4-1 Win vs Mallorca

When we're good we're very good, and today it all clicked into place. Our first game at the new San Andreu pitch proved to be a great chance for the team to show what they can do. The Mallorca players boasted to our new recruits that they were a first division team and had 9 points so far (albeit against weaker opposition), but i had a good feeling about this one.

The team consisted of Hugo in Goal, JKris and Terry centre halfs, Cedric and Rich as full backs. Juan moved up to left wing, Victor right wing, and the new partnership of Victor "the machine" and Tomasz in central midfield. Up front were James and Pat for his last game for the collins.

We wanted to play the ball on the ground against this team that Victor and I had watched the week before. We realised that their only strength was their ability to hold on to the ball. Our gameplan was to be very aggressive at ball winning, and to keep it simple.



The first half was a blur, with the Collins winning everything in midfield, Victor and Tomasz clicked in a way that i've never seen yet, and dominated the middle of the pitch. Terry and kris were immense at centre back, and there was only 1 threat from my memory throughout the first 45 minutes. Victor broke the deadlock after our forwards had spurned chance after chance, we were having 2-3 shots every five mintes and the vaunted 1st division team looked shaky indeed. It took a moment of magic from Victor on the right wing to kickstart it though. He cut inside and floated a lovely 25 yard lob over the keeper and into the top corner. Inch perfect, and thoroughly deserved, 1-0 collins. A few more poor finishes and we were approaching half time with a lead but one that could be taken from us with a slip. And slip we did, their striker outjumped Kris and was through on goal 1 on 1 with Hugo when Victor from nowhere sprinted 30 yards to nick the ball from his toe just as he was about to shoot. Half time, 1-0. Victor then took a headbut to the face which dropped him like a stone and caused a gash on the lip, but it could not stop him and made him even more determined.

Juan had been lucky to stay on the pitch after a string of rash challenges so he made way for Glendon at half time, and we left it 10 minutes before the Doctor was to replace Rich. Almost immediately Pat broke through the Mallorca defence and slotted cooly for 2-0. Mallorca were on the back foot nowand it was like a turkey shoot. They made multiple substitutions to try to stem the flow, and Doctor cam on for Rich. Unfortunately his first action was to bring down a striker in the box for an unnecessary penalty which they scored, 2-1.

From then on, the midfield mastery proved too much for Mallorca with Victor winning everything that came through the centre, and Cedric marauding up and down the left wing. James got through on goal and scuffed the shot, but fell on the ball. Somehow he kept control of it on the floor and passed it out for Victor coming in from the right to hammer it into the roof of the net, a deserved 3-1.

At this point Mallorca had nothing, the domination was total, and Victor (winger) was a little damaged and came off for Walther to soon earn his new nickname "Hannibal" for telling one of the Mallorca players that he was going to eat his liver......

Simon came on for James and immediately took the mantle of centre forward and started running at the defence. They just couldn't handle the renewed pressure and Pat popped up to put in a 4th.

Caj came on for the last 15 and almost made it 5 from Simon's cross but it was just behind him. Cedric ran the whole length of the pitch twice and almost scored both times, but in the end the game finished 4-1. The Mallorca manager came up to me afterwards and said it should have been 10-0. He said they were rubbish, i say we made them play rubbish. Wonderful to watch, and even better as we videoed it.

Man of the match by a unanimous verdict, Victor the Machine..... 2 weeks in a row for him as MOM and to think i thought he wouldn't be physical enough to play in central midfield.

My apologies to those of you who came to the collins to watch the video and we couldn't get the TV to work, but we had a laugh anyway. Lets try to keep this momentum going and who knows where we'll be in a few games time.....A very happy Gaffer

Saturday 11th vs Manchester 8-1 loss

Under pressure from ex players who love to view our misery (thats you Tim), i am forced to face up to this result in public.

MANCHESTER were always going to be a tough prospect. Easily as good as Dynamo, but with better individual players, Hans etc, we were on the back foot immediately. Kristin and Tom both gave no warning of their non attendance, which meant there was only one CB available, and James had to play in defence, leaving no target man up front. We played 5 across midfield to try to contain Hans and friends, and left poor Victor Lopez up front against 4 defenders.

The first half was a good game, with the Manchester captain coming up to me at half time and saying that we have improved dramatically since last season and that this was exactly what they needed. It was only 2 or 3-0 by that time, although we had sustained periods of possession, and looked threatening at times.

