I thought Freeman played very well on both sides last night, also Kashkett showed how to might slot in there although I think he wouldn't cope with the defensive duties side.
It felt like both players being asked to prove they could fill the position so wouldn't be surprised if one or both don't make the final squad.
Similarly with the signing of Vokes I feel Samuel has dropped to third choice and also has to prove he's worth the place in the squad.
Ultimately those are the 3 players who, for me, could find themselves out on loan especially if we can find loanees or sign players better suited to LWB.
Only disappointment about Stocko was that he didn't go for the fake goal-kick to catch the Leicester fans out - although you could tell he was absolutely loving having a stand full of rowdy away fans behind his goal again. And that GK kit is fantastic.
I thought Freeman and McLeary were excellent in the first half and a cross from Nick in the second would have been in if Bayo or Vokes perhaps had been in the middle. We played better passing to feet football with Kashket, Samuel and (dare i say it) Bloomfield on but lacked the finishing. All the ingredients seem to be there. GA and Dobbo just need to find the right recipe. All in all I am very optimistic. Even Bayo looked sharp for his 45 minutes of pulling on the shirt again. Famous last words.
@ReturnToSenda said:
Did McCarthy look markedly slimmer to anyone else (not that he was out of shape at all before) or was his fresh trim just creating that illusion?
Took me 3 looks to even realise it was him early on.
Any other real ale fans on this site? Have not seen any comment about the price of a pint and the lack of choice at the game. £4.50 for a pint of Rebellion IPA and no other bitter available in the Caledonian/Vere. A far cry from the £3.50 plus choice of 5/6 real ales of just 2 seasons ago. Seems like a good way to lose custom.
Can’t read too much into pre season but we looked decent. Players seemed pretty sharp so I’m hopeful we can get off to a good start next week.
Pleased to see the wing backs stay. If we can continue to get that right we have the players to make it very effective. And we look nicely organised in that shape so I don’t see us conceding many.
Still think we need another striker. We ended last season playing 5-3-2 with Muskwe and Ikpeazu upfront. Last night was more 5-2-3 but it would be nice to have the option to play two centre forwards if needed.
@LordMandeville said:
Any other real ale fans on this site? Have not seen any comment about the price of a pint and the lack of choice at the game. £4.50 for a pint of Rebellion IPA and no other bitter available in the Caledonian/Vere. A far cry from the £3.50 plus choice of 5/6 real ales of just 2 seasons ago. Seems like a good way to lose custom.
£4.50 is par for the course nowadays sadly. When you think how burgers in the ground can reach £8, I think we're lucky to get a pint below 5. Also, when the choice is either 1 beer on offer, or the undrinkable swill that the club would for pittance at the end of it's shelf-life which made up the real ale choice, I'd take a pint of Rebellion's finest.
Maybe we'll get more variety again when the full crowd is there , hopefully the ordering system has bedded in, and we are selling a lot more beer. But if only one thing is available it could be a lot worse than Rebellion IPA at £4.50. Lots of pubs have reopened with massive hikes , event bars or anything vaguely touristy would probably be a fair bit more than that . Not to give them any ideas...
@ReturnToSenda said:
Only disappointment about Stocko was that he didn't go for the fake goal-kick to catch the Leicester fans out - although you could tell he was absolutely loving having a stand full of rowdy away fans behind his goal again. And that GK kit is fantastic.
Watching on the stream you could see how much Stocko was enjoying having the away fans behind him, and there was a nice closeup of him smiling when he saved a shot from Vardy. Closeup of the night though was on Bayo at the moment the Leicester fans started chanting "you fat bastard" at him - a huge grin spread across his face like he'd really missed it.
Re the ale, it keeps things simple. Queues build up when people have choices. Perhaps some variety could be added in time though?
Also, as @prufrock_91 notes, the real ale in the Vere was pretty dreadful - usually just local badged and mass produced Greene King / Heineken swill, guaranteed to put off any newcomer for life!
I would rather get a quickly served pint of beer from a local independent. And £4.50 sounds pretty good for down south.
£4.50 a beer is pretty reasonable. £3.50 a couple of years ago was way cheaper than most pubs, other than ‘spoons.
If there are enough big screens showing the early/late KO and you can get a pint reasonably quickly I think that’s a good pre/post match option.
