We line up with a flat back 4. Hence Coach Conor has loaned out Cotter and O’Keefe, presumably for their inability to defend. (FYI, I’ll miss Cotter. Marauding runs, pace, passion, and can throw a ball. O’Keefe? Showed glimpses of being decent, but I’d put him in the remedial class for his slow development at defending. Hasn’t improved in 2 years.) Today it’s MDG’s turn at being a right back. So, we can’t turn right wingbacks into rightbacks, so we’re going to turn a centre half into one? I’ve not got great hopes. In the centre, Roberts is partnering Jack Shepherd, our Great White Hope after a successful spell at Bratfud last season. And left back is the Plymouth loanee whose name begins with ‘O’ (I think). Ogbata or summink.
Centre midfield is Russell and Bland, while right midfield is the complete left-footer (I mean that in the literal sense) Farrugia. Phillips, DKD and new fans favourite McGoldrick float around the other spaces. Fans favourite? He’s not even played a game and the fans are chanting his name. I’ll add this to my irk that fans on social media are already referring to him on social media by his nickname, ‘Didzy’. I’m sorry, but I’m not calling players who’ve not done anything for us by their NICKNAME. Do we refer to ‘Phillipsy’? ‘Coops’ (new keeper Murphy Cooper) ‘Hapless’? (Watters) No we don’t. So why start now? Mind, the bloke next to me likes him ‘cos at least he’s wearing black boots’. I’m with him on that one.
It takes us 6 minutes to score. A corner is put in and Jack Shepherd heads home, unchallenged. (He’d later get his head to another corner. Have we found a centre half who could be dangerous in THEIR box, as well as ours?) Otherwise, we’re knocking it about nicely. McGoldrick was coming deep for the ball. Too deep? Or drawing defenders out of position, a la McAtee the season before last? I couldn’t tell. Still, he gets his reward for his hard work a few minutes before half-time DKD drives into space, inviting McGoldrick’s marker to come across and cover. The resultant pass is perfect in timing, pace and accuracy, leaving Didzy (Jesus Christ!) to dink it over the oncoming keeper. Perfect. Have we got a finisher? Or is there no pressure in a friendly at Harrogate. Either way, I’m not missing Watters already.
Or maybe I am. I heard someone say they’ll miss the Watters chant. ‘We didn’t sign a striker, but it doesn’t matter,..cos we’ve got Max Watters.’ Me too. I loved that chant, the most ironic in football history. It blatantly DID matter. We were 4th in January. We finished 12th. He’s now been sent on loan to Dundee United. (You should see what their PR guy wrote about him on Twitter. Go on, have a look. PR gold. You’d think we’d just lost Shearer, Kane, Van Basten and Lineker all at once. From memory, my fave bit was how he fired us to the play-offs 2 seasons ago!) In memory of Max (R.I.P.) we had paid (PAID!) good money for him after he was sh*te on loan...600k...and his wages (allegedly) were 6k a week...so in 2 seasons he’s cost us…(quick bit of mental arithmetic)...£1.2m. ONE POINT TWO MILLION. Plus whatever we’re subsidising Dundee United, cos they’re not paying that in wages. Anyway, it’s his last year of a three year contract with us. Such a shame we won’t have chance to wave him goodbye. (Two fingers?)
Where was I? Centre forwards. Well, good job we’ve adequate cover. Cosgrove’s gone, Jalo’s made of glass, and that leaves some kid from the juniors (Keiron Graham?) Yes, Watters is that bad we’ve sent him out despite having NOBODY. Cos McGoldrick isn’t gonna complete 90 minutes anytime soon. Or ever. We’ve obviously got somebody lined up. Or else we’ll wait to see who’s still out of contract come August end, as we did Humphreys. Oh yeah, he’ll not be missed either. Half a dozen decent performances once our season had ended.
