The Tree Surgeon’s notes v Basildon United

So we are back after the festive and new year season, after an extended break to try and see if the 2016 part of season 2015/2016 can be better than the first half, it could hardly be any worse.

We have had to endure being bottom of the Essex Senior League over the extended break and depending upon results of other clubs ate the bottom could be slightly cut adrift if results did not go our way – forget games in hand, I would always opt for points of the board, especially, given our current form of one win followed by a defeat, nothing in between it seems for us.

So if our form goes to plan then we are due a win today, but, we will have to play a whole lot better that we did in our final game of 2015, when we were humbled 5-1 at promotion chasing Bowers.

Today’s visitors Basildon were in second place in the table, with two games in hand of top team AFC Romania, when we last kicked a ball in anger, so if they have had a goal run of results they might even be top today.

Same old problem us as usual, we seem to be unable to string two performances together where we keep things tight at the back – this has been going on for three years and I am at a loss to understand we players seem to be making the same old mistakes over and over again.

Back in the 80’s and 90’s when I used to regularly watch my side, it was always said “it’s easier to get a team to defend than attack” – have things really changed that much in the last two decades? On a slightly happier note, I noticed in early December that the club were advertising for new players for the reserves and asked Tony B about that, as I thought the main pool of players were the very good under 18’s side of last season.

Tony told me that Elijus who runs the reserves is extremely keen to get any many young players into the club as possible and try and develop a pool of players good enough to, firstly improve our first team and then move on to bigger and better things.

Turgut himself has always expressed the need to bring young local players through so the club becomes a true “community” club where we can attract the best young, available talent as a centre of excellence. That is the only way that our club will not only survive, but, also prosper in the future by developing home grown talent.

I hope that the current team can improve and show more consistency, because we have certainly got the talent in the side, now we just have to make ourselves harder to beat starting today. So let’s all hope we can have a winning start to what we all hope is a brighter 2016.