Harriers Chatter

Ok, let's get this one off the ground and cross fingers it's three points against a clearly confidence drained club.

And our confidence isn't drained? 0-1 Stour, 0-2 Luton, surely not 0-3 Mansfield.



The opposition will undoubtedly score. Will we score more than them?

I'm being positive

We're the best team in this league, the terrible referees have conned us in the first two games where we obviously should have won. We are going up!!!!

If we don't score, and lose, I can see real problems starting to emerge. Five games without a goal scored? Desperate stuff. We have to stop saying 'We'll be okay when Jamma comes back" We will end up wishing the season away doing that.

A few salient points.

Who last scored for Harriers in a competitve game?

If Steve Burr doesn't bring in another striker before Saturday, then I don't think he is going to, reasons maybe entirely financial and beyond his control, but he would have known his limits when he opted for all those midfielders !!!

If JM is not available this side of Xmas and a replacement is not brought in - it could get silly.

Unthinkable ??

RR is looking out of his depth and Guinan can't be expected to play every game and certainly not 90mins

This seasons squad is far too lightweight for BSP football, once again I have difficulty reconciling Burr's key decisions on the balance of his squad over the summer rebuilding.

Saturday looks massive, for everybody!!

Having had to miss the first two games of the season (although did see us against Stourbridge) it's a chance for me to see what all the fuss is about. Both sides will be desperate to not concede first as confidence will be shot in the team that does. An early season must-not-lose tie.

I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong but to my recollection we have not scored the first goal in any league match since Bath away last February. Ironically, someone again please correct me if I'm wrong, this was the last game Jamma played for the Harriers.


Worrying.

Cant believe the lack of faith after two games.SB has had injury problems and they will need a bit of time to click.The team were much better against luton than on saturday and would hope for further improvement against Mansfield.I am going for a lucky 2 1 win that will set us up for the season.

Well said Wychbold. Some of the stuff on this and other threads is bordering on hysteria. Only played two games out of 46. Maybe it just shows the level of expectation after three top six finishes in four years.

I am not arguing that the lack of a big striker or specialist cover for right back is not a problem - the former did hurt us against Luton. But it is not as though we were playing lump it football or playing without a plan - there was some good football played and once everyone is fully fit (including the players who came in against Luton) we will be fine.

It will be key on Saturday not to give Mansfield an early start. They genuinely do seem to have low confidence and won't react well to setbacks. Far too many players signed over the summer, unnecessary as they ended the season on fire, their manager strikes me as someone who is panicking. But if they score early we could be in for a tough day if their new boys start to click.

injury problems? we all know Guinan is getting on a bit so why not bring in another target man type player? apart from that and Sharpe who id put in over the big ex what other injury problems? just a pathetic excuse IMO. we arent fit enough, playing a number of lower league/poorteams pre season playes some part in that, playing his favourites at full backs instead of better options in vincent and mikey d, keeping with this 4-3-3- which dont seem tobe working. burr is running out of luck, he ran out of ideas ages ago imo. we are over achieving to be even in contention for a play off place. we havent the bigest budget, bottom 6 was it last year? burr has built a side best with the contraints but he aint no messiah this cant be more clearer after these first twogames. Luton are streets ahead of us, its going to be a mid table season imo.
we lose on sat confidence will be shot, we canot afford to concede on sunday if we go a goal down confidence will be sht big time, get an early lead relax and build on it. we cant sit back, not with how weare defensivel at the mow.
I do get optimitic at times believe it or not, so I am going for a 1-0 infront of 1807with 234 mansfield. Guinan to score.

OK, so I will answer my own question

Mike Williams was the last Kiddy player to score (against Kettering) in a competitive match, I assume perhaps that's what has persuded Burr to overlook the claims of Mickey D - SB expects Willo to get us a goal !!!!!!

But seriously, some of the criticism of the early games, including Stourbridge is not hysteria - I think it is warranted by virtue of (if nothing else) the stats - Burr goes on about finishing being the difference - I'm not sure that was the case against Luton, more like defenders allowing Fleetwood space to score two goals, that's not having a go at Briggs (who was playing out of position) more a case of why didn't Burr sign Mccone as cover for a player who will miss games during a season for sure - Harriers have cover on the left, but none on the right, surely McCone instead of say Pilkington would have been a better option for the sqaud?????
The stats would indicate that Harriers managed two shots on target against Luton, (two routine saves by their keeper) not sure how many on target v Lincoln, but, regardless of the arguments about formations if the threat in the opposition box is not there then scoring goals is going to be difficult. Therefore bringing in another (more physical) striker to lead the line instead of retaining Gittings & RTB would have made sense. And I don't go along with the argument SB couldn't find one, not with his knowledge of lower leagues, he didn't sign another striker because he didn't think he needed one..................................

How many goals have Harriers scored ?

No need to panic then

As an aside in the first three games of last season Kiddy scored a total of five goals and had two wins from those games.

I note that the thug (Briscoe)who assaulted Anthony Malbon in the last game of the season hasn't figured in their squad for the two opening matches, is he still with Mansfield?

Hopefully the air ambulance won't be needed on Saturday

McCone didn't want to come just to play second fiddle to someone else. He's playing first team football at Stourbridge, whilst having a part-time job that pays fairly well. Apparently we offered him a poor deal which wasn't really worth it.

I agree though, how many chances that you thought 'He must score' against Luton? One? And that was Austin on his wrong side. Not good enough.

Tony, I would respectfully suggest the only place where confidence would be shot if we lose on Saturday would be in the stands. The Harriers team I saw on Tuesday not wasn't lacking confidence, they had the courage to try to keep the ball on the deck and play decent football. They were just outplayed by a better team.

I will be intrigued to see what Burr does in terms f selection on Saturday - it sounded like we were pretty poor at Lincoln but I thought we did OK against Luton, despite the result.

I think he may stick with the same full backs - he went with an experienced back four against Luton. I have no idea what Mansfield's wide players are like, but I think Mickey D is a better opton against slightly weaker sides when he gets more opportunities to get forward. Certainly a case for him to play, tough call between him and Williams. Briggs I thought did well at right back (bar the crossing...) and I would persevere until Vaughan is back.

I hope Guinan is fit but I don;t think he will be ready to start.

So realistically I think the team will be:

Lewis

Williams (although wouldn't be unhappy to see Mickey, just don't think it will happen)
Geogaghan
Austin
Briggs

Johnson
Byrne
Storer
Shakes

Malbon
Rowe (replaced by Guinan after an hour)

And I echo R&WM's view - lets hope Louis Briscoe isn't anywhere near Aggborough on Saturday.

One thing that hasn't come up so far is our two players returning. Luke Jones has played in both of Mansfield's games and scored at Gateshead but was part of the back four lambasted by their manager Paul Cox. Nick Wright came off the bench against Newport and was an unused sub at Gateshead (so s bound to play and have a blinder on Saturday).