Some thoughts...

My comments after a an email exhange with Pie:

In my personal experience the times when I come away from games feeling “what is the point” is often when I am not happy with my OWN personal performance. Peter can have a poor game and contribute to a poor performance but if I know in my heart that I have given it 100%, bagged a few goals, a few assists and some good tracking and tackles then I don’t really have much to grumble about.

I have in the past gotten angry at Peter but quite often beneath it is disappointment at my own performance.

At the end of the day you can only go out and do YOUR best. For all the will in the world ultimately that is the only thing you can impact, you can’t worry about what everyone else is doing.

If Peter comes of the pitch most weeks happy with his performance then I would be very surprised. Yes he may seem on the surface to be happy but deep down (where it matters I doubt he is). This is probably why he exudes a lot of confidence and arrogance off the pitch but falls to pieces easily on it. He laughs off the fact that you are ahead of him in the Sliver Boot but he will be seriously miffed and annoyed underneath, that I can guarantee. Not to put you down and I’m sure you would agree but if you both played to POTENTIAL each week he would be miles ahead in that respect. That is going to be affecting him.

All I can say is focus on your game, do your best and not worry about what he is doing. Maybe some of your frustration after games is because to compound nother defeat you are not happy with your performance (like me).

Some more of my thoughts about the team in general anyway.

:)

Bramhall Rangers 8 Omatha 12

Hedderz and Russ made welcome returns for a game against Omatha, as Mr T started his sabbatical from the Rangers and Shiz was unavailable. Belly also returned in the sticks, along with the remaining regulars Pie, Mini, Piggy and Nev.

The first half was fairly even, we perhaps just shaded it in my opinion, and went in 5-4 up at half time. Mini with 4 well taken goals and a penalty from Hedderz on his return. There was even a moment when we thought the unthinkable had happened – a quick free kick was taken by Mini, feeding Nev who slotted the ball home. Was this the moment when the 49-game goal watch would be broken? Just as scenes of jubilation were about to start, there was a whistle. Disallowed! Mini had taken the free kick from the wrong place. Getting the ball back again, he looked for a new option. There was Nev free again, so Mini slipped the ball through to him, again. This time though Nev wasn’t to be in luck, an air shot later and he was still chasing the goal that would break his long goalless duck.

Overall we were playing alright, and started the second half with renewed optimism. This lasted all of approximately 5 seconds, when we gave the ball away from kick off and Omatha scored. This was quickly followed up by another from Omatha, and we were on the back foot. The Rangers never really got going in the second half, and some poor defending meant, whilst Omatha never really pulled away, we were always chasing them.
Peter grabbed a goal, Pie also got one after another quick free kick from Mini, and Mini picked up the his 5th of the game.

But it was the poor second half that lost this game for the Rangers that really was there for the taking.

Final Score - Bramhall Rangers 8 Omatha 12
Goals - Mini (5), Pie (1), Peter (1), Hedderz (1)

Nev goal watch - 50

Buxton Robins 12 Bramhall Rangers 6

"If your strength is small, don't carry heavy burdens. If your words are worthless, don't give advice" - Chinese proverb

It was a cold evening the sort of evening in which a night in front of the television with a big bowl of soup and a movie on the television. That is of course if you don’t play for Bramhall Rangers as those lucky few this band of brother (a bit if Shakespeare there) know when the clock hits 21.00 it ain’t Chico Time is football time. The usual excitement was in the air and all the questions to be answered were we going to be shite or could this be the night we tell our kids about (remember one of which will be married to Big Pete). The suprising thing, at least as far as I can see, was that Bramhall after a diabolical performance last week managed a reasonable performance.

The team was Mark in net and outfield it was Shiz, John, Mini, Big Pete and Nev. Belly was absent because he had something more important to do possibly organising his envelopes into size and colour order to make it easier with the change of the postal service. A wise move Belly a very wise move. The games started well with the teams (in a non-sexual way) feeling each other out. Mark was called upon to pull off some good saves and even Big Pete wasn’t doing bad with his Angelina Ballerina impression to get past people working more than it has in recent weeks. Shiz was all over the pitch and even the biggest issue of fitness didn’t seem to bad throughout the team.

The team as usual relied heavily upon Mini to sprinkle the fairy dust and make something happen which he was able to do. The team were working well together and no-one (surprisingly) could be picked out to say that they had a shit game. Most of the match was a blur to me but just a couple of points of interest. Mark had a good game in net but conceded a goal with the least pace of any shot in history. The shot came in and he pushed it into the air and could only watch it trickle into the empty net behind me narrowly beating Lawrence the snail over the line. The second event just before the end with an altercation between Mini and one of the opposition I didn’t see it myself but I understand he was pole-axed so collapsed in the foetal position. On standing up informing the opposition that if that was how they wanted to play it then it was alright with Mini – I sense the referee would have liked to have been involved in this decision but still the game came to an end soon after and it was of for tea and fondant fancies in the pavilion. Bramhall Rangers scorers were Mini, John and big Pete all with 2 and a little satisfaction perhaps that we have played ok – for us.

