Triple disappointment for the Glovers at the Memorial Stadium yesterday. Firstly we went down to a 2-1 defeat to Bristol Rovers, losing to a goal scored in the 4th minute of injury-time at the end of the game; secondly we lost Luke Freeman to a leg injury. At first it seemed the loanee might have broken his leg, but x-rays thankfully ruled that out; nevertheless it seems certain that the youngster will be sidelined for some weeks, though exactly for how long we will have to wait and see. A shame for him, and us. Thirdly, JP Kalala got himself sent off for 2 bookable offences which means he'll miss next Saturday's home game against Hartlepool. With such a small squad the last thing Skivo needs is a self-inflicted wound like this, it means that our central midfield against a streetwise Pools outfit next weekend will consist of two players whose League One starts can be counted on the fingers of one hand.
So far this season the Glovers have played 3 games and conceded 4 goals. All 4 goals conceded have something in common - their timing. The goals against have all come either in the last 5 minutes of the halves played, or in injury time itself. Now obviously 3 games is only 3 games, but nevertheless they are interesting stats. And of course we can all point to games last season when late, late goals cost us dearly - off the top of my head I can think of matches against Leeds, Millwall and Southampton from the run-in last season, in all of which we conceded injury-time goals which cost us points. What causes the late goals? No doubt fatigue, disruption caused by substitutions, maybe a lack of concentration or perhaps simply heavy pressure from teams desperate to score, all will play their parts. It's obviously something that Skivo and his coaches will be aware of, let's hope that a solution to the problem can be found sooner rather than later.
After 3 games in 7 days the Glovers now have a week to regroup before their next match. Three points out of a possible 6 and a narrow loss to a Championship side in the League Cup is by no means a bad start to the season. But the loss of Freeman for however long and Kalala for one match in the first week is a reality check. It's a long season and we have a very small squad. For all the optimism amongst the fanbase at the moment survival must still be this club's first goal.
Just read: Skippy Dies by Paul Murray. The blackest of black comedies set in a contemporary Dublin boys school. Sex, drugs and rock'n'roll are rife, and that's just the staff. What the boys get up to is worse... Hilarious, irreverent and at times moving and sad. It's on the long list for this year's Man Booker Prize and well recommended
Showing posts with label Luke Freeman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Luke Freeman. Show all posts
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Sunday, 8 August 2010
L1: Yeovil Town 2 Leyton Orient 1
Goals from Dean Bowditch and Luke Freeman got the Glovers off to a winning start to the new season at Huish Park yesterday. Visitors Leyton Orient probably had more possession during the match and in truth looked the better side for much of the game, but a combination of good finishing and last-ditch defending won the points for Terry Skiverton's men.
The Glovers started the match well and dominated the first quarter-of-an-hour of the game, taking a deserved lead through a Bowditch solo effort. The striker received the ball wide on the right, cut inside to beat his marker and placed the ball wide of the keeper in the left hand corner of the goal from just outside the box. An excellent start, but strangely the Glovers couldn't capitalise and instead seemed to retreat into their shell, allowing the visitors to gradually take control of midfield and the match. It was no surprise when the O's pulled level on 41 minutes, Alex Revell nodding home a Dean Cox cross with the Glovers central defenders stranded. What was a surprise was the Glovers going into half-time with the lead intact, and it came about through a mistake from O's keeper Jamie Jones. A long ball out of defence found Andy Williams wide on the right who did well to take the ball down under heavy pressure and lob a cross into the box from the by-line. It looked easy for Jones but somehow the ball squirmed out of his grasp to fall into the path of Freeman, who side-footed gleefully into the open goal for probably one of the easiest goals he will ever score. 2-1 to Yeovil at half-time.
And that's how it stayed. The pattern of the game had been set: The visitors had most of the possession, passing the ball around nicely up to the home side's penalty box and invariably grinding to a halt there - all very familiar to long-time watchers of Russell Slade's sides, it must be said. Former Glover Terrell Forbes was unlucky not to score when a bullet header hit the post from a corner, and on the odd other occasion the visitors did break through Adam Virgo crowned an excellent competitive debut by clearing off the line. Orient huffed and puffed, the Glovers threatened sporadically on the break and that, in the end, was that. Not the the most convincing of performances from the Glovers, but a very welcome three points and plenty of room for improvement. I'll very happily take that.
