Thursday, 8 September 2011
GD's Monthly Musings Uncut: Pre Season Musing Uncut
Tuesday, 6 September 2011
GD's Monthly Musings Uncut: July Musing Uncut
GD's Monthly Musings Uncut: August Musing Uncut
GD's Monthly Musings Uncut: August Musing Uncut: So August draws to a close and what a month it has turned out to be with the Dons failing to lose a game home or away including the game at ...
GD's Monthly Musings Uncut: Pre Season Musing Uncut
GD's Monthly Musings Uncut: Pre Season Musing Uncut: Well the Gunnerblog has been put to rest in its weekly form. I was asked to start it again by a lot of people but when the old MK Dons Fo...
Pre Season Musing Uncut
Well the Gunnerblog has been put to rest in its weekly form.
I was asked to start it again by a lot of people but when the old MK Dons Forum closed down (due to the actions of some of our more stupid fans) I decided to stop the blog as well. I was asked to continue the blog on the Zone MK forum when most of us found our way there, but I decided the blog was so synonymous with the MK Dons Forum that I would let it fade away as the forum did.
As we know the Moocamp Forum closed shortly after the MK Dons Forum and two new sites (The Concrete Roundabout and The New Moo) sprung up together with a section of the Zone MK Forum which was a well established local football website. The Zone added a Dons section to kindly accommodate us old MK Dons Forum folk that needed a home, so out of two came three forums.
I initially joined The Zone as a moderator but posted under another name in case any of the undesirables decided to follow and cause trouble. But after a few weeks all seemed quite quiet and everyone seemed to find out my moderator alias was in fact me. Actually I got the idea from another Dons forum where the owner posted under another name and moderated under an alias.
I stepped down as a moderator when The Zone became the most populated of the three forums despite the fact it was never advertised in the immediate weeks following the closure of the Moocamp and MK Dons Forums by the MKDSA site giving the other two site a good head start.
However it still managed to become a popular site which is a great reflection on those that posted regularly on The Zone and the MKDons forum before it.
But enough of all that last season stuff and on to new season. So another pre-season begins. A pre season is like the new season but not really if you know what I mean. Like last season we had a manager in place, a luxury we are getting used to. And this season Karl Robinson had more time with contracts expiring to really put his stamp on the team and mould it into a fully fledged Robbo squad.
Something that was also evident was the preparation for pre-season. In a conversation I had with Karl just before the Posh game at London Road I asked him where the team would be going in the summer. Karl said that he was arranging games with Drogheda and St Patrick during a training camp in Ireland. As we know now, St Patrick had Europa Cup commitments and had to pull out which is why the clubs involved didn't make it public knowledge the minute things were talked about .
Close season we saw two new signings arrive in the shape of Darren Potter and Dean Bowditch, which of course led to speculation that players who play in same position were leaving. With Sam Baldock and Peter Leven both having been subject of interest from other clubs in the past, and with Peterborough making an offer for Sam most of us were thinking they would probably go.
Posh seemed very keen on Gleeson as well, but the double offer Posh made was rejected which in turn caused Posh to up the offer for Sam alone. MK Dons as a club then allowed him to meet with the Posh. Then it really got interesting! With what seemed like a done deal between the clubs Sam went to meet Fergie Junior and before we could start arguing about which striker would start for us on the opening day... the deal was off !
According to MK Dons Online sources £1.6 million was offered for Gleeson and Baldock which was rejected, and the revised sum of £1.2 million for Sam on his own was the one that ended when Sam and Darren Ferguson couldn't agree. (On what we’ll never know).
As for the players that we signed, Dean Bowditch joined us from Yeovil after rejecting an offer to extend his contract there. The twenty five year old scored fifteen goals in forty one league appearances for them. Dean has been capped at three different international levels for England and is a player many fans here have expressed interest in during the last few seasons. The question is, will he be the strike partner for Sam (providing of course Sam is still here and no other more offers come in).
Another close season signing was Darren Potter who left Sheffield Wednesday by mutual consent. Darren has been capped many times for Ireland at youth level but comes with mixed reviews from the Wednesday fans. With Leven not signing an extension, Darren is thought to be the replacement by many. As a Liverpool lad he is well known to Karl and has been given the number eight shirt (at least untill official player shirt presentation).
