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Post by 61666 on Jan 3, 2023 9:04:55 GMT
Highlights show how little we created, for all our effort. Credit to Daggers for both their own last ditch defending and a fine goal - pace down the wing, a searing cross and great diving header. Start to finish about five seconds and very difficult to defend. For us, the only person who looked likely to score was Joe Ellul, which doesn't say much about the quality of our attacking options. Looking at games that are coming up, nobody is going to expect us to get anything from Wrexham, but there are plenty that, on paper at least, look able to yield points: York away Aldershot home Torquay away Yeovil away Scunthorpe home Oldham away Eastleigh home Gateshead home That takes us to the end of February. After that, things get a lot more challenging: Solihull away Wealdstone away Bromley home Maidenhead away Woking home Followed in April by BW, Southend, Barnet, Halifax, Notts County and Chesterfield.
At the moment, it looks like 48/9 points will be needed to survive, so we need to pick up at least 16-18 of those by the end of February, though even then 10-12 points in March and April looks a big ask at the moment. Even now, every game looks a cup final to the end of the season and at the moment, we just don't have the resources to cope in this league.
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Post by bear5 on Jan 3, 2023 9:07:09 GMT
Quite a typical performance yesterday - relatively comfortable at the back but pedestrian at best and never looked like scoring other than Barham who actually created his chance himself. It was then just a question of when they would score.
As for Hak, it's not a question of liking him or whether he's working hard, because I don't think many question him as a person or what he puts the effort in: it's about results, and they've been bad. He's recruited poorly and put faith in players from last year who performed at their limit at a lower standard - I still can't get over the fact that despite what seem to be a huge amount of arrivals, whether on loan or permanently, the majority of the side yesterday was from last year.
In the first season back in the NL, we got stuffed on New Year's Day by Dover, I seem to remember. However, players were brought in who had played at the level and above and it got turned around. I can't see how this side can survive, so it's a question of whether Hak can bring in others and find the right mix.
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Post by 1018 on Jan 3, 2023 9:59:17 GMT
You cann't fault the players for effort; they were simply beaten by a better side. The players aren't responsible for poor team selection & inexplicable substitutions.
Selecting 2 left-backs doesn't work, it has to be one of Galvin or JBW. Galvin is the better player but JBW's injury may resolve this issue anyway.
Ghandour showed some nice touches but is too easily eased off the ball by defenders at this level.
Lawson was impressive in the second-half so why on earth was he taken off?
Deacon was disappointing & as one of the more experienced players should have done more. Perhaps he is now struggling at this level?
Of the 8 injured players I think that only Greenidge would have made a difference. With the exception of Hadler the remainder are either unproven or have previously failed at this level.
Ultimately 4 out of 24 teams in this division will be relegated & we look strong contenders to be one of them. To avoid relegation would be a big bonus & I hope it happens but given the games coming up it looks doubtful.
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Post by hongkongstone on Jan 3, 2023 10:18:53 GMT
My takes on the game: Their goal in the first half was rightly dissalowed for offside - it took a knock from one of their own players before it landed at the feet of the 'scorer'. The penalty dismissal was correct. The player fell TOO easily for any genuine foul. Barham should look himself in the mirror for THAT miss. A mistake by Daggers gave him the breakaway one-on-one with the keeper and all he had to do was feint one way and bury it in the top corner. Do not kick it on the deck as any keeper in that situation is always going to spread themselves that way. As with the Boxing Day game, both teams were not far apart but they just exploited their edge of pace on the flanks and their goal was a good one. Barden in goal for the Stones is excellent - but it is still this strategy of long balls out that sometimes go into touch that I question. Hak will be ruing the first substitutions. Given JBW going off later then it would have been better to leave Galvin on. I do not even understand why Galvin and Lawson were subbed as both were playing well IMHO. Set pieces still not working for us.
Where was SWS today?
Some Stones players were anonymous yesterday (Lawson and Galvin were not amongst these). Lyons Foster - why? And finally, I see Danny Cowley has left as manager of Portsmouth who was previously a successful Braintree manager at NL level, unlike others..... just sayin'
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Post by Dan on Jan 3, 2023 11:04:36 GMT
But Hak, Terry and the team have paid up contacts until the end of the season. Where is the money coming from for a new management and new players ? Its not going to happen. Just saying.
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Post by pwoodstone on Jan 3, 2023 11:07:42 GMT
My takes on the game: Their goal in the first half was rightly dissalowed for offside - it took a knock from one of their own players before it landed at the feet of the 'scorer'. The penalty dismissal was correct. The player fell TOO easily for any genuine foul. Barham should look himself in the mirror for THAT miss. A mistake by Daggers gave him the breakaway one-on-one with the keeper and all he had to do was feint one way and bury it in the top corner. Do not kick it on the deck as any keeper in that situation is always going to spread themselves that way. As with the Boxing Day game, both teams were not far apart but they just exploited their edge of pace on the flanks and their goal was a good one. Barden in goal for the Stones is excellent - but it is still this strategy of long balls out that sometimes go into touch that I question. Hak will be ruing the first substitutions. Given JBW going off later then it would have been better to leave Galvin on. I do not even understand why Galvin and Lawson were subbed as both were playing well IMHO. Set pieces still not working for us.
Where was SWS today?
