2014 NEW FM League Thread

[JCBT]

Maitland had an ok day.
The 19s were terrible as the score reflected and were very lucky that the referee failed to send off one of their centre backs. Coach was having to give them too much direction for players who have been playing that formation for 6 rounds.
23s was ok, scrappy but became better as the game went a long.
1sts was good. Started slow but found their rhythm. Dominated Belswans. Benny Martin needs to retire from penalties after ANOTHER failure to sink one. Maitland don't seem to have much cohesion up front with Benny Martin and whoever this Roger fellow is. He is dreadful! Misses from close range too many times this season and rarely does anything right. This pairing may cause maitland difficulties in the season.

Im not sure Rodger fits into the Maitland style of play anywhere across the park.
Ive been watching Maitland for a few years now and he just looks out of place in that side. He and Benny Martin dont look like they are working together at all and his team mates cut a frustrated figure when he runs the ball and loses it (which is too often). As a new player bought in with the new manager though it seems like he is one of the favourites so i dont see him being dropped anytime soon for Luke.

Ok I'll bite on this one.

What a load of fkn bullshit about Rodger. The bloke is up there with the best in league and has plenty of assists to his credit this season, he score 20+ goals in first grade last season and without a doubt will start finding the net again very soon. The blokes training ethic is incredible and he is a fantastic bloke to have around the club.

I'll go out on a limb and say he will still score 15+ goals this season.

[Stevey G]

Ok I'll bite on this one.

What a load of fkn bullshit about Rodger. The bloke is up there with the best in league and has plenty of assists to his credit this season, he score 20+ goals in first grade last season and without a doubt will start finding the net again very soon. The blokes training ethic is incredible and he is a fantastic bloke to have around the club.

I'll go out on a limb and say he will still score 15+ goals this season.

I hope for Maitlands sake he does.
Ive been gunning for Maitland to get promoted for a while and you can see the boys are disappointed at the end of every season when they havent finished 1st.
But i just dont think he is the answer up front for Maitland.

[Imyourhero]

Is scoring goals really maitland's problem though?

[Stevey G]

Maitland has always had a main goal scorer but never a 2nd noted goal scorer.
Even before Benny Martin there was Luke Lawless who topped the charts but never a 2nd strike partner as a back up incase either one was to be injured.
To get promotion i believe Maitland need a second striker to complete their squad.

[Winner1]

Ok I'll bite on this one.

What a load of fkn bullshit about Rodger. The bloke is up there with the best in league and has plenty of assists to his credit this season, he score 20+ goals in first grade last season and without a doubt will start finding the net again very soon. The blokes training ethic is incredible and he is a fantastic bloke to have around the club.

I'll go out on a limb and say he will still score 15+ goals this season.

As a follower of Maitland for many years now I can quite comfortably say that Rodger will 1. Not score 10 goals, will be pushing for double figures. He looks uncoordinated and uncomfortable. 2. I would easily say he is NOT in the best of the league. He may train well but he certainly doesn't play well. 3. I would start the likes of 23 and 19 boys over him. He has been no asset to 1st grade and I don't see him creating anything apart from losing the ball almost everytime he receives it. The sooner the 1st grade coach sees this and replaces him with someone who can work with the likes of Benny Martin, more successful outcomes will be achieved and Maitland will reach their full potential.

I agree Stevey G, a second striker who plays with Benny Martin and can perform as an individual should BM be away is what Maitland need to be sourcing out asap

[Imyourhero]

I think a big barrier maitland have struggled with is maintaining form for the entire season. Dropping points to teams way down the ladder and letting good leads slip in important games has cost them in the past.

[onlooker]

What's everyone's opinion on how maitland would go in the nbn comp if they did win promotion this year.

[Winner1]

What's everyone's opinion on how maitland would go in the nbn comp if they did win promotion this year.

They would be competitive. No doubt they would pick up a couple of other players but the foundation would be what they have now. It's not a bad thing after watching the likes of Lambton Jaffas buying their entire team last year, being somewhat short on cash this year, due to expenditure last year and not being able to retain the quality they wanted to. After watching the majority of their preseason games and how NPL teams played the strongest side against them at times, Maitland would be sitting around the middle of the NPL tables.

[Stevey G]

I think a big barrier maitland have struggled with is maintaining form for the entire season. Dropping points to teams way down the ladder and letting good leads slip in important games has cost them in the past.

I think your right, mid season dropped points has always been a problem.
with any luck the boys will over come that this year.

As per usual the promoted team would need to add a few quality players to make sure they maintain.
As to how many are needed its hard to say.

