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Post by jdl on Jan 2, 2019 17:07:38 GMT
First half I thought it was quite evenly matched, with some nice football being played by us. Second half however, it was a question of when Dover were going to score. The fact they could bring on Allen and Modeste made the difference ultimately and one goal was always going to be enough. The key for both holiday games v Dover was that Hess was able to make half time changes in both which revitalised Dover in the second half. We couldn't live with those adjustments. Is that form / ability / fitness / nouse on the bench ? Don't ask me, I'm not the manager Spot on, young Porky. We had no real options on the bench - one injury and all chances of a tactical change in the 2nd was gone. Not feeling too happy about things at the mo, to be honest, despite the first half and BW. When Terry kicked Jay out "to give us hope", he couldn't have been more wrong. Edited so it makes more sense!
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Post by jdl on Jan 2, 2019 17:11:25 GMT
Dover have been on a good run of form even getting a draw at Orient in which some have said they were unlucky not to win. We lost due to a late goal and being still fragile confidence wise. If they keep grafting they will get results. Defending too deep is another sign of the low confidence retreating back and back. Hopefully they will maintain the current effort and get the rewards their confidence so badly needs and soon We lost because we can't score goals.
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Post by jdl on Jan 2, 2019 17:13:06 GMT
Not rose coloured specs, just echoing SW with a positivity which the team - although far from perfect - can feed on to try to turn things around. Once the HW mercenaries like Swaine, Wassmer, possibly Wishart (juries out) and (Hopefully) Robinson (not up to NL) have all long gone we have to bed down with good Stones-like players the fans are warm to like WDH, George Mac, Micky Phillips, Pax, and Blair when he's fit and also get the best out of Muldoon, Powell, Walton, Romain, Tashbash and others who can be good on their day, with a new striker, a new midfielder and maybe Lozar back, and the dream of survival could be on. Keep the faith! So, we're left, more or less with Jay's squad? Which was so awful it got him the sack...
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Post by 61666 on Jan 2, 2019 17:28:41 GMT
Agree with all assessments about player needs. Trouble is, where are they going to come from? We got seriously lucky in signing Pigott, Turgott and Hines. Finney too, for that matter, but where are they now? Injured or moved on. Anybody who is worth their salt is not going to move without a decent cash payment, so we are back to more loans. Apart from Cassidy and Shields, we haven't exactly prospered from the experience, though there have been so many, I've no idea if there are others. Getting Loza back would be a start. He was great when he originally joined, only to get injured. Hopefully his experience with Woking has given him back the confidence he lost. As for other options, unless we suddenly find a load of cash, we are looking at other people's cast offs, untried talent from lower leagues, or fringe/U23 players looking for game time from further up the pyramid. Every one a risk, as we already know. The trouble with our league is that it is full of big, streetwise players, good within their limits and who know exactly how to prosper against the like of what we have. Probably a key reason why we are so poor at home. These guys come here, knowing it is a decent ground, fuller than most and with an excellent playing surface. Add in a home team lacking in confidence and what's not to like, especially when you know the referee is more likely to be your friend than not. It all adds up to a pretty gloomy situation, one that cannot be lifted by the occasional cup win. 29 points from 19 games probably means at least seven wins. Looking at our fixture list, at the moment,I can't see how we can win more than four or five and even then that is being optimistic. Unless the owners can stump up some more cash from somewhere, our best bet right now looks like rebuilding in the longer term, taking relegation on the chin and hoping to prosper again in the NLS. So want to be wrong, but Wheeler increasingly looks like the worst decision since we moved to the Gallagher and one that could take several years to put right.
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Post by daveu on Jan 2, 2019 17:30:38 GMT
Not rose coloured specs, just echoing SW with a positivity which the team - although far from perfect - can feed on to try to turn things around. Once the HW mercenaries like Swaine, Wassmer, possibly Wishart (juries out) and (Hopefully) Robinson (not up to NL) have all long gone we have to bed down with good Stones-like players the fans are warm to like WDH, George Mac, Micky Phillips, Pax, and Blair when he's fit and also get the best out of Muldoon, Powell, Walton, Romain, Tashbash and others who can be good on their day, with a new striker, a new midfielder and maybe Lozar back, and the dream of survival could be on. Keep the faith! So, we're left, more or less with Jay's squad? Which was so awful it got him the sack... Yeah, and the squad Harry assembled was sooo much better!
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Post by shamstone on Jan 2, 2019 17:36:26 GMT
We haven’t had a settled side all season for obvious reasons. Maybe now we’re down to the bare bones these lads are guaranteed football time. Maybe they can pull it off. Who knows
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Post by gromley on Jan 2, 2019 18:36:56 GMT
In reference to the thinness of our squad - I couldn't help noticing that according to yesterday's programme Dover have a squad of 19 - only one more than you can name for an FA cup game.
