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Post by clive on Apr 21, 2024 8:26:16 GMT
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Post by sgodfrey81 on Apr 21, 2024 11:19:24 GMT
Good summary, Clive. I knew we'd used a lot of players but your list at the bottom says it all. Those injuries hampered progress and on a small budget, it seemed a case of trying to find a rough diamond via a free transfer or loan.
Interesting to see where Claudio Ofusu ended up, I thought he did well against Barnet and never featured again!
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Post by ChrisB on Apr 21, 2024 16:16:52 GMT
Thank you Clive for this summary: as a long-distance 'watcher' it's very much appreciated. By all accounts City have worked hard and given their all throughout their matches, but I'm not really surprised at the final outcome as, for all their other strengths, I really didn't think the lack of quality and match-management, added to all the injuries, would ever really prove enough to avoid the drop. Matches too regularly started poorly, with 16 goals conceded in the first 15 minutes of matches and only 4 scored in that time. Slips at Step 1 tend to be punished much more so than at lower levels and it's perhaps no surprise that the 94 league goals conceded is the highest by City since 1972/73. That, and the relative lack of goals at the other end almost always meant they were playing catch-up for much of most matches, and the points needed to maintain their status didn't materialise (eventually their lowest p.p.g. since 1997/8). It does look very likely that City will be travelling northwards next season (unless the League decide to give Hemel or St Albans a chance at pastures new!) and I fear that might mean a very different look to the squad by August which will need to gel quickly to stand a chance of success. It's been exciting reading about City facing some 'big names' this season, and I hope the players, supporters and all involved with the Club have enjoyed this season at Step 1, but it has maybe shown too that the Club (at the present) does not have the wherewithal to compete at this level. All clubs need to be ambitious, but realistic too: so it'll be interesting to see how the next campaign develops. |
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Post by clive on Apr 21, 2024 16:54:13 GMT
A few years ago any suggestion that City would be thrashing Hartlepool and drawing with Southend, Rochdale & Halifax would have been laughed at !
Too many what if moments, if only Olly had stayed for the whole season, if only Ashby-Fleet-McEachran had been able to play most of the season together, if only Canice hadn't got injured early in Feb, if only Nya didn't get injured when playing really well, and even if only Josh and Andre didn't have to miss matches due to international duty !
It'll be interesting to see who stays for next season....
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Post by Rijs on Apr 23, 2024 13:42:07 GMT
Great work, Clive, and as comprehensive as your reports! Personally, I would have given a few players a higher mark. MacEachran was brilliant when he was fit, so maybe your 5 for him represents contribution rather than quality? Similarly, Potter has looked pretty good to me when playing, though he needs to score more goals; and Moore impressed me with his speed, effort and versatility. For the others, I think you were spot on, and the general point is obvious - the long injury list, the recall of loanees used because we could not afford many signings, and the general churn of players to find a more successful formula all contributed to the large number of players used, which in turn deprives the team of any consistency and rhythm. We might still have gone down anyway, but with just the middle three fit and Sanderson available all season we could have made it a very close-run thing. Add in others like Carroll and Kirby and yes, we might well have stayed up, and what an achievement that would have been.
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Post by clive on Apr 23, 2024 14:08:50 GMT
Thanks Rijs - yes the low mark for Zac was because he only made 16 starts and was substituted in 6 of those, whilst many of his appearances off the bench were cameos - which made it all the more frustrating he was unable to play a full season. Potter made just 12 starts and was substituted in 11 of them, and Moore missed three months in the middle of the season.
I should have given one player an 8 - but I couldn't decide who to make player of the year ! I'm now edging towards Reece........
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Post by Rijs on Apr 23, 2024 20:24:50 GMT
Reece had only one game I saw when he was below his usual. He is such a consistent player, and the best passer of a ball we have. I rate Andre Burley highly too, as he is always tidy, quick and usually makes the right decision. He has made some crucial well-timed tackles and great blocks, but he also gets forward with energy and skill. The players who make the most difference to overall team performance, however, are for me MacEachran and Ashby. You can see our results were generally better when they were playing and fit. But they weren't playing enough to earn a player of the season award this time. The same goes for Sanderson and Watson, who seemed to me the best keeper we had this season. I can't leave this list without a mention of Canice Carroll, too. His absence almost certainly increased our goals against tally, though Giles Phillips was a more than competent replacement towards the end of the season.
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Post by clive on Apr 24, 2024 7:48:10 GMT
A back four of Burley-Carroll-Phillips-Roddy/Moore/Roberts wouldn't have conceded so many goals.
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