I understood Karl was also looking at other young talent and I know he was also keen to get Balanta back. But at time of writing, this prospect was looking unlikely. The first day back from close season saw an unfortunate injury to Charlie Collins resulting in him being unable to travel to Ireland. I spoke to John Gorman and he was upset for Charlie as the youngster was raring to go and make his mark on the team.
With the ever increasing ways of getting information about teams and players, blogs (other than daily types) are becoming almost as old news as printed newspapers, and at MK it is no different. Several players and staff are tweeting regularly about what they are up to. This was particularly evident during the players trip to Ireland where as fans we had very little information from official sources during the first few days of the ten days the squad were there.
Another topic that is pretty much seasonal is the panic over squad size. Even in June, as players left, there were some fans that worried they wouldn't be replaced in time and we’d start the season with whatever was left from previous season. I never worry till August as these things have a habit of sorting themselves out, and with Karl putting the feelers out before the season had even finished I was less worried than I have ever been.
But we are a third division club and we have to wait for the big boys to decide what they are doing and who they are loaning out or releasing till we can add final touches to the team. From what I have seen and heard, Karl has some good contacts and knows how to get players. He may be criticised by some for no plan B on the pitch, but he certainly has plan B,C,D and E when it comes to getting a squad together.
One of the debates we have as fans is the size of squad, and I always say about 25-28 should be enough to cover the season with cup runs, injuries etc and always look back to seasons under Allen and Ince (Part 1) when we had upwards of thirty players. I have also thought of the Ince (Part 2) time when we seemed to have injuries galore and had trouble getting a bench such was lack of fit players.
But times have changed and all clubs have cut back, with reserve teams all but a thing of the past outside of the Premier League and Championship. This has led to ever decreasing squads and I was not surprised to learn that it is likely we will have our smallest squad for the coming season. I'd guess from various conversations that we will go for quality players and less numbers rather than lesser quality and bigger numbers. When I questioned this I was told that amongst other things it creates a small bonded team and that we will use the loan market much more when needed.
Of course budget plays a significant part and I'm sure that if he could, Karl would love a reserve team and a squad of thirty. But even in the Premier League he would be limited to 25 under current rules. I have to admit to not being entirely convinced that a squad of say 20 is enough but have definitely re-thought my previous player number requirement which goes to prove that even an old dog can learn!
The first pre season game resulted in a convincing win at St Neots which was then followed by what were really Dons Xl games as the players from the senior team went to Ireland. That being said, the Marshall Cup was regained at Newport Pagnell which is always a good addition to the trophy cabinet.
The first team and a number of trialists had an intense ten days in Ireland with the emphasis being on getting the player fit. The two games we played (against Bangor Celtic and Drogheda United) were a chance for Karl to look at his squad and try different systems using all the players available to get match time under their belts.
The results in these pre-season games are not really that important as some players won't be here come the start of the season. But it its something we need to do, if only to get players match time and of course to see if any of the players on trial will be suitable for the coming season. At the time of writing we still need to fix our right back problem and have used Baldock (the younger) in one of the Ireland games to fill the role.
We have a pre season game with Oxford United this week and then the eagerly anticipated game with a Spurs Xl. I think Harry will put out a decent team and we will see as Dons fans the team we will start the the season with.
We then have the very strange game against Buckingham Town which is like a late pre-season friendly as the season will be under way. I just hope we dont pick up any injuries in what (although for a good cause) seems a strange match to be playing with the season ahead. I suppose its the same as having a behind closed door match, but with the squad as small as it is this is still an odd decision to me.
Personally I think we will see more players come through the season on loan and don't think our youngsters will be rushed into the team with the likes of George Baldock Tom Flanagan Harry Milton and Charlie Collins going out on loan. Maybe not all four of them at once, but I dont think they will be sitting around on the bench all season.
The young Ipswich and under 21 Irish international keeper seems to be favourite for the reserve keeper role and I think of the keepers we have looked at McLoughlin looks to be favorite for that role. Another familiar face cropped up in the form of Carl Magnay who has been with us before in 2009 but went back to Chelsea after not impressing our manager.
