Skeen talks shop - Season so far.

Just over a quarter over the way through the season, manager Rich Skeen spoke today on how he felt the season had started and how he expects it to pan out in the coming weeks:

“In a word improving . . . the first couple of weeks truth be told were desperate.

Week One we played Celtic a relatively mediocre side and were comprehensively beaten 2-1, this was entirely due to the fact we played an attacking system against the Bhoys, one which was good enough to beat Madrid at the back of end last season. It was a disappointing start and although I’m one for persevering with tactics felt that losing to such an inferior side signalled the end of the experiment. All credit to Celtic but I feel come the crunch they will do well to stay up so this was a hugely disappointing result.

Week Two yet again was depressing for some reason a managerial input meant Simic played at RB when it should have been Totti as TM, playing 5-2-3 is always going to affect you and yet again a defeat to an inferior side really angered me. The only positive to come out of the game was that Baggio made his debut and the player looks to have all the attributes to being a great at the Camp Nou.

Week Three was in a word better, we did however struggle past an abysmal Parma side but winning was the main thing. Dirk Kuyt’s goal was good reward for his hard work, the draw in the league against Juventus was a decent point against a fabulous side one of whom I expect to be challenging for all honours this season. We perhaps shaded the fixture so that alone convinced me we’d turned the corner.

Week Four, pleased me, Monaco are a candidate for relegation but as yet no other side has beaten them so to do so convincingly is encouraging, it felt like that the attack was beginning to gel and although Beckenbauer got himself needlessly sent-off 3-1 doesn’t flatter us. I would however expect most of the big teams to pick up points against them mind.

Week Five again pleased me, perhaps more so than the Monaco game, on paper Bayern have an excellent side and their recent win over Milan indicates they can mix it with the big boys but beating them twice in the week once in the league in a game in which Riquleme took the game by the scruff of the neck and then just as importantly away in the DC Cup shows we can compete with the very best in the league.

Last week was again pleasing to an extent, I felt before the fixtures that both games would be our hardest tasks so far, Bayern had to bounce back from the previous weeks defeats and did so admirably so all credit to Duffin. Our 4-3 win was unusual but says more about our attacking abilities to score 4 past Bayern than the fact we conceded three at the back. The draw against Newcastle may well be points dropped in the long run, but Newcastle are a very stubborn side with an extremely good manager so a point is by no means a disaster.

Looking ahead to next week we play River Plate and Man United both difficult matches, I’ll offer more comment on both nearer the time, long term we have a great opportunity in the DC Cup, a draw against Nantes in the last eight will hold no fears and I expect us to beat them over two legs. The league is shaping up to being incredibly tight with Milan only two points ahead of us and although we’ve played some of the weaker sides in Celtic and Monaco we have winnable games coming up so I expect us to push on and really put the pressure on the clubs around us. Of the teams in the shake-up I expect Milan, Juventus and Man United to be our main challengers, although I wouldn’t at this stage rule anyone out bar perhaps managerless Monaco and turmoil ridden club Liverpool, Chelsea look to be rudderless aswell.”

So that was the manager speaking openly about the season so far. I’m sure we will hear more from the great supremo in good time.