‘Meeting the opposition’ – Exeter City F.C

‘Meeting the opposition’ – Exeter City F.C

On Saturday afternoon, Tranmere Rovers will travel 245 miles south to face Exeter City in league two action at St James Park. With that in mind, I placed questions towards aspiring sports journalist @Jamiedecfc who supports the ‘Grecians’. I thought it would be interesting to see the thoughts of a fan who’s club will soon face Rovers, to get his opinions of Tranmere as well as his thoughts on the state of the Devonshire club at the moment; amongst other subjects.

How long have you been a supporter of Exeter and how did you discover the club?

I’ve been a ‘city’ supporter for 10 years. I first went with a group of friends and I’ve been hooked ever since.

Where did Exeter finish last season?

We finished 5th and reached the playoff final as well for the 3rd time in 4 years, our home form being the key to our success. Unfortunately, we would lose heavily to Northampton Town. Our luck really isn’t the best at Wembley.

What are your thoughts on your current manager, Matt Taylor? 

Matt Taylor has worked wonders since his arrival in 2018. His playing style is physical but attacking. He is also brutally honest in interviews which is something that we lacked in the Tisdale years but most importantly I’m proud of the way he’s built on the previous manager’s success. He has made the team his own and is keen to go far with the club.

What are your expectations for this season? What are your thoughts on the start of Exeter’s season?

I really can’t complain with our start. We’ve been excellent and considering the circumstances this year we’re perhaps over achieving but our youngsters have adjusted well and have stepped up when needed. Joel Randell and our attacking play in general is a joy to watch at the moment but if we’re being really picky I’d have liked to see some of the draws turn into wins. The defensive issues have been a massive problem, I think we’ve conceded the most goals in the current top 6 but if we iron out the errors and keep our attacking form up then I fancy us to get that elusive promotion.

Which one player is your danger man, why?

It’s really difficult to pinpoint one player especially at the moment as our attacking play is so good but I’d say Joel Randell and Matt Jay are our ‘danger men’. They are both the top scorers so far this season. They are both natural finishers and have very fancy footwork and the pair are also very pacey. They’ll be one to keep an eye on and I’m glad they’re taking their chances thus far.

What is your score prediction for the game against Tranmere?

I’d predict a 1-1 draw due to our home from being very good this season and of course Tranmere carry a massive attacking threat with the likes of Morgan Ferrier and James Vaughan, Blackett-Taylor as well. It should be a good test for both sides.

Random fact about Exeter? 

One of our famous fans is Chris Martin, the lead singer of the popular music band ‘Coldplay’.

Do you support/like any other clubs other than Exeter, why?

I guess I look out for the results of Yeovil Town because it’s always a good ‘away day’ and I have a few friends who support them.

Proudest moment as a supporter of Exeter?

It’s not always easy to support Exeter I’ll admit but that’s part of the ‘ride’. During my ten years as a ‘City’ supporter I’d say both play off semi finals and wins against the ‘scum’ (Argyle). They are all games and days that stand out.

What is your opinion of this weekend’s visitors, Tranmere Rovers?

Tramere have always ‘liked’ playing against us but in honesty they have some of the best fans I’ve seen particularly at this level. They are very well drilled and are simply too big for league two so I’m backing the ‘SWA’ for an instant return to league one.

I would like to thank Jamie Dyer for his time answering the questions that I placed towards him, this league encounter should be an interesting occasion and I hope that readers enjoyed this Q+A.

Thank you for reading,

Stay safe,

Ethan Hoijord