Notes from mid-season team meeting

Date: Friday 14 December 2007

Venue: Jarrod and Rawlins, Ampang

Present: around 16 - 17 members of the squad

Friday was the day of the testimonial match that never was.  The wet weather put paid to our friendly on Friday night so we all decided to just focus on drinking beer and whisky instead.  And drink we did.  But before we all got too inebriated, we did have a rather lengthy mid-season team meeting.  The notes of which I have attempted to recall and scribe below:

Discussion of Season So Far

After some steady improvement in the pre-season and very good performances in our first two league games (and the friendly sandwiched between them), the quality of our football has dropped.  We're not making as many good decisions with the ball, the quality of our passing and movement off the ball has dropped.  Additionally, we've been talking to the ref too much and having a go at our teammates.  This is not why we play football.  We play to win and also to enjoy it.  We appear to be trying a little to hard and putting too much pressure on ourselves.  In 2008, we should relax a little more, be confident that if we play our football we'll beat every team in the league.  Let's focus on enjoying our football and playing the passing game we excel at for the remainder of the season.  

Team Goal, Philosophy and Approach

Andy rightly requested a "remit" as he put in with which to coach the team.  We spent much of our time discussing points relevant to this.  It's clear - and frankly to be expected -  we're never going to reach a complete consensus on all the details of squad selection, recruitment, team selection, tactics, subs etc.  We had much discussion on these points and whilst many of us agreed on most things there was quite often one or two people that had a different view.  As such, complete agreement on all points was elusive.  We did though agree that - as the appointed coach, captain, vice captain and manager - Andy, Ian, Terry and I would run the team on behalf of the players and make decisions as we see fit.  We'll run the team in the way that we believe that the majority of our players want.  This is effectively a continuation of the approach and philosophy we have used to date.  To re-cap, our goal and approach is as follows:

Goal: Win each game we play

Squad selection: Approach to squad selection is as previously communicated. 

Match day team selection, tactics, and substitutions: will be done to maximize our chances of winning matches.  

We should all realize, not all the decisions we make will please everyone all the time.  Additionally, we're all human and whilst we'll always try and make good decisions we will sometimes get it wrong.  You can each reasonably expect to be unhappy with decisions we make at one time or another.  However, it is our belief that we can run the team in the way that agrees with the majority of people most of the time.  We agreed that if a significant number of people feel strongly against the way we're doing things, we can organize a meeting to discuss the problems and adapt our approach accordingly; or, if this is not done, the team has the option to change us.  

Having a go at the refs and our teammates

We all agreed that this had risen in recent weeks and does us no good whatsoever.  We re-iterated the point that was agreed in our pre-season AGM that anyone who has a go at the ref or a teammate can expect to taken off the field.  (See AGM notes: http://asterixreds.blogspot.com/2007/09/minutes-of-agm.html).  This was agreed because we consider it to be counterproductive to the team.  And as such, this agreement will be strongly enforced for the remainder of the season.

Appointment of Social Secretary

We all agreed on the need to do an increasing amount of social activity.  Nominations for a Social Secretary were requested.  Stuart Cavens was unanimously voted into as the inaugural Social Secretary for Asterix reds.  We all welcomed Stuart into this role and look forward to a healthy social calendar in 2008.   

Team Pre-Match T-Shirts

We discussed pre-match t-shirts.  Since club funds are insufficient to pay for them, if we are to have pre-match t-shirts, we have to pay for them ourselves.  We put this to vote and agreed that we should proceed to get pre-match t-shirts with each player contributing MYR60 to the cost.  Please pass your MYR60 to Mark Jones on the first game of 2008.  Aidil and I will try to source the t-shirts.

Departing players

We honored all three of our departing players with words from various team mates.   All three have been great servants to the club and we wish Alan, Stef and Tony well in their moves to Shanghai, Beijing and Queensland. 

With all that out of the way, we proceeded into town.  I won't attempt to recount any of the activities that occurred thereafter; I'll leave that to you boys.  Although I must say that I thought Alan was a veritable "rose among the thorns" whilst dancing amid the ladies on the bar.  

Happy Christmas and here's to a 2008 filled with success for the Asterix Reds!

Asterix Reds 0 - 1 Mancis United (SSLKL Premier Division)

We went into this match full of confidence having won a game we probably didn't deserve to last week and with Mancis struggling to get their season going. 

We started poorly, allowing Mancis too much time on the ball. This allowed them to pick their passes and they really tore us to shreds. Some last gasp defending and a couple of saves from Alan (in his last competitive game for Asterix after 8 seasons) meant we were able to maintain the 0-0 scoreline. Eventually however our luck ran out as Mancis' striker latched onto a backpass which failed to reach Al, 1-0 Mancis. The goal was dubious as the striker appeared to take out Alan as he lifted the ball over his head. Still we couldn't complain about being 1 down.

We continued to play poorly until half-time and I was disappointed to see more of the arguing between players that we saw last week. We really have to eliminate this from our game, we all know that it doesn't help anyone to play better. We need to praise and encourage our teammates much more. 

At half-time we brought Dave Jones onto the right wing and this seemed to tighten us up a bit in midfield. For the first 20 minutes of the second half we really controlled the game and I really felt we could go on and get a win. We kept the ball much better and started to play a few more simple, short passes. We utilized our wide players much better and had a few good crosses into the box. However, not enough players supporting the two front men meant we didn't have enough bodies in the box to attack the ball. 

After 20 minutes we began to make a few more mistakes again. This was partly due to the ref who up until then had had a pretty good game. Stefan made a great tackle at one point only to be told it was dangerous and the small matter of fact that he had won the ball wasn't an issue to the referee. We then felt aggrieved 3 minutes later when Stu was carved down inside the penalty box by a very similar looking tackle – apparently this one wasn't considered dangerous. This started Stu off in a "Quirkie like" rage which he took out on me 5 minutes later when I took him off! 

For the next 10 minutes both teams cancelled each other out with no real chances being created. With 5 minutes to go we were awarded a penalty after the officials held an enquiry and decided the foul WAS inside the box. Terry stepped up but unfortunately the keeper made a solid save to his right. We pushed on in the last 5 and put Mancis under some pressure but never really created another good chance. 

All in all it was a very disappointing result. I feel Mancis were there for the taking yesterday and I thought we deserved a point after our display in the second half. All we can do now is forget about that game and concentrate on giving Alan, Tony and Stefan the send off they deserve on Friday night.   

