FA Trophy 2nd Qualifying Round - Dartford v Maidstone Sat Nov 18 2023

[Tony H]

I just couldn't take any more so left with around 5 minutes of normal time to go and wasn't prepared for a draw and penalty shoot-out but in my mind I felt that Maidstone might just get the win so logged on when I got home and yes WLWLWLW Lose.
So much poor finishing when chances created blasting most over the bar and their keeper having nothing much to do
A season ticket means almost guaranteed torture for most of us fans at the moment and no wonder the paying fans are dropping away but today it was good to see that we had a lot more youngsters at the game which helped prop up the attendance figure.
I will be there Tuesday as a succour for punishment along no doubt with most of the die-hard fans

As a season ticket holder also I too am not paying any extra to see the team play and that includes away games (Hampton was my last one!)

Something has got to give! This is not a criticism but, surely, the Board cannot be satisfied with mid-table and no prize money from either of the two FA competitions (the first as priority)?

Let’s get one thing straight,I like Dowse as a person. I have absolutely no doubt that he’s working hard to get this game right and he’ll be hurting, but time’s now to admit that it’s not going to happen.

[Lars Resort]

No offense Tony, but it's not a 'given' that we should be up there mixing it with the top teams albeit we are a win away from a play off position.
My beef is the football we are playing, the squad and the absence of passion for playing for Dartford FC .
No matter how much you like Dowse.

[Tony H]

No offense Tony, but it's not a 'given' that we should be up there mixing it with the top teams albeit we are a win away from a play off position.
My beef is the football we are playing, the squad and the absence of passion for playing for Dartford FC .
No matter how much you like Dowse.

Sorry mate, you’ve kinda missed my point. Of course we’ve got no given right to be in the top half of the table. My question, to the Board, is given the investment we’ve made is a mid-able position acceptable?

I like Dowse a a person BUT as manager of Dartford FC he’s not cutting it! That’s my opinion and that of many.

[Babylon]

My 1st game game for a while.
I thought that we huffed and puffed and if the goal had been twice as high as it is we would have scored 4 or 5.
We are a very average team in this league hence the "win one lose one".tag.
I understand that Dowson has a 2 year contract so he is here for a while yet but I am finding it hard to come to the games because imho we are not a good watch.
I can take defeat but it is the way we lose that p* sses me off.
The natives (incuding me) are not happy.and are starting to vote with their feet.
Something has to change otherwise on a chilly night in January or February the gate could be down to 3-4 hundred
I also like Dowson as a person but as to his teams overall performance this season
Imo....very average at best.

[ozymandias]

Morning Barry, blimey, I've forgotten what you look like because we keep missing each other at games.
Yet another last few minutes defeat and from all accounts an improved effort but still not quite the ticket. I see the latest Dowse interview is saying that he needs another 4/5 players to improve his squad. Isn't that what we idiots on here have been saying long before he got the idea?
Tony, isn't the 'Investment' being made the 'below par' budget that Dowse has been given? So maybe mid-table is about right.
Anyway, up for the Torquay game as I couldn't bear another mid-week game. Hope to see you there Barry if we co-ordinate matches. But mainly to see my brothers.

[Park Life]

Just listened to Martins interview and disappointed the budget is brought up AGAIN, that's all we heard all pre-season and still the same now. Its getting bloody boring and annoying.
I wonder what the board think hearing this all the time as Dowse signed a new two year deal recently and if the management team felt that the budget was going to be an issue they should have either not taken the new deal or should just shut up and get on with it.
We've made the play offs consistently over the last few seasons and if they really believed in their own ability and backed themselves they should be able to assemble a squad that can challenge for promotion, time will tell.

We've signed 34 players this season (using 30) so perhaps we need to look at our recruitment rather than the budget??

[Taunton Dart]

Budget does not come into it when the regular supporters are saying that there is no passion for the shirt from the players. If 34 players have been signed then how much of the budget is being wasted on extra bodies? Back in the old days squads would have been only 16/17 players, especially as there was only one sub. Now with so many bench warmers managers go for bigger squads - quantity over quality. Nothing wrong with a number of subs being lads from the Academy alongside first team squad members. All players should be able to last 90 minutes - not needing to be brought off as showing signs of fatigue.....

[Babylon]

34 signings, I knew that were quite a lot,that is getting up to Steve King territory.

I wonder if Dowson as heard of the saying
Quality not Quantity .

It is a shame that some long standing fans are not bothering to go to home games ,(including myself). But.we have been used to good football and the team challenging for promotion or even a cup run .
Every club has its highs and lows but this campaign is becoming a non event and mid table is almost certain with this squad.

