Pure DFC Archive

What a torrid time! No one likes losing, Park Life states that he will make a judgement after 10/12 games which is fair. When loyal fans like him who know quite a bit about the game we all love, I sit up and listen. On bare facts based on the arse end of last season and the start to this one, what great optimism can we all gather?

Point 1 - The injuries, can’t say that with a fully fit squad we would be winning, so in that respect we will have to wait for the whole squad to be ready to play, then judge. Does raise questions tho about our strength in depth.

So the management are for me under pressure from a fan base who demand better. Luckily for the coaches our club management do not appear to be so demanding.

Like everyone else, hoping for a turn around and a climb up the league.

One thing I do know,is fans will moan when we lose, shrug the shoulders when we draw and be delighted when we win, that’s what fans do, not forgetting support, and our club is lucky to have a healthy fan base, no management should take that for granted!

Tony Birman is a club man and legend and he has my support to overlook our Academy and provide a pipeline of players of the future.

Time to pull those socks up and get the tactics right me thinks.....

First half I thought we were the better team and it was a matter of time before we made a breakthrough, second half
Chelmsford upped their game and fought hard and we just wilted. I cant recall one attempt on target by us 2nd half.
Two away games and in both we have collapsed in the 2nd half, seriously worrying.

It is totally ridiculous to suggest some fans want the team to lose

Arthur Horsfield wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2019 7:51 am Kentc I totally get your point about paying money etc.. and I do get the point about people having their say that's perfect. But read the blasts. I cant prove it but they are very quick to criticise. But sometimes calling them different names i cant remember right now without looking back that is boy scout behaviour. I you we everybody is feeling down after the opening set of matches management included but as I continually say this i dont believe it is right to put rhetorical statements on here. Look I am aware I will be lambasted for dare making that suggestion, however 2 years ago I purely by chance had a half hour chat with TB in the upstairs bar. I put a point or two across and he gave me his ideas and thoughts back. At the end of that I felt yes great I get it. What was the wartime saying jaw jaw is better than war war. Hey forget people saying Arthur is backing them up. Arthur will do what he likes. You can say what you like that's fine no problem. However I think whether right or wrong some of the wording on here is wrong and especially wrong when they dont have the right to reply. I have many opinions and concerns, and do you know what I will ask them.

Ok Arthur but I’ve never called them names and I don’t think I’ve had a pop at you before. Strongly disagree maybe but not a personal dig at you.
That sounds like a childish sentence from me there but hopefully the point is clear.

Rambo wrote: ↑Tue Aug 13, 2019 8:48 am It is totally ridiculous to suggest some fans want the team to lose

I agree with you. But it has been said.

Kentc no mate you never have and I'm not saying you have. But from memory I've seen things like the chuckle brothers etc etc... WHATEVER people say about voicing their match report/views or what they think that is pathetic. I am not believing people are saying they want the team to lose but there has been for sometime a vendetta against the two. This was laid to rest by their summer signings and the majority of people correctly said last season was put to bed. Agree ? Now after what can only be described as a poor start last seasons stats are being used again. I repeat no one will be happy about the early season start including club officials but for people to raise last years stats after we had put them all to bed is surely I repeat surely an attempt to cause trouble. Why. It's happened before with Tony so the so called forum fans have no particular impartiality to who they criticise. Its easy if we are not winning not near the top then let's go on the front foot attack. Once again I'm critical but will openly be to the lads so they can give me there views.

Not having seen any games so far this season i can't comment on performances, only go by reports and what i see written on the forum. It hasn't been pleasant reading and i sometimes wonder if we're still stuck in last season.
This summer's recruitment seemed to me to be very encouraging, but unfortunately injuries have had a catastrophic effect on the team, which is no ones fault, it happens. I would suspect we wouldn't be sitting on 2 points and a -7 goal difference if those injured players were out there. It's too early to be pulling the trigger, need to see where we are after 8 or 10 games. Obviously if we are still in this position then something needs to be done quickly before it's too late.
10 games obviously is a quarter of the season and by then we could be out of contention for a play off place, hopefully not, but we'll hope things have improved by then.
Weymouth away will be hard and it will need everyone pulling together on and off the field.

I am H. A. P. P. Y., I am H. A. P. P. Y.,
I know I am, I'm sure I am,
I am H. A. P. P. Y., I am H. A. P. P. Y.

Good morning Arty. One thing I would like to say is that I am happy that I am well know on here for being a 'moaner'. I hadn't realised. I thought overall that I have been very supportive of the team just recently, but there you go.
I don't think I was scathing in my post of the team last night, maybe a tad disappointed at the scoreline, yes. My post was mainly aimed at you because all I could see coming was negative posts and I wondered how you would react/cope with them. Obviously not very well.
Anyway, yes I am disappointed because as said, the two games I have seen in the league this season we have been ordinary and disjointed in both and have been lucky in getting the two points gained. Both St Albans and Havant I felt, could have taken all three points in both games leaving us pointless, but fair dues, we hung on.
I will always support the team, but have to admit with injuries being as they are, we have looked poor. Now that is not a moaning Arty, that is a fact. Now hopefully with Allen back, McQueen and Noble we may get a win under our belts but actually I think it does go a lot deeper than that.
I won't discuss it with the team or Flanagan and Allen, as you say, they know and they are hurting.
As are us supporters. Including the Infamous moaner. I ask you.
Onto Weymouth, already riding on a very good start. This will be interesting.

I didn't know that TB was 'Director of Football' - I thought that he was running the academy and acting as General Manager - and whilst I have always been a fan (albeit a critical one from time to time) I didn't think it appropriate to make him a director whilst still in the manager's chair, an act that has since made many (rightly or wrongly) suspicious of his involvement in key decisions.

All that said, there seems to be a consensus that this year's squad is far superior to last and should do a good job - so well done to the managers for that.
Team selection has obviously been hampered by a raft of injuries, so it's hard to blame them too much for that.
Substitutions have been difficult to understand at times, but perhaps (and being kind) have been to do with niggling injuries (which need to be addressed when your squad is already depleted), keeping players fresh, and the squad happy. Jury out there then.
Team spirit? well no signs on the pitch that players are at odds with each other - so who knows.
Tactics, hmmm, well we seem to have tried 4,3,3 and 4,4,2 and in some matches every other combination too. Players need disciple to play to a gameplan and often at this level it is beyond their ability to do so. In my view an average team playing rigidly to a good gameplan will go very far, but it is rarely seen.

Conclusion - for starters it was agreed before a ball was kicked in anger that August was going to be a tough month - that's how it's turning out so should we be surprised? Taking it all into account, I think that the players themselves bear as much responsibility as the managers for the poor fare so far. Individual errors, inability to hold their shape, and an all too easy reliance on hoofball (when we have seen that they are capable of better) have been major contributors to poor displays. Managers can only do so much - once the whitewash is crossed it's all down to the lads.