Asterix Reds 2 - 1 Bar Flies (SSLKL Premier Division)

In an incident packed encounter, Asterix Reds played the last 35 
minutes with 10 men yet still triumphed with a 2-1 victory after a 
brace of goals by Adam Scott.

Bar Flies came into this game on the back of two wins, the most 
recent versus last year's champions. Many Asterix players were 
unavailable and we called on the depth of our squad for this 
fixture. 13 players - with more than a few carrying various 
disabilities (some mental, some physical, some both) - lined up ready 
for action. We started with an experimental 4-5-1 formation. It 
worked with all the effectiveness of a chocolate teapot and Bar Flies 
put us under the cosh in the first 15. Some poor finishing by the 
Bar Flies and a few inspired moments in defense kept the scores 
level. We reverted to our more traditional 4-4-2 about midway 
through the first half which helped us settle. We pushed forward and 
created a couple of decent chances. However, we didn't break the 
stalemate and 0-0 it was at half time.

Shortly, after the restart the Asterix Reds Management Team decided 
to make an inspired tactical change and revert to the rarely used 
4-4-1 formation. (OK, I got sent off after 5 minutes; enough 
already!). Playing with 10 men inspired the Asterix to dig deep and 
pull out a performance to be proud of. With about 20 minutes to go 
and chances at a premium 0-0 was the bookies favourite. However, 
some good work down the left released Stuart Cavens who's low shot 
could only be parried by the keeper into the path of Adam Scott who 
finished neatly. A great poachers goal. 1-0 and ever-so-slightly 
against the run of play. The goal sent the watching spectators (all 
3 of them, notably a record low crowd at EP this season) into 
raptures. The Bar Flies came back at us but we held firm and limited 
them shots from outside the box. Frustrations grew on both sides and 
some challenges, more meaty than the JnR steak sandwich, were served 
up by both sides. Tempers flared with about 15 minutes to go 
resulting in a 22 man melee on the edge of our box. Most amusing was 
the lad who tried to wade in but met the not insubstantial shoulder 
of one of our centre backs. This resulted him in hitting the floor 
and writhing in apparent agony. A few of our players went over to 
put a comforting hand on his shoulder but this apparently only seemed 
to worsen his pain. He was rolling about like he'd been shot by a 
sniper from the hills behind the goal. It was a performance that 
Rumpole of The Bailey would have been proud of. The match eventually got started again and Bar Fools did level with about 5 minutes to 
go. With the wind in their sails they must have felt that they could 
push on for the win. The Asterix Reds were having none of it. With 
about 2 minutes to go, we sealed the game with a fine goal. The move 
started as Roy Schofield picked up the ball off Sugu. His long ball 
released Kisho up the right wing. Kisho did very well to beat 
several defenders and with the goal at his mercy decided to square the ball to Adam. Adam settled himself and pushed the ball into the 
back of the net to seal a fine victory. This sent the crowd (which 
had now swelled to 4 and a half people) wild. The final few minutes 
were played out and the 3 points were confirmed.

We can rightly complain about the way the Bar Flies approached this 
game. And for a while, such was their willingness to fall at the 
slightest of contact, I thought there was an Orang Asli on top of the school hall shooting blow darts at them. We can also complain about 
the ref who seemed to have a new whistle and was intent on ensuring 
it worked OK. However, the important thing to focus on is our 
performance.

We lined up with squad of 13 that hasn't played together before and 
for sure we didn't play anywhere near as well as we can. Our 
passing, movement off the ball, decision making and communication 
were all below the standards we've set for ourselves. It was not 
helped by an opponent who came to con the ref and a ref who didn't 
see it. Nonetheless, I can't fault us for our effort and fighting 
spirit. We dug deep and won ugly. For the last 3/4 of the game our 
defence was very solid limiting them to only one good chance. When 
it mattered we got our feet in the way and challenges in to keep them 
out. Going forward, we didn't create a lot of chances but did score 
two good goals. And we should very proud of that. It's well known 
that s sign of a good team is one that plays poorly yet still wins. 
And that was us today. 3 points. That's what matters. Well done.

Next week, we have Mancis; last year's champions. It's sure to be a 
very tough game and we'll need to be at our very best to win. I'll 
send the evites out for the match and for training. The training 
seems to be helping our fitness; we've been strong in the second half 
of the last 3 or 4 games. If you've not been attending regularly, 
please come along this week.

Asterix Reds 1 - 1 Liverpool Supporters Club (SSLKL Premier Division)

A tight game finished with honours even with a goal from a penalty at 
both ends.

The hot weather stifled much of our football in the first 40. 
Liverpool sat deep seemingly intent on not conceding. Nonetheless, 
we did create several good chances but were unable to convert any. 
Liverpool rarely pushed on and as I recall didn't trouble our goal 
in the first half. 0-0 at half time.

We started the second half strongly and again created a couple of 
good chances to no avail. We also had what appeared to be a 
legitimate goal disallowed Liverpool then made a rare foray into our 
half and won a penalty. We were caught out following a corner; our 
central midfielders were out of position and no one covered for 
them. That allowed Liverpool to make their way up the park without 
any pressure. Their striker got into our box and went down easily 
for the pen. 1-0 to Liverpool with 20 minutes to go. We dug deep 
and pushed on. With about 10 minutes left, we won a penalty of our 
own which was duly converted by Terry Harris. No more major goal 
mouth action and 1-1 was how it ended.

It seemed to me as if Liverpool came looking for a draw today. They 
had only one shot at goal all game and defended very deep with many 
people behind the ball. For our part, we didn't play the football 
we normally would today. I'm not sure if the weather was a factor 
but it certainly was hot. We gave the ball away too easily and 
didn't create as many chances as we normally would. Again, we had a 
couple of good opportunities to score but didn't take them. 
Ultimately, this cost us when Liverpool got their goal. But full 
credit to the team for having the desire to dig deep when it mattered 
and get an equaliser.

We should take positives from our performance in the last twenty 
minutes. Our fitness was better than it has been much of the season 
and we looked by far the stronger team in the last 30. Additionally, 
we should take a lot of confidence from the match. One of the so- 
called 'top teams' came and seemingly played for a draw. We limited 
them to a single shot on goal and created several good chances of our 
own despite not playing anywhere near as well as we could. We should 
go into every other match we play fully expecting to win.

