#but especially winger and nelson

[rebellionbeach]

Thanks for the tag @rockanrolljunkie , very interesting questions!

1. What is the first song you remember hearing?

I don’t have any cool stories but it’s probably one of the numerous children DVDs I’ve watched for like developmental learning my parents used to show me when I was younger.  Disney Learning Adventures or something like that.  

2. What is the first band you got into?

Rick Springfield and I know he isn’t really a band but he was the first artist I really latched onto aside from my mother’s influence.  However, I suppose it was partially her fault since I first saw him live after Night Ranger had opened up for him I think in the summer of 2015.  I didn’t want to stay anymore but then once we were leaving I remember hearing Jessie’s Girl and for the rest of the night I couldn’t stop singing that verse and well, the rest is history.

3. Do you collect music on any physical format?

Haha, yes, I often make many bad financial decisions due to this.  Well, my mother is also a very big collector and lately I’ve been collecting many used CDs that I’m able to find and vinyls from Mercari.  I like both CDs and vinyl but I got to admit vinyl is slightly cooler just because seeing that large disc spinning and hearing that slightly tinged sound knowing that somebody maybe half a century ago was listening to this same disc never fails to shake me.

4. What is your favourite piece of music-related memorabilia/merchandise?

I’ve accumulated a large amount of Burrn magazines from the 80s and 90s but my favorites have got to be the 1985 Ritchie Blackmore one:

I also have a large Nelson poster across my bed which is a great conversation piece:

5. What is your favourite concert you've been to?

I really enjoyed the Rick Springfield concert I went to in the summer of 2019 at a fair.  It was actually accompanied by an orchestra and I remember time going by so fast.  Something funny though is that there was a pretty large seating area and everyone was standing except my small section which for some reason refused to stand.  When I tried to get up I felt the glare of somebody behind me but besides that it was a great concert!

6. If you could see one artist (or band) who is no longer alive in concert, who would it be?

Damn, that’s really hard.  Technically DP and Rainbow are still playing today but I’d absolutely love to see Mark 4 of Rainbow live, I’d do almost anything to go to that Monsters of Rock show in 1980.  Just to see Cozy play with Ritchie, Graham, Don, and Roger, that would be something truly magical.

7. Have you met any musicians?

Mostly through my mom but I’ve met Night Ranger and I remember once even at an airport which was pretty surprising.  I’ve also met Firehouse which is another one of my mother’s favorite bands but they’re all really talented and humble people.  I’ve also met Rick Springfield which was...very nerve-racking for me.  I remember looking forward to that all of 8th grade...ha good times.  My mom actually was on the same plane as Chris Impellitterri but didn’t want to go up to him because she didn’t know him too well.  She also met the Queensryche guys and Daryl Hall so if anything you know, my mom has been places.

8. What is your go-to song/album when feeling sad?

I like listening to happy music when I’m sad actually but often times I find myself listening to After the Rain by Nelson.  This past year when I was in a bad mood or whatever I would put on In the Aeroplane Over the Sea which, I know, is a interesting choice to say the least, it’s really good at either releasing the tension or creating more.

9. What is your go-to song/album when feeling happy?

I mean, Down to Earth and Ritchie Blackmore’s Rainbow come to mind.  I also have been listening to a lot of Come Taste the Band and Private Eyes by Tommy Bolin as well as Because They Can by Nelson.

10. What is one music-related documentary you love?

I’ve watched lots of DP and Rainbow documentaries but I really adore the one aired on BBC and was part of the Rock Family Trees series.  It has lots of great interviews with Jon Lord and David as well as some Cozy segments talking about the Rainbow period.  I cited it a lot while writing my research paper too.

11. What is one concert DVD that you love?

I’m not sure about concert DVDs per-say however my favorite filmed concert would have to be either Deep Purple at California Jam 1974 or Operation Live Crime with the concerts in Madison Wisconsin.  The former because it’s an iconic moment in all of rock and roll history and David and Glenn just kill it and the latter because the band just sounds phenomenal and I wanna know if anybody here in Madison, Wisconsin believes in love?

Well I don’t....

12. Do you prefer listening to playlists or full albums?

Before I listened to playlists but lately I haven’t touched them.  I usually listen to albums, they’re kind of already like playlists except created by the artist lol.  If I don’t like certain parts or are in a hurry then I don’t mind skipping.

13. Do you tend to listen to albums in order or on shuffle?

In order, shuffling can be fun though like one time I shuffled Machine Head to pick my future wedding song and Space Truckin’ came on so I guess that’s going to happen.

14. What is your favourite deep cut song by your favourite artist?

I have several favorite artists but starting with Deep Purple, songs such as Blind, Chasing Shadows, The Gypsy, Love Child, Mad Dog, and all of Who Do We Think We Are besides Woman From Tokyo come to mind.  Then for Rainbow I think Self Portrait, Makin’ Love, and Midtown Tunnel Vision are just phenomenal.  For Nelson I really enjoy Nobody Wins In the End which is the final song on their second album and Written In Rock by Rick Springfield is probably my favorite song from his.

15. What is your favorite CD/vinyl/cassette that you own in terms of packaging?

I really enjoy the No Bad Habits vinyl that I own from Graham Bonnet just because I think the cover is gorgeous and the blue suede suit just fits him perfectly.  It always sits in front of my vinyls lol.

I’d like to tag @whodoesntlikewho , @houseofaffuso , @ritchieblackless ,  @high-way-star , @inthemidnightmeme , and @vibesfromepicforest​ and anyone else who wants to do it!

#personal #this just in: I'm a Nelson fan #go listen to their albums #trust me it's better than you think #winger too #rick too #but especially winger and nelson

[brokebandwagon]

More Too-Early Line Predictions | by Maia

It’s my last day of my internship, the Sabres have Jeff Skinner, and it’s my birthday! So I’m coming at you with some new-ish line predicts because Sabres fans are charged and even more hyped for the season.

Quick rehash of the offseason so far:

In: Dahlin, Mittelstadt, Sobotka, Bergland, Hutton, Sheary, Skinner, Ullmark. Possibly Thompson, Guhle Out: Lehner, O’Rielly, Johnson, Pouliot, Antipin, Gorges, Nolan

Plus, as its been noted (as it should), the Sabres got tremendously better with giving up what amounts to spare pocket change, except for Ryan O’Rielly. Impressive, Jason Botterill… Impressive.

TOP 6

Sheary - Eichel - Reinhart Skinner - Mittelstadt - Okposo

To start with the top two, I don’t have any doubt that these will be the top six though the LW situation could swap, and perhaps Thompson could make a splash to Casey’s RW later in the season. Maybe Nylander will decide to show up. But for now, this is what I see.

Jack and Sam is a no brainer. Sam is the best RW on the team now and him and Jack obviously have good chemistry playing together. Jack is the 1C on this team now (and just put the fucking C on his chest, thank you). Sheary worked well with Crosby, so there’s no reason he can’t be good with Eichel.

I put Sheary on the top line despite the fact that Skinner will be the best winger on the team because Skinner’s finishing ability would work best with Casey’s playmaking abilities. Jack and Skinner could work, but I think it could be the less than ideal Kane and Eichel situation where it felt like there just weren’t enough pucks on the ice. Jack likes to score, Skinner likes to score –best to spread that out to two lines. Okposo can provide a steadying veteran presence for Casey and if he has a bounceback season, these could be a phenom top 6.

BOTTOM 6

Sobotka - Bergland - Pominville Wilson - Girgenson - Nick Baptiste

Extra: Rodrigues, Larsson

This gets a bit more tricky… GMBOT brought in some nice depth (and even strength) scoring with the additions of Sobotka and Bergland and I can see Pominville slotting in that RW position, with perhaps rotating out with Thompson. I’ve always been a fan of Girgs –two time tank survivor, he plays well, and could be a solid bottom 6 center. Scott Wilson was a solid bottom six all-around player and is an integral part of the bottome 6 as I think Nick Baptiste will be. Baptiste brings an element of speed to the bottom 6 and I think he’ll stick around this season. I didn’t even slot in Evan Rodrigues who I originally had as my 2LW before the Sabres acquired Skinner and I don’t know where he slots in now, but I do think he makes the team. Erod - Bergland - Pominville, perhaps? Larsson is just on this list because I don’t think he goes away.

DEFENSE*

*opening night

Scandella - Ristolainen Dahlin - Bogosian Guhle - McCabe

Extra: Hunwick, Nelson, Beaulieu

The real driver behind these pairings is actually the second pairing of Dahlin and Bogosian. I think that’s truly what you want to start with: keep Dahlin on his proper side to get him acclimated, pair him with a solid veteran defenseman who can mentor him and help him learn the NHL game. Bogosian is hell bent on making this his season, and if he’s healthy this season (maybe a big if…) this could be a breakout/bounceback year for him. Reminder that last year in camp he was looking like a best defenseman on the team. Because of that, I don’t see much of another option but to keep the same top pairing from last year, at least to start (trust me… I don’t like it, I see that pairing and want to puke, but I don’t see anything else right now). They’ll be solid enough until Dahlin is ready to graduate. My third pairing reads like a hot take to some people, but I’m sticking to it. I Absolutely Adored Guhle-McCabe in the CBJ game that they played together. To me that was the very first look ever at what defense could be: fast, up in the rush, offensive. They played well off each other and that was one of the few glimmers I saw last season. Noted that yes, Guhle is still considered a wildcard for the team, especially given the fact that he doesn’t need waivers to be returned to Rochester.

GOALIES

Hutton Ullmark

This is a no brainer, but I also think that they games played by each might be closer than people are thinking right now. Hutton understands his role as a mentor, but can handle a starter’s load. But if Ullmark gets hot, he’ll stay in. This is a true 1A &1B situation and the games might be split more 50/50 than others might think.

Of course, the big question on everyone’s mind is if this is a playoff team roster. Honestly, right now? No. But give them a season to develop and to mesh with each other and learn from their mistakes and I think it could be. Remember, there are at least four rookies on this team and they’re going to have growing pains and over half the team has never played together. That being said, I predict some fun games in the Sabres future and some meaningful games past December for the first time in a long time; a wildcard discussion is not completely out of the question.

#buffalo sabres #article #maia

[profjoelblog]

Mabalane identifies three players 'making a difference' to Orlando Pirates

Mabalane identifies three players ‘making a difference’ to Orlando Pirates

Bucs, who have won seven and drawn one of their last eight games, have two Confederation Cup matches coming up, against ES Setif and Enyimba Former Orlando Pirates winger Dikgang Mabalane says he was especially impressed by Deon Hotto, Paseka Mako and Ben Motshwari in Bucs’ 3-0 league win away at Chippa United on Saturday. Hotto registered the first goal of the night at the Nelson Mandela Bay…

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[perfectirishgifts]

Arteta’s Midfield Choices The Key As Arsenal Face Tottenham Hotspur In Uncharted Territory

New Post has been published on https://perfectirishgifts.com/artetas-midfield-choices-the-key-as-arsenal-face-tottenham-hotspur-in-uncharted-territory/

Arteta’s Midfield Choices The Key As Arsenal Face Tottenham Hotspur In Uncharted Territory

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Mikel Arteta the Arsenal Manager before the UEFA Europa League Group … [] B stage match between Arsenal FC and Rapid Wien at Emirates Stadium on December 03, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

On Sunday afternoon, Arsenal will travel the few miles down the Seven Sisters Road to Tottenham for one of the oddest North London derbies in memory. Not just for the Covid backdrop and the tentative return of 2,000 socially-distanced fans to the Tottenham Hotspur Stadium, but because Arsenal go into the game fourteenth in the Premier League PINC and Tottenham first.

It wasn’t supposed to be like this. It wasn’t supposed to be like this when José Mourinho pulled on his Tottenham pyjamas last November, reputation dented by the tumults he engendered at Chelsea and Manchester United and abhorred by a substantial portion of the Spurs fan base for his perceived negativity in demeanor and tactics. And it certainly wasn’t supposed to be like this when Mikel Arteta surfed back into town just under a year ago, riding a wave of hope that he might be Pep Guardiola Mk. II.

Yet here we are. And the polarized context only adds to the tension. Arsenal are desperate for their first derby away win since a single goal from Tomas Rosicky gave them victory at the old White Hart Lane in 2014. Three points would take them within five of Spurs and give confidence and morale a much-needed boost after heated, clear-the-air talks midweek.

LONDON, ENGLAND – JULY 12: Jose Mourinho, Manager of Tottenham Hotspur looks on ahead of the Premier … [] League match between Tottenham Hotspur and Arsenal FC at Tottenham Hotspur Stadium on July 12, 2020 in London, England. Football Stadiums around Europe remain empty due to the Coronavirus Pandemic as Government social distancing laws prohibit fans inside venues resulting in all fixtures being played behind closed doors. (Photo by Michael Regan/Getty Images)

Spurs, meanwhile, are looking at the bigger picture. As José Mourinho said in his press conference on Friday, “Because now we are in such a good position it is a little bit different. Because we want the points we are not just like: ‘We want to beat Arsenal because to beat Arsenal is the only good thing we can give to our fans.’”

Recent North London derby games have been riveting, perhaps the most entertaining rivalry in the world in pure footballing terms. We have seen four or more goals on six separate occasions over the past decade. But the current circumstances and the two men now at the respective helms point to this meeting being significantly cagier.

Mourinho’s perpetual penchant for bus parking in high-stakes derbies was on show last weekend at Stamford Bridge and even playing at home, with fans urging them on for the first time since March, it is unlikely he will throw caution to the wind.

Arteta, for his part, has proved a far more cautious manager than many expected when he first took over from Unai Emery. His most important mission upon arrival was to fix Arsenal’s leaky back line and, aside from a 3-0 drubbing at the hands of Aston Villa four weeks ago, that he has done. Especially in the games against the big six in which Arsenal have come out on top – the FA Cup semi-final and final wins over Manchester City and Chelsea and the league games against Liverpool and Manchester United – Arsenal have been reactive in the extreme, happy to sit and soak and strike on the counter.

Arsenal’s Spanish head coach Mikel Arteta (C) gives instructions to Arsenal’s English striker Eddie … [] Nketiah (L) and Arsenal’s Gabonese striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang (2L) on the touchline during the English Premier League football match between Arsenal and Everton at the Emirates Stadium in London on February 23, 2020. (Photo by Tolga AKMEN / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE. No use with unauthorized audio, video, data, fixture lists, club/league logos or ‘live’ services. Online in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No video emulation. Social media in-match use limited to 120 images. An additional 40 images may be used in extra time. No use in betting publications, games or single club/league/player publications. / (Photo by TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)

Yet when such an approach is unsuccessful – and in recent weeks Arsenal’s results have been poor – it is an invitation for criticism. Arsenal’s creative struggles have been much discussed, with talismanic striker Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang not finding the net from open play since August.

For that reason, the biggest questions prior to this derby surround the Arsenal manager’s team selection. After employing a lop-sided 3-4-3 formation for much of the early part of his reign, with Aubameyang on the left of the front three and Alexandre Lacazette playing through the middle, Arteta has recently moved towards a 4-2-3-1 with Aubameyang central and Lacazette left out in favor of an additional midfielder.

Yet on Thursday night in the 4-1 win over Rapid Vienna in the Europa League, Arteta paired Alexandre Lacazette with Eddie Nketiah in a more traditional front two. Lacazette dropped off to help work the ball forward and Nketiah operated as the spearhead of the attack, with Reiss Nelson and Nicolas Pepe cutting in to provide incision and invention from either flank. The central presence of Mohamed Elneny and Ainsley Maitland-Niles, meanwhile, provided the stability and dynamism to allow both full-backs to push up.

LONDON, ENGLAND – DECEMBER 03: Marcel Ritzmaier of Rapid Vienna in action with Ainsley … [] Maitland-Niles of Arsenal during the UEFA Europa League Group B stage match between Arsenal FC and Rapid Wien at Emirates Stadium on December 3, 2020 in London, United Kingdom. A limited number of fans are welcomed back to stadiums to watch elite football across England. This was following easing of restrictions on spectators in tiers one and two areas only. (Photo by Marc Atkins/Getty Images)

Maitland-Niles in particular was a refreshing sight. Asked what he brought to the midfield, he gave a Sunday league assessment of an elite display: “I had a bit of legs in the midfield, got about, tried to tackle, win the ball back, get up and down the pitch and give us a bit more dynamics, so it was good.” It was indeed and provided a bit of life to what has at times been a painfully ponderous midfield.

The fact that the game was against such weak opposition must be considered, but the performance on Thursday will have given Arteta food for thought. Might he opt for the same formation against Tottenham? If so, which players will he choose to fill the midfield and forward roles?

If Thomas Partey is fit he will certainly return, and Mohamed Elneny’s discipline and focus makes him exceedingly useful against better teams. But Arteta would be a brave man to play only the two of them and deploy Aubameyang and Lacazette as a two-pronged attack.

LONDON, ENGLAND – NOVEMBER 08: Thomas Partey of Arsenal during the Premier League match between … [] Arsenal and Aston Villa at Emirates Stadium on November 08, 2020 in London, England. (Photo by David Price/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

With just two central midfielders – whether in a 4-4-2 or a 3-4-3 – Arsenal risk being overrun. Pierre-Emile Hojbjerg, Moussa Sissoko and Tanguy Ndombele have formed a formidable central trio for Tottenham this term and with Harry Kane, who can become the derby’s outright all-time top scorer on Sunday, also prone to drop in and make it a central quartet, Arsenal could be outmanned.

