Barrow v Maidenhead.

[olbarrafancumbak]

Not just the players. If Chesterfield continue to flounder then can't be long before Allen is shown the door. Then the clamour for Evatt to take over will gather at a pace.

True..then we would be right in the sh1t

I may be completely wrong but evatt does not seem the type of bloke to jump ship at any given opportunity! He comes across as a very honourable and committed guy who is here to do not just his job but to do it with passion and pride. So long as he is on a decent enough contract and the board back his as best they can, this guy would not have his head turned as easily as we fear. With regards to our players, it's no secret that it's in the master plan that we develop players and become a kind of selling club! Ok, it's not great when our better players move on but so long as we keep turning the players over and replacing as and when, the club will benefit financially and help sustain what we have...that's business. I've not been to watch a game yet as I'm still crocked but what I've seen on highlights and the generally honest opinions and feedback here and via Adam ont wireless the club are turning a corner, giving us what we all want which is a team we are genuinely proud of and a group of people who at long last, give a shit about the shirt they are privileged to wear! It will take time but so long as the momentum carrys on with the players, club, owners etc HS will start to swell once more..

[barrowaberdeen]

Didn't get to see too much of the game due the maelstrom of requests for sweets and coffee in the shop, but one thing I keep seeing is Taylor is making us tick. I was far from convinced when we signed him, or in pre season- but he has been consistently our best player so far IMO.

[mr_grey]

True..then we would be right in the sh1t

I may be completely wrong but evatt does not seem the type of bloke to jump ship at any given opportunity! He comes across as a very honourable and committed guy who is here to do not just his job but to do it with passion and pride. So long as he is on a decent enough contract and the board back his as best they can, this guy would not have his head turned as easily as we fear. With regards to our players, it's no secret that it's in the master plan that we develop players and become a kind of selling club! Ok, it's not great when our better players move on but so long as we keep turning the players over and replacing as and when, the club will benefit financially and help sustain what we have...that's business. I've not been to watch a game yet as I'm still crocked but what I've seen on highlights and the generally honest opinions and feedback here and via Adam ont wireless the club are turning a corner, giving us what we all want which is a team we are genuinely proud of and a group of people who at long last, give a shit about the shirt they are privileged to wear! It will take time but so long as the momentum carrys on with the players, club, owners etc HS will start to swell once more..

+1

[whitty1969]

My worry at these types of games we fail to put on a good show for the extra fans/floaters.
We played great in patches but we always allow the opposition 15 minutes to get at us.
Overall a deserved victory. A clean sheet and 3pts.
Hope the freebies enjoyed it and come back.
Jameston makes me nervous. Hope Granite is back Tuesday.
Jones put in another good display, Kay ran his socks off and looks a great footballer.
But for me, have to agree with Vialli. Taylor was our best player yesterday. Breaks up play and is at the heart of everything. He is turning out a great signing.
Hope Evatt was happy yesterday. He is working hard and delivering football we have craved for years for.
Anyone who would like to see cox's football. Give your head a good wobble.
Roll on tuesday

[Ste Story]

Good result yesterday against a Maidenhead side who've been in not bad form.

They were a big strong side, and you could tell they had a directive to be physical and try and bully some of the younger smaller players, but credit to them they didn't shy away. Excellent goals again, the second one was refreshing in the timing, in recent weeks we've gone ahead, allowed the opposition to build pressure and conceded, this time our goal came against the run of play with a great piece of play by Norrington-Davies and an excellent finish by Smith.

Nobody had a bad game really, some excellent saves by Firth, Jameson was very good coming back into the side and the combination of Rooney/Kay/Taylor finally give us a presence and creativity in the middle that we've been missing for years.

Different task against Gateshead on Tuesday, but refreshing knowing we'll be playing the same style and backing ourselves, looking forward to it.

[Hitthebar22]

There are four of us regulars who have to travel together a fair distance for each home match. Last season was a struggle, so much so we almost decided to miss a match, but didn’t, and remained committed. This season, as we all know, it’s different fare, of a much more palatable variety. Yesterday the first 25 minutes of the second half was not so much a mystery (the opposition put an extra man in midfield after half time), but a triumph to tackle it, change and score a second in the last 20 minutes. It look like Maidenhead were bound to score during that first 25 mins, so much had the game changed. Mentally a big step forward.
We play really attractive football, and Rooney’s goal was one of the best I’ve seen at HS for years.

[pjdaly]

BBC News Syndrome: tendency to revel in anticipating future problems. " Now over to Quinton Summerfield in Barrow......"
"Well Fiona, Barrow fans are delighting in the current team. they have a bunch of exciting young players, playing some attractive passing football, and a new young manager who has introduced a totally new style of football. But behind the excitement, there is a deep sense of anxiety. What will happen when other clubs come looking for their players or, worse still, their manager. A scout from Millwall was seen at the match and some fans believe that other predators are circling for their manager. If this happens, the club will once again be on a downward spiral and obscurity beckons. Now over to our Economics Editor, Carmel Akmed, for an analysis of the financial implications of relegation......." etc

Yes, Jim, just as long as we don't have to suffer the oh-so-irritating spare-time filler at the end featuring the BBC arts editor Will Gompetts extolling the aesthetic virtues of our playing style and the finer nuances of our movements with the ball. I mean, I wouldn't object to the coverage, just Will Gompetts. Perhaps they should send Orla Guerin along and give the poor girl a break from some of the truly miserable places on the planet that she has to spend her time in. Barrow would surely cheer her up no end.

[pjdaly]

Jim (continuing your theme) . . .

