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New faces at Clyde are a boost for Division Three

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Chris Jardine | 17:58 UK time, Wednesday, 16 February 2011

I really hope that the Annan players and supporters take away positive's from .

Yes, our bad results in midweek fixtures continue but there was certainly a lot more to be upbeat about than there was from our last defeat under the home floodlights to Queen's Park.

After the match a lot was made about our sluggish start to the second half, and rightly so because it wasn't good enough. We seem to have a problem going up the slope if we're not already in front; answers on a postcard please because I'm at a loss to explain it.

It goes without saying that we need to sort that out, but had we taken our chances (and there were two or three very good ones in that first half) that wouldn't have been too much of a worry in my opinion.

Chances don't come any better than the ones we had on Tuesday and in my opinion we are much better when we are defending a half-time lead as opposed to coming out and opening up; particularly when we're going up the slope.

This is obviously a part of our game we have to work on and I'm sure we'll talk about it at training on Thursday night. However, I can't help but think back to the missed chances and if they are taken this is an entirely different column this week. But that's football I suppose and the fine line between winning and not.

Former Rangers star Charlie Miler has signed for Clyde

Chris is looking forward to locking horns with new Clyde signing Charlie Miller

Just as we did after the Queen's Park defeat we move on. Hopefully, we can do that with the good results against Clyde and Berwick Rangers, as well as the first half from Tuesday, in the back of our minds.

The manager will definitely freshen things up. He has to with John MacBeth suspended. We will have Bryan Gilfillan back from a ban and possibly Neil MacFarlane fit again.

We're going to need everyone back fit and available as we're facing a tough schedule with midweek fixtures in five of the next six weeks.

It's been all change for Clyde since our 2-0 victory recently with a new management team in place, along with several new faces in their squad.

It's great for Clyde but also fantastic for the Third Division that they have managed to attract people like and to the club.

You can't get enough of characters like those three and it's a real coup for them, especially signing a player of the quality of Charlie.

I've been looking at our fixtures to see when we're next up against Clyde and although it's six weeks away we do face each other twice in the space of four days.

The boys have been giving me a bit of stick because I've been going on about what a great signing it is for Clyde. Charlie was in the first team when I was a boy at Rangers and he looked after me pretty well when I was there so I'm looking forward to seeing him again.

He had been training with Queen of the South recently, along with Bob Malcolm, and I was hoping the former Ibrox pair would be signing. Although it didn't happen I'm delighted he is back in the game and I'm sure I'm not the only one looking forward to the 29 March and seeing him at Galabank.

It's not every week you open the Sunday papers and see Junior football making headlines outside the sports pages.

That's exactly what happened after from the weekend. My mate, Gary McMenamin, is Cumnock's best player (his words) so I was aware of the trouble when I spoke to him after the game.

He said he couldn't believe what he was seeing and it's understandable when you view some of the pictures.

Gary has been at me before about trying the Juniors when I finish at Annan but in all honesty he wasn't really selling it to me at the weekend!

Comments

  • Comment number 1.

    Well done Chris on another interesting blog.

    As a Dundee FC fan I look forward to monitoring the progress of Clyde under a Dundee legend. Also considering the financial turmoil they have been through I hope their fortunes improve. You should get your chairman to get on the phone to Bob Malcolm's agent, offer a cheeky wee part-time deal? Provided he doesn't take your place in the team of course.

  • Comment number 2.

    I watched Bob Malcom when he was playing for Brisbane and he was about as good as my Gran and she has been dead for 10 years.

  • Comment number 3.

    bob malcolm makes speaking look sore

  • Comment number 4.

    Interesting blog as usual, Chris.

    With regards to your 2nd half starts, have you tried changing your half-time routines a wee bit? My time regularly made a poor start to a 2nd half, so we only took a 5 minute break & instead got out early & essentially did another pre-match warm-up for 10 minutes. With the heart-rate up, we also decided to get at teams from the start (no matter the score) and it worked a treat! Maybe worth a try?

    By the way, that wasn't the analysis I got about your mate Gary, but I'll leave that there!

  • Comment number 5.

    Thanks for the comments - a couple of you obviously not Bob Malcolm fans!

    #1 - I hope my manager isn't reading this week because you might just have put an idea in his head!

    #4 - this is actually something we discussed after the game. It's not something we often do and I suppose it depends on how much talking is needed during half-time. I wouldn't be surprised if we are out early tomorrow afternoon though.

  • Comment number 6.

    Your old team mate Pat Walker is banging them in in the 2nd Division for Dumbarton. Do you feel that the standard between 2nd and 3rd division is that much and what are the ambtions of Annan as we head towards the final few months of the season?

  • Comment number 7.

    Chris

    I was at the Arbroath game on Tuesday (we'd been staying in the lakes and I really enjoy the games at Annan). For the neutral it was an all action game and aside from a couple of really bad tackles, a credit to the SFL. Their goalkeeper had a stormer in the first half but to your credit even after the two goals your heads didn't go down and you were unlucky not to get the equaliser.
    Notice that Paul Sheerin played for Arbroath - does having a manager on the pitch make a difference - he seemed a calming influence on them.

  • Comment number 8.

    Try kicking uphill in the first half and get in front before all the old guys tire out. Half the wages if Annan lose after going in ahead at half time. Bring your wifes and girlfriends along in the knowledge they will be on half wages if you lose a lead. Stop eating pies at half time.
    Stop going out on the p*ss on Friday nights. Remember which way your team is kicking when you come out for the second half. Keep playing the ball sideways when facing uphill.

    Sorted !

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