[PhilAnders]

Here is my updated thoughts on our next 2 opponents based on watching their video highlights from their Bank Holiday games.
Kiddy for me remain our most dangerous opponents. They lost against Warrington but IMHO, they deserved a draw, poor finishing letting them down. Warrington did a job on Kiddy’s left sided attack, cutting out balls to the wide players, closing and pressing them quickly when they had the ball at the feet, and if all else failed, cutting out the ball into the box. One of Kiddy’s gangly strikers did outleap the defenders to score their only goal from a cross from the right. They bounced back in the Monday game, scoring 4, their left sided midfield and wing play again toasting the Oxford Right Back. One piece of luck for us, Beresford, one of their tall forwards, was injured and may not be fit to play us.
In conclusion, Kiddy are the best ( other) side in NLN I’ve see this season. They are a BIG team and attack with devastating pace and control down the left to shoot or cross, near post or far! It will be a difficult game on Friday
Curzon were poor against Brackley, their midfield being completely outplayed by Brackley. They didn’t recover on Monday, struggling to break down a well organised Darlington side. They went long in the second half and did create a few chances but could not convert.

[PhilAnders]

Here is my update, information provided by the NLN clubs websites. Of the 24 teams only ourselves and Hereford have a professionally qualified F&C coach. Kidderminster and Spennymoor have ex players fulfilling the role. Their knowledge and therefore competence remains unknown. Of the other 20 clubs, no one is specifically identified with responsibility for F&C although I would assume that someone ( Manager, Asst Manager,Coach or Physio)is assuming some of the role, but again their competence and effectiveness is unknown!

[PhilAnders]

I agree with you SODIron, what constitutes a performance enhancing drug? For me, Caffeine works every time! Even if a drug is classified as performance enhancing, such an anabolic steroids, microdosing can mean you can build up muscle using the drugs, without going over the sports governing bodies limits!

[PhilAnders]

Doping tests usually involve the provision of a biological sample ( saliva, blood, urine, hair) which is then analysed by a combination of infra red spectrometry and gas chromatography. The technique is incredibly sensitive and can detect nanograms of a substance in the sample. However, detection alone is not the issue, in sport, deciding at what dose a substance produces a positive performance effect is! This is relatively easy when the substance is not natural to the body for example Cocaine, more difficult when the substance is produced by the body,for example Testosterone.
There are a number of ways one can steal a performance advantage within the rules of the sport and to spin this thread back to football and Scunthorpe United in his post match interviews, AB has often alluded to managing the players post match recovery. In this modern age, this does not include finding a pub to stop at on the way back from an away game. The Fitness and Conditioning boys are heavily into this with each player having an individual rehydration, refuelling ( diet and nutrition) and rest plan. In addition to post match stretching and warm down this may extend whole body ice bath, massage, infra red mats, pulsed electromagnetic field pads etc. At our level, this is undoubtedly an advantage and as an exercise, I will go away and check how many NlN clubs have a FT Fitness and Conditioning set up. To show the importance attached to this, although we are in the Rugby close season, the English team is in turmoil because 3 of its highly rated team of 4F&C coaches have resigned! Don’t expect any fireworks from England Rugby this year!

[PhilAnders]

That is a fair point, 3 points would be better than 2!

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Awaywego

[PhilAnders]

My impression 3 games in

1. We are fitter than last season
2. We are better organised
3. We look dangerous from long throws into the box
4. The manager appears to have a plan B and C
5. The manager is prepared to use all 5 subs in pursuit of 4

This gives me reason for optimism for a top 4 finish!

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Deereyme66

[PhilAnders]

We seemed to get dragged into playing that hoofball. I’m waiting to hear AB’s explanation!

[PhilAnders]

To my mind for a club without megabucks to be successful at the lower levels of football, there are 6 boxes to be ticked: Organisation, Commitment, Skill all both On and Off the pitch. What I’m seeing here is that the Off the Pitch element is rapidly being ticked ( and several times over!). We just need the On Field experience to mirror this!

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Iron-awe, Just Iron

[PhilAnders]

The board have a massive task in sorting out the financial mess we were left in, the next hurdle of which appears to be the debt that has caused the transfer embargo. We will probably make the play offs, but probably not get promoted through them. Over the summer, those players out of contract will leave, and hopefully our new manager will recruit players from this level who are known grafters but have enough ability to make an impact!

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Rene Artois, Sanfran49

[PhilAnders]

Unfortunately 0-2, a goal in each half for Tamworth, while we miss a plethora of chances!!!
3,500 attendance

[PhilAnders]

Isn’t Life Strange?

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Sanfran49

[PhilAnders]

No need to ask who’s in the role of Master Bates!!

[PhilAnders]

Speaking of law firms….. isn’t Mr Swann represented by Norfolk&Chance?

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Deereyme66

[PhilAnders]

Many years ago, I went to Blundell Park with a friend who was a Cod Season Ticket holder, using his mates season ticket to sit next to him on the Fish Finger Stand. About a third of the way through the first half, and excitement…. The bloke in the seat in front started to shake and foam at the mouth. Being a first aider my mate lept to assist putting his clean hanky in the guys mouth to stop him biting his tongue and holding him down to stop him banging his head on the concrete. Suddenly, 2 of Humbersides finest appear, dragging my mate off the fitting man, frogmarching him off to the Police post. Fortunately, the epileptic guy came round and at half time tried to explain, along with myself and 2 other blokes who had seen what happened, to the senior steward and a police sargeant. The response was mainly” well if we let him off , everyone will start using that excuse!”. But let him off they did, on condition he handed in his season ticket which the club would return once they had completed their investigation into the incident. They never did….and my mate….a lifelong cod head has never returned to Blundell Park!!!

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alcazar

[Author]

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