We lined up as follows in a 4-4-2 formation:
1. John Sullivan: 7/10 - Good, competent performance. Not overly stretched by the O's attack but did what he had to do well and without fuss.
2. Craig Alcock: 6/10 - Decent game, without ever quite hitting the highs that we know he's capable of. Looked to be caught out of position for Orient's goal, but that's what can happen when your full-back is looking to attack as much as Craig does.
5. Paul Huntington: 7/10 - Very solid and reliable. I was a tad concerned about his parternship with Virgo beforehand and indeed they were caught out once looking at each other wondering who should have been marking who after Revell's goal; but apart from that lapse combined very well.
19. Adam Virgo: 8/10 - I take it all back! I said a week or so ago that I didn't think that Virgo would be a good signing, good in the air but too slow. I was wrong. Dominated at the back, dangerous at set-pieces, and kept us in the game with a couple of goal-line clearances where he literally put his body on the line. Mea culpa!
3. Nathan Jones: 5/10 - No doubting his enthusiasm, nor his effort and certainly not his spirit but these days the flesh is getting weaker. I assume Nathan Smith has some sort of knock?
7. Andrew Williams: 6/10 - Didn't quite get into the game with the same kind of positive effect we saw in the friendlies. Didn't have a bad game by any means and the second goal came from his assist, but was generally fairly quiet by his recent standards.
8. Luke Ayling: 5/10 - Tried hard but found it tough against Orient's 3-man midfield. Rarely had the time on the ball that he found in the pre-season, but kept going against the odds. It's all part of the learning curve for him.
21. JP Kalala: 6/10 - Looked like a one-man wrecking squad at times. Threw himself into tackles but was always swimming against the tide of that 3-man midfield. When he did get the ball his passing wasn't as precise as it might have been.
18. Luke Freeman: 7/10 - Decent game. Made one or two good runs down the left but guilty at times of trying to beat one man too many before delivering the ball. Again, it's all part of the learning curve for him. Attacking instincts led him to be in the right place at the right time for the winning goal.
9. Sam Williams: 5/10 - No lack of effort but no real penetration or anything much else really. Did okay, but you can see why Skivo has started talking about the need for an alternative target-man.
10. Dean Bowditch: 7/10 - Good game. Enthusiastic running, put himself about the pitch, always available for the pass, took his goal very well and was unlucky not to score again in the second half.
Subs:
14. Rob Kiernan (84 mins for Luke Freeman): N/A - Not on long enough to make an impression.
15. Cameron Stewart (77 mins for Dean Bowditch): 6/10 - Did enough in the short time he was on to suggest that Andy Williams is going to have real competition for the right-wing role.
One down then and 45 to go. Tuesday night sees the visit of Championship side Crystal Palace. The bookies make the Eagles favourites at 13/10, the draw is priced at 12/5 and a Glovers win at 17/10. My fiver is going on the home win. Running total: +£6.25p.
The Glovers started the match well and dominated the first quarter-of-an-hour of the game, taking a deserved lead through a Bowditch solo effort. The striker received the ball wide on the right, cut inside to beat his marker and placed the ball wide of the keeper in the left hand corner of the goal from just outside the box. An excellent start, but strangely the Glovers couldn't capitalise and instead seemed to retreat into their shell, allowing the visitors to gradually take control of midfield and the match. It was no surprise when the O's pulled level on 41 minutes, Alex Revell nodding home a Dean Cox cross with the Glovers central defenders stranded. What was a surprise was the Glovers going into half-time with the lead intact, and it came about through a mistake from O's keeper Jamie Jones. A long ball out of defence found Andy Williams wide on the right who did well to take the ball down under heavy pressure and lob a cross into the box from the by-line. It looked easy for Jones but somehow the ball squirmed out of his grasp to fall into the path of Freeman, who side-footed gleefully into the open goal for probably one of the easiest goals he will ever score. 2-1 to Yeovil at half-time.
