Best squad ever?

[Rijs]

Great all-round performance and result against a pretty strong and in-form team today, and to do that without three first-team regulars, including our captain and our top scorer is a testament to the strength in depth of our relatively small and young squad. Is it our best ever, I wonder?

Congratulations to Klaidi on an excellent first hat trick. He has had to be patient this season but he seems to have a good attitude and is now getting his reward. Good goal from Jack Davies too, and a clean sheet - what more could we ask? Bring on Ebbsfleet (and, even more important given the play-off positions, Chelmsford - a real six-pointer)!

[ChrisB]

Obviously a very good squad indeed, so possibly/probably the best squad City have had at Step 2. It's difficult to rate them over a longer period of time though, as the various squads would have been put together to do well hopefully at the level the Club was at. So, for instance, the squad in 2005/06 was a really good one that took City back to Step 4 at the first attempt - but would have been unlikely to do well at Step 2.
Not that I saw them, but, judging by how many turned professional and went on to lengthy careers in the Football League, the squad immediately after WW2 must have been a very good one.
Anyway, let's hope this terrific group of players will be able to keep us in 2nd or 3rd place over the final few games to get straight to the play-off semi-finals.

[Rijs]

Of course, it's well nigh impossible to make comparisons between eras because the game was so different then - a heavier ball, muddy or rough pitches for much of the season, different refereeing which did not protect the skilful player, and so on. But that 1940s team did not reach an Amateur Cup Final, win the Isthmian League or reach even the first round of the FA Cup, which recent squads have done nearly every year. I watched Third Division football around 50 years ago and feel sure the current City team is at least as fit, plays at a faster pace and has a higher skill level and tactical variety than I saw there back then. However, they would have found the game physically rougher and the pitches difficult to play on if they went back in time.

[clive]

A play-off spot would represent the best ever position in modern history so would justifiably support the claim of being the best ever squad.

[ChrisB]

Yes indeed: if we finished 3rd at Step 2 it would need to have been the best squad of modern times.

Monday's fixture against Chelmsford really is a must-win match, with the visitors having a match in hand over City. A play-off spot for City is well within our reach...but 3rd place is so much better than 4th-7th.

[clive]

I had been assuming City would finish higher than last season's 5th ! But there are 4 tricky looking fixtures still to be played......