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Post by jdl on Jan 1, 2019 21:41:38 GMT
Didn t John Still retire last week. I d actually give them a chance now for the rest of the season to be honest see what they can do. Hard to believe that we need even more players having brought so many in but I guess that was the mess that HW created. A few Neanderthals on the Dover forum are having a right go at the plastic pitch. Definitely one of the quieter away fans we ve had at the Gallagher. He's still practically full-time at Barnet, jut not managing the team. Dover were just like us - dead quiet until they were winning. |
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Post by jdl on Jan 1, 2019 21:53:15 GMT
For whatever reasons, we are either not holding on to our best players - be they attack, midfield or defence - while most sides seem to be able to recruit and prosper. Geography an issue, as is money. History too. Once a long term manager leaves, they are rarely replaced effectively first time round. Man Utd after Ferguson, Forest after Clough, etc. I'm still not convinced Wheeler did recruit a decent squad and the concensus that we are short (almost literally) in midfield and attack seems to agree. It's a gamble, but another round of recruitment in management, midfield and attack seems essential if we are to avoid relegation. If so, I fear we are not looking at a quick return. IF, and it's a big if, we win the next couple of games, then the idea of someone like John Still brought in to support Tristan and Simon may have some merit. However, for all they deserve our support, I fear they lack the experience to do well in this league. I'm glad someone else has finally questioned if the squad really is that much better. I've thought all along that, whilst that Harry definitely brought in some individual players who were above our earlier standard (although most of them seem to be loans, often short-term), the overall quality of the squad isn't much, if any, better than it was. For instance, my men of the match today were Pax, McLennan, Phillips, Cassidy and Worner, and only two of those are Harry's (and they are both loans - one of whom has already gone). That squad is capable of playing excellent football and winning games you wouldn't expect them to (Barnet, BW), but it can't perform like that every time, and cannot sustain the typical mid-season attrition of injures and suspensions (let alone the churn of loan players coming and going). With the right manager, it could be got to regularly play above itself and achieve more than you would expect (e.g. to keep us up), but the sort of managers who can do that (without extra funds) are very rare at our level - and already fully employed. |
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pebble
Junior Member
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Post by pebble on Jan 1, 2019 22:10:06 GMT
I think if we are being brutally realistic we haven’t got much of a team. We have a number of reasonable individuals but we do not play as a unit. We don’t attack as a unit and there is no midfield at all. Pax has to go, sorry but he just isnt up to it. Occasional good parts of games but in the main very poor, today a prime example.
We need to start again from scratch and it’s going to be painful for a while but it needs to be done. There are no players in this current squad that I would really weep over if they left.
I love my club and I,be been there through the good and bad times but now is the time to change and take things forward.
We need to look to the future maybe one or two seasons future but it needs to begin now. Write the rest of this season off get a proper manager in and recruit a team for the future.
Today was not much better than the shit we have had to put up with all season so let’s move on for the future together.
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Post by gromley on Jan 1, 2019 22:25:02 GMT
Did anyone think we had any pedestrians in black and amber today? I thought there may have been a couple, in which case they need to go too. Still lots to do for the management!
To be honest; no I saw no pedestrians.
Early on I thought Powell was a bit invisible, but then he came into his own. Romaine & Muldoon were both quiet for periods but then came into it. I was pleased to see Jack Richards get a run out - but he contributed virtually nothing (For the avoidance of doubt I should say that is a joke - I'm not sure that in the 300 odd seconds he was on the pitch the ball actually got within 20 yards of him).
In truth I don'y think I can criticise anyone, it was a strong team performance. By the same token though it's difficult to pick a MoM : maybe Cass for his sterling work or perhaps for me Tajbakhsh who before today I thought was a potentially useful thug, but actually showed a great mix of talent and footballing known how - on today's showing I'd rate him as a very useful fusion of Stu Lew & Prestedge.
Personally I'm quite in tune with Simon Walton's post match interview- I'm more pessimistic about our prospects than Simon, but I do agree we are travelling in the right direction. Simon described the first half as being our best 45 minutes in a while, I would say (from my experiences at least) the best in at least a couple of years.
I may be in a minority, but after today (having not gone to BW) I'm feeling more positive than I have in quite a while.
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Post by wolvesstone on Jan 1, 2019 22:41:40 GMT
That's right. We are getting better. Considering the number of excellent balls in from corners and long throws, the defence and Worner did pretty well. Agree that we are short up front. Shame Shields didn't stay and Cass is gone. Walton and Lewis should be kept so they can recruit and give us some hope.