To avoid that possibility, Arteta may opt for another midfielder. Dani Ceballos and Joe Willock could both play as a box-to-box No.10 option or if Arteta really is looking for stability, he could bring in Garnit Xhaka or Maitland-Niles alongside Partey and Elneny. As Arteta himself said when praising Maitland-Niles’ versatility after Thursday’s game, the Hale End academy graduate can “play as an attacking midfielder.”

If he does go for that three-man midfield option, it would make the central areas congested, but could free up Arsenal’s full-backs and wingers to contribute more offensively.

Finding that balance between defensive security and creativity is the main theme of this second act of Arteta’s reign. How he approaches the task could not only define the outcome of Sunday’s derby but his long-term future at the club.

From SportsMoney in Perfectirishgifts

[berniesrevolution]

In a McCarthyite screed that appeared in the pages of National Review last March, the CEO of the Christian Legal Society, David Nammo, ominously warned the conservative publication’s readership about the growing popularity of socialism, and how this apparent shift in opinion is “threatening America’s future.” Recent polls, Nammo points out, have indicated that an increasing number of Americans — nearly four in 10, according to one survey — have come to prefer “socialism” over “capitalism.”

The clearest sign of this shift, of course, was the surprisingly successful presidential campaign of Sen. Bernie Sanders, a self-proclaimed democratic socialist who currently ranks as the most popular politician in America. Nammo correctly observes that Sanders’ popularity is “not the cause of this movement in public opinion but rather an indicator of it,” but then goes on to provide his own predictable, eye-roll-inducing theory:

It is obvious where such thinking abounds and continues to spread: in our colleges and universities. The ideologies of professors and educators have proven stronger than facts … A generation has been taught a lie, and they now believe it.

Those pinko professors are at it yet again, corrupting our youth! This theory is not too dissimilar from the “Cultural Marxism” conspiracy theory peddled in alt-right circles, which propounds that a group of relatively obscure 20th century intellectuals from the Frankfurt School, beginning with Theodor W. Adorno and Herbert Marcuse, developed a secret plot to undermine Western civilization by spreading political correctness and anti-American prejudice in academia. Intellectuals and college professors often make perfect scapegoats in the conservative movement, which has always been deeply anti-intellectual; it is standard right-wing rhetoric to blame higher education for the socialist specter haunting their dreams.

“Many Americans,” continues Nammo with a melodramatic intensity, “have forgotten the lessons of the Cold War and the disasters witnessed in the crumbling economies and failed polities of Communist and socialist countries in the 1990s … Americans who believe in limited government, welfare reform, and states’ rights should look over their shoulder and realize that a dangerous ideology is gaining ground.”

Of course, this “dangerous ideology” does not advocate anything resembling the totalitarian doctrines of 20th century communism. If anything, democratic socialism — an anti-authoritarian philosophy that promotes political and economic democracy — is the antithesis of Soviet-style communism, a left-wing authoritarianism that replaced one ruling elite (the capitalist or landowning class) with another (Communist Party bureaucrats). Alas, intellectual honesty is not typically associated with anti-socialist diatribes found in a magazine whose senior editor is the author of a book titled “Liberal Fascism.”

Nevertheless, while Nammo’s theory of why socialism is on the rise may be way off the mark, there is no doubt that socialism is on the rise in America — and that staunch conservatives like him have every right to be concerned.

In a Huffington Post article last week, for example, Eliot Nelson reported that socialism has become increasingly popular — especially among millennials — since the Sanders campaign last year. The Democratic Socialists of America  (DSA), a minor presence on the American left for several decades — its roots go back to the old Socialist Party of America, once led by Eugene Debs and Norman Thomas — has experienced a rapid membership growth in 2017. “DSA openly uses the big, bad, scary s-word that countless Republican consultants have used to smear Democrats over the years,” writes Nelson. “And despite decades of efforts to stigmatize it, socialism is kind of in right now.”

Nelson reports that the DSA has seen its membership grow from about 8,500 on Election Day to 21,000 at the start of May, and they are getting “upwards of 10 requests a week to help open new chapters.” Like the Sanders campaign, the DSA receives its strongest support from tech-savvy young people, who are most likely to embrace the socialist label.

(Continue Reading)

#politics #the left #DSA #democratic socialism #socialism #democrats #democratic party #Democratic Socialists of America #Socialist Alternative #kshama sawant #progressive #progressive movement

[gadgetsrevv]

Neymar returning to Spain would be an ego trip by Barca or Real. PLUS: Chelsea exposed at Man United

It’s back! After a summer of international soccer, Gab Marcotti returns with his weekly column reflecting on the big talking points. It’s the first edition of Monday Musings for the 2019-20 season.

Jump to: Is Neymar really on the move? | Man United vs. Chelsea | Juve’s squad issues | Stop complaining about VAR | Are Man City deep enough? | Bayern get their winger

The latest on Neymar’s transfer saga

So now it’s apparently just a question of making the numbers work. PSG sporting director Leonardo confirmed that the club are in talks to sell Neymar, with Real Madrid and (possibly) Barcelona the likeliest destinations. But when you put a $210m Euro price tag on a guy, it’s far from straightforward. Particularly since whoever signs Neymar will also be on the hook for some $300m+ in wages over the next five years.

The depressing thing here is that this seems to be driven more by ego than footballing logic on all sides. Sure, Neymar is a hugely talented player and, possibly, still one of the heirs apparent to the Cristiano Ronaldo/Messi duopoly. But Barcelona have just added Antoine Griezmann to a front line that includes Messi and Luis Suarez (not to mention Ousmane Dembele). Real Madrid have just spent $110m on Eden Hazard and have big plans for Vinicius and Rodrygo, plus Marco Asensio won’t be injured in perpetuity. (And that’s before we get into Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez).

Where does he fit at either club, except as a an ego-trip and commercial roll of the dice?

The answer is he doesn’t. Signing Neymar would require a dismantling of the team that has been built (and, presumably, planned, though with Real Madrid you’re never quite sure how much planning is involved). And is his contribution, especially at that price, big enough to justify tearing up the blueprint?

I’d suggest the answer is a resounding “no,” not to mention the numbers. I know some treat Financial Fair Play as a joke but hey, it’s real and it’s still around. Barcelona can’t find a few extra million to land Matthijs De Ligt but they can commit half a billion to bring back Neymar, the guy who left so he could write his own story away from Messi’s shadow? Really?

Real Madrid, already stuck with two guys (Bale and James) whom they’re struggling to sell because of the absurdly onerous contracts they gave them, happily go and lavish another mega-deal on a guy who started less than half of his league games at PSG in the past two years? You sure?

Neymar’s time at PSG has failed to live up to expectations but it’s not stopped Spain’s two biggest clubs from trying to get him back in La Liga. Why?

It’s a sign of the modern game, and the way big clubs are straitjacketed by massive contracts, that if this deal happens, it won’t be a cash deal. The only way it works is by throwing in makeweights, which is why you’re likely to hear plenty of talk of Philippe Coutinho or Nelson Semedo, or James or Isco going the other way. Sticking a player in as part exchange not only saves you cash, but it allows for some neat accounting slight of hand because you can put almost whatever valuation you like on him and then let the magic of amortisation do the rest.

Stay tuned.

There’s also the distinct possibility that he doesn’t move at all, which would mean that sanity prevailed. Thomas Tuchel hinted at it after Sunday’s Ligue 1 opener for PSG. Of course, if he stays it will be curious to see what the reaction of the PSG fans will be. On Sunday night, during the 3-0 win over Nimes (Neymar was nowhere to be seen), he was invited — via banners and chanting — to get the hell out of the club.

Will it be the sort of thing that gets forgotten after a few good performances and some winning runs? You hope not, but you fear yes, just as you hope that if Florentino Perez or Josep Bartomeu break the bank one more time for this guy, they will be held to account.

There’s nothing wrong with spending big if you think you have the right guy: Kylian Mbappe is Exhibit A, B and C here. But to do it out of ego, in the waning weeks of the transfer window, while ripping up the script, smacks of irresponsibility. This is a good time as any to remind Florentino and Bartomeu that they don’t own their clubs. They are presidents with a responsibility for stewardship.

Breaking down Man United vs. Chelsea

Frank Lampard is playing with house money this season. As one of the more analytical and reflective football men out there, you could picture him in the summer playing the scenario game.

Best (realistic) case?

The combination of youngsters, loan diaspora and holdovers coalesce around his brand of football (which, lest we forget, is far closer to his predecessor’s than any Chelsea manager since Andre Villas Boas), Chelsea break into the top three, go deep in the Champions League and he gets a big, fat transfer budget next summer.

– Ogden: Pulisic must hit ground running at Chelsea

Worst (realistic) case? The kids’ inexperience costs Chelsea dear, the likes of Mason Mount, Reece James and Tammy Abraham offer further evidence of the gulf between the Premier League and the Football League, there’s a massive Eden Hazard-shaped hole that Christian Pulisic can’t come close to filling and they slip down the table, missing out on the Europa League.

But guess what? Between the transfer ban, the Hazard departure and the fact that he finally tapped into Chelsea’s vaunted Academy, there are enough mitigating circumstances there that he gets a pass. And he has another go in 2020-21, except with a full year of Premier League experience under his belt and a chance to actually acquire players next summer.

Frank Lampard, left, and Chelsea have a lot of work to do following Sunday’s heavy defeat at Man United. That said, it’s not all smooth sailing for Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, right, either.

It’s worth bearing all of this in mind when evaluating Chelsea this season, in particular the opening 4-0 smackdown at Old Trafford. Despite leaving N’Golo Kante (who was unfit) on the bench and being without Antonio Rudiger, not to mention the long-term injuries to Ruben Loftus-Cheek and Callum Hudson-Odoi, they hit the woodwork twice and looked bright and sharp on the ball for most of the first half. But Kurt Zouma‘s sloppy tackle gave United a penalty, which Marcus Rashford converted, and as the saying goes, goals change games.

United were able to play on the counter and they did it very well, though, again the second and third goals were the result of individual errors by Cesar Azpilicueta (not something you can chalk up to youthful inexperience) and the fourth was a deflected effort to crown a fast break that began with Zouma on his back and Luke Shaw and Harry Maguire asking the referee to stop the game for what they thought was a head injury.

In other words, a healthy dose of misfortune, individual errors and happenstance, though that doesn’t gloss over the fact that there is plenty of work for Lampard and Chelsea to do. The individual blunders loomed large but there was also a serious lack of balance in the side, which isn’t surprising when it’s the first game of the season and more than half your starting XI were either elsewhere or on the bench last season.

As for United, Aaron Wan-Bissaka and Harry Maguire hit the ground running and gave Ole Gunnar Solskjaer the perfect platform upon which to counter-attack. For all the venom he gets from some quarters, Paul Pogba popped up with two assists (one of them, as delightful as you’re likely to see this weekend). And yes: when it comes to flat-out pace, United have plenty.

The test, of course, will come later, as Jose Mourinho (not that he has an axe to grind or anything) pointed out on TV: what happens when they face teams who park the bus? Speedy strikers are great if they have space in which to run but when the opposition sit deep, you need either creativity (that’s on you, Paul) or the physicality to punch it in (and both big Belgians are gone).

That’s where Solskjaer will earn his bacon and in that sense, he faces a far more daunting task — at least as far as 2019-20 is concerned — than Lampard.

Can Juve resolve squad issues before it’s too late?

It’s rare that you get a manager speaking with the sort of honesty we heard from Maurizio Sarri over the weekend, when he admitted Juventus need to shift six players between now and the end of the transfer window or risk having to cut them from their Champions League squad. A lot of the focus has been driven by the transfer window, with speculation about the likes of Paulo Dybala, Gonzalo Higuain and/or Mario Mandzukic moving or, in midfield, Sami Khedira or Blaise Matuidi. But there ought to be a bigger concern: how did we get here?

Juventus can count and they knew that because they have just one homegrown player in the squad, perpetual third keeper Marco Pinsoglio, they can only register 22 players. So what kind of planning is it to find yourself in mid-August being forced to give guys away?

This situation is aggravated by the fact that most of the players they want to shift are older and with hefty contracts. What’s more, with the Premier League window closed, there are only so many potential destinations and there won’t be any late-August panic buys from mid-table English sides.

It’s pretty basic stuff. You hope that sporting director Fabio Paratici has some sort of plan up his sleeve, one that won’t cost the club too much money. Otherwise, for all his success in landing the likes of Matthijs de Ligt, Adrien Rabbit and Aaron Ramsey, he will have dropped the ball big time.

Enough complaining about VAR already!

There were no VAR screw-ups in its first weekend of Premier League life. Of course, this doesn’t mean there was no controversy, mainly because — despite the fact that it has been around for nearly three seasons and fans, players and media would have seen it in the World Cup, Champions League knockouts and FA Cup — some observers seemed to act as if they were seeing it for the first time (witness the Raheem Sterling offside) and others seemed unaware of the changes to the Laws of the Game that came into effect on June 1 (Philippe Dendoncker’s disallowed goal in Wolves’ win over Leicester).

– VAR in the Premier League: Big decisions explained

My colleague Dale Johnson has written about this at length if you want to go granular but put in its simplest form: offside is offside and it doesn’t matter how close it is. It’s frustrating to have to repeat this. And while, I’ll grant you, offside VAR is more of a by-product of why video replay was brought in to begin with (which was to correct major, aka clear and obvious, errors), the fact that we have the technology to apply it to offside calls more accurately than human assistants means there’s no reason not to use it.

Whatever you think of the margin of error that exists at the junction of frame velocity, human velocity and the brains of VAR operators, it surely is more accurate than a sprinting linesman asked to look in two directions at once while determining the exact moment boot strikes ball.

I’ve heard some suggestions that it would be better to only use VAR on blatant offside errors. OK, fine. So how do you judge what is blatant? And, while we’re at it, when it’s that close, even the very best human assistant referees are left to guess. With no VAR, Sterling might have been flagged offside or he might not. It would have been a coin flip.

Does that really sound more reasonable?

The Wolves incident actually has nothing to do with VAR but simply with a rule change that came into effect on June 1. If you handle the ball, even accidentally, and then gain an advantage from it that allows you to score a goal, that goal gets disallowed. Why? Because IFAB figured it’s against the spirit of the game to score with the help of an arm or hand and they want to standardize officiating, with more consistency. Making refs decide on the spot what is accidental and what is not when a goal is scored is, according to them, unnecessary. Which sounds reasonable enough, though it was somewhat jarring for Wolves fans on Sunday.

In the Dendoncker goal, the Belgian midfielder struck a ball that hit his teammate, Willie Boly on the arm. It was clearly accidental and had it just rolled away, everything would have been fine. But the ball sat up for Dendoncker to hit cleanly into the back of the net, and that’s why it was disallowed.

Would the goal have stood if there had been no VAR? Not unless the referee didn’t see the ball hit Boly’s arm. In which case, it’s a good thing there is VAR.

There will undoubtedly be mistakes and blunders, either with the VAR protocol or technology or implementation this season. But Week One went smoothly and whatever “controversy” arose feels mostly down to folks needing something to talk about.

Once the VAR novelty wears off, hopefully by the start of September, we can all move on.

Is Man City’s squad deep enough?

Manchester City raced out to a resounding 5-0 victory at West Ham in week one of the Premier League season and most have them as favourites to three-peat as champions. Rightly so, perhaps, but you wonder if they aren’t a little bit thinner than you’d like them to be in central defence.

In central defence, Vincent Kompany is gone and, effectively, City’s fourth central defender is Eliaquim Mangala, who hasn’t actually played at all in 18 months (and was nothing to write home about before that) and won’t be stopped from leaving should the right offer appear. Nicolas Otamendi is a year older and coming off a Copa America. John Stones had a poor season last year. He may bounce back, he may not.

The next option, presumably, is dropping Fernandinho into defense, but he’s 34 and has had injuries. Plus, if he’s at the back, he’s not in defensive midfield, which leaves only Rodri and Ilkay Gundogan (whose injury record isn’t great) in the middle of the park.

You can only assume Guardiola has a ton of faith in some of the teenagers populating the development squad, like Eric Garcia and Joel Latibeaudiere. Otherwise, a rough patch of injuries and suspensions could cost them dear.

Bayern get their man (and it’s not Sane)

Having missed out on Leroy Sane, Bayern seem set for a band-aid solution to the wing by bringing in Ivan Perisic from Inter on loan. If the reported numbers are correct — $5m loan fee, plus a $25m option to buy — it’s a cheap-and-cheerful way of adding some experience and quality in a guy who already knows the Bundesliga well.

It may be one of those rare moves that helps all those concerned.

Perisic wasn’t part of Antonio Conte’s plans at Inter and from their perspective, getting his wages off the bill and a little bit of money back makes sense. He’s been frighteningly inconsistent but has his moments and perhaps Bayern, a far more stable club than Inter, can ensure he gets some continuity to his performances. He ought to his seize this opportunity with both hands, because this is what you call landing on your feet after falling off a skyscraper.

As for Bayern, if he performs the way he did most of last season, no biggie: they can just send him back in the summer.

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#Uncategorized #Neymar returning to Spain would be an ego trip by Barca or Real. PLUS: Chelsea expose

[dannyboyk2000]

Hull vs Reading (EFL Championship) Match Preview; 6th April

Hull take on Reading at home looking to build on their away win last weekend at relegation bound Ipswich Town.

That win ended a run of three games without a win in the league for Nigel Adkins men.

Reading travel up North, after picking up an impressive 2-1 at home to high flying Preston North End.

That win for Reading moved them up to 19th in the table, four points clear off the relegation zone.

A win for Reading in this game, would probably mean that they need at least one more win from their remaining games to guarantee survival in the Championship this year.

Outside the top six, Jose Gomes’s Royals have taken the most points out of any teams in the league, since the Portuguese manager joined the side from Berkshire.

