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Post by hatter_in_macc on Aug 13, 2017 15:08:58 GMT
Next up: an evening foray into Kersal. And there are still 200 tickets remaining for sale tomorrow, if you have yet to get one and fancy the short trip!
Post all the usual stuff here...
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Aug 13, 2017 15:12:23 GMT
In the meantime, here is my pre-match piece for COWS:
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TAKE FIVE… Salford City
By Hatter in Macc
1. So, 10 days into the season, and we’re already on to our fourth game. Where next?
Well, we'll be on the road, but thankfully - with it being Tuesday night - a relatively short (albeit quite busy) highway, as we wend our way around the M60 to Kersal and take on Salford City for an all-ticket encounter at the rapidly-redeveloping Moor Lane stadium.
2. Ooh, what - them off the telly?!
The very same. The club has been much in the public consciousness since 2014, when five members of Manchester United’s ‘Class of ’92’ - namely, Gary and Phil Neville, Nicky Butt, Ryan Giggs and Paul Scholes - bought into it, and, the following year, had their venture broadcast by the BBC in the ‘Out of Their League’ documentary-series.
Salford’s endeavours on the pitch received extra, and live FA Cup, coverage from the ‘Beeb’ during 2015/16, when the ‘Ammies’, as a Northern Premier League outfit, beat Notts County and drew with Hartlepool. Two seasons further on, they have turned full-time and find themselves installed as favourites to go up from the National League North - having made the play-offs, while still part-timers, in their first campaign at this level last term. Giggs - whose brother Rhodri had once served as Salford’s player-manager - declared, at the outset of his involvement with the club, that it would be playing Championship-level football within 15 years. The race is on…
3. Heady progress achieved and predicted for modern times. The next AFC Fylde, then?
Hmm - in terms of advancement up the leagues, kind of. But the club from M7 has been around for rather longer than that in Wesham, after being formed, as Salford Central, back in 1940, and playing in local leagues for a couple of decades, ahead of joining the Manchester League in 1963 - coincidentally, alongside Curzon Ashton, who we entertained at Edgeley Park last Tuesday.
At this point, there was a change of club-title to Salford Amateurs - from which the ‘Ammies’ nickname comes - and what followed was a spell of great success, especially during the 1970s, when they generally cleaned up in the Manchester League, as well as in the Lancashire and Manchester county cup competitions. Playing at Moor Lane since 1978, and under their current Salford City name from 1989, they have subsequently risen through the Cheshire, North West Counties and Northern Premier Leagues to get where they are today.
Their red and white colours are a relatively new addition, mind. Before 2014, they sported a tangerine look, and longer ago played in navy blue.
4. What about players who have turned out for both clubs?
The links are ever-increasing in recent years! Sam Walker, Gary Stopforth and Stephen O’Halloran (for his current, second spell at EP) all joined us from Salford, while Matty Warburton spent the first half of last season as an ‘Ammy’, before returning to Curzon en route to SK3. Midfielder Tunji Moses (at County from 2013-15) has completed two spells at Moor Lane, while winger Chris Williams (2001-06) and defender Harry Worley (on our books as a teenager, before turning professional with Chelsea) played there at later stages of their careers. And, this time around, we are likely to face in Salford’s central defence Carl Piergianni (2011/12), who has signed up following his year away from the English game.
5. Should be a Moor-ish contest at the Lane, eh?!
It certainly should. As has been the case with every game so far this season, we face opponents in form - with Salford having won their last two. But we will surely be buzzing, too, after Saturday’s comeback to claim a draw, which felt almost as good as a win. And, while work continues on converting Moor Lane into a Football League-standard venue with a 5,000-plus capacity, County’s ticket allowance of 1,000 is almost twice that of our allocation for the previous visit we made just five months ago. There are 200 left, as of Monday morning. Be sure to get yours!
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Post by hermannsays on Aug 13, 2017 17:35:01 GMT
Salford have faced two play-off contenders already in Darlington and Chorley. The former played their usual back 4, wide midfield and target man and got a 2-0 victory on the opening day. Chorley, continuing with their back 3, lost to Salford by the single goal.
