Gloversblog (Page 18)

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Three points on the board, two of our strikers on the scoresheet, and the biggest attendance in the sixth tier this weekend, it was a fruitful weekend for Yeovil Town. Here are Dave’s conclusions from his vantage point in the middle of the Thatcher’s Stand…..

WE GOT A WIN! I said in my pre-season hopes/predictions that the thing I was most looking forward to about this season was seeing some wins. It seems such a long time ago since seeing us win 2-0 at Dagenham & Redbridge – 196 days, to be precise, so this one was much needed. I’ll get on to how we got there and how it could have been better, but make no mistake – we needed a win, we got a win. That in itself was job done.

Yeovil Town celebrate the 2-1 home win over St Albans City.
Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Huish Park was looking fabulous. It was my first look at the new look Huish Park and I was thoroughly impressed. Whilst my journey (a five-hour drive down from the North West) meant that I missed the opening act on the main stage in the new Fan Zone, to see it filled with so many people was fantastic. One small point would be that there maybe needs to be a few more staff on at Badger’s Bar (lovely touch that, by the way, major kudos!) as the poor folks in there were overrun, but that is a fantastic addition. And if anyone ever had any doubt that ‘if you build it they will come’ – 3,326 home fans is your answer – plus 86 away ones. The highest is the sixth tier – 3,380 watched Scunthorpe draw 1-1 with Peterborough Sports in National League North whilst in our division 2,733 watched Torquay lose 3-0 at home to Worthing.

 

The Ciderspace Fan Zone on Saturday.

What a start. Having been at Hemel Hempstead seven days earlier, this start to the game was everything that game was not. Having selected a thoroughly attacking line-up – Hyde, Murphy, Nouble, can you imagine what would have been possible if we’d had just one of those last season? That opening showed exactly what we can be when we are in the mood and that has to become the norm if we are going to achieve something this season.

We saw the best and the worst of Will Buse. Oh Will. I genuinely cheered like it was a goal when Will Buse pulled off a stunning save after just five minutes to deny Jack Jones and keep that impressive start going. After his clanger (sorry Ben, but it was a clanger) at Hemel the previous weekend, that seemed to give him confidence and there is no doubt he’s an excellent shot stopper. However, the mistake which gifted St Albans their equaliser was a worry and is a worry. It’s a goalkeeper’s life, I know (I hear you, Ben) and you’re right that no other player’s mistake is as costly, I just hope he/we can cut out those errors.

Will Buse loses out in a battle for the ball at Hemel Hempstead Town.
Picture courtesy of Dan Finill.

The second half was nervy, but it will get better. At this point I have to give credit to St Albans, who I thought did not look out of the game at any point and the second half was quite uncomfortable at times. Our midfield – or Matt Worthington and Charlie Cooper, as they are known – seemed to get pulled out of position repeatedly and it was not until Josh Owers came on with six minutes (if you excuse the ten minutes added on at the end) from time that we looked anything like in control. It was nervy, very nervy. But we have to remember there a lot of players who are still getting to know each other, it’s going to take time but if we can win whilst they are doing it all the better.

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Yeovil Town Supporters, riled by constant nonsense have clubbed together to launch ‘Nonsense Free Day’ to take place on 9th of August every year.

With the club making worldwide headlines 24 hours of the day, 7 days-a-week for things that probably haven’t even happened, a group Glovers had had enough.

Following an opening day defeat, which was marred by nonsense of the highest order, the NFD organisation felt need to act. Speaking to exclusively Planet365 Express at their London Eye HQ Defin Itley-Arealname, NFD Executive Vice-Co Chairhuman said: “I’m just bored of it. We support a football club and its never about the football. Why on earth people feel the need to create drama from nothing, or put themselves in the spotlight is bewildering. We hope fellow Glovers join this day and pray for a quiet day where we can get on with our lives in peace.”

Peter Choppington, a pig farmer from Ninesprings Country Park has supported Yeovil Town for 89 years. “I fully support a nonsense free day. We’ve been through the ringer these last few years and quite frankly I’m sick of the lot of them. Hopefully this weekend will just be about the bloody bladder being kicked around on an actual field.”

Not everyone is on board though. We spoke to Stefan Knight, who claims to be a YTFC Supporter. Talking from his Albert Square base he said: “These bloody snow flakes can’t handle a bit of libel and fake news. [Burp] Rubbish. In my day we used scrap over a tin of corned beef on the terrace every weekend and we all laughed it off. [burps] All they want is their own way all the time and when they don’t they throw their toys out of the pram on social media, sharing private conversations. Snowflakes.”

“When I made my millions on the go-karts I very nearly bought Merriott FC and promised them hundreds of pounds, but you know…[he tailed off here] I know everything about everything,” he added.

While there’s no guarantee of a Nonsense Free Day, all we can do is hope that Wednesday 9th of August passes without anything globally newsworthy occuring in South Somerset.