I’d be interested to know if the club have considered table service in the village/vere. During the last year I know a lot of people discovered they much preferred this option and it seemed more efficient than having people queuing at the bar. It would only work for those seated/stood at tables but if you could arrive early, get a table and order straight to your seat that would be perfect!
@MorrisItal_ said:
I expected to pay £6 but the very chatty guy on the gate said £5 he also told me that I was the 32nd car.
If it was well utilised it would become a virtuous circle fewer cars on Hillbottom = faster turn around of coaches = more people using it = fewer cars
Does the park and ride have the potential for winter mudbath? Also anyone who parked at tbe industrial estate...have prices gone up?
I’d be interested to know if the club have considered table service in the village/vere. During the last year I know a lot of people discovered they much preferred this option and it seemed more efficient than having people queuing at the bar.
Whilst agreeing with everything you say about it - I do hope not. It’s just wrong - and yes there is zero justification for that last statement (but it’s true)
I’ve discovered that most pubs have cut back considerably on the number of real ales they stock, no doubt wisely after being left with surpluses during long periods of unpredictable levels of sales.
Vegan burger tasted OK, but it was surprisingly hot. My fault for assuming it would be the normal tepid. Could have done with some chips though.
Liked the idea of the Park and Ride but it was a bit messed up by the traffic. Got off and walked from somewhere in Sands. Will give it another try though. I think all the customers would have got back on the 3 buses. My understanding is that after the first trip they will pick up at the end of Hillbottom Rd, so shouldn't get too bogged down in traffic.
I'm not sure how to quote previous posts on here so I'll just do it the rough and ready way;
@arnos grove said; 'Re the ale, it keeps things simple. Queues build up when people have choices. Perhaps some variety could be added in time though?
Also, as @prufrock_91 notes, the real ale in the Vere was pretty dreadful - usually just local badged and mass produced Greene King / Heineken swill, guaranteed to put off any newcomer for life!
I would rather get a quickly served pint of beer from a local independent. And £4.50 sounds pretty good for down south.'
This is not actually correct. Greene King had long received their marching orders and if Heineken were involved it was only as a wholesaler. By season 2019-20 most ales were being supplied by a range of independents. Brain's from Cardiff and Robinson's from Stockport were common and Fisher's of Wycombe got a look in before they went bust. I think most supporters who used the bar would accept that this was one of the things the old regime was getting right. I can accept however that giving people an endlessly changing choice can confuse, but one, not necessarily that popular local beer is just inadequate. Rebellion have something like five lines of cask beer on the go at any one time, so why not perm any three from that list and stick to them week to week giving both choice and simplicity.
I also think that £4 to £4.20 is closer to the local average (unless you visit a Fuller's pub...). Early days I know, but given the owners' stated aim to give supporters a better match day experience, early indicators are that for many people it has got a whole lot worse and certainly more expensive.
It would be nice if the clock was underneath the score on the big scoreboard rather than up on one side....as they've taken away the digital read-out one from the terrace, there is not a clock to be seen from the stand formerly known as the Beechdean unless I am missing something. I know my phone has a stopwatch on it but it's not the same as watching the time tick down as someone hangs about with the ball in the corner...
I think some allowances should be made for setting things back up in these still uncertain times - there is no guarantee that football grounds will stay open all season for example.
I don’t think £4.50 for a decent pint is unreasonable and hopefully if normality resumes so will the choice of ales on offer.
Sad to see the food prices rocket - again don’t mind paying if the quality is good, but ultimately market forces will dictate the price.
Sounds like the app needs some work. I have used Fetch before in a pub and it was a bit hit and miss but that was at the end of the first lockdown.
Sounds like the club need to look at whether it would be possible to install an electronic car parking board at the end of Hillbottom Road. Wouldn’t have thought it would be that expensive to put something up that says car park full or permit holders only. But I guess the council will have something to say
I agree entirely with @CarParkPete , the real ale served up at the back of the Vere was generally good quality and the GK beers disappeared some time ago. It was definitely a plus to the all important match day experience. It also had another advantage in that although there was often a queue (which I always thought moved pretty quickly) it was at least separate from the much slower moving queue at the front bar, with people having to wait for wine bottles to be opened and mixer drinks to be made, etc.
