or not as most people seemed to swerve it

Last friendly and 1,136 turned up, must be out shopping with the boss eh!!

I went to the cinema too see angry birds n then wynyard park for a pic nic.

Don't do friendlies.


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Nice run out for the team, in my opinion they played some good football let's hope they keep it up

Most people do swerve friendlies as they are utterly pointless as a fan they only serve purpose for players and managers.

Leyton Orient played Gillingham at home today, the crowd was 700 (League Two v League One, same as us) so over a thousand isn't bad really. Encouraging to read we played some decent stuff though, bring on the proper stuff next Saturday, can't wait.

We did play some good football Lewis Hawkins and Rob Jones our stand out players. Toto looks a bit suspect at times (he's certainly no Adam Jackson), and clearly Thomas needs to start as we only created chances to score when he came on.

When is somebody going to pull the trigger instead of walking it in though

I thought allesandro was decent second half, right about Thomas though, we only started to threaten when he came on.

I'd go but not paying £10. Cheaper for a league game with a season ticket ain't it?

I know friendlies do not matter but no goals scored against league teams in England or Scotland. Hard season ahead ?

Can't see us scoring ALL SEASON!!!!!!!!!!!

A good workout against a good team.
Off the pitch funny as fuck when that seagull shit on that lad in the millhouse terrace.

It was like a scene from the birds

Wasn't a bad game, just got crowded out in the final third. Defence looks shaky mind.

I went today with the lad - good to be back

My thoughts are....

We played the ball about really well at times, it was good to watch but in the first half I don't recall us having a shot....other than a Paynter header that went wide.

We played a midfield diamond but the left and right sided midfielders weren't very wide so the full backs spent most of the first half looking for a ball to a winger who wasn't there so had to either play it inside to a marked midfielder with his back to goal or play it back to a centre half and start again. Woods played in front of the back four, Deverdics played left midfield but not wide with Hawkins on the other side, again not very wide. Allesandra played behind a front two of Paynter and Amond.

Whilst we were generally pleasing on the eye when in possession, we never really created anything in the first half and, as someone said above, it took Thomas to come on before we had some real chances and we could've scored a few in the second half. Paynter could've dinked one over the keeper but the keeper saved it (it was a fairly difficult finish to be fair to him), Thomas headed a free header wide, Carroll hit the angle of bar and post with a drive form the left side of the penalty area and Allesandra hit the side netting after rounding the keeper - very difficult angle from where I was stood.

Hawkins gets better all the time. Spreads play well and isn't panicked in possession when he has a few opponents around him.

Deverdics looks ok. Not great, but ok. He was a bit weak in the 50/50's but it was only a friendly so I'll let him off.

Allesandra is quality. Not the quickest but he is a very decent player. Good in possession, creative and works hard.

Nsiala actually looked pretty good. Strong, good in the air and all that....but he has a mistake or two in him. Brought one of their lads down on the edge of the box, when I say 'brought' I mean 'wrestled', not sure if it would've been a red with the new rules but the ref gave nowt other than the free kick.

Magnay was ok, still prefer Duckworth though.

Carroll was regularly caught in possession with no forward ball because there was no winger so whilst it looked like he had a fairly poor game I'm not 100% sure it's entirely his fault. He should be told where to play it based on how the manager wants us to play. He also got grief from some quarters when he wasn't in position to mark their winger but it really wasn't his fault, Carroll had been attacking and Woods didn't cover the wingers' run, so in that instance I'd point the finger at Woods.

Jones didn't do anything wrong. Won his headers and defended well enough.

Liam Donnelly did nothing to help his cause. First touch conceded a free kick, second touch was an attempted 10-15 yard square ball to, I think, Carroll that he managed to put over Carroll's head into touch.

I'm starting to like Josh Laurent. I thought he played well against Sunderland and he did well when he came on today. Again, decent on the ball.

I will admit to being a little disappointed when Fenwick left because he has goals in him which is pretty important for a football team. I thought he lacked a bit of quality and missed a fair few chances but he still scores. Now I've seen Amond I reckon we've got the better deal. He is very good. Looking forward to watching him this season.

Paynter had a decent game but so did Mirfin who marked him most of the game.

I just don't know how hignett is going to fit all the attacking players we now have in the team. He has to play Paynter, Amond, Thomas and Allesandra. I also can't see how he can drop Hawkins. Amond would be playing completely out of position if he played wide right but if he plays up front with Paynter that will leave Thomas on the left wing and Allesandra behind the front two (maybe he can play a bit further back?....or can he play wide right? dunno). Hawkins centre mid and still need to squeeze in Woods/Featherstone...if Allesandra can play right wing then fair do's but on today's performance surely he has play behind the front two? Oh and then there's Deverdics. I reckon he'll start on the bench. I think Walker will be struggling like buggery to get any game time. And Oates isn't a winger either.

So...starting 11 for next week...maybe:

Carson

Magnay - Bates - Nsiala - Carroll

Allesandra (RM) - Featherstone (DM) - Hawkins (CM) - Thomas (LM)

Paynter - Amond

Or replace Featherstone with Deverdics, play similar to today with a midfield diamond - Allesandra CAM, Deverdics RM and maybe Woods instead of Hawkins...but then we'll lack bite in midfield.

Be interesting to see how we line up.

Well done if you got this far. I'm fucking bored of my own chuffing post.

More importantly, my missus went shopping with my daughter whilst me and the boy went to the game and saw a bloke with his wife and his two young kids getting his fookin eyebrows threaded?!?! WTF is that all about? Is this modern man? Really? Holy cow.

Shit team.

Who'd bother?

Nice write Up Shilts, good stuff that.

