Tamworth brought Sutton back down to earth, Kidderminster produced a response, and the latest Sutton United Talk Time conversation found plenty to discuss both on and off the pitch.
The latest episode of Sutton United Talk Time on Podcast covered two very different Sutton United performances, but as is often the case, the football was only part of the conversation. Sarah and Neil joined me to reflect on a miserable evening at Tamworth, a much more encouraging trip to Kidderminster, the growing importance of Jake Taylor and a Friday night meeting with unbeaten league leaders Boreham Wood. Before we got anywhere near all that, though, there was cycling, coach travel and another reminder of how much goes on around a football club that never appears on a league table.
Sarah’s cycling challenge in support of Sutton United Women continues to sound more daunting every time we talk about it. I may have described the remaining rides as “the easy bit” last week, although I did realise almost immediately how ridiculous that sounded. There are still three away trips likely to come in at around 100 kilometres, and so far she has completed one of those. The Eastbourne trip was every bit as difficult as expected, while Aylesford brought the added bonus of Google Maps sending her down routes that were barely suitable for walking with a bike, never mind actually riding one.
The physical challenge is slightly different from the long-distance running Sarah is used to as well. Different muscles complain, and cycling for hours tends to leave her with a bad back. Carrying Lucy’s pride flag in a rucksack to away games probably does not help much either. The important part, of course, is why she is doing it. The money raised is helping to increase the budget available to Sutton United Women and cover some of those smaller but important costs that are difficult to fund. Sarah spoke in particular about physio equipment and the fact that equipment designed around male players is not always equally suitable for female players. Anyone wanting to follow the challenge, read Sarah’s updates or find the GoFundMe can do so at SuttonWomenCycling.wordpress.com.
Neil has even been inspired to get on his bike himself, completing a 14.5-mile round trip to church. He was quick to describe that as fairly insignificant compared with Sarah’s efforts, although the full story eventually revealed a mixture of an eco-themed service, road closures and his wife suggesting they cycle. Whatever the motivation, we are counting it.
There was also some housekeeping for travelling supporters. Harrogate on 24 October is £60 return and comes with the delightful prospect of a 5am departure. At the time of recording there was still a shortfall in bookings, so anyone planning to travel needs to get in fairly quickly if the coach is going to run. Worthing is £30 return, while a £30 Boxing Day trip to Yeovil has also been negotiated with Redwing. With public transport rather limited on Boxing Day, that looks a particularly useful option.
We also wanted to give the Paul Allen Project a mention after a difficult week. Claire has had another defibrillator stolen in Morden, apparently the second such incident, while a planned quiz night has been cancelled because of low interest. Supporting a project like that does not always have to mean handing over money. Sharing posts, leaving comments and simply helping more people see what they are doing can make a difference too.
Tamworth was difficult to dress up
Eventually, despite Sarah having told me beforehand that she did not want to talk about it, we reached Tamworth.
Chris Agutter’s post-match assessment did not leave much room for interpretation. There were no excuses, Tamworth were the better side and Sutton deserved nothing from the game. Sarah broadly agreed and managed to condense the entire discussion into three fairly effective words: “We were rubbish.”
That was not about attacking the players individually. It was simply an acknowledgement that Sutton played well below the standards we have already seen from this group. Neil felt Tamworth made the situation even worse by being aggressive, energetic and in Sutton’s faces from the start. They fought for everything, while Sutton looked passive and never quite seemed ready for the same battle.
That leads to a more uncomfortable question. Tamworth appeared to play in exactly the sort of front-foot, aggressive style Agutter wants from his Sutton team, so why were we unable to match it? We did not come up with a particularly convincing answer. If there were an easy explanation for why players occasionally produce flat performances, football management would probably be a lot simpler.
Jake Taylor’s half-time substitution was another talking point. He had already been booked and Agutter was concerned about the possibility of a second yellow, which seems a perfectly understandable reason to take him off. The more interesting issue was how much Sutton seemed to lose without him. Neil described how the team simply “ticks” better when Jake is playing well, because he contributes defensively, drives the side forward and links so much of the play together.
Sarah’s concern was what happens when he is not there. Sutton cannot afford to become a team that only functions properly when one particular player is available. At some point there will be injuries, suspensions or simply occasions when someone needs a rest. Having a Plan B matters.
It is worth mentioning that the Kidderminster match was reportedly Jake’s 600th career appearance, which is a remarkable achievement and probably deserved more attention than we gave it during the recording.
A response at Kidderminster
Three days after Tamworth, Agutter made six changes for the trip to Kidderminster. This felt like more than simple rotation. He talked about wanting runners and energy, and the performance was considerably better.