But, are there plans to start charging for entry to the Vere tho, I wonder? Seems likely, the way things are heading.
Comments
I thought Freeman played very well on both sides last night, also Kashkett showed how to might slot in there although I think he wouldn't cope with the defensive duties side.
It felt like both players being asked to prove they could fill the position so wouldn't be surprised if one or both don't make the final squad.
Similarly with the signing of Vokes I feel Samuel has dropped to third choice and also has to prove he's worth the place in the squad.
Ultimately those are the 3 players who, for me, could find themselves out on loan especially if we can find loanees or sign players better suited to LWB.
Great point about Stockdale's distribution. There was one volleyed pass that flew like a guided missile out to the right wing. Absolutely brilliant
Only disappointment about Stocko was that he didn't go for the fake goal-kick to catch the Leicester fans out - although you could tell he was absolutely loving having a stand full of rowdy away fans behind his goal again. And that GK kit is fantastic.
I thought Freeman and McLeary were excellent in the first half and a cross from Nick in the second would have been in if Bayo or Vokes perhaps had been in the middle. We played better passing to feet football with Kashket, Samuel and (dare i say it) Bloomfield on but lacked the finishing. All the ingredients seem to be there. GA and Dobbo just need to find the right recipe. All in all I am very optimistic. Even Bayo looked sharp for his 45 minutes of pulling on the shirt again. Famous last words.
Did McCarthy look markedly slimmer to anyone else (not that he was out of shape at all before) or was his fresh trim just creating that illusion?
Took me 3 looks to even realise it was him early on.
Any other real ale fans on this site? Have not seen any comment about the price of a pint and the lack of choice at the game. £4.50 for a pint of Rebellion IPA and no other bitter available in the Caledonian/Vere. A far cry from the £3.50 plus choice of 5/6 real ales of just 2 seasons ago. Seems like a good way to lose custom.
Can’t read too much into pre season but we looked decent. Players seemed pretty sharp so I’m hopeful we can get off to a good start next week.
Pleased to see the wing backs stay. If we can continue to get that right we have the players to make it very effective. And we look nicely organised in that shape so I don’t see us conceding many.
Still think we need another striker. We ended last season playing 5-3-2 with Muskwe and Ikpeazu upfront. Last night was more 5-2-3 but it would be nice to have the option to play two centre forwards if needed.
£4.50 is par for the course nowadays sadly. When you think how burgers in the ground can reach £8, I think we're lucky to get a pint below 5. Also, when the choice is either 1 beer on offer, or the undrinkable swill that the club would for pittance at the end of it's shelf-life which made up the real ale choice, I'd take a pint of Rebellion's finest.
Yeah, I paid about the same for one in Mad Squirrel before the game, so £4.50 at the ground seems very reasonable to me.
Maybe we'll get more variety again when the full crowd is there , hopefully the ordering system has bedded in, and we are selling a lot more beer. But if only one thing is available it could be a lot worse than Rebellion IPA at £4.50. Lots of pubs have reopened with massive hikes , event bars or anything vaguely touristy would probably be a fair bit more than that . Not to give them any ideas...
Watching on the stream you could see how much Stocko was enjoying having the away fans behind him, and there was a nice closeup of him smiling when he saved a shot from Vardy. Closeup of the night though was on Bayo at the moment the Leicester fans started chanting "you fat bastard" at him - a huge grin spread across his face like he'd really missed it.
Re the ale, it keeps things simple. Queues build up when people have choices. Perhaps some variety could be added in time though?
Also, as @prufrock_91 notes, the real ale in the Vere was pretty dreadful - usually just local badged and mass produced Greene King / Heineken swill, guaranteed to put off any newcomer for life!
I would rather get a quickly served pint of beer from a local independent. And £4.50 sounds pretty good for down south.
£4.50 a beer is pretty reasonable. £3.50 a couple of years ago was way cheaper than most pubs, other than ‘spoons.
If there are enough big screens showing the early/late KO and you can get a pint reasonably quickly I think that’s a good pre/post match option.
I’d be interested to know if the club have considered table service in the village/vere. During the last year I know a lot of people discovered they much preferred this option and it seemed more efficient than having people queuing at the bar. It would only work for those seated/stood at tables but if you could arrive early, get a table and order straight to your seat that would be perfect!
