Ian Perkins (Page 15)

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Yeovil Town hosts a fans’ forum tonight for the first time in as long as I can remember. Aside from sporadic Supporters’ Alliance Group meetings (which are a thing of the past now as far as I understand) and You-Know-Who’s infamous meeting with supporters once our open letter (with 1,500 signatures) forced him to resurface, we’ve not really done this. So, credit goes to the club for inviting supporters in at a time when the discourse on social media sites has been highly critical in the wake of recent results and performances.

I don’t think its unreasonable to suggest that the commentary on social media has led to tonight’s forum, that both chairman and owner Martin Hellier and manager Mark Cooper will attend to answer supporters’ questions. This type of engagement has been long-coming and will hopefully be the first of a regular structured two-way conversation with supporters. But, it has to be constructive and respectful to be worthwhile.

The early scores on YeoGov survey that I threw out on Saturday suggest that the vitriol online doesn’t necessarily match with mood in general – a shock I know! In what will be a surprise to some, the 140+ respondents, on average, have scored above the middle score of 4 across the board for how they’re feeling right know. Maybe, we’re a fairly rational bunch on the whole after all?

I was reflecting on Friday night’s stalemate with Gateshead and the future of our attack. With top scorer Aaron Jarvis out for the next three months, Yeovil had to change the approach going forward with Ciaran McGuckin leading the line in a very different way to Jarvis. We’re not going to be tossing the ball up for defenders to battle in the air with McGuckin up top and as a result a decrease in those grappling-induced decisions which have frustrated players, staff and supporters might just help with our on-pitch discipline and keep heartrates down in the stands.

Ciaran McGuckin in the thick of it against Gateshead. Courtesy of Gary Brown

I’m not a huge fan of gambling on balls down the channels but with our patient possession we can draw defenders out (as we tried on Friday) there could he plenty of space for the speedy McGuckin to capitalise on. Defenders will have a much different task on their hands with him up front than Jarvis in these next few weeks. The misfortune of Jarvis injury means we’ve potentially found a Plan B (which will be Plan A for the foreseeable) but also leaves me wondering what could be with a classic four four f**king two!

Football’s heart is in the community that it serves in our part of the pyramid

If ever you needed a reminder as to why supporting a club that needs you trumps all, the alleged story emerging from Manchester United on X is that clear reminder. A dementia-suffering season ticket holder of 45 years has had his season ticket cancelled after not scanning the QR code for the last five matches because of helpful stewards letting him in with his paper copy. There’s plenty of top-flight football bollocks which is off-putting and this yet another example of it.

There’s an easy PR win for Manchester United here. But based on the new regime’s track record, it’ll stay on course while alienating local supporters to make that money on the tourist supporters. The COVID pandemic took the shine off of the Premier League for me. While clubs like ours suffered and had their property sold off, the big boys continued to rake it in and pay out to millionaire footballers (and even tried to break away to cash even further). Football’s heart is in the community that it serves in our part of the pyramid. The corporations and states might pretend to understand it, but they’ll never embrace it.

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Our YeoGov standards have slipped this season, and for that I apologise. We know how important it is to gather the views and opinions of supporters and this is the reboot of the YeoGov poll to get us a benchmark and back in the rhythm.

Ahead of the Fan Forum on Tuesday, I’ve put together the below YeoGov survey on Google Forms to gauge the views of our loyal readers and listeners.

So, please let us know your scores on the survey below and any other thoughts or suggestions in the final comment box.

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In: Five Conclusions, Gloversblog

Yeovil and Gateshead played out a goalless draw under the Huish Park lights on Friday night. Here are my Five Conclusions.

Ciaran McGuckin holds off the defender. Picture: Gary Brown

It was an improved performance. I thought we played with a lot more purpose and intent last night, especially in the first half. There was a concerted effort to get the ball forward more quickly and I enjoyed the way our defenders hassled Gateshead when they started knocking it around in our half. We enjoyed plenty of possession as well against a side who normally likes to have the ball themselves, but the visitors were set up to be defensively sound and get away with what they could and could have nicked it late on.

