TALKING POINTS

Matt Roberts

@MatthewVA438

Matt discusses the draw at Aldershot

CUTTING EDGE

It’s the story of our season, we can play some good stuff at times but it’s always the final ball. Players got themselves into good positions through careful build up play on Saturday but then seemed to run out of ideas or panic when approaching the Aldershot box. Either we gave it away or went backwards and the momentum was lost. Our lack of creativity was a key problem. How we missed the likes of Little or Lemonheigh-Evans, players who can make something out of nothing, play a ball that others don’t see coming. Alas, we have Evans and McGavin, the latter was better than previous games I’ve seen from him this season but still nowhere near the standard we require.

LOOKING FOR WIDTH

Part of the reason for our lack of cutting edge was the absence of any width at all. Our full backs would look for a pass out wide but there would be no option at all. Either they would play it inside into a congested midfield, or lump it forward hoping that our two strikers would sprint out wide to get on the end of it. Neither really worked at all. If we had access to at least one decent winger, I’m convinced the three points would have been ours. Put the likes of Nemane and Whitfield in that game (or even Dillon de Silva) and it would have been a cricket score-line, or a Liverpool v Manchester United score-line at the least.

THE STATE OF THE NATIONAL LEAGUE

This is a dreadful league, the worst National League I can remember in terms of quality. I’ve not seen many good teams this season and Aldershot are down there with the worst. They had no ideas or imagination with their main tactic seeming to launch it upfield hoping to get someone on the end of it (where have we heard that before?). Given their league position you can’t rule out them getting sucked into a relegation battle. It makes our situation all the more frustrating, how are we not higher in the league than teams like this? The answer, because even when we’re decent and try our best, we still can’t find a way to win.

GLASS HALF EMPTY OR HALF FULL?

There was a mix of opinion leaving the ground and in the pub afterwards. A point gained or two points dropped. I’m in the latter camp as at this stage of the season and in our position, we just have to be taking full points from games like that. If we can’t beat teams like Aldershot, who were woeful, then who can we beat? Single points don’t cut it now. We need wins to get it out of this mess.

THE YELLOW ARMY

Special mention for the away support on Saturday who as ever travelled in numbers (284) and made a right racket throughout. It was a great atmosphere from both home and away fans. Despite our problems on the pitch, our away support never ceases to amaze.