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Post by hedges on Apr 28, 2018 21:06:23 GMT
So the end of the season is here. How would people sum it up?
I think Mark summed up my thoughts pretty well up in the Poole interview to be honest. Amazing and unforgettable Cup run. When we were on song we played entertaining football as well as as anybody in the division. Unfortunately the devil is in the detail and too often we created a chance where we failed to pull the trigger only to watch the opposition go up the other end and score on the counter.
This for me is the most frasturating thing. Far to often we failed to work the keeper because we chose to pass instead of shooting. We also lacked goals from set pieces....i can't remember the last time we scored from a corner or any header for that matter?
But overall and considering the off field circumstances....the fact this Marks first season as a manager and a young management team in general I think they have done pretty much what was expected and I think they have learnt alot and will only get better.
If we can keep the key players from this season we at least have a good base to build on for what I think maybe another difficult season. Especially with Torquay and our bogey team Woking joining us at least. It's going to be tough.
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Post by shutler on Apr 29, 2018 6:12:51 GMT
Rollercoaster of a season. The FA Cup run was incredible and that second goal at Notts County for me the best feeling ever as a City supporter. As for the League, thought defensively we were awful first half of the season but pulled it together second half. Always felt we could score goals but felt we should have played two up front throughout the season. Played some really nice football at times and gave some of the big boys a good challenge so all in all a decent season with some brilliant bits thrown in, 👍
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Post by Rijs on Apr 29, 2018 20:25:29 GMT
I agree with the above. I want to thank Mark, the management team and committee for keeping the club going and achieving all they have with such limited resources and large debts. The cup run was unforgettable, our play at times (in November and December especially) was great to watch and the club spirit was good. Of course, it's not quite over yet and it would be nice to end by winning the OSC Final for the first time in many years -- I hope plenty of fans come to Thame on Wednesday.
That said, the highs were high and lows were low. It certainly was frustrating to see City struggling over and over again to break down the massed defences of the teams in the lower half of the league. It was interesting to listen to what Mark said after the pre-season friendly with Brackley, when he pointed out we had played pretty football in front of their defence without finding any way to penetrate. I'm not sure there was any learning on this: it was known from the start and repeated after many other matches: Poole, Concord, Gloucester, Whitehawk, Chippenham to name but a few home matches. Set piece routines might have been one way to get the breakthrough, and a greater willingness to shoot on sight would have helped, but to me the key way to open up such defences is by using wingers with the pace to get in behind and pull back a decent cross to strikers in the box, or midfielders running in. Not having such wingers (or the money to get them), not playing two up front and not having enough midfielders rushing in to the box led to our not using the tactic successfully, but instead just repeatedly trying and failing to play through well-organised eight or nine-man defences.
However, we did do better against teams which came to play football, so maybe having a stronger division next term with Torquay, Woking, Billericay, and maybe Hereford and Dulwich will suit us, provided the budget is good enough to enable us to keep the core of this year's team.
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Post by ChrisB on Apr 30, 2018 13:24:57 GMT
(From a distance) I certainly reckon that Mark and the players have done a very sound job in the League in what was always going to be a difficult season. The FA Cup run and (after all these years) a victory over a Football League side, was absolutely tremendous. It is certainly to be hoped that Mark can hold on to a good number of the players against, no doubt, some serious interest from other clubs that can afford to spend more.
With a much younger group of players than in previous seasons it has also been good to see that, having finished in the relegation zone in 2016/17, Nomads have pushed up into a mid-table position and have successfully provided on a number of occasions players for the 1st XI (3 Steps higher than themselves.) Congratulations to all of them for a strong season.
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Post by OWHH on May 1, 2018 5:12:32 GMT
Tremendous cup run robbed of the replay at Marsh lane by a ref playing time added on after time added on, and not spotting the handball helping to steer the ball near the inside of the onion bag. Credit to Notts County though, I understand a friendly preseason is in the pipeline that hopefully will attract a fair few fans to help the much needed coffers.
Agree with the wingers situation, although Mark has had to look at every game tactically and sometimes he has been right not to play both wings and go more direct, other times he has been wrong and unlike many managers has had the guts to admit it in interviews, he is a young manager and is learning all the time the coaching team is excellent, If we can get some more investment over the closed season he may be able to get the team he requires to get further up the table next season. But we must not forget the injuries Bennet never kicking a ball having been injured pre-season and Henderson midseason were huge blows. Losing our on loan keeper from United just after the cup run also destabilized things, and Craig King having to come in after a long break between the sticks was always going to take a while to get match fit, and know his players,i he has done this and continues to impress. Next season i can see him excelling. Defensively players had to step up to the plate to keep us up and Joe and Godfrey didn't let us down. We must thank all the players for their efforts though Reece, Zac, Pato, Sincy have all been exceptional. Jones at the back, Muzzy's relentless work rate all appreciated. Forde has learnt a lot, and will improve next season and will score more goals. And like to thank Sam Nombe who scored some very important goals for us before his recall back to Dons. One final game at the ASM Thame to try and win the County cup for 33rd time,but Kidlington will try their best to stop that happening, would be nice to have a good turn out. Also like to thank the staff off the field in the clubhouse and cooking the food,many giving up their valuable time. Also the Twitter and match reports, public address, have been much appreciated from the younger fans who have also put a big effort into delivering a better media profile for the club may this continue and improve, also like to thank the video action from games from the former Gloucester cameraman. And Hedges senior for his great still pictures.
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Post by OWHH on May 7, 2018 17:13:10 GMT
Well done slough and Dulwich on promotion
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