Next week we face the Bar Flies. These are a somewhat unknown 
quantity having a largely new squad for this season and they have won 
at least one or two games already this season. I'm a little 
concerned that we won't have enough players available for next week: 
6 players have already notified my that they'll be unavailable. If 
you can be available please let me know ASAP. Additionally, please 
get yourself along to training on Thursday. We had twelve there last 
week. Our session is great for fitness and building our technique in 
retaining possession. As always, regular attendance at training is a 
factor in selection. I look forward to seeing you there.

Squad Selection

This week was the first week that we've selected a squad of players for a match this season.  Ian, Terry, Andy and I discussed it after the game and felt it worked well; even though there were some people who would clearly have been disappointed not to play, all those that were selected got a decent run.  We would hence like to continue to select a squad of 15 in the event that we have a large number of players available for future fixtures.  In this message, I want to explain why we propose that we select a squad for future matches; outline the criteria for selection and ask for your help in making this work.

We decided to select a squad this weekend given that 20 people had indicated their availability.  We felt that to have 20 people turn up on Sunday would be counter-productive to the team and many individuals.  With 20 players, the amount of subs we'd have to make to get people on and off would be very disruptive to the team and affect our rhythm and cohesion on the field.  Secondly, many people would get very limited game time and some might not even get on at all.  In particular, we don't think this latter part is fair to people given the time commitment required.

We believe that it's better for everyone that we select a squad of 15 players which is an optimal number for ensuring everyone gets a decent run and having enough subs to bring people on and off.   Additionally, we'll rotate the squad so that the same players don't miss consecutive matches.  So in future, should we have more than 15 players available for a league game we would like to select a squad of 15. 

In selecting the squad, in addition to footballing ability, we will consider the following:

- regular attendance at training 

- balance, ensuring we have cover for most positions and not too many players of a particular position

- reliability; i.e. a good track record of turning up for games after confirming ones attendance 

- clubmanship: generally contributing to the well being of the club; e.g. always available for training and matches, always on time for matches and training, attends team social events,  attends post-match drinks, turns up to support the team when not playing, does a role for the club (e.g. league matters, kits, treasurer, match reports, etc)

 

Additionally, we would like to rotate the squad such that the same player(s) is (are) not omitted for every game.  So if you're not selected one week, normally, you can expect that you will be selected for the following fixture.  This will mean that from time to time many of us can expect to miss a game.   

In putting this into practice we'd like to ask for your help as follows:

Confirming your availability early: we'd like to announce the squad by the latest on Thursday night so that people can make plans for the weekend accordingly.  We hence ask that you respond to the evite as soon as you view it and no later than the Wednesday prior to the fixture.  If we don't hear from you by Thursday (i.e. the day we select the squad) then we have to assume you're not available for selection.  So, please reply as soon as you view the evite.  

Notify me if you're selected and become unavailable: it would terrible for someone to be selected and then not show up as this means that someone else who is available missed the chance to play.  If you are selected for the squad and become unavailable for any reason, please notity me by email, SMS or phone such that I can arrange a replacement.  

Finally, it's worth noting that I don't expect we will have more than 15 people available for many of our fixtures.  Regularly, people have to travel and as we have seen during the season thus far not all of us are available every week; some weekends we have as few as 12 players.  So this approach only applies to those games when we have a large number of people available; i.e. more than 15.  

That's about it.  

Ian, Terry, Andy and I would like to hear your comments on this proposed approach.  You can either contact us directly or post a comment using the link below this article.  

Our new Vice Captain is...

Thanks to all those that responded with their nominations for Vice 
Captain this week. Several people received nominations and the 
overwhelming majority of people nominated Terry Harris. As such, I'm 
pleased to confirm Terry Harris as Vice Captain.

Terry will pick the squad and team with Ian, Andy and me. 
Additionally, he'll have a leadership role to play on the pitch.

On behalf of the squad, I would like to thank and congratulate Terry 
for taking this on. We can confidently look forward to a 
continuation of his already strong contribution to the club.

Asterix Reds 7 - 0 Astaka (SSLKL Premier Division)

This week we hosted Astaka; newbies to the premiership, they came to EP hoping to make it 'Big in Sri Kembangan'.  However, another much improved performance from the Asterix Reds nipped these dreams in the bud.  A polished team display saw us score a magnificent 7 goals and keep a clean sheet to register our first league win of the 2007/2008 season.

We started the first half at a tempo as high as a school of salmon trying to escape the spears of a band of Samurai fisherman.  We made great decisions with the ball and communicated as well a we have done.  We dominated Astaka from the off; however despite playing nearly all of the first 20 minutes in their half we weren't able to convert the chances that came our way.  That changed after 25 minutes when Terry Harris sliced through the Astaka defence with the precision of a sushi chef preparing a plate of fresh nigiri.  A neat finish gave us the first goal we were looking for.  Shortly after some good play in the centre and down the left it was 2-0 after an Astaka defender committed hari-kari and put into his own net.   Further breathing room was obtained when Stu Cavens turned neatly in the box and California rolled in a third just moments before half time.  

With a Mount Fuji to climb in the second half, we expected to Astaka to fold like a cheap Harujuku hooker who's just been punched in the stomach by a guy with warts on his face.  However, this was not to be as Astaka came out with all guns blazing.  in contrast, we started the second half with all the energy of a salary man who has just checked out of the local love hotel after a marathon session with a team of gesiha.  Some Kamikaze-like defending presented Astaka with several chances to score.   Fortunately they were about us much use in front of goal as a blind man playing pachinko and didn't finish the several good chances they created.  We got ourselves back in gear after about 15 minutes of the second half and Adam Scott took the defence to the sword to make it 4-0.  Ian Quirk bagged a cheeky one with the outside of his right boot.  After a run down the right with the speed and purpose of a Shinkansen bullet train, Tom Sarginson made it 6.  And Adam Scott completed the scoring to make it a magnificent 7.  Domo-arigato.  3 points to the Asterix Reds.

Phew!  I'll buy a beer for the first person to identify all the Japanese innuendoes in the above paragraphs.

Today's performance was very good indeed.  Watching from the side of the park, I've seen us improve consistently over the last four games.   It was good to see us maintain our patience after having so much pressure and not scoring after the first 20.  Also good was our finishing.  But best of all, we're playing as a cohesive unit, we maintain our shape well, we make good decisions on the ball and have the confidence in each other to play the ball to feet.  I also want to thank Anil and Dave for coming down today.  Even though both didn't play they made the not inconsiderable effort to come on down and cheer the boys on.  Special kudos goes to Dave who also brought the beers and oranges.  Great clubmanship!

