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Ben Herd on getting snowed off, Managerial merry go round and Mr Potato head!
Hello all and welcome to this week’s column. Not a great deal has been happening down at the Rec since I wrote last week. We weren't actually due to play last Saturday because we were supposed to play Accrington Stanley away, however they were still involved in the FA cup third round, so I think I am right in saying that we only had one game in about three weeks. We are meant to be playing table topping Rochdale this forthcoming Saturday, but with the big freeze continuing to grip the country, it looks as though that game may also fall foul of the weather. I really feel sorry for lower league clubs such as Aldershot, because match day revenue is a massive source of income for them, and with all of these games being postponed, the club is missing out on money that may or may not be already accounted for. During this cold snap it has been incredibly difficult to find decent training facilities, we even travelled to Reading FC last week to use their indoor training complex, which illustrates the "haves" and "have not’s" of Football!
We are only a few days into 2010 and there is already movement on the managerial merry go round - I do feel a bit for Gary Megson because although I don't believe in how he sets his teams out to play, he has done a decent enough job since he arrived at The Reebok. With Megson and so many other people in football, his face didn't fit, simple as. Bolton fans will argue that they grew tired of his direct approach, but you didn't hear them complaining when “Big Sam” was having a bit of success playing pretty much the same way! Time will tell if Owen Coyle can bring success playing a more purist style. In my relatively short career I have experienced quite a few managerial changes, especially in the last 6 months, but each manager has their own style that they impose on to the team; I personally prefer a more passing style but as long as a manager is crystal clear on how he wants to play, then there is not a problem because myself and all my team-mates are on the same wavelength. The problem starts arising when a manager doesn't really clarify himself on exactly how he wants his teams to play. I have played in teams like this and it is a nightmare because nobody really knows what the person on the ball is going to do with it.
One aspect of the game our manager, Kevin Dillon gets full marks for, is the level of preparation he goes to so that every single one of us is ready for the opposition. Not only has he changed the coach company to a new improved one and insisted on us staying over on away trips, (we would have usually just travelled up on the day), but he also gives each squad member a dossier on our next opponents; it will include all of their set pieces and details on individuals and that team’s style of play. The assistant manager then collects them all in on match day - I haven't forgot to bring mine in yet as the fines for not returning it are a bit too tasty for me!
I have also been reading recently that the football season may be extended into June to accommodate all the postponed games. If this is the case which I doubt it is, then I will be in a spot of bother with my missus's Mum, because my fiancée, Victoria and I, are due to get married in early June and her Mum has organised absolutely everything down to the last dot. Also, assuming that I don't make Mr Capello's World Cup squad, then I will be spending my summer holidays on honeymoon hopefully somewhere hot and tranquil, hopefully getting plenty of R&R in after the long, hard season.
One player that has every chance of making the World Cup squad based on current form is my old team-mate, Joe Hart. Mr Potato head, as I used to call him because of the size of his cranium, has probably been the most consistent English keeper this season and is only now being recognised for it, in my opinion. He has gone a long way since our playing days together, not to mention some of the lad’s nights out that we had. I remember him running riot through some of the establishments in Shrewsbury town centre! I don't think Joe will be making an appearance at my wedding and it's not because he isn't invited, (he's not anyway!), but because I believe he will be on the plane to South Africa and if there is anyone you want to do well in the game, then it would be Joe.
Posted: Friday, January 8th, 2010 @ 09:01 am by Ben Herd
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