The unofficial AFC Rushden & Diamonds messageboard

Next Up, Diamonds head to Stamford AFC at the weekend

Stamford should be a good test, they have just added Connor Furey who was highly regarded at Corby Town, I hope Heathy gets some minutes as it will be nice to see him again.

Matchday

Getting battered to the point of it being 5-1, to a team who are a step below us and also playing their first pre season game. I can only call what I saw, rubbish. Just a lot of running up the pitch and losing the ball.

I think Andy may be need more games than the last 3 to choose his squad for the season. Lots of work to be done.

We need some more experienced players asap. This is a tough league physically too . Slightly worried I must say. Need to see Fossen to calm the nerves

We all could say that it's just a pre season and friendly and there's still plenty of time, but today was a very worrying performance from what we have to offer. From the very start it was evident that we were going to be second best as they took the lead in the first minute. To think that Stamford are a league below and that was their first friendly, then there is no excuses. Has to be said that it's a very young squad so far as well as most of the trislists are. None of which caught the eye apart from the young striker, who didnt get a sniff against mk dons, did well when he came on. Looks like we need a spine of the team defender, midfield, striker, to bring this team on. Players with experience at this level or above. Only real positives are that the team found some bite to try and get back in the match and made the score a bit more respectable at the end. People might say don't pannick yet, but on evidence from what I've seen then we must be amongst the favourites for relegation

TheIncognitoKid wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 5:30 pm We all could say that it's just a pre season and friendly and there's still plenty of time,

Andy wouldn't want that, he said himself last Saturday that regardless of it being a friendly he wants us to be all about winning.

I don't think Stamford have had an overhaul like us and Graham is known for his organisation so that will have been a key part of their training. For me our team still has to get to know each other and that can take months for teams who are not full time and training together all the time.

Adrian wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 6:50 pm

TheIncognitoKid wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 5:30 pm We all could say that it's just a pre season and friendly and there's still plenty of time,

I don't think Stamford have had an overhaul like us and Graham is known for his organisation so that will have been a key part of their training. For me our team still has to get to know each other and that can take months for teams who are not full time and training together all the time.

Fair play Adrian - not easy to come on here and be positive or try and defend the performance today but I actually agree with what you've said. Ours looked like they'd never met and they looked like they'd played together for years. Both statements are true to a large degree.

Problem for me though is it was men against boys and it doesn't matter how long we play together, unless we get some experience and just as importantly a bit of physical presence in the side we won't be able to compete. The time will come very soon to stop looking at Step 5/6 players and start looking for players with a bit of pedigree at this level.

On the game itself, I thought we had a decent 10/15 minute spell in the first half during which we scored a really well worked goal. The last 10 minutes was also decent. Everything around that wasn't good at all, bordering on atrocious at times. I would never come on here and start calling people out and hammering our own players, but on the basis I'd be absolutely staggered if the Trialist wearing #5 plays for us again after that performance (I also thought he looked shaky at Kempston), I have to say he was just crazy bad, which I find really odd given his playing history.

Adrian wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 6:50 pm

TheIncognitoKid wrote: ↑Sat Jul 09, 2022 5:30 pm We all could say that it's just a pre season and friendly and there's still plenty of time,

For me our team still has to get to know each other and that can take months for teams who are not full time and training together all the time.

I hope this isn’t going to be everyone’s excuse for poor performances this season. It shouldn’t be really. As Burgess said on 23rd April: “Next season started at 5pm”. But… we still haven’t got a full team signed on, and we’re still tinkering with player trials (with some evidently not being good enough) in the 3rd PSF game. Also yet to see 1 competent striker this pre-season let alone 2 which is the preference for Burge (any alarm bells we’re still waiting to see one decent striker?). Also hope we sort out the GK situation pretty quickly - don’t think these games are giving Snedker any confidence to stay with us.

If you listen and watch the interview, AB was actually shocked at the display and as he said he was embarrassed, only a few players were worthy of any praise.

I think the telling bit of the Interview was when AB remarked we maybe need a couple more MEN, i think that sums it up really