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Post by daveu on Jan 1, 2019 22:45:53 GMT
Did anyone think we had any pedestrians in black and amber today? I thought there may have been a couple, in which case they need to go too. Still lots to do for the management!
To be honest; no I saw no pedestrians.
Early on I thought Powell was a bit invisible, but then he came into his own. Romaine & Muldoon were both quiet for periods but then came into it. I was pleased to see Jack Richards get a run out - but he contributed virtually nothing (For the avoidance of doubt I should say that is a joke - I'm not sure that in the 300 odd seconds he was on the pitch the ball actually got within 20 yards of him).
In truth I do think I can criticise anyone, it was a strong team performance. By the same token though it's difficult to pick a MoM : maybe Cass for his sterling work or perhaps for me Tajbakhsh who before today I thought was a potentially useful thug, but actually showed a great mix of talent and footballing known how - on today's showing I'd rate him as a very useful fusion of Stu Lew & Prestedge.
Personally I'm quite in tune with Simon Walton's post match interview- I'm more pessimistic about our prospects than Simon, but I do agree we are travelling in the right direction. Simon described the first half as being our best 45 minutes in a while, I would say (from my experiences at least) the best in at least a couple of years.
I may be in a minority, but after today (having not gone to BW) I'm feeling more positive than I have in quite a while.
I think you're right to feel positive. There was plenty that was very good today, maybe we tired a bit second half but I think if we'd scored while we were on top and given ourselves something to hang on to it could have been a different result. I'm sure Tristan and Simon can keep us going in the right direction. My main concern is whether we can turn it around quickly enough to avoid the drop. |
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Post by Nick on Jan 1, 2019 23:15:52 GMT
If only we had scored.
Having lost our best player and only regular goalscorer (Turgott)
Having lost our only effective wide attacking player (Shields)
Having lost our main striker (Cassidy)
It is fair to say we have an immediate local difficulty in the attacking department.
To give us some hope, 3 quality signings are required by Saturday, please Bill !
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Post by hongkongstone on Jan 2, 2019 0:46:28 GMT
If only we had scored. Having lost our best player and only regular goalscorer (Turgott) Having lost our only effective wide attacking player (Shields) Having lost our main striker (Cassidy) It is fair to say we have an immediate local difficulty in the attacking department. To give us some hope, 3 quality signings are required by Saturday, please Bill ! Loza back in lieu of Shields? Can Robinson step up as the main goalscorer? Only leaves one spot to fill. Is Jay May still available? But seriously it is ironic that both Fleet and Dover replaced their managers later in the season than us and are both now on a roll. |
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Post by Sennockian69 on Jan 2, 2019 0:49:42 GMT
They both went the tried & trusted route.
We tried the hail mary million to one it just might work this time option.
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Post by jdl on Jan 2, 2019 0:50:41 GMT
Without a regular goal scorer, we are relegated.
It really is as simple as that.
The rest of it is just rearranging the deckchairs.
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Post by Sennockian69 on Jan 2, 2019 0:52:10 GMT
Well at least they will look nice & orderly.
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Post by Raymondo316 on Jan 2, 2019 1:00:16 GMT
But seriously it is ironic that both Fleet and Dover replaced their managers later in the season than us and are both now on a roll. That's what happens when you actually appoint a proper manager.....something we should of done. |
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Post by sword65 on Jan 2, 2019 4:36:40 GMT
They didn't listen to Bill fist time who says they will listen to him this time.
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Post by Bernie on Jan 2, 2019 5:48:22 GMT
What would Bill do? In yesterday's programme notes, he has identified home form as the problem. No shit Sherlock! Over the page, Harry Wheeler says we need to work harder.
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Post by 61666 on Jan 2, 2019 8:36:29 GMT
Failing organisations are usually down to two things. Inadequate management and inadequate personnel. This season, we have both!
For all Tristan and Simon's enthusiasm, without better players, we cannot survive. Even a new, experienced manager will not make a difference without key players to fill the gaps.
Look back to our first season in the NLP and you'll see it was mid February before we started our relegation saving run. Installing Lewis and Prestege a few weeks early was the foundation to that and we got something like 29 points from 14 games.
Is there another midfield pairing out there we can sign? Will Turgott be fit in time to score enough goals? Who knows, but I would certainly get Loza back, we have nothing to lose with him and while we have no striker whatsoever, it has to be worth a try.
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