Weston-super-Mare v Dartford Sat 6 Jan 2024

[Ozytalksbull]

Ozy or Palace me old mate, where have you been?
Haven't seen you at a game for 5-10 years

Next time you come the bottled water's on me

not sure what the palace stuff is about ??

OK PalaceDart

Wtf ????

[KentC]

Rebuild the club? It wasn’t broken before you and your mate turned up, and you can’t rebuild a club with loan players. Let’s face it as a coaching team you have no idea how to coach or obtain players

Absolutely spot on

[DA Mikey]

Mikey, where have you been?

Eek, sorry Lars. I was headed for the bowling alley but got distracted by barkeep telling me all about Glastonbury ‘69.
Which was weird since the first Glasto fest was 1970.
Always likely the updates were going to be scant at best.

[Taunton Dart]

Well my first game since Taunton away. I was expecting a much more boring afternoon of attritional football than I got.

I enjoyed the game and was surprised to see Dartford playing it around quite a bit. Weston started strongly and should have taken the lead when they had a golden chance that bounced off the post. There were bright bits of play from Dartford and then Matty Macarthur came into the game in a big way. He got round the markers wide on the right and put a tremendous ball across the face of the goal - how nobody got a touch on that is beyond me. Then he drilled a shot from the edge of the box on the left that took a slight deflection on its way into the net, Later on Matty hammered a shot from the right that somehow bounced off the inside of the far post and stayed out. Half-time could so easily have been 3-1 on big chances.

Weston started the second half well and had our defence stretched - lucky that most of Weston's shots, apart from the equaliser went into the back of the impressive terracing behind the goal they were attacking. After Alex Wall put us back in front it looked like we would make Weston pay for being so wasteful. Could have had a penalty when Wall was taken down (I was pointing to the spot!). Then Weston came up with their late, late equaliser. An enjoyable game between two teams who obviously leak goals. Is the reason that the team concedes so many late goals down to fitness? I never saw this happen regularly in the days of Bradbrook, Noble, Burns etc - when we were one of, if not the fittest team in league.

For those questioning the commitment of our Board of Directors, particularly our Chairman Steve Irving - you should have seen his reaction to the late equaliser.....he was absolutely devastated and I am amazed that the fence behind the goal is still standing the way he kicked it in frustration! If only all involved had that commitment to the cause!

[Tony H]

Rebuild the club? It wasn’t broken before you and your mate turned up, and you can’t rebuild a club with loan players. Let’s face it as a coaching team you have no idea how to coach or obtain players

Maybe Mr Tyler is suggesting that the squad they’ve assembled this season is broken and needs re-building!?

[Tony H]

Well my first game since Taunton away. I was expecting a much more boring afternoon of attritional football than I got.

I enjoyed the game and was surprised to see Dartford playing it around quite a bit. Weston started strongly and should have taken the lead when they had a golden chance that bounced off the post. There were bright bits of play from Dartford and then Matty Macarthur came into the game in a big way. He got round the markers wide on the right and put a tremendous ball across the face of the goal - how nobody got a touch on that is beyond me. Then he drilled a shot from the edge of the box on the left that took a slight deflection on its way into the net, Later on Matty hammered a shot from the right that somehow bounced off the inside of the far post and stayed out. Half-time could so easily have been 3-1 on big chances.

Weston started the second half well and had our defence stretched - lucky that most of Weston's shots, apart from the equaliser went into the back of the impressive terracing behind the goal they were attacking. After Alex Wall put us back in front it looked like we would make Weston pay for being so wasteful. Could have had a penalty when Wall was taken down (I was pointing to the spot!). Then Weston came up with their late, late equaliser. An enjoyable game between two teams who obviously leak goals. Is the reason that the team concedes so many late goals down to fitness? I never saw this happen regularly in the days of Bradbrook, Noble, Burns etc - when we were one of, if not the fittest team in league.

For those questioning the commitment of our Board of Directors, particularly our Chairman Steve Irving - you should have seen his reaction to the late equaliser.....he was absolutely devastated and I am amazed that the fence behind the goal is still standing the way he kicked it in frustration! If only all involved had that commitment to the cause!

A very well-balanced view from somebody that attended the game, thank you.

I wasn’t at the game and thought best not to comment - at first! However, having listened to the live commentary, read comments on here and on social- media channels (unfortunately those posted to the latter are rarely balanced!) as well as Martin Tyler’s post-match interview (he should stick to match commentary!), here goes.

The word UNLUCKY has been used. You make your own luck in sport! A more appropriate word to use would be UNFORTUNATE. We seemed to play well enough to win the game and a point on the (long) road wasn’t all that bad, but….the question everyone is asking is why we concede so late in the game to drop points? It’s more than just coincidence now that this has become a regular thing, and a question the manager must ask the players. A strong leader on the pitch (a la Bradbrook) would keep players minds and attentions sharp until the final whistle. The players MUST take responsibility.

