Blair primed to start York City trophy clash (From York Press)
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Matty Blair primed to start York City's Johnstone’s Paint Trophy clash at Rotherham
12:00pm Tuesday 4th September 2012 in News
By Dave Flett, Sports reporter
York City’s Matty Blair, centre, could make his first start of the season tonight
YORK City’s on-fire striker Ashley Chambers could miss tonight’s Johnstone’s Paint Trophy first round tie at Rotherham United (7.30pm).
Chambers, who has netted in the Minstermen’s last three matches, is nursing a calf injury that meant he was absent for training yesterday and, should he be unavailable, last season’s 20-goal leading marksman Matty Blair will be handed his first start of the new campaign.
Fellow striker Jamie Reed has returned to training following his hamstring tear but will not be considered for the New York Stadium clash, while Oli Johnson, Chris Doig, David McGurk and Scott Kerr remain sidelined.
On Chambers’ chances of featuring in South Yorkshire, City boss Gary Mills said: “He is feeling his calf a bit and we will see how he is but he could be doubtful.”
New signing Clarke Carlisle will feature against the Millers following his impressive debut during Saturday’s 3-1 victory over Oxford and Mills is not expected to use the competition to rotate his squad, as opposing manager Steve Evans has suggested he will do.
“We will pick what we feel is the right team to win a game of football at Rotherham,” Mills stressed. “We have started the season well and I want to keep up that momentum of winning football matches.
“You hear people saying they are going to make changes who don’t and hear that players are injured when they are not. I don’t listen to that type of nonsense or get drawn in by mind games.
“It makes no difference to me if they make changes or not. I will just focus on my team and what we are going to do.
“It’s a tough draw but we are capable of getting a result.”
In reference to Carlisle, the City chief added: “For Clarke to come in and play a full game like he did on Saturday took some doing.
“He will be playing two games in a few days now and another 90 minutes will get him sharper so the game is well-timed in that respect too.”
Having won the FA Trophy final at Wembley last season and watched Chesterfield beat Swindon on television to win this tournament in front of just under 50,000 fans, Mills has also spoken of the appeal this competition holds for him.
“It can get you to Wembley and you could see what that meant to Swindon and Chesterfield last season,” he added.
“We had our own tastes of Wembley last season and would like a bit more.”
The tie will be settled on the night with penalties to decide the outcome should the scores be level after 90 minutes with no extra time to be played.
Should that happen, Mills is calling on his players to perform better than in last month’s 4-2 shoot-out defeat to Doncaster when Blair and Michael Coulson blazed spot-kicks over the bar.
The City manager said: “We were ready for the last penalty shoot-out. We just didn’t take them well.
“The players practice them but, at Doncaster, we had taken Jason Walker and Paddy McLaughlin off and they would normally have taken one.
“You don’t always get the five you would want but, whoever has the responsibility, has to go and stick one away.”
Goalkeeper Michael Ingham also failed to save any of Doncaster’s 12-yard efforts on that day but Mills feels his penalty stop from Oxford’s Deane Smalley at the weekend could be a psychological boost if the tie goes all the way.
“It was a great save from Oxford’s penalty,” Mills enthused.
“I’ve watched it again and there was a lot of pace on the ball but he got a strong arm to it.”
Comments(26)
circuitous route dorset
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9:32pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Dburns70
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9:37pm Tue 4 Sep 12
nicko75
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10:01pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Dburns70 wrote:Yea, because we have been doing really badly of late... 'slaps forehead in despair at miserable YC supporters'...
Finally Blair starts. Should have been games ago.
Southern Exile
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10:04pm Tue 4 Sep 12
DQ Sussex
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10:07pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Dburns70
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10:14pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Chambers has done really well standing in but the simple fact is he's not as good as Blair, so why keep trying to win with a lesser team than you could put out? Let's not forget York wouldn't even be in the league without Blair as well, so as the main man for getting the team up and the team's top scorer last season it doesnt make much sense to keep him on the bench longer than necessary even if the stand-in scored while standing in when needed.
If you're taking the view that the man in possession keeps his place if he does well no matter who is fit again, then Blair should keep his starting place now or are you saying Chambers should come straight back in next game if fit?
henleazeyorkie
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10:15pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Southern Exile
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10:22pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Dburns70 wrote:You were commenting on previous games selection. You can hardly complain with Chambers contribution in the games he has played, he's our top scorer so was it a mistake to play him in those games?
You play your best players when they are available. Arsenal (obv seasons before) wouldn't keep RVP on the bench after returning from injury just because Bendtner was scoring in his absence.
Chambers has done really well standing in but the simple fact is he's not as good as Blair, so why keep trying to win with a lesser team than you could put out? Let's not forget York wouldn't even be in the league without Blair as well, so as the main man for getting the team up and the team's top scorer last season it doesnt make much sense to keep him on the bench longer than necessary even if the stand-in scored while standing in when needed.
If you're taking the view that the man in possession keeps his place if he does well no matter who is fit again, then Blair should keep his starting place now or are you saying Chambers should come straight back in next game if fit?
brahma
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10:23pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Dburns70 wrote:Replacing whom? Coulson 3 goals, Chambers 3, Walker 1?