A big story from this game is the fact that Nigel Adkins faces his former side in Reading...

Recent form in the league for both teams

Hull- W/L/L/D/W

Reading- W/W/L/D/W

Game information

The game kicks off at 3pm (UK time) at the KCOM stadium.

Team News

Hull

Angus McDonald is the only player who isn’t available for selection for the game on Saturday.

Other then that, Nigel Adkins has a full side to pick from.

Reading

John Swift is a doubt for this game, after picking up an injury in Reading’s 2-1 victory over Preston last weekend.

Barrow is a minor doubt, but Jose Gomes is confident that he can play a part at the weekend.

Gomes also confirmed that Paul McShane is out with an injury, so he will not face his former side on Saturday.

But the big news is that Nelson Oliveira is in contention to start at the weekend, after Gomes confirmed today that he has trained all week with Reading.

Predicted XI’s

Hull’s predicted starting eleven (4-4-1-1)- Marshall; Lichaj, De Wijs, Burke, Kane; Grosicki, Irvine, Batty, Bowen; Pugh, Campbell.

Reading’s predicted starting eleven (4-2-3-1) Martinez; Yiadom, Miazga, Moore, Blackett; Rinomhota, Baker; Ejaria, Barrow, Meite; Oliveira.

Manager Comments

Hull Manager: Nigel Adkins (Quote Credit- @HullCity official Twitter account)

NA: “Although they’re in a relegation battle, they’ve got a new manager in and although it takes time to adapt to that philosophy, they’re a very good side in possession.”

NA: “We could sit back and say ‘we’re 12th now and we’ve stayed up’, but that’s not me unfortunately. We want to challenge for things.”

NA: “We’re not just going through the motions, that’s not us. We want to win.”

Reading Manager: Jose Gomes (Quotes Credit- @jonathanl50 on Twitter)

JG: “I hope Saturday will be good for us. It’s a long month of games, starting on Saturday. 

We must put the focus on that and hopefully it’ll be a good game. It’s an important game for us because we want to resolve our situation asap.

It depends on other clubs but I believe if we do our job well we will v nearly be there.”

JG: “The only way to get good results is putting our focus on the next challenge. 

 Hull are a strong team who have a lot of goals from the wingers and attackers.

In the last 10 at home they haven’t lost so they are strong especially at home.

We must be ready to stop their strongest points and believe it will be possible to find a way to explore their weak points.”

JG: “There was no time to celebrate after the Preston win.We have to recover. 

We are in the middle of the big war and we have more games now.

After Preston we started preparing for Hull, see who was injured or not.”

JG: “Oliveira is a really good example, considering the injuries he had this season.

He was the most positive person. 

Each injury could have been very serious and even after a week he wanted to play (after facial injury).He’s brave and wants to score goals.”

JG: “Baldock should play for the U23s in their game at Fulham tomorrow. 

Then he will see how he feels and we will decide if he is ready to return to the first team.

We’ve had more meetings this week about what we are doing over the summer and I’m happy with how the plans are going.”

Head to Head record

These two sides have met 52 times in all competitions over the years with Reading having a slight advantage in the head to head. The Royals have beaten Hull on 18 occasions in all competitions. There have been 18 draws between these two sides in all competitions. And the Tigers have beaten Reading 16 times in all competitions. 

In terms of league head to head record, Reading also have the edge on Hull in that category. The Royals have beaten Hull 17 times in league competitions. There have been been 17 draws between these two sides in league competitions. And Hull have beaten Reading 15 times in league competitions.

The most recent meeting between these sides came earlier this season at the Madjeski Stadium, when Reading ran out 3-0 winners on that day, thanks to goals from Baldock, Bodvarsson, and Yiadom. 

Betting Odds/Match Predictions

Bet 365 have made Hull favourites to get a win from this game on Saturday. A Hull win is being priced at 4/5. A draw between these two sides is being priced at 13/5. And a Reading win is being priced at 7/2.

My realistic prediction as a journalist for this game is a 2-1 loss.

My optimistic prediction as a Reading fan for this game is a 1-0 tight win, with Oliveira to score the decisive goal, to help Reading take the points back to Berkshire.

Comment down below your score predictions for this match.

By Danyal Khan

#EFL #efl championship #HullCity #readingfc

[fan-of-mulligan]

FOM BLOG: OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1 - 0 GILLINGHAM

My Thoughts On Oldham Athletic V Gillingham……………………

I left my house at 6.40AM in The Morning and I made sure that I had the following things on me,,,,,,,, (Money, Keys, My Oldham Athletic Ticket, My Samsung Galaxy S2, My Fleece-Jacket, Spare Batteries, Match-Day Programme, Lynx, Spare Lids, My Gillingham Scarf, My Gillingham Bag with Pads and Pens, And A Packet Of Polo’s), and after double checking I had everything on me, I left my house and I went to The NewsAgents to buy A 500ML Bottle Of Pepsi for £1, and after paying for my drink, I made the ten minute walk to The Bus Stop outside The Cricketers Pub, and I waited for The Kings Ferry Coach to arrive, once The Kings Ferry Coach arrived at 7AM, I got on the coach and sat near the back, there were USB Charger Ports in-between the seats, but I had charged Six Batteries to full power the day before.

Gary asked me about My Starting Line Up which I had posted on Twitter, which was the following,,,,,,,, GK Stuart Nelson RB Ryan Jackson RCB Max Ehmer LCB Chris Herd LB Paul Konchesky RM Scott Wagstaff RCM Josh Wright LCM Jake Hessenthaler LM Billy Knott ST Jay Emmanuel-Thomas ST Cody McDonald - I mentioned about Adrian Pennock’s Comments regarding wingers who need to get to the byline and whip in a cross, a right footed player in Wagstaff on the right, and a left footed player in Knott on the left, chances are that I have got the line up completely wrong and the way Gillingham Line Up against Oldham Athletic will be no-where how I predicted Gillingham will line up come 3PM.

Gary also thought I was going to Oldham Athletic via car, I mentioned that Diane didn’t want to take the risk because of the weather conditions recently and the fuel costs have shot up in price as well,  and because of those fuel costs, we were looking at paying forty pounds each which just isn’t financially viable, I asked Gary what was the atmosphere like in The Rainham End after our defeat against Oxford United in our last home game, Gary added that the discontent for Edinburgh had been no louder then it had been for any other Manager who were having a difficult time in The Managerial Hot-Seat, but even so, we were all surprised that Paul Scally made the decision to sack Justin Edinburgh, while David Kerslake and Wayne Hatswell both left the club as well, and even more surprised that Adrian Pennock, Steve Lovell and Jamie Day had come in to replace them just over forty hours later.

Our next pick up point was Priestfield Stadium, and Diane got on the coach and told me that there were problems with the heater in her car and Diane was thinking about part exchanging her car, as there might have been problems that the previous owner had not told her, hence why the cost of the car was cheap, but Diane wanted to test the car for the long away trip to Sheffield United The Following Saturday, it’s a journey we have done via car before - so is Oldham Athletic - but Sheffield United Away isn’t a four hour plus journey.

I think everyone had the same opinion in regards to The Sacking of Justin Edinburgh and the appointment of Adrian Pennock, I thought there were two options on the table for Justin Edinburgh, 1. Make The Managerial Change Now and bring someone else in who can asses the squad for the remaining twenty one games before making the changes required to the squad in the summer, and 2. Make The Managerial Change in The Summer, I thought that two was more likely to happen then one, but I was surprised to see Justin Edinburgh relieved of his managerial duties as Gillingham Manager the day after The 1-0 Home Defeat against Oxford United, but everyone was disappointed with The Appointment of Adrian Pennock - http://fan-of-mulligan.tumblr.com/post/155482807487/fom-blog-adrian-pennock-steve-lovell-and-jamie - and I have posted my entire thoughts on Adrian Pennock’s Appointment as Gillingham Manager Here.

Diane gave her thoughts, and Diane wanted A Experienced Proven Manager who knows League One Football Inside Out - basically One Of Kenny Jackett or Steve Cotterill - and Justin Edinburgh has been replaced by A Manager. who. Gillingham Connections Aside, has less managerial experience and has a lot of questions and reservations surrounding his appointment, you also have questions regarding Paul Scally, and does he have the time to go through The Entire Interview Process and Interview A lot Of Manager’s, this quick appointment suggests that he doesn’t have the time to go through that entire process, and of course, there is the possibility that this is a stop gap appointment until the summer, where Manager’s with A Proven Track Record are more likely to come to Gillingham.

After stopping off at The Bus Stop the other side of The Medway Tunnel to pick up Brian, we stopped off at Strood Train Station and Strood Sports Centre, and once all the pick up points were done and dusted, we were on our way to Oldham Athletic, Peter had then gone through the formalities of The Coach Prices for Adults and Children and no alcohol on the coach - not that anyone would carry alcohol on the coach - and travel costs were £31 for adults - £10 cheaper then our respective prices for what it would have been for us had we traveled via car, however, Peter had also mentioned that he had been in contact with Oldham Athletic about the likelihood of this match being postponed, and there was a slim chance of that happening, and while that is a sign of encouragement, there is still that slim possibility of the match being called off.

None of us wanted that to happen, we got up early for Oldham Athletic Away so we want the game to go ahead, the prospect of traveling to Oldham Athletic on A Tuesday Night would be a difficult one to face, because if we all thought that Oldham Athletic Away was going to be cold on A Saturday Afternoon, then you can imagine how cold Oldham Athletic is going to be on A Tuesday Night, and also, the players traveled up to Oldham Athletic on A Friday, so Oldham will have to pay for Gillingham’s Travel Costs Twice, not something that Oldham Athletic can afford to do given there financially difficulty.

I had posted the following on Twitter before leaving the house,,,,, making the long trip up north to Oldham, while any point away from home is a good point, it’s three points we want today - COME ON THE GILLS - A point wouldn't be a bad result in Adrian Pennock’s First Game in-charge as Head Coach, the win is desperately needed though and this is a game that Gillingham need to win, away to a side who are bottom of League One and struggling for points and goals, a point wouldn’t be a bad result, but we were hoping that Adrian Pennock will start his reign with a win and three points.

I spoke with Diane about the positives about Adrian Pennock’s Appointment as Gillingham Head Coach, we will clearly be looking more closely at The Kent Non League Scene as Gillingham missed out on Alfie May at Hythe Town and Harry Smith at Folkestone Invicta, both players signed for Doncaster Rovers and Millwall respectively, and sometimes you just are going to have to take a chance on them, rather then wanting to watch them on trial over and over again, Adam Coombes has scored twenty nine goals in twenty four appearances for Welling United and I can see Gillingham signing him because of that goal-scoring record, and Adrian Pennock and Jamie Day will know everything about Adam Coombes, so they would know if Coombes can make the step up or not.

Another advantage will be playing against Kent Non League Teams in Pre-Season - assuming that Adrian Pennock is given the job on a permanent basis - because Gillingham only played against Dartford in the summer as we had pre-season matches arranged against Braintree Town and Billericay Town in Essex and only five fixtures arranged as well, so it would be nice to see Gillingham arrange games against Folkestone Invicta, Faversham Town, Chatham Town, Ramsgate, Margate, Whistable Town, Ashford United, Sittingbourne and Rochester United.

However, those negative concerns do appear to out-weigh the positive one’s, the decision to make a managerial change was the right one, but could Gillingham afford to spend weeks and weeks to bring in A New Manager, especially with The January Transfer Window Closing and No Loans outside The Transfer Window ??? - perhaps The Manager’s we spoke to don’t want to come to Gillingham in the middle of the season, as that is always a possibility, But Justin Edinburgh being appointed as Northampton Town Manager was very surprising, because I thought that Justin Edinburgh will get A Job In League Two and work his way back up into League One, but all credit to him, and I genuinely wish Justin Edinburgh all the best and thank him for the good times as Gillingham Manager, he will clearly work his way up into The Championship, but sometimes, Manager’s need to go backwards to go forwards being moving up through the divisions, and maybe Justin Edinburgh will learn from a few mistakes at Gillingham, and correct those mistakes at Northampton Town.

We stopped off at Peterborough Services at 9.30AM for a quick stop and the plan was to stop twice on the way up to Oldham Athletic, this was only a short stop and I brought A 500ML Bottle Of Coca Cola for £2 - Service Stations are very expensive - before getting back on the coach again and we were on our way again at 9.50AM, there was still no mention of the game being on or off at this stage, but with the highly likely scenario that the match was still going to go ahead, we carried on with our journey up to Oldham.

And I checked Twitter to see the message that I am sure that we all wanted to hear and I saw the following Tweet on Twitter,,,, GAME ON: Oldham Athletic v Gillingham, Thank Goodness for that was my response, so we can make the rest of our journey to Oldham knowing full well that the match is on at Boundary Park and having paid £31 in travel costs, none of us wanted this match to be re-scheduled, we have been regular’s on The Kings Ferry Coach this season as quite a few trips have not been possible to go to via car, like Bolton Wanderers Away, but Diane has been having a few car problems which has seen these type of trips just not possible, because of the wear and tear on the car and the rising fuel costs.

Our second service stop was at mid-day as we stopped at A Service Station less then half an hour away from Oldham, I thought we had much longer then that to go in our journey, and I was going to buy something to eat and drink from the services, there was only A KFC And A Subway at this service station, and with plenty of time remaining until we were back on the coach, I brought A Bacon and Cheese Chicken Fillet, Fries, and A Large Coke for £5.70 and sat down in The Services to eat what was essentially My Dinner, having had My Breakfast at 5.45AM in The Morning.

Me and Diane also got speaking to a few Rugby Supporters who had only set off on there journey, while we mentioned that we left from Gillingham at 7AM in The Morning, Rugby doesn’t seem to be as popular of A Sport in The South Of England compared to The North, and The Rugby Super League has got the following teams,,,, Hull FC, Warrington Wolves, Wigan Warriors, St Helens, Catalans Dragons, Castleford Tigers, Widnes Vikings, Wakefield Wildcats, Leeds Rhinos, Salford Red Devils and Hull KR - Hull, Wigan Leeds and Salford all based in The North Of England, I have seen London Bronco’s play at Priestfield Stadium a few times, but the game just hasn’t captured the same enthusiasm in the south for some reason.

Gary and a few others mentioned roughly the wages that Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is on at QPR, the amount does vary but over £10,000 does appear to be the reoccurring theme, and when you look at the money that Championship Clubs were willing to spend to try and get into The Premier League then over £10,000 is hardly surprising, especially when you consider the money QPR have spent on players when they were playing in The Premier League, there was also a rumour that Gillingham have signed someone who would be on the bench for The Oldham Athletic V Gillingham Game, similar to how Andrew Crofts was signed on the day before The Southend United V Gillingham Game Last Season.

After finishing My Dinner and Diane finished her Sandwiches, we both made our way back to The Kings Ferry Coach at 11.35AM and once we were both back on the coach, we were on our way to Oldham, which surprisingly was less then half an hour away, I also checked Twitter and Harry Kane had already scored a brace for Tottenham against West Bromwich Albion, so my decision to put Harry Kane in for Diego Costa proved to be a brilliant decision already, A Good Points Total in Fantasy Football and Gillingham winning against Oldham Athletic will do nicely.

And having set off at 7AM and stopped at Two Service Stations on the way up to Boundary Park, we arrived at Oldham Athletic at 1AM and we have made exceptional time to arrive at the ground so early, had I known we would have arrived at the ground so early then I would have got something to eat and drink in Oldham, but you can never tell what the traffic is going to be like on the motorway, so I got something to eat and drink from KFC, as I didn’t want to buy any food inside Boundary Park, as I rarely buy food inside Football Stadiums, and having parked up inside The Car Park, I made sure I had everything on me I wanted to take with me inside the ground before getting off The Kings Ferry Ground, for many, arriving at the ground meant the chance to go to The Pub, or get something to eat and drink from elsewhere, while Diane and Myself wanted to see where The Team Coach was going to park so we can wait there.

There are so many regular’s Me and Diane know who used to go to away games but for one reason or another unfortunately don’t go to as many away games these days, cost probably the main contributing factor, the time it takes to travel to and from places like Oldham Athletic, how well Gillingham are playing is another reason, working on A Saturday, and I also know a few Gillingham Supporters who watch A Non League Game when Gillingham travel away from home, a few supporters I know go and watch Chatham Town Play for example, but I would say cost and time are the two main contributing factors for the declining numbers away from home.

We walked around Boundary Park, including going up to where the Away Supporters used to be situated by The Jimmy Frizzell Stand Old Away Entrance, now this stand is given entirely to the home supporters, a decision which has angered Oldham Athletic Supporters, as The Chaddy End was traditionally reserved for home supporters, this would be like giving The Away Supporters at Priestfield Stadium The Rainham End and Gillingham Supporters sat in The Brian Moore Stand, I saw A Programme Seller and brought One Match Day Programme for £3 and Diane brought One Match Day Programme as well, Referee Dean Whitestone was on the back of The Match-Day Programme among with The Assistant Referee’s and Squad Sheets, we will find out how good or how bad Referee Dean Whitestone will be over the next ninety minutes.

We headed round to where The Players Entrance was behind The Main Stand, which was the oldest stand at Boundary Park, and a stand that was showing it’s age, and while we were waiting for the team coach, Me and Diane spoke with Stuart Nelson’s Mum, who had mentioned that Stuart Nelson hadn’t fully recovered from his ankle injury he picked up against MK Dons when saving Dean Bowditch’s Penalty Kick, and Stuart Nelson has picked up another slight knock on the other ankle, both ankles are strapped up and this reminds me of Simon Royce, who had his ligaments strapped up during his time at Gillingham, and his time on the training ground was reduced because of those injuries, but Stuart Nelson is only having his ankles strapped up through a recovery process.