What a difference with a left-back. Oh how we’ve missed Alex Whittle. It’s quite the unlock having the left-back return from injury. Mark Cooper was able to return to a back four (prompting celebrations in Perkins HQ) and I thought we looked much more assured. There’s a place for the back three and wingbacks, we made it work for a bit when we needed to but I’m back four kind of guy. I thought our structure looked better and everyone knew what their job was. Charlie Cooper and Matt Worthington made it difficult for the Gateshead midfield giving Brett McGavin that deep playmaker role and in Sims and McGurk we had genuine width. Give me wingers!

Alex Whittle returned to the starting 11. Picture: Gary Brown

The Wright Stuff. Ollie Wright, take a bow for that save in the closing stages. That will be on the lad’s show reel for years to come. Moments after being saved by his post, Wright had to deal with a tremendous effort from McGowan to tip wide of his other post. The growth we’ve seen in Wright through the season has been great to see. He’s comfortable with the ball at his feet and in recent weeks has started to dominate from crosses and corners.

We need to build on this performance. The next match is a trip to seventh-placed Rochdale, which won’t be easy. There were still groans in the stands at full time, but this wasn’t Woking or Ebbsfleet levels. With the recent additions of Twamley and Maddox and the injury to Aaron Jarvis, we’re inevitably going to see a different kind of attacking play from here on out. I feel like I’ve said this before, hopefully it clicks and we start putting teams to bed.

Mr 250, Matt Worthington. I can’t finish without mentioning Matt Worthington. Back into the team and giving his typical performance in midfield. It’s a remarkable achievement at our level to reach 250 games and Worthy has seen it all. He joined us when we were an EFL club and has seen some dark days in between lifting the National League South trophy last season. I’ve no doubt the opportunities to leave Huish Park have come his way through the years but he’s stuck by Yeovil, and Yeovil by him. He has always given everything in a Yeovil shirt and is the standard-bearer with his work-rate. Congratulations Worthy!

Matt Worthington in his 250th match for Yeovil. Picture: Gary Brown

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Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper spoke of mistakes at both ends of the pitch costing his side at bottom club Ebbsfleet United.

The Glovers went in to the break 1-0 up courtesy of a stunning solo effort from Swindon Town loanee Sean McGurk before a defensive lapse saw Aaron Cosgrave equalise after 57 minutes.

They failed to muster a shot on target despite Ebbsfleet, who have now conceded 65 goals in their 27 league matches, having defender Mustapha Olagunju sent off on 66 minutes.

Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Josh Perkins after the game, Cooper said: “It is just one mistake that is really hurting us. There’s no really any danger and then we switch off defensively and they run through and score, but I thought we dominated large parts of the game. Second half, we had some brilliant chances, and we have to finish the game, but we didn’t.”

Against an Ebbsfleet side willing to sit in and grab anything they could to aid their relegation fight, Yeovil looked devoid of any attacking threat following the departure of Aaron Jarvis on the hour mark with a hamstring injury.

Cooper said: “We had some brilliant chances in the second half. People will say we didn’t cross the ball enough, but they’ve got ten men inside the box and it is about trying to pull them out of position, which we did a couple of times. That should  have led to more goals and a comfortable win. But you have to take the point sometimes and respect it. We are frustrated but we have to move on.”

He added: “The biggest (sign of our) frustration is to shoot from anywhere when you need to keep working the ball side to side and not try and go through the middle, because that’s where their bodies are. We did that brilliantly, I think it was Dom (Bernard) who pulled it back and (Sean) McGurk side-footed it over the bar, (Josh) Sims got in, we did it numerous times. You have to be patient and cut them open and get the pull backs, which is what we did, but we just didn’t have that final finish.”

