[ Sat 24th Jan ] v Holbeach Utd, KO 3pm UCLP AWAY

[corby diamond]

Ok so there is a line not to cross, we understand that.. Everyone will have their own opinions. But reading through the last few comments about how a lush green pitch would suit ELJ? Are you being serious? Yesteday wasn't about how well he played, well ok a lot of it is but at the same time his attitude and half shifts need to be considered. So it's been mentioned that matty is predictable in his play but he's a much better crosser of the ball which is the service dunks and Berwick needed. What goods it to anyone having a few nifty dribbling skills but cant deliver the final ball? He had a great break on the left and decided to take on 2 and lost it, either look up and square it across or put your boot through it. Which is another quality matty possesses!! Right or left he can bang one in. There was a moment yesterday when the ball looped over to their left back.. ELJ was walking??? He should of been given 45 and pulled off at 60 mins.. The fans were screaming for matty you could hear from every corner of the ground, I just can't understand why the bench get frustrated at the lads, yet it's left too late before actions taken? And that ain't a peaksy out comment :lol:

I may be harsh in what im saying but this is an interesting debate, I'm starting to get fed up with reading but look at the table postion.. So what it means nout unless they slip up, which judging by the team they showed they could be yesterday holbeach can play some good stuff..

Say holbeach do take the title (who knows?) I wonder what the opinion will be then?

[Diamond White]

I've spent the last 24 hours pondering and honestly can't choose which position I'd rather be in out of the 2 clubs. 8 points in 4 games is certainly within their reach but fighting on so many fronts with the backlog they have already and a pitch that will have games called off certainly counts against them.

Would anyone genuinely swap our position with theirs?

[Pigman]

I guess it's how the criticism is delivered isn't it? If I went out for a meal and it was bad would I berate the staff by shouting and swearing at them, spouting obscenities? No, because chances are I'd get arrested under a public order offence, plus it'd get me nowhere!

I agree about how frustrating ELJ can be at times, and I think a lot of what has been said above is fair criticism, but does anyone truly believe he will improve and get better if all he gets is abuse hurled at him from the touch line ? Do we want to be known as fans who hound young players out of the club? It's amazing that on one hand the club is criticised by fans for not bringing young players through from the u21s, then on the other berate a young player they do play.

I rate ELJ but he's far from the finished article, I want to see him improve, he won't do that without the support and encouragement of the fans. We have to have faith that Peaksy will make the right decisions tactically, and if he's not having a good game he'll make the necessary changes. Peaksy will ultimately pay the price if he gets it wrong.

As supporters we can have a moan about players not playing well, of course we can, but hurling abuse at them from the side of the pitch oversteps the mark IMO and probably the majority of our fans. It'll undermine the confidence of the individual player and ultimately the whole team and I'm fairly sure none of us want to see that!!

14 big games coming up, we should be getting behind all the lads and see where that leads us!

[Trek]

An independant Groundhoppers view from the Non-League Matters Forum:-

'The main irritant for me was the cynical wasting of time, mainly by the home side who seemed to have settled for a point before kick off. They were very cute about how they did it and most of it seemed to pass the referee by. The first time the ball went out of the ground there was no spare ball. It took about 5 mins for a home official to saunter off to the changing rooms and bring out three more. At each substitution,the play coming off went and stood at the opposite touchline from the dugouts and strolled across the pitch to come off at a funereal pace. There were 'head injuries' galore and it was somewhat ironic that the equaliser came in added time. I began by wanting the Lincs side to turn over the big-time Charlies, but by the end my allegiance had switched!'

[rudolph_hucker]

I know you think I have an agenda Jim as you've already stated that.
I listen in on the radio and yesterday I could hear the commentators calling for Gearing quite early on into the game, as they were with Joseph. IF they can see there are problems with the line up and the fans that pay to watch can also see that, what is stopping the manager? It's easy to say wait until the end of the season and see where that gets us. What if ( I hope not) we aren't where we want to be? I'm not calling for his head but yesterday was a massive game for us and so far I've not seen ONE positive comment about ELJ yet several calling for Gearing. That tells me one thing, when we as a team need to win we aren't starting with our ( generalisation) strongest team. We all know Dunks plays on crosses yet from all I see here he doesn't get the service from ELJ he would with Gearing.
I'm not one to criticise players publicly especially this season as I've missed so many games, but customers do have the right to complain, irrespective of the price they pay for the service. The reason you don't shout in a restaurant is because the manager/waitress is within earshot of you so it would necessitate a raucous bellow. Fans have done and always will do shout out at players/managers. I'm not necessarily saying it's right I'm just saying it happens and if you put yourself in the firing line, hey ho.
You also say he isn't the finished article. Would it not be wiser to start with Gearing and thus easing the pressure off ELJ especially at this crucial part of the season?