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Yeovil vs Hemel Hempstead - Image Courtesy of Dan Finill

The National League South season has begun, and fr*stratingly it was more of the same from Yeovil Town as the Glovers shot themselves in the foot to lose 1-0. Here are Ian’s conclusions from the press box at Hemel Hempstead…

That was a bump back to reality. We know this already, but all the optimism, hope and goodwill in the world will not win football matches. We came into kick off riding the crest of a wave but by the time we final whistle was blown, we’d suffered a wipeout. This isn’t going to be an easy season and we aren’t going to steamroll teams. We were told Hemel were well organised and had a good team spirit and they showed that in spades, and got a bit of luck for their winner after a mix up between Zac Bell and Will Buse.

We really struggled to maintain meaningful possession. It was a really bitty game. Most of our chances came from set pieces, or the aftermath of set pieces. Rhys Murphy had a couple of efforts that he should have done better with in the first half. Hemel Hempstead executed a brilliant game plan, disrupting the flow of the game and taking their time on the restarts. Their narrow midfield really crowded the centre of the pitch and I felt we struggled to get the ball through Matt Worthing and Charlie Cooper because of that.

Jake Wannell
Jake Wannell – Image courtesy of Dan Finill

Jake Wannell had a solid game. The left-sided centre back had a dominant display, winning his defensive headers and tackling aggressively. He was composed on the ball and I thought his partnership with Alex Whittle on the left looked promising. I think our defensive unit looked pretty steady, but for a couple of slips on the surface. As regular readers will know, I did not enjoy wingbacks last season, but we seem to have more suitable players this season.

“We’re going to have to find a way to adapt to and get results when we travel to clubs with them.”

I’m not sure if that was a good artificial pitch or not, but I didn’t like it. It didn’t seem like a very even surface and the way Hemel played in that second half was as if they were shooting downhill. The familiarity the Hemel players had with the pitch compared to ours was plain to see, our passing wasn’t quite there and I didn’t think we looked comfortable on it. We’re going to have to find a way to adapt to it though and get results when we travel to clubs with them.

We need to keep calm. The expectation following a rejuvenating summer has, perhaps, given us an over-expectancy. Don’t get me wrong, we should be putting teams like Hemel away given the quality of our squad, but there was 45 more matches in this season and 135 points to play for. The goal came from a sloppy error at the back rather than Yeovil’s goal coming under regular heavy pressure. Mark Cooper described the result as a ‘slap round the face’, Frank Nouble said it as a ‘wake up call’. Our big day out was spoiled by a team and manager who knows how to get a result in National League South. Next weekend St Albans City (off the back of a 2-1 win over W*ymouth) come to Huish Park and we’ll need to lay down a marker of how good we are with our home performance. 

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On today’s Gloverscast we’ve heard the thoughts of Alex Fisher and regular Gloverscast contributors Chris Fox, Sheridan Robins and Elliot Watts about the season ahead. But, you’ve not heard what we think (for once) so we’ve scribbled down our thoughts on the season ahead below…

Ian Perkins

Thoughts on Summer:

Hasn’t it been nice to have a summer focused on the football and improvements at the club? The empty promises of ‘improving match day experience’ are long gone and we’ve seen genuine care and consideration taken in the improvements to our home. Mark Cooper has been given the freedom (and resources) to manage and build a squad that, on paper, looks well-equipped for a promotion push.

What are you most excited about?

Seeing some goals! With bagsman Rhys Murphy back, you’d expect us to score goals. With a rejuvenated Jordan Maguire-Drew, a fit Jordan Stevens, and the additions of Jake Hyde and Frank Nouble you’d hope that our days of struggling to find the back of the net will be behind us. The patterns during pre-season produced goal scoring opportunities which Mark Cooper’s side lapped up. So yeah, I’m excited to celebrate some goals.

Rhys Murphy in his first spell at Huish Park. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who is our key player?

We all think Jordan Maguire-Drew is going to be absolutely vital and a huge part of any success, but for the sake of this article (spoiler alert) I’m mixing it up and going with Rhys Murphy. We need goals, we’ve got a proven goalscorer who’s done it green and white and #knowsthelevel. JMD can create all the chances in the world, but without the bagsman inside the 18-yard-box it’ll mean diddly-squat.

Who will be our breakout star?

This one might be a bit silly, given his experience and the number of years he’s spent at Huish Park but I’m going for Matty Worthington. We’ve been crying out for him to make an impact at the top end of the pitch and we saw some glimpses of it under Mark Cooper last season. With a full pre-season, a squad he’s chosen and players fit for the system, I think this will be the year we see Matt Worthington dominate. He’s far too good for National League South and I think we’ll see him make his mark consistently this season.

Where will we finish?

Can I say 1st? Is that ridiculous? We have to finish in the top 3 – it’s a must. I know we took a season at this level in the mid-90s, but we were a different club then and it was a part time league. We’ve signed quality, retained quality and, I would argue, have a manager who is well above this level too. It won’t be easy and we’ve got to create a winning mentality, but we have to believe we’re in with a shot.

David Coates

Thoughts on Summer:

What a refreshing change to (almost) be talking about only football for a summer. I add the almost because it depends which social media group you are a part of – but you have to go looking for this stuff. The sprucing up of Huish Park is a long awaited bonus and as well as retaining just about everyone I’d have wanted to stay last season, we’ve added some quality as well. Keeping Grant Smith would have been even better, but you can’t have everything.

