Carla Devine discusses her team before Saturday’s game…
Hi there, so before we talk about the Bees – tell us a bit about yourself and how long have you supported the club?
Hi I’m Carla. I’m 21 years old and currently studying my masters in football communications and digital marketing at Wembley. My parents took me to my first game away at Blackpool when I was 16 months old & I’ve been hooked ever since! I’m originally from Leeds so growing up supporting Barnet meant I spent a lot of time spent on the M1, but since moving to London it’s been much easier!
What have been your highlights of the season so far?
We’ve had some fun away trips this season, Dover was good and Grimsby despite losing there. But the highlight for me would have to be our trip to Stockport the other week. The game had everything and we came away with a well deserved 3 points against a good side.
How’s your recent form been?
Our recent forms been okay and we’ve seen a definite improvement which has been reflected by our position in the table. We’ve picked up some good wins and only lost 2 league games since October, one of which was against Wrexham which isn’t too bad.
Who would you say are your key players and why?
Harry Taylor is an obvious choice for me. He may not be noticed as much but he gets everywhere and does a lot of the dirty work. Ephron Mason-Clark is a very gifted player down the wing too. In recent games Kian Flanagan has shown his value in midfield. He does well at holding the ball and making good runs.
When you have as many new arrivals as we did, it’s a bit of a mixed bag! In general those who are playing regularly have settled in now but it was clear at the start of the season they would need time to gel. It’s getting there but sometimes you do see two of the older players link up and think that’s what we need to get back to!
Who’s the gaffer and how does he like to set the team up?
Dean Brennan is now our manager although the word ‘interim’ still comes before his name so who knows how long he’ll have the title! We set up a lot more positively now and seem more confident to get forward and play a passing game. With players coming back from injury our defence has improved too and you can tell Brennan wants us to be reliable defensively.
Where’s best for the Yellow Army to grab pre-match food and drinks?
Unfortunately there’s not much around the ground now but Moranos is a popular bar by Cannons Park station at the back of The Hive. I’ve never been but I’ve heard good things about a Turkish place called Melissa’s and Cannon’s Tandoori for a curry both by the station too. The nearest Wetherspoons is in Kingsbury which is 2 stops from Cannons Park on the Jubilee Line.
Which opposition teams and players have impressed you most so far?
To be honest, there hasn’t been many teams this season that I’ve thought look much better than the rest. We had Notts County first day of the season and in my opinion they were the best side I’ve seen so far. Player wise Paul Mullin’s an obvious one. We failed to deal with him and he played well. Tshimanga was a big threat too and got a hat-trick against us.
What would you say are your main strengths and weaknesses as a team?
This is a bit of a hard one as we’ve had a transformation under Brennan but I’d say we finally have the passion there and it feels like everyones on the same page. We’ve improved defensively and seem a lot more solid at the back too. Although we play decently going forward, our end product is still lacking and sometimes it feels like players are a bit afraid to shoot.
And finally, give us a prediction for Saturday’s game?
I’ll go for a 1-1 draw and a nervy final 10 minutes for us Barnet fans as we try not to concede a late goal!
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