At long last the preparations are almost over and the real show will begin in a matter of days. Since my last post, the Greens have remained unbeaten meaning that it was only the first game at Boreham Wood that resulted in defeat. I ended up watching just three of the games and found things that were and weren’t so good. Most promising from my point of view was the fact that we conceded more than 1 goal just twice in the 10 matches played. Although little can be read into pre-season results, and five of the goals conceded came against Cobham and Chalfont St. Peter, if you can get yourself into good habits during pre-season, then chances are it’ll fall into place quicker when the season starts.
The three results that stand out for me are the 0-0 draw at Havant, the 4 goal second half blitz at Northwood and the 0-0 draw at Harlow – all for differing reasons. Gary has been experimenting with just 1 up front at times during the summer and 2 up at other times. From what little I’ve seen, Elliott Godfrey looks as though he would be at his most effective playing just off a lone centre forward in the gap between the opponent’s midfield and back four. A genuine South American or Italian number 10 if you will. Aaron Morgan gives the option of playing up front in a 2 man strike force, or wider on the left if going with 1 up front, it just remains to be seen if either of, or both Greg Ngoyi and Lawrence Yaku sign forms for the new season to complete what on paper, looks a strong attacking unit.
Any optimism is tempered slightly by the news that we are unlikely to see James Parker or the artist formerly known as Craig Vargas regularly in Green shirts this season. Both have had to step back due to work commitments, with Vargs (or Carbs as I suppose he ought to be monickered now) signing a dual registration agreement with local side Northwood to enable him to get regular football. Parks will also remain registered with the club, which I am delighted about. He is someone who ever since joining the club in the dying days of Gary Farrell’s reign (I think his debut was in Farrell’s last match in charge) has been an absolute credit to the club and clearly cares very deeply about it. I remember seeing how much he hurt after being sent off a couple of years ago in the 5-0 FA Cup 4th Qualifying Round defeat against Woking and whenever you speak to him post match, he is refreshingly honest if we’ve come up short. I’m sure he must have had offers to play further up the pyramid and most likely, closer to home but he has remained loyal to the club and that goes a long way with fans. He’s made 259 appearances in his 6 and a half years with the club and would have made many more if his ankles weren’t made of ice cream.
I first saw Vargs / Carbs as a marauding centre half for an impressive Brook House side when we played them in a League or Middlesex Cup tie some years back and was quite pleased by his addition to the squad along with a number of players from the same level at the beginning of 2006/7. Where the likes of Dean Thomas, Dwane Williams, Nas Richardson and various others all disappeared with barely a whimper, Vargs looked to have something a little different about him. In mid-October he moved on to Windsor & Eton before returning the following February. In November 2007 he was on the move again, this time to Dave Anderson’s St. Albans City side before spells with Carshalton and Boreham Wood as well. He returned for a third time at the start of 2008/9 season and over the next three seasons became a really steady and solid member of the side. Often you wouldn’t notice him which is a testament to his consistency and inability to find the back of the net.
I sincerely hope we haven’t seen the last of either man in a Hendon shirt but of course, there does come a time when players have to move on for whatever reason. Whatever happens, if they don’t return to the club then they go with my very best wishes for the future and thanks for everything they’ve done for the club. With 27 players signed on for the new season thus far, and the promise of one or two more to come, we certainly aren’t lacking for competition or depth, and I suspect we may well see one or two other names leaving the club on loan or dual registrations over the next few weeks.
All of which leaves any hope of guessing Gary’s XI for the opener against Concord Rangers at the weekend pretty pointless. But I like pointless, so for the record, I think he’ll pick the following (registrations permitting).
GK: Imber
RB: Fisher
LB: Cousins
CB: Peacock
CB: Brathwaite
RM: Diedhiou
CM: C. Maclaren
CM: Busby
LM: Morgan
CF: Godfrey
CF: Ngoyi
Subs: Laurencin, Parker, K.Maclaren, Lewis, Yaku.
I’ll preview the game in more depth later in the week and will be looking to preview the likely movers, shakers and contenders in the race to leave this ‘tin-pot’ league before Saturday’s big kick off as well.
The wait is nearly over. I cannot wait.
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