defenders make the same mistake we used to (still do?) of trying to pass it around beyond their ability.  In particular, our attacking midfield make monkeys of them and Hourihane sets up a Nyatanga header from a lovely inswinging cross which wasn’t even a deadball.  Go Conor!  Go Lewin!  Then, just as I thought Scowen got his just desserts for a strong run into the box, taking it past the last defender to score with his left, it hits the keeper, loops onto the bar and Hourihane is there to tap home.  (I believe the bloke behind him was wearing a red shirt too.  Men in the box!  Imagine!)
Someone (Winnall?) misses a late tap in for 5-1 and you have to wonder what happened today.  It was one of those days when it all came right in the end. 

I think it says 4-1 to Barnsley.

*** Hourihane.  Twitter MOTM.  In an attacking performance from the team, here comes our lynchpin.  Back to form?  Whatever, 1^st goal from open play this season and a constant threat.
** Scowen.  Maybe I’m biased, but he looks a different player when he’s allowed to run at the opposition.  
* Watkins.  3^rd is a difficult choice, but given we won it from attacking midfield, I’ll give it to the 3^rd of our maestros.   
Londontykes' Top 3:
1. Hourihane
2. Scowen
3. Harris

Despatches:Whatthehell has Davies done to get dropped? Produce a worldy last week?  Was he injured (but he was on the bench)?  Unbelievable, Jeff.   Surely you need a keeper with confidence and dropping him after last week isn’t the way to do it.  Good to see Smith back at left back, though he was helping the centre halves out so often he MUST have been under instruction.  Too often, Swindon had a spare man wide right, but an inability to give the ball to him.  I see Roberts was dropped too, despite 4 of you Londontykes making him 2^nd last week!  Listen, blond hair and long throw doth not a footballer make.  I still have no opinion on Mawson other than he does the simple things well, cos he had nowt to do.  And as I say, when they attacked, Smith seemed to join him as much as Nyatanga who deserves a mention purely for being the goal threat he is.  2 today!  Pearson was more prominent than last week, but still hasn’t reached his early heights.  If ANYONE is the new Lumsden, it’s him. Wabara, like Mawson, nowt to do.  Harris threatened spontaneously, while Winnall…didn’t.

Drink du jour: wheat beer in the pubs and a choice of vodka and orange or spiced rum and coke on the train, where we were joined by that rarest of breeds, a reasonable Blunts fan.  I had no idea Chris Morgan was held in such high esteem!

Away: 381.  
Oh, and at least I made it to the couch before falling asleep this week.  I knew I was drunk though, cos I could swear I saw Chris O'Grady taking someone apart on that sh*tar5e channel 5 highlights prog, before sleep befell me. Woke up about 6am and was ordered to feed the cat his breakfast before I could go to bed.
You Reds!!!!!!!!

The Damage:
25 train
3 prog
42 shirt
20 shorts

Less than 8000 home fans today...and it showed

BFC 1-2 Shrewsbury Town, Saturday 5th September 2015

‘The problem is ……….’

The Super Reds take their places.

It’s good to be back.  The more things change, etc.  Clueless formations, players out of position, losing despite dominating possession and territory (and the lack of shots on target, before anyone says we were ‘unlucky’).  No atmosphere.  And what could have been a disastrous day on our British railway system (thanks, East Midlands).


Starting with our train journey. Those East Midlands monkeys didn’t print all our tickets out at St P, so we were one short for the way back. Honest types that we are, we queried it on the train up.  No, the ticket inspector can’t help us, speak to the office at Sh*tfield station.  So we did. After 20 minutes, no they can’t help us either.  We bought the tickets on the East Midlands Trains website, ‘they have nothing to do with us’ says a guy in an office emblazoned with ‘East Midlands Trains’ upon it.  Reedy nearly combusts.  We could buy another ticket and ‘hopefully’ get a refund later.  No ta.  Just give us back what tickets we do have and we’ll risk it.  Great.  I go from having a stressful job Monday-Friday (ok, Tuesday-Friday this week) and then have to run the gauntlet of a lack of ticket from Sheffield to London later on (usual walk-on fare 70 odd quid).  As luck would have it, I have a print out of what tickets I’ve bought, mainly cos of my earlier cock up of buying tickets for the wrong train and having to change them.  Luckily, the inspector on the way back isn’t the nazi we were all dreading and it’s not a problem. Phew.

Tartan Tykes

The football.  (There was football?)  After an agreeable few Erdingers in the Number 7, it’s match time.  Johnson goes for a 4-2-3-1 with Scowen and Pearson the holding midfield players.  Yes, that’s right – our star player of last season, the forager in midfield, the dynamic runner, the one making things happen – is now not allowed past the centre circle.  In a passable impression of Jacob BF Mellis, he has his worst game I’ve ever seen for the Reds.  Winnall, on his own up front, is supported from behind by Crowley (excellent), Hourihane and Jacob Marley.  I think our 2 shots on target against relegation fodder thus far without a win is testament to what I think of this formation.
The Shrews go ahead early – and we can’t say the writing wasn’t on the wall.  The first 5 minutes is spent camped in our half and they’ve already had one header over when our 2 new amazing centre halves fail to deal with another corner and the ball is deflected (I presume) past Davies and altho hooked away, it’s behind the line.  Oh good.  No goals conceded in 2 home games and it takes 6 minutes for me to wonder how Crainie is getting on at Huddersfield.   (That’s a lie, I just put that in for Wadd and Loko, who either hate Crainie or worship at the temple of Roberts and Mawson).

