David Noble…..
Oh no wait that’s a player whose not an arrogant waste of space at the moment,
Oh no wait that’s not a player whose a waste of space,
This is David Noble (doing Charlie Adam),
Noble is the clubs captain and was vice-captain last year. I have called for him to be stripped of the captaincy on these pages and dropped from the starting line-up or even the squad altogether. However, while I do feel that he has been lacking in energy, commitment, drive and communication – all of which are essential to a successful captain – and that he has been dreadfully off form at least since the Argyle game I would now like to back track a little and say he should start tomorrow. He does not deserve to be captain and is not right for the role. While he appreciates the chance we have given him his loyalty is to Tis more than he club or at least that’s my impression. Tully who is very vocal loves the club and has been a vital part of our rise through the leagues is a much better fit. i would like to see Pidge as vice-captain too. He may be a new signing but he seems to have settled in and is constantly organizing, although I would like him to be a little less limp wristed than last week.
There is no denying that a few years ago he ran Bristol City’s successful Championship side and their fans still pine for his replacement following the horrific bout of injuries. There is no denying that he has quality on the ball and there is no denying that he ran the team for seven out of the last eight games of last season (he didn’t lay in 4-0 loss at Tranmere and we won the other seven): yes he did have the benefit of Ryan Harley who is settling in at title challenging Brighton in the league above and Jamie Cureton who seemingly attached to anything in the opposition box but he was the crux of that side. This season Tisdale’s tried to build the team around Noble but so far that has failed and miserably so.
Why is Noble a player of such supreme quality for League One performing so badly? I think this boils down to a couple of key issues. He is for me a holding midfield playmaker for want of a better phrase. He needs to sit behind the central midfield and have options left, right and centre. His game revolves around holding up the ball and keeping the ball ticking while occasionally setting people away with weighted through balls. if you look at the way we have played so far the 4-4-2 diamond suited him positionally but Dunne and Sercombe are really central players who offered little if any genuine width and the full backs, Tully and Golborne, are not exactly flying wing backs. Nobles options were therefore limited when on the ball. However, he was able to dictate play and the system suited him a lot more than our recent experiments.
The 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 have forced him forward because Troy Archibald-Henville has been used as the defensive midfielder. Noble has been relied upon to provide the drive from the middle (especially with James Dunne’s shocking distribution of late) and it simply is not within him. His short link up play was never going to work with Troy sitting behind him or next to him and Dunne likewise beside or ahead. To start with Dunen was deployed as a clueless wide man while Nardiello has been an abomination on the left wing. The one time we did click Nobes has the option of Shepherd immediately in front to play clever passes and provide the Harley esc spark (no I’m not saying Shepherd is as good as Harley), this made Dunne surging power a boon not a bane, while the wide options were Logan on the right providing some physicality and the exciting prospect Nichols through the middle and this was all despite Nardiello playing on the left. The single biggest handicap to Nobel’s season apart from spending more time on tricks, drag backs and hair cuts, has been moving Troy into midfield which has forced him into a more advanced role that really does not suit.
He has also suffered because we have been playing the very one dimensional and inadequate Billy Jones over Golborne. Now Golborne is by no means a world beater butwhat he doe do very well is link up with the central midfield and move forward. He cannot cross like Billy but he can play some good football and find a man 6 yards away and can even beat a man when he has the confidence. Tully on the right is a little more reserved but is consistent. With the new loan signings Jake Taylor an attacking midfielder or right winger and Matthew Witchelow a pacy striker or right winger gives us the option to play to Nobles strengths. For me the 4-2-3-1 will not work with our squad it must be a 4-3-3. If we line up tomorrow,
Bauza/Logan/Whichelow
Mcnish/Shepherd Logan/Whichelow
2 of Shepherd/Taylor/Dunne
Noble
Golborne Troy Duffy/Coles Tully (c)
Pidge (vice-c)
This will give us the chance to really play to Nobles strengths. He can play simple passes with the centre backs, link play and one-twos with Golbounrne, spread the play to Tully, set Dunne/Taylor/Shepherd off on forward moving runs and with Shepherd and probably Taylor he can play his clever stuff waiting for the opportune moments to unleash an attack (in the holding creative role his tricks and dwelling/holding the ball became a great asset rather than a pestilence to our attack, the option of Whichelow’s pace outwide right can give him an option for the quick break away especially as Matty will have had a week to learn our play and the players around him or Logan’s physical presence will give Noble the aerial option for flick on’s and getting the ball held high up the pitch while young legs race to catch up and Nobes sit’s back, I have a horrible feeling Nardiello will be on the left side tomorrow when at most he should be a last choice substitute but supposing he wont be I would like to see McNish finally get his chance or Shepherd either of which have the ability to deliver a great cross and link well with the central players and Golbrourne, finally if he is fit Bauza is pure quality and should be though the middle, if not Whichelow or Logan might have to do the business.
This is Noble’s chance I feel Tis has brought in the right options to get the best out of his star man and I really don’t know why because it is very illogical but i have a really good feeling about tomorrow.
It’s election time again and this time the BoS is having an overhaul. There a few key points for me in moving forward. i want to see the Trust and the Club push towards a firmer financial footing. Certainly the re-development of the ground longer term has the capacity to drastically improve our situation. However, we cannot allow ourselves to be in a position whereby we rely on player sales or large gates to bring in money. Ideally we would be running a profit before sales and based on average gate of 3,500 which is about as low as we will go in my estimation however bad things may get at some future point. This of course is not an easy task but those members elected to the BoS will need to be enthusiastic and capable of tackling this very difficult issue.
