Reflections On Last Night

[Jimmy]

A thoroughly satisfactory performance last night. Controlled the game from start to finish with Antwerp reflecting their fans fantastic spirirt in a short period of the 2nd half. Realistically they never truly threatened bar a snap shot in the aforementioned period which Basso went down neatly to his right to parry. And whilst a 4-0 pre-season victory must be treated in the same vein as a 1-0 loss, there were without doubt some very encouraging signs last night, most notably for me from two sources who have been firmly in the spotlight over the summer.

Of course Maynard will draw the plaudits and rightly so. He was efficient, clinical but most strangely there was a distinct lack of surprise when he converted his chances, when through one on one for his 2nd, you just couldnt see him missing. Personally I think it is genuinely remarkable how far this club has come in such a short space of time. And nothing is testament to this fact more than the ability to lure a player of Maynards ability and potential to the club. Let's not kid ourselves, and without getting carried away, this guy is good. He must surely be one of the most promising young English talents outside the Premier League and I think it speaks volumes that we are now recognised as a club who can capture and accomodate players of his calibre.

The most pleasing aspects for me last night however was not the immediate Maynard impact but the performance of two players who have been questionned on these boards through the summer.

As with any treble scoring striker Maynard was always going to get the match ball but for me Jamie McCalister was very impressive last night. For all the talk of needing cover for left back and the implications of him being the weak link in the defence, he was solid defensively, showed a willingness to get forward when the opportunity arose and some of his passes down the line for McIndoe and the willing Adebola were superb.

Excluding the penalty all three of our goals were outstanding. Fantastic interplay between McIndoe and Adebola created the first, a Johnson dummy and Skuse threaded ball the second and Sproule's electric pace and Adebola step over the third.

McIndoe showed once again how he is invaluable to this team. I was also very encouraged by Sproule's performance. His main failing last season was that he too often was sucked into the play which nullified his main weapon, speed. However last night he showed an absoloute desire to run at defenders. Contrary to something I read on a different thread there was absoloutely nothing wrong with his end product. Infact quite the opposite, he crossed for Maynard to score, he crossed almost perfectly when an awkward bounce defeated Brooker and when he was not in a postion to cross he chased down and recyled the ball admirably. He's a very non complicated player, just let him go and more often than not he'll get there. In my opinion it would not take a great deal of work to turn Sproule from a hit or miss impact player to a genuine wing threat. It is my hope, and I am encouraged from what I saw last night, that he may already be on his way to making the transition.

Williams looked ok. Didnt do a great deal for me but on the flip side didnt do anything wrong. I am still far from convinced that he is a right sided midfielder. From the admittedly limited amount I have seen he doesnt look the sort to take players on and beat them. He looks like a 'Noble-esque' player to me and I think in time, and dependent on how Sproule progresses, Williams may find himself occupying the middle of the field before too long.

A quick word for Brian Wilson too, who apart from a brief altercation with an Antwerp player showed a great deal of enthusiasm when he came on. His versatility is much welcomed in the squad and although it seems fashionable to slate him without thought, he provides able cover across the entire midfield and defence in my eyes.

[Ray White]

It was definitely the best performance I think I've seen Skuse produce in a City shirt. He made some quality tackles, his passing was good and his ball through for Maynard was top drawer. Hopefully this season he can develop into a quality player if he can keep Marvin out the side.

[Alex_BCFC]

As with any treble scoring striker Maynard was always going to get the match ball but for me Jamie McCalister was very impressive last night. For all the talk of needing cover for left back and the implications of him being the weak link in the defence, he was solid defensively, showed a willingness to get forward when the opportunity arose and some of his passes down the line for McIndoe and the willing Adebola were superb.

He was good last night but he lacks consistency and I would still like to see someone else in.

[God_is_a_GJ]

I don't see why people slate McAllister or say we need a new left back all the time. He's the opposite of inconsistent, makes clever passes, links up well with McIndoe and puts in dangerous crosses, as well as being a good tackler. At some point wasn't he rated as one of the best defenders on the Actim Index statistics thingy?

The only trouble I think he has is with his disciplinary record but I think Fontaine is good enough cover.

[BCFC Grim]

I've never had a problem with McAllister. Always seems solid, and gets up and down well.

[BS3_RED]

A quick word for Brian Wilson too, who apart from a brief altercation with an Antwerp player showed a great deal of enthusiasm when he came on. His versatility is much welcomed in the squad and although it seems fashionable to slate him without thought, he provides able cover across the entire midfield and defence in my eyes.

Eamer anyone.