Next week we play Liverpool Supporters Club.  This will be a much more testing affair.  Liverpool have had a great start to the season and come into our game with a 100% record.  They beat Astaka 2-0 last week despite having two players sent off.  And this weekend, they pummeled the Vikings 5-1.  They are a very good footballing side who keep possession very well and are very well organised in defence.  It's all set to be a very good and competitive game.  We'll be aiming to beat them and will need to be at our best in order to do so.  

I'll send out the evites for the game and for training on Thursday.  As we discussed after the match today, please make an extra effort to attend training on Thursday.  As always, priority for selection goes with those who regularly attend training.

Some changes at Asterix Reds...

This mail is to inform you of a couple of changes at the club.

Confirmation of Andy Johnston as Team Coach

I have decided to hand over my coaching responsibilities to Andy Johnston.  The reasons for this are two-fold.  Firstly, Andy does not fulfill the age requirements and is unable to play in league and cup games this season.  He does though, want to be involved in the team.  Additionally, I am recovering well - albeit very slowly - from my injury and hope to be able to start playing in January.  To play and coach the team would be too much.  I discussed this with Ian and we agreed that having Andy as coach would be the right thing to do for Andy and for the team.  I've enjoyed my brief spell doing the warm ups and shouting from the sidelines (don't expect the latter to stop) but I am pleased to hand this to Andy.  As you know Andy is a qualified Football Association coach and will be a great asset to our team.  I'll continue to manage the league matters, match reports and send the invites etc but will hand over the warm ups, team talks etc to Andy.  Andy will also select the team along with the captain, vice captain and me.

Player departures

We'll be very sorry to lose two members of the squad at the end of this year.  Stef will relocate to Beijing with his family.  Tony Prove will repatriate with his family to his home town of Maryborough in Queensland.  Both have been stalwarts for the Asterix Reds.  Stef joined us last season and was like a rock at the back; always competitive and never giving an inch to an opponent.  Tony has had 3 or 4 seasons with the Asterix Reds and has been voted player's player of the season for the past two years.  This sums up his massive contribution to the team.  Most importantly, both were complete gentlemen and a pleasure to play alongside.   We'll be sorry to see them both go and wish them and their families well.

However, every cloud has a silver lining.  And in this case it's a massive night out on the beers.  In Tony and Stef's honour we'll organise a leaving party.  The date shall be Friday December 14.  We'll seek to play a friendly that evening (Tony and Stef will both play up front) and have a team night out afterwards.  Mark your calendars.

Nominations for Vice Captain

Tony's departure not only deprives us of a great player but also our Vice Captain.  The vice captain plays a leadership role on the field, selects the team and captains the team when the captain is not playing.  I'd like to ask the players to send nominations to me for Vice Captain.  I'll share the nominations with Ian and Andy  and we'll appoint the Vice Captain accordingly.

Asterix Reds 5 - 1 Maluri (Friendly)

A good second half performance saw us seal a comfortable 5-1 win over 
Maluri from Division 2.

We had a bare 11 1/2 and given the availability of an abundance of 
midfielders and a shortage of defenders, we elected to start with a 
3-5-2 formation. We dominated the opposition from two leagues below 
from the off and created many chances to score throughout the first 
half. Maluri sat very deep and rarely ventured into our half. I 
felt we lacked a little bit of patience in our build up and didn't 
have much luck in front of goal. 1-1 at half time.

The second half was a different story. We scored within the first 
minute of the re-start after Stuart's (goalbound?) cross was 
deflected in off the defender. Stu was adamant the goal was his; who 
am I to argue so he gets the credit for the first. Adam quickly 
added a second. Terry then knocked in a third. Andy Johnson grabbed 
one from a corner and it was 4-0 with about 10 minutes of the second 
half played. We kept playing good football, moved the ball very well 
and maintained the pressure. We were unlucky to concede one after 
the ref awarded a somewhat dubious penalty. We responded splendidly 
by scoring a fine passing goal that started deep in our own half. We 
picked up possession about 20 yards inside our own half and a couple 
of short balls put us away down the left. There was nothing on and 
we played the ball back; a couple of square balls across middle 
released Stuart down the right. His pinpoint cross to the back post 
was met by Adam who 'rose like a salmon' to finish it. A beautiful 
goal lads; we kept it simple, were patient and when the killer ball 
was on, we played it to perfection and finished superbly. A quality 
goal at any level.

Overall this was a very efficient performance. We weren't playing superb opposition but we played our own football and didn't drop our standards. The back 3 was very solid all game, I don't remember them having a shot on target. The midfielders and strikers worked hard all game. The movement, passing and communication was very good. Well played.

There's only other thing I want to comment on and that's having a go 
at the refs. This was something that we agreed we'd not tolerate at 
the start of the season. Without a question of doubt, today's refs 
were appalling. However, we let it get to us, had a go at the refs 
throughout and ended up on the wrong end of several offsides and a 
penalty. We all know it's frustrating when the refs don't get it 
right. We also know that when we start having a go at the refs 
they'll almost always favour the opposing team. It certainly 
happened today and to some extent against the Vikings in our previous 
match. In tight games, those decisions by the refs can make a real 
difference. Now I know I am as bad as anyone at this, but we have to 
work to get the refs on our side more often. I want to ask that 
before the next game, you prepare yourself mentally for a steady flow 
of bad decisions by the refs. In fact, you should be surprised when 
they do get decisions right. And whatever happens, resist the 
temptation to have a go at the refs. All we have to do is focus on 
our football and we'll do very well.

Our next league game is versus Astaka at EP next Sunday. I'll send 
out the evite. Additionally, attendance at training has been very 
poor the last few weeks. We could all do with building our fitness 
and the set up at Sports Plaza lend itself very well to working on 
the possession style of football that we play. It's only fair that 
we give a preference for selection to those lads that make the effort 
to training on a regular basis. If you've not been going regularly, 
make the effort to start this week.

Asterix Reds 2 - 3 KL Vikings (SSLKL Premier Division)

We produced a very good performance that on another day might have 
given us all 3 points. Unfortunately, despite being on top for much 
of the game and creating some very good chances, we didn't put the 
Vikings away. We lost our shape in the last 20 minutes and Vikings, 
after some sustained pressure, won it with two goals in the final few 
minutes of the match.