We also spoke to Colin who had mentioned to Me and Diane that someone told him back in November that Adrian Pennock was going to come back to Gillingham, Wow, Was My Response, maybe you should have put a bet on it was then my second response, imagine what the payout would have been on that bet as well, but it was clear that A Managerial Change was needed, either immediately, or the change was made in the summer, I couldn’t see a third scenario where Justin Edinburgh remained as Gillingham Manager at the start of The 2017 / 2018 season, it is important though we thank Justin Edinburgh and wish him all the best at Northampton Town, the first half of his tenure was sensational and even this season, winning away against Watford and going to White Heart Lane were real stand out moments this season, but we were hoping that Adrian Pennock can start his first game as Gillingham Manager with a win and all three points.

We saw The Team Coach Arrive with Adrian Pennock, Steve Lovell and Jamie Day getting off The Team Coach with the rest of Gillingham’s First Team Squad, we didn’t see any surprising revelations, like we did away at Southend United Last Season when Andrew Crofts was on The Team Coach, so it was pretty much the case of going with what we have got for the game against Oldham Athletic, and look to bring in the players we want to sign before the game against Sheffield United The Following Saturday.

Once the players had gone through The Players Entrance, we made our way towards The Away Turnstile Entrance, which meant walking past the housing development around Boundary Park, I mentioned to Diane that maybe she could buy one of these houses and rent The House out to Football Supporters when there team plays against Oldham Athletic during the season, at least it wouldn’t be far to walk to from the house to the ground, a hypothetical idea, but it was a interesting idea nonetheless.

It was 1.50PM by the time the turnstiles opened to let supporters into the back of the away end, and once My Match Ticket was scanned, I went through the turnstiles and Me and Diane went to the back of the stand for the food and drinks stand and I brought One 500ML Bottle Of Coca Cola for £2, while Diane brought A Coffee and A Chocolate Bar, the team news wasn’t in yet, but Me and Diane were thinking of where we could sit, and the central block behind the goal is the only block where both goals were not restricted, Diane spoke with Brian, while I went over to speak with Ben, who had made his way up north via train.

I asked Ben what game or games was he going to go to had Oldham Athletic V Gillingham was called off because of the weather ??? - Ben added that he was looking at either Altrincham V Gainsborough Trinity Or Stockport County V Brackley Town, but chances are that if Oldham Athletic V Gillingham was called off because of the snow, then both of these matches would have been called off as well, Ben added that he wouldn’t have come to Oldham Athletic V Gillingham on A Tuesday Night if this match needed to be re-arranged, and both of us have got dreadful records at Boundary Park, A Stadium that is always cold even in the summer months, I remember A 0-0 Draw where Gillingham were battered and we deserved to lose, but Doug Loft’s Goal was the first Gillingham Goal I have seen scored at Oldham Athletic as well.

Eventually, We Saw Gillingham’s Team News On Twitter and Gillingham Lined Up As Follows,,,,,,,, Stuart Nelson, Ryan Jackson, Max Ehmer, Chris Herd, Paul Konchesky, Ellliott List, Josh Wright, Billy Knott, Scott Wagstaff, Bradley Dack, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas SUBS: Tom Hadler (GK), Mitchell Dickenson, Darren Oldaker, Mark Byrne, Emmanuel Osadebe, Cody McDonald and Rory Donnelly - Adrian Pennock was true to his word when he spoke about playing with wingers who can get to the byline and whip in crosses, as both Scott Wagstaff and Elliott List both made The Starting Line Up, with Bradley Dack and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas lining up in what we believed to be a 4.4.1.1 formation.

Jake Hessenthaler missed out on making The Match-Day Squad through illness, Adedeji Oshilaja is suspended, and Cody McDonald might have been one of the two / three unnamed players who were ill, which might explain why Cody McDonald was named among the substitutes bench for this important League One Match at Boundary Park, Adrian Pennock has already made some important decisions with Elliott List starting and Max Ehmer being given The Captain’s Armband, Elliott List starting was a decision that interested me, so I tweeted the following tweet on Twitter, I am going to pick Elliott List as the player to watch for Gillingham, rare starting appearance and let’s see what List can do today - because Elliott List has the pace and he has shown what he can do in patches, Watford Away, Bradford City at home, so let’s see what Elliott List can do when he is given the opportunity to start.

Me and Diane both decided to stand in the back row at Boundary Park, we needed to be behind the goal and high enough so that we could look over the crossbar, so standing at the very back made perfect sense, and Colin joined up with us soon afterwards, We spoke about Justin Edinburgh’s departure as Gillingham Manager and Adrian Pennock, Steve Lovell and Jamie Day coming in to replace Justin Edinburgh, Wayne Hatswell and David Kerslake, and the one thing we spoke about which has become clear over Justin Edinburgh’s Tenure is that Justin Edinburgh hasn’t been able to strengthen Gillingham’s Defence, John Egan was top draw and he was always going to go, we couldn’t sign Adam El-Abd on a permanent basis, Leon Legge was released over a year a go, Mahlon Romeo was released and so was Brennan Dickenson, all three players released could do a job in this Gillingham Team Now.

The Defence needs major reshuffling between now and the end of the season, and trying to bring players in to strengthen the squad in the middle of the season is a extremely difficult challenge, but that is the challenge that Adrian Pennock, Steve Lovell and Jamie Day have taken on and it is a challenge that starts with this up and coming match against Oldham Athletic at Boundary Park, we must have been close to signing at least one new player before this important League One Match, otherwise, why did we let Baily Cargill go back to AFC Bournemouth if we didn’t have a replacement or two in mind ???

After The Warm Up’s were complete, The Players applauded The Gillingham Supporters Behind The Goal, and likewise, The Gillingham Supporters applauded The Players as they went down the tunnel for what will be Adrian Pennock’s First Team Talk as Gillingham Head Coach, Colin noticed just how Tom Hadler looks like A Goalkeeper as Tom Hadler has the height and the build to be a decent goalkeeper for Gillingham in the Future, I can only assume that Tom Hadler is going to go out on loan to play competitive first team football, hence why Adrian Pennock is looking to sign A Goalkeeper who will challenge Stuart Nelson for The Number One Jersey.

Both teams were out of the tunnel ready for kick off, with Gillingham wearing white and The Gills will be kicking towards The Jimmy Frizzell Stand, while Oldham Athletic will be kicking towards The Chaddy End, meaning that both teams will be kicking towards the ends where there supporters are situated in The Second Half, but before this important League One Match can begin, there was A Minute’s Applause for Graham Taylor who sadly passed away at the age of seventy two, what Graham Taylor managed to achieve at Watford was truly remarkable, but also, the player tributes tells you everything about just how much respect these players had for Graham Taylor, and how much they enjoyed playing for him, everyone will of course talk about England, but Aston Villa, Watford and Lincoln City Supporters can only speak highly of what Graham Taylor managed to achieve with these clubs.

After The One Minute’s Applause was completed, both teams were ready for kick off, can Gillingham do what we need them to do against Oldham Athletic and manage to pick up three crucial points, let’s hope so - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!

FIRST HALF:

And Oldham Athletic show there intentions early on as Ryan McLaughlin kicks the ball long down the left side of the pitch - Gillingham’s Right - and Lee Erwin flicks the ball on and almost picks out Billy McKay with that flick on, but Paul Konchesky was in the right place at the right time to clear the ball away from danger by kicking the ball over his shoulder, and if we thought that was a clear cut chance from Oldham Athletic, then The Hosts could and perhaps should have opened the scoring in The Second Minute, again, Oldham Athletic are finding the right side of Gillingham’s Defence to be exploitable, as George Edmundson plays a long ball down-field into Lee Erwin’s path, and Lee Erwin drops the ball back to Ryan McLaughlin, who plays the ball over the top of Gillingham’s Defence as Billy McKay has managed to get in and behind Gillingham’s Defence and manages to get to the byline, and Billy McKay was inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area and was looking to pull the ball back to a number of Oldham Athletic Players inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, but Max Ehmer blocks the attempted pull back and Ryan Jackson plays the ball short to Josh Wright, who plays the ball back to Ryan Jackson, who clears the ball away from danger - A Lucky Let Off for Gillingham there, and Ryan Jackson is just pushing far to high up the pitch which is seeing him being caught out by the long ball over the top.

Four Minutes into the match and Ousmane Fane is penalised for his challenge on Elliott List, and Gillingham have A Free Kick Twenty Five Yards out from goal, Billy Knott and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas both stand over the resulting free kick, and Referee Dean Whitestone had to tell Oldham Athletic Players to go further back because it was so obvious what Gillingham were going to do with this free kick, and when Gillingham could finally take the resulting free kick, Billy Knott tee’s up Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to go for goal with a first time effort which went well wide of Oldham Athletic’s Goal and was closer to the corner flag then hitting the target - Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was rushed to hit that ball and probably didn’t connect as well as he would have liked, but how many of those free kicks from Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has actually resulted in a goal, the one at Walsall stands out, but I cannot think of many others off the top of my head.

Six Minutes into the match and Gillingham win another free kick as George Edmundson is penalised for his challenge on Scott Wagstaff, and Gillingham have the chance to test Oldham Athletic’s Defence from the resulting free kick, but Billy Knott’s dangerous in-swinging free kick is headed clear and away from danger by Peter Clarke, as Gillingham just lack the height and physicality in our side to cause Oldham Athletic’s Defence Problems in the air.

And from there, Oldham Athletic look to turn defence into attack as Ryan McLaughlin plays the ball down the line towards Lee Erwin, who plays a one touch layoff into Ousmane Fane’s path, and the Oldham Athletic Midfielder threads the ball through to Lee Erwin down the left side of the pitch, and The Linesman Down The George Mill Main Stand Side Of The Pitch had raised his flag very late for Offside when I thought that Lee Erwin was clean through on goal - we’re not even ten minutes into the match and there has been three incidents where Gillingham have been exposed down the right side of the pitch, Ryan Jackson has got to do a lot better defensively, but we cannot just blame him individually, collectively, Gillingham need to be a lot better at the back.

Ten Minutes into the match and Gillingham have won A Corner Kick as Paul Konchesky’s cross from the byline is blocked by George Edmundson and Gillingham have the chance here to open the scoring, Billy Knott goes across to take the resulting corner kick - not Bradley Dack this time - and Billy Knott’s in-swinging corner kick aimed towards the far post is headed clear and away from danger by Brian Wilson, but Gillingham can still pile on the pressure on to Oldham Athletic’s Goal as Brian Wilson has headed the ball out for A Gillingham Throw One - again - Gillingham just lack the height and physicality to cause Oldham Athletic any problems in the air, so I am surprised that Gillingham do not try some short corner variations and try and do something different from set plays.

However, from the resulting throw on, we all thought that Gillingham had managed to open the scoring, Ryan Jackson has gone across to take the resulting throw on, and Ryan Jackson has hurled in a long throw into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area and George Edmundson, Qusmane Fane and Peter Clarke all get in each other’s way in attempting to header the ball clear and Josh Law wins the second aerial challenge up against Max Ehmer, but the third ball drops to Chris Herd, who see’s his first time effort towards goal blocked by Peter Clarke when we all thought that Chris Herd had opened the scoring for Gillingham, but Oldham Athletic looked to turn defence into attack as Brian Wilson keeps the ball in play and passes the ball down the line towards Ryan McLaughlin, who takes a touch to control the ball, and Ryan McLaughlin boots the ball long down-field towards Lee Erwin, who climbs high up against Paul Konchesky and we thought for a moment that the handball shouts were waved away when Josh Wright plays the ball back to Ryan Jackson, however, A Free Kick was given in Oldham Athletic’s Favour, a decision that looked soft at the time, however, the highlights show why The Free Kick was given as Paul Konchesky did handle the ball, and having survived a goal-scoring scare at one end of the pitch, Oldham Athletic can open the scoring with this free kick, as they have the aerial threat in there side to cause Gillingham problems defensively.

And from the resulting free kick, Oldham Athletic came very close to opening the scoring as Josh Law clips in a dangerous in-swinging free kick into the heart of Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Billy Knott’s defensive header manages to get the ball away from goal, but Lee Erwin has managed to pull away at the far post and Lee Erwin’s first time pull back is diverted behind at the expense of A Corner Kick, and the way that ball bounced right in-front of Josh Wright, that could have quite easily have been A Own Goal, and Oldham Athletic can continue to pile on the pressure on Gillingham’s Goal with this corner kick.

And Josh Law goes across to take the resulting corner kick for Oldham Athletic and Josh Law has whipped in an dangerous in-swinging cross and Stuart Nelson has completely missed the ball and accidentally punched Peter Clarke while Scott Wagstaff and Qusmane Fane were also down inside the six yard box and somehow the ball runs out of play for A Gillingham Goal-Kick, but there was a lengthy stoppage in play as Peter Clarke needed a head wound bandaged and Stuart Nelson also required treatment as Stuart Nelson needed to lie down on the deck so that physio, Adam Roach can stop the bleeding and Tom Hadler was standing by just in-case Stuart Nelson needed to be substituted, and Tom Hadler had a spare Goalkeeper Jersey so that Stuart Nelson can replace the shirt he is wearing - as blood is a obvious concern now with many viruses.

But you have got to say that Stuart Nelson is very lucky not to concede a penalty, as Colin pointed out, if that was a high foot from a out-field player, then that would have been a free kick, and the only saving grace is that both Stuart Nelson and Peter Clarke both required treatment, and after a lengthy stoppage of over five minutes, Stuart Nelson was back on his feat and Tom Hadler went to sit back down on the substitutes bench, and play finally resumed, we may well be in The Twentieth Minute Now, but there is going to be a lot of stoppage time at the end of the first half.

And as play resumes, Oldham Athletic are finding Gillingham’s Defensive Weakness in Ryan Jackson easy to capitalise on, as again, Ryan McLaughlin plays the ball over the top of Gillingham’s Defence Towards Lee Erwin, and Chris Herd has had to come across, slide and kick the ball into touch, Elliott List is playing in-front of Ryan Jackson down the right wing, but it is like Gillingham are playing with two attacking wingers down the right side of the pitch, because Oldham Athletic are finding so much space down there left side - and Mitchell Dickenson is the only defensive cover on the bench, and Mitchell Dickenson can play at Left Back or Left Centre Back, there isn’t any alternatives who can fill in at Right Back on the bench.

And Oldham Athletic still look like the side who are going to make the breakthrough as Oldham Athletic have A Throw On Down there right side of the pitch - Gillingham’s Left - and Cameron Dummigan throws the ball short to Ryan Flynn, who turns back on himself, and Ryan Flynn was under pressure from Josh Wright and Bradley Dack, and that pressure forces Ryan Flynn to pass the ball back to Peter Clarke, who takes a touch to control the ball, and Peter Clarke takes another touch to control the ball before kicking the ball long down-field and Lee Erwin wins the aerial challenge up against Max Ehmer, and Lee Erwin headers the ball towards Billy McKay, who is being closely marked by Chris Herd, and Billy McKay tries to play the ball back towards Lee Erwin, but Billy McKay’s pass is cut out by Paul Konchesky and the deflection forces Stuart Nelson to dive to his left to keep the ball in play and gather the ball at the second attempt - that deflection could have gone anywhere and Lee Erwin is causing Gillingham’s Defence a lot of problems - Erwin is precisely the sort of striker we’re lacking, someone who can hold the ball up, lay the ball off and win the aerial battles, we just do not have anyone who can do that in The First Team Squad, Noel Mbo can do this, but Adrian Pennock might want someone with more experience to lead the line for Gillingham.

Scott Wagstaff saw a harsh foul given against him as Scott Wagstaff timed his challenge to perfection on Cameron Dummigan, while Max Ehmer fouled Lee Erwin and I had my complaints about the second foul, we’re Twenty Six Minutes into the match, but probably only played for nineteen / twenty minutes, so there is going to be plenty of stoppage time remaining at the end of The First Half, but in the aftermath of the free kick given against Scott Wagstaff, Ryan Flynn’s dangerous in-swinging free kick towards the far post is headed clear at the back-stick by Chris Herd, who is having to fill in at centre back as Gillingham have very few defensive options available for this game against Oldham Athletic - but well done Chris Herd for being in the right place at the right time.

Twenty Six Minutes into the match, ad we all thought that Oldham Athletic were going to open the scoring, Ryan Flynn whips in an dangerous in-swinging cross and Peter Clarke see’s his header brilliantly blocked by Max Ehmer because that was going in and Max Ehmer has managed to divert the ball away from goal, but Oldham Athletic have got A Corner Kick Here and the chance to pile on more pressure on to Gillingham’s Goal, Josh Law goes across to take the resulting corner kick, and Josh Law has whipped in an dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post, but Stuart Nelson was quick off his goal-line to gather the ball, and Stuart Nelson was looking to quickly distribute the ball forward, but Gillingham had everyone back defending the corner kick, and by the time everyone had moved forward, Stuart Nelson has basically booted the ball forward from one goalkeeper to the other, there is a real lack of movement out there on the football pitch from Gillingham, Oldham Athletic look like they have A Game Plan under John Sheridan, I cannot see this being Adrian Pennock’s Game-Plan, but despite being second best, the score-line remains at 0-0, and hopefully this is a match where Gillingham get the result but not the performance, because it is clear looking at the way Gillingham are playing, we’re short of several additions to this squad.