Criticism of the Board imho is unfounded and unnecessary. I’ve spoken to Steve Irving on a few occasions and enough to know he’s as passionate about the team as any other fan. The Board are elected each year to run the affairs of the business and, short of one or two frustrating irritations operationally, they clearly do that very well. They have a massive dilemma on their plate atm, and if their decision is to continue with their support of Dowse then fair play to them. We can all have our own views of course (and mine is still that change is required). Leave the Board to decide.

Onto the manager. It saddens me to see the vitriol that’s directed towards him. Whilst he might be struggling to find the right blend and get results (he’s not failed yet!) he is not a bad person nor does he get out of bed each day to do a bad job. Cut out the nasty personal remarks towards him please.

There you go, my thoughts based primarily on yesterdays result but broadly on the wider picture (not that anybody ever takes any notice of my comments but for the obvious few!)

Onwards and forwards to Tuesday night that, again, I won’t be at due to work commitments. Let’s get behind the boys - Tuesdays game is MASSIVE!

[ozymandias]

My goodness, Ozzy! Is palacedart? Really. Should have guessed, I suppose.
I see my favourite for the Dartford job Steve Morison has now left Hornchurch and has gone to Sutton United.
We should have acted sooner.
But I think maybe too late for United.
Never mind. Sh*t happens.

[Ozytalksbull]

My goodness, Ozzy! Is palacedart? Really. Should have guessed, I suppose.
I see my favourite for the Dartford job Steve Morison has now left Hornchurch and has gone to Sutton United.
We should have acted sooner.
But I think maybe too late for United.
Never mind. Sh*t happens.

What has palace go to do with me ??
Asked three times now ?
Is there some agenda with that old boys here ?

[Matt85]

Well my first game since Taunton away. I was expecting a much more boring afternoon of attritional football than I got.

I enjoyed the game and was surprised to see Dartford playing it around quite a bit. Weston started strongly and should have taken the lead when they had a golden chance that bounced off the post. There were bright bits of play from Dartford and then Matty Macarthur came into the game in a big way. He got round the markers wide on the right and put a tremendous ball across the face of the goal - how nobody got a touch on that is beyond me. Then he drilled a shot from the edge of the box on the left that took a slight deflection on its way into the net, Later on Matty hammered a shot from the right that somehow bounced off the inside of the far post and stayed out. Half-time could so easily have been 3-1 on big chances.

Weston started the second half well and had our defence stretched - lucky that most of Weston's shots, apart from the equaliser went into the back of the impressive terracing behind the goal they were attacking. After Alex Wall put us back in front it looked like we would make Weston pay for being so wasteful. Could have had a penalty when Wall was taken down (I was pointing to the spot!). Then Weston came up with their late, late equaliser. An enjoyable game between two teams who obviously leak goals. Is the reason that the team concedes so many late goals down to fitness? I never saw this happen regularly in the days of Bradbrook, Noble, Burns etc - when we were one of, if not the fittest team in league.

For those questioning the commitment of our Board of Directors, particularly our Chairman Steve Irving - you should have seen his reaction to the late equaliser.....he was absolutely devastated and I am amazed that the fence behind the goal is still standing the way he kicked it in frustration! If only all involved had that commitment to the cause!

A very well-balanced view from somebody that attended the game, thank you.

I wasn’t at the game and thought best not to comment - at first! However, having listened to the live commentary, read comments on here and on social- media channels (unfortunately those posted to the latter are rarely balanced!) as well as Martin Tyler’s post-match interview (he should stick to match commentary!), here goes.

The word UNLUCKY has been used. You make your own luck in sport! A more appropriate word to use would be UNFORTUNATE. We seemed to play well enough to win the game and a point on the (long) road wasn’t all that bad, but….the question everyone is asking is why we concede so late in the game to drop points? It’s more than just coincidence now that this has become a regular thing, and a question the manager must ask the players. A strong leader on the pitch (a la Bradbrook) would keep players minds and attentions sharp until the final whistle. The players MUST take responsibility.

Criticism of the Board imho is unfounded and unnecessary. I’ve spoken to Steve Irving on a few occasions and enough to know he’s as passionate about the team as any other fan. The Board are elected each year to run the affairs of the business and, short of one or two frustrating irritations operationally, they clearly do that very well. They have a massive dilemma on their plate atm, and if their decision is to continue with their support of Dowse then fair play to them. We can all have our own views of course (and mine is still that change is required). Leave the Board to decide.

Onto the manager. It saddens me to see the vitriol that’s directed towards him. Whilst he might be struggling to find the right blend and get results (he’s not failed yet!) he is not a bad person nor does he get out of bed each day to do a bad job. Cut out the nasty personal remarks towards him please.

There you go, my thoughts based primarily on yesterdays result but broadly on the wider picture (not that anybody ever takes any notice of my comments but for the obvious few!)

