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Post by bomber on Apr 9, 2019 20:36:52 GMT
3-2 at the moment. I can assume that the bubble has well and truly burst now. ..we'll finish around 10th this season. Shame.
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Post by robc on Apr 9, 2019 20:45:32 GMT
Oh dear - listening to Ian Wilding's commentary we threw it away in the second-half, he reckoned the Eastleigh players' heads dropped when LO equalised.
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Post by blackie on Apr 9, 2019 21:05:56 GMT
Unless Joey Jones and Reda Johnson are back for our remaining games we can kiss the PO’s goodbye.
Without them we simply are not good or resilient enough.
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Post by ballboy on Apr 9, 2019 21:18:16 GMT
Joey Jones played the whole game and Reda is hopeful for Saturday
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Post by spitfiresteve on Apr 9, 2019 21:39:01 GMT
Joey Jones played the whole game and Reda is hopeful for Saturday Jones played most of the game as the defensive midfielder- need him further forward. In general the midfield seem to sit too deep inviting the opposition on. At one point we had 7 players in a defensive line. A really good game however, and pleased to see some of the quick passing in the first half. |
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Post by hantslondoner on Apr 9, 2019 22:46:43 GMT
Two early goals for Paul McCallum against his old club.
The Orient forum reckon that they put in a bid for him in January which was turned down, but they may try again in the summer.
They were delighted with the victory having been behind at half time, they said that we tired in the second half.
Defeats in the last two games weren't a total surprise IMO - we're still in the play-off place so must get back to winning ways on Sat against Gateshead.
They lost at home to Fylde tonight and are out of form, however they're only four points behind us.
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Post by rocky on Apr 10, 2019 1:33:29 GMT
chance missed in the last few game for sure, but come on we can do this. its in our hands. last 4 games all look decent on paper. We are the team of the contenders for the last spot in pole position. 3 points on Saturday would be such a boost
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Post by michaelefc on Apr 10, 2019 7:28:14 GMT
2,3,4 and 3 goals conceded in our last 4 games tell its own story. By hook or by crook Ben Strevens needs to make our back line solid. Starting Saturday, above all else we need to keep a clean sheet, we are always likely to score as we are so strong from set pieces, if this means we have to sacrifice a more expansive and attractive style of football, so be it. I hope this week we can train and train to make us a team who defend as a unit and are solid. It is still in our hands, we need leaders to take responsibility on the pitch and to help get us over the line.
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Post by stew5018 on Apr 10, 2019 13:35:56 GMT
I thought after the Fylde game that that would be the most entertaining game of the season-wrong last nights was. I think theres maybe too much pessimism. The last 2 games we have played away against really good teams-and we did well, really well. At the start of the season they would have been games we would expect to get no more than a draw. We have one striker--that's it and he will be gone in the summer no doubt about it. Last night Orient had far more to play for than us and had fantastic support so credit to their fans who have kept with them. I don't believe that the Play Offs are the be all and end all of the season.Our home form has let us down and some of our players haven't played as well throughout the season. Judged against Fylde and Orient over a season we simply arn't good enough with this team. My thoughts are not really on the play offs but who will stay and go. Least we know we will still have Jack McNight!!! however the season ends I think we have punched above our weight and to be in this position at this stage nobody expected. So all in all a good season (bar cup games!!)
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Post by michaelefc on Apr 10, 2019 17:41:38 GMT
I can't comment on the last two away games as I wasn't there, but to concede 7 goals in the two is not great, however well we played. I also don't buy this punching above our weight argument. I know there were many on this forum who thought we would struggle and possibly get relegated. I was not one of those people and before a ball was kicked I forecast 9th. The squad of players we have had this year, has been good. We have one of the best, if not the best striker in the league, we have had very good goalkeepers virtually all season, in Mark Yates we have one of the best players in his position in the league, you can go through the players individually they are very good players, many would be wanted by decent national league sides or even lower league teams.
Although I don't know the figures, my understanding is we have had a very competitive budget, top half for sure, possibly even top third. We have a decent pitch to play on these days, in a nice ground, we get big crowds, and Eastleigh is a good size town, so I'm really not sure how we have punched above our weight. Given that 3 games ago we were a banker for a play off place, if we don't get it, that will be a major disappointment, and given that we were awful in the cups, in that scenario, i would give the season 6/10 - could do better.
I will confess that I have a somewhat jaundiced view of the season, as I have only seen home games, and to be honest I have not been very impressed with most of what I have seen. For me we have overall done okay so far, but no more. After the next 4 games and hopefully the play offs, we will be much more in a position to say how good or bad the season has been.