The Match is Now End To End as both teams create one goal-scoring opportunity each in The Twenty Seventh and Twenty Eighth Minutes Respectively, it is Oldham Athletic who look to strike first, as Connor Ripley has possession of the ball from Stuart Nelson’s Long Kick Down-Field and Connor Ripley takes several touches on the ball before kicking the ball down there left wing, and Ryan McLaughlin wins the aerial challenge up against Ryan Jackson, and Ryan McLaughlin headers the ball inside to Ryan Flynn, who brings the ball under control and The Oldham Athletic Midfielder is baring down towards Gillingham’s Goal as Gillingham’s Defence is just all over the place, and Ryan Flynn brings the ball under his control, as the pitch isn’t in the best of conditions, carries on his run down the left side of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, and Ryan Flynn’s shot towards goal is brilliantly blocked by Chris Herd, and Stuart Nelson is first to react to the loose ball - a lucky escape for Gillingham there.

And in The Twenty Eighth Minute, everyone in The Away End thought that Gillingham Should have been awarded A Penalty Kick, having just made the save, Stuart Nelson rolls the ball out to Paul Konchesky, who takes a touch to control the ball, and Paul Konchesky runs forward in possession of the ball up to the halfway line before laying the ball off to Bradley Dack, who squares the ball to Billy Knott on the centre circle and Billy Knott plays the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson on the right flank, and Ryan Jackson takes a touch to control the ball before playing the ball down the line to Elliott List, and Elliott List has the pace to go past Ryan McLaughlin and Brian Wilson, and Brian Wilson brings Elliott List down on the edge of the penalty area, but Elliott List was up on his feat quickly and Peter Clarke brings Elliott List down inside The Penalty Area, and Referee Dean Whitestone awards a free kick to Gillingham for the first challenge, but I have got to say that there was a huge penalty shout there as Peter Clarke had fouled Elliott List inside Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, and I thought A Penalty was going to be awarded to Gillingham.

And from the resulting free kick, Billy Knott has curled an effort over Oldham Athletic’s Wall, but Billy Knott’s Free Kick lacked any power and it was easy for Connor Ripley to save, goal-scoring opportunities have been a rarity for The Gills, and we just haven’t seen Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Billy Knott, Bradley Dack, Scott Wagstaff and Elliott List on the ball often enough, but the score-line remains score-less at Boundary Park, and Gillingham are going to get chances eventually, but more needs to be done to get our more creative players on the ball in Oldham Athletic’s Final Third.

Twenty Nine Minutes into the match and Oldham Athletic have A Free Kick within shooting territory here as Max Ehmer is penalised for his challenge on Lee Erwin, and Diane believed that every time Oldham Athletic appealed for A Foul / Free Kick then Referee Dean Whitestone caved in and gave The Free Kick, thankfully, from A Gillingham Point Of View, Josh Law’s dangerous in-swinging cross was too close to Stuart Nelson, who was still required to make a solid catch, but that free kick could have been more threatening and the hosts have had plenty of chances to break the deadlock, and there going to take one of them eventually.

Thirty Two Minutes into The Match, and Oldham Athletic look like they were going to make the breakthrough as Ryan Flynn threads the ball through to Ryan McLaughlin on The Over-Lap, but Oldham Athletic’s Number Twenty Seven see’s his driven shot towards goal saved and held on to by Stuart Nelson, and in The Thirty Fourth Minute, Bradley Dack does manage to test Oldham Athletic Goalkeeper Connor Ripley in-between the sticks as Bradley Dack cuts inside from the left flank and see’s his driven effort towards goal take a deflection off Brian Wilson, but that deflection takes all the pace out of the ball and Connor Ripley dives low to his right to make the save, so both goalkeepers have been forced into saves, as both teams are looking to make the breakthrough before the half time whistle.

Thirty Five Minutes into the match and Ousmane Fane is penalised for his challenge on Bradley Dack, and Gillingham have been awarded a free kick which relieves the pressure building up on our own goal, but just before that, Max Ehmer sliding challenge was dangerous, and Max Ehmer is lucky not to be booked or at least concede a free kick for that challenge, perhaps that is the element of luck which suggests that the tables and turning in Gillingham’s Favour ???

Thirty Six Minutes into the match and Gillingham are pushing for the goal that will break the deadlock at Boundary Park as Ryan Jackson’s Long Throw into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area is headed behind by Peter Clarke at the expense of A Corner Kick, and Gillingham can pile on the pressure with this corner kick, and a huge roar of encouragement came from the traveling Gillingham Supporters, as we haven’t had a lot to cheer about in the first half so far, and from the resulting corner kick, Billy Knott has whipped in an dangerous in-swinging corner kick towards the far post and Oldham Athletic Goalkeeper Connor Ripley was well positioned to punch the ball clear and away from danger, Oldham Athletic’s Three Centre Back’s Of Peter Clarke, Brian Wilson and George Edmundson have the height and physicality to deal with anything in the air, and striker Lee Erwin also comes back to defend set plays as well.

But despite pushing to create that attacking move that will open the scoring for The Gills,  it is Oldham Athletic who are looking to turn defence into attack themselves, Paul Konchesky throws the ball to Bradley Dack, who plays the ball out-wide to Paul Konchesky, and Paul Konchesky plays the ball down the line towards Scott Wagstaff, and despite huge hand-ball shouts, play continued, as Scott Wagstaff played the ball back to Bradley Dack, and Bradley Dack whips in an dangerous in-swinging cross which is headed clear by Peter Clarke and Ryan Flynn gets to the loose ball ahead of Josh Wright and plays the ball inside to Ousmane Fane, and The Oldham Athletic Midfielder goes on a driving run forward in possession of the ball, and Ousmane Fane continue’s his run into Gillingham’s Final Third before playing the ball out-wide to Lee Erwin, who is one on one with Chris Herd, who is back-peddling into Gillingham’s Penalty Area and Paul Konchesky has tracked back and conceded a free kick with a poorly timed challenge - it might have looked soft at the time, but there can be no complaints about the free kick being given, and Paul Konchesky is the first player to go into Dean Whitestone’s Notebook, and having just come back from suspension, I think substituting Paul Konchesky at half time would be a good idea.

Unfortunately for Gillingham, Oldham Athletic open the scoring from the resulting free kick as Oldham United produce that bit of quality which makes the breakthrough, the type of quality which can make all the difference between winning and losing, as Josh Law curls the ball over Gillingham’s Wall and places the ball into the top right corner of the net, and by the time Stuart Nelson could see the ball it was too late, and despite the despairing dive from Stuart Nelson, he couldn’t get across his goal in time to make the save, great strike from Josh Law, and now Gillingham have a lot of work to do to try and get back on to level terms at the very least.

And having conceded the opening goal of the game in The Thirty Eighth Minute, Gillingham came closest to equalising in The Forty Third Minute, Gillingham have A Throw On Down The Right Side Of The Pitch in Oldham Athletic’s Final Third, and Ryan Jackson hurls in a low throw into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, and Ousmane Fane and Peter Clarke both climb with Chris Herd to try and win Ryan Jackson’s Long Throw, and Ousmane Fane gets the faintest of touches to win the aerial battle, but the chance was still there for Gillingham as Max Ehmer tee’s himself up to attempt the spectacular over-head kick and Max Ehmer almost equalised, but Connor Ripley dived to his left to make a solid save, it’s a decent save from The Oldham Athletic Goalkeeper, but one you expect Connor Ripley to make, had Max Ehmer aimed that spectacular over-head kick towards either top corner, Ehmer would have equalised for The Gills, but Gillingham can still pile on the pressure on Oldham Athletic’s Goal from the resulting corner kick.

Billy Knott goes across to take the resulting corner kick for The Gills, and Billy Knott’s in-swinging cross towards the far post is headed clear by Brian Wilson at the back-stick and Elliott List goes across to shield the ball out of play for A Gillingham Throw On, so the chance is there for The Gills to score a crucial equaliser before half time, and that is almost precisely what happens as well, as Ryan Jackson hurls in another dangerous long throw into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, and Peter Clarke headers the ball partially clear and away from danger, but Max Ehmer controls the ball on the stretch with his back towards goal and Max Ehmer’s driven shot on the turn is straight at Connor Ripley, but it was a driven effort hit with plenty of power and either side of The Oldham Athletic Goalkeeper and Gillingham would have equalised - it does say a lot when your Centre Back is having your best goal-scoring opportunities on goal against A Team who are Bottom Of League One, but Oldham Athletic have been the better side and you have got to say that, they have been the better team.

We have reached The Forty Fifth Minute Of The Match, However, with that long stoppage in play because Peter Clarke and Stuart Nelson both requiring treatment, there will be Seven Additional Minutes Of Stoppage Time, and there is time remaining for Gillingham to score an equaliser before the break, because The Gills do look like there pushing for the equaliser, as Oldham Athletic’s Opening Goal Of The Game has woken Gillingham Up.

Bradley Dack is penalised for his challenge in the first minute of stoppage time on Josh Law, and in The Fifth Minute Of Stoppage Time, Cameron Dummigan is penalised for his challenge on Billy Knott, A Chance Here For The Gills to go in at the break with the score-line level at 1-1 (well we hope that was the case anyway), and Bradley Dack has driven in a cross / shot which either was going to pick out A Gillingham Player to header towards goal, or, Bradley Dack picks out the top right corner of the net with a sensational free kick, unfortunately, neither was the case as Bradley Dack’s driven in-swinging cross / shot was too close to Oldham Athletic Goalkeeper Connor Ripley and that chance had gone for The Gills.

The Final Noteworthy Moment Of The First Half was Chris Herd timing his challenge on Lee Erwin to perfection, and after seven additional minutes of stoppage time, Referee Dean Whitestone blew his whistle for half time, and the score-line at Boundary Park is Oldham Athletic 1 - 0 Gillingham - massive team talk required for Adrian Pennock.

HALF TIME: OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1 - 0 GILLINGHAM

And the reason why I say that A Massive Team Talk is required from Adrian Pennock is because Gillingham are lucky it is only 1-0 to Oldham Athletic, the performance just hasn’t been good enough, our creative players like Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, Bradley Dack, Scott Wagstaff, Billy Knott and Elliott List just haven’t been in the game often enough, Oldham Athletic keep trying to pick that pass over the top of Gillingham’s Defence and Ryan Jackson is having a mare, but we cannot substitute him, we do need him for long throw on’s, but Jackson’s positional sense and seeing what is behind him is well and truly off the pace, you can tell that Ryan Jackson has been in and out of The Gillingham Side This Season, because he isn’t 100% match sharp / match focused yet.

And it isn’t like Adrian Pennock can bring on Mitchell Dickenson for Ryan Jackson, that would not be unfair to the lad because Mitchell Dickenson is a left footed centre back, and Defending 101 is playing players in there best positions, A Right Footed Right Back at Right Back, A Left Footed Left Back at Left Back, and ideally, A Right Footed and Left Footed Centre Back with one or both of those centre back’s being A Header and Kick It Type Of Defender, we just don’t have those type of defenders at the football club.

And you can go through all of our Defenders In Detail, Ryan Jackson and Bradley Garmston both rely on there pace and speed and both players have been in and out of the side this season, in Bradley Garmston’s case, he has barely featured for Gillingham All Season, Paul Konchesky, Nice Guy, Decent Bloke, Exceptional Professional, but at the age of thirty five, Paul Konchesky is struggling to deal with pacey and tricky wingers, and he has already been booked in the first half, so do we substitute Paul Konchesky at Half Time and bring on Cody McDonald Up-Front, or play Mitchell Dickenson at Left Back ???

Chris Herd is being asked to fill in at Centre Back, but he isn’t A Centre Back, you want him in Midfield, Baily Cargill has gone back to AFC Bournemouth, which is a real shame as we could have done with him in defence, but Adrian Pennock must have one or two centre backs that were close to signing for Gillingham and we couldn’t get those signings over the dotted line in time for The Oldham Athletic Game, Adedeji Oshilaja is a shadow of the player he was last season and Josh Pask started bright and looked liked a top draw centre back, but ever since that mistake against Sheffield United, Josh Pask has just lost confidence in his own ability, but what we can tell from The Centre Back Situation Is This, Justin Edinburgh gave it three cracks with the loan system, Baily Cargill, Adedeji Oshilaja and Josh Pask, there all young centre back’s, there going to be consistently inconsistent, so why didn’t we sign someone with experience alongside them ???

We also have Youngsters Mitchell Dickenson, Ryan Huckle and Finn O’Mara and I rather we loan those three out to gain experience first and bring them back into The First Team in The Summer, we don’t want to be throwing our youngsters into the fire just yet, let’s see what they can do by playing First Team Football in Non League before throwing them into The First Team, if after half a season they are ready for First Team Football, Fantastic, If Not, then another loan spell higher up The Non League System so that these three get used to playing at a much higher level would be a good idea.

Looking at The Options Gillingham had on The Substitutes Bench, I thought that Cody McDonald on for Paul Konchesky, move Elliott List to Left Back and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas to The Right Wing would be a good idea, Paul Konchesky has already been shown A Yellow Card and he has just come back from suspension, so I think substituting Paul Konchesky is a good idea, another option was to replace either Billy Knott or Josh Wright with Cody McDonald and get two strikers up-front.

As for the best player on the pitch ??? - For Me, that player is Lee Erwin as Oldham Athletic have A Striker that Gillingham don’t have, someone who can hold the ball up, play a one touch layoff back to a team mate, win the aerial battles and give Oldham Athletic A Focal Point, because it must be great for A Defender just to hit a fifty / sixty yard long ball and the ball will stick up top, because Lee Erwin is a Traditional Number Nine, despite his physicality, strength, power and athleticism, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas isn’t A Striker who is willing to battle and scrap with two centre back’s in the air - although it is three centre back’s as Oldham Athletic are playing A Wing Back System.

SECOND HALF:

Both Teams were out ready for The Start of The Second Half and I am not surprised that John Sheridan has stuck with the same side that started for Oldham Athletic, I am slightly surprised that Adrian Pennock stuck with the same eleven, perhaps Adrian Pennock would hope that a heated team talk would give the players a kick up the backside to put in a much better performance in The Second Half, Big Second Half coming up and at the very least, Gillingham need to pick up a point - SO COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And maybe that heated team talk was having the desired effect as Elliott List was starting to impress us at the start of The Second Half, right after the restart, Elliott List wins A Free Kick for Gillingham as he was fouled by Ousmane Fane, and A Minute Later, Elliott List used his pace to devastating effect, but he was eventually crowded out by both George Edmundson and Ryan McLaughlin, but Elliott List is causing Oldham Athletic’s Defence problems with his pace, pace which will be more effective as we reach the latter stages of the match and defenders start to tire.

Forty Seven Minutes into the match and Max Ehmer is penalised for his challenge on Billy McKay, but there was a huge penalty shout in The Fiftieth Minute for the home side as Ryan Flynn has managed to get behind Gillingham’s Defence and Paul Konchesky looked liked he had fouled Ryan Flynn inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area, A Decision which would have seen Paul Konchesky sent off, A Penalty Given and Oldham Athletic having the chance to double there advantage from The Penalty Spot, Referee Dean Whitestone waved away those penalty appeals, and although I didn’t have the clearest of views of that incident - as The Jimmy Frizzell Stand is at the opposite end of where The Away Supporters are situated - I did think that was a good shout for A Oldham Athletic Penalty.

And in the same minute, Oldham Athletic should have doubled there advantage, Gillingham have A Throw On Down The Left Side Of The Pitch and Josh Wright throws the ball back to Paul Konchesky, who plays the ball down the line towards Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who is being marked by Ousmane Fane and Cameron Dummigan, and Jay Emmanuel-Thomas plays the ball back to Josh Wright on the halfway line, and Josh Wright takes on Lee Erwin but loses out to Ousmane Fane and Lee Erwin is on to the loose ball as Oldham Athletic look to turn defence into attack as Lee Erwin runs forward in possession of the ball, and Lee Erwin continue’s his run forward and skips past Chris Herd’s challenge, then goes past Billy Knott’s attempted challenge and Lee Erwin sidesteps past Max Ehmer and rolls a placed shot just wide of Stuart Nelson’s Left Hand Post - Great Run From Lee Erwin, who has been the standout player for Oldham Athletic, and Gillingham’s Defence is just all over the place, that should be 2-0 to The Home Side, and all the while The Score-Line is 1-0, Gillingham can still get something out of the game.

A Minute Later and Elliott List goes on a brilliant run forward in possession of the ball and forces Ryan McLaughlin to concede A Corner Kick as a roar erupted from the away end, A Chance here for Gillingham to score that all important equaliser in-front of the away end and Elliott List has put in a very good performance at The Start Of The Second Half For The Gills, Although Billy Knott’s In-Swinging Corner Kick didn’t create a goal-scoring opportunity of note as Brian Wilson had headed the ball clear and away from danger, Josh Wright did play the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, who took on Ousmane Fane, and Ousmane Fane on the stretch diverted the ball out of play for A Gillingham Corner Kick, but Referee Dean Whitestone pointed for A Oldham Athletic Goal-Kick, much to our surprise and shock, Gillingham should have been awarded A Corner Kick as the final touch from Ousmane Fane was so blatantly obvious.

Cody McDonald and Rory Donnelly were both warming up and looked liked they were ready to come on, despite an improved Second Half Performance from The Gills it is Lee Erwin who has had the best goal-scoring opportunity in The Second Half to date so far, and something needs to change, and with Cody McDonald and Rory Donnelly both warming up, it is clear that Adrian Pennock is considering an double substitution.

But in The Fifty Eighth Minute, Oldham Athletic could and perhaps should have doubled there lead, Billy Knott plays the ball forward to Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who losses out to Ousmane Fane, who intercepts the ball very easily, and The Oldham Athletic Midfielder goes on a driving run forward in possession of the ball and Ousmane Fane passes the ball forward to Ryan Flynn, who himself was willing to run forward and take on The Gillingham Defence, and despite three players around him, Ryan Flynn has managed to turn and drive into the heart of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, cut inside and get a shot off towards goal on his preferred right foot and Ryan Flynn’s shot towards goal takes a big deflection off Max Ehmer which loops the ball up into the air towards the air post, and Lee Erwin wins the aerial battle at the far post, and Lee Erwins header was going into the far right corner of the net and Stuart Nelson dived to his left to turn the ball around the post to keep Gillingham in this match, at the expense of conceding a corner kick though.

