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[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

After reading the following article in the Sale & Altrincham Messenger, I thought I'd compare the first 21 Conference games of the 2005/06 season with our current league record:  

NOT DEFENSIVE
"Graham Heathcote says he will not go defensive against Torquay on Sunday; they have scored 52 goals in 20 games this season whilst Alty have conceded the third highest total of goals in the league, 41. Graham said, "They are a strong side and are full of ambition. They want to get back on the Football League, so it's going to be very tough... We're going to have to go there and score if we're going to get anything from the game. People have acussed us of being negative at time this season but I've never been negative in my tactics. Sometimes we have to sit back if a good team forces us back but I would never send a team out just to defend. We have to set our stall out to combat the better teams in this league but we can't be naive like we were in the first season back in the Conference when we were on the end of some big defeats".

2007/08

Played: 21
Won: 3
Drawn: 6
Lost: 12
For: 24
Against: 41
Points: 15
League position: 21st out of 24.


2005/06:

Played: 21
Won: 5
Drawn: 6
Lost: 10
For: 14
Against: 34
Points: 21
Position: 17th out of 22.


So, despite a couple of 5-0 defeats in 2005/06, our defensive record was actually better then than it is at present, as we had conceded seven fewer goals.

Perhaps we need to become "naive" again!

It's strange that in 2005/06 we had scored 10 fewer goals.....but had accumulated six more points.

A comparison of clean sheets achieved reveals the following:

2007/08: 2

2005/06: 5.






 
 

[Dougals Dad]

That makes me feel (a little) better

[Jenga]

A comparison for 2006/07?

[Toff Apple]

However, the setanta money has made a difference, particularly for the full time teams, also I believe the league is more competetive than that year, we had a settled side and we played some of the bottom teams something we havent done much of this season.  still optimistic

[TheCultOfIanTunnacliffe]

A comparison for 2006/07?

As requested......

2006/07

Played: 21
Won: 5
Drawn: 7
Lost: 9
For: 22
Against: 32
Points: 22
Position: 20th out of 24.

[VofD]

And yet GH maintains that the class of 2007/8 is better than the class of 2006/7!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[gazwarrington]

I think the current set of players ARE better. I believe we have improved the squad and that all you can do.  Not a lot you can do if everyone else around you has improved as well.

I still have faith we can get out of this. Bit of a change of luck and you never know. We are only being beaten by mistakes. We cut out mistakes and we'll be ok, which at least means we are not being out played which is a good start... We are just being punished on every one we make and not taking our chances... The current players CAN turn this round, that I am sure of.

[Alty365]

I think you can analyse these things until you're blue in the face. There are so many factors to take into account, such as the overall standard of teams in this league in the respective seasons and the amount of money being made available to teams through tv and new sponsorship. I think the current side is definitely better overall than the team we had in 2005/06. However, the full time teams have accelerated away from us at an alarming rate and I'm only glad we're still within 3 points of climbing out of the relegation places.

Mark my words though - the team to stay above will not be Farsley for much longer. Northwich are looking ominous just now and with Johnny Allan still to come back they will be the team to beat in our "mini-league".

[chrisrufc]

Don't worry it's all Nat Kerr's doing