So we have played and won all our pre season games so far. I will be back for Part 2 of my pre-season musings and the start of the season thoughts in August. Many thanks to MK Dons Online for asking me to do the Monthly Musings piece for them.
COYD
I was asked to start it again by a lot of people but when the old MK Dons Forum closed down (due to the actions of some of our more stupid fans) I decided to stop the blog as well. I was asked to continue the blog on the Zone MK forum when most of us found our way there, but I decided the blog was so synonymous with the MK Dons Forum that I would let it fade away as the forum did.
As we know the Moocamp Forum closed shortly after the MK Dons Forum and two new sites (The Concrete Roundabout and The New Moo) sprung up together with a section of the Zone MK Forum which was a well established local football website. The Zone added a Dons section to kindly accommodate us old MK Dons Forum folk that needed a home, so out of two came three forums.
I initially joined The Zone as a moderator but posted under another name in case any of the undesirables decided to follow and cause trouble. But after a few weeks all seemed quite quiet and everyone seemed to find out my moderator alias was in fact me. Actually I got the idea from another Dons forum where the owner posted under another name and moderated under an alias.
I stepped down as a moderator when The Zone became the most populated of the three forums despite the fact it was never advertised in the immediate weeks following the closure of the Moocamp and MK Dons Forums by the MKDSA site giving the other two site a good head start.
However it still managed to become a popular site which is a great reflection on those that posted regularly on The Zone and the MKDons forum before it.
But enough of all that last season stuff and on to new season. So another pre-season begins. A pre season is like the new season but not really if you know what I mean. Like last season we had a manager in place, a luxury we are getting used to. And this season Karl Robinson had more time with contracts expiring to really put his stamp on the team and mould it into a fully fledged Robbo squad.
Something that was also evident was the preparation for pre-season. In a conversation I had with Karl just before the Posh game at London Road I asked him where the team would be going in the summer. Karl said that he was arranging games with Drogheda and St Patrick during a training camp in Ireland. As we know now, St Patrick had Europa Cup commitments and had to pull out which is why the clubs involved didn't make it public knowledge the minute things were talked about .
Close season we saw two new signings arrive in the shape of Darren Potter and Dean Bowditch, which of course led to speculation that players who play in same position were leaving. With Sam Baldock and Peter Leven both having been subject of interest from other clubs in the past, and with Peterborough making an offer for Sam most of us were thinking they would probably go.
Posh seemed very keen on Gleeson as well, but the double offer Posh made was rejected which in turn caused Posh to up the offer for Sam alone. MK Dons as a club then allowed him to meet with the Posh. Then it really got interesting! With what seemed like a done deal between the clubs Sam went to meet Fergie Junior and before we could start arguing about which striker would start for us on the opening day... the deal was off !
According to MK Dons Online sources £1.6 million was offered for Gleeson and Baldock which was rejected, and the revised sum of £1.2 million for Sam on his own was the one that ended when Sam and Darren Ferguson couldn't agree. (On what we’ll never know).
As for the players that we signed, Dean Bowditch joined us from Yeovil after rejecting an offer to extend his contract there. The twenty five year old scored fifteen goals in forty one league appearances for them. Dean has been capped at three different international levels for England and is a player many fans here have expressed interest in during the last few seasons. The question is, will he be the strike partner for Sam (providing of course Sam is still here and no other more offers come in).
Another close season signing was Darren Potter who left Sheffield Wednesday by mutual consent. Darren has been capped many times for Ireland at youth level but comes with mixed reviews from the Wednesday fans. With Leven not signing an extension, Darren is thought to be the replacement by many. As a Liverpool lad he is well known to Karl and has been given the number eight shirt (at least untill official player shirt presentation).
I understood Karl was also looking at other young talent and I know he was also keen to get Balanta back. But at time of writing, this prospect was looking unlikely. The first day back from close season saw an unfortunate injury to Charlie Collins resulting in him being unable to travel to Ireland. I spoke to John Gorman and he was upset for Charlie as the youngster was raring to go and make his mark on the team.