We started very well. High tempo, good passing and decision making 
and excellent movement of the ball created lots of space for us to 
push forward. Adam Scott scored the first having been put clean 
through and beaten the off side trap. The Vikings had a better spell 
in the middle of the first half forcing a couple of good saves from 
the Alan Boden and scoring a cracking goal to level the game. 
Asterix came back well and dominated the last 15 minutes of the first 
half. Terry Harris opened his account for the season after an 
excellent build up. Some good interchange and movement in the 
middle of the park released Aidil down the right. His far post shot 
was parried by the keeper and tucked away by Terry. We almost scored 
another when Terry Harris was again clean through only to be hauled 
back by the last defender. The ball broke to Adam who slotted in; 
sadly the ref did not play an advantage nor did he send off the 
defender for the offence. We hit the post near the end of the half 
after we had two strikers clean through on the keeper. But 2-1 it 
was at half time.

The second half started the way the first had ended. We continued to 
play good football and created some very good chances to score. Adam 
Scott was unlucky not have got a second after his long range effort 
hit the bar and bounced on the goal line and then out. In the last 
20 minutes we tired and lost our shape and gave the ball away too 
easily. The Vikings came at us and created some good chances. Some 
fine work in goal by Alan Boden maintained our advantage until the 
final 3 minutes when Vikings scored two quick goals to win the game 3-2.

Clearly, we're all disappointed not to have gotten something from 
this match. However, we have to look hard at our performance and 
learn from this.

Firstly, we were very much on top for the first 60 minutes of this 
game. We scored 2 good goals but should have scored a couple more. 
If we could have gone 3-1 or 4-1 up we could have killed the game 
off. We have to have a killers instinct. When we're on top for a 
sustained period like we were on Sunday, we need to be not satisfied 
until we put teams away. That means getting at least the 2 or 3 goal 
advantage that our possession and chances warrant. I'm looking for 
the strikers and midfielders to hold themselves accountable for 
ensuring we do this.

Secondly, we lost of our shape terribly in the latter part of the 
second half; this affected us defensively as well as when going 
forward. The back four played very deep and the midfield was still 
pushing forward whilst we're not in possession. That left a massive 
gap between the line of midfielders and defenders. To their credit 
the Vikings exploited it well and their midfielders were able to run 
directly at our back four. Going forward, we reverted to knocking it 
long and giving up possession too easily. This lack of shape 
effectively stranded our midfielders; the space behind them made it 
easy for the Vikings to pass through us, our midfielders were chasing 
back when we're not in possession. When we regained the ball and 
knocked it long the midfielders had to run forward to support the 
strikers often 40 or 50 yards away. The reason that we looked so 
tired is that our lack of shape caused us to do more running - 
particularly in the midfield - than was necessary. It's important 
that we maintain our shape; by that I mean play as a unit. On 
Sunday, there was little threat of us being done for pace by a long 
ball hence I'm not sure why we dropped so deep at the back. We need 
the back four to push up quickly and reduce the space between them 
and the midfielders. In the event that the back four is deep, I want 
the midfielders and attackers to maintain our shape as a team and 
drop back accordingly. Again, I'm looking for the back four to call 
the midfielders back so that space between the midfielders and back 
four is eliminated. Ultimately, it's the back four's position which 
will determine if we're able to push on or have to sit deep; they 
hence need to communicate with the midfielders so that we're set up 
to defend effectively.

If we'd either have converted or pressure and chances into goals or 
defended as a unit we'd have likely picked up all 3 points.

However, it's also important to look at some of the positives. We 
dominated the game for much of the match against a team that will 
likely be up there challenging for the title at the end of the 
season. For that we should take some confidence and belief in 
ability to do very well this season.

The important thing now is that we pick ourselves up for the next 
league game which will be versus Astaka at EP on 18 November. In the 
meantime, we'll have one friendly and two training sessions details 
of which I'll send out by evite. Please do your best to be available 
for them all.

Asterix Reds 1 - 1 Mancis (Friendly)

Well done to the squad on another good performance against Mancis on Sunday. We had quite a small squad (13 players) and a few of those carrying injuries. We did more than enough to win the game by a couple of clear goals, but sadly a draw is how it finished.

It's often said that football is a game of two halves. This was definitely not the case today. Mancis made the unusual request to play the game in 3 periods of 30 minutes each. Somewhat bemused, we accepted and so it was.

We started well in the first 'third'. We were a little slow out of the blocks but soon picked up our pace. It wasn't long before we were one nil up. A flowing move from the back up the left put us on the edge of the Mancis box. We moved across the park to the right wing. Roy laid it back for David Jones who hit a great strike into the corner of the net from the edge of the box. 1-0. We restricted Mancis to a few shots from long range and really could have grabbed another. But it was 1-0 at 'third' time. 

We continued to press forward in the second 'third'. However, on a break Mancis were awarded a pen which they scored to level the match at 1-1. Undeterred we continued playing good football and created several very good chances to take the lead and also were denied by the woodwork. We contained Mancis who rarely threatened. We really should have come in to the break at least a goal or two in front but it was not be. 1-1 at 'two-thirds' time. 

The final 'third' was all about true grit from the men in red. Our small squad was running on empty, but nonetheless some supreme determination and teamwork kept us in control. The ref made the headlines for sending off one player from each side for two of the most innocuous offences I've seen (Jonesy made personal history by being booked for a seemingly innocent challenge and then being subsequently sent off in a case of mistaken identity). Both teams tired and chances were at a premium. 1-1 it ended. 

A very good performance lads. We passed the ball and made some quality chances. That last half an hour required you all to dig deep to keep on going. Great teamwork; it was a pleasure to watch. 

That's the last of pre-season friendlies. It was clear during the game yesterday that we're settling nicely as a team and getting used to playing with each other. We kept possession well, used the full width of the park and created several very good chances to score. Keep on working on our game: we have a great opportunity to be up there challenging for the league this season. 

Our first league game is the first Sunday in November versus Vikings at Equine Park. A game we'll be looking to win. Until then, work on your fitness; make sure you attend training for each of the next two Thursday's and be available for selection for the 7-a-side tournament next weekend.

Asterix Reds 5 - 3 British High Commission (Friendly)

Another improved performance saw us win comfortably against a decent British High Commission side under floodlights at Club Aman.