Frank Nouble finds the net in the pre-season friendly win at Buckland Athletic.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

What are you most excited about?

Winning more games of football. I honestly cannot remember a season in the past decade when I went to matches feeling anything but pessimistic about our chances of getting anything. It is going to be a lot of travelling from the dark Satanic mills in which I reside, so a bit of hope and optimism should take the edge off it.

“I cannot wait for him to get his first goal for us.”

Who is our key player?

Frank Nouble. As one (/the only) contributor to this blog able to remember or last campaign in regional football, I would argue that Warren Patmore was the most important player in our success – sorry Howard. Alongside him the likes of Forinton, Grazioli and Birkby got goals and what I have seen and heard of Nouble in pre-season, he has the ability to be that same player who gets goals and makes them.

Who will be our breakout star?

I’m going to say Jordan Young in the hope of inspiring the lad. I cannot wait for him to get his first goal for us. There is undoubted talent there, he #knowsthelevel having done the business for Chippenham Town here, and feels like he is on the verge of something. Let’s hope he can get past the verge.

Where will we finish?

It’s the hope that kills you and as much as I’d like to say champions, I am going for a top four finish, most likely third or fourth. Anyone who thinks we will can runaway with the division (whether a Yeovil fan or Torquay) will be in for a rude surprise. There will be challenges (3G pitches, teams that want to stop us playing and undoubtedly shit refs) which we will encounter, but hopefully we have the quality and depth to get past them.

Ben Barrett

Thoughts on Summer:

I don’t know how many times I’ve said on the podcast that a Yeovil Town manager deserves a proper pre-season, I think, for the first time since we dropped out of the EFL, we’ve finally given one the chance. That’s so refreshing. The back end of last season was so tough to be in and around, I’d be lying if I said it didn’t really get to me mentally, I feel like the football club has been through a deep cleanse and everything and everyone gets a new start from now. It’s not perfect, it was never going to be, but it’s a slate that has been wiped clean, we’ve given ourselves a foundation to begin building back up again, on and off the pitch.

What are you most excited about?

Seeing our players scoring some goals, and getting plenty of people behind the group of lads who deserve our support. By and large, the players who really fought for the badge have remained and Mark Cooper has added some quality.  We saw some glimpses last season of what might be possible, I hope we can put that together and give the supporters something to support, the players deserve it as much as we do.

“we could be in for something special, but we’ll not miss out by much at the top”

Who is our key player?

I really hope we see plenty out of Jordan Stevens this season. We’ve got plenty of ability and options in those creative roles and that’s not an easy group to stand out in – we would love to see JMD at his very best for example – but in the brief moments we got to see Stevens last year, he looked a player who was just levels above the division. He could be one to make PLENTY of assists and chip in too.

Who will be our breakout star?

Will Dawes. I didn’t have him down as a left back to be honest, but the reports I’ve seen, the game against Plymouth Parkway and the way in which he is continually talked about as being one of the group who really seem to help gel things together makes me think, he’s there to give it a right go this season. I hope he gets chances to impress, I think he’s got something to prove after helping a side get promoted out of the NLS last season and I think he can go well.

Will Dawes
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Where will we finish?

So, I’ve got us in the top three, but maybe not top. 2nd or 3rd is where I’m going. I say that because, on paper, this season will be defined by those big crunch games. Torquay of course, the derby games against Taunton, Weymouth and Bath and those away days to the sides who have joined this level for the first time. Over the past decade, the Glovers haven’t traditionally done well in games where its all on the line, (we haven’t beaten Weymouth yet since dropping down, nor Taunton in the cup) and we’ve dropped out of Cups and Play Offs to some sides we should probably be beating. If we can blast through that Big Match Wall, we could be in for something special, but we’ll not miss out by much at the top.

Callum Gould

Thoughts on Summer:

I haven’t seen much of the Glovers over the summer but from what I’ve read we finally seem a real threat going forward. Worried however with strikers that prone to injuries the plastic pitches could be a problem, plus Staunton not playing on Astro it could be our downfall.

What are you most excited about?

Playing regional football. Most fans will be split over this but I feel it given us a chance to reset as a club. The fact we have so many “derby” games means our already well travelling support, will be even better than before. In terms of the team of the squad, seeing local boy Will Buse in goal. Saw him play away to Wrexham last year and thought he played really well considering it was the game we got relegated in.

Jordan Maguire-Drew was introduced after an hour at Plymouth Parkway.

Who is our key player?

Jordan Maguire-Drew. Didn’t have the chance to show himself off properly last season in a struggling team. With Mark Cooper adding much needed quality up top with Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble and Jake Hyde I believe, JMD will be not only Yeovil player of the Year but also NLS Player of the Year.

“I do feel that Huish Park can be a fortress if we get on a roll.”

Who will be our breakout star?

Zachary Bell. Was stuck between Bell and Buse, both of whom have come through the Bristol City Academy. However, I picked the defender due to the fact he performed well against football league opposition Newport County. Still has a lot to prove but being only 20 years of age he can learn quickly and has the naivety of youth on his side (not being afraid of big names in the league).

Where will we finish?