And that's how it stayed. The pattern of the game had been set: The visitors had most of the possession, passing the ball around nicely up to the home side's penalty box and invariably grinding to a halt there - all very familiar to long-time watchers of Russell Slade's sides, it must be said. Former Glover Terrell Forbes was unlucky not to score when a bullet header hit the post from a corner, and on the odd other occasion the visitors did break through Adam Virgo crowned an excellent competitive debut by clearing off the line. Orient huffed and puffed, the Glovers threatened sporadically on the break and that, in the end, was that. Not the the most convincing of performances from the Glovers, but a very welcome three points and plenty of room for improvement. I'll very happily take that.
We lined up as follows in a 4-4-2 formation:
1. John Sullivan: 7/10 - Good, competent performance. Not overly stretched by the O's attack but did what he had to do well and without fuss.
2. Craig Alcock: 6/10 - Decent game, without ever quite hitting the highs that we know he's capable of. Looked to be caught out of position for Orient's goal, but that's what can happen when your full-back is looking to attack as much as Craig does.
5. Paul Huntington: 7/10 - Very solid and reliable. I was a tad concerned about his parternship with Virgo beforehand and indeed they were caught out once looking at each other wondering who should have been marking who after Revell's goal; but apart from that lapse combined very well.
19. Adam Virgo: 8/10 - I take it all back! I said a week or so ago that I didn't think that Virgo would be a good signing, good in the air but too slow. I was wrong. Dominated at the back, dangerous at set-pieces, and kept us in the game with a couple of goal-line clearances where he literally put his body on the line. Mea culpa!
3. Nathan Jones: 5/10 - No doubting his enthusiasm, nor his effort and certainly not his spirit but these days the flesh is getting weaker. I assume Nathan Smith has some sort of knock?
7. Andrew Williams: 6/10 - Didn't quite get into the game with the same kind of positive effect we saw in the friendlies. Didn't have a bad game by any means and the second goal came from his assist, but was generally fairly quiet by his recent standards.
8. Luke Ayling: 5/10 - Tried hard but found it tough against Orient's 3-man midfield. Rarely had the time on the ball that he found in the pre-season, but kept going against the odds. It's all part of the learning curve for him.
21. JP Kalala: 6/10 - Looked like a one-man wrecking squad at times. Threw himself into tackles but was always swimming against the tide of that 3-man midfield. When he did get the ball his passing wasn't as precise as it might have been.
18. Luke Freeman: 7/10 - Decent game. Made one or two good runs down the left but guilty at times of trying to beat one man too many before delivering the ball. Again, it's all part of the learning curve for him. Attacking instincts led him to be in the right place at the right time for the winning goal.
9. Sam Williams: 5/10 - No lack of effort but no real penetration or anything much else really. Did okay, but you can see why Skivo has started talking about the need for an alternative target-man.
10. Dean Bowditch: 7/10 - Good game. Enthusiastic running, put himself about the pitch, always available for the pass, took his goal very well and was unlucky not to score again in the second half.
Subs:
14. Rob Kiernan (84 mins for Luke Freeman): N/A - Not on long enough to make an impression.
15. Cameron Stewart (77 mins for Dean Bowditch): 6/10 - Did enough in the short time he was on to suggest that Andy Williams is going to have real competition for the right-wing role.
One down then and 45 to go. Tuesday night sees the visit of Championship side Crystal Palace. The bookies make the Eagles favourites at 13/10, the draw is priced at 12/5 and a Glovers win at 17/10. My fiver is going on the home win. Running total: +£6.25p.
Sunday, 25 July 2010
PSF: Yeovil Town 3 Manchester United Reserves 2
A crowd of 6,664 turned up at Huish Park yesterday to pay tribute to Glovers hero Darren Way in his testimonial match against Manchester United Reserves, and they were treated to a competitive and entertaining game, the Glovers coming out on top by 3 goals to 2. United's kids started brightly, Ravel Morrison missing the target with a free header right in front of goal early on, but Yeovil gradually took control of possession and were creating more chances. Dean Bowditch was unlucky not to score with a shot from the edge of the box that hit the bar, and both JP Kalala and Andy Williams came close as the half went on. Somewhat against the run of play the visitors went in front on 36 minutes, Rodrigo Possebon scoring with a low drive from the edge of the box past trialist keeper John Sullivan. The goal knocked the Glovers out of their stride a touch, and United came close to extending their lead before half-time, Sullivan doing well to save another Possebon effort amongst other attempts on the Yeovil goal.
