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Post by Rijs on Jan 27, 2018 21:52:14 GMT
We've seen two versions of City this season and once again both were on show today. In the first half we defended generally well enough and had a fair amount of possession but were lame in the final third, not creating a single chance of note, so the Bath keeper had nothing to do. As before (and I'm sounding like a cracked record now) McEachran and Pearce were played on their weaker sides so we had little or no wide threat and, to be honest, no apparent idea how to attack them. The two teams cancelled each other out until the goal on the stroke of half time. I would like to see the video replay because from where I was I thought there was some obstruction and holding going on from the Bath striker to prevent our men getting to the ball, but I didn't have a good enough view to judge that properly.
It did seem as if the ref was going to give nothing to us that was less than a cast-iron foul, so thank goodness he saw the way Rob Sinclair's standing leg was taken for the penalty, as for a second I thought he wasn't even going to give that.
But by then we had the second City, the team that could press and attack with a sense of urgency and purpose, and we were troubling Bath at last. Bringing on Ezra Forde and Christian O-C made a difference as we began to use the wings more, and Matt Paterson might have had a hat trick on another day. Personally I thought it was hard on Dave Pearce to be taken off after only fifteen minutes in his best position, and at that stage I'd have removed Zac, who was switched back to the left wing where he is generally ineffective. But he did cut inside and produce our first (and only?) shot on target from open play.
I cannot be the only one who would like to see us using the wings, playing two up front and Robbie in midfield. He showed us in that last half an hour how good he can be there. He was able to take charge of the game: a really class player. But played in the hole as a kind of back-up striker is maybe not the best use of his talents, versatile though he is.
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 28, 2018 14:56:47 GMT
Yesterday's attendance anyone? Not (yet) on our site or the National League site.
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Post by Logistics on Jan 28, 2018 15:35:31 GMT
The 'official' attendance was 818. There was a presentation for local youth sides before the games, so all of the kids and parents were given complementary tickets. So although a lot of them left before kick-off, they were still counted!
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Post by shutler on Jan 28, 2018 16:20:24 GMT
Thought Bath were there for the taking, but a lacklustre start gave them the impetus to grab the first goal. After that I thought we were by far the better team, pushing and probing for openings, OC made the difference playing further up the park. Some of our crossing into the box was woeful and you could feel Paterson’s frustration.
Still worried that we cannot seem to quite get the couple of wins to pull us away from the bottom of the table, but believe we will come good.
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Post by OWHH on Jan 29, 2018 13:05:11 GMT
The 'official' attendance was 818. There was a presentation for local youth sides before the games, so all of the kids and parents were given complementary tickets. So although a lot of them left before kick-off, they were still counted! Yes I'd say actually watching between 5 to 6 hundred. I know some have got things to do but Free entry for the game. Please support your club! |
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Post by OWHH on Jan 29, 2018 13:36:02 GMT
As for the game, absolutely need to use the wings as we did in our Cup run against far better sides than we are playing now and around that time it was working well in the league. Fleet not being available because of final match of suspension, has affected that though as I find when both on form him and Zach come at the away defence from both sides linking up well with other players. It was better than last weeks start where for me two soft goals early left us a mountain to climb although a good early performance second half with a goal back and Ezra nearly equalizing. Then punished at the end for going all in to get something out of the game. Needless to say I wasn't surprised
To see a Thurrock player dismissed again when they were hampered 7-2
On Saturday as we watched an improved home performance.
They must of had a ref actually watching the game, as their big Number 5, all 6 foot 8 of him. Decided to do the waltz either with King in Goal or Pato up top. It was that bad, second half one could be mistaken at a corner I think around 68 minutes for the public address system bursting into Tango music, as the Thurrock number 5 had his hands tightly around Big Matt's waist.
Back to today's and although going off at a tangent somewhat it is relevant as Poku and Co were having none of it yesterday.
That was good to see we have to toughen up in defence against big center backs. Its cost us Point's recently.
As I have said a change at the back in key positions can take time but we seem to be improving every game.
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Post by Rijs on Jan 29, 2018 22:23:40 GMT
On the attendance question, I thought it was around 400, about half of what the official attendance says, but how can anyone know? For statisticians like Chris, and people like me who like to read them, having accurate figures matters, but we've had a few going wrong this season. We had a debate on here after the Leiston match, when there seemed to be clearly more than the 185 stated; then the Hereford game, where only the 480 Hereford fans were counted, not the 200 or so City fans also there but entering the ground by a different route. Now we have this inflated figure. Maybe all that can be done is a best estimate to show in the programme and on the records.
