Thursday 26 September 2013
Dutch genius
This is an extract from Dennis Bergkamp's autobiography, which has just been published. Apt as we play the Dutch this weekend and in light of the last game we played, as alluded to by our esteemed leader in his latest post: "Arsène Wenger has an interesting view about this. He says: "It is a spiritual thing. I am convinced of that. I believe you have two kinds of players who play football. Those who want to serve football like you serve God, and they put football so high that everything that is not close to what football should be is a little bit non-acceptable. And then you have those who use football to serve their ego. And sometimes the ego can get in the way of the game, because their interest comes before the interest of the game" "Sometimes the big ego is linked with what we call strong personalities, charisma. But most of the time what people call charisma is just big ego. I believe that Dennis was one of those who had such a high idea of the game and such a respect for the game that he wanted that to be above everything. I believe that the real great players are guided by how football should be played and not by how football should serve them. If it becomes spiritual, it's endless and you're always driven to going higher and getting closer to what you think football should be." Then Wenger gives the example of a player who knows he ought to pass but takes a massive gamble and scores. "If he really loves the game he'll go home and worry about it. He'll know he really should have passed to set up an easy chance for someone else. But he was selfish and got lucky. If he doesn't care about the game he'll go home and think: 'That was great – I'll do the same next time.'" Food for thought...
Friday 20 September 2013
So close!!!
Accies again another superb display on Thursday against a really good team that are obviously a good standard Saturday league team. If I'm honest we could and should of won this game though. Some of our attacking was brilliant at times with movement the oppo couldn't handle but there where numerous times when we could of crossed or passed to players in better positions but we shot instead , squaundering these chances. Ronnie and Lee where superb at the back with Ronnie pulling off a quite spectacular save in the 2nd half . I was slightly disappointed in our set piece delivery especially some free kicks where we could of tested the defence and keeper but we didn't and I think only one corner from Scott in the 1st half with Sam heading it onto the post caused any problems for the oppo.
Overall though we generally played really well on a quite challenging surface and the way we have played in the past few months even in the few games we haven't won I'm struggling to remember a match where I thought we had been outplayed , so lets keep this going!!
Overall though we generally played really well on a quite challenging surface and the way we have played in the past few months even in the few games we haven't won I'm struggling to remember a match where I thought we had been outplayed , so lets keep this going!!
Match report, courtesy of the oppo
Not sure why they're called Cherry Tree FC instead of The Queen Vic, but here's my former school mate Danny Rhodes' report of last night's eight-goal thriller. Always interesting to get an outside view of our team, and I particularly enjoyed the phrases "the Accies, who caused problems for the Vic defence all night with some clever movement and interchanging of their front players" and "Accies have come on a lot since we first played them three or four years ago".
Accies FC 4 v 4 Cherry Tree FC
Cherry Tree travelled to the National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace for the annual pre-season friendly and due to two consecutive cancellations this remained a pre-season game. Late drop outs from several players meant that only ten of this year's squad made the journey, bolstered by ex-players Jonno and Wylie, whilst Swinny was drafted to play in goal (a 5.30pm phone call, in the dog house with the missus...).
Pre-match research of the Accies blog suggested they were a side that had been scoring and conceeding a lot in recent weeks and that proved to be the case. Accies went ahead as early as the second minute, a thunderbolt from the edge of the box after some hesitant Cherry Tree defending, but both sides looked better going forward than they did at the back and in our first meaningful attack Sibbo broke clear on the left before squaring the ball to Tom who fired home (something of a carbon copy of the goal he scored against City Firsts). We went ahead on fifteen minutes, Tom latching on to a rebound off the keeper and then proceeded to concede again, a fantastic dipping strike from outside the box that left Swinny rooted to the spot (too heavy to jump, blinded by the floodlights etc). Changes were made as we tried to instill some of the possession football we've been demonstrating in pre-season training sessions and we went ahead on thirty minutes, Sibbo glancing a header home from a free-kick. Efforts were made to immediately concede again, Damien allowing the Accies nippy Walcottesque winger inside him but on this occasion Swinny made a good save. HT 3-2.
Some harsh words from new manager Rob Taylor. Play football. Talk. Be aggressive at the back. Selective mute Kyle took all advice on board and promptly forgot about it. Back came Accies. On the hour a breakdown in play on the right allowed their player to advance a good thirty yards. His optimistic effort was flying wide but Swinny chose to make a save for the cameras and promptly diverted the ball into his own net. 3-3.
Five minutes later and the Accies, who caused problems for the Vic defence all night with some clever movement and interchanging of their front players, went ahead, Swinny's fine save to his left only serving to offer up a simple tap in for the advancing Accies player. 3-4.
Wayne broke clear one on one with the keeper but hit his shot straight into the keeper's midriff. Cherry Tree made changes. Kyle moved to Centre Forward. A slick move down the right, a square ball across the six yard box and there was the seven foot assassin to toe poke home. Cue a bellow of orgasmic release from the big man as six months of frustration in the opponent's box finally came to an end. Turns out he does have a voice after all.
End of the action? Are you kidding, this is Cherry Tree FC, formerly known as Queen Vic. No sooner had we drawn level than we made various attempts to throw it away. Accies had a shout for a penalty (it never was) and at least two more half chances as they finished the stronger. In the final seconds an innocuous shot from the edge of the box drifted towards Swinny's hands. Slippery when wet, the ball squirmed clear. It was a true 'and Smith must score' moment (google it if you're under 30) but the Accies player had obviously watched this infamous clip once too often and chose to replicate it in its entirety. Swinny somehow made the save and earned himself a lift home. The referee brought proceedings to an end.
