The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

If anyone is looking for a reason for the drop in form since the New Year IMO you don`t have to look much beyond the 2nd letter of the alphabet. Since then we have had 5 wins V 2 dreadful sides in N Greenford & Arlesey, a very average Ware, a very good performance against Aylesbury FC, and the St Ives win which unlike many I didn`t think was a great performance, we played ok and beat a team who were on a poor run and there for the taking and having watched them get beaten a few days earlier by Aylesbury Utd I expected more than the 2-0. But Back to the B`s, wandering round the ground as I do I get to hear lots of different views and comments about players, some are fascinating, funny old game seen differently by all.
B No 1, is Tommy Berwick never the big favourite I expected him to be, but I put that down mostly to some peoples expectation of a hat full of goals from him, he got a few but anything less than 25 a season was a let down in the eyes of many, but we got so much else from him, link up play, the runs off the ball, creating space and opportunities for others, he`s been a big loss which some of the Tommy Knockers are now realising.
B No 2, Captain Bunt`s I`ve heard tail of him being over the top, legs are gone, ffs you don`t have to charge around like Jimmy crazy legs Bullard to be a good midfield player, it`s not always what he does with the ball but where he was when he`s not got it, 99% of the time in the right place to be an outlet for whoever has it. How much link up play coming out from the back goes through him coupled with supporting play in the last 3rd, he has been a massive loss.
B No 3, you all know who this one is so the only comment I would make is, yes I expected him to be missed, but hoped for the Club not this much, not sure if it`s flattering or worrying after all "he`s only a full back" and yes I did hear that said.
So we ended the year 2015 with high expectations in a possible league winning position though we had lost back to back matches in December then, 1 player cops a strop, 1 can no longer carry on playing through the pain barrier with an on going injury problem and a 3rd decides he`s Crocodile Dundee and goes walkabout, all in the space of 4 weeks.
Back to the question about Andy Peaks, you do nothing, he was set a target last July which I`m confident will be reached, not forgetting a half decent FA Cup run thrown in, he assembled a squad which was possibly good enough to win the league given a prevailing wind and a bit of luck, things were on track and if anything above expectations, he looses 1/3 of his outfield regulars 92 games between the 3, 2 of them joint top of assists (still) and shock horror the teams fortunes take a turn for the worse, if it had all happened a month earlier possibly Father Christmas may have come to the rescue. He`s tried to replace with experience rightly IMO as you wouldn`t try and replace any of the above with a 18 year old from Whitworth`s and it`s not gone exactly according to plan, that shouldn`t come as a massive shock given what he was trying to replace.
So for those of you old enough to remember Northern Soul "keep the faith" supporters of many Clubs have runs like our last month that last for years, and after all the last 4 seasons haven`t been that bad have they??

Brownie wrote:If anyone is looking for a reason for the drop in form since the New Year IMO you don`t have to look much beyond the 2nd letter of the alphabet. Since then we have had 5 wins V 2 dreadful sides in N Greenford & Arlesey, a very average Ware, a very good performance against Aylesbury FC, and the St Ives win which unlike many I didn`t think was a great performance, we played ok and beat a team who were on a poor run and there for the taking and having watched them get beaten a few days earlier by Aylesbury Utd I expected more than the 2-0. But Back to the B`s, wandering round the ground as I do I get to hear lots of different views and comments about players, some are fascinating, funny old game seen differently by all.
B No 1, is Tommy Berwick never the big favourite I expected him to be, but I put that down mostly to some peoples expectation of a hat full of goals from him, he got a few but anything less than 25 a season was a let down in the eyes of many, but we got so much else from him, link up play, the runs off the ball, creating space and opportunities for others, he`s been a big loss which some of the Tommy Knockers are now realising.
B No 2, Captain Bunt`s I`ve heard tail of him being over the top, legs are gone, ffs you don`t have to charge around like Jimmy crazy legs Bullard to be a good midfield player, it`s not always what he does with the ball but where he was when he`s not got it, 99% of the time in the right place to be an outlet for whoever has it. How much link up play coming out from the back goes through him coupled with supporting play in the last 3rd, he has been a massive loss.
B No 3, you all know who this one is so the only comment I would make is, yes I expected him to be missed, but hoped for the Club not this much, not sure if it`s flattering or worrying after all "he`s only a full back" and yes I did hear that said.
So we ended the year 2015 with high expectations in a possible league winning position though we had lost back to back matches in December then, 1 player cops a strop, 1 can no longer carry on playing through the pain barrier with an on going injury problem and a 3rd decides he`s Crocodile Dundee and goes walkabout, all in the space of 4 weeks.
Back to the question about Andy Peaks, you do nothing, he was set a target last July which I`m confident will be reached, not forgetting a half decent FA Cup run thrown in, he assembled a squad which was possibly good enough to win the league given a prevailing wind and a bit of luck, things were on track and if anything above expectations, he looses 1/3 of his outfield regulars 92 games between the 3, 2 of them joint top of assists (still) and shock horror the teams fortunes take a turn for the worse, if it had all happened a month earlier possibly Father Christmas may have come to the rescue. He`s tried to replace with experience rightly IMO as you wouldn`t try and replace any of the above with a 18 year old from Whitworth`s and it`s not gone exactly according to plan, that shouldn`t come as a massive shock given what he was trying to replace.
So for those of you old enough to remember Northern Soul "keep the faith" supporters of many Clubs have runs like our last month that last for years, and after all the last 4 seasons haven`t been that bad have they??