Much has been made of the poor communication of the Trust, especially in internet circles, probably harsher than is deserved but certainly not without some grounding in fact. The Trust all too often fails to capture the imagination either of the fan base or the general public. I would like to see more information available through the main club website and some limited use of sites like EXEWEB. I would also be keen to see the club make more of an effort to expand the brand of ECFC. I understand the limitations we are under but sometimes you can achieve a lot more by committing funds and effort to selling the club rather than providing information on fly stickers.
I don’t mean to persuade anyone else of my views and I mean no slight on any of the candidate who I am not going to vote for but I thought I would put a few thought forward about those who I will.
Firstly the stand-out candidate for me is Laurence Overend. As a solicitor with his own law firm he would I imagine bring with him some very valuable skills indeed which will undoubtedly be needed not least regarding the stadium redevelopment. I certainly agree with his ideas of advertising the really very good work the club does but often goes all to unnoticed (the branding I mentioned earlier). I am very keen on the idea of (working with other Trusts?) lobbying the government. I see this kind of action not only as a way toward improving the financial fair play and sustainability of the greatest leagues system in the world but also as a way to tackle the issues like that of the terracing ban. he also wants to tackle the serious issue of communication…..good luck!
Secondly Ian Bond stands out for me. Not so much for the quality of his CV but because even though i have never met him personally I do know who he is. He has always appeared to be a dedicated city fan and will bring a certain youthfulness which the board appears to be lacking currently. I get the impression that he will go to great lengths to improve the communication of the Trust and to help engage the membership. he brings all the relevant skills to the table as well according to his CV (not sure this is the right word/phrase actually but there you go).
Finally, I think I will mention Roger Conway. He played a role in the excellent redevelopment plans which I cannot have enough praise for. He also has a clear focus on the financial basis of the club and working to ensure we can remain competitive at this level and if luck might be on our side beyond if only for a short time.
I would like to thank all those who have put themselves forward. I have limited myself to three votes as I feel that this will ensure that I am voting for the people who I want and not just for the sake of full-filling my allocation of six votes. However, I urge every trust member to examine the candidates and their CVs and vote according to your own opinions as voting for the Board of the Society is how we as the grass-roots members really affect the direction of the club.
League Cup round three is a non event for those of us who truly bleed red and white beyond the chance to watch some football. The emphasis is therefore on are recent failures on the pitch on Exeweb and elsewhere but should pick up speed towards Sheffield Wednesday and Hillsborough which was where we signed off last season and was a very memorable afternoon of football for those who were lucky enough to attend: I mean how often do you see your manager of 4 years and a 17 year old local lad make their debuts, centre back score Argentinian esc solo goals and see your local team reach their joint best finish by “taking the piss” at Sheffield Wednesday.
We all know just how bad we have been over the past few games but lets not forget we started with some promising performances: we drew with newly promoted Stevenage who just beat Wednesday 5-1, we played Yeovil off the park and won 2-0 earning a second round tie against Liverpool; we lost 2-0 to MK Dons who have been superb this season were play-off semi-finalist last year and are just one of those teams we don’t beat; we lost at home to Brentford who were doing very well but outplayed them completely in the second half after conceding sloppy goals and being second best in the first; we were robbed at Preston who are currently four points off the top with a game in hand; we did ourselves no injustice against a top class Liverpool side in the Carling Cup; we beat Chesterfield and looked set to push on after that last ten minutes; nothing can excuse the embarrassment and the missed opportunity against the scum in the paintpot; we may have lost at Hartlepool where we usually do well but they have been strong in front of their bumper home crowds their ticketing scheme is bringing in and are currently 5th; we lost at Charlton who are top; we drew with Notts County who are seventh and have been impressive results wise this season and we do sometimes struggle against the more physical side and finally we lost to Bournemouth which is debatable but they are still a good side despite the departures and poor start (play-off hangover?). So i you consider it we have not done all that badly and we have dealt with some difficult fixtures not to mention the extra drain of facing off Liverpool and even of the shambles against Argyle as opposed to an easy game against Hereford which would have had no pressure in the paintpot first round.
If you’ll allow me to skip Wednesday – which I consider to be a game where anything we do get is a bonus and not to be expected – it seems to me we have a real opportunity in October. The fixtures come thick and fast and will hopefully allow us to kick start the season.
| Sat 1 | 15:00 | H | Oldham | FL1 | |||||
| Tue 4 | 19:15 | H | Swindon Town | JPT (S) | |||||
| Sat 8 | 15:00 | A | Bury | FL1 | |||||
| Sat 15 | 15:00 | H | Huddersfield | FL1 | |||||
| Sat 22 | 15:00 | H | Rochdale | FL1 | |||||
| Tue 25 | 19:45 | A | Walsall | FL1 | |||||
| Sat 29 | 15:00 | A | Sheffield Utd | FL1 |
Oldham at home is a game we would fully expect to get three points from. No disrespect to Oldham and they have been doing well on the road so far with three wins out of five but City if we are serious about achieving as well as we did last year should be putting teams like Oldham who are short on cash, depth and real quality to the sword.
Swindon is a home game with no pressure the second round of the paint-pot counts for little an i would like to see us use fringe players to give it a good go without threatening our chances in the league.
Bury is never an easy place to go but they have really struggled to adapt and have only won one of three home games so far so I would consider us to have a very good chance and will be looking for at least a point possibly more if we can get some performances and results in the next three games.
Huddersfield is going to be the tough one. It may be at home but they did us 4-1 last season are unbeaten in a god forsaken large number of games. I hope for a draw but expect this is the one we will have to accept.
Rochdale they simply never do well in the South-West and we should wrap this up comfortably.
Walsall two years ago we didn’t turn up got done, last year we didn’t turn up went 2-0 down Troy got sent off but then we annihilated them for an hour even though we had ten men and were unlucky to lose 2-1, this has to be our year at the stupid Floors4U bannered Bescot Stadium.