[Imyourhero]

I don't think they'd make the top 5 within the first year, they definetly wouldn't be getting hammered every week though. I think one of the best things to happen would be the juniors being able to be involved with tougher competition. Maitland has a huge junior base of players however at the end of the day the best young kids have to eventually move away to other clubs if they want to play NPL level, Maitland being promoted would help them retain their best local talent.

[curious_fan]

Maitland has a huge junior base of players however at the end of the day the best young kids have to eventually move away to other clubs if they want to play NPL level, Maitland being promoted would help them retain their best local talent.

Not having ties to either Maitland or Adamstown myself, that was the biggest reason I had hoped Maitland would gain promotion last season. The entire area is crying for an increased youth level and inner Newcastle simply did not need yet another team in the NBN league.

Maitland in NBN now, as is, I think prob bottom 4 but not bottom 2. With the opportunity to retain and recruit, that would be an interesting question depending on who out of current squad wanted to commit to that level and who they could entice to come across. First season in NBN competitive without nearing semi finals... second season in I think mid table would be a reasonable expectation.

[The axe]

I'm only new to this forum business so crucify if you must but I believe this is a place for opinions and this is only my opinion and experience.

I've spent a lot of time watching football and I've been lucky enough to see games of both Maitland and Adamstown in recent years, seen how they've carried themselves and IN MY OPINION Maitland made the wrong choice in coach this season.

Watching that bloke blow his stack last year in the 23s for Adamstown particularly in the semi final they lost at West Wallsend suggests he isn't a professional and overhearing half time talks suggests he can't manage players at times either. Even the way he presented in this seasons game v West Wallsend in the players warm up gear suggests he doesn't really get the club and their culture because all the other coaches on the day and in years past have been immaculately presented, it seems he's there for him and that's not what you want as a head coach.
As for the striker at Maitland watching him last year for Adamstown I thought the lad was very good, but it sounds like he hasn't found his feet at the new club and maybe because the man who bought him to the club is struggling as well?

It's a rebuilding year for West Wallsend and there's been some hard times but I think myself lucky we haven't made a disastrous choice in coach.

They didn't lose the 23s semi at wallsends it was a nil all draw with Belmont.

[The General]

I think a big barrier maitland have struggled with is maintaining form for the entire season. Dropping points to teams way down the ladder and letting good leads slip in important games has cost them in the past.

They seem to be going OK at the moment. Don't really see what all the fuss is about. It would be different if they had lost 3 or 4 games. Time will tell though.

[Imyourhero]

They seem to be going OK at the moment. Don't really see what all the fuss is about. It would be different if they had lost 3 or 4 games. Time will tell though.

Absolutely, my point was that they often go the first round undefeated. They did it last year from memory then dropped easy points against teams like thornton and gave up leads to lose games in a crucial matches against Atown etc. That's football though and why we all love it. I hope they can go undefeated all season to send a message.

[Winner1]

They seem to be going OK at the moment. Don't really see what all the fuss is about. It would be different if they had lost 3 or 4 games. Time will tell though.

What everyone is 'fussing about' is that no one wants to see a quality team like Maitland not get promoted and that there are weak links (coach, striker etc) that will cause points to be dropped and cause a repeat of too many times in previous years. Once they are resolved, Maitland will not be under so much pressure.

[The General]

What everyone is 'fussing about' is that no one wants to see a quality team like Maitland not get promoted and that there are weak links (coach, striker etc) that will cause points to be dropped and cause a repeat of too many times in previous years. Once they are resolved, Maitland will not be under so much pressure.

What is wrong with their coach? He hasn't lost a game there yet! Are the players unhappy? I think Roger is a decent player and will eventually find his feet. I still think Valentine are a quality side. Cant see why Maitland deserve to be in the NPL more than them. Maitland are a good club no doubt. If they deserve to be there, they will win it this year.

[Stevey G]

If they can keep from dropping points midseason they will be in the 2nd division for a while longer i will agree.

[onlooker]

Now a question about the other end of the table. Surely if Singleton are not competitive again this year and finish last they should be relegated. I do understand there is a criteria to meet for ZPL teams. And it's two different association but surely something can be done as a more overall competitive comp is far more important then meeting all the criteria in the first year in comp. I would believe some ZPL teams have excellent grounds already.

[Imyourhero]

Surely one of the top ZPL clubs has as good as facilities as the likes of singo?

[onlooker]

I would think so I'm not to familiar with all the ZPL home grounds tho. And I believe one of the top ZPL teams would have no problem competing in this comp.