Padiham Saints J.F.C

Before I write anything this week I'm going to challenge any of the lads playing today to say I'm wrong.

We turned up this morning to watch a game of football, instead we watched Blue Star have a kickabout and wondering where the opposition was.

The overall performance of Saints this week was dire, awful, whoeful, pathetic, anyone else got any other superlatives to describe the display?

You're going to find this scathing, well that's tough because there was only three or four of you playing football. The rest looked like you wanted to be somewhere else. You didn't pass the ball, you didn't make the challenges and were always second to the ball.
As for your fitness, there's more energy in a bottle of Lucozade, face it lads, you just either can't or won't run, I think it's the latter.

Let's take a look at what I thinks wrong. First off you can't defend corners, why are the big lads in our back four allowing an opposition player to intimidate our keeper at every corner kick. Their number 11 was head and shoulders bigger than Crabby and not one of you came to help him out when the kicks were taken allowing him to block Crabby off.
When the kicks been taken and the ball goes to the outside of the box you have to move out..........and quick, the offside rule applies to both sides, use it. Some of the defence seem to take it as a rest time when the ball is partially cleared. Defending corners is having a man on the front post and one on the back, go on, you tell me today who was doing that. They only scored two or three good goals today, the rest you gave them. Defence score out of ten, you get four and that's being extremely generous.

Now for the midfield, this is supposed to be the heart of a football team, well lads, you've had a coronary and are on the critical list. Won't run, can't run, don't run, that just about sums it up today. You'll all have heard the saying 'running about like a chicken with no head' well that sums up the midfield performance. Nothing you did was complimentary and there was no link up with the back four at all. You made little attempt to go forwards and when you did you were all too square. To be a midfield player you need to be super fit and cover the entire length of the pitch from eighteen yard box to eighteen yard box. When you did get the ball on or around the halfway line, where were you going with it? Nowhere! Why, because no one was making the runs. Midfield score out of ten, three and again consider that as flatering.

Now for the forward line, well go on then, you tell me who they were and what they had to feed off. Their keeper must have been laughing his socks off at todays effort. I think the only time he got a shot at him was from a set piece. Now I'm not your coach and I don't know what you've been told but if we have two forwards you shouldn't be off the halfway line when they are attacking. At least two or three midfield should be between the halfway line and the eighteen yard box and the rest helping out in defence. When we have players in that position they have to mark or pay the cosequences. Now I'm not entirely sure who was supposed to be up front but it comes back to can't run won't run and this time I think it's the former. A forward has to have speed, instant speed, if you're quick over ten yards you've left the defender. Today we saw non of it, not once did anyone make a telling run either out wide or down the centre. I told Susan after the game that it's taken me all this time to realise why my dad some forty five years ago wanted me to trial for Burnley. I was twice as quick as any of you lads out on that field today. Forwards score out of ten, one, and that's generous considering they 'hid in the long grass' all the game.

I've tried to find something positive about todays performance and the only thing I can come up with is that there are four maybe five players who really want to be there and give it their all, seems like it's the same players week in week out. You have a great keeper who really does stop you being totally embarrased week in week out, he doesn't deserve to be let down by players who don't give a monkey's.
If I were in charge I'd be looking for a squad of up to twenty players where you have to play for your place and not be in an automatic choice position.

Now that's over and I'm sure I'll have missed a lot out, I know you're better than todays performance, I've seen it, I've seen you challenge for every ball and win the second balls, I've seen you pass the ball and open defences up with the runs. So what happened today? I made my comment to Tom during the first half and it's almost as though you expect to be beaten so don't switch on. Well lads, if you go into games with that attitude you're going to get very little out of a game. Respect your opponents of course as a team but show them no respect when challenging and mounting an assault on goal, they'll show you none.

I'd like to say well done but I'd be lying, I've seen you get a right stuffing and play better than that. Lets say well done to keeping the goal tally to single figures. The rest of the season is in front of you and I really can't imagine you playing that poorly again.

I totally agree with you Jon on every aspect of your report. Nothing today impressed me like you said there are a handful of players who you know try week in week out namely Sam, Callam, Philip, Nathan c, Nathan f, Fletch, Andy. Yes I know I've named them but in fairness they deserved to be mentioned it might make the rest of you stand up and think about what you are doing.

I have seen this team when you are playing at your best and you are outstanding but you have to do this every week. If you go goals down so what fight back and stop feeling sorry for yourseleves.

More talking needs to be done on the pitch and you need to stop with your attitudes and work together as a team and I know you can get that winning streak back.

Crabby another brilliant game keeping the scoreline down.

Come on guys lets see the saints we know back next week and play with smiles on our faces and go out and enjoy yourselves.

Paula

Thanks for the support there Paula but I haven't put it on as a report just a supporter expressing a view. Tom's the man for the report, he may see things differently.

You've made a valid point in that they should be going out and enjoying it and playing with smiles on their faces. Getting beat by twenty goals would be no disgrace if every player had given 100% effort. Blue Star were a decent side but so are Saints 'On song'. Today Saints were at their worst and Blue Star won by playing passing football, winning the challenges and taking advantage of Saints weaknesses by keeping the pressure on. Well done to them.

I'll neither agree nor disagree with your named players but the lads who don't really care know who they are. You have to feel for the coach who must be extremely disappointed in todays performance. Like I said previously I've seen them get a real tubbing and every player could hold their heads high after the game because they gave their best.

I know you gave the after game team talk, don't know what you said but had it been me there'd have been some harsh words.

One to forget about and concentrate on the next game.

I told them the truth after the match Jon. I was a bit harsh and Donna heard some of it I think I might have sounded like a head teacher at one point telling them that I was talking and that I wanted them to listen and that if they wanted to win matches like I knew that they could they would have to start showing some respect to each other and their coach and to get that fighting spirit back into them like they've shown in the past.

Hopefully Tom wasn't too put out that I did this but he knows what I'm like and that team needed a big strong voice at the end of that match with some words said to them that they needed to think about and hopefully come back into the next match with a different attitude so that we have a chance of winning.

Hopefully we will see the Under 14's that we know when they play next week and maybe we can give the other team a game to remember.