Sheffield United well it’s a certain birthday weekend so we have to give them a good hiding…….don’t we.
If I was to be an optimist I would say three points against Oldham, a penalty win over Swindon, a win at Bury, a draw against Huddersfield, a win against Rochdale, a win at Walsall and finally a valiant draw in Sheffield. If we also get a point on Saturday that would give us fifteen points out of twenty-one and catapult us into a very comfortable position.
Citysnumber14shirt here to bring a note of positivism to a currently very down, frustrated, angry and defeatist fan-base. There is light at the end of the tunnel and remember,
In Tis we trust
Exeter 0-2 Bournemouth
Attendance: 4,593
BRIEF OVERVIEW
A new attitude was good to see as city came flying out the blocs on Saturday against a Bournemouth side fresh from their first victory of the season away at Leyton Orient (currently the only side worse than we are in the league according to the table). Bournemouth looked a decent side they certainly have bags of pace throughout the squad and played a very attractive counter-attacking system reminiscent of Wenger’s old Arsenal. However, ability-wise they were a shadow of the team that I saw at Dean’s Court last season which had produced ninety minutes of the most mesmerising football I have ever seen in a match involving city. They demolished us 3-0 that day but it was the one and only time I have not minded losing because we were simply outclassed nothing we could have offered would have changed matters. We did get revenge at the back end of last season as AFC’s capitulation coincided with our own rise to eight place.
In the first twenty minutes we made numerous chances, putting them under pressure and breaking seemingly at will. However, perhaps because of bad luck or as it seems to me because of poor personnel choice we were unable to find the goal and when confidence is low and form has jumped ship on a free transfer to Swansea and Leyton Orient bad things will happen if you do not take our chances. Bournemouth began to grow in confidence and were breaking with more and more regularity.
GOAL: On 38 minutes City had a corner which was cleared to an onrushing Scott Malone (B) who was able to clip the ball past a badly placed Tully far too easily, before threading a great pass up to Wes Thomas (B). Thomas cut inside and Duffy who was tearing back suffered horribly from the new turf (and possibly over watering) as his legs gave out This left Thomas to have a free shot which he very tamely on his left. It should have been a routine save for Lenny P but despite an otherwise commanding performance he could only palm the ball a little higher into the net and its safe to say Pidge wont want to see this goal again.
GOAL: In 90 minute the second goal came Duffy who was having a poor game (as much down to bad luck as anything) allowed the ball to be slipped between his legs on the edge of his area by (I believe) Ryan Doble (B) on loan from Southampton. Pidge made the decision to come for the ball but RIGHTLY pulled out of diving in for the ball at the last minute to avoid a needless penalty and probable red card. The drag back to Scott Malone (B) and his shot was cleared off the line by Danny Coles but it hit the luckless Richard Duffy and bounced in.
City fans emptied although a last few minutes saw the players kick into action it really was the act of a fatally wounded animal
TACTICS
Tisdale went with a new formation, last years in Vogue 4-2-3-1 famously deployed by Man City to thrill fans of Sam Alardyce everywhere. we lined up with,
Pidge
Tully Duffy Coles Jones
Troy Noble
Whichelow (Bauza) Dunne Shepherd (Keohane)
Vine (Logan)
Following the three substitutes we seemed to revert to a standard 4-4-2.
PLAYERS
Pidge: 7 – Despite the shocker of Bournemouth’s first mentioned above I actually thought he put in a really commanding performance. His kicking was exceptional, he was quick off the mark and his organisation and communication was spot on.
Tully: 6 – Was at fault for the first goal when he should have prevented Malone going through the middle of the park but other than that Tully was his usual consistent self being perfectly adept without ever really setting the world alight.
Dufy: 4 – Suffered from horrendously bad luck all day but is not playing all that well at the moment anyway and should not have been beaten on the edge of the box for Bournemouth’s second.
Coles: 6 – Generally a decent performance again from the big man won everything in the air was always keen to get on the ball, his positioning was good and his passing and possession play was excellent until he appeared to panick a bit at the end and tried some rather overly hopeful long balls. He would be a welcome addition to the back line if it hadn’t meant Troy playing in midfield or a return to the 5-3-2.
Jones: 5 – Billy sent shockwaves through the footballing community on Saturday by putting in an adequate performance. He can cross and his set pieces on Saturday were half decent as well. Still badly positioned every time theirright winger broke and clueless in possession but did ok to be fair.
Troy: 4 – Looked clueless, often out of position and never really pressed enough or pushed forward enough for me. He played some decent passes and won some god tackles of course but Troy is a CENTRE BACK and NOT a midfielder. The sooner he is put back where he belongs (preferably next to Coles the better.
Noble: 2 – Absolutely woeful. He did not press or push forward when Bournemouth were in possession. He did his dilly dallying tricks as per usual only seemed to get tackled every single time yesterday and more often ended up lying on the ground than winning the ball back or even making any attempt to do so. He has absolutely no interest at the moment and should be stripped of the captaincy and dropped for his recent displays. At the back end of last season he appeared to be becoming the key lynchpin we all hoped and demonstrated the ability he does have to drive a team forward but currently something is just not right. Tisdale had built the team around him: me, I think its time for a rethink.
Whichelow: 4 Comes highly recommended but had gone straight into the side without learning our play or training with his new teammates I assume. Was anonymous except for a couple of early runs so not much to say really. What he did show I think suggests he will be a good signing
Dunne: 9/6 two ratings he was brilliant for an hour and deserved his MotM accolade but for the last half an hour was extremely wasteful despite getting on the ball a fair bit. Nice to see Dunny put in such a good performance even if only for two thirds of a match as its the first I have seen from him this season.