Finally Blair starts. Should have been games ago.
nicko75
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10:43pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Dburns70 wrote:Comical... Where to begin with this... Chambers is the League's top scorer & if Blair was going to replace anyone it would probably be Coulson (who also has 3 goals to his name) but it's all academic as Gary Mills and his SQUAD have started the season brilliantly... Maybe drop Ingham to give Blair a game against Chesterfield...
You play your best players when they are available. Arsenal (obv seasons before) wouldn't keep RVP on the bench after returning from injury just because Bendtner was scoring in his absence.
Chambers has done really well standing in but the simple fact is he's not as good as Blair, so why keep trying to win with a lesser team than you could put out? Let's not forget York wouldn't even be in the league without Blair as well, so as the main man for getting the team up and the team's top scorer last season it doesnt make much sense to keep him on the bench longer than necessary even if the stand-in scored while standing in when needed.
If you're taking the view that the man in possession keeps his place if he does well no matter who is fit again, then Blair should keep his starting place now or are you saying Chambers should come straight back in next game if fit?
Dburns70
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11:25pm Tue 4 Sep 12
_____________
Firstly I never said Chambers shouldn't be playing, I simply said that Blair should have started when fit as he's the best forward in the York side, last season's top scorer and the key man in getting York into the league.
I also never complained with Chambers contribution, he's clearly done well. As for saying it can't have been wrong to keep Blair on the bench because other players have scored, that makes no sense. How do you know Blair wouldn't have scored the same or even more goals?
I only mentioned Chambers as someone else then moved it to a comparison between Blair and Chambers, presumably as Chamber is the one currently injured.
Bottom line is Blair is the best forward, I've yet to see anyone disagree with this, and therefore should be starting. It seems pretty non-sensical for Nicko to say how can e.g. Blair replace Chambers going forward when he is the leagues top scorer, well that's exactly what Blair was for the whole of last season and he was being replaced despite being fit, and you could use the same argument re Coulson.
I dont have too much issue re Ingham dropping out to get Blair in, because that was my original point i.e. Blair should be starting if fit, and I did not specify who it should be for when I said that.
Dburns70
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11:30pm Tue 4 Sep 12
Southern Exile
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11:44pm Tue 4 Sep 12
GreenshawGrinder
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12:29am Wed 5 Sep 12
Dburns70
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12:45am Wed 5 Sep 12
_____________
Exactly, that's all I was saying, and it's not unreasonable to think Blair was fit to play because he was on the bench for 4 or 5 games. You might be on the bench half fit to help if necessary for one game, but for weeks on end? I didn't expect him to start in the first game btw, just not to miss out for so long.
I assume right at the start of the season Mills felt Blair needed maybe a bit more training having missed some of pre-season, and then his replacement clearly did a good job and Mills didn't want to change things, but the strange thing was if that's the case he still wasn't giving Blair enough game time even as a sub to build up his match fitness e.g. things like bringing him on in the 90th minute.
We don't know it was the correct decision to not start him until now, we just know York did well in the interim. We don't know if Blair would have improved things further or faired worse, it's all guess work, but what we do know is that we both agree that all things being equal Blair should start and he didn't for 4 or 5 games i.e. my original pt, great to see Blair finally starting, I just feel it should have happened a few games earlier.
It will be interesting to see if Blair now keeps his starting place next game, because if Mills was keeping him out due to the performances of those on the pitch irrespective of his past performances, then to be consistent Blair shouldn't be dropped back to the bench because of his performance, no matter what those on the bench have done in the past.
WiShIwAsAtThEcReSeNt
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1:55am Wed 5 Sep 12
Al-YCFC
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6:55am Wed 5 Sep 12
Dburns70 wrote:Let's not forget that Mills won City the double. He knows what he is doing! I remember being puzzled when Paddy was left out o the play off final but if memory serves that didn't end too badly for City?
You play your best players when they are available. Arsenal (obv seasons before) wouldn't keep RVP on the bench after returning from injury just because Bendtner was scoring in his absence.
Chambers has done really well standing in but the simple fact is he's not as good as Blair, so why keep trying to win with a lesser team than you could put out? Let's not forget York wouldn't even be in the league without Blair as well, so as the main man for getting the team up and the team's top scorer last season it doesnt make much sense to keep him on the bench longer than necessary even if the stand-in scored while standing in when needed.
If you're taking the view that the man in possession keeps his place if he does well no matter who is fit again, then Blair should keep his starting place now or are you saying Chambers should come straight back in next game if fit?
Yorkieroy60
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9:15am Wed 5 Sep 12
TheonlywayisCity
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10:08am Wed 5 Sep 12
The above posting in regards to Blair been the man who got us up so deserves first place ect is utter tripe!
Gary Mills has stated he holds no sentiment and everyone has to earn their shirt and while Coulson and Chambers are scoring it seems unfair to drop them from the team. It isn't how a sucessful squad works.