Bramhall are certainly a team who are inconsistent and although it was one of the best performances for several weeks it is important to remember the basics. Too many times defenders were isolated with several two against ones this needs resolving, there is still a lack of communication (I suggest we try semaphore), as a team we need to try to avoid diving in because too many times the player takes it past us. There is no I in team remember we need to work as a team to start winning but the starting point has to be getting some consistency together.

Final Score - Bramhall Rangers 6 Buxton Robins 12
Goals - Mini (2), Pie (2), Peter (2)

Nev goal watch - 49

*Report by Mr Nev

Results

It occured to me only earlier today that I hadn't updated the results or stats page for the last 3 weeks. So I've done so now. Not that there was anything to shout about...!!

Interestingly though, we have had the same team for the last 6 consecutive matches. I wonder if this is a record for us...?

Its a pity it won't continue tonight, with Belly being crippled.

Bramhall Ranger 7 - Eat My Goal 17

It was a cold night, a fairly late kick off and a tough opponent this week. Eat My Goal sat in a respectable fourth and a positive goal difference. We sat second bottom on equal points with CUT and a nasty negative goal difference.

Things started out well, with us playing some good football – some of the best defending we have done for a few games and some nice passing and running into space. Halfway into the first half and we were probably equal or only one goal behind and things weren’t looking too bad.
As the first half continued we started letting off the defensive pressure, standing off our men and giving them chances to shoot and more importantly run into space, which they began capitalising on.
At half time the score was 6-3 or 7-3. We weren’t out of it but it was slipping away from us.

But then in the second half we pushed the big red button again. As we slowed down our game, getting into space less and giving their players more space, they seemed to step up a gear, using the space well and getting lots of shots off. With me having a bit of a shocker, they began scoring left right and centre. There was also a few minutes in the middle of the half that beggars belief, as they kicked off, passed it and scored, we kicked off, gave it away immediately, they passed it and scored again.
At this point the game was truly over for us as they were almost 10 goals ahead. With five minutes to go I came out of nets and Pie took over. However I was off again with two minutes. Pie did well between the sticks in the last few minutes, only conceding one goal.

The final whistle blew and the game ended 17-7. We weren’t expecting to win after our last meeting, but we probably could have conceded a lot less goals.
Fitness probably played a big part in the game – as we began to tire they took advantage and used their stamina to get into space.

Mini 5
Pie 1
Pete 1

Nev goal watch 48
Mark goal watch 8
Russ injury watch 9

Monkhouse Gladbach 13 Bramhall Rangers 11

Well what a game this turned out to be. The weather was cold to the 1's and 2 degrees and the team would be down to 6 for the first few minutes of the game awaiting Nev's arrival. Rangers became worry when, in pre match training Mark was caught on the angle and it looked like he would need the recovery time as our ownly sub.
The game started with some great play and we were ahead with some slick passing movement and quick shooting. The opposition seemed a weaker side as not only had they 5 in their squad but even in the first half they seemed to lack a desire, possibly due to the cold. The good run however, did not last and a number of defences errors from yours truely were to blame for their fight back. One of their goal was shot straight through my legs and passed Belch in those situations there is really nothing anyone can do.
John has playing well and he was putting himself about and getting into great positions to score and to create and boy can he create when he wants to. There were some all round good 1-2's and a higher level of awareness of where each player was for the pass.
In a bid to amend my mistakes earlier I tried to create something from nothing with a brief dance in the middle of the park having to finally lay it off to John for the shot. It is true that to score in this game you really need to shoot on site.
The half ended with a draw 6-6 and we felt that this was perhaps a good result considering our defensive problems. Nevertheless, we would push on in the second and after a motivational speech by our legendary Captain the Miniture Man it was time to take it to enemy and within a few minutes Nev would bravely step up and miss our single penalty. Well done for Christian Baleing me out as I don't feel 100% at taking them but I would say that Mini & John need to be our 1 and 2 takers in the future so please you two step forward and somebody argue for the chance.
The chances were wild at both ends of the pitch but 15 mins in the second an appeal to ref by Mini took all our attentions off the incident in the corner and I had to ask Mark what happened. No answer was forthcoming, so there was no point appealing to the ref without evidence. He did ask me what happen when he came over so I guess he didn't see anything either. The guy who foul Mark said he caught him with the back of the head but only Mark knows what happened.
He was subbed with Big Pete as quickly as possible and Charlotte kept him warn whilst I went for an ice pack. I was concern about con cussion but he was not tired just very cold. Well done Fist I hope you are ok but I would love it if you got a black eye to show the kids at school.
With the rest of game to play it was the Gladbach's that fort back first with goals and we returned the favour but with all our effort we missed out by 2 goals. I personally want to win but I was pleased with how we went forward with unselfish play. Others will look at this game as a chance of victory missed and they are right. We pressed hard and we should expect the results once in a while and on behalf of myself I appologies for my mistakes. I will make more I will just need to stay focused and think of what's happening when I don't have the ball instead of always thinking about what I will do when I get it.

Mini 5 John 4 Big Pete 2

Nev goal watch 47
Mark goal watch 8
Russ injury watch 9