Shepherd: 7 – Are only creative spark. I know he is small, I know he is easily muscled off the ball and i know he is no Harley (yet). However his style is similar to Harley and he is the only genuinely creative player we have had while Bauza has been out. He played a role in nearly all of our attacking moves but i still feel he needs to be trusted through the middle while also getting adequate support and protection which has so far only happened for the last ten minutes against Chesterfield. On Saturday he was stuck out wide left and subbed leaving us with no one who could unlock a defence (given that Bauza was rushed back).
Vine: 6 – Played well but really the wrong choice to lead the line in this formation. I like Vine he has a touch of quality on the ball but he just does not seem suited to our play. He is much more a link up man than striker and it showed in that early spell chance after chance and more specifically the crosses were presented but Vine had invariably been brought out wide as he moved to link up with the wide players.
Subs
Bauza: 5 – Rushed back given his injuries already. He is absolute quality but would rather Nichols and McNish were closer to the starting line up.
Keohane: 3 – Promising talent but had a poor game and is not strong enough to hold on to or hold up the ball in the way he tries to. For me McNish looks the much more developed player and is a naturally left sided player so why Keohane is getting so much pitch time can only be due to his resemblance to Bertie.
Logan: 7 – The one real positive from Saturday was seeing Logan come off the bench and give us twenty minutes of classic Logantime which we have not seen in a long while. He did miss a sitter but had he started in those first twenty minutes playing like that we would have been at least two up.
VERDICT
I’m still confident the squad is capable of a top half finish, maybe better, but Tisdale is going to have to make some drastic changes. The new formation worked well early on but was fundamentally flawed by using Troy and Noble in midfield together. The change around after the subs didn’t make too much impact although Logie gave it a good go. Bournmouth are an ok side and should stay up but their performance yesterday should have paved the way for a City victory. Instead we were undermined by the poor selections of Vine as a lone striker, Troy in midfield and the continued woefulnesss of David Noble.
SUGGESTIONS, HOPES & RANDOM THOUGHTS
- I don’t mind 4-2-3-1 but would rather 4-3-3.
- Golborne has to come back in for the inadequate Billy Jones at left back.
- Troy has to play centre-back with Coles or Duffy dropping to the bench – I would drop Duffy at the moment as much as I rate him.
- Noble should be dropped from the squad for a week and stripped of the captaincy. If this very unlikely event were to occur I would accept Troy or Duffy playing in defence midfield but whatever happens Noble needs to be kept out of the opposition half unless he is taking a set-piece.
- Shepherd needs to play through the centre; protected by Dunne box-to-boxing and Noble/Troy/Duffy sitting in behind feeding him.
- McNish on the left wing please, please,please! He has quality, graft and a two feet from what I have seen.
- Whichelow I think has something to offer and a week training with the lads might lead to a performance next week but I would like to see Logan start on the right of a front three with Whichelow coming on. Although Whichelow would play right in a 4-2-3-1
- Nichols back in the side through the middle as he has been our best striker I think with the support mentioned above he’ll nab us a few.
- Bauza should be on the bench again as joker card the last thing we need is for him to be rushed back and pick up an injury. He is quality and as soon as he really is fit I would put him in either up front or in the middle with Dunne moving to defensive midfield or Sheps sitting on the bench as super sub.
Following on from my initial post on hopes for the redevelopment of St James Park ‘Stadium Development‘ and with the blog now back up it gives me the chance to post my thoughts following the open event at the St James Center. While many city fans have their own ideas of what is needed, wanted and achievable. It’s possible this might have a unique take on the matter. I certainly hope any Grecians who were able took the opportunity to examine the very exciting plans announced in June. However, it is also important to remember the position of the club in the local community and the reaction of the local residents who I really feel we must do our up-most to keep on good terms with. The following is my response to the club.
As a supporter, permanent-resident but also as a post-graduate student at the university I feel that I am in a prime position to understand the effect of the draft plans and offer feedback from the effects and feelings of all concerned parties. As a season ticket holder for a number of years, trust member and supporter of Exeter City I would first like to congratulate the club, Drivas Jones, Kensington Taylor and all others involved in the redevelopment plans of the ground itself. The entire stand re-build programme was my ideal solution with a few added bonuses. I am particularly pleased with the conjoined away end and grandstand proposed for the freedom it allows with away allocations and the flexibility of segregation lines.
Ideally I would like to see opposition supporters closer moved closer to the Big Bank as well to facilitate a better atmosphere on match days although I can understand there may be a few obstacles to this. The facilities envisaged in the report and the capacity increases are exactly what we need as a club. The development of the away end is particularly important for attracting large numbers of away fans and making the necessary mark-ups that they bring on merchandise, food, drinks etc.
The inclusion of new facilities such as changing rooms (which I believe were originally planned in the Flybe Stand) will help to attract new players as Paul Tisdale has recently said. The large TV screen brings many benefits from sponsorship opportunities as well as the executive boxes considered for the new grandstand. I am also happy that the club is looking to keep the away end as a terrace until absolutely necessary to convert to seats although that is a speculation on my part. In addition to the excellent additions the design looks good and impressive visually. The aesthetic nature of a ground can be very important and the three part enclosed ground, along with the tail off on the new grandstand keep the unique and iconic feel to St James Park which is in my opinion an important part of the football club we now own.
The club has played some very big sides in the past two seasons but the average attendance has remained below 7,000 I therefore think that the capacity increases will be sufficient should we achieve championship stadium and dread the day the club moves to a standard template designed 20,000 all seated stadium that some clubs are still proposing despite being a relatively similar size to ourselves in the naive hope that ‘bigger grounds = more money’, Darlington FC have proved that this is not the case. I would also request that the option of renaming the new stands is considered. Certainly, everyone connected with the club would like some commemoration of Adam Stansfield and the older fans might appreciate some form of dedication to Tony Kellow. One last small point to be really picky is that none of the plans have considered how the dug outs would fit in to the new stadium.