2nd. Will be interesting how the team performs away from home on plastic pitches where certain players can’t/may not play. I do feel that Huish Park can be a fortress if we get on a roll. Will be interesting to see though if the we do have a downturn in form whether the current enthusiasm from fans will remain as I believe some at the club may not be able to handle the criticism from vocal fans. Would love is to finish first but with Gary Johnson just down the road in Devon I feel Torquay may be hard to beat.

Callum Hallett

Thoughts on the summer:

It was a bit mental at the start with everyone settling in to life under Hellier, however as the summer has gone on the recruitment from Cooper has been top draw, pre season has been incredibly strong for all but one game at Wimborne, it’s good to see a proper buzz back at Huish Park and to have an owner who puts the effort in.

What are you most excited about?

For me, it’s the away days, travelling up and down (or in this case side to side) the country with my mates watching football, no matter the result, cant beat it!

Who’s our key player?

Not only our best player, but the National League South’s best player, Jordan Maguire-Drew. His ability on the ball, left foot, right foot is unbelievable to watch. To know that someone will be able to pick out a pass comfortably, no matter how hard it is. So enjoyable to watch!

Jordan Stevens.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Who will be our breakout star?

Jordan Stevens for me, hopefully his injury isn’t a long one. I believe his pace, power and dribbling could ruin defences. We saw it in the first couple friendlies what he can do. I think if he can become more consistent he will thrive under Cooper. Play style suits him down to a tee.

Where will we finish:

2nd or 3rd for me. At home we will be dominant, away we may struggle a bit more with the 3G pitches, dodgy pitches etc. Torquay have been in this league recently so I think they will have that advantage and finish top. The minimum has to be 3rd – otherwise it’s a failed season in my eyes.

Ollie Marsh

Thoughts on summer…

Overall it’s felt like one of the most positive summers in recent history, both on and off the pitch. It’s great to see fresh life being breathed into the stadium, and Mark Cooper has built a team that – on paper – looks scary to any opposition side at this level.

What are you most excited about this season?

Proven goalscorers have proven themselves hard to come by, so seeing Rhys Murphy turn out in green and white again is an exciting prospect. There’s a massive question mark over his fitness and it’s unlikely he’ll stay injury-free throughout the entire campaign, but finishers like him simply don’t forget where the back of the net is. He’ll bag plenty if he can get a decent run of football.

Who’s our key player?

When Darren Sarll brought Josh Staunton to Huish Park in 2020, he spoke of how meaningful that signature would be for the club. He’s been proven absolutely correct, and although we won’t see as much of Josh on the pitch as we’d like, his leadership will be just as vital on the occasions he’s watching on from those 3G sidelines.

Sonny Blu Lo-Everton signs for YTFC
Sonny Blu Lo-Everton signs for YTFC – image courtesy of YTFC

Who’s going to be our breakout star?

The truth is I haven’t seen enough of our pre-season friendly action to judge, but after seeing glimpses during his first spell at the club, I’m looking forward to seeing what Sonny Blu Lo-Everton can do at this level.

Where will we finish?

It’s not going to be an easy ride, but in this all-or-nothing season, my ‘hope over expectation’ prediction is to tip us for the title.

James Graham

What are you most excited about this season?

The mood around Yeovil off the pitch at the moment has been one of the best that I’ve seen in my lifetime while supporting the club, everything seems to have been positive and has also been followed by an impressive pre season by our glovers. I’m generally most excited by the idea of Yeovil being giants in this league and being able to see some victories at Huish Park, which were scarce last season. Additionally, the luxury of local fixtures and various local derbies is something to look forward to from a fan’s point of view. Our firepower going forward, demonstrated by the likes of Murphy, Nouble and Hyde stands us in very good stead to have a successful season and potentially challenge for the league title. Hopefully with some home wins in August we can make Huish Park a bit of a fortress and create a great atmosphere around the club as well as on match days.

“To put it simply, I think how many injuries we get will define our season.”

Who’s our key player?

I think we will have multiple key players this season, whose destinies in green will be defined by whether they can retain fitness. Names including Jordan Maguire-Drew, Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble and Charlie Cooper, amongst several others, all seem too good for the level that is the NLS. Therefore I think the squad that Martin Hellier and Mark Cooper have put together is very promising from a fan’s point of view. Goals win games and league titles, so I think if he can stay fit, our most key player will be Rhys Murphy, who knows how to find the net at a higher level than the National League South.

Who’s going to be our breakout star?

I have high hopes for our new right back Zac Bell who signed on loan from Bristol City earlier in the window. A very promising man of the match performance against EFL outfit Newport County undoubtedly provided Yeovil fans with some hope for the right side of the pitch. Bell works well in the back 3 system which Mark Cooper has regularly deployed during pre season, and it gives a freedom and licence to Zac to attack, which seems to be one of his biggest strengths. More generally, I think both sets of wing backs will be crucial for Yeovil this season, with new signing Alex Whittle looking impressive on the left side, as well as local boy Will Dawes providing sound competition.

Where will we finish?