Again, Lee Erwin has managed to get another effort on goal for Oldham Athletic, and again, the Home Side have created an decent goal-scoring opportunity as Gillingham lose possession of the ball, we’re unwilling to put a tackle in, players keep back-tracking, and Oldham Athletic look more confidant and have more of a game plan then The Gills, if you had just been told that both teams have changed manager’s, you would of thought that John Sheridan had worked with the players longer then Adrian Pennock judging on this performance.

Oldham Athletic do not manage to create a goal-scoring opportunity of note from the resulting corner kick, however, in The Fifty Ninth Minute, Gillingham are looking to score that all important equaliser as Billy Knott goes for goal from the edge of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, Billy Knott’s effort towards goal clears Brian Wilson’s Head, as The Oldham Athletic Centre Back was looking to make the block, but Billy Knott’s effort on goal also cleared the crossbar as well.

After that effort on goal, both teams made one substitute a piece on the hour mark, for Oldham Athletic, Darius Osei comes on to replace Lee Erwin - who was one of Oldham Athletic’s best players on the pitch - and for Gillingham, Cody McDonald comes on for Jay Emmanuel-Thomas, who you have got to say has put in a very disappointing performance, now of course, every player has there good and bad days, but other then that wayward free kick in The First Half, I cannot think of much else that Jay Emmanuel-Thomas had done good or bad throughout the entire game, hopefully, Cody McDonald can come on and give Gillingham a threat in the final third that has so clearly been lacking throughout the game so far.

Fouls and Free Kicks start to break up the pace and tempo of this match as Cameron Dummigan fouls Paul Konchesky and Bradley Dack fouls Ousmane Fane, but Chris Herd being penalised for his challenge on Billy McKay see’s Oldham Athletic have A Free Kick in a very promising position on the pitch, prior to that free kick being taken, A Steward Told One Of Our Supporters he either couldn’t take photo’s or video’s inside the ground, now I usually take photo’s, but having heard that comment, I decided to take no more photo’s during the game, and Oldham Athletic also announced the attendance of 3,475, very rarely do teams actually announce the away attendance during the game, but there hasn’t been an official away attendance given for The Oldham Athletic V Gillingham Game, 200 was a rough estimate, but it is still a guess.

And Oldham Athletic almost scored from the resulting free kick as well, Josh Law had already scored one sensational free kick in the first half and he almost scored again, as Josh Law has whipped in an quality free kick with plenty of power, pace and accuracy and Stuart Nelson had to be at his very best to tip Josh Law’s stunning strike over the crossbar - great save from Stuart Nelson to keep Gillingham in this match, and Oldham Athletic were looking to pile the pressure on from the resulting corner kick, as Josh Law whips in an dangerous in-swinging cross and Stuart Nelson was well positioned to gather the ball with ease, however, Referee Dean Whitestone had already blown his whistle, so did Josh Law’s In-Swinging Corner Kick went out of play before curling back in, or was there a foul by A Oldham Athletic Player inside Gillingham’s Penalty Area ??? - I couldn’t say for sure, but this decision does relieve the pressure building on Gillingham’s Goal.

There is Twenty Five minutes remaining Plus Stoppage Time, A Look Over to The Substitutes Bench and Rory Donnelly was warming up and looking like he was going to be introduced into the action, who was going to come off was the question we were asking, I do think that with Paul Konchesky on that Yellow Card, it might be worthwhile to substitute Paul Konchesky for Rory Donnelly, and get Rory Donnelly up-front alongside Cody McDonald.

Oldham Athletic had the chance to score in The Sixty Seventh Minute as Darius Osei’s cross / shot doesn’t pick out Billy McKay, nor does it pick out the bottom left corner of the net, as Darius Osei’s effort towards goal goes well wide of Stuart Nelson’s Right Hand Post, but it is Gillingham who were threatening to score in The Sixty Eighth Minute, Josh Wright runs forward in possession of the ball from Gillingham’s Final Third up to just past the halfway line, and Josh Wright passes the ball forward to Elliott List, who takes a touch to control the ball, and Elliott List retains possession of the ball before passing the ball back to Paul Konchesky, who takes a touch to control the ball and Paul Konchesky squares the ball inside to Josh Wright, who passes the ball from left to right to Scott Wagstaff, and Scott Wagstaff takes a few touches in possession of the ball and waits before passing the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson on the over-lap, and Ryan Jackson whips in an dangerous first time cross towards the far post and Elliott List manages to win the aerial battle up against George Edmundson, and Elliott List cannot quite direct his header on target, and Elliott List’s header was only just wide of Connor Ripley’s Right Hand Post.

That was the last we will see of Elliott List as the Young Winger has put in an impressive display and Elliott List has been substituted for Rory Donnelly in The Sixty Ninth Minute, I thought that Elliott List would stay on for the entire game as I have been impressed with Elliott List’s performance, especially in The Second Half, but the opportunity is now here for Rory Donnelly to come on and hopefully do what he did against Swindon Town or Rochdale, and that is make an impact from the substitutes bench.

Seventy Minutes into the match and Brian Wilson is booked for preventing A Quick Throw On for Gillingham and just prior to that, Rory Donnelly was penalised for a foul on Josh Law, when I thought that Rory Donnelly had timed his challenge to perfection, and in the aftermath of that decision, Gillingham made there third and final substitution as Emmanuel Osadebe comes on for Chris Herd with Emamnuel Osadebe playing alongside Max Ehmer in defence, Adrian Pennock hasn’t messed around with his substitutions to try and get Gillingham back into the game, and when you look at the rest of the substitutes bench, Mark Byrne and youngsters Tom Hadler, Mitchell Dickenson and Darren Oldaker were all available, so you can tell just by looking at the substitutes bench that Gillingham are lacking squad depth, and the options to change the match in our favour with a few impact players.

Seventy One Minutes into the match and Gillingham are pushing for the equaliser as Ryan Jackson hurls in a long throw into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area and George Edmundson wins the aerial challenge up against Max Ehmer, but the second ball drops to Josh Wright inside Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, and Josh Wright tee’s himself up to strike the ball on the half volley and George Edmundson was in the right place at the right time again to make a goal saving block, but the chance was still there for The Gills, as Ryan Jackson see’s his first time cross blocked by Ryan McLaughlin and the ball is still in play as Ryan Jackson cannot shield the ball out of play, and Ryan Jackson manages to work his way to the edge of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, evading Ryan McLaughlin’s challenge before laying the ball off to Josh Wright, who takes a touch and passes the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, and Ryan Jackson takes a touch to control the ball, and Ryan Jackson forces Ryan McLaughlin to make a sliding challenge and concede a throw on.

So the chance is still there for The Gills to find that all important equaliser as Ryan Jackson hurls in an dangerous long throw into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area and Ryan Jackson’s Long Throw is headed clear by George Edmundson and then helped on it’s way away from goal by Ryan Flynn, and Billy McKay mis-controls the ball and in his attempt to retain possession of the ball, he bundles Emmanuel Osadebe to the floor, and Gillingham have been awarded A Free Kick In A Promising Position On The Pitch.

And Gillingham came close to scoring an sensational equaliser from the resulting free kick, Bradley Dack and Billy Knott were both standing over the resulting free kick, and up stepped Bradley Dack to attempt an up and under effort over what I assumed would be an attempt to pick out the top right corner of the net, but Bradley Dack almost picked out the top left corner of the net, similar to the free kick Bradley Dack almost scored against Wigan Athletic in The 2015 / 2016 season, great strike from Bradley Dack, and Dack almost equalised with an stunning free kick which was on par with Josh Law’s effort in the first half.

And Bradley Dack was involved again as Gillingham almost scored in The Seventy Fifth Minute, Josh Wright plays the ball forward to Ryan Jackson on the over-lap, and Ryan Jackson was looking to whip in an dangerous first time cross, but as Ryan Jackson was being double marked, Ryan Jackson checks the ball back to Scott Wagstaff, who whips in an dangerous first time cross into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, and Bradley Dack manages to direct his header on target, but straight at Connor Ripley, either side of The Oldham Athletic Goalkeeper and Bradley Dack would have scored that all important equaliser for Gillingham.

And in The Seventy Seventh Minute, Gillingham continued to pile on the pressure as we all thought that Gillingham were going to equalise, Scott Wagstaff runs forward in possession of the ball into Oldham Athletic’s Half Of The Pitch before squaring the ball to Billy Knott, and Billy Knott squares the ball to Paul Konchesky on the left side of the pitch, and Paul Konchesky takes a touch to control the ball before clipping a cross-field pass from left to right in a attempt to pick out Rory Donnelly, but Brian Wilson Headers the ball clear and Ryan McLaughlin is on to the loose ball, and Ryan McLaughlin is forced to kick the ball down the line, but Oldham Athletic have everyone back as they are under a lot of pressure, Josh Wright brings the ball down and Josh Wright plays the ball down the line to Scott Wagstaff, who retains possession of the ball despite pressure from Brian Wilson, and Scott Wagstaff is twisting and turning to retain possession before passing the ball through to Ryan Jackson on the overlap, and Ryan Jackson whips in an dangerous low first time cross which is cut out by Josh Law, and Ryan McLaughlin times his challenge on Scott Wagstaff to perfection, but the ball falls kindly into Ryan Jackson’s Path

And Ryan Jackson whips in an dangerous low cross which somehow falls kindly into Connor Ripley’s Path and that ball could have gone anywhere, because Peter Clarke had no idea where the ball was and Oldham Athletic got that bit luck which can make all the difference, but one thing I have got to say is this, Gillingham look a more balanced side and more of a threat in the final third with Jay Emmanuel-Thomas off the pitch then on it, now Jay Emmanuel-Thomas has scored eleven goals for Gillingham This Season and on his day, he is capable of winning a match all by himself, on his day, are the three important words though, because when Jay Emmanuel-Thomas is having a off day, a bad performance from him is very noticeable.

A Minute Later and Scott Wagstaff is penalised for his challenge on Ousmane Fane and Oldham Athletic have A Free Kick in Gillingham’s Half Of The Pitch, and from the resulting free kick, Josh Law whips in an dangerous in-swinging cross towards the far post, and Paul Konchesky has to header the ball out of play at the expense of A Corner Kick for the home side, and Oldham Athletic have the chance to score a second goal which will surely mean no way back for The Gills, Josh Law goes across to take the resulting corner kick for Oldham Athletic, and Josh Law’s dangerous in-swinging cross was aimed towards the far post, and no-one in A Oldham Athletic Shirt can make a telling connection on the ball as the chance had been and gone for the home side.

Eighty Minutes into the match and Oldham Athletic make there second substitute of the game as Paul Green comes on for Billy McKay, an substitution I am sure will see Oldham Athletic look to protect the lead they have got, as Oldham Athletic will look to play with another midfielder in-front of there three centre back’s.

Eighty Two Minutes into the match and Cody McDonald goes into The Referee’s Notebook for his challenge on Josh Law, however, in The Eighty Fourth Minute, Gillingham should have been awarded a penalty kick which was explicably not given by Referee Dean Whitestone, Emmanuel Osadebe squares the ball to Scott Wagstaff in Oldham Athletic’s Half Of The Pitch and Scott Wagstaff plays the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, and Ryan Jackson takes a touch to control the ball before playing the ball forward to Cody McDonald, who retains possession of the ball before playing the ball out-wide to Ryan Jackson, and Ryan Jackson plays the ball over the top of Oldham Athletic’s defence and Peter Clarke bundles Bradley Dack down inside The Penalty Area and the Penalty Shouts from Gillingham Supporters was as clear as day, it looked blatant, very obvious and Gillingham should have been awarded an penalty kick, and The Linesman was in the perfect position, he was down that side of the pitch, his view wasn’t restricted and not giving that decision was very irritating.

I have been saying this for sometime now, but it is time for Video Technology to come in and introduce what Hawkeye does for Tennis into Football, where Manager’s can appeal A Refereeing Decision and the decision is reviewed by A Panel Of Referee’s who either over-rule or agree with The Refereeing Decision, There have been so many articles and so many debates about Technology in Football, and the Technology is being used by Pundits, Supporters can see images or replays on Twitter, and when you look at other sports, Rugby Union, Rugby League, Cricket, Snooker and Tennis (which I have already mentioned), they already have technology in place and it is time for that technology to be introduced in Football.

I would like to see Manager’s given One Challenge A Half to appeal A Refereeing Decision, There needs to be something where you can appeal a decision in real time, not review the footage after a game when players are sent off and find out that the decision has been rescinded, because even if the punishment has been over-turned, that sending off could have been the reason why you lost the game, I also think you should be able to appeal bookings and not just A Straight Red Card, I have been calling for technology in Football for some-time now, The Refereeing is just getting worse, the game is speeding up, and I think two challenges a game to go to A Computer Referee would be precisely what Football Needs.

Eighty Six Minutes into the match and Oldham Athletic are using excellent game management to retain possession of the ball and wind the clock down, and Cameron Dummigan kicks the ball against Emmanuel Osadebe and Oldham Athletic have won A Corner Kick, and Oldham Athletic could have scored from the resulting corner kick as well, as Josh Law has whipped in an dangerous in-swinging cross into the heart of Gillingham’s Penalty Area and the ball bounces off Max Ehmer into Peter Clarke’s Path, and Peter Clarke just cannot sort his feat out and Ryan Jackson manages to do enough to stop Peter Clarke from getting a shot off on target by conceding another corner kick, Gillingham are just all over the place at the back, and we’re only just in with a slim chance of getting something out of this game, but had that gone in then surely it would have been game over.

And Oldham Athletic created another goal-scoring opportunity from the resulting corner kick, as Josh Law whips in another dangerous in-swinging cross and Josh Wright wins the initial aerial challenge, but the second ball drops to Ousfane Mane, who slices his first time volleyed effort towards goal and Darius Oseu holds the ball before attempting a shot towards goal, but Darius Osei cannot make a telling connection on the ball and Peter Clarke’s shot on the turn is blocked by Josh Wright, but the ball ricochets back into Ryan McLaughlin’s Path, and Ryan McLaughlin fires his first time effort over Gillingham’s Crossbar, much to our own relief, because Gillingham are incapable of defending from corner kicks, we are just all over the place at the back.

Oldham Athletic make there third and final substitute as Brendy Glackin comes on for Darius Osei, who himself has only come on as a substitute in The Second Half, no doubt, this is a change to try and protect the lead that Oldham Athletic have got already and the home side are edging ever closer to picking up all three points, we still retained some hope that Gillingham can get something out of this match, and let’s hope that is precisely what Gillingham can do, as we move closer and closer to stoppage time.

Eighty Nine Minutes into the match and Gillingham had a second penalty appeal turned down, Gillingham are pushing for the equaliser as Paul Konchesky has possession of the ball down the left side of the pitch in Oldham Athletic’s Half Of The Pitch, and Paul Konchesky squares the ball to Billy Knott in a more central position on the pitch, and Billy Knott takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball to Josh Wright in a centre / right position on the pitch, and Josh Wright takes a touch to control the ball before threading through a fantastic through-ball in-between Left Back and The Left Centre Back, and there was a coming together between Ryan McLaughlin and Bradley Dack inside The Penalty Area and we all thought for a moment that Referee Dean Whitestone was going to point to The Penalty Spot, but Bradley Dack was booked for simulation and you have got to say that this was less blatant then the first penalty decision that wasn’t given, but I did thought that after the first penalty decision, we might see the second penalty decision given in Gillingham’s Favour.

Gillingham are pushing for that equaliser in stoppage time as Bradley Dack is involved again, and with few passing options available, Bradley Dack has attempted an driven effort towards goal from Twenty Five Yards out and Connor Ripley dives low to his right to save and gather the ball at the first attempt, and in The Ninety Second Minute, Gillingham could had the chance to score again, Paul Konchesky kicks the ball long into the heart of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area and Peter Clarke wins the first aerial challenge, the second ball drops to Josh Wright who plays the ball forward to Cody McDonald who cannot quite get the ball under his complete control, and as Brian Wilson times his challenge to perfection, the ball falls kindly to Billy Knott on the edge of Oldham Athletic’s Penalty Area, and Billy Knott takes one touch to tee himself up and another touch to hit a driven volley towards goal which was straight at Connor Ripley, who is in the right place at the right time to make the save, and The Oldham Athletic Goalkeeper dives on the deck to wind the clock down, there might be one chance left for The Gills to score a dramatic last gasp equaliser.

But it is Oldham Athletic who came closest to scoring that crucial second goal in The Fourth Minute Of Stoppage Time, Oldham Athletic have a throw on in there final third of the pitch as George Edmundson throws the ball forward to Josh Law who hooks the ball over his shoulder to clear the ball down the line and get the ball closer to Gillingham’s Goal, and Max Ehmer completely mis-judges the ball’s path as his header is more up and under and Brendy Glackin mis-times his jump to win the aerial challenge, but The Oldham Athletic Striker still manages to retain possession of the ball, shrug off the attempted challenge from Ryan Jackson, turn back on himself and play the ball square to Ryan Flynn on the edge of Gillingham’s Penalty Area, and Ryan Flynn takes a touch to control the ball before passing the ball back to Ousmane Fane, who tee’s up Josh Law, and Josh Law takes one touch to control the ball and another to hit a sensational strike towards goal which crashes against the top of the Gillingham’s Crossbar, Stuart Nelson was beaten, there was no doubt about that, but Gillingham still had the very slim possibility of getting something out of this match.

