Graham was quick to wield the axe
YOU score two goals on your Muratti debut one day. You're dropped the next.
YOU score two goals on your Muratti debut one day. You're dropped the next.
Yep, last weekend was a bittersweet one for North striker Nigel Hutton as new senior island coach Kevin Graham (pictured) showed a ruthless streak and inside
24 hours cut four of Guernsey's semi-final squad. They would not be needed against Jersey.
It appears that Graham has wasted no time in identifying three groups from the masses that walloped Alderney and Bookham on the same afternoon.
There would be an indefinite number of definites for the final against Jersey, a group on the periphery, and the ones he would not be considering.
Among the latter are known to be Belgrave Simon Marley, Hutton and his North colleagues, Simon Tostevin and Chris Le Cheminant, all of whom picked up caps against the outclassed Ridunians.
Some would call Graham's actions callous, but I regard it more a sign of his clear thinking and efficiently ruthless approach to a job he is affording every attention, even though the cynics will say it will be Tony Vance's team that steps out at Springfield in May.
In terms of what they will be wearing on 7 May I so wish it was Vancey's men taking on Jersey, because the more I see of that all-green strip our island representative sides have been lumbered with, the more I wish Guernsey had stuck with the light blue on-loan Manchester Regiment shirts they wore in those very early Murattis.
Big 'Kev' probably cares not a jot what his team scores in the looks stakes, and will be more preoccupied with how his starting XI shape up against the Jerseymen and whether he should utilise Craig Young ahead of the regular Green Lions frontmen such as Dave Rihoy, Glyn Dyer and Matt Loaring.
Young was widely acclaimed to have been the pick of our attack at Mount Hale, but given his absence from the Green Lions teams he may not get another chance to impress at the highest level unless, as has been mooted, the Green Lions wrap up the CCL Division One title early and allow Graham to fine tune his Muratti men in the colours of GFC against Spelthorne Sports nine days before the trip to Springfield.
Graham, clearly, picked an XI to do a specific job against Alderney and from the base of a tight middle three he played a direct style of football quite alien to GFC.
I strongly suspect that will be largely ditched against Jersey with a subtle variation of the usual GFC style.
The question is now whether the likes of Young and Joby Bourgaize commit to chasing a Muratti spot by joining the regular GFC training sessions that will dominate the preparation until the final week when it will be very much the Graham-Sharman show.
One man who I don't expect to be involved is Luke Winch, who ought to look no further than his big brother Jason for the level of commitment now required to play at the highest level locally.
Jason has spent half a season warming the GFC bench but has quietly got on with it and made the most of his opportunities. He has been the ideal squad player and deserves any fortune that comes his way.
But Luke's early departure from the Bookham game after he failed to get on highlighted again his immaturity in dealing with disappointment.