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 30, 2018 12:03:39 GMT
On the attendance question, I thought it was around 400, about half of what the official attendance says, but how can anyone know? For statisticians like Chris, and people like me who like to read them, having accurate figures matters, but we've had a few going wrong this season. We had a debate on here after the Leiston match, when there seemed to be clearly more than the 185 stated; then the Hereford game, where only the 480 Hereford fans were counted, not the 200 or so City fans also there but entering the ground by a different route. Now we have this inflated figure. Maybe all that can be done is a best estimate to show in the programme and on the records. I thought that tax (VAT?) was based on the 'official' attendance - though maybe I've been misinformed at some point or misunderstood what I was told. If that is so, then there are clearly very good reasons not to inflate the figure...not too mention the fact that it gives people a distorted idea of what the crowd was actually like. |
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Post by Rijs on Jan 30, 2018 20:01:41 GMT
In that case, wouldn't clubs be tempted instead to deflate the figures?
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 31, 2018 9:03:59 GMT
In that case, wouldn't clubs be tempted instead to deflate the figures? Yes you would, so it is surprising that the 'official' figure at football matches - and I don't just mean OCFC - often is considerably more than a rough headcount. Perhaps I completely misunderstood the tax issue I mentioned?? P.S. Don't think I've ever been called a "statistician" before...given my general level of mathematical incompetence!  |
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Post by Rijs on Jan 31, 2018 10:16:30 GMT
Maybe not mathematically, but you are a legendary fount of knowledge on the results, appearances and attendances of the past -- and that to me is a football 'statto'!  |
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 31, 2018 15:09:30 GMT
Maybe not mathematically, but you are a legendary fount of knowledge on the results, appearances and attendances of the past -- and that to me is a football 'statto'! PPS for "legendary statto" read 'old anorak'.  . Though, as it's now nearly six years since we moved North, I have rather lost touch with the 'finer details', but I do check on the results on a Saturday evening. So maybe 'ex-statto'?! |
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Post by Rijs on Jan 31, 2018 17:29:39 GMT
I picture you having a study full of programmes, press cuttings and typed lists of seasons' statistics: an OCFC archive of your own. Do you get to any matches? Joining the South division must have been a setback.
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Post by ChrisB on Jan 31, 2018 18:37:13 GMT
I picture you having a study full of programmes, press cuttings and typed lists of seasons' statistics: an OCFC archive of your own. Do you get to any matches? Joining the South division must have been a setback. Not seen a City match for over three years now, and not been to any live football match anywhere for nearly two seasons...must just be getting old! Perhaps surprisingly I have no press clippings at all - 'Shep' was the man for that - and when we moved north I really had to 'rationalise' programme-hoarding and only kept the pre-1960s items and one or two others from 'notable' matches. I do hope that there's someone in Oxford who is keeping material for future 'stattos'. |
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Post by nptonexile on Feb 1, 2018 19:32:45 GMT
On the attendance question, I thought it was around 400, about half of what the official attendance says, but how can anyone know? For statisticians like Chris, and people like me who like to read them, having accurate figures matters, but we've had a few going wrong this season. We had a debate on here after the Leiston match, when there seemed to be clearly more than the 185 stated; then the Hereford game, where only the 480 Hereford fans were counted, not the 200 or so City fans also there but entering the ground by a different route. Now we have this inflated figure. Maybe all that can be done is a best estimate to show in the programme and on the records. I thought that tax (VAT?) was based on the 'official' attendance - though maybe I've been misinformed at some point or misunderstood what I was told. If that is so, then there are clearly very good reasons not to inflate the figure...not too mention the fact that it gives people a distorted idea of what the crowd was actually like. Maybe you should have a word with MK Dons then! I think it's pretty universally known that taxes paid in relation to the attendance and thus not declaring the full att would be in the club's financial interest! Nevertheless, clubs do inflate attendances, for one to appear more attractive. Anyone who's been to MK (and savvy enough with attendances) can clearly see there isn't 10,000 home fans in the place! They give thousands of freebie tkts to schools - and add them regardless...to try and grasp at some semblance of importance! I was at Bradford City the other week. They have 18,500 STHs, who clearly hadn't all turned up. Stadium capacity: 21,500. One whole stand closed, thousands of empty seats (we had 400 btw in an attendance given as 19,300) Never looked at the queues for nightclubs? Wait for half an hour to get into club which turns out to be a quarter full! In OCFC's case, I'd just put Hereford and Bath City atts down to utter incompetance I'm afraid! For measure, we've got Shane...sorry, when it was AFC Totton? in the playoffs, att was I think 1,200. Lot less on Sat I'd wager! |
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. Though, as it's now nearly six years since we moved North, I have rather lost touch with the 'finer details', but I do check on the results on a Saturday evening. So maybe 'ex-statto'?!