Let’s get a few things straight; yes Pritch is coming to the end of his career. He is approaching 35 and he knows himself his time is almost up. So yes we do need to be looking to the future, and finding someone who can step into his shoes. And we have found him - he was sat next to Pritch on the bench yesterday. Ruffer is a massive SIX WEEKS younger than Pritch. He is hardly the long-term successor to the number 4 shirt is he!
What is ridiculous is that in this week’s Guardian Finley is praising the partnership between Pritch and Rudd, and then goes and changes it for such a massive game!
If you look at our results this season, conceding goals has not been the major issue. What we have lacked is creativity, and i don’t see how we resolve that issue by bringing in another centrehalf. In our last 2 home games we have only scored from penalties. Away at Chasetown we wouldn’t have scored if we had played till Xmas. The same can be said about the Sheffield game. If we could score goals we would of beaten both Leek and Belper, both of whom created very very little. I missed the Congleton game, but apparently we created just as little then (and of course Pritch can’t be blamed for the goal we conceded that day).
If we are over budget like Rabbit suggests then i have to wonder if the money is being spent in the most efficient way. Of the contracted players we have at the Club, i understand that one is a striker being played at centrehalf, whereas 3 more began on the bench and managed to play about 40 minutes between them yesteday. That just doesn’t make sense to me. If Heler, Brodie, and Booth aren’t in Finley’s first team plans then i have to ask why the hell he has them on contracts? We are now stuck with their wages week on week whilst trying to strengthen the team in the areas which we are lacking (yesterday’s performance would suggest there are several such areas!).
Pritch is not untouchable, nobody is suggesting otherwise. But had he been on the bench due to Booth starting i would understand that. Had we brought in a centrehalf of age 26 or 27, again i could see the logic. But i just don’t see how bringing Ruffer in is going to strengthen a team that has hardly been shipping goals at an alarming rate. We play a high defensive line, the knock-on effect of this is that we are always likely to caught in behind.
We have been pretty fortunate so far in that we are in a pretty awful league - i am yet to see a quality side in it. Personally i have only seen us play well on 2, maybe 3, occasions. It says alot about our current performances when we are towards the top of the league but peopls are still so disillusioned with the way the team is performing.
In regards to the game yesterday, the ref was terrible. He just did not have a clue, and had no control of the game whatsoever. The play-acting by their keeper was nothing short of a disgrace and there is no place for that at any level of football, be it the Premier League or 6-a-side down at John Deanes. He should be ashamed of himself, as should his Club. It reminded me of Rivaldo at the 2002 World Cup, it was that bad. The ref acknowledged that he was play-acting, so therefore why did he not show him a card? The officials were just totally out of their depth.
We as fans turn up each week out of loyalty, but the idea is that we are there to be entertained. Entertainment value is pretty thin on the ground at the moment - let’s hope that loyalty doesn’t start to go the same way.
But for now…KTF!! 
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