Agutter went as far as suggesting that if the match had been a boxing contest it might have been stopped in the sixth or seventh round because Sutton had been so dominant. Sarah thought that was stretching things. She agreed Sutton were the better side, but not by anything like the margin the manager was suggesting. Neil’s verdict was even shorter: “Classic Aggie spin.”
The truth probably sits somewhere in the middle. Sutton created enough to feel they should have won, and Kidderminster’s goalkeeper being named man of the match says something about the chances we had. At the same time, it was hardly 90 minutes of complete domination.
What was encouraging was the response. Sutton looked like a side willing to do the hard work that gives them the right to play the football they want to play. Perhaps that has occasionally been missing during September. At this level you still have to run, compete and win battles before the nicer football can follow.
The result itself produced one of those contradictions that only really makes sense if you watch football regularly. Before the game, most supporters would probably have accepted a point away at Kidderminster. Looking back at the chances created, Sutton could reasonably feel they should have taken all three. Yet when the equaliser comes after 88 minutes, it still feels like a point rescued.
Spike Brits will remember the match for a less enjoyable reason. Kidderminster’s goal came from a mistake he will probably never make again. Neil’s reading was that the ball had been mis-hit and was spinning as it reached him, while Spike appeared to be looking further up the pitch and thinking about a quick distribution. In other words, he took his eye off the ball.
What I liked more was the reaction around him. Will Nightingale immediately went across to support him. Sarah also made a good point about the reality of having a talented young goalkeeper on loan. Part of the reason Spike is available to Sutton is because he is still learning. If he already had all his ability plus years of senior experience, we probably would not have him.
Jordan Moore-Taylor’s performance gave us another positive. After waiting some time to see him properly involved, he looked remarkably comfortable. Neil felt his presence helped Nightingale in particular, with two experienced defenders seemingly able to understand naturally when one could step forward and when the other needed to cover. It looked like a partnership that had been playing together for far longer than one game.
Omar Mussa also put down a marker. Agutter described it as his best Sutton performance, and with Charlie Carter potentially unavailable for a few weeks, the timing is useful. Neil would already have Moose in the side, while Sarah’s only real reservation was consistency. We know the ability is there. The question is how often we get to see it.
Is the start actually that bad?
Perhaps the most interesting discussion came when we moved away from individual matches and looked at the bigger picture. Sutton have 18 points from 12 games. It does not necessarily feel like a particularly strong start after some frustrating performances, yet over the equivalent point in the previous five seasons, only one Sutton side had collected more.
So why does it feel slightly disappointing?
Agutter may have created part of that himself. He has spoken openly about promotion and made it very clear that he believes this team should be challenging near the top. Neil suggested he has effectively set himself up to fail, because anything below the target becomes something people can use against him. Sarah has learned to take some of the bigger promises with a pinch of salt.
I am slightly more torn. There is something refreshing about a Sutton United manager refusing to behave as though we should simply be grateful to be in the National League. He wants the players to believe they can achieve something, and perhaps that belief is starting to show in one particularly noticeable area.
Three of the last four matches have now included late Sutton equalisers, and Neil made a really good point about how those goals are coming. We are not simply panicking and launching hopeful balls into the box. The team keeps playing, keeps possession and trusts that another opportunity will come.
That changes the feeling of watching Sutton. Against both Forest Green and Kidderminster, we equalised late and my immediate thought was that we might still go on and win. That is a very different experience from watching previous Sutton sides take a lead and gradually retreat towards their own penalty area.
Next up are Boreham Wood, unbeaten, top of the National League and looking very strong.
Which, naturally, makes this exactly the sort of match Sutton United could win.
It is at Gander Green Lane under the lights on Friday night, a fact I am absolutely going to remember. Neil’s logic was simple enough: Boreham Wood have to lose eventually, so why not here? Sarah preferred the wider truth that football remains wonderfully unpredictable, however many statistics and patterns we use to try to understand it.
And then there is the FA Cup draw.
Sarah does not particularly like being asked who she wants because the randomness is part of the fun. If pushed, she likes the idea of visiting a lower-ranked club somewhere we have not been before, somewhere with a bit of that old-fashioned cup atmosphere and perhaps a touch of nostalgia.
Neil mainly knows who he does not want: Tamworth or Walton & Hersham.
Once the draw is made, somebody will inevitably describe it as “winnable”. They always do.
Sarah probably supplied the best answer to that.
Every game is winnable.
Every game is loseable.
After the last couple of weeks following Sutton United, that feels about right.