I don't think either us Glovers nor the visiting Tranmere fans really knew what to expect yesterday in the first game of the new season. What we got was a very comfortable Yeovil win, the Glovers getting past a dodgy first 20 minutes to dominate the remainder of the game, 2-0 winners at the end.
My merit marks first, as usual:
1. Alex McCarthy 6/10: Didn't have much to do in terms of saves to make, indeed he couldn't have wished for a nicer league debut. Did what he had to very competently.
6. Terrell Forbes 8/10: Won the battle for the right-back spot and was my man-of-the-match. Super-solid defensively and a threat overlapping going forward. Always available for a pass and appears to have a new zest for playing in a green-and-white shirt. Excellent.
4. Stefan Stam 7/10: Dealt with everything Tranmere threw at him with great competence. Already developing a good-looking partnership with Caulker.
5. Steven Caulker 7/10: As above. Have we extended his loan yet?
3. Nathan Jones 7/10: Continuing his great pre-season form. Nathan Smith is going to struggle to get his place back when fit at this rate.
22. Danny Schofield 6/10: Not completely firing on all cylinders creatively, but no lack of effort.
13. Ryan Mason 6/10: Occasionally anonymous but each time I was beginning to think it was time to swap him for Murtagh he'd do something special. So nice to see a midfielder not afraid to shoot!
7. George O'Callaghan 8/10: The pick of the midfield again. Obviously up for the game against his former club, but never let that passion go over the top. Very encouraging.
11. Andrew Welsh 6/10: As with his fellow winger Schofield, not completely firing on all cylinders creatively, but no lack of effort.
10. Gavin Tomlin 7/10: Does most of everything you'd want a second striker to do - holds the ball up, distributes it well, decent in the air, makes intelligent runs, has a good touch... But he misses some seemingly easy chances. Proved he's got guts by demanding the ball for the penalty. Just needs to become more clinical and he'd be a star.
14. Dean Bowditch 8/10: Already a star, just needs to keep fit! Took his goal beautifully, always looked a threat... and then did his shoulder and will be out for at least 4 weeks. Ugh!
Subs: 9. Sam Williams (52 mins for Dean Bowditch) 7/10: Possibly even better in the air than Bowditch but possibly not quite as good on the ground. A threat nevertheless and linked up well with Tomlin. Too similar a type to play with Bowditch? We're going to have to wait to find out.
16. Scott Murray (84 mins for Andy Welsh) 6/10: Showed enough in the few minutes he had to indicate that both wingers now have serious competition for their places.
32. Andre McCollin (90 mins for Gavin Tomlin) N/A: No time to make an impact.
There were plenty of positives for Yeovil: The defence looks extremely solid at the moment with a great mix of youth and experience, plus plenty of pace, height, and strength in depth, particularly in the full-back positions. In fact we look like a football team at the moment, in all positions. Skivo's got the players organised and working for each other, and Nathan Jones has got them fit. I don't recall seeing a fitter-looking Yeovil side since Gary Johnson's days. We're playing with two wingers, the full-backs have licence to push up and overlap, we have two central midfielders, two forwards. Everything's in balance and there's competition for places. It's good to watch and long may it continue.
Having said all that Tranmere were pretty poor. In fact they reminded me of us for the greater part of last season - lots of pretty passing in the middle of the park and out of defense but no cutting edge whatsoever. They still had to be beaten and we did that with relative ease in the end, but as an indicator as to how we're going to do for the rest of the season they weren't worth much. Tuesday night's League Cup game at home to Norwich (1-7 losers at home to Colchester yesterday! Welcome to League 1!) and next Saturday's away game at Colchester will give us a better idea.
A quick rant about the green room: One of the pleasures of the internet has been the ability to discuss games, the events in them and the issues surrounding them with fellow Glovers fans in a reasonable atmosphere of debate and argument. Sure, there are always disagreements and there's always idiots around, but lately it's got beyond a joke. Last night was sadly typical of the way the green room has degenerated on a Saturday night in particular over the last year or so, with one or two posters clearly having drunk more than they can handle and intent on confrontation and abuse rather than the usual give and take of debate and discussion. That wouldn't matter if they were ignored or if any of the moderators were taking any notice or pro-active action, the trouble is they're not and otherwise sensible contributors are then suckered in to take issue with the morons' provocations and before you know it you've got a forum full of abuse and hate and any prospect of a decent debate has gone, at least until the brain-dead's have logged off. And yes, I'm as guilty as anyone of rising to the bait and I apologise.
Just watched: The Football League Show (BBC1). On first impressions it's a big improvement on ITV's equivalent programme last season - not least because it should have a fairly settled timeslot following Match Of The Day on a Saturday night and has promised to show the goals or major incidents from all of the football league. One could never be certain that ITV's programme would be on when it was on the previous week, nor that they would show all the lower leagues goals. Another plus point for the BBC (or should I say two plus points :)) is the presenter Lizzie Someone-Or-Other and her email slot and the main presenter Manish Bhasin is competent enough. On the other hand IPATHLYK*, or Steve Claridge, as the rest of the world knows him, is on hand to provide his usual drivel in a dull monotone and the world record count of "y'know's"; and the more I see of fellow guest expert Ian Holloway the more pleased I am that he never did become manager of this club. Get past the warm Brizzle accent and the funny jokes and all that's left appears to be a warm Brizzle accent and some funny jokes. Can I change my predictions and put Blackpool down this season?
*IPATHLYK - I Used To Play At The Highest Level You Know
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Wise comments as usual Taff, and definately agree about the idiots abusing the forum. I rose to the bait once but then realised who it was and even though have not seen him for years, the guy has and always will be an idiot use to be a pretend terrace warrior and now his gut and his eyes have got worse turned his abuse to the forum I wonder if the mods have the ability to block an IP address from logging on to the forum?
ReplyDeleteThanks for your comments. I would certainly agree that the mods should be being far more proactive in sorting out the problem poster - and there's only one problem poster really, his mates follow like sheep but don't actually say much. Ah well, the mods will sort it or they won't, and if they don't then I won't be wasting too much more time on there.
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