Steve Watt on Dulwich

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Caught up with the skipper after the game on Sunday, says tomorrow's game is bigger than Stevenage, which I think many will agree with? www.maidstoneandmedwaynews.co.uk/Maidstone-United-skipper-says-Dulwich-Hamlet-game/story-24513274-detail/story.html

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Managers always say this - no matter how much we enjoyed/are enjoying the Cup, our focus must return to the league...

But in my experience it's much harder to achieve. Players give their all for the Cup (and not just for us - it's also a rare chance to shop window themselves), you can't expect them to do it all again a few days later 'just' for a league fixture, especially if they're still involved in the Cup.

I know people will argue that they should be able to do this, it's their job, they're professionals, etc, but in the real world, it's psychologically and physically very difficult to pick yourself up from such a high and do it all again for 'just' an ordinary league game.

I've been looking forward to the DH game for months, so I hope, for this game at least, they CAN manage to turn it back on and win, but I fear we have to face reality and expect a few league hiccups in the next few weeks (Plod, for instance, have a fantastic home record - and a sponge pitch!). But we still have a huge safety cushion where Margate are concerned, so, even if we do slip up once or twice, we can still catch them up easily.

But, as I said, you can't expect miracles, and even PL players stutter a bit under these circumstances.

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One other thing - maidmedsport - much as I find your pieces interesting, your web page is SO bloody irritating with all theses videos that start running automatically (especially the one that pops up in the text!) that I am reaching the point where I can't be bothered with the hassle.

Could you feed this back to the people who run your site please? I know ads are important, but if they put people off using the site, they are entirely counterproductive.

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Nov 11, 2014 13:45:33 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Managers always say this - no matter how much we enjoyed/are enjoying the Cup, our focus must return to the league...

But in my experience it's much harder to achieve. Players give their all for the Cup (and not just for us - it's also a rare chance to shop window themselves), you can't expect them to do it all again a few days later 'just' for a league fixture, especially if they're still involved in the Cup.

I know people will argue that they should be able to do this, it's their job, they're professionals, etc, but in the real world, it's psychologically and physically very difficult to pick yourself up from such a high and do it all again for 'just' an ordinary league game.

I've been looking forward to the DH game for months, so I hope, for this game at least, they CAN manage to turn it back on and win, but I fear we have to face reality and expect a few league hiccups in the next few weeks (Plod, for instance, have a fantastic home record - and a sponge pitch!). But we still have a huge safety cushion where Margate are concerned, so, even if we do slip up once or twice, we can still catch them up easily.

But, as I said, you can't expect miracles, and even PL players stutter a bit under these circumstances.

I know what you mean, but if any game is going to be easy to get up for, it's Dulwich. I can see us putting in a good performance for this one, more so than somebody like VCD for example.

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Nov 11, 2014 19:32:24 GMT daveu said:

Nov 11, 2014 13:45:33 GMT @johndaubneyslegs said:

Managers always say this - no matter how much we enjoyed/are enjoying the Cup, our focus must return to the league...

But in my experience it's much harder to achieve. Players give their all for the Cup (and not just for us - it's also a rare chance to shop window themselves), you can't expect them to do it all again a few days later 'just' for a league fixture, especially if they're still involved in the Cup.

I know people will argue that they should be able to do this, it's their job, they're professionals, etc, but in the real world, it's psychologically and physically very difficult to pick yourself up from such a high and do it all again for 'just' an ordinary league game.

I've been looking forward to the DH game for months, so I hope, for this game at least, they CAN manage to turn it back on and win, but I fear we have to face reality and expect a few league hiccups in the next few weeks (Plod, for instance, have a fantastic home record - and a sponge pitch!). But we still have a huge safety cushion where Margate are concerned, so, even if we do slip up once or twice, we can still catch them up easily.

But, as I said, you can't expect miracles, and even PL players stutter a bit under these circumstances.

I know what you mean, but if any game is going to be easy to get up for, it's Dulwich. I can see us putting in a good performance for this one, more so than somebody like VCD for example.

I agree, Dulwich is probably one of the few games you could get the team worked up for (and Margate and probably Hendon). It's games like VCD a home and Plod away that worry me.

If we manage to get as far as the third round, then we go into Christmas and the New Year on a high, and I would hope this would be reflected in our league games too. It would be good, not only to catch up with Margate, but to put a decent gap between us. But if we get knocked out next week, or even at Wrexham, I fear us going into the Christmas/New Year with a huge post-FAC hangover.

These cup runs (all four of them!) are great, and for many of us they are the best of times since the early 90s - but I don't want to find, as the memories fade, that we are still in the ILP next August.

[Loftus Road Stone.]

I my view this game couldn't come at a worse time Dulwich are probably the third best side in our league there decent movement and pace is bound to take it toll on our tired body's late on.

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Tomorrow night game against Dulwich Hamlet is very important and I am sure that the management team will prepare these lads to the task ahead.
Our cup games and especially the FA Cup is a bonus with the revenue that it brings, especially with the cost of extending the stand to be carried out next summer, but the priority has to be to get out of this league, where our support deserves to see us playing at a higher level.
Hoping for another bumper crowd to cheer us to victory and close the gap with Margate, they let their chance slip by not taking advantage of the games they have played recently, so let's not make the same mistake and undo all the good work we have achieve so far this season.
C'mom the Stones !!

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Nov 11, 2014 20:40:58 GMT Loftus Road Stone. said:

I my view this game couldn't come at a worse time Dulwich are probably the third best side in our league there decent movement and pace is bound to take it toll on our tired body's late on.

Cheer up ob1. I'm sure the boys are as up for this as they were for Sunday. It's a sign of a successful team that we have a lot of games to play. Better that than doing a Margate and getting knocked out at the first hurdle.

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I think Margate are still in the KSC - so their season isn't quite dead...

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It's a big game tonight and I'm genuinely worried since Dulwich are a very good side and we're surely not going to be able to go 100% after Sunday. The timing is a shame because this should definitely be one of our biggest games all year but it's been a little bit forgotten about. Hopefully we'll get a huge crowd tonight.