I have given everybody two ratings this week - 1 for your performance and 1 for your general attitude throughout the match. You all let yourselves and me down on Saturday and the last time I was that ashamed of you lot was when we capitulated against Chilworth away in one of our first ever games.

You all need to bring your heads ready for action on Sunday, you lost a game that you practically had sewn up by half time. You were better in every department than them, but instead of pressing home the advantage you got caught up in a petty squabble with the referee. The end result – they scored two gifted goals and we were left looking around for someone to blame. I know it’s hard when decisions go against you but you must let your
football do the talking as there was some good football played. They concentrated,
frustrated us and beat us mentally – simple as. No excuses, everybody was guilty of it,
some more than others but every single person needs to be much more committed either in
actions or attitude – you all know who you are and what you did and didn’t focus on.
Go out there next week and make me proud and make yourselves proud, walk of that pitch with your head held high rather than spitting and cursing. If you’ve given everything and you know that everyone around you has aswell, then the goals and the luck will fall in our
favour naturally. It always comes down to attitude, you’ve all worked hard to improve your skills and fitness and the attitude is the last piece of that puzzle, every argument is energy not being used in the game, every time your arm goes up for an appeal, you take a little bit
of focus away from the game, its hard but channel that anger and frustration into the next tackle, the next header, the next attack the next goal, because at the moment you look embarrassing when you appeal for things. When we win games, then you earn the right to
a decent ref and a decent decision. At the moment your bottom of division 10 and you look
like a team desperate for a ref’s decision to win us the game because we cant win it with
our own skill and guile. We are better than that and now you need to prove it – on the pitch, with the ball at your feet. I believe in this team and I promise once that win comes it will be all the better because we can look back at times like this and laugh at how pathetic we were and how strong it has made us. I want a win so bad it hurts and I want the same commitment, passion and desire to seap from every pore in your body on Sunday.

James Wilder Performance 9 – (MOM) Attitude 9 Total 18/20
Great performance in goal and a second good performance in a row for James who is fast becoming the best utility player on the park. Great early distribution and awareness and near perfect throw outs for Shannon and Ben to chase down.
Target for rest of season: Try to channel that aggression positively and find himself a settled outfield position. (maybe tell me what that position is aswell ha ha!)

Carey Preece Performance 8 & Attitude 5 13/20
Nice performance from Carey at Right back, wasn’t tested a great deal with a lack lustre opposition but looked comfortable and one or two good touches. Was guilty of looking for the decision at times and needs to not waste a drop of energy if he is going to last the 90.
Target for season: Get a good run of games under belt and get back into regular first team action. Needs to maintain focus on getting his own game right. Must try to improve his aerial prowess and fitness and stay positive.

Ollie Fairbanks 7 & 7 Total 14/20
Looked sharp and organised and was never really troubled. Kept his composure and rarely moaned even though the decisions were frustrating him. Some fierce slide tackles.
Target : Command the defence more, more voice and more passion, let the other defenders know that he is the boss at the back and impose himself on games more.

Ian Cawley 7 &5 12/20
Good performance generally but definitely guilty of ball watching and appealing for decisions on occasions, which is not a usual character trait. Was never particularly troubled except for the goal. Good strong tackling.
Target: Keep up the good start to the season, one of the Cazbar most improved players so far. Extra fitness to give himself more of a chance in the final ten minutes is key.

Tom Kislingbury 7 & 7 14/20
Solid performance and showed some decent touches, must be wary of getting sucked in too deep in attack. Attitude was a model for the rest of the defence, never moaned or threw his hand up once.
Target: Keep improving, positioning is the key, learning a little bit more every game and the hard work is paying off but every time you drift out of position it throws the balance of the defence.

Ben Lewis 8 & 8 16/20
Battled hard as ever and threw himself into every tackle. Put others to shame with his heading and never shys away from a tackle. Maintained composure even though he was being battered with unpunished fouls. Unlucky not to score and hit the post.
Target: try to hold that ball up and bring others into play – often difficult as there are no options on but hopefully that will change as we improve as a team.

Simon Fowler 8 & 2 10/20
Tackled well, linked up with Shannon and Danny well – just the attitude that wasn’t there, and when your playing well and moaning that rubs off on the rest of the team. Cant fault the commitment, the desire, the skill on the ball, simply disappointed that he let those weaker players in the opposition and the ref get to him. Booked for dissent.
Target: Use his skills to encourage others around him who are less technically gifted, try to focus more on the positives during the game and save the moaning for the end when we can all have a good rant.

Shannon 9 & 4 13/20
man of the match but for his attitude. As with Simon he needs to rise above the C**P, too good and gifted a player to waste his time getting frustrated by petty on the field incidents. Looked breathtaking down the wing and the opposition had no answers to his skill and touch.
Target: improve personal confidence, there are no players in the division with the amount of ability on the ball that Shannon posseses, make your mark on games and start ripping these defenders to shreds. Cut the whiney C**P out, it looks much better when you nutmeg someone than when your slagging them off!

Todd – 6 & 7 13/20
Struggled with the game out there and clearly carrying an injury, needed to be subbed second half and unfortunately there were no options available.
Target: Must look to get more involved in the game throughout the whole of the 90 minutes, periods of high quality play are often mixed with quieter periods and must work on keeping the intensity throughout. Legs will obviously play a big factor in whether that’s possible.

Danny Deal – 8 & 7 15/20
2 goals in 2 games now for Danny and he is looking particularly hungry up front. Full of running and with the right service seems to have jump on most of the defenders in this league. Let his attitude slip during the game as he got sucked into the moaning culture that crept into the whole team.
Target: as service is improving so is the goal tally, would be nice to reach ten goals by the end of the season to make this a truly successful first season.

James Davis – 8 & 2 10/20
James was guilty for the third time this season of asking for a decision rather than getting on with the game, simply unacceptable and from a player who should know better. Was good in the tackle and linked well with the players around him. Needs to be an example to the rest of the team and show the spirit he showed on the sideline after being subbed not the negative attitude which achieves nothing on the pitch apart from hindering his performance.
Target: Act like a Vice captain and set the example out there, when he leads properly the team has a winning mentality – when he moans the whole team disintegrates.

Subs:

Stu M 5 & 9 14/20 Difficult to make an impact with only 20 mins on pitch. Showed a positive attitude though when coming on even if he didn’t see too much of the ball.
Target: must stamp his authority out there – use that height and strength that he showed in training in the summer to make himself a first choice, has the ability and if he takes his opportunities when they arise will be rewarded with a regular starting place.

Luke Gachet: 3 & 9 12/20 Great attitude but just couldn’t catch the pace of the game this week and looked a little lost at times.
Target: Keep up the good spirit shown and the performances will follow, maturing as an 11 aside player all the time but must remain focused on positioning and strength in the tackle.

Steve Peacock – Target : Needs to improve fitness, only thing preventing him from being more readily involved in games.

James Heylar – Target: not much to improve, could do with some more speed work for those races out to meet attackers.

Charlie Burdett – Target: must try to get more involved as a team player.

Darren Walsh – Target: continue probing as he is when the opportunities arise, doing little wrong when fit and able to play.

Sam Lewis – Target: build on good start to career and keep putting in the strong performances.

Howard – target – stop breaking things !

Team Targets for the rest of the season:
1) Win a game
2) Play together as a team for each other
3) Get stronger faster fitter, individually and as a team
4) Win every header, win every tackle, take every chance
5) Make it impossible for me to drop you!
6) Encourage – no more pathetic whining!