But the final noteworthy moment was Oldham Athletic doing enough to seal all three points as Ryan Flynn throws the ball down the line in Gillingham’s Half Of The Pitch and although Ryan Jackson manages to boot the ball clear, time is up, and Referee Dean Whitestone blew his whistle for Full Time, and Oldham Athletic have won the battle of the newly appointed manager’s, as John Sheridan has made an instant impact back at A Football Club he knows well, for Adrian Pennock, he will have learned a lot about his side after that very disappointing defeat in his first game in-charge.

FULL TIME: OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1 - 0 GILLINGHAM

And the first thing that Adrian Pennock will have learned from this defeat is the fact that Gillingham are in A Relegation Battle Now, and we will need players in the squad who are willing to battle and scrap for a relegation battle - something that Adrian Pennock spoke about was the lack of leaders in Gillingham’s Squad, so he must realise what Gillingham have got, and after that defeat. what Gillingham don’t have in this squad - basically a lack of experience in the heart of our defence is costing us points and costing us goals which are avoidable, the free kick that Josh Law scored was a stunning strike, no doubt about that, but it was the foul Paul Konchesky conceded prior to the free kick being scored which was the glaring error.

I spoke to Brad and James after the game and they were under no illusions that Gillingham are in a dreadful relegation battle now following that defeat against Oldham Athletic, I mentioned that Gillingham being Gillingham, we will probably go to Sheffield United and win, James added that although people do say that, he wasn’t confidant that Gillingham could pull that result off, and to be perfectly honest, neither was I, I am just clinging on to something to be positive about, but this is a battle to preserve League One Football for Next Season.

The Next Two Away Games are against Top Of The Table Sheffield United and fourth placed Bradford City, Two Localish Games for Brad and James to travel to, and two extremely difficult challenges, as Sheffield United and Bradford City are both challenging for promotion and Gillingham have just 1-0 against A Oldham Athletic Side who were rooted to the foot of the table, and those two away games are going to be extremely difficult, we were all hoping that Adrian Pennock can sign at least five players who can walk into The Starting Line Up, because it is clear looking at the squad that we’re very short in key area’s of the squad, especially in defence, which is a area of the squad that really does need to be strengthened in The January Transfer Window, Up-Front, we can do with A Target-Man, and we’re probably looking to sign at least one winger, Brad and James wished me a safe trip back, while they went to the pub.

As soon as I was back on The Kings Ferry Coach, I sat down in my seat and took to Twitter and I sent the following tweet, FOM TWITTER TRAVELS: OLDHAM ATHLETIC 1-0 GILLINGHAM - Gills lose 1-0 at Boundary Park, feel free to ask me any questions about today's match, I had replied to one tweet I saw from another Gillingham Supporter who had said that Gillingham are in a relegation battle, and my response was, I agree, Pennock will need to sign scrappers, players who might not be great technically, but will do a job for Gills, his response back was i (think everyone does) really miss Aaron Morris #UnsungHero - and I agreed, as Aaron Morris is Mr Consistent and someone who gave you 7/10 week in, week out.

The following stat was also very concerning,,, 26 Games Played, 30 Points, Gillingham are in A Relegation Battle and Pennock will need to bring in the players required to keep Gills in L1, One Point A Game will not be enough to keep Gillingham up, with four teams relegated from League One into League Two, I think you need at least fifty three points to preserve your League One Status, those home games against AFC Wimbledon and Shrewsbury Town are crucial and Gillingham need maximum points from these matches.

The fact that Gillingham played better when Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was substituted really does tell it’s own story, Gillingham are in A Relegation Battle and we’re not in a position where we can carry someone who can be 9/10 one week and 3/10 the week after, a squad that works hard is better then a squad that looks strong on paper appeared to be the reoccurring theme I was seeing on Twitter, and the stat I had also just saw on Twitter after The Oldham Athletic Game doesn’t make for good reading, Sheffield United have lost just four of there last twenty eight matches in all competitions, and Gillingham travel to Sheffield United next in The League, last season, Gillingham drew 0-0 at Bramall Lane, I would take that result right now if that was offered to me.

I was asked for my opinions on Elliott List and Josh Wright’s Performances against Oldham Athletic, Regarding Elliott List’s performance, I added, I thought List played very well, he was willing to take players on - especially in The Second Half - surprised he was subbed, and for Josh Wright, I think Wright will improve without the weight of the captaincy on his shoulders, today was one of his better performances, I am hoping that we will see the performances we saw from Josh Wright during The 2015 / 2016 season, some players thrive under the additional pressure as Captain, and others falter, and I do think that Josh Wright will be able to concentrate on his game more now that he doesn’t have The Armband.

There were a few tweets that I Re-Tweeted, including the heaters that PSV have in there stadium - could have done with those at Oldham - and Rob let me know that Chris Dickson scored for Chelmsford City against Dartford and I added that The Chris Dickson Thread is somewhere on Gills Debate, We could sign all our former strikers, Jackson, Marquis Oli & Akinfenwa, And Nicholas sent me a very interesting quote from Adrian Pennock’s Post Match Press Conference, and the one thing I took away from that quote, especially the comment about Oldham Athletic having Men in there side was this,,, Expect Gills to sign players with experience who are willing to battle & scrap - because there the type of players Gillingham will need to sign now.

There was no announcement on the away attendance, just a rough estimate of 200, most teams normally give you the official away attendance, but there was nothing from Oldham Athletic which was very surprising, I know Nicholas will want The Away Attendance to be confirmed for The Away Attendance Prediction League, but nothing has been mentioned so far.

January is A Season Defining Month For Gillingham, and back to back 1-0 defeats against Oxford United and Oldham Athletic is a terrible way to start this month, and with a change in management, several new players needed and a trip to high flying Sheffield United next, then who knows what is going to happen, those back to back home games against AFC Wimbledon and Shrewsbury Town are matches that Gillingham have to win, but that is easier said then done.

One of the more interesting tweets I managed to re-tweets was one with an remarkable stat, the average Football Supporter has been to Forty Two Stadiums, by now we had stopped off at Peterborough Services and the time was 8.10PM, and we were going to stop for twenty minutes, I was going to queue up at McDonalds but the queue was very long and we weren’t stopping for very long, so I brought A Cadbury Bar and A 500ML Bottle of Coca Cola for £3, and saw that Diane was getting served in McDonalds, Diane mentioned that the queue was moving quicker then it looked and had I knew that, I would have brought Nine Chicken Nuggets instead, we made out way back to the coach, disappointed with the result, and we still had plenty of miles to go, And a collision on A249 in Sittingbourne could potentially add further delays to our journey on the way back.

After getting back on the coach and sitting back down in my seat, once back in my seat, I sent Stewart A Few Messages, and I had done a lot better then he had done in Fantasy Football - Harry Kane’s Hat-Trick Helped A Lot - and I still had five players left to play, Stewart was basically relying on A Ashley Williams Hat-Trick to try and get more points then me, so I was confidant of securing more points, I was still on my way back from Oldham Athletic, still two hours to go, and it had been a disappointing day, I also rang home to say that I was just over two hours away from getting back home again, and I had got something to eat and drink as we just stopped off at the services.

As Peter came round asking us where we liked to be dropped off, he was also taking bookings for away games, and as Rochdale and Bury are similar trips travel wise, as Oldham Athletic, Bury and Rochdale are all right next to each other, Me and Diane booked on the coach for those matches, but Diane wanted to drive to Sheffield United and the plan was to leave at 8AM / 8.15AM, Diane wants to test her car on a lengthy away journey, and we want to try to go to as many away games via car as we possibly can, and Sheffield United is one such match we want to travel to via car, I am not sure if Rob or anyone else wants to go, as that would help with travel costs, but we have been noticing the lack of interest in away games from those who normally would travel week in, week out, perhaps if things improved on the pitch, then we will see those supporters come back, and I hope they do come back and support Gillingham Away From Home - but I do understand how a long long trip to Oldham Athletic can be off putting.

Stephen sent me a message asking what I put for NoirCat Predictions, and having checked the spreadsheet, I put A Draw, and Diane put A Win, so neither of us got the predictions spot on, but Me, Gary, Nicholas, Stephen and Diane are all pushing for promotion in our respective divisions, I have to try and get a few more to participate in The NoirCat League, and also, get a few more to turn up to The NoirCat Presentation Night as well, there was a really big turnout last season, so maybe there will be an even bigger turnout next time as well.

That final away game of the season against Northampton Town could be an interesting game, I don’t want Gillingham going into that match needing something to stay up, I am hoping that survival is achieved long before that game, but what I find irritating is that the final game of the season is A 12PM Kick Off Time ??? - this is very infuriating, why not everyone kick off at 3PM, or if The Championship, League One and League Two all want there own time slots, then League Two 3PM on A Saturday, League One, 5.15PM on A Saturday, and The Championship can kick off at 3PM on A Sunday, also, with these kick off time slots, there shouldn’t be any games where teams have to travel long distances, thankfully, we’re only traveling to Northampton Town, but traveling to somewhere like Rochdale on the final day of the season for A Mid-Day Kick Off would be very infuriating.

We had actually made good time traveling back, stopping off at Strood Sports Centre on the way back and as we were making our way through the pick up points, I was making sure that I had everything on me, and Diane was making sure she had all of her belongings as we stopped off outside Priestfield Stadium, and Diane would message me in-regards to the travel time for Sheffield United Away, I was actually going to buy My Match Ticket On The Day before Diane as kind enough to buy My Ticket In Advance, and I said C Ya to Diane before she, and the vast majority of Gillingham Supporters got off the coach at the ground.

Peter was next to be dropped off, before Gary, myself and two others were dropped off outside The Cricketers, it was 22.25PM, and we had made very good time getting back, and after thanking The Drivers, we got off The Kings Ferry Coach and I checked I had everything, and after getting off the coach, Gary mentioned the limited goal-scoring opportunities that Gillingham had created and how Oldham Athletic could and perhaps should have been out of sight in The First Half, Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was simply woeful and that was the general opinion from the vast majority of Gillingham Supporters, and Gillingham cannot carry Jay Emmanuel-Thomas all the while we’re in A Relegation Battling Position, he is capable of being A Match Winner on his day, but someone who is 9/10 one week, and 3/10 the next, just cannot be given a regular run in The Starting Line Up at this present moment in time.

We actually improved when Jay Emmanuel-Thomas was substituted, Scott Wagstaff looked comfortable in his more natural position, Cody McDonald and Rory Donnelly came on and I thought that Stuart Nelson, Bradley Dack and Elliott List played really well, but has Connor Ripley been tested to make top draw saves ??? not really, saves yes, but saves you expect A Professional Goalkeeper to make, but if we were to talk about Oldham Athletic’s best player, then Lee Erwin (Number Nineteen) was superb, he held the ball up, played one touch layoffs back to team-mates, brought his team-mates into play, when the ball was played up to him the ball stuck up top, and he was a threat in the air, precisely the type of striker that Gillingham need alongside Cody McDonald.

Gary headed off home and I Said C Ya To Gary before making my own way home and I was back home at 22.45PM, A Long Long Day, which meant getting up at 5.30AM, and that was very disappointing from Gillingham, I have got a lot of sympathy towards Adrian Pennock, the task ahead of him is a difficult one and the squad built by Justin Edinburgh is unbalanced and weak in both boxes, under Martin Allen, Gillingham had Leon Legge, Adam Barrett, Andrew Frampton, Danny Kedwell and Deon Burton, players who had experienced, they could battle and scrap and they knew how to shut a game out, there was little flair in that Championship Winning Side, but plenty of grit and determination, we now have gone the other way, plenty of flair and creative players, not enough combative players who are willing to battle and scrap, we need to find the balance between the two, and that is difficult to do during A Transfer Window, with games coming thick and fast, and when you have just made A Managerial Change, but that is the challenge facing Adrian Pennock, Steve Lovell and Jamie Day.

And the challenge next for Gillingham doesn’t get any easier, Top Of The Table Sheffield United and A Trip To Bramall Lane is next for The Gills, now that is going to be a difficult challenge, in our previous trip to Bramall Lane, Gillingham drew 0-0, I would be absolutely delighted if Gillingham somehow frustrated Sheffield United and earned a valuable point away from home, hopefully Gillingham can pull off the most unexpected result and win away from home against Sheffield United, and put in A Typical Gillingham Performance - COME ON THE GILLS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

#Gillingham #OldhamAthletic #Football #LeagueOne

[paradoxicalca]

[OC] The top 20 Centers of 2018/19 in various Statistical Categories

With the NHL Network releasing their top 20 players at each position, I decided to take a look at some key statistics and see how players stacked up against other players at their position to check how the guys on their rankings fared this year. Below is the list of the top 20 centers in the league across 16 key statistics from the 2018/19 season. If people enjoy this then I’ll get around to doing wingers and dmen.All the stats listed below are at Even Strength and there is a 700 TOI minimum. All stats are from Corsica.Scoring (Raw Totals)RankPlayerGoalsRankPlayerAssistsRankPlayerPointsRankPlayerPrimary P1Tavares341McDavid431McDavid701McDavid582McDavid272Crosby422Crosby632Crosby533Matthews253Krejci403Tavares613Tavares514Scheifele234Kuznetsov364Domi564Point455Toews225Barkov345Barkov545Domi446Duchene226Domi346Point536Stamkos447Domi227Point337Krejci537Barkov428Stamkos228Monahan328Monahan518Monahan429MacKinnon219Malkin319Stamkos519Matthews4110Crosby2110Eichel3010Matthews5010Toews4111Seguin2111Johansen3011Toews5011Seguin4112Barkov2012Backstrom2912O’Reilly4812Krejci3813Point2013P. Danault2913Eichel4713Larkin3814Larkin2014Stamkos2914Scheifele4714Duchene3815Couturier2015Toews2815MacKinnon4715MacKinnon3816B. Nelson1916Tavares2716Seguin4716Eichel3717Dubois1917Couture2717Larkin4617O’Reilly3718O’Reilly1918Zibanejad2718Kuznetsov4618Pettersson3619Monahan1919Aho2719Duchene4619Couture3620Couture18205 tied*2620Couturier4620Scheifele/Couturier36*Larkin, Barzal, MacKinnon, Courturier, SeguinPer 60 Scoring and iCFRankPlayerG/60RankPlayerP/60RankPlayerP1/60RankPlayeriCF/601Tavares1.61McDavid2.961Crosby2.461Matthews19.232Matthews1.432Domi2.932McDavid2.452Larkin17.643Duchene1.183Crosby2.923Tavares2.43Kadri17.174Stamkos1.184Tavares2.874Stamkos2.374Seguin17.065Cizikas1.155Matthews2.865Matthews2.355Bergeron16.876Domi1.156Stamkos2.746Domi2.36Tavares16.857McDavid1.147Bergeron2.727Point2.277Eichel16.258Filppula1.098Point2.688Pettersson2.178MacKinnon16.29Toews1.079Krejci2.679Monahan2.169Aho15.8910Eakin1.0310Stastny2.6610Stastny2.0810M. Backlund15.1911Scheifele1.0311Monahan2.6211Bergeron2.0711E. Rodrigues15.0812Point1.0112Kuznetsov2.5712Duchene2.0412Soderberg14.9613Bergeron113Malkin2.5313Toews213Trocheck14.6614B. Nelson.9814Barkov2.4714Couture1.9714Kotkaniemi14.6215Couture.9815Pettersson2.4715Barkov1.9215Domi14.3116Monahan.9816Duchene2.4716Malkin1.9216Eller14.2617Crosby.9717Couture2.4617Krejci1.9117Bjugstad14.2218Pettersson.9618Toews2.4418Seguin1.8718Chytil14.219Couturier.9619Eichel2.3319Eichel1.8319Stepan14.0620Soderberg.9420O’Reilly2.3320O’Reilly1.7920Jenner13.87Possession %s (Raw)RankPlayerCF%RankPlayerSF%RankPlayerGF%RankPlayerxGF%1Kotkaniemi57.381Kotkaniemi56.471O’Reilly65.381L. Wallmark60.752J. Thornton56.822Danault56.382Crosby65.122Stastny60.073Danault56.773Aho56.363Bonino63.383P.E. Bellemare57.844Aho56.314B. Schenn56.184D. Ryan62.964Koktaniemi57.315Bergeron56.245J. Thornton56.055Point61.985E. Staal57.246Stastny55.926M. Backlund55.876Cizikas91.826Aho56.537Krejci55.77Crosby55.857Seguin61.177B. Schenn56.268M. Backlund55.348Stastny55.778M. Backlund61.058Cirelli56.169B. Goodrow55.299Bergeron55.439Domi61.029R. Thomas56.1510D. Ryan54.8510L. Wallmark54.8910Filppula61.0210Danault55.9611Johansen54.6711E. Staal54.7211Bergeron60.9211Crosby55.9412Crosby54.5412O’Reilly54.6612B. Nelson60.7612O’Reilly55.7513L. Wallmark54.5313P.E. Bellemare54.6513Cirelli60.2413Bergeron55.4714Larkin54.814D. Ryan54.3414Stastny59.714D. Ryan55.1615Cirelli5415Krejci54.1915Krejci59.2615W. Karlsson55.1516Monahan53.9516W. Karlsson53.9716Eakin59.1316Couture54.1917W. Karlsson53.7817Acciari53.9617Aho59.1317M. Backlund54.1618O’Reilly53.7618B. Goodrow53.5518Tavares58.918Krejci54.1119Couture53.7319Couturier53.4919Kuznetsov58.8819J. Thornton53.9320Tavares53.3120S. Kuraly53.4420MacKinnon57.8920Domi53.93Rel Possession numbersRankPlayerRelCF%RankPlayerRelSF%RankPlayerRelGF%RankPlayerRelxGF%1Larkin8.361Larkin8.351Crosby21.911Larkin8.592Crosby7.322Crosby8.262Cizikas21.422Eichel7.223Couturier6.713Couturier8.153O’Reilly15.723Hischier7.194Tavares6.54Perreault6.34Seguin15.114K. Hayes6.935Barzal5.595Tavares5.185Bonino13.115Crosby6.746MacKinnon5.556Kotkaniemi5.056Hischier12.976Eller6.37Kotkaniemi5.257Hischier4.827Domi12.947Bergeron6.298Johansen5.048B. Schenn4.788D. Ryan11.828C. White6.089Bergeron5.029Getzlaf4.549M. Backlund11.649L. Wallmark5.910Eller4.2610Backstrom4.5310McDavid11.4510Stastny4.9811Perreault4.1311MacKinnon4.3811E. Staal11.1511Perreault4.9312J. Thornton3.9112K. Hayes4.2912Eakin10.8612Couturier4.7513Seguin3.6913Riley Nash4.2313Pettersson10.3513Horvat4.6714Cirelli3.6614Barzal4.0514Filppula10.0514Cirelli4.5815McDavid3.6415Stepan3.9415Aho9.4515E. Staal4.5316Krejci3.3716Cirelli3.9116Barkov9.3216Kampf4.3617Getzlaf3.3117J. Thornton3.8517Point9.2617Henrique4.2718D. Ryan3.118E. Staal3.818Tavares8.918Kotkaniemi3.9219Stastny3.0219Eller3.819Sissons8.8119R. Thomas3.8120Hischier2.8120Danault3.620MacKinnon8.6520Seguin2.79AnalysisI was going to do a bit of analysis and potentially list my top 20 here but this took way longer than expected and I don’t feel like looking at PP and context numbers (QoC, QoT and ZS%) at the moment so I’m just gonna do a few quick takeaways.The Habs centers killed it this year. Domi, Danault, and Kotkaniemi popped up a lot more than I expected and I’m not too excited about that as a Leaf fan. Habs legends were even able to sweep the podium in the SF% category.It’s a crime that Sean Couturier didn’t make the top 20 list. He should be taking over for Barkov in the ‘most underrated’ category at this point.For a ‘down year’, Tyler Seguin put up some pretty impressive numbers.Obviously there will be outliers in these stats (see: Wallmark, Eller, Perreault) but I just wanted to throw this together to paint a picture of guys who drive play as well as dominate on the scoresheet.With all due respect to guys like MacKinnon, Barkov, Stamkos, etc., I think it’s safe to say that Crosby, McDavid, Bergeron and Tavares were the best centers in the league at even strength last year. Those four pretty much dominated these lists. Especially Sid. It’s funny that I still think I underrate Crosby sometimes but putting this together really showed me that he still has an argument for the best in the game.As I said at the beginning of the post, if people enjoy this then I’ll try to get around to doing a similar post for wingers and d-men. [OC] The top 20 Centers of 2018/19 in various Statistical Categories Source