4-4. A really competitive and fairly high quality game of football played on a slick surface in fantastic spirit (well refereed too). Accies have come on a lot since we first played them three or four years ago and after pushing us close last time out (we won 3-2) the least they deserved last night was a draw. In fact we were probably the more satisfied as the stadium was plunged into darkness and we headed back to East Kent, in my case via a shitty diversion through Lewisham that wound up with me on the M20! It was midnight when I dropped Swinny off. I'm not sure if he was locked out or not or if he had to break his own front door down...
Cherry Tree travelled to the National Sports Centre, Crystal Palace for the annual pre-season friendly and due to two consecutive cancellations this remained a pre-season game. Late drop outs from several players meant that only ten of this year's squad made the journey, bolstered by ex-players Jonno and Wylie, whilst Swinny was drafted to play in goal (a 5.30pm phone call, in the dog house with the missus...).
Pre-match research of the Accies blog suggested they were a side that had been scoring and conceeding a lot in recent weeks and that proved to be the case. Accies went ahead as early as the second minute, a thunderbolt from the edge of the box after some hesitant Cherry Tree defending, but both sides looked better going forward than they did at the back and in our first meaningful attack Sibbo broke clear on the left before squaring the ball to Tom who fired home (something of a carbon copy of the goal he scored against City Firsts). We went ahead on fifteen minutes, Tom latching on to a rebound off the keeper and then proceeded to concede again, a fantastic dipping strike from outside the box that left Swinny rooted to the spot (too heavy to jump, blinded by the floodlights etc). Changes were made as we tried to instill some of the possession football we've been demonstrating in pre-season training sessions and we went ahead on thirty minutes, Sibbo glancing a header home from a free-kick. Efforts were made to immediately concede again, Damien allowing the Accies nippy Walcottesque winger inside him but on this occasion Swinny made a good save. HT 3-2.
Some harsh words from new manager Rob Taylor. Play football. Talk. Be aggressive at the back. Selective mute Kyle took all advice on board and promptly forgot about it. Back came Accies. On the hour a breakdown in play on the right allowed their player to advance a good thirty yards. His optimistic effort was flying wide but Swinny chose to make a save for the cameras and promptly diverted the ball into his own net. 3-3.
Five minutes later and the Accies, who caused problems for the Vic defence all night with some clever movement and interchanging of their front players, went ahead, Swinny's fine save to his left only serving to offer up a simple tap in for the advancing Accies player. 3-4.
Wayne broke clear one on one with the keeper but hit his shot straight into the keeper's midriff. Cherry Tree made changes. Kyle moved to Centre Forward. A slick move down the right, a square ball across the six yard box and there was the seven foot assassin to toe poke home. Cue a bellow of orgasmic release from the big man as six months of frustration in the opponent's box finally came to an end. Turns out he does have a voice after all.
End of the action? Are you kidding, this is Cherry Tree FC, formerly known as Queen Vic. No sooner had we drawn level than we made various attempts to throw it away. Accies had a shout for a penalty (it never was) and at least two more half chances as they finished the stronger. In the final seconds an innocuous shot from the edge of the box drifted towards Swinny's hands. Slippery when wet, the ball squirmed clear. It was a true 'and Smith must score' moment (google it if you're under 30) but the Accies player had obviously watched this infamous clip once too often and chose to replicate it in its entirety. Swinny somehow made the save and earned himself a lift home. The referee brought proceedings to an end.
4-4. A really competitive and fairly high quality game of football played on a slick surface in fantastic spirit (well refereed too). Accies have come on a lot since we first played them three or four years ago and after pushing us close last time out (we won 3-2) the least they deserved last night was a draw. In fact we were probably the more satisfied as the stadium was plunged into darkness and we headed back to East Kent, in my case via a shitty diversion through Lewisham that wound up with me on the M20! It was midnight when I dropped Swinny off. I'm not sure if he was locked out or not or if he had to break his own front door down...
Danny
Saturday 14 September 2013
Proudest moment
Accies
Thursdays match was without doubt my proudest moment since I was voted in as team captain. We where up against a very strong and quick Southside with the odd ringer dotted around and at half time we where losing. At no point did anyone's head drop and after 10 minutes of the 2nd half we where winning and they where arguing amongst themselves. I have always thought the difference between the Accies and most teams we play is the fact that we keep our positions and our cool even when we are losing and that makes a massive difference.
Every player ran themselves into the ground but some mentions for Paul who continually skinned there right back, Luis who never let Dane out of his pocket and never lost the ball and Bobby who although should of scored more in the end used his running up front that much that when the final whistle went the centre half collapsed in a heap!
We are still playing this high pressure high up the pitch game with the inswinging corners which is brilliant so let's see if we can continue this form until the end of the year.
Greg
Thursdays match was without doubt my proudest moment since I was voted in as team captain. We where up against a very strong and quick Southside with the odd ringer dotted around and at half time we where losing. At no point did anyone's head drop and after 10 minutes of the 2nd half we where winning and they where arguing amongst themselves. I have always thought the difference between the Accies and most teams we play is the fact that we keep our positions and our cool even when we are losing and that makes a massive difference.
Every player ran themselves into the ground but some mentions for Paul who continually skinned there right back, Luis who never let Dane out of his pocket and never lost the ball and Bobby who although should of scored more in the end used his running up front that much that when the final whistle went the centre half collapsed in a heap!
We are still playing this high pressure high up the pitch game with the inswinging corners which is brilliant so let's see if we can continue this form until the end of the year.
Greg
Tuesday 10 September 2013
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