Yes it does
Whilst agreeing with everything you say about it - I do hope not. It’s just wrong - and yes there is zero justification for that last statement (but it’s true)
I’ve discovered that most pubs have cut back considerably on the number of real ales they stock, no doubt wisely after being left with surpluses during long periods of unpredictable levels of sales.
Enjoyed the game.
Vegan burger tasted OK, but it was surprisingly hot. My fault for assuming it would be the normal tepid. Could have done with some chips though.
Liked the idea of the Park and Ride but it was a bit messed up by the traffic. Got off and walked from somewhere in Sands. Will give it another try though. I think all the customers would have got back on the 3 buses. My understanding is that after the first trip they will pick up at the end of Hillbottom Rd, so shouldn't get too bogged down in traffic.
New Wifi seems good.
Is the P&R no longer going to run from Handy across hub ?
Good question. Presumably this is just an extra one, and the other one remains untouched?
I'm not sure how to quote previous posts on here so I'll just do it the rough and ready way;
@arnos grove said; 'Re the ale, it keeps things simple. Queues build up when people have choices. Perhaps some variety could be added in time though?
Also, as @prufrock_91 notes, the real ale in the Vere was pretty dreadful - usually just local badged and mass produced Greene King / Heineken swill, guaranteed to put off any newcomer for life!
I would rather get a quickly served pint of beer from a local independent. And £4.50 sounds pretty good for down south.'
This is not actually correct. Greene King had long received their marching orders and if Heineken were involved it was only as a wholesaler. By season 2019-20 most ales were being supplied by a range of independents. Brain's from Cardiff and Robinson's from Stockport were common and Fisher's of Wycombe got a look in before they went bust. I think most supporters who used the bar would accept that this was one of the things the old regime was getting right. I can accept however that giving people an endlessly changing choice can confuse, but one, not necessarily that popular local beer is just inadequate. Rebellion have something like five lines of cask beer on the go at any one time, so why not perm any three from that list and stick to them week to week giving both choice and simplicity.
I also think that £4 to £4.20 is closer to the local average (unless you visit a Fuller's pub...). Early days I know, but given the owners' stated aim to give supporters a better match day experience, early indicators are that for many people it has got a whole lot worse and certainly more expensive.
Did anyone else notice the LEDs displaying "YEAH IM A WANDERER"? I guess we blew the apostrophe budget on Vokes. I hope @micra wasn't there!
UP THE WYC ??
I used to absolutely cringe at this but have come round to it. I probably use it even more than COYB now ?
It would be nice if the clock was underneath the score on the big scoreboard rather than up on one side....as they've taken away the digital read-out one from the terrace, there is not a clock to be seen from the stand formerly known as the Beechdean unless I am missing something. I know my phone has a stopwatch on it but it's not the same as watching the time tick down as someone hangs about with the ball in the corner...
@Wendoverman I remember the scoreboard on the away end, but when was there a clock on the terrace?
Sorry @ReturnToSenda I meant the scoreboard which also had a clock...or am I dreaming?
Indeed that is it's official name now.
I think some allowances should be made for setting things back up in these still uncertain times - there is no guarantee that football grounds will stay open all season for example.
I don’t think £4.50 for a decent pint is unreasonable and hopefully if normality resumes so will the choice of ales on offer.
Sad to see the food prices rocket - again don’t mind paying if the quality is good, but ultimately market forces will dictate the price.
Sounds like the app needs some work. I have used Fetch before in a pub and it was a bit hit and miss but that was at the end of the first lockdown.
Sounds like the club need to look at whether it would be possible to install an electronic car parking board at the end of Hillbottom Road. Wouldn’t have thought it would be that expensive to put something up that says car park full or permit holders only. But I guess the council will have something to say
I agree entirely with @CarParkPete , the real ale served up at the back of the Vere was generally good quality and the GK beers disappeared some time ago. It was definitely a plus to the all important match day experience. It also had another advantage in that although there was often a queue (which I always thought moved pretty quickly) it was at least separate from the much slower moving queue at the front bar, with people having to wait for wine bottles to be opened and mixer drinks to be made, etc.
But, are there plans to start charging for entry to the Vere tho, I wonder? Seems likely, the way things are heading.