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Chester FC 1-3 Barros Park Avenue Pre-Season Friendly

October 23rd, 2012 by goodwin14

I didn’t see this result coming. Overall I am not concerned about the result or for that matter the performance. It is a preseason friendly after all and its function is to ensure the players are fit for the start of the season. That being said we were poor very much like Arsenal against Norwich last Saturday. We can do better than that and we will do better than that but I am not going to be dragging players into the car park and executing them (yet) for that performance.

As per standard operating procedure the strongest team was selected. For the first time I have concerns about a player and that is Sarcevic. He is not performing the way i want him to and he is not even endeavouring to which is the most annoying thing. Today’s game is a marker for him as I want him to perform the role I have assigned him and even though he needs time to adapt to the role the team comes first and the season opener is just around the corner.

Again as standard it was my preferred formation of 4-4-2 and that would be adhered to regardless of how the game went. I will stress this is not tactical ineptitude or inflexibility, it is simply a case of wanting maximum non competitive time to get the men ready for the competitive fixtures.

The game started and it was a non cutting start. We assumed control of possesion and passed the ball around comfortably and Borras were content to let us have it in our half and pressing us when we crossed the halfway line.

After eleven minutes a simple ball into the penalty area bisected the centre back (Collins) and the full back (McGinn) and Wheeler ran on to it and placed it across the keeper and Borras were one up. Danby could have done better but at the end of the day he didn’t.

We retained control of the ball but the same pattern was established as we did not penetrate at all. Suprisngly we drew level after twenty six minutes when the ball was passed around without really probing when the ball found its way to Powell who dad centre hit the ball from about thirty five yards outs and it screamed in off the bar.

At this stage I felt we would begin to roll Borras over but the pattern remain. Borras were comfortable and were only breach by a thunderbolt of a strike.

There were no changes at half time as is normal and I expected to make my standard changes after sixty minutes.

Borras came out for the second half wanting it. The ran us ragged in the second. A fact I am disappointed about. They gave us a warning shot when the hit the bar or the post and even then we didn’t heed it and a few minutes latter Drew headed a cross home with two of our defenders in tow.

For the first time I issued instructions from the side line. I would not have ordinarily in a prerseason game but we were that damn bad. Also the entire was changed after the sixty minute mark and I got no real response.

Borras at this point were flying and everything they tried worked and every thing we tried didn’t and the day’s misery was complete when Fearon pulled a double save from first Fisher-Cooke and then Blackmore but was unable to keep the third effort this time from Drew out. The biggest concern was that the defence was unable to pose a challenge to the attack.

At the end of the game I put it into perspective for the players and told them don’t worry about it as it was all about the fitness but with the last game now a week away and the season a week later it is time we were approaching match fitness and turned in a decent performance against Hawarden Rangers.

A lot of players were sub standard today but Sarcevic was poor. Again there was no real intent to drive down the wings as intended so I decided that he would not start the final preseason game. I am aware he needs time but I need a winger to do his job. He has pushed himself out the starting eleven it would seem.

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