Hamlet v Cray Valley (Isthmian League) Saturday 21st December 2024

[The Balance]

I’d like to see Hak tweak the formation from the 4-3-3 to a 4-2-3-1, like we played against Potter’s Bar. A small change, but one that could have big consequences, not least more defensive solidity.

Wynter + 1 as the double pivot gives the defence more protection.

If our wingers aren’t going to track back, then it allows each of those in the DP to cover a side of the pitch. Tbh I think Luke works v.hard off the ball, he was the player who blocked the ball behind for their corner in the 6th minute, from which we countered and scored.

Playing a no 10 gets someone closer to Mills/Lynch, or play both.

Porter/Robe/Lynch/Wanadio could all play there imo. Against PB it was Jeffrey, Wanadio, Marshall, some rotation but Luke was most central.

With Marshall/German’s injury issues I do find it strange we haven’t looked for another CB, even if on loan. Maybe we have and there’s no one of sufficient quality available.

 

[Pink Panther]

Strangely enough, if you take away our league position, we are as close to the play offs as we are to the relegation zone.

I've seen league tables (many over the decades) with us in much more perilous positions than we are at the moment.

We have double the points that Bognor have, and that is just beautiful

I noticed that too. There's quite a narrow spread of points between top 5 and bottom 4. The trouble is we're getting worse, not better, with recent form of 3 points from 7 games without a win. Then there's the elephant in the room in the shape of 42 goals conceded in half a season.

I can't see us making up that 6 points gap to the top 5 because of the sheer number of other teams we'd need to overtake. Even if we get close points wise, one or two of those above will also have a strong second half of the season. We're looking at needing a minimum 45-50 more points to have a chance, so around 20 more points in the second half of the season than in the first half.

Last season we appeared to have given ourselves a chance with a lengthy run that had us in the top 2 or 3 of the current form guide from December through to March until the wheels fell off in the final 6 games, but with other contenders also improving, we'd have needed maximum points from those last 6 games just to squeeze into 5th place on goal difference.

To be honest I'm not that bothered about the play-offs, I'd just like to enjoy the games a bit more without feeling we've been humiliated by a much better side. The only positive spin I can put on the last two home games is that we were beaten by the top two teams. Yet we scored first in both games and ended up well beaten each time. Next opponents Carshalton have just hit the top 5 on a long unbeaten run, so I'm not especially optimistic about that one right now. Then we have a run of 3 games against other teams in the lower half of the table, with trips to Cray Wanderers and Whitehawk, followed by the visit of bottom club Bognor. The one silver lining yesterday was Bognor (aka Jack Pearce FC) conceding a 95th minute equaliser.

Until the January of the Paul Barnes season, we were consistently picking up enough points to feel comfortable in lower mid-table without ever making ourselves completely safe, having been stuck in the bottom 4 when he was appointed. This time we seemed to have a platform for a genuine promotion challenge 6 weeks ago, but now it's starting to feel like one of those runs when you wonder where the next win is coming from. By the time Barnes got the push after a single point from 10 games I don't think anyone except his missus thought he could turn it around. I'm sure Hak and Terry are tougher and more experienced in anything resembling a crisis, but the defensive fragility all season looks worryingly similar to me.