With the ever increasing ways of getting information about teams and players, blogs (other than daily types) are becoming almost as old news as printed newspapers, and at MK it is no different. Several players and staff are tweeting regularly about what they are up to. This was particularly evident during the players trip to Ireland where as fans we had very little information from official sources during the first few days of the ten days the squad were there.
Another topic that is pretty much seasonal is the panic over squad size. Even in June, as players left, there were some fans that worried they wouldn't be replaced in time and we’d start the season with whatever was left from previous season. I never worry till August as these things have a habit of sorting themselves out, and with Karl putting the feelers out before the season had even finished I was less worried than I have ever been.
But we are a third division club and we have to wait for the big boys to decide what they are doing and who they are loaning out or releasing till we can add final touches to the team. From what I have seen and heard, Karl has some good contacts and knows how to get players. He may be criticised by some for no plan B on the pitch, but he certainly has plan B,C,D and E when it comes to getting a squad together.
One of the debates we have as fans is the size of squad, and I always say about 25-28 should be enough to cover the season with cup runs, injuries etc and always look back to seasons under Allen and Ince (Part 1) when we had upwards of thirty players. I have also thought of the Ince (Part 2) time when we seemed to have injuries galore and had trouble getting a bench such was lack of fit players.
But times have changed and all clubs have cut back, with reserve teams all but a thing of the past outside of the Premier League and Championship. This has led to ever decreasing squads and I was not surprised to learn that it is likely we will have our smallest squad for the coming season. I'd guess from various conversations that we will go for quality players and less numbers rather than lesser quality and bigger numbers. When I questioned this I was told that amongst other things it creates a small bonded team and that we will use the loan market much more when needed.
Of course budget plays a significant part and I'm sure that if he could, Karl would love a reserve team and a squad of thirty. But even in the Premier League he would be limited to 25 under current rules. I have to admit to not being entirely convinced that a squad of say 20 is enough but have definitely re-thought my previous player number requirement which goes to prove that even an old dog can learn!
The first pre season game resulted in a convincing win at St Neots which was then followed by what were really Dons Xl games as the players from the senior team went to Ireland. That being said, the Marshall Cup was regained at Newport Pagnell which is always a good addition to the trophy cabinet.
The first team and a number of trialists had an intense ten days in Ireland with the emphasis being on getting the player fit. The two games we played (against Bangor Celtic and Drogheda United) were a chance for Karl to look at his squad and try different systems using all the players available to get match time under their belts.
The results in these pre-season games are not really that important as some players won't be here come the start of the season. But it its something we need to do, if only to get players match time and of course to see if any of the players on trial will be suitable for the coming season. At the time of writing we still need to fix our right back problem and have used Baldock (the younger) in one of the Ireland games to fill the role.
We have a pre season game with Oxford United this week and then the eagerly anticipated game with a Spurs Xl. I think Harry will put out a decent team and we will see as Dons fans the team we will start the the season with.
We then have the very strange game against Buckingham Town which is like a late pre-season friendly as the season will be under way. I just hope we dont pick up any injuries in what (although for a good cause) seems a strange match to be playing with the season ahead. I suppose its the same as having a behind closed door match, but with the squad as small as it is this is still an odd decision to me.
Personally I think we will see more players come through the season on loan and don't think our youngsters will be rushed into the team with the likes of George Baldock Tom Flanagan Harry Milton and Charlie Collins going out on loan. Maybe not all four of them at once, but I dont think they will be sitting around on the bench all season.
The young Ipswich and under 21 Irish international keeper seems to be favourite for the reserve keeper role and I think of the keepers we have looked at McLoughlin looks to be favorite for that role. Another familiar face cropped up in the form of Carl Magnay who has been with us before in 2009 but went back to Chelsea after not impressing our manager.
So we have played and won all our pre season games so far. I will be back for Part 2 of my pre-season musings and the start of the season thoughts in August. Many thanks to MK Dons Online for asking me to do the Monthly Musings piece for them.
COYD
August Musing Uncut
But back to start of the month and Karl was looking at the England u20 squad and following their progress he had told me and couple of other guys at Woughton that he was trying to get in Adam Smith for the right back position but couldnt until his England duty was over.
