I know it was only a Check a Trade Trophy game and it was against a bunch of kids blah blah blah but....................................I really enjoyed the game last night All the new guys played well including a stand out performance from N'Gala. What a beast he is!! He reminded me of Claude Davis. He has the potential to become a legend amongst the fans. McNerney showed what a good player he is. Mersin actually looked like a goalkeeper. Confident on crosses and a number of top class saves and no chance with their goal. Would certainly be happy with Maguire at left back On the negative side, as has been mentioned earlier we were overrun in midfield. Bulman is only a shadow of what he once was, my all time favourite Crawley player. Randall looked very average at best and Poleon? He is a good player with plenty of drive and skill. If only he knew where the back of the net was. Probably the best factor last night was we didn't faff about with the ball at the back (Bulman excepted). Harryball has gone to Nottingham and long may it stay there.
I know some people don't like this competition but it does have some upsides to it, Mersin got 90 minutes and saved a penalty and you don't get that experience at training or sitting on the bench, McNerney and Randall got back on the pitch, Maguire made his debut, Allarakhia, Galach and Sesay all got some time, 5 players got the pressure of taking penalties including Palmer after his miss at Oldham and N'Gala sounds as though he's worth an immediate contract extension, the downside? we desperately need someone other than Palmer who can score goals, this was U21 opposition and we still couldn't put the ball in the net
The competition would be fine as a means to give our squad a run out IF it didn't include the kids teams because the PL are too bloody busy conquering the world to run a proper reserve league of their own (such as the Football Combination and the Central League which they pretty much killed off and which were fantastic "all age" competitive leagues used by the big clubs to bring in youngsters to play against old scroats).
Also think we bagged £5K for the draw last night. Also £20K for taking part.
We may not like the competition, but the financial rewards are decent.
Who said they weren't, but they have to bribe our clubs somehow to let their teams in, the issue is when this is set in stone as a format they will then push it further as everybody is used to it, maybe they can put a couple of their kids teams into National League, then into EFL and basically then everything beneath the top league becomes devalued. We have the best football pyramid structure in the world as far as I can see, why put that at risk for a little short term financial carrot in a Mickey Mouse competition, dangled by the bloated super rich PL who want total control and domination of football in this country. They are already shafting the best cup competition in the world, the FA Cup, so why stop there?
Depends what you want but if you want the "dream" (albeit remote) that your town's club could one day rise through the ranks to the top leagues then this all weakens it. And who wants to be playing in a league where their best team is up against reserve or kid's teams, not me.
The competition would be fine as a means to give our squad a run out IF it didn't include the kids teams because the PL are too bloody busy conquering the world to run a proper reserve league of their own (such as the Football Combination and the Central League which they pretty much killed off and which were fantastic "all age" competitive leagues used by the big clubs to bring in youngsters to play against old scroats).
Calm down, Mick - you’re heading for a cardiac arrest 😜
JTG
If I do John at least it means I will not have to see how much the PL are F*******g up "proper" football in this country. FA Cup, midweek football (I loved Tuesday night games under lights!!) Ask yourself why with all their money and organisation they need to use this Mickey Mouse competition to find somewhere for all their overloaded kids squads to play? Not sexy enough for them to keep a league such as the Football Combination or Central League running, cheaper just to piggy back on this pile of crap and throw us a few scraps?
Post by Red, Red & Red on Sept 6, 2018 9:52:04 GMT
I too wish the kids werent playing its an insult to league two clubs. I wonder if we had say too hald conference teans it generate more interesr than Rottenham under 21
We played in the competition when in the Football Conference - we played Gillingham away - the top ten sides were invited to join - Yes it should be these side but there would be limited prize money so I doubt that will happen
We played in the competition when in the Football Conference - we played Gillingham away - the top ten sides were invited to join - Yes it should be these side but there would be limited prize money so I doubt that will happen
Not sure of your first point Alain (I was alluding to the fact that as time goes by and passive acceptance of the PL kids teams in the competition might pave the way for them to enter the National League or EFL), but as for the second "Short term gain, long term pain"?
I know it was only a Check a Trade Trophy game and it was against a bunch of kids blah blah blah but....................................I really enjoyed the game last night All the new guys played well including a stand out performance from N'Gala. What a beast he is!! He reminded me of Claude Davis. He has the potential to become a legend amongst the fans. McNerney showed what a good player he is. Mersin actually looked like a goalkeeper. Confident on crosses and a number of top class saves and no chance with their goal. Would certainly be happy with Maguire at left back On the negative side, as has been mentioned earlier we were overrun in midfield. Bulman is only a shadow of what he once was, my all time favourite Crawley player. Randall looked very average at best and Poleon? He is a good player with plenty of drive and skill. If only he knew where the back of the net was. Probably the best factor last night was we didn't faff about with the ball at the back (Bulman excepted). Harryball has gone to Nottingham and long may it stay there.