Some Stones players were anonymous yesterday (Lawson and Galvin were not amongst these). Lyons Foster - why? And finally, I see Danny Cowley has left as manager of Portsmouth who was previously a successful Braintree manager at NL level, unlike others..... just sayin' The “goal” in the first half was still onside even with that additional touch. Poch is still out of work - just saying
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Post by Rob on Jan 3, 2023 11:08:28 GMT
Everybody seems to agree that the team probably isnt good enough to stay up this season. Plenty of moans about lack of goals but look at the statistics, we score enough in most matches to be around mid table. The defence and goals against is another story. Time for a management change mid season ? Not imo.
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Post by Stonethecrow on Jan 3, 2023 11:16:37 GMT
Remember the days of those ever reliable car park gossip ? Well what I hear from rather dodgy sources, is that Hak is safe for this season. His future depends wholly upon how it pans out. Keep the team up and he's got a fighting chance of another contract. Get relegated and he's got as much chance as sword would of winning the next London marathon. As for a potential successor, I've only heard one name mentioned as a serious prospect and it won't please everybody.
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Post by pieman1982 on Jan 3, 2023 11:27:22 GMT
Honestly what is the point in this forum if everyone must agree? Surely this is where fans can give their opinion. Getting behind the club by paying your £19 on match days is support. I would say singing and positive noise even when we are crap is support. Shouting at the manager during or after games from the touch line helps no one and is not support. But posting on here negatively or positively changes absolutely nothing. If professional players or managers decide to load the page and become affected by people’s comments then professional sport is maybe not for them! So let’s all carry on posting our opinions as I’m sure as fans bothered enough to even read this page let alone post on it will be here for years to come when not a single player or manager on the books today is still about. COYS
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Post by steveh21 on Jan 3, 2023 11:38:02 GMT
Fans are frustrated. As a fan said on Facebook we know the long ball game does not bring results.. but we keep doing it. I worry about Hak's tactics now. His substitutions have been bizarre. Bringing on two strikers at dorking when we are down to 10 men and winning.. taking off two of our best players yesterday at 0-0... Hak now has a worst record than Jay who some people felt (wrongly in my view) should have gone.. the next 24 games are going to be a real misery unless something changes.. tactics or personnel?
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Post by jdh80 on Jan 3, 2023 11:44:38 GMT
Got to love all the TWO FACED fans slating Hak for poor recruitment, when we signed those players over the summer those same fans were over the moon that they were retained or signed.
Hak is a likeable guy and I've always found him very forthcoming and happy to talk at games etc and he has on many occasions come up to shake my hand to say thanks for travelling to support the team at away games and had a chat. So it makes me think because he is a nice guy is he the wrong fit for us being at the bottom part of the table, do we need a horrible piece of shit like a Steve Evans, Graeme Westley type who NO one likes to lead us into battle.
Then there are the players, last season a close nit group who could come back from being a goal down and fought all the way until the end, where this season there is NOT the fight not the effort there. No one willing to step up and take responsibility, a game a few weeks back I praised Booty for barking out orders organising things etc but that game was a one off, another game Dom was doing that but again it was one game, there are no leaders on the team no one willing to stand up and lead take responsibility, yesterday the only two players to come out of it with any pride were Lawson and Bardon (a 19 year old and a 20 year old BOTH of whom are on loan).
Set pieces, well we ain't had anyone decent at set pieces since Vas left years ago, since them it's been a production line of underhit or overhit corners and free kicks.
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Post by Benny on Jan 3, 2023 12:30:02 GMT
The defence has been tightened up, more or less. But the lack of inventiveness up front is a major worry. You can have 20 corners and crosses, but it’s pointless if it’s always the same and easily defendable. Need someone to try something new.
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Post by 61666 on Jan 3, 2023 12:37:38 GMT
Looked up the scoring rate from corners and set pieces. Corners is only about one in 20. Don't know how many corners we have had this season, but can't think of many (any?) that led to a goal. Set pieces is around 25-33%, so (penalties apart) we must be well off that. Presumably we practice, but it is all about what happens on the day.
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Post by daveu on Jan 3, 2023 13:46:05 GMT
My takes on the game: Their goal in the first half was rightly dissalowed for offside - it took a knock from one of their own players before it landed at the feet of the 'scorer'. The penalty dismissal was correct. The player fell TOO easily for any genuine foul. Barham should look himself in the mirror for THAT miss. A mistake by Daggers gave him the breakaway one-on-one with the keeper and all he had to do was feint one way and bury it in the top corner. Do not kick it on the deck as any keeper in that situation is always going to spread themselves that way. As with the Boxing Day game, both teams were not far apart but they just exploited their edge of pace on the flanks and their goal was a good one. Barden in goal for the Stones is excellent - but it is still this strategy of long balls out that sometimes go into touch that I question. Hak will be ruing the first substitutions. Given JBW going off later then it would have been better to leave Galvin on. I do not even understand why Galvin and Lawson were subbed as both were playing well IMHO. Set pieces still not working for us.
Where was SWS today?
Some Stones players were anonymous yesterday (Lawson and Galvin were not amongst these). Lyons Foster - why? And finally, I see Danny Cowley has left as manager of Portsmouth who was previously a successful Braintree manager at NL level, unlike others..... just sayin' The “goal” in the first half was still onside even with that additional touch. Never in a million years. The player who got the last touch was behind the keeper for the intitial shot and the fact it came off the keeper makes no difference.
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Post by pwoodstone on Jan 3, 2023 14:02:32 GMT
The “goal” in the first half was still onside even with that additional touch. Never in a million years. The player who got the last touch was behind the keeper for the intitial shot and the fact it came off the keeper makes no difference. I am right. You are wrong.
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