Atherton Collieries (FA Trophy)

[oxo]

Personally I'm not too fussed about this. The number one priority this season has become cash from the FA Cup run. Additional income here will be invaluable for the months/year ahead.

League is next but realistically it was never going to be a big push for promotion season. The new ground won't be finished, we need to build gradually and it needs to be sustainable. Play offs at best.

FA Trophy is never going to be a big money spinner unless you get towards the end of the competition. That's why I went fishing today.  CE was never going to put his best 11 out.

If Craig had played some of the key players today and they had got injured or sent off then he'd be in for plenty of stick from everyone.

Of course it's nice to win every game but we're still competing in the two most important competitions that we enter. It's not like previous years when this could have meant that we have nothing left to play for.

TEP

With your take on things carry on fishing.

[Burgh Boy]

Very unhappy with the decision to field a weakened team in a competition we could have gone a long way in. The prize money from this game alone would have benefited the Club and paid for a few items required in the new stadium or at least reimbursed the Chairman for some of the money he has put in the business. As many co-contributors have suggested, we should have fielded the current first team and given them EIGHT days rest before the next game.

[Tipps End Pilgrim]

All entitled to our opinions. Mine just as valid as yours, particularly as I attend 75% of matches and have done for the last 38 years.

TEP

Personally I'm not too fussed about this. The number one priority this season has become cash from the FA Cup run. Additional income here will be invaluable for the months/year ahead.

League is next but realistically it was never going to be a big push for promotion season. The new ground won't be finished, we need to build gradually and it needs to be sustainable. Play offs at best.

FA Trophy is never going to be a big money spinner unless you get towards the end of the competition. That's why I went fishing today.  CE was never going to put his best 11 out.

If Craig had played some of the key players today and they had got injured or sent off then he'd be in for plenty of stick from everyone.

Of course it's nice to win every game but we're still competing in the two most important competitions that we enter. It's not like previous years when this could have meant that we have nothing left to play for.

TEP

With your take on things carry on fishing.

[Artemis]

Personally I'm not too fussed about this. The number one priority this season has become cash from the FA Cup run. Additional income here will be invaluable for the months/year ahead.

League is next but realistically it was never going to be a big push for promotion season. The new ground won't be finished, we need to build gradually and it needs to be sustainable. Play offs at best.

FA Trophy is never going to be a big money spinner unless you get towards the end of the competition. That's why I went fishing today.  CE was never going to put his best 11 out.

If Craig had played some of the key players today and they had got injured or sent off then he'd be in for plenty of stick from everyone.

Of course it's nice to win every game but we're still competing in the two most important competitions that we enter. It's not like previous years when this could have meant that we have nothing left to play for.

TEP

Craig went back on what he said in Friday's interview then.  I wonder how many would have travelled had he said he would be fielding the fringe players.

Players can get injured during training - so using your logic - will training be banned until after the FA Cup tie at Rochdale?

We had a very good chance of going a long way in the FA Trophy and perhaps win it - that won't happen with the FA Cup.

[The Third Twin]

Okay, it's not a good result, but the dangling carrot of getting a result away next week meant tough choices had to be made. In his post match interview the manager candidly admitted the side he picked should still have been good enough to win today. Sadly it wasn't. But for me he did what he should have done, and that is save the better players for next week. That's the real prize this season, the potential of a third round appearance and the dream of a tie against a premiership club. It's about 20 years since our last run that far. Is it a realistic expectation? Who's to say? Ask yourself if we fielded a first choice XI today and suffered a couple of injuries or a red card, then the opinions would have possibly suggested he should have rested players. Today's game was the sacrificial lamb to ensure the manager had his best options available for next week. Shame we lost, but if means we've fitter and rested first choice players for next week, then I'll accept the manager's judgement in the circumstances.

[Tipps End Pilgrim]

Craig's the manager and he does what he thinks is right. He doesn't appear to be doing badly so let's trust his judgement whether we're winning or losing. Unless anyone else on here has his sort of managerial experience then we probably aren't qualified to question his decision making.

I imagine there'll be no risks taken in training this week and thankfully no more of our first team regulars will be suspended - a possibility if they'd played today. I take it you were there when Thewlis and Rollins were red carded earlier in the season.

TEP

[Artemis]

I take it you were there when Thewlis and Rollins were red carded earlier in the season.

TEP

Not sure what those 2 red cards have to do with the current situation.
Both could and should have been avoided. Lack of discipline.

[Tash]

My take on this is out of the two comps we should prioritise the FA cup, purely and simply for the money, at this stage in our relocation we need the chance of some financial gains. Yes we could go all the way in the trophy (although I doubt we could win it). If, and I stress the word if, we win on Sunday then the financial rewards could be significant. The trophy prize money is fairly poor, so imo the manager made the right decision to play some fringe players, we had enough chances by the sound of it to win the game with the players he selected. I am pretty sure if he had selected Thewlis, Thanoj,Abbott and Knowles and one or two of them picked up injuries that kept them out of Sunday’s tie this thread would be mostly condemning him for not resting the said players. I ask you who’d be a manager

[Dipdodah]

I totally agree with the above statement. I think what's miffed most people is the fact CE said he was going with a full team. I think we have a genuine chance of causing an upset next week.  The manager of Rochdale is under pressure and I can see us being his last game in charge. CE has to approach this game with a win attitude,  I think that's our best chance.

[green hats mate]

Craig's the manager and he does what he thinks is right. He doesn't appear to be doing badly so let's trust his judgement whether we're winning or losing. Unless anyone else on here has his sort of managerial experience then we probably aren't qualified to question his decision making.

I imagine there'll be no risks taken in training this week and thankfully no more of our first team regulars will be suspended - a possibility if they'd played today. I take it you were there when Thewlis and Rollins were red carded earlier in the season.

TEP

You and TTT have got to be right ,  less chance of getting a card or bad injury on the training ground than playing against a lower league team desperate to beat us .      If we pull it off against Rochdale with the right draw the next round would earn us far more than winning the trophy .            Still sad that the travelling fans were let down ,  I think with hindsight Craig will regret not revealing earlier a second eleven was going to be fielded .   

[brummie exile 1960]

I admit I'm disappointed George Greene didn't make an impact yesterday. To be fair though, he must be rusty at this time and needs more games. I still believe he can "do the business".
On a more positive note, Rochdale are NOT on form. They were borderline hopeless against Pompey yesterday. The cold fact is they play 3 leagues above us, but I do think we can give them a game. I'm going to have a bet on a 1-1 draw. That's not wishful thinking, it's a possibility.

UTP

[Pilgrim86]

Green is a good player, but he was effectively our only midfielder yesterday. He can't do it on his own. Wafula isn't a central midfielder and isn't going to get a game in the front 3.

[Tipps End Pilgrim]

Don't quite understand why we still have Wafula - must be on next to nothing wages and not costing.

[Ken Fox]

I was there with my camera. Put a few snaps on twitter (https://twitter.com/kenafox) and Facebook and the usual little Gallery (http://www.bufc.drfox.org.uk/athertoncollieries231119.html) on my website. So if you want to see what the away strip looks like or the players in the 2nd team take a look!

[Old boy thin]

Don't quite understand why we still have Wafula - must be on next to nothing wages and not costing.

Wafula is here because Craig wants him here, or do you prefer the revolving door fiasco of last season? 
The problem is none of these fringe players are getting enough proper game time, if we had a reserve team, which Chris Cook craves for, these lads would be getting regular competitive football.
Then they would get the chance to gel and then wouldn't look so disjointed when they do play together. 
No amount of training sessions will help them with this, match action is the only remedy.