In the fear of being slightly too complacent, I think Yeovil finish 2nd this season and get promoted through the play offs. Torquay also seem to be very strong and I’m tipping them to win the league. Players such as Aaron Jarvis and new signing Bradley Ash who converted 18 goals in the NLS for strugglers Weymouth, pose a large challenge to the rest of the league’s back lines. I also think that the abundance of 4G pitches in this league will affect Yeovil, as we already know that skipper Josh Staunton and Jake Hyde can not play on plastic surfaces and they generally cause more injuries than grass surfaces. To put it simply, I think how many injuries we get will define our season. Finally, regardless of our league finish I think it’s safe to say Yeovil will have a more positive season than we experienced in 2022/23, hopefully finishing with a promotion for Mark Cooper’s greens.

Tom Bailey

Thoughts on the summer…

I think the summer’s been fantastic! A lot of good additions made to the squad, and Huish Park has an entirely new, refreshed feel to it.

What are you most excited about this season?

Goals! I know we’ve only had a pre-season to build our opinions, but we look like we’ll have goals to enjoy this season, instead of… whatever last season was.

Josh Staunton rises highest for a header. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Who’s our key player?

It has to be Josh Staunton. A leader, consummate professional and all round top man, he will be the key to leading us back to the fifth tier.

Who’s going to be our breakout star?

Well, I was going to offer one of Ollie Haste or Benjani, but with them leaving on loan, I’ll pick Olly Thomas – the physical prowess and eye for goal in pre-season have convinced me he’s in for a special season.

Where will we finish?

I think we’ll need a bit of time to adjust, but I can see us competing for the title. I’m going to say 3rd, with (hopefully) a playoff trophy to add to the cabinet!

What do you reckon Yeovil fans? Let us know your views in the comments!

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Gloverscast Ben took in Yeovil’s final pre-season friendly against Plymouth Parkway, there were plenty of talking points, here are his five conclusions from Bolitho Park.

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If we do things chronologically, the first thing I noticed was actually pre-match.

During the warm up, I noticed that the coaches were actually doing relatively little.

Rather than being told to go here, go there, run this way, around this cone, once a structured stretching session was completed, the little groups broke away in their positions and took control of what they needed to do.

The defenders worked on some shape and some heading, the midfielders pinged passes about and the attackers were working on their close control and finishing. It sounds simple enough, but it just looks like a group who know what they need to do and how they’re going to do it.

A refreshing change from the lost individuals masquerading as a team we saw so often last season.

Staunton, Wannell and Williams warm up

Once the game was underway, it is clear, no matter if we like them or loathe them, high flying wing backs are here to stay.

For the most part, in the first half, it worked, too.

Jordan Young had chalk on his boots on the right and on the left Will Dawes took the much coveted Gloverscast Man of the Match award.

He DID NOT stop causing havoc both in attack and defence.

His crosses were dangerous, his position constantly drew the opposition out of line and it made for a very attacking first half.

If we have the ability to take that approach against better sides, it will garner positive results.

Both Hyde and Nouble looked dangerous from Dawes’ deliveries and we continued to push forward even in the second half with ten men.

Will Dawes
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

The red card changed the game and it was totally needless.

Firstly, I really think it was a good thing that the game had a bit of bite to it, teams aren’t going to roll over and let us rub their tummies this season. Plenty of sides will boot us about, we best get used to it.

Next, the initial challenge did look nasty, the 21-man melee was a bit over the top (the Parkway keeper clearly didn’t fancy it), but to see a red card brandished was totally unnecessary.

If Williams deserved to see red, so did a dozen others.

There was no surprise to see Mark Cooper head onto the pitch and explain that he could, if needed to, substitute Morgan Williams rather than scupper the game’s integrity.

The Glovers will, I’m sure, have trained for lopsided numbers in training and to be honest, still kept Plymouth at arms length through most of the second half.

Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper and his assistant Chris Todd ‘discuss’ the sending off with the referee.

The game also changed when Frank Nouble was taken off.

During the first half, Nouble was kicked, booted, dragged down, pulled and pushed, but kept himself right in the mix of everything.

He dropped deep to pick up the ball, he kept it stuck to his boot when playing a solo role up front and nearly scored and assisted himself.

But, Olly Thomas didn’t have quite that same effect on the game and as a result, the ball came back at the Glovers defence a bit too much.

I have no doubt in my mind in a league game, Mark Cooper would have kept Nouble on for exactly the reason of keeping the ball at the right end when playing with 10 men to buy time and soak up pressure.

Thomas has his place for Yeovil this season, but I’m not sure that was it.

Frank Nouble.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Finally, with the attacking options we have, players from last season (like JMD, Owers, Dawes to name just three) adding extra %s to their pre season games it’s safe to say the Glovers head into the season in the best position I’ve seen the side since dropping into Non League and maybe before.

The options are plentiful, the link ups look like they’re well in the process of gelling nicely.

We’ve thrashed a couple teams, scored a couple goals, had some moments of adversity and a little wake up call in defeat too.

The lads are ready, the stadium is ready, the supporters are ready.

Roll on Hemel.

 

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Jake Gallagher has kindly offered us his thoughts on why pre-season doesn’t matter…

Pre-season is win-win as a football fan. If your team didn’t do well in the five or six games that occur before the league action commences, then it doesn’t matter because it’s only pre-season. If your rivals are putting good results together, then it doesn’t matter because it’s only pre-season.

