Ian Perkins

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In: Five Conclusions, Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News

After 10 days off, it was not a happy return to Huish Park for Yeovil Town. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions from a miserable night under the lights.

Where was the intent? From the kick off Wealdstone seemed to show all the intent, energy and desire. They controlled the ball – albeit it was Cooperball-esque – but we were never able to keep it and build our own pressure. Every scrap of something we had was a ball out to Oluwabori or Plant and hoping they could make something happen. All over the pitch we were sloppy with our passing and I thought, tactically, we had no answer to the visitors. Even if you take the conditions into account, Wealdstone had no problems and we cannot use it as an excuse. Wealdstone looked the like the home team last night [insert jab about training in Bristol] and that’s pretty damning.

Aaron Jarvis’ effort goes inches wide. Picture courtesy of Debs Curtis.

One step forward, two steps backwards. The improved performance against Carlisle United gave supporters a nugget of hope. We appeared to have turned a corner and the hope was to build some momentum. Maybe get some players back in and fit. Sadly, Sims and McGavin weren’t ready and yet again we still looked leggy. Oluwabori had little impact, Morais made no difference from the bench and Jarvis and Campbell were feeding off scraps. Even the Efete and Nurse, who I though looked good in the last outing, barely completed a pass to a teammate. Maybe the Carlisle draw (only our second all season) papered over the cracks, but our next two are even more difficult against Scunthorpe and Southend.

Goals goal goals. Nine matches at home this season, nine goals, three of which came against Gateshead. 25 goals at home last season, 18 at home in 22/23, 20 in 21/22.  Bar the National League South season (46), we’ve not had many chances to cheer during League matches. It feels like a tale as old as time in the National League, we struggle to created chances for our strikers. Last night was no different, Jarvis nearly got on the end of a cross in the 2nd half, but he and Campbell spent so much time coming deep to get the ball and bring others into the game but they get zero service. Oh for a Sonny Blu…

Mussa ran the midfield. Wealdstone’s number four seems to love Huish Park. Back in October 2021 he pulled the strings for W*ymouth in Yeovil’s 1-1 FA Cup draw and he did it again last night. Cool on the ball, fancy feet get out of tight spots – which set them on their way to a second goal – and read the game expertly. With McGavin and Maddox to return from injury to add to Joliffe and McCormick in the midfield, I really hope we can see some of that in our midfield. Or maybe, we can sign him in January? It’s not always raining sideways Omar.

What’s left this season? We’ve not even reached firework night and I feel like the reasons to believe this season are ebbing away. The minor momentum and good-will from Carlisle vanished last night with boos ringing around Huish Park on full time. Hopefully the FA Trophy draw is kind to us and we get can get a decent run in that. But, I’ve not seen enough consistency to think we can achieve anything more than mid-table this season. I hope I’m wrong on that and hope that preparation for 2026/27 is going on in parallel because, if the attendance is going to stay over 2,000, we need something to believe in.

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In: Glovers Past, Podcasts

In 2009, a couple of young loanees turned up from Tottenham Hotspur and made an instant impact. One of those, Jonathan Obika, came back a further three times leaving a mini-mark on Huish Park. On this month’s Glovers Past, we catch up with the former striker who scored 24 times in his 77 appearances in green and white.

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In: Gloversblog, Latest Yeovil Town News

Yeovil turned their dreadful October form around to earn a point against high-flying Carlisle United but probably deserved more. Here are Ian’s Conclusions from Huish Park.

For the love of god, please can we stick with the back four? There’s irony in the fact that we are healthily stocked at centre back but, once again, look so much more comfortable with two rather than three. The Wannell and Williams combination returned and we looked immediately more calm, composed and controlled. I thought that was Wannell’s best performance of the season and he was every bit the Rolls Royce centre back we’ve enjoyed over the last two campaigns. George Nurse looks the part at left back – although he understandably tired towards full time and Michee Efete had a good game on the other side up against one of the league’s best players in Regan Linney. 

Jake Wannell. Pic: Gary Brown

Max Jolliffe had a great debut. We debated throwing him in Friday’s podcast, but based on that small sample size, he’s more than ready. We’ve been crying out for mobility in midfield and Jolliffe gave the Glovers that in abundance. He’s keen in the challenge and showed some real quality on the ball. He deserved the standing ovation he received after his substitution and credit goes to the club for spotting a real gem.

The front two were a handful. I think that was probably the best we’ve seen of Aaron Jarvis this season and he and Tahvon Campbell were a real nuisance for Carlisle’s back four. So often this season we’ve seen Jarvis get embroiled in wrestling with defenders to no avail, but I think he got the better of Carlisle’s’ centre backs and we got to see some more of him with the ball and bringing players into the game. I thought Campbell put in a good all-rounders performance too. He had to do the work in between midfield and attack and did the hold up play too, whilst making life awkward for his opposing defenders.

They all count, Tahvon. Pic: Gary Brown

That was a reassuring performance. That was just the tonic the supporters needed after the poor run. Many – me included – feared a bit of drubbing at the hands of a team that is unbeaten in October but we really showed that there’s more to this team than what we’ve seen of late. There were good performances across the pitch and that should be reassuring for supporters who, understandably, have felt miserable following 3-0 defeats to Boreham Wood, Rochdale either side of the dire FA Cup loss at Hemel Hempstead. 

Let’s get some bodies fit! With no match now until the 4th of November we’ve now got a good chunk of time to get some players back fit and firing. Five out of the six outfield substitutes were defenders with the sixth being the returning James Daly who’s been out since August through injury. When Wealdstone come to town on November 4th, there’s a possibility that we have Brett McGavin, Junior Morias, Josh Sims and even Jacob Maddox back available in some form which would turn that ‘small squad of quality’ to a medium-sized squad of quality.

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In: Podcasts

A fair bit has gone on this week!

Charlie Cooper has left, Ben Wodskou too, we’ve exited the SMPC, skippered the youngest captain in YTFC history, signed a player on loan, have another on the way and host Carlisle tomorrow.

Ian, Ben and Dave catch up on all of the above and take your questions.