Great post. Funny how bringing in a out and out striker has actually made our attacking options worse. Despite all the higher profile names coming into the club in the last 2 months, we actually had a better team in November/December! That's what a blame Peaks for. I understand he is working hard to turn the current results around and he cant be totally responsible for the performances of 11 blokes on the pitch but he has managed to bring in players that have made us a worse team.

Spot on Brownie all 3 players have been big losses to the team. I could never understand the stick Berwick got anybody who actually watched the game must have seen the off the ball runs he made and the space that created. Yes he missed a few chances but at the minute we are not even doing that.

Rushden123 wrote:Spot on Brownie all 3 players have been big losses to the team. I could never understand the stick Berwick got anybody who actually watched the game must have seen the off the ball runs he made and the space that created. Yes he missed a few chances but at the minute we are not even doing that.

A few things used to frustrate me about Berwick. I felt he would hide from the ball in/around the 18 yard box and would always take the opportunity to turn 180 degrees and look backwards rather than take a player on or run at them. One incident inparticular at Chalfont sticks in my mind when I thought he looked clean through on goal in the second half only to turn back. Secondly he had a very irritating habit of scuffing 80% of his shots.

Thirdly he was an outstanding player for Corby in the Southern League Premier a year before he joined us. He took men on at will and looked like a constant goal threat - comfortably their best player. When he signed I was ecstatic but he never got anywhere near that sort of form for us, in fact it was like I was watching a totally different player.

Having said all that, our form has undeniable suffered since he left, so perhaps there's a lot to be said for 'movement'.

Agree with the rest of Brownie's post.

BartonRaz wrote:

Rushden123 wrote:Spot on Brownie all 3 players have been big losses to the team. I could never understand the stick Berwick got anybody who actually watched the game must have seen the off the ball runs he made and the space that created. Yes he missed a few chances but at the minute we are not even doing that.

A few things used to frustrate me about Berwick. I felt he would hide from the ball in/around the 18 yard box and would always take the opportunity to turn 180 degrees and look backwards rather than take a player on or run at them. One incident inparticular at Chalfont sticks in my mind when I thought he looked clean through on goal in the second half only to turn back. Secondly he had a very irritating habit of scuffing 80% of his shots.

Thirdly he was an outstanding player for Corby in the Southern League Premier a year before he joined us. He took men on at will and looked like a constant goal threat - comfortably their best player. When he signed I was ecstatic but he never got anywhere near that sort of form for us, in fact it was like I was watching a totally different player.

Having said all that, our form has undeniable suffered since he left, so perhaps there's a lot to be said for 'movement'.

Agree with the rest of Brownie's post.

I remember you posting about how good a player we had signed but he never lived up to the expectancy level he came with. There's no doubt he was a decent player, but for some reason it only happened a handful I times for afc. I'm sure hell be the first one to admit his goal return was poor but he was a good team player. It just doesn't happen for some players at certain clubs it seems. I'm sure players like Brad Harris and Tom Lorraine wouldn't have such a decent run of performances at just any club they joined.