The Glovers came out invigorated after the break and drew level on 47 minutes with a JP Kalala special from fully 30 yards. The visitors keeper got his hands to the shot, but such was the power behind it could only parry the ball into the back of the net. If JP scores a better goal this season I'll eat my season ticket! Two minutes later and a short corner caught the visitors napping allowing Andy Williams to provide the perfect cross for Sam Williams to find the net unchallenged in the 6 yard box. A further 2 minutes on and Yeovil were 3-1 up, another corner causing chaos in the vistors defence with Sam Williams heading the ball across the 6 yard box for trialist Adam Virgo to nod in from close range. The match settled down again thereafter, the flow of the game not being helped by the usual wholesale substitutions from both sides as the second half wore on. Manchester pulled a goal back on 77 minutes when Robbie Brady scored with a shot into the corner of the net, but that was the end of the scoring. There just remained a brief cameo from Glovers gaffer Terry Skiverton and, with a minute left, the appearance of the man of the moment, Darren Way.
Seeing both Skivo and Weasel on the pitch together was quite a lump-in-the-throat moment. The end of an era most definitely, but what an era. I remember seeing Darren make his debut in a Yeovil shirt in a reserve team pre-season friendly back in August 2000 and I've been fortunate enough to watch most of his career since. A small man in stature, he was a huge presence on the pitch and his central midfield partnership with Lee Johnson was pivotal in propelling this club up the leagues to it's present lofty status. It's been a privilege to watch him over the years and it was a privilege to be present yesterday to pay tribute to him.
As usual, merit marks for the match:
1. John Sullivan: 7/10 - impressive performance, couldn't be faulted for either of the visitors goals. Controlled his box, claimed the high balls and looked to be a good shot-stopper.
2. Craig Alcock: 6/10 - Quiet game, did his job.
3. Nathan Jones: 4/10 - No lack of effort from Nathan, but badly exposed for pace by his opposite number. Bailed out by Luke Freeman tracking back a little too often for comfort.
5. Paul Huntington: 5/10 - I must say I didn't really notice our new signing feature too much yesterday, at either end of the pitch. Subbed at half-time.
14. Stefan Stam: 5/10 - Not the best of displays. Bothered by the pace of the visitors attack and nearly gave a goal away with a suicidal pass across goal which left Adam Virgo with nowhere to go. Unconvincing.
8. Luke Ayling and 16. JP Kalala: 8/10 for both. The more I see of Ayling the more I like him. Combative in the tackle and bags of time on the ball. I know it's early days yet and only the pre-season, but he looks a real find. As for JP, he really imposed himself on the game when United's youngsters were threatening to take control, and scored a cracker. Excellent stuff.
7. Andy Williams: 7/10 - Another very promising outing. Again provided a stream of crosses from the flanks and looked direct and threatening, with plenty of pace.
9. Sam Williams: 8/10 - Big improvement on last weekend. Looked fitter, faster and sharper; took his goal well and set up another. More of the same, please!
10. Dean Bowditch: 7/10 - As with Big Sam above, a big improvement on last weekend. Looked fitter, faster and sharper, and was unlucky not to score himself. More of the same, please!
11. Luke Freeman: 8/10 - My man of the match. My first look at Luke and he didn't disappoint. Spent most of his time on the left wing and showed himself to be a tricky and direct player with plenty of channelled aggression. Worked extremely hard for the team and unlucky not to score himself. Very encouraging.
What I particularly liked about our performance going forward was the way the two wingers interchanged with each other and Dean Bowditch up front. One minute Freeman and Andy Williams were on the left and right respectively, the next they had swapped positions. At times it was Bowditch up front with Sam Williams, at other times it was Freeman, with Bowditch taking his place. At other times it looked like we changed from the usual 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1, with Sam Williams the lone striker and the other three interchanging behind him. It all looked pretty seamless anyway and more importantly, effective.
Subs:
15. Adam Virgo (for Huntington, 45 minutes): 5/10 - I was impressed with Virgo last week but I'm not so sure after yesterday's performance. Good in the air and took his goal well, but looked a little ungainly at times and was caught out for pace against United's youngsters too often for my liking. Against that I don't suppose he'll face such a pacey attack every week in League 1.
