Gateshead Friendly

[JE93]

Thread for our friendly this evening.

Just noticed that they have signed Ryan Bowman for an undisclosed fee from Torquay. Probably too soon for him to be in the squad tonight but another one added to their ex-darlo contingent of Russell, Chandler and Ramshaw. (plus Mickey Cummings manages their U21's I think).

[Mr_Tibbs]

Gateshead have gone a goal up just before half time.

[windyforce4]

Any team news

[Mr_Tibbs]

Any team news

Yes, here:

https://www.facebook.com/darloareback/p ... 6840538921

HT: Gateshead 2-0 Darlo. Shaw with both goals in the dying minutes of the first half. Sounds like they've had most of the play but Dowson got in behind with a good chance just before they scored their first.

[Darlogramps]

Darlo team: Jameson, Brown, Hunter, Tom McNamee (ex-SAFC CB), Watson, Youhill, Portas, Turnbull, Thompson, Cartman, Dowson

Subs: The Locomotion, McLaren, Funky Gibbons, Kneeshaw, Anthony Bell (ex-Cardiff midfielder according to Google), Alan White.

[windyforce4]

No Burgess tonight ?

[Mr_Tibbs]

Still 2-0. Gateshead have made a number of changes and Kneeshaw's come off the bench for Darlo in the 2nd half...

@kevinluff · 3 minutes ago
I'd sign Kneeshaw. Worth a punt from what I've seen.

[Mr_Tibbs]

Full-time - 2-0 to Gateshead. Nowakowski, Kneeshaw and Gary Brown all had efforts stopped by Sam Russell towards the end of the game.

[AndyPark]

Gateshead weren't anything special and took 2 bits of sloppy defending to beat us.

Thought our passing was decent and worked the ball well.

[Darlo_Pete]

You have to remember that Gateshead are two divisions above us, great effort by the team, against what was supposed to be superior opposition.

[Quakerz]

Is losing as expected to a team two divisions above really deserving of a "great effort"? Isn't it more of an "as expected, but we played well"? A "great effort" to me would be getting a shock result, not an expected one

[Darlo_Pete]

I'd have thought that given the gulf between the respective league positions of the 2 teams last night, they should have beaten us by more than 2 goals, especially with them playing at home.

[JE93]

Looked like we knocked the ball around quite nicely in patches of the game. Still hard to say what kind of level we're at, cause you can tell by watching the highlights the intensity isn't really there in the play compared to a league game. Add to that the formation and personnel changes and it can become quite disjointed. Jameson maybe should have come out more for the first goal (but again pre-season friendly no point running out and risking getting injured clattering into Shaw).

Been happy with our signings so far this pre-season. Still think there are a couple more to add with the transfer listing of Hatch and Brown. Until either Purwal or Armstrong is fit we don't have a big striker to compliment the running and pace of Cartman and Dawson. And we need to be in the Market for a proper RB now. Hopefully we can find one with a long throw because that can be a great weapon for us with the likes of Purwal, Armstrong, Nowakowski, White, Burgess all above 6ft in the box challenging.

Kneeshaw looks quite handy too. Question for anyone who has watched him live, is he a winger or more of an out and out striker? Certainly one to keep watching. Can't think of any of the other trialists particularly standing out.

[Quakerz]

There's only two leagues between us.

If you consider that we will be fighting at the top of our league and they might not be at the top of their league, is the gap even two leagues?

Yes they are better than us, obviously.

To them, we will seem "not all that".

But are they so much better that we should expect to get dicked by 6 or 7?

In the position we are now in, playing a conference team in a friendly with all the substitions on both sides, I wouldn't expect us to match them, but neither would I expect us to be embarrassed.

A narrow defeat is pretty much par and tells us we're in good shape for the league we're about to go into.

[Quakerz]

Looked like we knocked the ball around quite nicely in patches of the game. Still hard to say what kind of level we're at, cause you can tell by watching the highlights the intensity isn't really there in the play compared to a league game. Add to that the formation and personnel changes and it can become quite disjointed. Jameson maybe should have come out more for the first goal (but again pre-season friendly no point running out and risking getting injured clattering into Shaw).

Been happy with our signings so far this pre-season. Still think there are a couple more to add with the transfer listing of Hatch and Brown. Until either Purwal or Armstrong is fit we don't have a big striker to compliment the running and pace of Cartman and Dawson. And we need to be in the Market for a proper RB now. Hopefully we can find one with a long throw because that can be a great weapon for us with the likes of Purwal, Armstrong, Nowakowski, White, Burgess all above 6ft in the box challenging.

Kneeshaw looks quite handy too. Question for anyone who has watched him live, is he a winger or more of an out and out striker? Certainly one to keep watching. Can't think of any of the other trialists particularly standing out.

We definitely need a RB now, however some of our players are quite versatile. Hunter, Burgess, Nowakowski and Mitchell can all play right back (though obviously it's much better to see Mitchell RW), so maybe it's not as big a deal as people think.

I mean when we signed Nowakowski I assumed that he would be being looked at as someone who plays in centre mid alongside Portas. That may still be the case but now we've signed Turnbull maybe he can be utilised elsewhere?

[JE93]

Looked like we knocked the ball around quite nicely in patches of the game. Still hard to say what kind of level we're at, cause you can tell by watching the highlights the intensity isn't really there in the play compared to a league game. Add to that the formation and personnel changes and it can become quite disjointed. Jameson maybe should have come out more for the first goal (but again pre-season friendly no point running out and risking getting injured clattering into Shaw).

Been happy with our signings so far this pre-season. Still think there are a couple more to add with the transfer listing of Hatch and Brown. Until either Purwal or Armstrong is fit we don't have a big striker to compliment the running and pace of Cartman and Dawson. And we need to be in the Market for a proper RB now. Hopefully we can find one with a long throw because that can be a great weapon for us with the likes of Purwal, Armstrong, Nowakowski, White, Burgess all above 6ft in the box challenging.

Kneeshaw looks quite handy too. Question for anyone who has watched him live, is he a winger or more of an out and out striker? Certainly one to keep watching. Can't think of any of the other trialists particularly standing out.

We definitely need a RB now, however some of our players are quite versatile. Hunter, Burgess, Nowakowski and Mitchell can all play right back (though obviously it's much better to see Mitchell RW), so maybe it's not as big a deal as people think.

I mean when we signed Nowakowski I assumed that he would be being looked at as someone who plays in centre mid alongside Portas. That may still be the case but now we've signed Turnbull maybe he can be utilised elsewhere?

Yeah i gues you're right. Nowakowski could probably fill in up top till we get Armstrong and Purwal back. RB would still be a priority for me though. Mitchell of far better pushed further forwards and id much prefer to keep Hunters pace in the centre with White or Burgess as a partner. Adding a proper RB would give us a really good looking squad for the season. Any quality RB's in the north east that we might be able to pick up? Would love griffiths from Spennymoor but can't see ot happening

[poppyfield]

I am glad I went last night now I know that was probably Browns last game for us. on another note watching football with running track round the pitch is crap.

[Vodka_Vic]

Agreed Poppyfield. Will be a right pain when we're playing at home at Eastbourne Sports Complex


...........I'll get me coat!