Lets qualify this game early. Manchester are out of our league. They have ex professionals, one who has played for Antwerp. The class shows, and he scored at least 3 goals, one a spectacular overhead kick taken off James´s head, which is no mean feat in itself. They had 5 subs who were as good as our best players, and they are extraordinarily fit.

The second half kicked off with no changes to personnel, and a good feeling that we might get goal. At 60 mins it all started to go wrong. As the midfield tired, people stopped tracking back and the defence were overrun. 5-0, 6-0 and it was all over with 25 minutes to go. It was time for fresh legs and Caj, Janek, and Hektor all came on to try to batten down the hatches. As it was, it made no difference. Victor, bravely soldiering on alone up front earned a penalty which he deserved for his hard work and made it 6-1 but 2 more goals given away through tiredness, lethargy and lack of heart meant it was a rout.

What can you say, its tough to play against these teams, and we should have plyed the best of the league now. Only West Ham, and maybe Metropolitan worry me a little but we should be alot closer to them than the last two games. We have a week off now, and then Mallorca who are nowhere near as free scoring as Mancester or Dynamo. This is the real test for our level. One thing that we ave seen so far is that we can´t afford any passengers. If we have subs, they must be an addition to the side, as good and as fit as the people that they re replacing. The other is that we need to play at the top level for 90 minutes, not 70. In 2 games we have performed well for 65-70 minutes and then collapsed. This has to change!

New 2008-9 season starts with a loss

Well saturday was the start of the new season, and the Collins were drawn in a tough group this time around. Our first game was against the very potent Dynamo, who beat us 8-0 or something last season. A few new faces were here this year, with Victor and Simon starting up front for us, Pat, Cedric, Kris and Glendon across the midfield, and Juan, the Doctor, Terry and Tom in defence. Mike was between the sticks.
The game started better than we could have hoped for and the surface was much better to play on thannSt Marti. The passing was crisp, the players took a while to settle and we had to soak up some early pressure, but in all, we were playing well. There waas a bit of banter between the teams, with Juan the ringleader, but it was all pretty lowkey.
A lack of concentration, a very quick forward and suddenly it was 1-0 Dynamo. Mike was left sprawing in front of the new missus, but there was not much he could do about it. It was not a time to let the heads go down, and although Mike had to make a string a excellent saves, we were still in the game. As Dynamo flooded forward, we started to get some luck with the counterattacking football. Cedric and Juan were linking up well on the left and when Victor dropped back to link up, the ball was moving quite well. Simon had a great opportunity but the goalkeeper saved well, and a couple of speculative 20 yarders from Cedric and Pat were close aswell. Our central midfield of Pat and Kristian started to control things then, and forced the Dynamo attacks out wide.
A corner kick sparked us into life again as Terry floated a Staunton-like corner straight into the goal, and it was 1-1 before half time. We failed to capitalise twice after that but at 45 minutes, we were good for the draw. No changes were needed, we were playing good football.
Second half came and we continued to press forward, squandering a couple of good opportunities, until a strong 20 yard volley from the impressive no.8 from Dynamo beat Mike and started the Dynamo attack. The time was 70 minutes, it was 2-1 vs the 2nd best team in the league, and we were looking good. Dynamo then turned up the gas! They brought on 5 subs with fresh legs and good skill, and our midfield started to be overrun. Victor came on for the Doctor for fresh legs, and Walther moved to CM taking a knackered Simon off and pushing Pat up front.
Taking Pat out of midfield was probably a mistake, as the floodgates opened then. Very soon it was 3-1, then 4-1. We were still creating, but not finishing our chances off. Dynamo were scoring top corner goals every time. Zugi came on for Victor who had cramp and Glendon pushed up front. Some very poor refereeing gave them a penalty for a nonsense handball to make it 5-1 then Terry was enraged after a 3 metre offside call was ignored by the ref to make it 6-1. He seemed more interested in getting his car off the parking outside and scuttled off immediately.
With a scoreline like 6-1 alot of people would be disappointed with that performance, but to be honest, we played for 70 minutes like a good team. With a bit more fitness, a couple of additions in key places, we will definitely improve from last season. Juan was voted Man of the Match, the aptly named "Toro" was everywhere leading from the back. Cedric and Victor both played well in their first game, and Victor deputised well at RB when he came on. Next week Manchester for another stern test, but heads up, i like what i see!