We started with a high tempo; kept possession of the football and were duly rewarded with a 4 - 0 lead after 25 minutes. The scorers of the first four goals were Adam with 2, Andy Johnston and Stuart Cavens. One of the goals was particularly special. The move began deep in our own half. A couple of sharp passes and good movement got us up to the halfway line. A great ball released Shashi down the right who's low first time cross was buried past the keepers right hand. It was a beautiful piece of football and would have a been a quality goal by any team at any level. An absolute pleasure to watch and a goal you should all be proud of. The High Comm team got one back when we were again punished from a corner. Andy Johnston then restored the four goal margin with a great individual effort. A couple of good stops from Alan Boden kept the score at 5-1 at half time.

We tired in the second half and our football suffered. The High Comm came at us with more purpose and had the lion's share of possession and chances. They scored two more - both from corners - and we relied on a few good stops from Alan in goal to keep them down to 3. 5- 3 was how it ended.

We played as well as we have done in the first 30 minutes of the first half. We played with a high tempo and focused on completing passes such that we retain possession. Our energy levels were fantastic. The movement off the ball was also very good. We all wanted the ball, all the time which is great to see. I was also impressed by our decision making on the ball which helped us to keep possession. We kept our passing very simple; playing the ball the way we're facing. It's these first few passes that allow us to create quality possession from which we can we can create quality chances. This plus a high work rate enabled us to get men in the box. Also good was our play from the back. The full backs both did a good job of taking the ball off the keeper and distributing the ball to feet. Our wide play was also very good in both halves. It was great to see the wingers stay wide and use the space in front of them to good effect.

My only concerns were two-fold:

Dealing with corners: 5 of the last 6 goals we've let in have been from corners. All should have been prevented. We have to realize that we have a problem here which we need to fix. The goals have been caused because we're either leaving people unmarked or not putting in a strong enough challenge. We've each got to pick up a player on a corner. Stay with your man, and make yourself count in the challenge. It's simple lads. Let's make sure we fix it this weekend.

Maintaining our tempo for the whole game: We've had fantastic starts to the last two games we've played but have dropped our tempo as we've tired. I encourage you all to make the effort to make it along to training on Thursdays as well as do some additional fitness work of your own in the early part of the week. Increased fitness level will help us play at a high tempo for the entire match.

Lads, we're making great progress as a team. This weekend is our last friendly before the season starts; let's use it to keep developing our passing and moving game, treat possession of the ball like gold and ensure we defend set pieces properly. 

Get yourselves along to training on Thursday.

Asterix Reds 1 - 1 KL Vikings (Expat Cup Preseason Tournament)

I'm much happier writing this week's match report than I was last week. And I think that just about sums it up. Credit to the squad for putting in a much improved performance this week against The Vikings. We did enough to win the game but more importantly we played with a lot more purpose.

We talked before the game about starting with higher intensity levels and playing the game at a higher tempo. We did this from the off and took an early lead with a great strike from Andy Johnston. We should have perhaps got another after going close with a couple of good chances. As the half wore on, our tempo dropped to that of the The Vikings and we let them get back into the game in the second 20 minutes of the first half. Once again, we were duly punished for poor marking from a set piece and allowed them to level. One-one at half time.

We were on top for much of the second half. Most pleasing was the determination and commitment we showed as a team; the first time we've done so this season. We chased down, tackled well and moved well off the ball. I though the back four (or rather seven including subs) was superb throughout; The Vikings hardly created a chance from open play. Our midfielders worked well together, tackled well and helped each other off the ball. It was particularly pleasing to see us play the ball from the back. We got it wide more than we have done so far this season and that resulted in us creating a lot of space to move forward. Our two strikers worked their socks off, both playing the entire game. Full credit to you both for your energy and commitment; on another day with a bit more luck we could have scored more. As it was the game ended one each. It would have been nice to win, but most importantly we improved our performance and played closer to our potential.

Next week we have another friendly; this one against Club Aman at Club Aman. It's a night game on Friday and will be followed by our BIG night out. It's important that we consolidate the improvements we made today and continue to work on our passing and team play. Despite today's imporvements, we're still giving the ball away too easily with low-percentage balls. During the next game, I want us to continue to play with continually high levels of intensity and tempo and also look to continue to improve our decision making on the ball. I'm looking for more of you to take responsibility for ensuring we maintain possession by playing more high percentage balls that result in us stringing more passes together and keeping the ball for longer periods.

As always, get yourself exercised during the early part of the week and attend training at 7PM on Thursday night. As important, make sure you book Friday night off with your significant others. We'll finish the game around 9 before strolling over to J n R in Ampang for a bite and a few loosening ales. From there we'll adjourn to the bright lights of the city for some 'team bonding'. Don't plan anything for Saturday morning. I'll send an evite with details. 

Well done again on a much improved performance.

Asterix Reds 2 - 6 BMFC (Expat Cup Preseason Tournament)

I know you'll all be as disappointed as I am by our performance against the BMFC. We were playing a team that was fitter and more 'match ready' than us, but a lack of desire and commitment on the ball and several soft goals ensured we were never really in this game. 

We didn't get started in the first half. We were static and I didn't see a lot of people wanting to take responsibility for possession. The passing and movement we focus on every week just didn't happen. As such, we created few clear cut chances to score. BMFC scored a good goal on the break. After the re-start we gave the ball straight back to them. They attacked down the right. 2-0. They shortly added another after about 30 minutes. 3-0 at half time and we looked out of it. 

I am pleased with the way we began the second half. To be honest we looked a different side going forward. The main difference was that we were prepared to take more responsibility on the ball. Some good work down the right presented Adam with a chance to score which he took with aplomb. At this point, we were on top. I felt that if we could score again and make it 3-2 we had a genuine chance of a result. However, we allowed BMFC in to score again and despite Anil slotting home to make it 4-2 shortly after, we were out of it. Two more soft goals made it 6-2. 

We are in the pre-season and this is the time to make our mistakes. I learnt a few things yesterday. At least 3 or 4 of the goals were scored on the break with balls down the middle. We talked about the pace they had up front but were caught square and duly punished several times. The back four need to cover for each other. If one defender is challenging for a ball the others need to drop back and provide some cover. The good news is this is easy to fix and I'm sure the back four will respond by playing as a much tighter unit next week. The fifth goal was a free header on the six yard box from a corner. Enough said. 

Second, BMFC were clearly fitter than us. Again this is easy to fix, but does require some effort. If you're not doing so already try to get yourself out to the gym or for a run early in the week and then attend the AsterixFC training on Thursday night. Our fitness is clearly needs to be improved and it's up to us all to work on it.

