Grandstand - Gillingham (A) - Tues 22nd October

While I'm on here playing fantasy football on another thread (A way forward?) lets set out the refreshments for the game later on. No-one seems to bring the biscuits to this anymore...

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Five at the back. Going for the negative 0-0 draw...

Who is Miley?

George Guest wrote:Who is Miley?

Young lad on loan from Newcastle. He broke down injured in his first match for us. I think against Cheltenham ion EFL Trophy. First match back after that injury, first EFL start.

Central midfielder by all accounts.

Amberexile wrote:

George Guest wrote:Who is Miley?

Young lad on loan from Newcastle. He broke down injured in his first match for us. I think against Cheltenham ion EFL Trophy. First match back after that injury, first EFL start.

Central midfielder by all accounts.

He was playing well v Cheltenham before getting injured. Played defensive midfield that night as I think he is tonight. Is it a 4-2-3-1 as BBC Sport suggest? They have Glennon as a left winger and Kamwa right wing. Interesting set up if true...

Didn't see the game. But good to get a second away win.

Onto Saturday...

I didn't enjoy all that backs to the wall stuff but well done to the team for holding out. It was easy to see why Gills are low scoring Their finishing was awful. Hudlin confirmed again what a good player he is and how lucky we were sign him at the last minute to fill a gap created by injury. If Gills had signed him instead of County we would have lost yesterday. I was concerned about Jardim replacing Hudlin and Kamwa with a full half hour left. He seems bound to the clock rather than the demands of the game going on in front of him. He got away with it but Hudlin was bossing the game and we were weakened by replacing him. Lucky again.

So is that 6 "lucky" wins we have had in the league this season?

I don't have access to the body monitors players wear these days but would guess from watching the match that Hudlin and Kamwa ran themselves into the ground for an hour chasing everything up front and doing a fair amount of defensive cover too and the substitutions were inevitable.

County exile wrote:So is that 6 "lucky" wins we have had in the league this season?

I don't have access to the body monitors players wear these days but would guess from watching the match that Hudlin and Kamwa ran themselves into the ground for an hour chasing everything up front and doing a fair amount of defensive cover too and the substitutions were inevitable.

I think there is an element of managing workload built into the substitutions. I'm not sure how many in the County team/squad are used to playing Saturday/Tuesday some weeks.*

*I'm aware it's actually Friday/Tuesday/Saturday in this current instance but the principle of trying to repeat a performance with little recuperation in-between may be alien to many of the less experience players. Thankfully there's not a great deal of midweek matches currently scheduled in the fixture list but progress in the FA Cup or BSM Trophy may create additional occasions...

I have to say the second half was an ordeal - goodness knows what it did to those of a nervous disposition!
I really don’t understand why managers slavishly stick to a time slot for subs.
I could understand swapping Kamwa for somebody better equipped at defending as we were totally under the cosh but Hudlin was our only “ out “. I agree with George Guest to the extent that you won’t get away with sitting back on a lead like that too often. It was like the Alamo and without some great defending, woeful finishing and a big slice of yes - luck! we wouldn’t have withstood the onslaught.

County exile wrote:So is that 6 "lucky" wins we have had in the league this season?

I don't have access to the body monitors players wear these days but would guess from watching the match that Hudlin and Kamwa ran themselves into the ground for an hour chasing everything up front and doing a fair amount of defensive cover too and the substitutions were inevitable.

I think these days it often comes down to the guy with the laptop telling the manager that one of the substitutes will play better for the rest of the game than a player on the pitch under the circumstances. For some reason the data told them the substitutes would improve us in a backs to the wall session. Whether they are right or not is another matter.

Whatever criticisms any of us have the fact remains we have picked up 18 points from 13 games. If maintained that's 64 points over the season. One point a game from now on sees us safe.

I'd have bitten your hand off for that in August.

Stan A. Einstein wrote:Whatever criticisms any of us have the fact remains we have picked up 18 points from 13 games. If maintained that's 64 points over the season. One point a game from now on sees us safe.

I'd have bitten your hand off for that in August.

If County can return to the 50/50 win/lose record of the earlier games then that would accrue 69 points for the season. A 50/50 win/lose record would also make it a very remarkable season indeed...

wattsville_boy wrote:

Stan A. Einstein wrote:Whatever criticisms any of us have the fact remains we have picked up 18 points from 13 games. If maintained that's 64 points over the season. One point a game from now on sees us safe.

I'd have bitten your hand off for that in August.

If County can return to the 50/50 win/lose record of the earlier games then that would accrue 69 points for the season.  A 50/50 win/lose record would also make it a very remarkable season indeed...

Which is why I put both extremes. Somewhere between 51 and 64 points is I think about 90% certain. 5% implode, 5% major signings in January and as I say 90% mid-table mediocrity.