With Salford having moved on from their shape of last year towards using a back 3 more in the early games of this campaign, the tall and dangerous Nottingham at RWB has been freed up to impact the games in more progressive areas. Unlike against Harrogate, I think we will be able to compete in either shape against Salford if they do indeed start with a back 3. Although the lesser sides don't punish so much when our start is wrong, Harrogate and Salford are among the teams who will. Hopefully everything will be right from the off.
Salford released Lynch, their NLN GK of the year who went to Fylde, but I'm not too sure they've improved in that area. Former Southport loanee Crocombe is much taller, but it's worth putting him under pressure on his kicking and on crossing as there are mistakes in him. If we can get runners at Piergianni, that's another source of potential reward, I reckon.
Much depends on the fitness of Stephenson who can add high pace and work beyond Oswell, and of Warburton. The latest I would assume Stopforth should be available is 2nd Saturday of September if clearance takes 30 days. Hopefully it's much quicker though as we're already seeing signs of too weak a bench just 3 games into the season.
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Post by gazz on Aug 13, 2017 18:00:31 GMT
Another excellent 'Take Five', Maccy - I'm really enjoying reading these!
@ H: Another excellent read too, mate.
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Post by gazz on Aug 13, 2017 20:17:03 GMT
I'm* other news - I'm sick of my phone not knowing the difference between "I'm" and "in" and ALWAYS giving me the opposite of the one I typed - doing exactly the bloody same with "if" and "of" and many other words! *Typo deliberately left in to demonstrate my point! I am completely sick of 'smart'phones.
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Post by dudleyhatter on Aug 13, 2017 20:21:35 GMT
I blame my fat thumbs and not wearing glasses for any errors.
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Post by gazz on Aug 13, 2017 20:24:10 GMT
I blame my fat thumbs and not wearing glasses for any errors. I'm nicking that!
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Post by hatter_in_macc on Aug 14, 2017 10:41:53 GMT
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Post by jimboslovechild on Aug 14, 2017 13:56:22 GMT
Cash-strapped Salford...
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Post by ceefer on Aug 14, 2017 19:31:43 GMT
Looking at the state of the ground they must have spent a few beans on it... they'd be better bulldozing it and digging deeper in their pockets to build a proper stadium...
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Post by ceefer on Aug 14, 2017 19:33:25 GMT
The tactics need to be spot on from the off and the team need to nick a goal early on. Another difficult game and more than ever cut out the stupid fouls in stupid places....
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2017 8:36:02 GMT
100% agree with that ceefer. From what it sounds like, we set up wrong on the first day of the season and likewise on Saturday - by the time we'd changed it we were already 2 down. Ultimately that has costed us points so far.
I know Jim is still trying to get his team to play how he wants to play, and versatility of formation is all part of that. Some of the players are still gelling, and learning what Jim expects from them.
Like you say though, we need to be right at it from the off tonight because it'll be a really tough game. We can't afford to let Salford be on top for the first 30 before we change things; no head starts, no letting them settle.
With the money they've spent and the expectation on their shoulders from the classless of 92 and the media, they should be the ones feeling the pressure not us.
With all that said - I wonder how we will line up? Warburton is out injured, and I don't think we've got clearance on Stopforth yet (what a joke...), but Stephenson should be back after being rested at the weekend.
Most of the team will pick itself in terms of personnel, I guess the real questions are what formation will we start with, and will Walker start?
I've not seen much of him besides a second half cameo against Curzon, by all accounts some have said he looks a little overweight and not the person for a battle in central midfield. With Matty Warburton out injured, no Stopforth, and the chance to prove his worth to those at his old club who discarded him, might it be worth starting him in that attacking mid role behind the front 2? His stats from last season certainly suggest he is creative and offers a goal threat - playing against his old club might be just the thing he needs to get that fire in his belly to kick start his season with us?
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Post by hermannsays on Aug 15, 2017 16:21:04 GMT
McKenna not available (not fit) so that's another option gone for tonight's game. Fingers crossed on Stephenson... and maybe even Warburton has some kind of miraculous recovery from his whack! Hampson also got a whack and carried on for most of the game. May have to call on those backup players!
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2017 16:23:31 GMT
That's disappointing - I couldn't make it on Saturday but it sounded like McKenna really changed the game and was a live wire when he came on. We've been rather unfortunate with injuries the last week or so.
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Post by Deleted on Aug 15, 2017 18:55:00 GMT
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