Captain’s Lockdown Chat

Steve Hole has been keeping the office Zoom app busy this week and managed to catch a quick uplifting chat with Leafe skipper, Helge Orome ...

Helge, how has Lockdown 2 been for you so far?

It's been absolutely boring! The less I speak about it, the better!

Not playing matches must be bad enough but you haven't even been allowed to train as a group, right?

Yeah, which has been a real shame. The team was starting to settle down and gel after a lot of changes.

I imagine you've been following a fitness regime on your own though? Can you give us a brief outline of what you have been doing to keep sharp?

Absolutely. This is the fittest I have been and I definitely didn't want that level to drop. You'll be pleased to know I've been keeping fit with some morning ball sessions with the big man Winja (Omari Hibbert) four times a week who's looking really sharp by the way!

Talking of keeping sharp mate. The first part of the season saw you spank a couple into the back of the net. Which was your favourite one? 

It's definitely got to be the 25 yard tap in against Bearsted in the FA Cup. I'm just glad to contribute with some goals as well. For the first time in a while we've been blessed with goalscorers everywhere in the frontline which makes us a major threat going forward which I'm sure will give teams a lot more to worry about.

If I had offered you a third qualifying round of the FA Cup and a third place (so far) in the league back in August you would have taken that, right?

I don't think I would. We've had some fantastic cup runs the last couple of seasons, and I'm sure you would agree we have been unlucky in the way we've exited the competition on a couple of occasions at this very stage. I would love to go on better and reach the First Round proper. That would be the benchmark.

Give me, please, your views on the first part of the season, how you've seen it and your opinion on it?

It's been quite interesting for me personally. You have to partially ignore how teams set up and played previously because there have been so many changes with personnel and in some cases management, which will affect the way teams set up and their style of play. 

With that being said, the management team have done their homework and set us up in the best way possible to win football matches, and the boys have taken that information on board and turned it into results, which is all we can hope for.

Biggest high point so far?

I think the convincing win against Burgess Hill was the highest point for me. It didn't feel like a typical midweek game. The atmosphere was electric at Church Road. Even though we didn't control the game as much as we would of liked, it was a very clinical performance. 

Any lows?

The FA Cup defeat against Concord was disappointing but nothing worse than our performance at Ashford. For what we are trying to achieve this season, performances from 1-11 wasn't acceptable. But that was a minor blip and now we can fully focus on the League and keep getting results. One game at a time.

I suspect that this is a stupid question (but humour me!) but I imagine that you are looking forward to getting back out on the pitch and playing again, not to mention seeing the Leafe fans again?

Ridiculous question Steve! Let the players play and the tacklers tackle! All we want to do is get out there and compete. We want to carry on building on the aura of hope and excitement we all share, players and fans alike. The support we have been getting from the fans is the best I've experienced in years, and we want to keep that buzz and excitement going all season long.

By the way, I see that two ex-Leafe youngsters are making their way in the professional game... goalkeeper Ollie Webber who was on loan at Leafe two seasons ago for a time has made the Crystal Palace U23 goalkeeper's spot his own this season and young Lesley Duru seems to be doing very well for Fulham U23s. Good to see and good for Leafe?

It's fantastic seeing young players doing well at the top of the game. Many players like Lesley who have stepped up is a testament of hardwork matched with the quality of support and development. The work Harry, Cal and co have done with these boys to turn dreams in to reality for so many of them doesn’t get enough credit. If I'd met Harry at 16 I'd probably be at Real Madrid now!