I for one am proud of the lads getting another win, the JPT is not the best competition around but still it could get us to Wembley again and thats never a bad way to end the season!
COME ON YOU MINSTER MEN!!
swh1963
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11:05am Wed 5 Sep 12
eague.co.uk
Can't they just give the BBC a temporary licence until the new website is ready? And why are we in a queue for a revamped website anyway, well into the new season? The contract for that should have been given to a company with capacity to deliver not the guy in a shed round the corner.
Southern Exile
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11:58am Wed 5 Sep 12
Precisely my point...
Two different things being debated:
1) Should Matty have started those games? Who know's? The manager made the call and it worked so why criticise the decision?
2) Should he start now. Probably although that is getting a closer and closer call and I'm sure form, fitness, effort in training and mental approach will all impact on it.
Not being in the starting XI has certainly fired him up though so maybe it was a stroke of genius on Mr Mills' part...
Dburns70
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2:11pm Wed 5 Sep 12
_______________
Noone is unhappy with this are they?
This all started because I was happy to see Blair had finally started a game, and had a personal view that it should have happened earlier. I bet he only did so in this game as Chambers was injured too.
Then people pounced on the fact York have scored goals in Blair's absence as evidence Mills was right not to start with Blair even once this season, which makes no sense to me as we don't know what would have happened if Blair had played i.e. it doesn't prove Blair shouldn't have been on the pitch.
Also if you're looking at results on the pitch to prove a decision was right or wrong, then why not look at the fact Blair helped York beat a very good outfit in Rotherham, so does that now contradict some people's argument that Blair shouldn't have started IF Chambers was fit? Of course it shouldn't but that's what happens if you follow the 'logic'.
Anyway this whole Chambers thing is a red herring as noone was saying it should be him or Blair, just that ideally Blair should be starting, and perhaps people just need to control their emotions and accept there will be posters with different opinions on who should and shouldn't start, especially in an online comment situation. Who knows who's right.
Finally I totally agree re the radio coverage point.
PS The fact Blair scored doesn't prove he was fired up by Mills genius in benching him, otherwise how do you explain the c20 goals last season? He scored, because he's a good goal scorer, the best York has, and that's why he should have started more imo. Otherwise let's really show some genius by benching all York's best players one by one for 5 games, keep our fingers crossed the team wins in their absence, and then benefit from them returning fired up.
nicko75
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4:17pm Wed 5 Sep 12
but we are going to have to agree to disagree on the Blair issue...
Matty Blair is indeed a great player - he is also a great character and so will have taken his position on the bench recently better than most.
You view is blinkered by a number of assumptions that you seem to have taken on ...
Do you know the precise moment at which the previously injured Blair returned to full match fitness? No? Neither do we but I would guess that it was at some point this morning - Mills has helped him regain that fitness by playing him in an increasing number of minutes in each game (more than 20 against Oxford) culminating in a full 90 minutes in an opportune JPT cup match which would have given him an "excuse" to change his line up even if Chambers had not been injured.
Have you watched every minute of pre season training to understand who the form players are in the squad? No - next...
Have you considered the message that an automatic recall for Blair would send out not only to two players on top of their game but also to the rest of the squad? Try as hard as you like but you will never hold down a place in the first team... Guaranteed names on a teamsheet smack of England under Sven and the associated comfort zone of underachievment.
Have you considered that Gary Mills may have been deliberately keeping our prized asset out of the limelight until the transfer window had passed?No? I guarantee that thought has gone through Mills mind.
"Matty Blair is our best player"... relative to what? Relative to Mansfield and Luton Town 6 months ago? Relative to Michael Coulson who didnt even play for us last season? Relative to Jason Walker who plays a different type of game? The fact that Mills picks on current form and not reputation is both refreshing and comforting.
I am sorry, and I obviously hold nothing against you personally (!) but your orginal comment "Finally Blair starts. Should have been games ago" is just wrong on a number of counts.
Dburns70
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2:53pm Thu 6 Sep 12
Secondly of course Blair can't be match fit without playing matches, so that's just moronic. If you knew anything about playing football even close to this level then you'd know Blair wont be match fit even after I match. Mills also didn't help him regain 'full match fitness' by waiting to bring him on in the 90th minute of the second to last league match against Barnet. If you think that's part of a plan to build up his match fitness then I'm sorry you couldnt be more wrong, especially as Blair had played 35 mins the week before that barnet game!
Now you're suggesting Mills wasnt playing Blair because of the transfer window! That's one of the more ludicrous statements I've heard. You think anyone interested didn't already know about his quality, and didn't know he got injured during the latter part of pre-season, and would have been conned into thinking maybe he's not as good as we think because Mills has him on the bench. Sorry but that's laughable.
You then got from calling Blair our prized asset to challenging him being our best player.
Bottom line is you think Blair shouldn't have started a game before Rotherham and I do. Who knows who's right, but you very arrogantly seem to think it's fact you are, and impossible that anyone else could be.
nicko75
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4:52pm Thu 6 Sep 12
ian923 says...
2:24pm Tue 4 Sep 12