During the week before season started I spoke to various people including Karl ,John ,Angelo, Sam, Jay O'Shea and it was Sam who told me about the closed door match on the Tuesday before Hartlepool game but I didnt get an invite !
A lot of things Im told and hear I wont say who said them even though Im rarely told to not repeat it I just think its a bit wrong,anyone who reads my blogs and knows me will know I usauly say I heard etc so you'll have to work out where I got it from from the people I name as speaking to.
I did manage to have word with the Chairman and he was pleased Karl was with us another season and said that Robbo knew the vision he had for the club and understood the budget restraints he has to work with Pete said he'd like the budget to be less than Robbo would but that they worked well together.
We spoke about past managers including Wilson and Allen and how things have changed.
I remembered when the team stayed in an hotel before the Wycombe game such was the money available to Allen and feel Karl is suffering for those extravagances now, under Ince Pt 1 we stayed in hotels even for trips to Southend.
At Yeovil this season the team made the trip there and back same day.
I had an interesting chat with James Burridge from Look East and he has been impressed with Karl and the way the team plays and thought he was a good manager we would be lucky to hang onto I get to speak to a few of the media crews that come to cover the club ahead of games and its always good to pick the brains of them about thier views of the club and what they think of other teams and clubs.
Most think we will get into play off's this season but that other bigger squads with bigger budgets will take the Auto spots.
I heard from one that the best thing about Norwich was Delia and they were an awkward club to deal with and that surprised me as I always think of them as a model for this club in the respct of thier work in community and the evidence of young fans they seem to have but just goes to show.
The things I heard about Posh are pretty much what we guessed Fergie is moody MacAnthony often wont talk to media etc
We had Chris Hughton son Cian training with us pre season and this was due to Karl friendship with his father and as I understood he was never going to actualy sign.
As we know Doumbe and Collins both picked up injuries and Charlie has only just started back training this week before the Stevenage game and Doumbe is still not training.
As the big day arrived and Hartlepool rolled into town we learnt that Durso was to referee so any thought of a win soon disappeared from my thought .I was actualy at players entrance when he arrived and one of our fans asked for his autograph and another said lets hope it only time you put anything in a book today Durso replied that will be a first..I kid you not.
Karl arrived in his wife's car as he was giving it a run out for her so I nearly missed him he was happy and looking forward to the game our old friend Motty turned up to watch as well and as any of you who read the blog on other site will know he is quite a regular here.
It was around about the eighth of the month that the first of the rumours surrounding Sam surfaced with Watford and Burnley the names being bandied about the impression I got at time was Pete was going to cash in on Sam this window and that the various comments made were to get the offers in and start a bidding war.
Karl had said to a few of us pre season that we would be lucky to hang onto Sam and I took from that he knew about interest and clubs intentions.
The school holidays have meant a lot of kids have been at the various football summer schools at Woughton and it has become a bit of a ritual for them all to come over on the Friday for autographs and Karl happily walks the line of often forty kids chatting and signing he then sends the players over at the end of thier training its all very noisy and friendly and good to see .
On the 15th of August we finaly saw the arrival of Adam Smith and I managed to have a word with him and wish him well he's another player that is polite and happy to talk to fans and I have been impressed with his game so far and think he will be good player for us this season.
Robbo told me the day he arrived he would go straight into the team and we talked about the how the back four has changed since Karl arrived here the first time it was then I found out Danny Swailes has now retired due to injury which was sad to hear but seeing as he is still listed as a player probably and exclusive for anyone reading this.
I wont dwell to much on our results and match performances as others do it better and we all know by now anyway but I have been impressed by the way despite Doumbe being out and Williams playing in an unfamilar position we have still not lost and Lewie has looked much better in the centre back role this season when he has played which adds weight to thoughts he may move to that role later in his career.
Adam is certainly a better left back than right but not sure whether he is the finished article as a replacement just yet.
I have spoken quite a lot with the players and in particular George Baldock who is very much like Sam in the way he speaks as well as his looks and movement, by that I mean he is intelligent and articulate and a credit to his parents and the club.
I said to George how impressed we were with his goal against Buckingham and he was giving Sam something to think about he replied Sam has scored much better goals and was generaly better funnily enough Sam has told me in the past he thought George was better and that is the way they are just really nice young men who support each other.
