Adam Lakeland Interview

[dillydilly]

I agree with Mallard that that sort of football still exists, but it guarantees a scrap to avoid relegation!  It’s not a choice.  Playing well generally wins, playing badly generally loses.  It doesn’t matter what level we are talking about.  The amazing Leverkusen are a great demo of going from 3rd bottom one year, to a 16 point lead over Bayern Munich at the top of the Bundesliga a year and a half later because nobody can get the ball off the buggers!!!….

[Quinn Upstone]

I wonder if some of the problem here is the more "mature" supporters continually harking back to yesteryear.

Whilst I'm sure that we all wish certain players were still around, the basic facts are that nostalgia alone will not help us going forward.

Those wonderful players of memory, were seldom as great as we think looking back.

Personally, I absolutely hate it when we play from the back and invite our opponents to get past us.

And, as for "hoofball", just don't get me started !

But I accept that all methods to get our ball into their net have to be an option for the manager.

Give me ugly football every time, if that's what it takes.

[Walks In The Sunshine]

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"

A message emblazoned on walls at Manchester City, but surely applies to all levels of football

[macfleetwood1]

Its interesting the choice or style of football some of us want to see. Football is classed as well as sport being in the entertainment business , well I have to say I have not been entertained this season, I will give it a few games next season, if its the same old dross, then I will not bother, and I know i am not the only one.

[dillydilly]

Ugly football, if that’s what it takes.  Problem is, that isn’t what it takes!  Ugly football is a guarantee of a scrap to avoid relegation!  Those who want football that is often called “pretty” or “flowing” don’t just want it because it’s good to watch, they want it because in 9 games out of 10 it is the way to win.  Odd games can be won by ugly football, but in general it is the way to lose…. Imho!!!

[rod]

"Hard work beats talent when talent doesn't work hard"

A message emblazoned on walls at Manchester City, but surely applies to all levels of football

The best and most successful teams are usually also the hardest working. Numero uno in my lifetime is probably the great Barcelona team of a young Messi, Iniesta, Xavi, Villa, Busquets, Puyol et al. They 'invented' closing down and winning the ball back high up in their opponents half. Yet it is a sobering thought, that at that time the first three i have named would probably have been rejected by most Premiership clubs due to.their lack of physical stature!

[Mick]

Just watched AL 15min interview after the Sports game.   Interesting insight into what the hopes are for next season.  Has a hit list drawn up for  who he wants in for next season.
                                                                       

Puts a bit more meat on the bone to the mess inherited when he entered the building earlier in the season.  Was very critical Of the standard recruitments last summer.  I guess the likes of Bartley, Clifford,Oke, Smith, Spence etc could fall into that category.    Who was actually behind last summer’s new signings ?

To me the one glaring mistake in recruitment terms was Mark Hughes being appointment by Stephen Cleeve.  The rest followed behind that.

Well yes, BUT.....

If he didn't have the money for anything better at the time, what was he supposed to do?

No secret what Club finances were like when he decided to give the job to Hughes, and also in fairness to Hughes, that would also have hindered his recruitment.

Things then improved with finances and AL coming in.

A question is if Joe's money was just used to get us to the end of the season (I seem to remember the Chairman saying that 300k was needed to do that  ), or if are there surplus funds for AL to use on his shopping list for next season. 

Perhaps the mysterious Joe has a magic money tree?

I would like to take some cuttings from the magic money tree

[Mallard]

Looking at next season the relegation from The National League and Club being promoted from step 3 are beginning to take shape.   Kiddie coming back down and Radcliffe coming up.   Will Needham Market be joining the NLN from the Southern League Central ?   That would be a tough gig for them travel wise.

[wearywillie]

looks nailed on Mallard that Needham Market will be in NLN  Boreham Wood, Dorking Wanderers, Oxford City coming down.                                                                Promoted teams from step 3 Hornchurch, Chesham will be NLS  bound. Would no.t be surprised to see Oxford City also allocated NLN

[Ap]

If Boston go up Needham could be our Boxing Day / New Year double header. Or even if they don't?

[dillydilly]

Completely agree with Rod about the great Barca teams, and I would add Spain to that as well.  Definitely true that Premiership clubs prefer big lunks to good players, and that many would have turned down Messi, Xavi, and Iniesta.  But although they were good at winning the ball back, the main attributes were their fantastic passing and trickery that mesmerised and murdered all opponents!  But KL level is no different, good players win the most games.. Simples!

[Linnet465]

  Let’s face it the players we have are not Messi, de Bruyne etc AL has got the best out of them to keep us up. It’s no good comparing the skills and ability of Premiership / International players with ours that is not a fair comparison. We have ended up with players 4 levels below the names discussed after recruitment. We may have to suffer a similar style of football depending on the budget available for recruitment. However AL and SW are no fools looking at their previous records so hopefully, we will be playing a different style of football. There is 1 old saying that you can only play to how the opposition let you! Most visiting teams at the walks have set up to play hoof-ball so it will be interesting how AL overcomes this. If in the end we have to grind out matches to win so be it ( Yes the Scarborough game was entertaining 
however you end up struggling if you keep playing like that, especially at home). So no matter the style I am always grateful for a home win no matter on the style.

[Mallard]

That’s spot on Linnets.  We have players who are playing at this level for a reason.  In turn we also have a Manager who is at this  level for the same reason.

[Blue_and_Gold]

I wonder what formation Pep would get his players to line up if they had to play on a pitch such as the Walks? 

[Mallard]

With drastic work being carried out on the pitch ( think it was Paul on here who suggested this) and with a summer recruitment by Lakeland then there seems no reason why we shouldn’t expect a more ‘attractive’ brand of Football.

If SC still has his ambition of EFL football then we need to have a budget toward to the upper end of this league.   With Joe’s money, a decent surface and AL first full season then the expectation levels should be set at ‘very high’   Just need the stars to align