PETER JACKSON studied reports on Welling United today and told his players to prepare for a big FA Cup battle.
Had Town won against Swindon on Saturday Jackson would have given his squad today off, but they were in for training as normal for an extended week of build-up to Sunday's 1pm home clash.
Welling will head north in high spirits after their 4-2 win at Maidenhead United took them second in the Conference South table.
Jackson, who has spoken to a couple of Conference managers about Welling, had a scout at that game and was today assessing the threat they pose to Town progressing to the second round on December 3.
"The first thing to realise is that if we don't play better than we did on Saturday then we could be in for a shock," said Jackson, whose own side were watched by Welling scout Ash Stagg.
"I've got the report through on Welling which suggests they are a big, strong and physical side and I would expect them to come here and pack behind the ball like Swindon did.
"It could be much the same sort of challenge, so we have to be up for it.
"The national press and television will be looking for shocks up and down the country and it's important we don't let it happen to us.
"Our training schedule will alter slightly because we will be working right up to next Saturday and preparing in the right way.
"We will treat Welling with the respect they deserve for being in the first round on merit and we will set out with the intention of launching a Cup run of our own."
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Alexander O'Neal 1987 "I'm fed up cos all you wanna do is criticize "
WELLING scout Ash Stagg must have been a happy man as he made the long journey back to Kent.
His report to manager Adrian Pennock will no doubt have massaged hopes of causing an FA Cup upset at the Galpharm on Sunday.
He will point to Town lapses at the back which allowed Swindon - and particularly the speedy Hameur Bouazza - to create enough chances to have won the game.
He will highlight a midfield unit who looked stumped for ideas until Gary Taylor-Fletcher injected some much needed energy in the final 25 minutes.
And he will point to a strikeforce which, starved of decent service by Swindon's nine-man defensive blanket, brought goalkeeper Tom Heaton into the action just three times in 90 minutes.
All those factors will have gone into the report being studied by the Conference South side, in addition to Town's woeful execution of set pieces.
Corner after corner and free-kick after free-kick were wasted - mistakes any side can ill afford when they are being made to graft hard for even an inkling of an opening.
Peter Jackson's side certainly didn't help themselves on a difficult day by committing some stupid errors and by being uncharacteristically sloppy in open play.
Time and again possession was won only to be squandered again within a few seconds.
No wonder the team struggled for fluency and intensity.
Hopefully, Welling will think this was the real Huddersfield Town.
Maybe, just maybe, they didn't see the aggressive, attractive, unstoppable force which powered to victory at Bradford just three weeks ago.
Town have slipped from that level of performance - one so compelling it deservedly took them to the top of the table - and they need to get back to it quickly.
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Alexander O'Neal 1987 "I'm fed up cos all you wanna do is criticize "
Personally I don't think we can afford to adopt the 9 man defensive blanket tactic which, according to the report, Swindon did and I am pretty confident that Ade will not resort to it unless perhaps if we are 1-0 up with 5 minutes to go. I know Ade has said that he will change the formation from his preferred "4-4-2 where everyone knows their job" if he believes it necessary to get a result but I really can't see us adopting a 9 man defence.
This is a golden draw, albeit a bit earlier in the competition than we might have wished but, as they say, we have nothing to lose but a lot to gain so it's guns blazing for me. We have a midfield worth its salt, especially if Perks manages to get back to partner Daisy at its heart, and I believe our best bet is to make as much use of it as we possibly can and provide the killer balls for Che and Keds.
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
I have to say if you come to the Galpharm and attack you will get punished. If there's one thing Town can do it's score. We have broken our record of 22 matches of scoring in every game which stood since 1938! Mark my word, if you come and play open football, your boys will be whipped!
All the teams that've come to 'The Pharm' this season to play an open attacking game have been hammered. On the other hand those who've played a tight, hard tackling game have done rather better. Swindon Town last Saturday were no exception. Unless you have forwards with blistering pace (which would seriously worry us) then I suggest you play it safe and get men behind the ball. Afterall a draw would be a fantastic acheivement and a financial boost for you club. GOD! why am I telling you all this! I must be crazzzy!
Mind you, I expect Pennock already realises where our strenghts & weaknesses are.
I have absolutely no doubt that Ade has a very much greater knowledge of your side than I and will employ whatever tactics he believes will give us our best chance of pulling of what would surely be the result of the round. If he believes that the answer is the defensive blanket then that's what it will be.
As a football fan I have no great passion for negative football added to which. being a realist, expecting a Conference South side to frustrate and absorb relentless pressure from a freescoring League One side is a task of Herculean proportions, and one in which the fitness and stamina of the professional side would always be favourites to win.
As a Welling fan underestimate us at your peril and don't be too surprised when we get in behind your defence.
I'm sure that win, draw, or lose our lads will do us, and non league football, proud whatever tactics are employed.
-- Edited by bruno at 13:18, 2005-11-02
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YOUTH are the future
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"The worst thing you can do is make a committment and not meet it and I understand that." Barrie Hobbins 14 August 2010
