October 2024

October 2024
During the month of October, Yeovil Town F.C played 3 League matches and 2 Europa League matches.

Europa League Group Stage: MD2
"What an entertaining game! Less so for us. It was quite stressful actually. But I can stand back and appreciate it for the spectacle it was.

The game got off to a rough start. Rhian Brewster felt a tightness in his thigh and despite trying to soldier on, we had to swap him 20-minutes in. I decided to put Danny at Striker and give Rescaldani a chance. Which ultimately paid off as he grabbed 2-assists. I was pleasantly surprised actually!

But their second goal took the wind from our sails and we had to entertain the possibility that a draw was the best we could hope for as the minutes seeped away. I was reluctant to bring him on, but Hudson-Odoi completely changed the game. Flanked by Danny and Gonzalo, the three combined to devastating effect. Callum hit the bar twice before finally netting the equaliser before a crazy flourish of attacks somehow ended up resulting in a flattering 4-2 scoreline!

What I learned is that I should respect the competition a little more. I should integrate more first-team members and strike a balance. Which is a lesson I thought I learned years ago, but I have lost sight of. I will amend this against Rangers.

Looks like Brewster will be out until Christmas. That is a massive blow and leaves us light on options. I may have to put Danny central and give more minutes to Rescaldani."

Premier League: MD8
"Incredibly tight match. I was pretty convinced it would be our first dropped points of the season with ten minutes to go. But, true to form, Callum came to our rescue twice in three days! That's the exact sort of impact we needed him to have. He didn't get much for most of the game, but he was there for a moment of brilliance in the end.

Mounie got a run out towards the end of the game and it was great to see him. I think he was benched as he had a conflict of emotions towards us, but he did nearly break out hearts from a corner. All in, this was a good result for us and a sign of progression after last season where they beat us 4-0."

Premier League: MD9
"Our first dropped points of the season comes against newly-promoted Everton. Rightly, they are on a mission this season to make up for the embarrassment of relegation—given their finances and reputation. They pushed us hard today and we struggled to create chances. The second yellow card for Pellegri on 51' made the prospect of equalising tougher for us. Thankfully, super-sub Josh Sims came to our rescue!

We weren't good enough today. We need to play faster and keep up the pressing for longer periods. With Rangers next, we will need to play smart as we have a history of letting big games resulting in caution being thrown to the wind. I would take a 1-0 right now, to be honest."

Europa League Group Stage: MD3
"I knew this would happen. It's made worse by the fact we worked hard to gain a two-goal advantage but threw it away over 8-minutes. Complacency. Thankfully, Sims was able to rescue the win for us at the death.

Declan Kelly had an inspired game, picking up 2 assists. He has struggled to push into our first team, and with Yearwood and Ward-Prowse back in training, it's only going to get harder. He's always there for us when we need him, but we may entertain the idea of a short loan in January just to get him playing regularly and gain some more experience.

Pietro Pellegri put in a MOTM performance with his goal and assist. The volley from Kelly's lob was executed to perfection. It's a shame that he'll be suspended for our trip to Anfield, as well as us lacking Brewster. It could mean James plays central and we fill the RW spot. I think Sims has rightfully earned a start!"

Premier League: MD10
"Another late flourish of goals helped seal the win against a resilient Liverpool side who have somehow found themselves in the relegation zone after a number of key injuries.

This game really summed up what a tough month this has been for us. We struggled to find our rhythm and that's on me for playing with so many different tactics. We'll bring things back to basics next month and go with 4-3-3 again. The decisive goal, from youngster Gonzalo Rescaldani, was reminiscent of Martial's debut goal against Liverpool almost a decade ago. What a way to score your first league goal! He won't do his chances of getting minutes any harm with moments like that!"

YeoLaTengo Monthly Review
An action-packed October draws to a close and we just about manage to come out unscathed!

Perhaps it's a reflection of our growing self-confidence, but this month, we scored no fewer than 7 goals in the last 10-minutes! That's huge! We went from picking up 3 draws (and a loss in the Rangers game) and turned them all into wins! For sure, if this was last season, the results would have likely remained the same (or worse, we would have conceded more). This was the month of the super-sub. Six goals from players off the bench, including two for Josh Sims.

These decisive goals mean that we're currently 5-points clear at the top of the Premier League and more importantly, one win away from qualifying for the knock-out stages of the Europa League! All it takes is a win against Rangers next month.

The fixture list for November is a little kinder to us after a hectic start so we have a clear run at establishing ourselves at the top of the league!

YeoLaTengo Player of the Month
For his exceptional game-winning performances this month, it has to be Callum Hudson-Odoi. This was a character-defining month for the youngster and it changes the landscape of the conversation when talking about him. His goals aren't in as many flurries so far, but he's a more well-rounded player, adding defensive work rate and assists to his game. When he's not on the pitch, we are starting to feel it.

League Table Preview
A snapshot of Yeovil Town in the Premier League, with the teams in close proximity.