The loss of Jarvis on the hour mark broke any rhythm Yeovil had in their attacking play and Cooper said the striker was suffering a hamstring injury, the same injury which kept him out of action for long periods at Torquay United last season.

Speaking immediately after the match, the manager said he expected to be without Jarvis for “a couple of weeks”. He also confirmed full-back Michael Smith missed out with a hamstring injury sustained in last weekend’s 1-1 draw at home to Woking. 

Next up for the Glovers is Gateshead who make the long journey down to Somerset on Friday night looking to bounce back from a 3-1 home defeat to fellow play-off chasers FC Halifax Town on Tuesday night.

Asked what his side needed to do to turn around their form of no wins in five matches, Cooper said: “Mentality. It’s not coaching thing, it’s a mentality thing. We are conceding individual mistakes that are costing goals. It’s about it’s having that personality and winning mentality to make sure that you’re not the man to make the mistake. If we get 11 players doing that, then you start to keep clean sheets again, which we’ve got away from recently.”

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Morgan Alexander puts Yeovil Town Under-18s ahead. Picture courtesy of Matt Partridge.

Last week saw the news that Yeovil Town Under 18s have withdrawn from the Western Counties Floodlight League in order to protect the Huish Park pitch, which has been blasted with severe weather over the last few months. The club’s statement said that the league rejected our proposed change of venue for home fixtures forcing Yeovil’s hand to drop out of the competition. I understand that we’d agreed to use a local non-league club for the fixtures. The club has reiterated its commitment to development and is ‘working to arrange high-quality matches against top local league clubs’.

It’s a shame for the club, the kids and the league itself, that surely benefits from having Yeovil in the division, and for whatever political reason the decision has been made, it potentially impacts the future careers of some talented kids. Many of us clamour for that “Green Machine” that produced Chris Weale, Andy Lindegaard, Chris Giles, Craig Alcock and others who came through the academy and part of the first team. As we’ve seen down the road at Exeter, a thriving academy can prove lucrative and create the holy grail; a self-sustaining football club.

Could anyone else not help but get a bit jealous of our National League comrades in FA Cup 3rd Round action? Seeing Dagenham at Millwall and Tamworth take Tottenham (what do we think of Tottenham?) to the limit really hit home. The power of the FA Cup and what it can means for small clubs was very evident.

Distant Glover’s FA Cup commentary

It’s a disgrace that Tamworth’s reward for keeping Tottenham at bay for more than 90 minutes doesn’t see them earn a lucrative replay. That money would be club-changing for Tamworth and while they’ll get some attention, splitting the gate at Spurs would have been the real jackpot. The top teams have got their way though. While they have their multi-million pound training centres with every recovery remedy at their fingertips, Yeovil Town play their second match of three in the space of seven days tonight.

Assistant referee. Picture by Gary Brown

Once again, the officiating was up for discussion following the draw at Woking. There’ve been so many flash points this season, moments in games where you can’t quite believe what your seeing. It would be fascinating to know how other clubs feel about the officiating. Since Hartlepool on the opening day and Tom Parkes’ tackle on Jordan Young, referees have drawn the ire of Mark Cooper. After Gateshead, Boston, Solihull, Sutton United, Oldham, Tamworth, Southend, Halifax, York City, Forest Green Rovers, Woking there have been questions asked about key decisions in matches and comments around the officials. Is there a conspiracy against Yeovil? Are officials going into Yeovil matches with their backs up because of comments made about officials following previous matches? I’m not convinced there is a conspiracy against the Glovers but we certainly see some questionable decisions in our matches.

The ESPN National League Fair Play table from the past six seasons shows there was an increase in yellows per game last season with an average of 1.89 per match in 2023/24 compared to 1.59 in 2022/23. So far this season there’s an average of 2.08 yellows per match. So, either players are getting naughtier or they’re falling foul as the laws of the game change. I’m sure we all long for a fixture where the referee isn’t the topic and it’s all about the performance. However, based on the season so far, I’m sure we’re in for plenty more refereeing conversations.