Lancashire shrimper
Youth Team
- Joined
- Sep 19, 2005
- Messages
- 166
I'm a bit worried the age of the squad will cause problems for us, are the older members of our squad going to be able to put in 100% twice in a week?
Tomorrow will be Bury's 4th game in 11 days, their third at home in 10 days. That means they'll also be knackered and their pitch will be difficult to play on.
Their new manager has got them playing pretty well - I know as I went to see them last week against Wimbledon. The pitch was very much cut up but even so Bury were by far the better team, they also bullied, battled, and harassed Wimbledon out of it, although looking at the stats afterwards possession was about the same for both teams, Wimbledon guilty of more fouls. Both surprised me as I felt it was all pretty much one way. Even Wimbledon's goal was an own goal.
George Miller, on loan from Middlesboro, and Zeli Ismail impressed. Miller scored from the rebound on a fluffed penalty. When they attacked it was always in numbers. I took to counting the Bury players in the Wimbledon box a few times - always 4 or 5. I Tactics seemed to be - get it in the box and see what happens. Where they did come unstuck was on the counter - caught short a few times. They were poor in that respect and easy to see where they will leak goals against any half decent team, despite their recent run of form. Adam Thompson and Peter Clarke in defence though. Some (almost amusing) scuffles and tackles between Thompson and Joe Piggott. Both were booked for silly fouls.
Cold night, glad when the final whistle went, Gigg Lane is a grim place in winter. Also no zest in being a neutral, even to see 3 ex-shrimpers and how they're doing.
Bury will be desperate for a result. Anything to take them off the bottom, even more so above neighbours Rochdale. Southend will need to be focused.
My last game was at RH against Charlton. Looking forward to giving Chris Powell a belated cheer for coming home. I haven't seen Dru Yearwood play yet either so looking forward to seeing what all the fuss is about.