Ian was at Huish Park for Yeovil’s narrow 1-0 defeat at the hands of York City. Here are his conclusions.
It was a tight game. The two sides, neither of which is particularly in form didn’t make much of a spectacle in Somerset. Many Glovers feared a bloodbath after Boston, but it was far from that. Yeovil set their stall out early and allowed York to dominate the ball while holding their nerve to try and repel them. For all York’s possession, they didn’t stretch Aidan Stone that much. Doesn’t that sound familiar? There were crosses into the box that we dealt with well but it wasn’t surprising that it was settled with a set piece. It was a massive improvement from the midweek defeat to Boston United in the week and the challenge now is to maintain it and ensure it’s not a false dawn.
Kyle Ferguson added some fight. I thought our latest loanee had nastiness and a bit of bite that we’ve been lacking recently. He won his headers and gave Josh Stones a rough afternoon. The son of Rangers legend Barry Ferguson certainly looks like he’s up for a scrap and if were looking over our shoulder, someone of that character is what we need. He was at fault for the penalty which Ollie Pearce converted, but I thought we looked stronger with him in the back line.
Another Sonny shout out. I love watching Sonny play football. When he’s on the pitch and given the freedom he’s great to watch. He’s the type of intelligent player who can get you out of a hole. I think our biggest chance fell to him on the edge of the box after he set Kyrell Wilson away before receiving the ball back but he lost his footing at a pivotal moment. With Sonny (and a lot of our players) it’s always been the case of finding that final product, but keeping him further forward in behind the striker is key in my mind. The extent of the injury to Brett McGavin will probably dictate how that goes.
What a week Frank’s had. To go from being on your way out of the club to being back in the starting line up and captaining within less than seven days is some story. We’ll probably never know the full picture of what’s happened here, but, in my opinion, I don’t think you can blame a 33-year-old for wanting to secure his future when he’s been transfer-listed earlier in the season. Nouble is a popular figure with supporters and for Mark Cooper to put him back in as skipper shows that, right now, Nouble is needed. Clearly, it was mutually beneficial to get over this hurdle.
It was another slow afternoon. Since the powers that be have decided the Gloverscast are no longer allowed to do media at Huish Park I’ve been able to watch Yeovil as a supporter rather than having to think about what I’m going to say and I totally understand the grumbles. Yes we have injuries, yes we’ve got had a lot of player turnover and the rest of this season will be an exercise in self-preservation. But it can’t continue like this at home next season. I’ve had conversations with plenty of rational, reasonable and real supporters who are so disenchanted with the football that they’ll do other things with their weekends if this is the status quo.
My son and I are the “rational, reasonable and real supporters” mentioned above in your fifth point and although season tickets holders we did not attend yesterday as after Tuesday night’s performance we were so dejected we honestly couldn’t bear to go and watch yesterday. The home games this season have been well below par and if you only watch those them you have every right to grumble!
Even though it’s a three hour round trip for me, I absolutely love going to HP to watch Yeo. I love spending my Saturdays with mates, chatting about all things football. But this dire, unimaginative, and shot-shy approach to the game has put me off going.
His abrasive and prickly approach to interviews is also beginning to become very frustrating. I appreciate the bloke is under alot of pressure at the moment, but he’s always been like that even when we were in the NLS. If that’s what he’s like in these public settings, then I can only imagine what he’s like to work with.
These same criticisms of Cooper have followed him from most of his previous clubs.
To be honest, all managers are like that, certainly at Yeovil.
The people who interview them have to give them an easy ride, as they’re afraid of being barred.
As a supporter, one of the most annoying things, is that the difficult questions are never asked!
I’m sure you’re disappointed to not be allowed to do media duties at HP now for whatever the reasons are, (tie that in with fans being muted on social media and it’s all starting to feel a bit totalitarian) but hopefully that’ll allow you to be a bit more honest. It felt that sometimes GC has been forcing the clubs ‘pro cooper, everything is fine’ narrative and becoming a bit happy clapper, whereas from your last point, I can see you’re already starting to speak about it differently, rather than a neutral media perspective. I’m a season ticket holder, Saturday was my last chance to go to a home game this season, and after watching the Boston performance, I decided to spend a rare free Saturday elsewhere. Hopefully the club and MC come to their senses this summer and realise that it’s just not working and decide to pursue other avenues.