Jordan Stevens celebrates his opening goal in the pre-season friendly win at Buckland Athletic.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Depending on the biased view of your team or of that lot from down the road, pre-season doesn’t matter. That is of course, until it does.

Last season’s National League South winners Ebbsfleet United started their title-winning campaign with nine consecutive league victories. The first club to stop them earning three points were Oxford City who ended the season promoted themselves. Simply put, Ebbsfleet started like a train.

Ebbsfleet scored 15 goals in those 6 friendly games, at an average of 2.5 goals per game

Now if you look back to their pre-season of 2022 – and do remember that none of this actually matters – they won 4, drew 1 and lost 1. The loss coming against West Ham U21s and 2-2 draw against League Two outfit Colchester United. Their wins were good results, on paper at least, including a 3-1, a 1-0, a 3-0 and a final pre-season fixture that ended in a handsome 5-1 victory.

Ebbsfleet scored 15 goals in those 6 friendly games, at an average of 2.5 goals per game (gpg). When the season began, that average increased to 2.8 gpg. On this occasion, a good pre-season equalled a good start to the league.

Next let’s check on Maidstone, the National League South champions from the season before that.

Their pre-season of 2021 – and remember once more that none of this matters – they won 5, drew 1 and lost 1. They scored 20 goals in 7 friendlies, that’s 2.8 gpg, and saw them propel into the season proper with 6 wins in their opening 8 league matches, drawing the other two, scoring 2.4 gpg.

There’s a trend here; Good pre-season = good start to the league.

Shall we now cast our eyes back to Yeovil Town’s last pre-season? I’m talking about the beginning of Chris Hargreaves’ short spell at the club.

Chris Hargreaves

In our pre-season of 2022 – and remember for a third time that none of this matters – we won 1, drew 3 and lost 1. We scored 0.4 gpg in those friendlies which saw us begin the campaign with 1 victory in 11 league matches scoring 0.9 gpg.

The trend? Bad pre-season = bad start to the league.

Listen to any football manager and they’ll tell you pre-season is about fitness levels and getting through games unscathed

In Mark Cooper’s pre-season of 2023 (so far) – which doesn’t matter – we’ve won 5, drawn 0 and lost 1 scoring 3 ggp on average. So can we expect a good start to the campaign given the good results in our friendlies? You’d have to hope so.

Listen to any football manager and they’ll tell you pre-season is about fitness levels and getting through games unscathed. But it’s absolutely, categorically, much more than that.

Pre-season is about setting standards, creating good habits, a good culture, and gaining confidence through good performances. At this level player turnover is high, so it’s likely players be playing with new teammates or have a new teammate to play next to. It’s about forming strong on-pitch relationships and understanding each other’s strengths. Winning is a bonus but winning – friendly game or not – is what football is all about.

The performance against League Two Newport was a good one. If you can put aside that the Welsh side were utter shite there are many positives to take into our opener against Hemel Hempstead Town. Don’t get me wrong there’s plenty to work on; Morgan Williams didn’t look comfortable receiving the ball in the middle of a back three and Jake Wannell didn’t show enough aggression when defending corners aerially, but these are small points to pick up on.

I’ll level with you and admit all the numbers I’ve referenced earlier in the piece is a shallow analysis – there’s no deep dive here. It’s based on results only. As I mentioned earlier in the piece though, winning is what football is all about.

Winning breeds confidence in yourself.
Winning breeds belief in your teammates.
Winning breeds trust in the management team and their methods.

If you can get to full fitness, avoid injury, feel like you’ve performed well while garnering strong connections and partnerships with your teammates AND win games, then pre-season matters. It always matters.

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We had the first taste of pre-season at Huish Park last night on a glorious summer evening as Yeovil ran out 2-0 winners over Newport County. Here are Ian’s conclusions from a confidence-boosting evening at home…

Huish Park was looking resplendent. We all know our home has been in desperate need of some tender loving care for a long time and we’ve seen a lot of the work that has been done over the Summer through social media. Last night more than 2100 supporters got to see it first hand for the first time and to say it looks impressive is an understatement. The refreshed seats, the dugouts have transformed pitch side (and make you feel closer to the players and staff), the carpet, as much as we love it, has been replaced with modern wooden flooring. And, there’s more to come behind the Thatchers Stand too. The pitch is looking impressive too, and complemented some of our excellent passages of passing play. 

Frank Nouble is everything we’ve been looking for. For so long we’ve needed a ‘sticky’ striker. Someone strong, who can hold off defenders and keep the ball to alleviate some pressure on our defence. Nouble has that about his game, as well as some explosivity too. He’s formed a good partnership with Rhys Murphy already from what we’ve seen, and last night he and Olly Thomas seemed to strike it off too. I don’t want to look back, but you can’t help but wonder where we might be had Mark Cooper been allowed to sign Nouble a few months earlier…

Frank Nouble celebrates his goal with Jordan Maguire-Drew, left, and Jordan Young.