Finally, I was surprised by the lack of desire and confidence on the ball in the first half. Hopefully the way we started the second half would have given you all some confidence that we are good passing side with enough talent to score goals against any side in this league. We've got some good footballers in the club. Let's make sure we get fired up for the next game and have the confidence in ourselves and each other to play a passing game.

I always look for positives from every performance and I was very happy with the two goals we scored. Both came from wide play which began with simple balls in the middle of the park. We talked about getting the ball wide more often and the two goals we scored were the result of that.

Also positive was the season record for post match drinks at Jarrod andRawlins in Damansara. We had around 9 people in total. Notably, one of our party departed at around 7:45pm for his weekly roast lamb. He then surprised the regulars when re-appeared at 8:30pm to carry on drinking, having reportedly polished off his dinner and done the washing up. Now that's commitment. On a more somber note, another player departed around 8:05pm telling us he had to be home before 8:30pm muttering something about getting his crabs sorted out. Undeterred, several others carried on drinking until after 10pm and a season record bill was lodged at J&R.

Next week we play KL Vikings. After a defeat it's vital that we pickourselves up and put in a strong performance. Let's make sure we cancel the mistakes we made this week and put in a performance next week which is worthy of the the quality we have at Asterix Reds.

Asterix Reds 1 - 1 Red Star (Expat Cup Preseason Tournament)

Well done to the 19(!) of us that showed up for this week's game; the first of three fixtures for us in the Expat Cup pre-season tournament. It was another game of two halves for the Asterix. I am certainly not happy with a 1-1 draw against Red Star. However, there were certain elements of the performance in the second half from which we can take some positives. 

We began the first half with a lot of new faces and never really started to play the passing football we want to. We applied some pressure in the first few minutes and were unlucky not to go 1 up after Andy Johnston's strike from outside the box hit the post. After that, we struggled to keep the ball. Red Star had us under the cosh at times and should have converted a few of their chances. I was happy for us to come in level at 0-0- at half time after a sub-par performance.

The performance in the second half was much improved in all areas. Firstly, we were much more composed on the ball. Our decision making was much better. We looked for the open player and played high percentage balls to feet. Our communication was improved and we worked much harder off the ball. This allowed us to put a lot of pressure on Red Star and we played almost all of the second half in the final third of Red Star's half.

I am also pleased that we showed more patience in the final third and, more often that not, used the ball well. We also got the ball wide; particularly on the right flank. We put a lot of balls into the box, creating some chances. However, too often we did not get sufficient numbers in the box for someone to get on the end of the cross and put it away. Red Star then surprised us with a goal on a rare attack with about 15 minutes left. But I'm pleased with the response; we maintained our composure and patience and continued playing possession football in Red Star's end of the pitch. We levelled from a great strike on the turn from Tom Sarginson; his first goal for the club. 1 each is how it ended.

I want to apologise to the guys who had limited game time today. There were certain players I wanted to keep on the park for the final thirty minutes and I know some of you will be disappointed not to have played more. I want to urge you to keep on coming; I doubt very much if we'll have as many people show up as we did today again this season.

Next week we have the BMFC. They look a decent side and we'll need to play well to get a win. I want us to continue working on the fundamentals of our game and building the good habits that we need to play a good passing game: good decision making, working hard off the ball and communicating well. You'll hear me repeat these in every game during the pre-season. 

Additionally, next week I want us to really focus on getting the ball wide more often; we have some genuinely good wide players and need to make the most of them. I want the wide midfielders need to be hugging the touchline when we have the ball. Let's get the ball wide early and put it across the box behind the defenders. On the same theme, I want the strikers and midfielders to work harder to get into the box when we get the ball wide so that we can convert a few more of the balls across the box.

During the week, continue to work on your fitness. Please make an effort to exercise at least once during the early part of the week and do your utmost to attend training on Thursday. It's 7PM Thursday at SportPlaza in PJ; details can be found on right hand side of the blog.

Astaka 2- 3 Asterix Reds (Friendly)

Well done to the lads that played in our first pre-season game today. It was good to see some familiar faces and welcome a few new players to the club. Overall, it was a creditable first performance of the season and we were good for the win. We do though need to continue to improve our fitness, decision making and communication.

We were very solid in the first half. More often that not we made good decisions and passed the ball to feet. Our back four was very solid and dealt well with the balls in the air and took care of anything on the ground equally well. I believe that the Astaka only had once shot on target which our stand-in keeper, Jonesy, dealt with comfortably. We kept the ball well and when we had possession, more often than not, we used it well. Our work rate was impressive; we closed them down well, challenged for everything and most important, got ourselves into space and made ourselves available when we were in possession. I would liked to have heard more communication, seen us get the ball wide more often and showed a little bit more patience in the final third. But it is just our first game of the season so no big complaints. Goals from Stuart Cavens and Adam Scott gave us a throughly deserved 2-0 lead at the half.

I'm not sure what I said to you at half time, but the second half was a different story. We were clearly tired but our decision making and talking went to pot. Astaka pulled two back and to be frank looked like they were going to go on to win it. Credit to you all for digging deep and getting the winner with about 15 to go. I'm not sure if the final touch was Mark Jones' head or Stuart Cavens ear. I think I'll give it to Stuart. Winning is a good habit and it's good to get off to a good start.

All in all in it was a positive first run out. Next week we have Red Star KL. It'll be a different game; for one the pitch is a lot smaller and Red Star will play a more 'British' style of football. Nonetheless, I want us to continue to work on playing an attractive passing game during the pre-season and getting the basics of good team play ironed in to our game. Against Red Star, I want us to to work on the same things as we did today. That is:

1) Decision making: if an easy ball is on play it. It's as simple as that. During the pre-season, forget the shots from 30 yards and long balls. In the words of the great Brian Clough: "If God had wanted us to play football in the clouds, he'd have put grass up there." Let's keep the ball on the deck and play a simple, attractive passing game. It moves defenses around, brings our own team mates into the game and will create space as we go forward.

2) Intensity: these pre-season games are a great way to build fitness. To be honest, I can't fault you for your effort today. Let's make sure we use next week's game to continue to build fitness. Importantly, make sure you're working had off the ball when we're in possession to give the player with the ball some options.

3) Communication: we simply need to do more of this. Too many times, the player is receiving the ball is not getting a shout from his team mates. If a player receives the ball, it's the responsibility of the players closest to him to give him information. Time, man on, turn, hold, turn away, give-and-go, whatever. It is a lot easier for the player receiving the ball if he's got people helping him out by telling him what's going on around him. Please increase the talking next week.