So, what's the last thing said to Orla by the Head of the production team before boarding the truck for the airport to Yemen, Afghanistan, Syria, Mosul etc etc and all the other tourist hotspots she spends her life in? . . . . .

"have you packed your stuff in the van . . . all yer gear in?"

Yellow card for the joke, yellow card for being totally off topic. I guess that's me off then.

[Middleton Nick]

When Jones was subbed, he seemed to have a slight injury. Hopefully he will be fit for Tuesday.

[Dalton Bluebird]

When Jones was subbed, he seemed to have a slight injury. Hopefully he will be fit for Tuesday.

Kick on the calf according to the post match interview.

https://youtu.be/tsYKlnRJeIg

[Suffolk Blue]

BBC News Syndrome: tendency to revel in anticipating future problems. " Now over to Quinton Summerfield in Barrow......"
"Well Fiona, Barrow fans are delighting in the current team. they have a bunch of exciting young players, playing some attractive passing football, and a new young manager who has introduced a totally new style of football. But behind the excitement, there is a deep sense of anxiety. What will happen when other clubs come looking for their players or, worse still, their manager. A scout from Millwall was seen at the match and some fans believe that other predators are circling for their manager. If this happens, the club will once again be on a downward spiral and obscurity beckons. Now over to our Economics Editor, Carmel Akmed, for an analysis of the financial implications of relegation......." etc

Yes, Jim, just as long as we don't have to suffer the oh-so-irritating spare-time filler at the end featuring the BBC arts editor Will Gompetts extolling the aesthetic virtues of our playing style and the finer nuances of our movements with the ball. I mean, I wouldn't object to the coverage, just Will Gompetts. Perhaps they should send Orla Guerin along and give the poor girl a break from some of the truly miserable places on the planet that she has to spend her time in. Barrow would surely cheer her up no end.

It is a bit sad that as soon as we start to see a glimmer of light (and that's what it is currently) in the direction the team might be going in that we assume that the worst will inevitably follow - but then that's our history. And the worst thing barring pestilence and plague that could happen at this point is that we lose the Manager, the style of play and the youthful commitment he's already got out of his squad. On the face of it of course Ian Evatt has not (yet) set the division alight. Lest we forget we haven't won an away game and as we were reminded by Geoff Stelling yesterday as soon as we scored we have a reputation for conceding late goals. We wont be winning any awards in September.

Seems to me thats there are two groups for whom Ian Evatt is being really appreciated at the moment. Firstly us the BAFC fans who are at last getting the type of football we've been craving for some years. Secondly and interesting his peers the other Managers who (I think genuinely) have commented positively on our style and quality of play. Clearly word will get around especially if we continue to improve but I'm not sure he'd be a the top of anybodys list for a top job just yet.

Chesterfield of course are a slightly different prospect given Ian Evatts previous relationship with them. Funnily enough when Martin Allen was appointed their Manager my first response was that it was probably a mistake. Whilst Martin Allen has a great CV including at this level his tenures recently at Barnet and Eastleigh have been very poor. He also suffered I believe with health issues and seems to be one of those managers who suffers badly from the stresses of the game. His appointment was based on that old maxim that only experience will get you out of this division. Taking on a young inexperienced manager is seen as an unacceptable risk and the shelf life of an experienced old pro is rarely taken into account. In Chesterfields case of course the person who directly suffered as a result of this view was Ian Evatt himself.

My limited knowledge of Martin Allen suggests to me that when things start to go wrong with him they tend to stay that way so I'll admit now that I firmly believe that Chesterfield will be looking for a new manager and probably soon. Their signing of Tom Denton (the 'Ferriby Highwayman') last week looked to me an act born of panic and desperation. Inevitably Ian Evatts name will then come up and you'll no doubt see him quoted in the betting as a replacement.

How serious the prospect of losing him at this point would be might depend on a few factors i.e.:

- Firstly would the Chesterfield board abandon its 'we are a big club and therefore demand a manager of proven quality and standing' approach?
- Secondly would they see what we see in Ian Evatt after only 12 games in charge?
- Thirdly, how would the conversation with Ian Evatt (were they allowed to talk to him) actually go, given they've already rejected him for a managers job that he really wanted no more than 3 months ago, effectively turfing him out
- Fourthly, How would Ian Evatt a man of apparent strong character and opinions react to all of this and an invitation to abandon what he has started to create here and start all over again?

I'm not saying it cant or wont happen of course just that its probably not quite as likely as it might at first seem. The caveat to this is of course that Ian Evatt has developed and is maintaining a close and happy relationship with the owners of BAFC. Given that his style of football is precisely what Andrew Casson was calling for in his 'Statement to the Nation' at the end of last season he should be doing cart-wheels currently as he is getting what he asked for. So if you do lose him Andrew you really need to be on the first plane back to Dallas.

[russell_anderson]

That's one thing that for which Andrew Casson could not be blamed if it happened! Nobody stops managers or players moving these days. If any of them get offered more money or even the same money at what is seen to be a more prestigious club then they will be off. As it happens there is a fair chance that Dave Bayliss (the Millwall scout) was sent to look at a Maidenhead player as Millwall will be more aware of southern based Non-league players than northern based players.

[Lancaster Branch]

As it happens there is a fair chance that Dave Bayliss (the Millwall scout) was sent to look at a Maidenhead player as Millwall will be more aware of southern based Non-league players than northern based players.

Nah, clubs look all over for players. Millwall have got a centre forward in their squad now that they signed from Halifax.

[alvin]

13 scouts at the game watching words getting around

[HenneysKnee]

13 scouts at the game watching words getting around

Most likely looking at our loanees with a view to taking them on loan in the league ala Jimmy Dunne last season