Redditch v City

[Deleted]

2-0 Redditch coming up to half time

[Deleted]

Still 2-0 after 60 minutes

[Deleted]

10 mins to go, and still 2-0 to Redditch

[Deleted]

3-0 End of game

[StopfordianWCFC]

Rather predictable I fear given our manpower shortage - thank god for all those lovely points gathered in December.

I make that perhaps just 1 or 2 goals in open play in the league in the last 7-8 matches. Lots for Dryden to think about now.

[colinlayland]

Very poor game today,we need some new blood very soon, so we can get rid of some of the dead wood in the side,and its no good looking at one or two new players,it as got to be three or four, but I think that is to much to ask for, because this team is going nowhere with what we got.

[andy]

Entertaining, open game.

Created more than enough chances to have taken something away from The Valley. Good finishing by Redditch from outside the box earned them the points.

[B*ue dragonstander]

It appears that the lack of squad in midfield is hurting us. Lets hope RD can make his next mark with a couple of useful signings.

I see that Kev Spencer was stretchered off as well. 3 defenders injured. Not good.

Up the City!

[andy]

I heard RD saying that he is looking to bring in 2, possibly 3 players and implied in defence.

Unfortunately, the rash of injuries at the back (Smudger, Shabs, Kevin Spencer, Rapinder) may dictate short-term need over the long-term.

[wh]

Not a good day

here are some photos from the day
s95.photobucket.com/albums/l128/wcfclib/PublicAccess/Redditch3Vs0City_01-01-08/?albumview=slideshow

[colinlayland]

andy said:

Entertaining, open game.

Created more than enough chances to have taken something away from The Valley. Good finishing by Redditch from outside the box earned them the points.

But Andy take into account that Redditch missed at lest three more chances,and those that the City missed I still make that 6-3 to them,and they deserved the win,and when you see two City defenders arguing off the ball, about who should have cleared the ball in one attack, it does not give you confidence that you can get some thing from the game.

[DazaB]

We got what we deserved. Granted, their' keeper made a couple of good saves but they also hit the bar, had a header go just over and missed an open goal!

[DazaB]

I bought a Matchday Programme today.

Brooksider, will you read it to me?

[andy]

1. Craig put an excellent header over after about 5-10 miuntes
2. Jamie's free-kick couldnt have been more than inches wide
3. Gary Walker stubs his shot when well-placed
4. Point -blank save from Webby

Half-time

5. Carl headed over when well-placed
6. Superb save from a Craig header
7 + 8 Danks has at least two decent shots on goal
9. Somebody fluffs rather embarrassingly when about six yards out. Couldnt see who.

All efforts, as I recall from about 8-10 yards out (barring Danks's).
Redditch's seemed to fly in from about 25 yards, and I havent included any of our efforts from that distance.

6-9 ?

[Deleted]

admin said:

I bought a Matchday Programme today.

Brooksider, will you read it to me?

For what reason?

[Deleted]

andy said:

1. Craig put an excellent header over after about 5-10 miuntes
2. Jamie's free-kick couldnt have been more than inches wide
3. Gary Walker stubs his shot when well-placed
4. Point -blank save from Webby

Half-time

5. Carl headed over when well-placed
6. Superb save from a Craig header
7 + 8 Danks has at least two decent shots on goal
9. Somebody fluffs rather embarrassingly when about six yards out. Couldnt see who.

All efforts, as I recall from about 8-10 yards out (barring Danks's).
Redditch's seemed to fly in from about 25 yards, and I havent included any of our efforts from that distance.

6-9 ?

If only football was like rugby and you got points for effort!!! But its not, and the only score that matters to both points and goal difference is the 3-0.
Any team that misses 10 chances and fails to score has got a bit of a problem.

[colinlayland]

andy said:

1. Craig put an excellent header over after about 5-10 miuntes
2. Jamie's free-kick couldnt have been more than inches wide
3. Gary Walker stubs his shot when well-placed
4. Point -blank save from Webby

Half-time

5. Carl headed over when well-placed
6. Superb save from a Craig header
7 + 8 Danks has at least two decent shots on goal
9. Somebody fluffs rather embarrassingly when about six yards out. Couldnt see who.