This brings me to the extra developments. The Car Park and retail outlets proposed on the west side of the ground are well though through and provide good commercial opportunities. Neither of these will have a particularly large impact on the surrounding area and indeed will only be positive. I do not think there will be much, if any, opposition to these proposals that make good use of the space available. The conference centers will provide good revenue throughout the year and further our burgeoning commercial department which has been getting better and better since the Trust took over the running of the club originally. The foundation is of course a commendable move as well.
I do however have concerns regarding the student flats. Firstly, my personal opinion is that these developments are necessary and will not have a major impact if handled correctly, especially as there is already new build plans for Sidwell Street and existing accommodation at James Owen Court and the blocs recently built in Blackboy Road. I think that in this day and age it is not only laudable but incredible that the plans put forward are self-funding and do not require the club to borrow any money which it would not in any case be allowed to do. My impression is also that the Council will approve the proposals regardless of opposition from local residents due to the benefits to them and the city’s economy and from previous decisions they have made. However, as a Trust run club and a self styled community club I feel strongly that it is important for the club to engage with the local residents who are opposed to any increases in the student population in the area. So far I think that the club has failed to do this although they have made a good start.
A presentation was given to the St James Forum. The problem I have with this as a local resident is that this is a fairly embryonic organisation which, at least at the moment, is not truly representative of all the areas and residents in the St James’ Ward. Indeed I believe the meeting attended by the club was the first meeting. To win what will be a difficult public relations campaign I feel the club will need to deal with each of the residents associations, probably individually and in turn, to get the message across: that this is necessary and can benefit the community in many ways. The open weekend, which I attended, was a very good showcase for the supporters of Exeter City Football Club to see the new designs and in terms of the support the communication and development plans have been very good. However, senior officials appeared unable to provide solid answers to a number of questions from residents that were raised while I was there and seemed almost surprised to be met by opposition. This is not in itself an issue but these objections and concerns need to be addressed with thought through responses and a certain transparency. I have listed below the concerns that I feel need to be addressed although there may be more and I cannot stress enough how important it is for the club (if it is true to the community ethos) to get in touch with the residents associations on a personal level.
Concern 1 – There seems to be no alternative to Student Accommodation to have been considered and the clubs representatives did not have any information to hand on this.
Suggestion – I can’t imagine that other options (e.g luxury flats, music venue conversions etc) had not been considered. I can however imagine that they were quickly dismissed. I think the club would help itself a great deal by publically announcing all other considerations and explaining why only the student accommodation option was viable for financial, planning, construction and other reasons.
Concern 2 – Parking, this is currently a big enough problem in the area in term time as it is. This is largely because the council are willing to allow students in houses of multiple-occupancy to purchase residents parking tickets.
Suggestion – The way I see it is there is little the club can do to allay these fears. However, I did wonder if it would be possible for the developer, as part of their contract, to be required to fund a local traffic warden or even a traffic officer who could gather information at all times on cars parked illegally in the area and take photo evidence etc. It may even be possible to get students in the accommodation to volunteer for such purposes or to do so on a commission basis. It might also help to ensure that the council instigate a residents parking scheme in all areas of St James ward if this is not already in place.
Concern 3 – Probably the biggest issue is students using places like Powderham Crescent and Well Street as through ways after late nights in town and at the university. The noise and occasional vandalism created by this is a major issue.
Suggestion – Again could it be possible to require the developer to fund a community officer scheme. To have one or two community officers who could patrol the area and perhaps be on call for disrupted residents between 22:00 and 3:00 at night might be appreciated as showing signs of a willingness to compromise.
The above are all suggestions I have produced on a whim and would need to be considered further and by all means represent only some ways of compromising and improving the relations with the local residents which I feel is an essential exercise for a fan-owned and community club. The initial reaction appears to be damaging the clubs image/brand amongst some of the non-football supporting local community.
The frustration, annoyance and disappointment I am currently feeling is obvious however I would not be so angry if I did not honestly believe we are better than this and that Tisdale himself is better. Bournmouth have their own problems and have been suffering not only from playoff hangover but also from an exodus which began at the beggining of last season and has been continuing ever since. I mean we all saw the argument with Mitchell, who although was a little bit nieve seems to me to be somewhat in the right. I have been getting a little wound up seeing so many fans even bloody LEEDS complaining about lack of investment in the team which actually means someone either spending money the club do not have or ploughing their own money in for no return in football. Investment really is not the right word, anyway side tracked. Bournmouth won 3-1 on Saturday against the only side worse than us Leyton Orient. They will be coming with some confidence but it can easily be knocked we need to go for the jugular a bit play to our strenghts and have a little faith in the quality we do have.
I have argued throughout this little four part rant that we should play 4-3-3. This would be my line up.
Pidge
Tully Coles Troy Golborne
Noble
Dunne Shepherd
Whichelow McNish
Vine
In goal Pidge in obviously. He is a quality keeper at this level: Artur is only 21 another season learning is what he needs.
The back line tried and trusted with the exception of Coles in and Duffy sitting out. as I have said Coles suits us gives us extra presence and Duffy has simply been napping too much recently. Golborne can settle into the one role he can play well and start to rebuild a bit of confidence. Tully as standard at right back and Troy returning to a proper centre-back role. He’ll do a job wherever Troy but playing him further forward unless we are completely on the back foot only causes problems.
Noble suits the holding role and really can pick out a pass when he wants to and isn’t being overly lax. The option to us McNish and the new boy outwide can give us the width and expansivness to play some flowwing football land create more than the two shots we manged against county (one was a Noble free kick). he can set Shepherd and Dunne off on their surging runs and link play with Shepherd to get our creative spark flowing. Dunne will do s Dunne does. Shepherd with adequate protection and the chance to link with all three players in front of him and not having Billy Jones at left back means he can bring the full back into play as well.
