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Greyfriars Bobby · 12-29-2019, 11:52 AM

Wednesday, 19 November 2014

Kimberley Miners Welfare v. St Andrews
Premier Division

Every once in a while, I make a managerial decision that I look back upon and think, "Why did I think this was a good idea?"

This match is a perfect example of this sort of decision.

We'd just played a Senior Cup tie on Saturday, and we have a FA Vase tie this coming Saturday. So I decided to rotate my squad as completely as I could...

4-4-2: Watkins; Oakley, Kenworthy, Pearson, Cross; McGlinchey, Coates, Huckerby, Cumming; Farrell, Walker.

The three names you don't recognize are a new addition and two U21 players I called up for the match.

Alex Kenworthy joined the club this week. Alex is an old-school English center half, tall and powerful, good in the air. He's quick enough, but his idea of "distribution from the back" is kicking the ball as far up the pitch as possible. He'll be a decent squad player, and at 26, he won't get much better.

Ashley McGlinchey is another story. He's 19 and, while his primary position is center forward, he's comfortable playing all along the right. That's primarily why I signed him. Ashley's not exceptional in any other way, but he's a solid footballer who might improve into a key player.

I brought striker Mike Farrell into the team to replace Raiff Westlake. He's more of a scorer than a creator, and he has lots of pace. What really caught my eye was the fact that, at 17, he's already a Model Professional.

It's hard to blame those three lads for what happened at The Stag Ground. The Welfare hit us for three goals in the first 25 minutes. I changed my formation to a 4-3-3, moving the versatile McGlinchey up to play forward. It got our offense going a bit, but not enough.

Six minutes from full time, Ian Ricketts aimed a cross at McGlinchey, whose 6'3" form was lurking at the far post. Welfare center back Ian Dennis got to it first, but he headed it into his own goal.

After the match, I noticed that Welfare are a semi-professional club. Had I known that sooner, I wouldn't have fed my second team to them.

We end the day on top of the table, but Graham St. Prims have a game in hand, and can move ahead of us on goal difference with a win in their next match.

Lessons learned. Onward, and upward.

12-29-2019, 11:52 AM	#7
Greyfriars Bobby College Prospect Join Date: Sep 2013	Wednesday, 19 November 2014 Kimberley Miners Welfare v. St Andrews Premier Division Every once in a while, I make a managerial decision that I look back upon and think, "Why did I think this was a good idea?" This match is a perfect example of this sort of decision. We'd just played a Senior Cup tie on Saturday, and we have a FA Vase tie this coming Saturday. So I decided to rotate my squad as completely as I could... 4-4-2: Watkins; Oakley, Kenworthy, Pearson, Cross; McGlinchey, Coates, Huckerby, Cumming; Farrell, Walker. The three names you don't recognize are a new addition and two U21 players I called up for the match. Alex Kenworthy joined the club this week. Alex is an old-school English center half, tall and powerful, good in the air. He's quick enough, but his idea of "distribution from the back" is kicking the ball as far up the pitch as possible. He'll be a decent squad player, and at 26, he won't get much better. Ashley McGlinchey is another story. He's 19 and, while his primary position is center forward, he's comfortable playing all along the right. That's primarily why I signed him. Ashley's not exceptional in any other way, but he's a solid footballer who might improve into a key player. I brought striker Mike Farrell into the team to replace Raiff Westlake. He's more of a scorer than a creator, and he has lots of pace. What really caught my eye was the fact that, at 17, he's already a Model Professional. It's hard to blame those three lads for what happened at The Stag Ground. The Welfare hit us for three goals in the first 25 minutes. I changed my formation to a 4-3-3, moving the versatile McGlinchey up to play forward. It got our offense going a bit, but not enough. Six minutes from full time, Ian Ricketts aimed a cross at McGlinchey, whose 6'3" form was lurking at the far post. Welfare center back Ian Dennis got to it first, but he headed it into his own goal. After the match, I noticed that Welfare are a semi-professional club. Had I known that sooner, I wouldn't have fed my second team to them. We end the day on top of the table, but Graham St. Prims have a game in hand, and can move ahead of us on goal difference with a win in their next match. Lessons learned. Onward, and upward.