Roy of the Rovers A New Beginning Week 5 It was Monday morning.

. Vernon Eliot and Gerry Holloway were at the training ground early. The players were not due until 10am, so the management team had met in the media suite to watch a re-run of Saturdays defeat at Carford. Not pretty is it Vernon? Such simple football cut us to ribbons. We really lack pace and mobility in the centre of defence. Piedra and Lamidel were left isolated in the air against Santa Maria and Shipp, they were covering for Daley and Jones, who just couldnt stay with their men. Vernon nodded his agreement, So today we work out who is going to come into the back-line. But Im not sure we need to make any changes. Will any other side play like that? Carford are so direct and attacking, Burndean wont be. They play patient passing football. I dont think Jones and Daley will be exposed like they were on Saturday. Gerry did not wholly agree, But we do need to find a more mobile centre-half. There are lots of direct teams in this league. Its only a matter of time before that performance is repeated! Gerry loaded his dossier on Burndean and switched the projector input to his lap-top. On Sunday he had watched a recording of Burndeans opening match of the season against Holverton. They had drawn nil-nil in a dull game of few chances. The assistant manager and expert analyst had entered all the data from the match and compared it with matches from the end of the 2012/13 season. There were few differences in Burndeans approach. Their Dutch manager preferred a passing game, a slow build up from the back. They played very few long balls. Notably the goalkeeper rarely punted the ball aimlessly forward; sixty percent of his distribution was rolled or passed short to a full back. See here Vernon, last season, Burndean only scored three goals from open-play crosses. Thats not because their forwards missed headers, its that they just dont cross the ball. Gerry flicked onto the page showing Burndeans typical formation and line-up. Little width, no natural wingers. The three attacking midfielders interchange positions at will. The two central midfielders hold position in front of the defence. They dont often join the attack. On paper it matches nicely against our line-up. Weve got more energy and our wingers should stretch their midfield. The only worry is if we get out-numbered in the middle. If Burndean get into their rhythm we could find it very difficult to sustain any pressure. Then we will be relying on converting any halfchances we can create. And we know thats not our strong point. How do they score then Gerry? Vernon asked politely. Last season they scored the most set-piece goals of any side in the Premier League. They win free-kicks around the area. Glazer and Diefi are experts at drawing contact and they go down easily. Macdonald and Chase are dead-ball specialists and the centre-back Seasman scored nine goals, all from set-piece situations. In fact they remind me of you and Freddys early Kelburn side. They dont have the star players, but they are well-drilled and very solid at the back. Yes, they won the F.A. Cup last year. So many one-nil wins. It seems they can do enough to score and then hold out for the win. So why were Burndean only mid-table, if they are so effective?

It was a good question, Ah! That would be their home form. The system just doesnt work as well at home. Teams sit back and watch them keep possession. They dont have the quality to breakdown stubborn and well-organised defences. Its great in cup competitions when everyone attacks, but in the league against clubs just aiming to survive, who are happy to draw, they lack penetration. Vernon already knew most of what Gerry had told him, but the assistant manager had a way of presenting the most complex of situations in a simple manner. The manager now had to interpret Gerrys information and work out the best way to beat Burndean. It was the way they worked, Gerry did the opposition, Vernon picked the team and tactics. Richie Lyons will have to drop deeper into midfield than he did on Saturday. No! Wait, well swap Lyons and Van Den Broeck. Freddy can play the attacking midfield role. I dont think Richie has the discipline to do that job. So this afternoon we do pressing drills, we cant afford to let Burndean settle on the ball. The midfield need to press and press, but be careful not to drift out of position. Burndean will have the numbers, so we will need to be clear in our communications. But with well-timed pressing and disciplined positioning we can simulate having an extra midfield player. *** At Mel Park, Trevor Brinsden and David Roth were in the board-room, their newly appointed pressmanager was midway through a presentation of the Sunday newspaper and television coverage of the weekends match. Joey Goldfield had worked with Roth in London and had attended the City of London School for Boys with his son, Dave Junior, on a music scholarship. David had spotted his potential early and had backed the youngster through university, arranging his interview and even paying his fees. He knew it was a wise investment, Goldfields service in the following years would more than pay-back any of the incurred costs. Joey was one of the top media and public relations managers in the country, but this was new territory for him, he just could not understand why a football club needed him, especially on his salary. Although he had known David for over twenty years, he knew little about the workings of any of his businesses, he just told him what others thought of him and how he should present himself in a media friendly manner. Major image issues with the tabloids! Trevor, its love-hate, they love to write hateful things about you and youre an easy target. David, you appear to conflict with the community ownership of the club. Youre just too successful for their readers to connect with, so they slate you! Successful! Ive been bankrupt twice, every single other club owner in the country is wealthier than me. But as you say, its the image. But Im hardly going to show up at Mel Park in a grey tracksuit driving a clapped-out Cortina, am I? Whats Lucas written in the Gazette? Trevor was becoming obsessed with John Lucas, the senior sports correspondent at the Daily Gazette, I hate that man and it seems he hates me. Goldfield took unopened copies of Mondays edition and slid them across the table for the Chairmen to read, Lucas delights in the defeat of Melchester. He scoffs at the lack of investment in the team. But, in fact, he writes next to nothing about either of you. I suppose he views the defeat as a direct reflection of the leadership of the club, so he doesnt need to write anything. Well find out more when Rovers win a match, Im sure. Hes an experienced man, is John Lucas, nothing libellous, nothing too personal. I dont believe we can challenge anything hes written so far. But if you want to tempt him, perhaps we could leak a story or two. Fly-fishing I call it, we lure him in, with a fake story, like the fake fly, if hes hungry hell bite, and men like Lucas are always hungry!

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Storky Knight Next Week: Walford Rovers are the opponents and it is transfer deadline day