Up front I would go with Vine over Nichols because Vine while lacking in pace (at the moment) has real quality on the ball for a front man and played really well off the bench on Tuesday. It also gives Nichols the chance to come off the bench and attack a tiring defense and hopefully start rebuilding his confidence which was so clearly through the roof after Chesterfield. McNish deserves his chance and with Nardiello still suspended this is a perfect opportunity for him to show us what he can do. A naturally left sided player who seems to have all the attributes require to link the striker to the midfield and to deliver a high quality cross while Whichelow better be worth it. otherwise i would like to see Keohane give it a go out wide right as Vine is certainly too slow and Dunne is much too poor in possession and one dimensional although I need to point out this is not actually an insult – far from it).
Lastly its is always good to remember Tisdale always gets it right in the end!
Up the City!
This is not necessarily a go at the players merely the way in which they have been used. the formations and tactics have been eratic and have collapsed into a negative un-sptirited un-confident all out defend policy which really does not suit our players or our style even with the sorely lacking striking options due to injury we have a wealth of young promising attacking minded midfield players and its all about getting the best out of them now.
Goalkeepers
To be fair Tisdale has done this bit right. He committed to Artur who I still believe has masses of potential but after bad performances the Argyle game was the perfect opportunity for Pidge to stake his chance. This he has done and I have been really pleased to see he’s not afraid to speak his mind at the lackluster defending we have exhibted at times. he seems confident has kicked well and made some great saves. Pidge should continue in goal.
Defenders
Troy Archibald Henville – Troy has been good he’s played well. However, after being deployed as a defensive midfielder against Liverpool at the back of a diamond 442 was placed there for the Chesterfield and Argyle games. This does not suit him he is not a consistent passer even if he can be brilliant at times. The other big problem is that it pushes Noble forward. Troy should be one of the first names on the team sheet but as a centre back. Tisdale’s realised this but his answer has been to play with five at the back now that…….
Danny Coles – ………….Danny has broken into the team with some impressive performances competent on the ball, a massive presence in stength and in teh air, a quality defender but runs the risk of being exposed to pace as he really is quite slow. However a partnership of Coles and Troy seems the best bet at the moment as………
Richard Duffy– ………… Duffers has been having some dreadful form i think he has struggled with the change in partners week in week out. He is classy player but is now horribly off form, for which I blame Tisdale due to the aforementioned reason. Unfortunatly therefore I think he needs a bit of bench time.
Steve Tully – Legend standard solid Tully doing his job except for that brief stint at the start of the second half against County where Tisdale tinkered him to right wing. Tull’s is a legend but aint as quick as he was has a consitent but not great delivery and is thrity-three…..don’t teach an old do new tricks,especially when their one of the few things that’s working.
Scott Golborne – Scotty proved at the back end of last season what a good player he can be and why there was so much hype in his earlier carrier. He can’t cross so the old 5-3-2 we have returned to really does not suit him. He plays good football and is quite silky at times. He is a decent defender and when settled can be a major asset. However, in the last three weeks he has played at right back, left wing and central midfield and ultimately been unceremoniously dropped to the bench. In his place we have had to suffer……………..
Billy Jones – At this level he just is not good enough I really have tried to see the best in him and he can cross and doesn’t piss around with corners but that is as far as it goes. If its not a hoof down the line which invariably comes back at us its a short inside pass that is 50% successful at best. Defensively he’s barely adequate if i’m being forgiving too weak to cover for his lack of technical ability. Its best for everyone if we can find him a nice conference club to see out the season in my honest opinion.
Midfield
David Noble – Nobes has bags of quality there is no doubt about that but he really needs to be played very deep. Holding up the play is all very well and good in that deep central area and picking out spraying passes and playing very much an early Matt Gill role. Noble however needs wingers in this role too often he looks up to see Nardiello looking at his feet in the centre circle when he is supposed to be wide left or in the 4-4-2 to have the whole team to play much too narrow to give him the options outwide, especially when the right sided player is Dunne and the left is Golborne looking clueless. On top of this the Troy to midfield experiment Nobes was pushed up and really took the sting out of our own attacks he sometimes think he’s just a bit too clever with allo those drag backs and step overs. I also very much got the impression he was fed up and thought he was a bit above our current situation against Notts County. Worrying considering he is meant to be our captain but I am willing to see this as frustration and the failing system we are employing of 5-3- lets give up now 2.
James Dunne – I love James Dunne he’ll give you everything he fast string a better Bertie perhaps? However, he has been so diabolical with the ball so far this season and it just seems to be getting worse. I also wince everytime he slides in as more than once I thought we’d be seeing the wrong kind of red for the right reasons. If we had an other option I would suggest resting him but he needs to play in the center and be given a free reign so as far as i can see its back to 4-3-3.
Liam Sercombe – probably his worst game against Brentford although Tisdale remarkably called him the best player on the pitch. He’s still a quality player and it’s a big shame to see him out for as long as he has been. We could do with some of his grit and determination right now.
Chris Shepherd – Sheps has been a birght spark and has gone some way to filling the Harley void. He is happy to run at people, links up brilliantly with Nichols, has a quality delivery and a knack for threading the killer ball. however he is tiny at least for a professional he is inexperienced. He needs to play through the middle but like Noble needs wide players as options (not Nardiello) and he needs protection and support which I believe Nobel and Dunne can provide in a 4-3-3.
Forwards
Bauza – I believe the accepted phrase is ‘a different gravy’. Quality player but needs to stop being injured.