[tipsoctopus]

Eden Hazard's heir: International manager underlines Sarri's mishandling of Chelsea wonderkid

Since becoming England manager in September 2016, Gareth Southgate has transformed his side into a thoroughly competitive outfit and has endeared himself to a contingent of football supporters who were formerly disillusioned with their national team.

The 48-year-old is a principled man, and he speaks articulately and manages his side with consummate grace. The arrogance that had previously tainted England for many years has waned, and his emphasis on playing expansive, progressive football and his focus on youth integration are commendable features of his management.

During the previous week, his decision to introduce Chelsea’s Callum Hudson-Odoi to the English set-up for the first time furthered his appeal among the Blues faithful. On his debut, the 18-year-old played a pivotal role in scoring England’s fifth goal against the Czech Republic, and during his inaugural international start against Montenegro, he registered an assist, turning provider for Ross Barkley.

A host of current and former Chelsea players have earned their first taste of international football under Southgate’s stewardship, with Hudson-Odoi emulating the achievements of Ruben Loftus-Cheek, Tammy Abraham, Dominic Solanke and Nathaniel Chalobah, in that regard. Most impressively, and the source of burgeoning frustration among supporters of Chelsea, Hudson-Odoi’s first international start happened before the winger started a league game for the FA Cup holders – he has since made his bow against Brighton & Hove Albion.

While recognising the need for caution in entrusting young players, Hudson-Odoi’s performances and the voracious adulation from international teammates and Gareth Southgate himself is a timely indication of the talent and potential that he demonstrates.

The teenager has been restricted to six substitute appearances and one start, amounting to a measly 209 minutes of football, failing to register a single goal contribution. Nonetheless, where the Englishman has received significant first-team involvement for Chelsea, he has thrived. In two FA Cup appearances, he has contributed towards three goals (one scored, two assists), while contributing towards six goals (four scored, two assists) in eight Europa League matches, thereby evidencing the importance of continuous involvement.

Without question, the 18-year-old is a menacing talent, capable of operating on either flank, and his unique dribbling style is immediately recognisable. At his age, he has yet to be suffocated by regressive systems, which enables him to display his raw, untamed talent. His pace and trickery are fundamental strengths, ones that are proving difficult for his opponents to negate.

Now, despite being the subject of intense and persistent Bayern Munich interest; despite being mostly influential whenever he has appeared for Chelsea this season; and despite translating his club form onto the international stage, earning acclaim from Southgate and senior England players alike, he is still overlooked by Maurizio Sarri.

The Italian’s reluctance to significantly alter his favoured Premier League eleven has been uniformly documented by press and fans, but the inconsistency and indecision that Sarri has shown in his employment of Hudson-Odoi have been somewhat infuriating for Chelsea supporters. At the start of January, the 60-year-old stated that Hudson-Odoi was of comparative quality and importance to Willian and Pedro, “Of course, some times he will be on the bench but the same as Willian and Pedro. I can start to consider him on the same level.”

Despite a marginal increase in the teenager’s resulting involvement, he has only made three starts in domestic competitions since the new year. Even half of his European appearances have been made as a substitute this season, further attesting Sarri’s unwillingness to entrust in his talent.

As Jadon Sancho, Reiss Nelson, Matthew Smith and many others can attest, young players need regularity and support.

Regular involvement breeds confidence, which in turn, facilitates development. It’s particularly difficult to recall a player to emerge from Chelsea’s academy to demonstrate such self-confidence and excitement. With the impending transfer ban, the Blues should consider Hudson-Odoi as a player of utmost significance, especially due to rumoured interest from European clubs. A player to mould the team around, a prospective heir to Eden Hazard; not a pondered afterthought.

Unfortunately, from Chelsea’s perspective at least, Sarri is far too stubborn and narrow-minded for his own good. His treatment of Gary Cahill, Victor Moses and Danny Drinkwater to name but a few have shown his capacity to alienate players. Also, limiting Ethan Ampadu to a mere five appearances this season is demonstrative of his distrust in young talents.

In most circumstances, the happenings of the previous week should serve as an ideal foundation for Hudson-Odoi to expedite his development and demonstrate his significance to his club. However, given Sarri’s pronounced stubbornness, it’s improbable that Hudson-Odoi’s international displays and his recent outing against Brighton will markedly alter his fortunes at Chelsea.

Unless, of course, Sarri finally comes to his senses.

from FootballFanCast.com http://bit.ly/2FWk55r via IFTTT from Blogger http://bit.ly/2uVK0EZ via IFTTT

#FootballFanCast.com

[freebestbettingtips]

La Liga 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Barcelona vs Valencia

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La Liga 2018/19 Tactical Analysis: Barcelona vs Valencia

Artwork by @chapulana

Barcelona hosted Valencia at the Camp Nou for a clash that almost never leaves the fans disappointed. Usually, the Catalans know how to manage games against Los Che, especially considering that Ernesto Valverde has never lost a game against them at home with four wins and five draws so far to his name.

What they probably did not count on was that they would be chasing the result for a good part of the game. In the end, they shared the spoils with two goals apiece. As our analysis has pointed out before, Barcelona have been really impressive at overturning deficits, even when the odds have not been in their favor.

In this tactical analysis, we will use statistics to explain what transpired in Catalunya and how two of La Liga’s big fish secured an important point in an everlasting struggle that is the Spanish top flight.

Lineups

Barcelona (4-3-3)

Starting XI: Ter Stegen – Semedo, Pique, Vermaelen, Sergi – Vidal, Rakitić, Aleña – Messi, Suarez, Coutinho

Bench: Iñaki Peña, Lenglet, Murillo, Alba, Arthur, Boateng, Malcom

Coach: Ernesto Valverde

Valencia (4-4-2)

Starting XI: Neto – Piccini, Garay, Paulista, Lato – Wass, Coquelin, Parejo, Cheryshev – Rodrigo, Gameiro

Bench: Doménech, Roncaglia, Soler, Torres, Kondogbia, Lee Kang-In, Santi Mina

Coach: Marcelino Garcia Toral

Barcelona’s setup

Having returned from a rather difficult tie against Sevilla in the Copa del Rey just a couple of nights before, Ernesto Valverde knew that his troops would not necessarily be running on a full tank. With those thoughts on his mind, he elected to slightly rotate the team, for better or worse.

Jordi Alba was the biggest surprise omission from the lineup as the Spaniard was rested. Nelson Semedo took his place in the lineup, with Sergi Roberto switching across to left-back. The Ant also introduced the young Carles Alena into the mix, leaving Sergio Busquets on the sideline, and putting Ivan Rakitić into that pivot role.

Arthur was also rested while Arturo Vidal got to start the game, while ex-Arsenal defender Thomas Vermaelen made the centre-back pairing with birthday boy Gerard Pique. In the rest of the positions, it was business as usual as the Catalans opted for their default 4-3-3 formation in front of their home crowd.

Valencia’s setup

Things were not so different on the other side of the pitch. Valencia and Marcelino had had a difficult Copa del Rey test to attend to, which they passed with flying colours. Just like Barcelona they reached the semi-finals, and were looking to continue their rise in the league.

Still, there were a couple of changes noted since their last La Liga match against Villarreal. Neto continued his outstanding campaign between the sticks, while the back four was slightly different. Ezequiel Garay and Cristiano Piccini were still on the pitch but the other side of the four-man defence was altered with the introduction of Toni Lato and Gabriel Paulista.

Wass for Soler was the only change in the midfield while Kevin Gameiro got the nod in front of Santi Mina and made a tandem up front with Rodrigo. The team operated in an all-too familiar 4-4-2 system throughout the whole game.

Early shocks

Not many teams can expect to travel to the Camp Nou and surprise the hosts with a couple of goals in the opening stages of the game. However, Marcelino did his homework by studying Barcelona and preparing well for the encounter. The name of his game was a combination of quick transitions and exceptional counterattacking prowess, both of which worked extremely well against a slow-reacting Catalan side.

Valencia’s narrow midfield block have little trouble outnumbering Alena and Vidal, while Rakitic sits deeper.

With Ivan Rakitić slotting in between the centre-backs and both Alena and Vidal being higher up the pitch, there was a hole between defence and attack. Valencia use this to create quick transitions mostly undisturbed. Also, by outnumbering the opposition they made sure to have options when switching from soaking up pressure to starting counter-attacks.

When Barcelona were in possession, Valencia would mostly deploy two well-structured and fairly stretched banks of four to soak up all and any pressure the Catalan side threw at them. Still, knowing that both Sergio Roberto and Nelson Semedo would be deployed extremely high due to Barcelona’s lack of a true natural winger, Marcelino opted to leave the strikers fairly close to the middle of the park and relatively within reach of the midfield four.

As a result, which can be seen in the image above, in case of retained possession, Valencia always had options for a swift counter-attack. This was mostly made possible by smooth transitions between defending and attacking, but also by exploiting loads of free space left by Barcelona’s own midfielders.

Notice how Rakitić, once again, in the absence of Sergio Busquets, drops in between the two centre-backs. With both Vidal and Alena higher up the pitch, there is suddenly a hole between them and the rest of the team. That space is used to perfection as the quick legs of the away team get them in front of Marc-Andre ter Stegen in mere seconds.

Valencia overloading the midfield and outnumbering the opposition, forcing mistakes. The compact block meant passing in between the lines was much more difficult for the hosts.

Another thing we have to mention here is Valencia’s compact block itself. Barcelona having two aggressive midfielders in Alena and Vidal played right into the visitors’ hands. In order to disrupt the free flow of the hosts’ build-up, Marcelino decided to overload the midfield and make sure to always have the numerical advantage, as can be seen above.

Just seconds later, the ball was taken away from Lionel Messi and the goal-scoring counter was set into motion. Barcelona’s first weakness was exploited well, but it was not the end of Valencia’s assault.

Vaencia’s high press cutting off any clear passing options results in an interception and a transition to a quick counter.

See how all passing options are blocked by great man-marking. When Messi tries to send a ball through the block, it gets intercepted and eventually, a lethal counter starts on the other side of the pitch.

Know your enemy

The first goal was clear proof that Marcelino knew what he was doing and that everything was unfolding largely as planned for his team. He knew that by cutting off the midfielders and exploiting a tight block with a numerical advantage would allow him quick transitions to hurt the opposition which is slow in their defensive ones.

He also knew that if there was one side to attack with blistering pace, it was the one where Sergi Roberto operated. In this particular case, that meant Barcelona’s left flank. An overwhelming 65% of all counters came from that side with an xG of 0.81. Their preference of wings was also highly notable as none of the counters were made through the middle, with one made down the left flank.

Valencia clearly preferred to attack down Barcelona’s left side.

It’s also worth noting that most of their best goalscoring opportunities came directly from that side, with Dani Parejo being the standout name on the list.

Barcelona dominated possession as we are used to seeing time and time again. When they took their time, and when they weren’t chasing the result, the Catalans would play the waiting game.

The slow build-up all the way from the back invited some pressure from Valencia, who would, only at times, risk dismantling their structure in order to provoke mistakes from the hosts. Pushing forward and pinning the ball carriers with numbers meant that Barca had to opt for quickly switching sides and neutralising the pressure safely.

When Barcelona built from the back, Valencia would respond by pressing higher up the pitch, provoking mistakes. With a total of 48 interceptions throughout the game, they made the most out of the Catalans’ nervy clearances.

Without either Sergio Busquets or Arthur Melo on the field, this task was easier said than done. Note in the image above how by pressurising Vidal and putting numbers up front led to an easy interception as Barcelona were caught in transition once again.

This was also not an isolated case, either. Valencia made 48 interceptions on the night and a total of 62 recoveries with 100% of their counterattacks ending with a shot (4/4). Most would start with a simple stolen ball, and a then a long pass to quickly set up play.

Sixty long balls compared to 40 of Barcelona are already telling enough, but given the minimal time they had on the ball (34.4%), theirs were effective in creating goalscoring opportunities. Taking into consideration their part of the total possession, Valencia were creating more chances than expected.

The second goal to put the visitors two up actually started on the right side. A combination of Sergi Roberto’s failure to mark his man properly and a lapse in concentration from Thomas Vermaelen yielded Valencia a penalty kick.

Individual brilliance saves a point for Barcelona

Since there was no Ousmane Dembele or no Jordi Alba for Barcelona, Marcelino was able to deploy a really stretched out back line because there were no pacy wingers who could truly exploit that weakness. This also meant that Barca had to go through the middle to reach the final third and find Neto.

That, however, was constantly made more difficult due to their inability to find a man between the lines, which kept happening because of the numerical disadvantage and reduction of space by Valencia.

One thing the Catalans did have on their side was individual prowess. Once again it was Lionel Messi who secured a point for his team, scoring a brace in order to do so. The Argentine was struggling to successfully play his game and actually lost the ball on a total of 15 occasions.

Still, one penalty kick and one brilliantly masked long shot revitalised Messi and his team, making sure they would share the spoils with their guests.

Lionel Messi uses two of Valencia’s defenders to mask his shot, making Neto unable to see the ball, and resulting in a beautiful goal.

Note how Messi uses the two defenders to obstruct Neto’s line of sight, making him unable to react to the shot heading his way. The man between the sticks, thus far the hero having saved eight shots in total, was left rooted to the spot and helpless. You cannot save that which you cannot see.

Even though Barcelona had Messi, Valencia actually boasted the man of the match in the shape of Dani Parejo. With one goal, two key passes and an overwhelming 96% accurate passes overall to his name, Parejo definitely ran the game on his own.

Perhaps his biggest contribution however came in the stolen balls and interceptions he made throughout the match, integral as they were to Marcelino’s game plan. Six interceptions, 6/7 duels won, seven recoveries and a 100% tackle rate meant that Valencia’s key puzzle piece was firing on all cylinders.

Dani Parejo’s passes (left) and total actions (right). It was a man-of-the-match performance by Valencia’s ace.

Conclusion

It was fairly risky to deploy such an approach by Ernesto Valverde, knowing that he had to face what is possibly the best counterattacking team in La Liga this season. The unstable possession game which was mostly caused by a disjointed midfield and a cut-off attacking trident yielded lots of loose balls for Valencia to fully exploit, which they did.

Luckily for the Catalans, the team breathing at their necks in the table – Atletico Madrid – failed to capitalise on their rival’s lapses with their defeat to Real Betis. Diego Simeone’s troops now trail six points behind Barcelona instead of closing the gap down to only three.

The title race is, however, still pretty much alive and kicking. It will be interesting to see how the other half of the season unfolds, taking into consideration that February, with its hectic schedule, may very well be the breaking point.

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