But lo!  Hourihane beats a man on the edge of the box, turns down the chance of a shot, goes wider, then pulls it too far across goal.  Another similar effort follows, before he hits a 20 yarder off the post.  Of our 1^st 5 shots, he has 4 of them.  Good to see him having a go.  Maybe he’ll get one on target next time.  Marley is the other one, cuts inside, gets a shot off but it’s too close to the keeper.  Mind, he really should have done better later, as, when clean through, he inexplicably squares the ball to a defender…who promptly gives it back to him allowing him to fire it into the side netting.  (I believe this is the 2nd one off the woodwork referred to by others, but it was sidenetting).
Then we actually do score, Winnall taking a pass superbly, his first touch taking it away from the defender and giving him the chance to sidefoot into the right hand corner from the edge of the box.  Quality.
2^nd half…absolutely f.all till some fast bloke comes on at left wing (Harris).  Fast, direct…Shrewsbury were bricking it.  We take appropriate action and don’t give him the ball for the last 5 minutes.  Oh, then Shrewsbury ran up the field and ex-Reds junior Jordan Clark drops a shoulder and shoots home.  We have managed to lose it in the last minute.  Welcome back, indeed.  (FYI I only saw Clark once, away at Rovrum in a friendly, and he was the best player on the park.  Why can we NEVER develop attacking players at Oakwell?)

Come on you Shrews!

*** Crowley of Arsenal.  Twitter MOTM, everyone’s MOTM.   Ran at people, held the ball well, good distribution, often crowded out while waiting for the cavalry to arrive (which they never did).  So taken off after 70 mins.  Also had a decent shout for a pen, but let’s not bleat about one decision costing us the match.
** Harris of Cardiff.  Came on as sub for last 20, ran them ragged so we never gave him the ball again.  I was well excited at the thought he was one of our juniors coming good.  Later found out he’s not even one of ours.  Typical.  1^st 4 touches involved gaining 2 corners, whipping in a cross and getting a shot off, but folk will only remember the 5^th, where he blazed it into the stand with men in the box. 
* Nyatanga of Barnsley.  Excellent defensively, comfortable in possession.  Lost the ball twice late on in promising positions though.  (I’m not saying he’s a left back either, but credit where it’s due).

Londontykes' Top 3:
1. Crowley

2. Roberts

3. Hourihane

Despatches: (Takes deep breath)  Despite 'dominating', Shrewsbury made it easy for us.   Every ball they put forward they were offside, so much so my dad wondered if they had Dyer up front 1st half.   They scored 2 from the 3 decent attacks they had, and the other one needed an unbelievable save from Davies (tho if it had been in the corner, he'd have had no chance).  The new right back (Mubara?) just ambles forward then checks back or inside when someone covers him - just like Nyatanga.  No idea what he's like defensively as he had nowt to do.  But he looks built for rugby, not football, so has an air of Reece Brown about him for me (the useless lump we gave 10 games to last season at right back).  As we know, Nyatanga's never gonna leg it down the left and whip in a cross, and neither is George Smith - cos he's on the bench.  Hourihane had a decent outfield game (though his dead ball deliveries weren't up to normal standard), while I thought Watkins was hit and miss.  Pearson had a quiet game.  Winnall is the new Nardiello (so Loko will like him).  Always offside, too slow, so needs an early run on players but capable of a goal if he gets a chance.  Moans like hell when he doesn't get the pass he wants, while standing 6 yards offside.  Someone have a word.  But at least he didn't spend the game on his ar5e like he normally does.  Maybe playing on his own up front has forced him to improve this side of his game.  Or Johnson's told him that all his diving isn't helping matters.  The centre halves didn't do owt to impress me, apart from Roberts and his ginormous throw-in.  Shame the very person we want at the end of it is himself, cos Shrewsbury won every header from his efforts.  Smith  of Swindon came on up front and looked very poor.  If we're gonna pick up other 3rd division club's rejects, I'd have happily kept Jabo (Ibehre).  But it's ok, cos we can see him next season when Carlisle get promotion.

The manager / tactics?  A few of us quite like Nyatanga, though can accept the centre half partnership is settled.  But Nyatanga could play sweeper and we go 3-5-2 (3-5-1-1?).  But that means wing backs (Smith and..?)   As it is, tippy-tappying it about midfield will not get us anywhere.
Drink du jour: wheat beer in the pubs and a craft beer carryout for the way back.  Expensive.  (Cheers, Dave).
Away: 437.  Excellent turnout from a ‘small’ team.  Their 1st visit in 30 years, they must have really enjoyed beating a 'big club'.  Good on 'em.
The Damage:
25 train 
3 prog 
2 fanzine

Match action