Logan – If he plays it needs to be out wide right he just has not found his place this season. Too many years of being used out wide right seems to have prevented him from really linking up as a strike partner. Against Notts County he was too far from Nichols and failed to read the game. It almost seems as if he is suffering from the losing the puppy fat maybe the extra weight made it easier to hold people off and stay grounded he certainly does not seem to be winning many headers at the moment.
Nichols – Absolute quality there is nothing better than seeing a local lad come through the youth system as a free scoring talented footballer and goal scorer. However after the impact of Chesterfield he has been forced to make do with scraps. i was really looking forward to seeing the like of McNish and Keohane work with him and Shepherd to give us a more free flowing attack but instead from the Argyle game Tisdale has treated him almost as if he’s a League One Kevin Davies and is expected to be a complete striker having just turned eighteen. if we are not careful we’ll end up shooting his confidence through. Perhaps this new loanee can offer the option out wide and McNish might be given his chance at last.
Nardiello – The worst performance I have ever seen in a city shirt does not even begin to cover just how much I detest this idiot at the moment. He has since he arrived suffered from a serious attitude problem. I accept the frustration of injuries and the struggle to regain form. I don’t accept the unadularted laziness sloppiness and downright selfishnesss which has continued to be exhibted by Nards climaxing in the straight red for foul and abusive langage against an offical who simply called it as he saw it. Nard’s goal was a goal at Charlton in that it was over the line but had he 1) kicked the ball properly or 2) channeled the frustration of having a legitimate goal ruled out into his own perforance to right a wrong this last paragraph may have read differently although my opinion was already pretty set. now there is no excuse and we should look to get rid as soon as despite his quality.
After the perfomance, albeit, for ten minutes of the Chesterfield match we were looking forward to putting an anhilation of the scum (paintpot or not) into the record books, a little treat we could have enjoyed for many a year. Tisdale inexplicably bottled it. The performance of one Mr Nardiello against Chesterfield had easily warranted a week off even with our limited options up front. Lenny Pidge was given his chance to impress as he should have been but that was about as far as it went.
Although we won on penalties thanks to some heroics from the man in goal the 1-1 scoreline was an embarassment not to mention the attendence. Tis continued with his Troy in midfield experiment allowing the impressive Danny Coles to play at center-back. Troy’s presence in front of the back four may have been an effective barrier against Liverpool but the flawed logic had been shown against Chesterfield. The injury crisis also Billy Jones return to the side at left back and Scott Golborne pushed forward. Now there are two problems with this Billy Jones has a relativley decent cross but never gets forward, has two moves the pass inside which often goes astray and the hoof down the line which not only does not suit our play but when it is possible to determine the player he was aiming for it usually tends to be Golborne, Nichols, Shepherd or Nardiello allof whom are just too small against most defenders except for Danny ‘Marcus Stewart’ Nardiello who is too busy sulking, arguing and being lazy to bother challenging. The other problem is that poor Scotty is a decent left-back in a back four but has been messed around and more importantly cannot cross if his third leg depended on it. I would rather if i have to deal with seeing the incompetant (and i’m being nice) displays of Billy Jones see him on the left wing he might actually cross the ball the one thing he can do then and would be better placed for corners.
Shepherd who had been are one genuine spark was dropped to the bench. While Nichols was left stranded up front with Rowan ‘the unfit and therefore slow’ Vine on the right wing offering nothing and Nardiello offering more shite to his pile manure that has made up his performances so far on the left wing. Troy in def mid meant Noble was pushed forward- now as much as I respect Nobles quality and skill he dwells on the ball and does tricks on the spot and generally slows the game down which is the very opposite of what we need from the attacking role. Dunne along side him plays with his heart on his sleeve everygame and is a firm favorite rightly so but he is having a shocker of a season so far at least in possession.
It simply did not work and while Vine was slow he has quality and hunger while Nardiello has an attitude and Tisdale putting Shepherd on would have been great if he wasn’t stuck out wide right where he does not have the chance to drive at defenders or play throughballs and is essentially neitralised was never the answer. Logan who had been the catalyst on Saturday if only because Shepherd got move to the right position was introduced for Nichols with no effect late on too.
The incredible thing is we have a young talented pacy left/central/attacking midfielder in Callum McNish on the bench. If there was ever a chance to give the young players the opportunity and to commit to a way of playing which had been proven to work against a better opposition this was it. Personally, I would have liked to have seen us attack Argyle with a bit more enthusiasim although the formation was right the selection was so very wrong.
Pidge
Tully Coles/Duffy Troy Golborne
Noble
Dunne Shepherd
Logan/Keohane Nichols McNish
From here on in its just got worse we have reverted to a 5-3-2 which against Notts County a team with all due respect we should be attacking at home we had 5 defenders, 1 box to box midfielder, 1 holding midfielder, 1 striker (Logan who was ineffective and sluggish), Nichols who, might now be eighteen but, needs support and service given his limited physical development and Shepherd given a free role in behind the strikers (as he should be) but with the nearest midfielder either the wrong side of the half way line anytime he was anywhere near the ball or it was James Dunne running at the ball (let’s just say its not a good dribbling take after all) and with the best in will in the world his distribution at the moment is shocking and when it comes to playing clever one-twos he is not the man to have. Shepherd with his diminutive stature and relative inexperience needs support and players around to help him link play especially against a side like Nott’s County who are, to a man, big.
After a week in London, two weeks in Germany (more on this and FC Augsburg later), and an end to university the blog is back and angry. I think it must be obvious to those who have read my meager helpings so far that if I have religion I pay at the alter of St Paul anyway I get side tracked by gloating which feels all too hollow at the moment). However, despite the undoubted special ones track record, hero status, brilliance and the necessary adoration he is currently being a negative, timid, stubborn idiot who is making wrong decision after wrong decision and it is beggining to get under my skin. This is my chronicles of a very bad situation which is all too savable.