Thanks for the comment, Benji. We like to think the Gloverscast is a broad church and what we always try to do is offer a little balance and context to things.
It’s easy to jump one way or another as a football fan, I’ve backed things I really never should have (like the decision to divide the club’s assets) and opposed things I shouldn’t have as well, but as I get older (yes, I’m old!) I realise nothing in life is black or white.
If we agree on nothing else but our desire to see Yeovil Town be successful, I’ll take that.
Thanks again for the comment and please continue to post and challenge us, we’re not afraid to be told we’re wrong.
Cheers, Dave.
Spot on with your final point, and very refreshing to read something so open and honest. It’s exactly how so many ‘rational, reasonable & real’ fans are feeling.
As someone who has been going to see Yeovil since the last year at Huish, and has missed exams and weddings in the past to attend games, the fact I decided to spend yesterday afternoon elsewhere should speak volumes.
Have I missed the podcast explaining your expulsion? Is Trump now running the press room?
Ian refused to wear a suit.
Would it be possible please for you to explain the story re the expulsion.
Are you certain that Frank Nouble was transfer-listed by the manager, rather than at his own request?
If the former is the case, it would certainly explain why he might want to leave now.
If it was Mark Cooper’s decision, it seems strange that he’s now saying they never wanted him to go.
The fact MC sees a 0-1 defeat as a success, speaks volumes. I’m usually quite positive/pragmatic and understand that we won’t compete with the likes of Barnet, FGR, York et al financially but….
What irks me most is we were once a Giant Killer – in league and cup. We were in non-league terms, a club that the bigger teams would fear – especially at fortress Huish Park. HP used to be hostile, awkward for oppo goalies, but recently we have seeming shrugged our shoulders and accepted our place.
Four without scoring or seven without a win is acceptable, somehow doesn’t seem right.
We never had “money” in the 90’s, yet even as a PT team (except for maybe 1994-95), the club still managed to put together a squad that could.compete, fight, put on a performance to beat the teams expected to win the league.or be at the top end. We’d even pull off a cup giant killing once in a while! Can’t remember the last giant killing?
I can stomach a mid table finish, as long as the team/management gives it’s all in the last X games; never stops trying, never accepts 0-1 as a benchmark or uses excuses of comparing finances, resources, or squad size of our opponents.
For once I want to hear MC say.in his presser: “…we are going out there to win!”, not praise the opposition before they set foot on the pitch. Talk our own team up, show some enthusiasm man! That will translate on to the pitch rather than the dourness of bemoaning out lot which does the same. We are where we are because of many reasons, some of them not MCs fault…but some are within his control and he is responsible for sorting that out.
For next season, I’d like to see a bigger squad. Eighteen is OK for the first few months, but as we’ve seen, this season and last, it is not enough when the injuries mount up; we then have to get loan players in who need time to settle in and who may even be recalled by their parent clubs.
100% agree Andy. Build the team around a solid base (which we would have without our injury crisis), we lack players who can support when those inevitable injuries and suspensions come along. Only then supplement with loans….not the other way around where we pin our hopes on 18-21 year olds from L1/L2.
Mark Cooper didn’t recruit properly during the Summer & then failed to address the issues during the season & it’s now come back to bite him.
This team is built around Charlie Cooper. Look at how many more exciting midfielders have come and gone in the past 18 months. We won 14 games in a row without him but since then we’ve lacked flair and goals. Until he moves on Cooper Snr will not change the style of play or his recruitment policy.
So along with blocking fans on social media and deleting/censoring comments on posts they have now banned the GC from contributing their free time to cover the glovers.
Hellier’s dictatorship knows no limits. Yes he may have saved the club last summer but it’s clear he has no plan and insufficient funds to take this club forward. Time to sell up.