Jalo was there today. In the stand, sat down. And the poor lad didn’t half look embarrassed as the fans behind the goal serenaded him...’Jalo, Jalo, Jalo...he’s better than Christiano.’ The only chant better than the Watters one. In other team news, Luca was missing. I honestly hadn’t noticed till 80 minutes in, and even then I had it pointed out to me. Hopefully he was packing his bags, but the Chron said he had an injury. Let’s hope this is a classic example of a club lying to protect their ‘asset’ while he engineers a move to 3rd division titans Wycombe Wanderers. (Have they REALLY offered £1.3m? Are we REALLY haggling? I suspect neither is true.)
Indeed, the fans were in good voice that 1st half, in particular mocking Wednesday’s (latest?) crisis. ‘We’re having a party when Wednesday die’ apparently. And this Chansiri chap is becoming more and more popular everywhere in South Yorkshire outside of S6. Keep it up, Washday.
I moved round the pitch at half-time, to stand on the halfway line and get a better view of our midfield movement and passing. Nothing happened. Farrugia hurt himself sliding out and heading the advertising hoardings. Personally, I’d have put my arms out to cushion the fall. Hopefully he’s alright, though there was nothing in his display to suggest he’s a starter. He looks quite pacey, but what’s the point if it’s down the right wing and you can’t kick it with that foot?
Reyes Cleary came on (left wing) and made a couple of direct runs with no end product, while a couple of youth lads came on to run about and look keen. Following the Farrugia episode, where he was seen off by a defender (fairly IMHO, though it wound up the fans behind the goal) tempers became flared as the Sulphurites (one of THE great nicknames) put in a couple of robust challenges on the halfway line, causing Coach Conor and their manager – the owner’s son, can’t remember his name, but I wish I was the son of a football club owner! – to do passable impressions of Scrappy Doo. Lemme at ‘em, lemme at ‘em!
Then, as we’d all given up on a match breaking out, another sub, Yoganathan, strode forward, chopped back onto his left foot and curled one into the far top corner from the apex of the box. Bergkampesque. (If Bergkamp could do it on his left foot, which he couldn’t.) 3 nil to the Super Reds. I am strangely optimistic. I think we could do really well this season. If we’re playing in the 4th division.
Onwards and upwards!
*** Shepherd. Won everything in the air, made a couple of covering blocks, scored. We’ll ignore the aberration (see ‘Despatches’)
** Cooper. Faultless. Commanded his area both in deeds and words. Bosses communication. (Noticeably when MDG was told to leave a throughball. Memories of MDG messing at least 2 of these up with different keepers last season.) Also made a superb late diving save to tip one round the post.
* Didzy. Great finish for the goal and looked good in possession. A pity he didn’t have the pace to take on a 45 yard run when clean through though.
*For the avoidance of doubt, pre-season friendly top 3s will NOT count in the Londontyke POTY totals.
Despatches:
Short goal kicks. We looked like an accident waiting to happen. And in one, we were. The ball is played to Shepherd, who plays a Sulphurite clean through. Thankfully, Cooper was quick out and the player blazed it over. But, really, if we can’t pass it around Harrogate, it’s not gonna work against Cardiff, Plymouth, etc I’m getting Marcus Schopp levels of PTSD here. And it’s not like we suck the opposition in to ‘play it through the lines’. No, we suck them forward so the keeper is left with no choice but to boot it long. Which he could have done, no risk, straight from the goalkick.
Something I did notice, 1st half. I think BFC had brought their own cameraman, as Coach Conor was issuing him with orders during one corner routine. (The cameras are on the roof above the dugouts.) Will every club let us do this? Do they have to? Or is it just while we perfect those corner routines during friendlies?
Oh, and talking of corners...I saw my 1st corner awarded for a keeper holding onto the ball 8 seconds. I think that’s the new rule, anyway.
Drink du jour: None.
Away: 821 (2,261).
The Damage:
£12 ent
£5 prog (x2)*
c.£20 petrol
= £42
*you read that right. A FIVER for a programme. At a friendly. To be fair, it covered 3 matches (Rovrum and Carlisle too). And I don’t mind keeping Harrogate in business. It’s a lovely day out!
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