George had told me the older brother was a good player but gave up football to follow a medical career and is now a Doctor at a local Hospital when Sam went to West Ham George said before the Stevenage game it seemed wierd seeing him in a West Ham kit I joked that he'd be alright for a loan now and he might get Sam's car as a hand me downs.
As we know Sam choose West Ham over Southampton but he did go down there for talks ,but I think the meetings he had had with Big Sam Allardyce and probably the recommendation of Big Sam from Karl swayed it I had been told at the start of the week it was likely he would be gone by Friday but it was still sad to see one of own leave in what was a club record fee .
With John Gorman in particular working with the young players we have from the academy Im sure we will soon have another home grown product amongst the current crop to fill the gap left by Sam, my money would be on George who I think is a very good player and who knows he may well smash the club record in a few years.
I spoke to Lewie about the academy and how the old Wimbledon academy produced players that progressed to first team he said from his days there were seven and he is a big supporter of our academy and does look after the young lads as they come through .
Funnily enough we lost some of the seven Lewie spoke of to West Ham but for a fraction of thier worth and it shows how far the club has come from those days when the administrater sold the players not the club I know a lot of fans moan about Pete not throwing money at Karl for players but I think he very mindful of those dark days and the pickle other clubs have got themselves into that he is the way he is now and his desire to get the club running in budget without Inter Mk I think is one of his key plans.
The draw for the Carling Cup took place before the Stevenage game and I watched it with Andrew Cullen and others in the box office as Andrew reminded me I was with him last year at the same place when we drew Birmingham and our reaction to Burnley was about the same as it was then it was all very Deja Vu but we have had Norwich this season and a reasonable pay day there so we concluded we shouldn't be too greedy ..well we groaned and said why couldn't it have been Liverpool really but ....
The JPT game saw us battle the second half with ten men after a foul on last man by Williams which see's him pick up a one game ban and will make our game with Carlisle that bit harder .
The game was decided by penalties and we missed two of the five and have waved goodbye to another Wembley day out.
And so we wait to see what players Karl will bring in during September a centre back is his priority so lets hope there is a good one out there we can have,Doumbe is due back in three weeks but we still need cover as I feel Flanagan after Brentford game is not ready for first team yet.
COYD
The draw for the Carling Cup took place before the Stevenage game and I watched it with Andrew Cullen and others in the box office as Andrew reminded me I was with him last year at the same place when we drew Birmingham and our reaction to Burnley was about the same as it was then it was all very Deja Vu but we have had Norwich this season and a reasonable pay day there so we concluded we shouldn't be too greedy ..well we groaned and said why couldn't it have been Liverpool really but ....
The JPT game saw us battle the second half with ten men after a foul on last man by Williams which see's him pick up a one game ban and will make our game with Carlisle that bit harder .
The game was decided by penalties and we missed two of the five and have waved goodbye to another Wembley day out.
And so we wait to see what players Karl will bring in during September a centre back is his priority so lets hope there is a good one out there we can have,Doumbe is due back in three weeks but we still need cover as I feel Flanagan after Brentford game is not ready for first team yet.
COYD
July Musing Uncut
So my second monthly musings starts with a quick round up of the pre-season games against Ampthill and Oxford United on Saturday 23rd the Ampthill game was a Dons eleven or academy side in truth and Oxford was a chance to see the near complete first team.
I had spoken to Mike Dove ahead of the Ampthill game and he said he didn’t really look forward to these games as it really is men versus boys and can get a bit rough, as anyone who has seen the games at Newport Pagnell and Ampthill will know the opposition want to get one over on MK Dons the professional side and see it as that rather than a game against the MK Dons academy lads so the tackles can be quite unforgiving and the game is often more physical than the youngsters are used to.
But some will argue it’s what they will have to get used to eventually I’m sure; I can understand why Mike gets worried.
Mike also mentioned some of the players coming through and that he had some promising future first teamers amongst them as an aside as it’s cropped before, two of the Ahamed’s are brothers the other is no relation.