As for me? Well, I'll be working on my half-time team talk.

Well done on the win. Do your best to make it to training on Thursday and if you can't make it to training, do something else to work on your fitness. Let's build on the positives from today's game and continue improving in our next match with Red Star.

Minutes of AGM

Date: Sunday 9 September 2007
Venue: The Social, Bangsar
Present: Roy Schofield, Steve Wilkinson, Alan Boden, Mark Jones, Anil, Tom Sarginson, Ragu, Shashi, Adam, Ian Quirk, Anthony

Minutes:
Review of 2006/2007 season
We finished in a relatively good league position. 
We agreed we should have done better last season. And with a bit more focus we would have. 
People felt that the balance between playing seriously and having fun was about right. 
Team discipline: we had a very good record of yellow cards last year; one of the lowest in the league. The only sour points with respect to team discipline were 
Regular verbal abuse of the refs (no names mentioned...ahem)
Occasionally we got on each others backs, although to be fair this was infrequent. 

2007/2008 Season objective and approach
Despite much discussion, no clear decision was made on our goal for the coming season; we either aim to win the league or aim to be the best expat club. Mancis apparently will always assemble a strong squad and will be hard to beat. I’d recommend that we discuss this point again after our first game when we’ve got the entire team together.
We decided to approach the season with only minor modifications to that of last season.
Turning up to games on time: Next season all players are expected to turn up on time such that they’re on the pitch with a kit on, ready to warm up no later than 30 minutes prior to the scheduled kick off time. This enables the following:
Proper warm up: We’ll make sure we do a proper warm, stretch and kick about such that we start games strong (something we rarely did last season).
Proper team talk
Players that do not turn up on time will start on the bench. 
Team discipline. It was agreed that players who berate the referee or fellow players should expect to be taken off. The only person who has the right to tell off a fellow player is the team captain. All other comments between fellow players should be positive.
Weekly five-a-side: We agreed to try and organize a court so that we can play a weekly five-a-side as a team. This would be only for Asterix players. Tom Sarginson agreed to look into booking a court on a Wednesday or Thursday night for about 7:30pm.
Confirmation of availability: Details of forthcoming fixtures will be sent out by email at the start of each week. Players are expected to indicate their availability on or before the end of the Friday prior to the match. (We’ll look into using an internet invitation website to make this process easier to manage.)
Team selection: Done by manager, captain and vice captain.

New kits
Dave’s boss has agreed to sponsor some kits for next year.
Adam said he’d tried the proposed kit and felt it was probably too thick. Anthony to get back to Dave to ask if we can get a higher quality kit.
Anthony said that he had looked into high quality kits from Singapore. The ones by Nike, Reebok, Adidas cost around MYR200 per person. 
People agreed that they wanted to get the best quality kit that we can and would be prepared to put a little more cash into the kitty in order to do so. 
Tom said that he knows the owner of Jarrod and Rawlins who might also sponsor us and would check it out. We asked to Tom to ask for around MYR4000 which should cover the cost of one complete high quality kit.
We discussed the possibility of having dual sponsors; either one for each kit (i.e. home and away) or possibly two sponsors on one kit. This depends on how much money we can raise. 
We’ll hence wait to hear back from Dave and Tom and make a decision shortly.

Squad
We’ve lost around 4 players since last season. Thanks to Tim Delves, Jonathan King and Matthew Dabbs for their contributions to the club. Thanks also to Richard Phillips for doing a sterling job as both a player and manager. We hope you’ll stay in touch.
We can expect a couple more to leave during the course of the season due to expected work commitments and changes.
We have about 5 or 6 new players coming in:
Tom Sarginson (played a couple of games at the end of last season and showed a lot of industry playing up front)
Andy Johnston and Aidil (both work as coaches with Adam at Little League and have played at a good standard.)
Steve Wilkinson and Simon Grimshaw (both just joined Alice Smith as PE teachers; Steve joins from Qatar where he used to play in a team with Frank Le Beouf and Ronald de Boer!)
Bala might bring in one or two his mates
Overall we appear to have a sufficient number of players in the squad (around 20) and the quality of the players is at least as good as it was last year, if not slightly better.
We agreed that we don’t need to bring in any more new players unless they are significantly better players than we have now.
We also agreed that we should respect the heritage and founding principles of the club when bringing in new players. i.e. the club was formed by teachers, parents and others with links to Alice Smith School. As such, we should give priority to possible new recruits who have a link to the school.

Finance
At the start of meeting we had MYR1000 cash in hand (or under Jonesy’s pillow to be more precise)
Drinks and food last night were about MYR600 leaving us with about MYR400.
Our expenses for the forthcoming season will be as follows:
League fees MYR3000 (approx. awaiting confirmation from league)
Pitch MYR1000 (approx. awaiting confirmation from ASS)
Equipment MYR500 (some new balls, etc)
Players fees for 2007/2008 were agreed as follows:
Season fee MYR150 per player per season (waived for Malaysians)
Match subs MYR20 per game (MYR10 for Malaysians)
Since some of the expenses above can be deferred and paid in installments, it is believed that - as long as we collect the season fees on time - we’ll be have enough cash to continue.
Roles for the 2007 / 2008 season
The following people volunteered their services and were confirmed as follows:
Treasurer: Mark Jones (collection of season fees, match subs, payment of all expenses)
Manager: Anthony(including handling league matters, fixtures, player registrations etc.)
Captain: Ian Quirk
Vice Captain: Tony Prove
Kits: Adam

Playing football
First friendly game: We’re aiming for a friendly this coming weekend (either Saturday or Sunday). Details to follow shortly.
Expat cup: We’ll be taking part in a 4-team expat tournament prior to the start of the league. The other teams are: BMFC, KL Vikings and Red Star KL. The fixtures are as follows:
23 September 4pm: vs Red Star KL
30 September 4pm: vs BMFC
7 October 5:30pm: vs KL Vikings 
All games takes place at Linatex (the pitch out by Batu caves)
There will be a fee of around MYR150 per game for the expat cup which we’ll take from the match subs.
The league starts on the first Sunday in November. 
We’ll be arranging a few more friendlies between the end of the expat cup and our first league match.
We’ll use these pre-season games to get ourselves fit, give all the new players a good run out, work on a pattern of play, etc.

Here’s to an enjoyable and successful 2007 / 2008 season!