For the level we are at we have a great stadium, totally committed directors and supporters .
Unfortunately imho we have a very ordinary squad .
Sorry Mr Dowson but you must do better!!

[rick]

[KentC]

No offense Tony, but it's not a 'given' that we should be up there mixing it with the top teams albeit we are a win away from a play off position.
My beef is the football we are playing, the squad and the absence of passion for playing for Dartford FC .
No matter how much you like Dowse.

No divine right but our target should be to challenge at the top wherever it takes us and we end up. The attitude should be playing for promotion via playoffs and 2nd place would be fantastic.
There is no reason to aim for anything else.
Nothing is a given but management and team’s ambition should be as high as possible. There are a few teams who are reportedly spending decent money who are not performing well so there opportunities for us.

[KentC]

Martin Tyler talking about “ restrictions “ on the playing budget but they have brought in 34 players this season.
How on earth can you use this as another excuse.

While I would not know I would not be surprised if the board were fed up with this excuse especially after clearly supporting the manager.

This is Dowses team , he is responsible for the 34 players that the board would of obviously approved so apart from Dowses atrocious football critical comments he’s made of supporters and what appears to be lack of ambition for the club with excuses at the ready, he really needs to look at himself and start taking responsibility that he is not performing as the manager of the first team and stop mentioning or alluding to the budget.

I have been critical of the board before but I feel for them with this because while I don’t know any of them personally or even to have a conversation with I’d be surprised if they were happy about everything.

[Undercover Elephant]

Just listened to Martins interview and disappointed the budget is brought up AGAIN, that's all we heard all pre-season and still the same now. Its getting bloody boring and annoying.
I wonder what the board think hearing this all the time as Dowse signed a new two year deal recently and if the management team felt that the budget was going to be an issue they should have either not taken the new deal or should just shut up and get on with it.
We've made the play offs consistently over the last few seasons and if they really believed in their own ability and backed themselves they should be able to assemble a squad that can challenge for promotion, time will tell.

We've signed 34 players this season (using 30) so perhaps we need to look at our recruitment rather than the budget??

Like many others have said and I agree with PL I am sick to death of hearing about the budget, you knew the budget when you took the job and it ain’t going to change.

Maybe if we played more attacking football we may have an increase in the people attending, but I can see why people don’t bother.

I am very concerned about the club and its future, based on yesterday we are in full reverse and heading back to the southern league!

[Lars Resort]

I didn't go to the game yesterday, as said, and I certainly don't want to look at the highlights either.

[The 5th Searcher]

It might of helped if Dowse hadn’t wasted some of the budget signing so many injury prone players and those that can’t last 90 mins.
To be honest most of his signings this season have been very poor, he’s either gone against what he originally said he was going to do OR he’s gone for strong physical players who can put a boot in only a few of them haven’t done it and have actually been knocked about.

You can’t keep blaming the budget when you make loan signings and then keep them on the bench most of the time and don’t play them, it’s a complete waste of time & resources.
All the management are doing is making more & more excuses for their own incompetency, if they aren’t happy with it then they know where the door is

[Park Life]

Soon to be 37 or 38??


https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/s ... it-297191/

[Undercover Elephant]

Soon to be 37 or 38??


https://www.kentonline.co.uk/dartford/s ... it-297191/

This is becoming a total farce, another four players if I am reading right……..

We could sign another 10 and he would still moan!

[Lennylenny]

Every time he opens his mouth he sounds incompetent, what must his team talks be like?

[Park Life]

[ozymandias]

Well said Steve.

[Trevor B]

I have just got back from watching ice hockey and the Invicta Dynamos' the last time was about 40 years ago when they were called the Medway Bears.
Things haven't changed that much there was plenty of action enthusiasm dribbling hard tackling plenty of shots on goal and lots of encouragement from
the partisan crowd including many youngsters who all queued outside in the rain before the rink opened and of course we had goals as well.
It was like watching lots of the Dartford teams I have seen over many many years whatever the results in games win lose or draw but when you compare similarities to the current Dartford team oh yes we have a drummer and a couple of mascots as do Dynamos but little else as a comparison when you look at the current squad of players and management.
Dynamos switched around 15 players during the course of the game as tactics dictated but we can't seem to get it right with 11 players plus substitutes and we have used 34 players this season.
The Dynamos end result tonight was to lose 1-2 but they fought during all of the 3 x 20 minutes periods and had two goals disallowed as they kept the crowd fully entertained and they were applauded off the rink at the end with few complaints from season ticket holders or paying guests on the night.
Enough of the analogies and not a lot else to say other than to agree with almost all of the comments about the current management set up the tactics and the quality of the players and I can only wait and see what they dish up for us on Tuesday night.
Come on Darts in our sequence we are due a win so lets make sure on the night