An encouraging result depending, of course, on how good a team Atletico Club de Portugal are. To be honest I know nothing about them.
It would be silly to be encouraged or discouraged by these results. These are just training kick-abouts which hopefully will tell Bob something, but not us. The little clips of the match against Gibraltar XI make that clear. Just fun in the sun. Nothing like football as we know it. We will have no real idea until the Peterboro and Portsmouth games, and if Bob and/or the opposing managers are still tinkering around with their line-ups, and maybe making wholesale substitutions, maybe not even then. On another site a poster has even written that we should be prepared to write off all our August fixtures as Bob has had so little time to work with the team and that there are hopefully still further signings to come (a keeper, a striker, and if Solly is struggling, a right-back). I think that makes a lot of sense although I am not as confident as him that we will go soaring up the table once properly organized after forfeiting the first 15 points. As to the standard of our opponents, we have no idea how seriously they took the match, which effectively lasted only 60 minutes as we made wholesale changes at that point (and perhaps they did too). But if at full strength I would rate them at Conference South level, about the same as Bromley or, at best, Dover. The Portuguese top division is ranked below the Championship. Like most small countries with fewer players, there is sharp drop-off in standards as you go down the tiers. That would put the Second Division around Div Two/Conference standard. But Athletic Club should have been relegated this summer and only stayed up because the division was enlarged. That ranks them at Conference South level in my mind. But what do we know? They may just have signed a lot of great players. I se the name Kaka on their teamsheet. That's a good start.
One of the poorest, most violent and corrupt nations on Earth, only flourishing business is the drug-trade. They did well to get out. I hope they brought their loved ones with them. Though on Conference South wages that might have been a tall order.
One thing I haven't seen commented on is Gomez coming on at RB for 45 minutes and performing well. This could be a great way to ease him into the team and allow Wilson, our best RM, to revert to his best position. At least until Solly is fit (if ever).
Just watched Gomez interview in which he talks about having played at RB. This confirms the two post I read from fans actually at the game. You and Kish have gone down in my estimation! I must say I would have a lot more confidence in Gomez at right back than Ben Haim. I know TBH has a lot of experience there but he is very slow these days. I can see this happening if Solly continues unfit. Bob said somewhere that he wants Wilson at RM because he is a great crosser of the ball.
This site continues to be an oasis of sanity & realism compared to the utter, drooling dross elsewhere. The last two "fixtures" have been nothing more than amateur practice mates to stretch limbs, yet people are reading into them that Tucadean is the next James Rodriguez & Buyens the new Tony Kroos. Bournemouth beat Dorchester 11-0 .....so they will be Championship champions with at least 100 points.