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Post by unknownquantity on Apr 10, 2019 21:03:16 GMT
I have not seen the last two away games, but it seems that in both of them we scored two goals and created chances to score more. I did though see the Barnet game and felt that after a high tempo beginning in which we could have easily scored Barnet came much more into the game and when they had the ball they appeared to have a lot of space to work with. In other games I have seen this season we have had a one goal lead and players have thrown their bodies on the line to preserve this.
I do wonder whether we have missed Danny Hollands as he is perhaps our best defensive midfield player and since his red card nine goals have been conceded in two and a half games.
People make a point about the home form being poor, and the away form being good. It is true we have won marginally more points away then we have at home, but we are not the only team in the division to have done so and if the home and away results had been reversed people would still make the comments about home and away form. Actually our own away results against the other teams in the top ten have not been great.
Still there are still four league games and 12 points still to play for. |
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Post by stew5018 on Apr 10, 2019 21:32:33 GMT
Sorry Michael I can't agree. We have had 2 reasonable spells when we have got the points we needed but our home form has been woeful. We haven't had consistency with our season compared with the others in the top spots. Harrowgate have been in the top seven all season having just got promoted. I agree the defence has been poor and to be in 7th place and have a negative goal difference is shocking. We are 8th in the goals against league. That is my whole point in saying we have punched above our weight. We only have one regular goalscorer and its just not enough. It has to be said that without a back up to him we would struggle to score many goals. Williamson for example has given a very poor return to justify starting almost every game he has been fit. With goalkeepers Stack left suddenly and we were lucky that Sunderland stepped in. Max changed our season there is no doubt about that. His replacements record bears no comparison. Now i'm not blaming the goalkeeper for all the goals conceded but Max was a class above who really led the defence and that is where we now struggle. In Captains we don't have a dominant voice. There are good and bad points of 1 year contracts but what they mean is that each year we are in 'transition' and that isn't a great way to start a season If you cast your mind back to Maidenhead away we had to borrow a player from Ebbsfleet. If we were to get promoted which I doubt then the team who stepped on the pitch simply couldn't be the players we have now. Orient, Fylde, Wrexham and Salford already have better team infrastructure. So to sum up- our defence is poor, we don't own a goalkeeper and need 2 more, our top and only striker is likely to leave, any other good players are likely to go to, we have a limited 'search area' for new players.
So for me I can say even now that I'm very happy with whatever our final position is. For me that is not dictated by the next 4 games. I have been to every game home and away and have been left disappointed, happy, frustrated, worried and often confused by what I've seen. i didn't expect us to be relegated but i believed we would finish bottom half so for me where we are now has been a bonus. Finally, even 11 excellent players individually doesn't guarantee a good team performance. If we could retain the nucleus of the team now then next year could be a push on with higher expectations for me. If the nucleus changes my main ambition for the team will be to avoid relegation. I think we should be casting our net towards local teams soon to be relegated-still contain some good players.
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Post by hantslondoner on Apr 10, 2019 21:47:52 GMT
I have no idea about budget, so I'm only guessing, but here's my view....
At the start of the season we started with quite a few experienced players, some in the second (or more) year of a contract - presumably the money was covered by SD? Some of these players have done well and are vital parts of the side, some have been injured, and some have left.
My impression is that we have less money to play with, and we have therefore gone for younger players, with potential (which I was keen for us to do anyway) - we have made some good signings, but as a result performances have been less consistent at times, and the squad suffers more when important players get injured/suspended. Recently I've seen several players on the bench who were recently playing Southern/Wessex league - fine for 20 mins but not as regulars yet, but they may develop next season - some definite potential there.
As a result I think we've done well to get in a play-off position at this stage and will be disappointed if we don't hold it. Having predicted a lower-middle position in the table this season, I therefore think Hess, and latterly Strevs, have done pretty well.
I'd guess our budget to be about mid-table given that signings during the season have now been mainly cheaper ones, and I'd expect that to be our normal position now. As has been said we cannot compete with the like of Orient, Salford, Wrexham, etc. but we've done well to get where we have. We've not always done ourselves justice at home but I've enjoyed the effort they've put in, and I would say that we are punching slightly above our weight. Performances in cups are still a major bugbear, though - is this the fault of the management of the players, or both?
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Post by maysie on Apr 11, 2019 18:38:07 GMT
My first away game in a long time and I thoroughly enjoyed it. The atmosphere was fantastic. Orient took their goals well and although the game was lost its still in the hands of Eastleigh they need to bounce back with a win this week to silence the doubters. To be in this position is a credit to Strevs and the team and they are well in with a good shout of progressing
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Post by thelake on Apr 11, 2019 22:52:53 GMT
Its ourse to lose.
Lets just get a win on Saturday and then we will all beleie we can do this
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