Jordan Maguire-Drew is purring. If you ever lose your keys, give JMD a call, I think he can unlock anything. We saw flashes last season before injury derailed his season, but during pre-season he’s been on another level. He’s shown how good he is against smaller teams and against Newport County he showed other assets of his game. I can’t recall a set piece that wasn’t dangerous, the deliveries were pinpoint and caused the League Two side all sorts of problems in the box. He’s looking sharp, knows where his teammates are those relationships are strengthening. We knew he was good, but I think he’s the man to make us tick when August 5th rolls around.

What a difference a year makes. Last summer, although there was optimism (isn’t there always in Summer?), we struggled to score goals throughout our pre-season. We couldn’t create clear openings but for Tom Knowles (#DFILWF). This summer it’s been a totally different story at the top end of the pitch. We’ve got experience in Murphy, Hyde and Nouble and I’m excited about Olly Thomas too. Combined with that there’s the likes of Jordan Young, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, JMD, Matt Worthington, Alex Whittle and Zac Bell who are all contributing in those attacking areas. There’s massive depth up front and the patterns of play taking shape and creating chances.

A case for the defence. Other than the defeat at Wimborne pre-season has been pretty much immaculate. We’ve conceded five goals (but scored 18) and huffed and puffed against some teams, but that’s to be expected. The only questions that have been asked on social media have been around the defence but against Newport County we looked like a good defensive unit. Morgan Williams, a goal scorer on the night, was in the middle of a three and provided that pace that helped to cover Jake Wannell and Jamie Sendles-White who aren’t necessarily as quick. In the case of Wannell and Sendles-White, they had their best performance so far in a three and as a pair later in the evening. It’s natural that as these players gain fitness, they improve and we’ve seen that in the culmination of a good performance where we kept a football league side at arms length – despite their ‘official’ version of events.

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What a signing that is. Sonny Blu Lo-Everton is so talented and creative. Even if he doesn’t start every game this season, when he does play he will rip this league apart. I imagine that is Scott Pollock off then, to be honest. But what a replacement!
 
Being 20, he still has five or six more years of growing into his full potential, as I have said before, he is destined for the #EFL. Fingers crossed that’s with us, but if we get some money for him that would be appreciated as well. We’ve got some of the best creative talent in the league.

HOW WILL HE FIT IN?

For me, it’s one of two positions, but I think his main position will be as a deep lying playmaker. I think we’ll see him picking up the ball from deep and spreading the play wide and linking up with the strikers and attacking midfielders like he did in the 5-0 win against Dorchester.
 
 
However, when we play with four at the back, players like Jordan Stevens will be on the wing which may leave a chance for Sonny to play further forward if Jordan Maguire-Drew gets injured, needs resting or gets subbed. He’s a similar player to JMD in terms of his creativity and vision of his teammates.
 
 
Most Yeovil fans will know what type of player Sonny is, but if you have forgotten here are some clips of him playing in the last couple seasons!
 

 
As we can see from this clip, he comes deep to get the ball at the bottom of the screen, has the awareness to look around before receiving the ball to know where the defender is. He has the ability to turn his man and run into space, and then to find a quality pass.
 
 
 
In the second we can see he is always aware of his surrounding with quick looks over his shoulder before receiving the ball and knowing where the defender is, the bit of quality to put it through the defenders legs and to run into space and find the pass. A shame Jordan Barnett was on the end of it!
 
 
I think this will be the position that Sonny is mostly going to be looking to pick up for us.  Receiving the ball off of the defence on the half turn looking to bring the ball forward with his ability on the ball when passing or dribbling.
 
 
 
His ability to pick out a long pass either from a dead ball situation or from open play could be really helpful when we’ve got the height of Frank Nouble and Jake Hyde and the running ability of Rhys Murphy, Olly Thomas and Jordan Stevens!
 
Overall I think this a brilliant signing for us. His work rate is second-to-none, matched with his ability to create a chance or create a bit of space out of nothing!
 
 
What are your thoughts on the signing? Let us know in the comments….

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Callum Hallett made his way to Totton yesterday for another Yeovil Town preseason fixture. Here’s his review of the game…
 
Not the prettiest game of football we will see Yeovil play this season. But a win is a win, and in pre season, getting minutes in is what matters most.
 
It’s a great little stadium down at AFC Totton and I think they will be up there at the top of the 7th tier.

HOW WE LINED UP FROM THE START

We started with the two wide centre halves that were to be expected, Jake Wannell and Morgan Williams, with Josh Staunton rested, Jamie Sendles-White came in for him. The two wingbacks/wide midfielders, Alex Whittle and Zac Bell, provided the width of the team in and out of possession.
 
The midfield two of Charlie Cooper and Matt Worthington lined up with Cooper sat in-front of the defence, dictating the pace of the game, and when out of possession, winning the ball with tackles and interceptions. This allowed Worthy to be more adventurous and bring the ball forward.
 
Jordan Maguire-Drew was the main creative asset of the team getting on the ball on the half turn looking to get shots off, or link up with Rhys Murphy and Frank Nouble in tight spaces creating chances. Once again involved in a goal – JMD could rip this league apart if he continues his form.
 
We have to get used to naming these two as a pair instead of on their own I think. Murphy and Nouble always seem to look dangerous up front together. Both are able to come deep or spin in behind and I think their clever touches and link up with each other will create serious goals!

