Decision time for Turner

Tony James, the Hereford United captain, may want to forget his 300th appearance for the Bulls this afternoon.

He was responsible for allowing Grays to score their first goal when he tried to dribble the ball out of danger but was dispossessed.

It was a similar mistake by James that let Cambridge score their first goal last Tuesday week.

Everyone is human and everyone makes mistakes, but James has cost the Bulls two goals out of the four scored against them this season so far.

The management decided to leave James on the pitch, probably to try and rebuild his confidence, until the 71st minute when he was subbed.

The sarcastic cheers from sections of the crowd as he left the field will not have helped matters. A player with 300 games for the Bulls deserved better.

Graham Turner and John Trewick have a difficult decision to make about James. If he is put on the bench for Monday's game it could dent his confidence further. To drop a player after a poor performance is not always easy, to drop the captain will be even harder.

The management will need to think whether a reshuffle at the back after just four games would improve matters. In general, Mkandawire, James and Beckwith look fairly solid and are getting used to playing with each other.

As regards taking the captain's arm band away from James, that too would dent his confidence. But, on the other hand, a captain should lead by example and James could be said to be failing to do that at present. Not only have he made mistakes which have led to goals but his distribution has been sub-standard recently.

Graham Turner has been very loyal to Tony James, especially after James seemed to be thinking of a move away from Hereford last season. He will probably keep James as captain on Monday, but will expect better things from a player who is unlikely to be at Edgar Street next season.

---