A promising pre-season in which i was glad to see so much young and local talent coming through the ranks and was both pleased and delighted at the confidence Tis seemed to be placing in the existing squad and youth players. I always put a settled team as a very high attribute to have at this level and the youngsters, Bennett, Shepherd, Nichols, Frear all looked set to make the step up. New recruits Keohane, McNish both looked promising too. The added quality of Pidge and Bauza was always going to soften the Harley-Cureton blow who left to Brighton-via-Swansea and Leyton Orient respectively.
Having missed the draw at Stevenage, Yeovil and MK Dons I returned for the Brentford match. A timid first half performance in which Uwe Rosler’s Bees played some impressive and slick football left City deservedly 2-0 down. A second half performance was enough to convince me we had enough in the locker to make a good crack of this league though. I particularly liked the trust placed in Artur Krysiak and the standard of his in play kicking as the defence used him as an outlet constantly a handy tactic, and ironic given the following games. The introduction of Bauza had little impact but then he was joined by the exuberant Nichols up front. At just seventeen years of age his impact was astonishing and Bauza became alive and full of confidence. Nichols won Bauza a penalty which he dispatched nicely. A 2-1 loss is just that but the performance of our young team was enough to keep me happy.
A 1-0 loss at Preston, which I sadly was unable to attend, gained the accolade of our best ever away performance from Tisdale. Tully wrongfully red carded as Mellor cheated his way to a penalty. Artur saved it but another questionable freekick as awarded against City…. and we’ll lets just say we don’t like balls flying into our box. We then had our glamour tie at Home to Liverpool and nice little side show but I was more concerned with Chestfield on Saturday and getting annoyed at the idiots, knowing nothing about football, yet alone real football, who thought this was a big game (it wasn’t other than the money it generates) and they might just pop along from their blow up plastic Liverpool chair and LFC or whatever shite its called only to never be seen at St James Park again. I will say this fair play to Dalgliesh for bringing the stars and even starting the like of Reina, Morales and Suarez and it was a bit of fun. Don’t get me wrong i welcome anyone at St James but it would be nice to see some of these plastic day trippers actually try and support City a bit.
Moving on a dire 70 minutes against a poor Chesterfield side didn’t change much with the change to 4-3-3 the introduction of Shepherd on the right wing and Nichols up front but with the Logan coming on the right wing and Shepherd being allowed to play through the middle took literally seconds to crack it for the last ten minutes we clicked this was it the beggining of our season just in time for Argyle on Tuesday night too……….
It was confirmed this week that Exeter had signed ex-Chelsea youth goalkeeper Lenny Pidgeley. It has not been an uncontroversial signing. Many (myself included) were really hoping against the odds we would be able to sign up Ben Hamar who performed so fantastically, on loan from reading in the last three months of last season. The chnces of en resigning were slim due to wages and his ambition to play at a higher level which he should be capable of. Of course it had been known to many city fans through Lenny’s twitter account that he had been in talks and things were getting rounded off.
The first major talking point was the fact that he had been caught drink driving and had been photographed being carried out of a club on a night out with his old Chelsea team mates. The response from many Exeter fans was in my view appalling. This is someone who had dedicated his life to playing football and had successfully progressed through the ranks at Chelsea! It does not seem to have occurred to many people that these events happened three years ago and two years ago. While under no circumstances would I condone either behaviour, most of us have at times had a little bit too much to drink and it should be pointed out that he does not appear to have been in any way violent. The drink-driving charge is serious and I understand why people do not want to accommodate that however none of us know the details but it would seem that he was only just over the limit given the report linked above “Pidgeley faces the specific charge of driving a motor vehicle when his alcohol level was above the legal limit” it was also a Sunday conjecture might be that it was more hang-over than willful drink-driving. My point is not to defend him but to point out that we don’t know the details and that this was over two years ago and he has been punished within the law. City staff have decided that he is a fit character for a club which does pride itself on it community/family values and I see no reason not to give the guy our full support going into next season. Furthermore every fans forum that has had people form the respective clubs who have actually met Lenny all have him down as a top bloke and a really nice guy even if they have not been convinced by his performances.
The next point is his attitude and ability. He seems a bit larger than life and does not appear to be afraid to show off a little. I like a goal keeper with a bit of attitude on the pitch and in fact I think it is one of the reasons Hamar was so good. He has a bit of a down turn over the years after leaving Chelsea he played for Millwall, Carlisle and Bradford last season with a few loan stints in between. He is now 27 years old is clearly talented and has picked up some experience. He needs a club to rebuild his career and get himself on the straight and narrow, while we as a club specialise in bringing the best out of players and we have seen in the past that if player’s, don’t shape up in terms of character then Tisdale will be ruthless in removing them.
The final point up for discussion is that Tisdale has stated that this is Mel Gwinett’s (goalkeeper coach) signing and that credit should go to him. He has also said that Artur is the no.1 chocie for the start of next season. Many seem to see this as Tisdale distancing himself from the signing. However, I don’t see it that way instead I see it as Tisdale giving Mel the chance to pick his man. Afterall it is Mel Gwinett who will be spending the time with Lenny and Artur and he is probably in the best position to know who will fit with their personallity and also be able to bring a lot of support to help develop Artur’s game which although flawed shows great potential in a way I never saw in Paul Jones. Tisdale is in my eyes being careful to give credit where its due and there is absolutely no way Tis would allow a player to sign who he was not confident in.
My view is that Lenny will make a good addition to our squad although his main contribution may be in helping young Artur Kryziak’s game to develop, which is exactly what Tisdale has alluded too this week in the Express and Echo.
citysnumber14shirt 