In August I'd have settled for survival and more than that would be a bonus.

George Guest wrote:I didn't enjoy all that backs to the wall stuff but well done to the team for holding out. It was easy to see why Gills are low scoring Their finishing was awful. Hudlin confirmed again what a good player he is and how lucky we were sign him at the last minute to fill a gap created by injury. If Gills had signed him instead of County we would have lost yesterday. I was concerned about Jardim replacing Hudlin and Kamwa with a full half hour left. He seems bound to the clock rather than the demands of the game going on in front of him. He got away with it but Hudlin was bossing the game and we were weakened by replacing him. Lucky again.

I agree with you on the untimely replacement of Hudlin, as this is not the first occasion that he has had to give way to CBR this could all be down to a policy of our new owner. If you notice even in post match interviews Nelson is almost loath to praise Hudlin in isolation by deflecting the question to ‘it’s all down to the Team’.

So unfortunately, whilst I suspect that most supporters would like to see Hudlin retained for the remainder of the season, I don’t necessarily see HJ splashing the cash to go along with that. I get the impression that he only wants his players in the shop window with a view to selling them on, not those from other Clubs. Nelson will of course have to dance to that tune!

Taunton iron cider wrote:

George Guest wrote:I didn't enjoy all that backs to the wall stuff but well done to the team for holding out. It was easy to see why Gills are low scoring Their finishing was awful. Hudlin confirmed again what a good player he is and how lucky we were sign him at the last minute to fill a gap created by injury. If Gills had signed him instead of County we would have lost yesterday. I was concerned about Jardim replacing Hudlin and Kamwa with a full half hour left. He seems bound to the clock rather than the demands of the game going on in front of him. He got away with it but Hudlin was bossing the game and we were weakened by replacing him. Lucky again.

I agree with you on the untimely replacement of Hudlin, as this is not the first occasion that he has had to give way to CBR this could all be down to a policy of our new owner. If you notice even in post match interviews Nelson is almost loath to praise Hudlin in isolation by deflecting the question to ‘it’s all down to the Team’.

So unfortunately, whilst I suspect that most supporters would like to see Hudlin retained for the remainder of the season, I don’t necessarily see HJ splashing the cash to go along with that. I get the impression that he only wants his players in the shop window with a view to selling them on, not those from other Clubs. Nelson will of course have to dance to that tune!

I think Hudlin is on loan for the whole season, but I get your point about Huddersfield perhaps suggesting in January an increased amount to keep him on loan or they'll recall him.  County do need to be looking for a 'Plan B' for January, because at the moment Hudlin is what makes the attack work.  It may be the case that when Kargbo is back from his injury, and back up to speed, that he could provide a similar threat, but early signs (admittedly in pre-season games) suggest otherwise.  Perhaps the 'Plan B' will become apparent before January, in that if Hudlin isn't there, the team will switch to quick counter-attacks with the quicker team-mates being the focus for goals.

I think there may be some minor changes in January, perhaps one or two out on loan and one or two coming in.  Any coming in are likely to be under 24...

Hudlin has only agreed a loan until Jan.

I hadn't realised that. What a pity. His performances with us are likely to put him in demand by other clubs, maybe even his own. Huddersfield are only in L1 after all.

George Guest wrote:I hadn't realised that. What a pity. His performances with us are likely to put him in demand by other clubs, maybe even his own. Huddersfield are only in L1 after all.

Watch today’s interview when Jardin is asked a direct question by Chris from the SWA about retaining Hudlin beyond January, he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights and provided a less than convincing answer. It also makes it abundantly clear that such decisions rest with HJ and not Nelson.

Taunton iron cider wrote:

George Guest wrote:I hadn't realised that. What a pity. His performances with us are likely to put him in demand by other clubs, maybe even his own. Huddersfield are only in L1 after all.

Watch today’s interview when Jardin is asked a direct question by Chris from the SWA about retaining Hudlin beyond January,  he was like a rabbit caught in the headlights and provided a less than convincing answer. It also makes it abundantly clear that such decisions rest with HJ and not Nelson.

It's a shame he couldn't even think he could express an interest in retaining him beyond January. But money talks, and Hudlin's performances will have attracted admirers from clubs with bigger pockets than County. Which is I guess what the stategy Jenkins is trying to work towards - attract young players that can be improved and sold on until such time that the club can attract them and afford to retain them. And to do that i think the club would need to have aspirations to climb up the Leagues, not just survive in League Two. Jenkins is a short term owner. If he can make enough money (however much that may be), or sell the club on 'at the right time' or (hopefully) get the club promoted to League 1 I think he will sell up...

If people ever think the club will return to Trust ownership, unless it's about to go bust again, then they are deluded...