I won't give marks for the other subs, for the record they were:
12. Danny Hutchins (for Alcock 75), 17. Billy Gibson (for Kalala 75), 18. Craig Calvert (for Bowditch 75), 19. Sean McAllister (for Andy Williams 75), 20. Scott Guyett (for Stam 75), 21. Lloyd Matthews (for Sam Williams 75), 22. Ed Upson (for Ayling 75), Terry Skiverton (for Freeman 87), Darren Way (for Jones 89).
For what it's worth Gibson and McAllister are trialists and of course we all know who Scott Guyett is! It may or may not be telling to suggest that he looked no worse, or better, than any other central defender on show yesterday for the short time he was on the pitch.
Two weeks to go to the start of the season then and the squad is beginning to take shape. I've been generally impressed by the new contracted players but the obvious concern is the sheer lack of numbers. The starting XI looks to be full of pace and flair going forward, the worries come when looking at the replacements - not that there's anything wrong with them, there just isn't enough of them! Hopefully that will be addressed before the season proper starts in two weeks time. Bristol City up next on Wednesday night anyway and I'll be looking forward to seeing this team play again. On the evidence of the last two friendlies they're going to be well worth watching this season.
The Glovers came out invigorated after the break and drew level on 47 minutes with a JP Kalala special from fully 30 yards. The visitors keeper got his hands to the shot, but such was the power behind it could only parry the ball into the back of the net. If JP scores a better goal this season I'll eat my season ticket! Two minutes later and a short corner caught the visitors napping allowing Andy Williams to provide the perfect cross for Sam Williams to find the net unchallenged in the 6 yard box. A further 2 minutes on and Yeovil were 3-1 up, another corner causing chaos in the vistors defence with Sam Williams heading the ball across the 6 yard box for trialist Adam Virgo to nod in from close range. The match settled down again thereafter, the flow of the game not being helped by the usual wholesale substitutions from both sides as the second half wore on. Manchester pulled a goal back on 77 minutes when Robbie Brady scored with a shot into the corner of the net, but that was the end of the scoring. There just remained a brief cameo from Glovers gaffer Terry Skiverton and, with a minute left, the appearance of the man of the moment, Darren Way.
Seeing both Skivo and Weasel on the pitch together was quite a lump-in-the-throat moment. The end of an era most definitely, but what an era. I remember seeing Darren make his debut in a Yeovil shirt in a reserve team pre-season friendly back in August 2000 and I've been fortunate enough to watch most of his career since. A small man in stature, he was a huge presence on the pitch and his central midfield partnership with Lee Johnson was pivotal in propelling this club up the leagues to it's present lofty status. It's been a privilege to watch him over the years and it was a privilege to be present yesterday to pay tribute to him.
As usual, merit marks for the match:
1. John Sullivan: 7/10 - impressive performance, couldn't be faulted for either of the visitors goals. Controlled his box, claimed the high balls and looked to be a good shot-stopper.
2. Craig Alcock: 6/10 - Quiet game, did his job.
3. Nathan Jones: 4/10 - No lack of effort from Nathan, but badly exposed for pace by his opposite number. Bailed out by Luke Freeman tracking back a little too often for comfort.
5. Paul Huntington: 5/10 - I must say I didn't really notice our new signing feature too much yesterday, at either end of the pitch. Subbed at half-time.
14. Stefan Stam: 5/10 - Not the best of displays. Bothered by the pace of the visitors attack and nearly gave a goal away with a suicidal pass across goal which left Adam Virgo with nowhere to go. Unconvincing.
8. Luke Ayling and 16. JP Kalala: 8/10 for both. The more I see of Ayling the more I like him. Combative in the tackle and bags of time on the ball. I know it's early days yet and only the pre-season, but he looks a real find. As for JP, he really imposed himself on the game when United's youngsters were threatening to take control, and scored a cracker. Excellent stuff.
7. Andy Williams: 7/10 - Another very promising outing. Again provided a stream of crosses from the flanks and looked direct and threatening, with plenty of pace.
9. Sam Williams: 8/10 - Big improvement on last weekend. Looked fitter, faster and sharper; took his goal well and set up another. More of the same, please!