THE FIRST SIXTY MINUTES

As Cooper said himself the first half was “disappointing”. We started so brightly with a classic Murphy goal, but the first half soon dragged on with chances coming few and far between. In the first 45 minutes Wannell was rather poor compared to what we have seen from him in previous games. He seemed to take a very long time to get comfortable in the game, misplacing passes and struggling with his first touch. However, by the start of the second half he had dramatically improved and the defence became very solid.
 
I think we have to expect to concede some sloppy goals this season from this style of play Cooper is adopting, where we play risky passes through the opposition lines. We as Yeovil fans get to worried over a small issue. It will be dealt with for sure!
 
The attacking build up in the opening 15 minutes of the second half was a joy to watch for Yeovil fans. Totton couldn’t get out of their half as we kept getting the likes of JMD, Nouble and Whittle on the ball. The patterns of passing in the attacking third was brilliant.

HOW WE LINED UP BY THE END

As always with our pre season, the subs started flowing with half an hour left on the clock. Only three of our starting squad played the full 90 – Worthington, Wannell and Williams. (I think I know Mark Coopers favourite letter!) The formation didn’t change much until the front three – instead of having 2 upfront with a player just behind – we had Olly Thomas upfront on his own with Sonny Blu Lo-Everton and Jordan Young both playing in the number 10 role either side of Thomas. This really worked well to kill out the game as showed instantly.
 
Olly Thomas, number 40 (much to Ben’s disgust), celebrates his goal with his new team-mates.
 

“Olly Thomas is the exact player as I explained in my review of him after he signed”

He’s a quick, powerful forward who has the ability to take the ball with his back to goal or running in behind, with an eye for goal. This was showed perfectly when him and Sonny worked hard to win the ball off of the Totton holding midfielder and when Sonny played Thomas through he only had one thing on his mind – an early shot into the far bottom corner and brilliant goal. Those two linked up on many occasions to create a few chances for each other.
 
Jordan Young looked a lot sharper today than what he did on Tuesday in our 5-0 win against Dorchester. He still needs something to fall for him to score one, after he scores one he will get plenty at this level. He might be the unluckiest footballer I’ve seen at Yeovil!! Talent!

A NOTE ON MORGAN WILLIAMS

It has taken me a long time to realise what Williams brings to the team, it was great to see him, at such a young age himself, helping Jacob Shore get comfortable in the Wing-back position. He is quality himself and definitely up there as a future captain!
 
On to the next one this Tuesday and our proper test against Newport County at Huish Park. It’s a chance to show our quality against a struggling EFL side. We could cause a shock and it wouldn’t surprise me.

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Yesterday Yeovil Town confirmed the loan signing of Olly Thomas. Our man Callum Hallett has done some digging in the youngster below…
 
Highly rated Bristol City forward Olly Thomas has joined Yeovil Town on loan until January. My guess is that he will give us more depth until Alex Fisher returns from injury. Mark Cooper also said how important game time is for Linton at the age of 22, hence his loan to Taunton Town.
 
A few quotes from Robins fans about Olly Thomas:
 
“Powerful centre forward who can play across the front line if needed. Very highly rated.” – @BristolCityFM
 
“Yep, got some Semenyo traits, powerful.  Can drop into pockets and run at the defence.” – @FevsFootball
 
“Very fast, and very powerful, got a very high ceiling in terms of his future.” – @ThePayne115
 
“Two of our brighter prospects” (Zac Bell and Olly Thomas) @BristolCityFM
 
Good to hear the positivity!!
 
We already know from most of Mark Cooper’s signings this season, being versatile is key. Being able to play all across the front line gives us more options of cover until Alex Fisher gets back from injury in January. It’s also good to have another style of attacking player to our name.
 

There is many things that impressed me about this goal from the movement, the control, the composure and then the quality of the finish.

THE MOVEMENT

One of the things that excites me is having a player who is willing to run in behind when the ball is with the defenders. He has the instinct to know when the defender gets the ball and start his run in behind straight away, pointing to where he’d like the ball.
 

THE CONTROL AND COMPOSURE

This is a great clip showing his pace to keep up with the ball, his awareness to know where the defender is and the composure to know what to do. The first touch is lovely to settle the ball and the second is a chop inside to set himself for a shot.
 

THE FINISH

The finish is sublime, having the ability to pick out the far top corner with a body in the way is class. He uses the defenders body to guide the ball into the far corner, which is a sign of a player with huge confidence and quality.
 

How he will fit into both of Mark Coopers tactics?

I think Cooper will probably stick with two tactics this season, A narrow 4-2-3-1 and a 3-5-2/5-3-2 with wide wing backs.
 
Here is a look at how Thomas may fit in to each formation.
 

3-5-2/5-3-2

This formation will probably be Coopers favoured formation going off of pre-season. This will most likely see Thomas be an option to play in the Murphy role alongside a target man looking to get on the end of flick-ons and running in behind using his pace and power.

4-2-3-1

Not so much a fan of this one as it means Nouble will probably play a bit wider as seen against Wimborne. In this formation Nouble is less of a target man and is more key to running at defenders getting balls into the box. This suits Thomas down to the ground!
 
A good signing for us and I look forward to seeing him play. Thanks to the City fans for the help on what type of player he is!