So all positive and looking good for the academy the only cloud being the ruling over players signing for clubs within an hour and a half of their homes is to be scrapped meaning talent from clubs such as ours are more likely to be snapped up by the big Prem clubs I thought and said to Mike that seemed a massive step back he did say three parents of current crop had kept their sons here rather than move them and I thought that was fine testimony to our academy and the way it is run.
On the Friday before the games I watched the players on their first day back after the Ireland trip, there were three of us fans there and we all spoke to Karl about the trip and how it went, Karl was pleased with the levels of fitness achieved and I got the impression it would be a regular venue for pre-season, another advantage of a manager in place was the fact most of the players that will play this season were there to benefit from the experience.
I spoke to Jay O’Shea who was pleased to be here and said he had settled in and got on well with the players, I had heard he had signed and this was confirmed later in the day on the Official site along with the other Irish under 21 International Keeper Ian McLoughlin who I think I had said in the last musing was favorite to get the job.
As McClouglin and Bragg were the keepers to play the following day Martin was training with the other players as a right back (he started playing there before his Dad persuaded him to become a keeper) and have to say he was pretty good with some cracking passes and when the players did shooting practice he got all his in the back of the net.
I joked to Karl that this could be the answer to our right back problem and he laughed and said something like “they’ll really think I haven’t got a clue then”
Another familiar face was there in the shape of Stuart Searle who was out for a run with his dog and came over for a chat with Karl and the players, Stuart was at that time without a club and on his way to watch Canvey Island v Chelmsford that evening and was due to meet the manager of Chelmsford while he was there.
Stuart had had trials with Barnet amongst others but was still looking for a club and you have to feel for players who are released and looking as they all have the bills to pay.
In other money type news we now have one of the smaller budgets in the league a far cry from the league two days when it was one of the largest I have heard it is about half of that now but not actually being allowed to look at the figure’s I’ll have to take that at face value, it’s certainly seems likely looking at size of squad and the fact Robbo has never paid for a player.
I also got to have a word with Sam and said I was pleased he was here and he listened to my views on Fry and Darragh and I couldn’t possibly comment on any reply he made as he unlike the above named has kept a professional silence over the events.
As we know we lost both the games at Ampthill and Oxford but had the Spurs game to look forward to and the away trip to Barnet Karl was said to be unhappy at the missed chances but got a lot out of the game with a new formation and players in unfamiliar roles giving him options..or not for coming season.
Ahead of the Spurs game on the Monday I went to Woughton to get an idea of how the team would line up and if any new players had arrived, there were no new players and with Doumbe injured it was anyone’s guess who’d be right back I was surprised to see Searle training with us but was told he would be here to keep his fitness up ahead of a possible position as a keeper for a club further south! Managed to have a chat with Stuart at the end of training and he had been at Barnet for two weeks, before they then brought in another keeper in the shape of Dean Brill such is the cutthroat world of football Stuart said if he went to a conference side it would enable him to pursue his other business interests as any job at conference level would be part time but he did say he wanted to be a number one somewhere though but seemed to be keeping his options open. ( He has since played a PSF for ST Alban’s City).
So the big night arrived and the north London outfit that is Spurs rolled into town fifteen minutes early and before some of our players had arrived as it turned out.
As the Tottenham team arrived I managed to ask Andros Townsend if there was any chance he’d come back on loan but he said nothing has been sorted yet, so he didn’t rule it out but it’s not likely I’d think.
I never saw Harry Rednapp but did get to say hello to Tim Sherwood who had a joke with the waiting fans, Defoe arrived after the others in a range rover as he’d travelled separately the car then went off to fetch another player from the station but I didn’t hear who that was.
I thought we played well and didn’t deserve the score line a draw would have been fairer but there were more positives than negative’s overall and we do have some good players amongst the new faces.
The last game ahead of the new season saw us take on the Bees of the Barnet variety and I was surprised to see Bowditch named in the side having seen him training separately from other players on the Thursday before the game although he was named as a sub not in starting eleven.
We finished the PSF's in familar fashion with a shaky looking patched up defence and strikers not striking with chances missed and had to settle for a draw.
The New season will bring the usual ups and down and we will hopefully see some nice passing football resulting in three points we will see more loan players throughout the season and up to three before the season kicks off I'll be back end of August for a round up and then for monthly thoughts from then.
COYD
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