All efforts, as I recall from about 8-10 yards out (barring Danks's).
Redditch's seemed to fly in from about 25 yards, and I havent included any of our efforts from that distance.

6-9 ?

Bottom line Andy, is that they scored 3 and we did not. It is the ones in the back of the net that count. In the last 4 games we have scored 2 and let in 6, very bad defence, and when you have 3 strickers on the pitch you would expect a better return.

[andy]

I think all I said was that it was an open and entertaining game and that we created enough chances to have taken something away from the Valley. Of course, the fact that we didnt take them meant there is a 0 after the 3.

[Tim Munslow]

The best things about Redditch were (a) the pint of Guiness and (b) the chips. Apart from that it was entirely forgettable and definitely not my favourite day.

The way we played yesterday we'll struggle to beat Hinckley on Saturday.

[colinlayland]

andy said:

I think all I said was that it was an open and entertaining game and that we created enough chances to have taken something away from the Valley. Of course, the fact that we didnt take them meant there is a 0 after the 3.

I think you are turning into someone elsa

[gobby cow]

I am glad to say that I was too hung over to go to the match as I would have found it a hard result to bear.

But we have to face facts - we have a squad that is too small, we have players injured and suspended - with that in mind we are going to struggle against teams that we would normally beat.

It is getting to the stage where the supporters are going to have to make the team up.

I just hope that RD manages to find some players to bring in and increase the squad otherwise it is going to be a long season. It makes me cross as this situation is not of his making - that person has got away scot free and left some poor other buggar to pick up the pieces.

[Deleted]

colinlayland said:

andy said:

I think all I said was that it was an open and entertaining game and that we created enough chances to have taken something away from the Valley. Of course, the fact that we didnt take them meant there is a 0 after the 3.

I think you are turning into someone elsa

That is all he said Colin, to be fair.

[andy]

Me, turning into an orphaned lion cub?

[Deleted]

I totally agree with Gobby Cow
There is only one person to blame for the present predicament, and that is Andy Preece. The writing was on the wall (or at least posted on the website) before the season even started. You only have to look at the squad photo at the beginning of the season to see the problem, not enough players. Every team suffers injuries and suspensions, all players suffer lack of form and get tired during the season and add to that non-league issues like unavailability too, you need players to give you cover, and we haven't got the depth.
Is it a money problem? I really don't think so, few clubs in our league are sitting on £8 million of assets and can afford the transfer fees that we pay, so it can't be that. So it must have been a definite policy, and it must have been backed by the board. Either that or there just weren't any players available which I find hard to believe.
Oh how I hate Andy Preece!!! but maybe there are others at the club who should have questioned this situation more.
Still the club is stuck with this now and this season will probably be another wasted seasons opportunity.
And if anyone says that this post is negative, then they are wrong. You don't even need to go to games to figure out this problem, just read out the subs at Redditch!
Dryden must demand a bigger squad, and the board must accept that this is necessary if City are going to take this season seriously.

[Mark]

Personally I blame the Worcester News who last week printed an apology to WCFC after claiming when Richard Dryden was appointed that the season was already a write off.
The apology went on to say how RD was clearly a messiah sent to lead City to promotion.

Ever since that apology, we have played badly and lost both games!

[adycrean]

I find it hard to have much resentment for Preece. Good or bad manager - I think he did his best....but ultimately fell short.

It feels like we have an'average budget' for the league - so alows us to have either a larger squad of mediocre players, or a smaller squad of better ones. Only the latter will give you a chance of getting into play-offs - but is equally a risky strategy when injuries mount. And this has been exacerbated of late with 3 / 4 players leaving with a delay in replacements being brought in.

Reality is we remain a long, long way off the likes of e.g. Telford and Kettering in terms of resource, strength in depth etc. and probably in terms of management capability (although hopefully that may be changing now!)