"On paper" we actually had 26, but since Cass has gone back I think the real number is actually 16 - just as well we got knocked out of the FA cup really. In fairness the academy player who came on as an injury time sub a while back was not named on the roster - maybe he failed to shape up and was shipped out?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Jan 2, 2019 20:23:03 GMT
Dover have been on a good run of form even getting a draw at Orient in which some have said they were unlucky not to win. We lost due to a late goal and being still fragile confidence wise. If they keep grafting they will get results. Defending too deep is another sign of the low confidence retreating back and back. Hopefully they will maintain the current effort and get the rewards their confidence so badly needs and soon We lost because we can't score goals. We lost because we conceded. Once again from a set piece and we will keep conceding if continue defending deeper and deeper in games. The midfield clearly needs strengthening as we continue to invite pressure retreat and fail to supply any kind of service to our strikers
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Post by 61666 on Jan 2, 2019 21:05:48 GMT
Just watched the highlights as not able to be there on the day. Seems we barely created a clear chance all game and easy to see what people were saying about Effiong. However... ... no previous mention of a (very) clear headbutt on Cassidy after an innocuous tackle by Romain. Surely an instant red card??? Likewise was what looked like the same player booked for obvious simulation in the second half?? Would Dover had pressed so high with ten men? Doubtful. Another point stolen from us then, and further evidence there is one rule for Maidstone and a different set for other teams. Bastards.
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Post by jdl on Jan 2, 2019 21:37:46 GMT
We lost because we can't score goals. We lost because we conceded. Once again from a set piece and we will keep conceding if continue defending deeper and deeper in games. The midfield clearly needs strengthening as we continue to invite pressure retreat and fail to supply any kind of service to our strikers Technically, yes, but if we don't/can't score, the best we can ever hope for is 0-0 draws. And relegation. I'll take your point and change my post to "We didn't win because we can't score goals".
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Post by jdl on Jan 2, 2019 21:43:23 GMT
Just watched the highlights as not able to be there on the day. Seems we barely created a clear chance all game and easy to see what people were saying about Effiong. However... ... no previous mention of a (very) clear headbutt on Cassidy after an innocuous tackle by Romain. Surely an instant red card??? Likewise was what looked like the same player booked for obvious simulation in the second half?? Would Dover had pressed so high with ten men? Doubtful. Another point stolen from us then, and further evidence there is one rule for Maidstone and a different set for other teams. Bastards. I thought the ref mostly had a pretty decent game - even the main stand side lino kept giving us decisions! The ref didn't seem to be bothered about all the shirt pulling, pushes in the back, etc, some times right in front of him, but that seems to be par for the course these days. Don't kid yourself that we lost because of a bad ref - we lost because we had to use up our one decent sub on replacing McLennan, because we are vulnerable to set-pieces, and because we can't score goals. Dover beat us fair and square. Which is why we are where we are.
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Post by Raymondo316 on Jan 2, 2019 22:21:48 GMT
You can tell we been dreadful for a long time when people are trying to claim yesterday was a decent performance. Yes the players might be putting in more effort and showing more ''heart'' but overall the standard of football on display was just as bad as anything Wheeler put on. Lets be honest we never once looked like we had a chance of winning that game....
I stood by some people yesterday who were at their first Maidstone game and I think its safe to say they won't be back again. For much of the game they kept saying how poor the football was, moaning how they spent more time watching the ball in the air than on the floor and questioning why all we do is just hoof the ball long all the time.
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Post by soulstone on Jan 2, 2019 22:36:16 GMT
For me....Paxman and Powell should never be in the same team.
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Post by sword65 on Jan 3, 2019 6:27:41 GMT
I have just seen the highlights of NYD and although it is hard to tell from highlights but I would have to say we looked very poor once again .Worner was having a flappy new year and the forwards were left to hopelessly charge after long upfield punts. The real sad thing is that Dover were doing the same but were much better at it than us. The goal was just abysmal defending omce again . I don't think we would have scored if we played for the rest of the day even after Dover had long gone home.
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dave
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Post by dave on Jan 3, 2019 8:27:18 GMT
The key for both holiday games v Dover was that Hess was able to make half time changes in both which revitalised Dover in the second half. We couldn't live with those adjustments. Is that form / ability / fitness / nouse on the bench ? Don't ask me, I'm not the manager Spot on, young Porky. We had no real options on the bench - one injury and all chances of a tactical change in the 2nd was gone. Not feeling too happy about things at the mo, to be honest, despite the first half and BW. When Terry kicked Jay out "to give us hope", he couldn't have been more wrong. Edited so it makes more sense!No real options ? Just a striker that cost the club 30 k and massive weekly wages another one of the clowns master strokes . Please please do not be sucked in by Lewis he is part of the double act he has worked with wheeler for many years and they are close friends . He is not stupid he is saying the things the supporters and owners want to hear . Do not fck this up again and be blagged . Lewis has never managed a club he is a no 2 coach at best . do ur homework on this it's not hard . The club has to clear everyone out connected with wheeler and get a fresh experienced manager in like they should of done the first time round. Please do do not mess this up this time.
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