10. Dean Bowditch: 7/10 - As with Big Sam above, a big improvement on last weekend. Looked fitter, faster and sharper, and was unlucky not to score himself. More of the same, please!
11. Luke Freeman: 8/10 - My man of the match. My first look at Luke and he didn't disappoint. Spent most of his time on the left wing and showed himself to be a tricky and direct player with plenty of channelled aggression. Worked extremely hard for the team and unlucky not to score himself. Very encouraging.
What I particularly liked about our performance going forward was the way the two wingers interchanged with each other and Dean Bowditch up front. One minute Freeman and Andy Williams were on the left and right respectively, the next they had swapped positions. At times it was Bowditch up front with Sam Williams, at other times it was Freeman, with Bowditch taking his place. At other times it looked like we changed from the usual 4-4-2 to a 4-2-3-1, with Sam Williams the lone striker and the other three interchanging behind him. It all looked pretty seamless anyway and more importantly, effective.
Subs:
15. Adam Virgo (for Huntington, 45 minutes): 5/10 - I was impressed with Virgo last week but I'm not so sure after yesterday's performance. Good in the air and took his goal well, but looked a little ungainly at times and was caught out for pace against United's youngsters too often for my liking. Against that I don't suppose he'll face such a pacey attack every week in League 1.
I won't give marks for the other subs, for the record they were:
12. Danny Hutchins (for Alcock 75), 17. Billy Gibson (for Kalala 75), 18. Craig Calvert (for Bowditch 75), 19. Sean McAllister (for Andy Williams 75), 20. Scott Guyett (for Stam 75), 21. Lloyd Matthews (for Sam Williams 75), 22. Ed Upson (for Ayling 75), Terry Skiverton (for Freeman 87), Darren Way (for Jones 89).
For what it's worth Gibson and McAllister are trialists and of course we all know who Scott Guyett is! It may or may not be telling to suggest that he looked no worse, or better, than any other central defender on show yesterday for the short time he was on the pitch.
Two weeks to go to the start of the season then and the squad is beginning to take shape. I've been generally impressed by the new contracted players but the obvious concern is the sheer lack of numbers. The starting XI looks to be full of pace and flair going forward, the worries come when looking at the replacements - not that there's anything wrong with them, there just isn't enough of them! Hopefully that will be addressed before the season proper starts in two weeks time. Bristol City up next on Wednesday night anyway and I'll be looking forward to seeing this team play again. On the evidence of the last two friendlies they're going to be well worth watching this season.
Friday, 9 July 2010
Silly season warming up
Pre-season training has been going on for over a week now and the big news is that there really isn't that much big news around. We have made another signing since I last blogged, 20-year midfielder Ed Upson, who was released by Ipswich at the end of last season. I'm not going to pretend I know anything about him or that I've even heard of him before, but Skivo was obviously impressed enough to offer him a 2-year deal, so good luck Ed and welcome to Huish Park.
Andy Williams and Luke Ayling have signed their agreed 2-year deals so they're ours now and we can do what we like with them (evil laugh). Skivo has already said that he sees Ayling as a central midfielder rather than the central defender he's been up 'til now. Young Gunner Luke Freeman has also now signed a 6-month loan deal, and I'm looking forward to seeing all the above at the first friendly of the season, at least the first one that's not behind closed doors, against Swansea City a week on Saturday. According to the invaluable @SW6Haribo on Twitter the Glovers are in the Home Counties this weekend for training matches against Wycombe and Stevenage.
Hopefully we'll have a goalkeeper for those games! It's been confirmed that 31-year-old former Bradford City, Huddersfield and Carlisle keeper Matt Glennon is training with the club, as, perhaps surprisingly, is Richard Martin, who of course was released by Skivo at the end of last season. The rumour is that Skivo is hoping to entice Alex McCarthy back to Huish Park for another season which if true might explain the apparent relaxed attitude to getting a keeper signed up, doubtless more will be revealed in the fullness of time.
Another player worth mentioning who's been training with the Glovers this week is former Brighton defender Adam Virgo, but judging by Skivo's comments it's more a question of whether he fancies joining us rather than the other way around. Former Glover Scott Guyet has also been present this week following his release by Bournemouth as well as an unnamed German central defender. It's not known whether anyone mentioned the World Cup to our teutonic guest, but if they did let's hope they got away with it.