And I'm sure the quality gap might reduce - and other sides have demonstrated whay can be done on modest budgets - but my confidence is low right now....

[Deleted]

Did Dryden point out that he wasn't the Messiah, at which point someone from the Worcester News said that "only the Messiah would deny his existence!"

[andy]

Similarly I find little in Brooksiders 'go at AP' that I can share. And it is undeniably a 'go at AP' - saying that "there is only one person to blame for the present predicament and that is Andy Preece" amd "oh how I hate Andy Preece" leave little room for a different interpretation.

What I dont get from all this is to which 'present predicament' it refers? What predicament are we in now that is different from any we have been in for any of the past 20 years?

[Deleted]

adycrean said:

I find it hard to have much resentment for Preece. Good or bad manager - I think he did his best....but ultimately fell short.

It feels like we have an'average budget' for the league - so alows us to have either a larger squad of mediocre players, or a smaller squad of better ones. Only the latter will give you a chance of getting into play-offs - but is equally a risky strategy when injuries mount. And this has been exacerbated of late with 3 / 4 players leaving with a delay in replacements being brought in.

Reality is we remain a long, long way off the likes of e.g. Telford and Kettering in terms of resource, strength in depth etc. and probably in terms of management capability (although hopefully that may be changing now!)

And I'm sure the quality gap might reduce - and other sides have demonstrated whay can be done on modest budgets - but my confidence is low right now....

Again I sincerely hope as a club that "getting into the play-offs" isn't seen as the target. The target MUST be to win the league, if you fall short then you have the comfort zone of the play-offs and thats all it is, a comfort zone, no guarantee of anything and bigger probability of failure than success. If you aim for the play-offs and fall short, you've got nothing. If you don't aim to win the league, you can be pretty sure that you won't!

I doubt Kettering or Harrogate are thinking about getting into the play-offs as an achievement. That should definitely be our thinking too.

[Deleted]

andy said:

Similarly I find little in Brooksiders 'go at AP' that I can share. And it is undeniably a 'go at AP' - saying that "there is only one person to blame for the present predicament and that is Andy Preece" amd "oh how I hate Andy Preece" leave little room for a different interpretation.

What I dont get from all this is to which 'present predicament' it refers? What predicament are we in now that is different from any we have been in for any of the past 20 years?

Andy, I make no apologies for "having a go at Andy Preece" as you put it. I'd rather say "not liking Andy Preece" Personally I think he added little of value apart from a few sound bites during interviews. Maybe if it was your daughter he had frightened when he mounted the fence looking for a fight against Moor Green, you wouldn't really take to the man either. There should be no room for any other interpretation of how I feel that Preece damaged the club, on and off the pitch. What a shame that Paul Ince beat him to the Macclesfield job! If there is, then I apologise for any ambiguity!! I'm not expecting you to share my view.

Having said that, is there any other reason that you can put forward for our "manpower shortage" as Manc puts it, "lack of new blood" as Colin puts it, or a "squad too small" as GC puts it?

Yes this current predicament is slightly different to the many years preceding it, I can't remember a season with so few players at the beginning of the season, thats a difference.

I also can't remember a season which started with the Chairman asking "Where have the supporters gone?" and having to arrange forums to try and recover support. now that was a big difference but not related to the small squad, but possibly related to the aforementioned previous manager

I also can't remember the last time a Chairman of WCFC has made such disparaging remarks about a manager as Boddy did about Preece (as highlighted in the Evening News Review)

I can't remember going into a Boxing Day fixture and thinking "who the hell are they?" Craig Brown, Devon Smith and Lee Palmer, three of our five subs.

We havent had enough players all season as many people have pointed out. Someone somewhere should have taken responsibility for that situation. It is heartening to see that Dryden is looking to bring in 2 or 3 players, hopefully without any leaving. I refuse to believe that there isn't the cash available.
Judging by that subs bench, there isn't much competition for places at the moment.