[rudolph_hucker]

An independant Groundhoppers view from the Non-League Matters Forum:-

'The main irritant for me was the cynical wasting of time, mainly by the home side who seemed to have settled for a point before kick off. They were very cute about how they did it and most of it seemed to pass the referee by. The first time the ball went out of the ground there was no spare ball. It took about 5 mins for a home official to saunter off to the changing rooms and bring out three more. At each substitution,the play coming off went and stood at the opposite touchline from the dugouts and strolled across the pitch to come off at a funereal pace. There were 'head injuries' galore and it was somewhat ironic that the equaliser came in added time. I began by wanting the Lincs side to turn over the big-time Charlies, but by the end my allegiance had switched!'

i didn't go to the game yesterday, but my opinion of the tactics employed by the home team "worked", they frustrated us and got their reward. It was down to us to NOT let them play their way. Moaning about the way they played is just showing them that they effectively beat us.

[corby diamond]

I know you think I have an agenda Jim as you've already stated that.
I listen in on the radio and yesterday I could hear the commentators calling for Gearing quite early on into the game, as they were with Joseph. IF they can see there are problems with the line up and the fans that pay to watch can also see that, what is stopping the manager? It's easy to say wait until the end of the season and see where that gets us. What if ( I hope not) we aren't where we want to be? I'm not calling for his head but yesterday was a massive game for us and so far I've not seen ONE positive comment about ELJ yet several calling for Gearing. That tells me one thing, when we as a team need to win we aren't starting with our ( generalisation) strongest team. We all know Dunks plays on crosses yet from all I see here he doesn't get the service from ELJ he would with Gearing.
I'm not one to criticise players publicly especially this season as I've missed so many games, but customers do have the right to complain, irrespective of the price they pay for the service. The reason you don't shout in a restaurant is because the manager/waitress is within earshot of you so it would necessitate a raucous bellow. Fans have done and always will do shout out at players/managers. I'm not necessarily saying it's right I'm just saying it happens and if you put yourself in the firing line, hey ho.
You also say he isn't the finished article. Would it not be wiser to start with Gearing and thus easing the pressure off ELJ especially at this crucial part of the season?

Well said!

[Pigman]

Sadly I wasn't there yesterday so can't comment on the team's or individual's performances Lee, personally I'd play Matty now he's fit, but Peaksy is the manager, not me - but I won't hurl abuse at any player and that's the main thrust of this discussion now.

I know you'll disagree with me on this and I don't want to go off on a "members" tangent, but if fans are disgruntled and want to question Andy he's more than willing to answer those questions at a Members Forum providing they're presented in a polite and proper way. I would suggest a fans forum rather than a members one, but we're run by volunteers and it takes time to organise these things and the guys running the club put enough hours in already, members forums are part of our constitution so are more important.

Yesterday I personally would have started with Matty and Jason rather than ELJ and Dunks, but Peaksy knows the players, he's trained with them and he has closer inside information than me on attitudes, health and fitness etc.

Young Charlie Butt had a woeful game against Wellingborough, giving the ball away cheaply time after time, but I'd hate to see him get abused in this way - he'll learn and develop from the experience.

I guess what I'm getting at is we we all have our opinions - but it's how we express them that counts.

Every player who pulls the shirt on will get my unequivocal support, but that doesn't mean I won't have a good old moan over a pint with my mates!

[SouthRushdenJFC]

There seems to be a point missed here. Dunkley won next to nothing in the air against the number five so it doesn't matter how good the crosses could have been, he'd have been second best regardless.

[Pigman]

There seems to be a point missed here. Dunkley won next to nothing in the air against the number five so it doesn't matter how good the crosses could have been, he'd have been second best regardless.

Out of curiosity - how did Berwick look as an aerial threat?