Funny story of the week was the one about Super Gavin Williams signing for League Two no-hopers Hereford United. Bullshitter fans were getting very excited about the possibility on their forum, right up until the time Gav got to hear about it himself and said, er no. What would make the story even funnier would be if the multi-talented Welshman then signed up for one of the Hereford's bitterest rivals instead, and no, I don't mean Cheltenham. Sound far-fetched? Maybe, but maybe not. Fingers crossed, eh?
And finally: Lee Trundle. We have made him an offer, according to Skivo, as have several other clubs including Tranmere (where he's training), Swindon, Charlton and Welsh Premiership side Neath Athletic. I think my feelings about the possibility of Trundle signing are best summed up by the erudite Cruncher on the Achieve By Unity forum: "If we are going to give it a go for an expensive flair player, it has to be only one and the one that stands out is SuperGav. No idea if he will become available for loan, but I would want to keep a hopeful slot open for him rather than commit to Trundle and miss out on Williams." Couldn't put it better myself.
Just read: Loadsa stuff so far this summer but what stands out in particular is a series I've re-read: Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy, Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. Easily the best lets-go-to-Mars-and-colonise-and-terraform-the-place series I've read, and believe me, I've read a few. It's long, overlong for a lot of people perhaps but I loved every word of it. If ever human beings get to Mars then this is the template on how to do it. Inspirational.
Andy Williams and Luke Ayling have signed their agreed 2-year deals so they're ours now and we can do what we like with them (evil laugh). Skivo has already said that he sees Ayling as a central midfielder rather than the central defender he's been up 'til now. Young Gunner Luke Freeman has also now signed a 6-month loan deal, and I'm looking forward to seeing all the above at the first friendly of the season, at least the first one that's not behind closed doors, against Swansea City a week on Saturday. According to the invaluable @SW6Haribo on Twitter the Glovers are in the Home Counties this weekend for training matches against Wycombe and Stevenage.
Hopefully we'll have a goalkeeper for those games! It's been confirmed that 31-year-old former Bradford City, Huddersfield and Carlisle keeper Matt Glennon is training with the club, as, perhaps surprisingly, is Richard Martin, who of course was released by Skivo at the end of last season. The rumour is that Skivo is hoping to entice Alex McCarthy back to Huish Park for another season which if true might explain the apparent relaxed attitude to getting a keeper signed up, doubtless more will be revealed in the fullness of time.
Another player worth mentioning who's been training with the Glovers this week is former Brighton defender Adam Virgo, but judging by Skivo's comments it's more a question of whether he fancies joining us rather than the other way around. Former Glover Scott Guyet has also been present this week following his release by Bournemouth as well as an unnamed German central defender. It's not known whether anyone mentioned the World Cup to our teutonic guest, but if they did let's hope they got away with it.
Funny story of the week was the one about Super Gavin Williams signing for League Two no-hopers Hereford United. Bullshitter fans were getting very excited about the possibility on their forum, right up until the time Gav got to hear about it himself and said, er no. What would make the story even funnier would be if the multi-talented Welshman then signed up for one of the Hereford's bitterest rivals instead, and no, I don't mean Cheltenham. Sound far-fetched? Maybe, but maybe not. Fingers crossed, eh?
And finally: Lee Trundle. We have made him an offer, according to Skivo, as have several other clubs including Tranmere (where he's training), Swindon, Charlton and Welsh Premiership side Neath Athletic. I think my feelings about the possibility of Trundle signing are best summed up by the erudite Cruncher on the Achieve By Unity forum: "If we are going to give it a go for an expensive flair player, it has to be only one and the one that stands out is SuperGav. No idea if he will become available for loan, but I would want to keep a hopeful slot open for him rather than commit to Trundle and miss out on Williams." Couldn't put it better myself.
Just read: Loadsa stuff so far this summer but what stands out in particular is a series I've re-read: Kim Stanley Robinson's Mars Trilogy, Red Mars, Green Mars, and Blue Mars. Easily the best lets-go-to-Mars-and-colonise-and-terraform-the-place series I've read, and believe me, I've read a few. It's long, overlong for a lot of people perhaps but I loved every word of it. If ever human beings get to Mars then this is the template on how to do it. Inspirational.
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