As for eyebrow threading, my eyebrows would be like Roy Hattersley's if I left all the ones that look like pubes in them. So I pull them out with pliers.

Fook me you do go on shilts.

Great write up by the way

Good post sir but I'm not sure Amond would be totally out of position in wide area, I think he was winger converted in recent seasons into a Striker.

It would seem a bit radged playing a lad who scored 37 times last season out wide though, so I think we do need to find a system built around a front two, at least at home maybe revert to 4-3-3/4-5-1 away.

Now you see, for me, that's the kind of modern man that's acceptable.

Acknowledging that pube eyebrows isn't the best look in the world and just pulling the fookers out with a combination of fingers, tweezers, pliers or bolt croppers in the privacy of your bathroom/shed is acceptable.

Taking the chuffing family out for the afternoon, swerving a perfect opportunity to watch football in favour of letting your kids and missus watch a fully grown man being 'pampered' is just not right.

I despair. I really do.

First game for a few months Mr Chessington. Was a bit giddy, friendly or not. Just a phase. It'll pass.

Ah ok, didn't know that about Amond. But I agree, you don't bring in a player with, what was it? the fifth best goals per game ratio in Europe and play him out wide.

Also agree need to play two up top....

Fair enough shilts, maybe you can be the new chip. Have you played footy at a reasonable level, do you jump train barriers and are you easy on the eye

For the ladies of course

Good write up, but I'd be basing my team selection/line up around getting the best out of Thomas before Amond/Paynter.

The only chip I'm possibly the new one of is a crinkle cut one with all the wrinkles I have - according to my missus. They're laughter lines. She hasn't got any cos she's a miserable get.

As for playing, I'm the one that got away like all the others. My local vets team are the current beneficiaries of my whippet like pace, vision and goalscoring prowess. Unless I'm injured. Which has been quite often this last 12 months. Injured now if you wanted to know. Very, very nearly signed for Eccleshill United many, many years ago. That's the closest I got - Northern Counties East League. The travelling was too much so never bothered. (York to Bradford when I couldn't drive meant - bike to train station, train to Leeds, train to Bradford, bus to the ground and then back again before a 6am start the following morning).

Worked for the railway many years ago, does that count?

Of course. I am Yorkshire's very own Brad Pitt. Or possibly mining pit. It's one of those.

Aye. Without Thomas in the first half Scunthorpe had us at arm's length.

I can only sympathise if that happens to someone, seagulls went through a time two seasons ago where they seemed to be aiming for me every week.


I was bit twice in one afternoon at the Vic.

Shilts - "I just don't know how Hignett is going to fit all the attacking players we now have in the team."

I'd wondered what his formation might be as the signings emerged over the months, so it will be a test of his management skills to motivate & keep happy those who are not in the team.

How about putting Paynter on the bench and starting with Allessandro and Amond up front? If we are going to pass it on the deck these two have pace and a good touch something Billy doesn,t have????

Paynter doesn't have a good touch!? Have you watched him play?

I'd say that was one of his main strengths, taking in balls with his back to goal, holding it up and finding a blue shirt. Maybe not pace granted but Paynter is one of the first names on the teamsheet for me.

If you think Paynter has a bad touch i think you may have been watching a different player to me, as PJ says thats probably one his biggest assets!. Without doubt has to start, but it will be interesting to see how we line up. Defo still short of a couple players, we have no steel in midfield and only one left back!.

Paynter on the bench? No thanks.

I`m with you on this, the Paynter fans watch closely next game, it`s as if the ball has the pox!

'Paynter fans' Jesus Christ.

The bloke scored 15 goals in just over 30 starts for us last season. You were talking shite about him during pointless friendlies this time last year.

In regards to his general play, not just friendlies, my opinion of the man, do you have to hyperbolize everything?

His general play is very good, one of the best features of his game. He's an old fashioned centre forward yes but every centre back he plays against is in a game he puts himself about and he has very good touch and awareness. If you want complete players you are watching the wrong level of football.

Really?

I think you will find he is on his arse more often than not, Mirfin threw him over 3 times on Saturday, he goes down too easy for a big lad.

He's one of the only streetwise lower League experienced proven players we have. He falls over, backs in, gets at the refs ear, basically tries to buy us free kicks and is the type of player and character most of the better teams at this level have.

Maybe he should be able to 'jump higher'

That would help also, stand his ground, man up and trap a ball, you know, do the job he is paid for, not a lot to ask for is it?

I wonder if there is a job description for old fashioned centre forward

Come on Mr Butt, he's easily in the top 3 at the club.

He very rarely has a bad game, holds up the ball, plays other in, wins free kick after free kick when he has no right to and does his job - scores goals....what else do you want him to do? oh yes and he's clever....

....there was an incident where Mirfin had his arms round him about rib height so Paynter pinned Mirfin's arms where they were with his upper arm and claimed Mirfin was holding him - it looked to everyone like he was being held, unfortunately for Paynter the ref was only a couple of yards away so could either tell or he decided it was half a dozen of one etc - but the point is, it's things like that that will win us free kicks in goalscoring areas, maybe not on this occasion but he does it all the time.

Put Luke James (as hardworking etc as he is) in the same position and he'd try to wriggle out of it because he hasn't got the experience / is perhaps a bit too honest.

I don't know how you can't rate him very highly. Great asset at this level.

Man up?

Billy Paynter should man up and trap a ball?

Jesus Christ what do some people watch.

He`ll do for now

Just pulling PJ`s chain, he can`t sleep unless I tease him a little

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Take it I'm missing some comedy gold here...

Gold Jerry gold


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Clean his seat like an old fashioned centre forward would!!!!!

Monkeybutt gives a fuck

I should've known to be fair Mr Butt. Schoolboy error really.