Onwards and forwards to Tuesday night that, again, I won’t be at due to work commitments. Let’s get behind the boys - Tuesdays game is MASSIVE!

A lot of respect for this post.
Some of the things written about Dowse and the board on here are extremely low.
How many of these people would say the same to their face?

Two weeks in a row now that we’ve missed a one on one which would have killed the game off, is that dowse’s fault too?

[Tony H]

Thank you Matt85.
You’re right, some of the stuff isn’t Dowse’s fault. I’ll repeat - the players have to take some responsibility! It isn’t Dowse that puts them out onto the pitch to concede goals late in a game either - but, whilst challenging, something can be done to rectify this and it requires good managerial/ coaching skills.

[ozymandias]

I don't blame Dowse for his players actions and their inability to play 95 minutes. I blame the football being played. It's awful from what I've seen and I haven't seen a lot this season.

[Sleightly Deceptive]

This conceding late goals business, surely, cannot still be regarded as mere coincidence. It’s now developed into a very worrying TREND. Trends can be designed out. By the manager. He manages players’ attitudes. Dowse clearly (based on evidence) can’t deal with it. What happened to ‘game management?’ DFC need an updated manual! And an updated manager. (Might switching him off and back on again work?)

[rambo]

Rebuild the club? It wasn’t broken before you and your mate turned up, and you can’t rebuild a club with loan players. Let’s face it as a coaching team you have no idea how to coach or obtain players

Maybe Mr Tyler is suggesting that the squad they’ve assembled this season is broken and needs re-building!?

He may well be suggesting that. Maybe they have realised that assembling a squad that has no pace, no width and no creativity a little bit of a mistake.

[Tony H]

This conceding late goals business, surely, cannot still be regarded as mere coincidence. It’s now developed into a very worrying TREND. Trends can be designed out. By the manager. He manages players’ attitudes. Dowse clearly (based on evidence) can’t deal with it. What happened to ‘game management?’ DFC need an updated manual! And an updated manager. (Might switching him off and back on again work?)

If you’ve ever managed/coached football, at whatever level, and experienced the same thing (I have both this and conceding goals in the first 5 minutes I.e. the pole opposite!!) then you’ll know some of the techniques and methods to remedy this, or at least try, providing the mindsets of the players is right. That comes from motivation!

[Tony H]

I didn’t say it was coincidence, rather more than coincidence given the frequency!

[Dicky Dart]

Neither the manager nor the players set out to do a shit job, but the late-goals thing is clearly an issue. It’s happened regularly under Dowson’s reign (Chelmsford at home last season stands out). Dowson is either (a) in the process of rectifying it, (b) not yet got round to dealing with it, (c) too crap to rectify it, or (d) an ignoramus who doesn’t see a problem.

[KentC]

Reading the posts sticking up for Dowse is an utter load of shite. You lot haven’t got a clue between you.

This is his squad, they are his players, they are his tactics.
As for conceding late goals and missing one v ones is a pathetic excuse to back him.
Every team has this go for them and against them.

It’s been umpteen times this season alone we’ve been totally dominated, played off the park and conceded a hat full of chances only to of escaped.

So swings and roundabouts but don’t let facts get in the way of your narrative.

You’ll do well to remember that these players letting him down are his players, so that’s his recruitment that’s poor.
Being a successful Manager in any walk of life or is about selecting the right people, motivating and coaching them getting the absolute best from them.

So if his players are not performing week in week out he is ultimately responsible, no one else.

Not even mentioned his car crash interviews with his book of a thousand excuses manual and that’s when he’s not slagging off the fans, moaning about the budget that he knew about before he joined, complaining “ he’s not allowed to get in a £700 player “ to social media when thats private towards him and the board.

How about moaning that the kids play on the 4g first and then that he can’t use it for the team when he wants .
This is the very community that he’s meant to be have this great influence on where the club receive income from for hiring these pitches but yet again criticising how the club facilities and not keeping that private either.

Again just facts but sorry if it dampens your narrative.

So I guess you’re also happy being 15th being 1 point above 16th who’ve two games in hand.


Just facts, but none of it’s his fault right?

You lot defending him talk absolute dog shite and you seriously haven’t got a clue about football.
If you want to go on about you’ve managed or coached a team this makes you even more stupid.

Other than that he’s just aces.

[Hitchin Dart79]

Rebuild the club? It wasn’t broken before you and your mate turned up, and you can’t rebuild a club with loan players. Let’s face it as a coaching team you have no idea how to coach or obtain players

Maybe Mr Tyler is suggesting that the squad they’ve assembled this season is broken and needs re-building!?

He may well be suggesting that. Maybe they have realised that assembling a squad that has no pace, no width and no creativity a little bit of a mistake.

You forgot no leaders on the pitch Rambo!

[rambo]

That is so true Hitchin there is literally nothing on the pitch to get excited about , I have been a fan since mid 70s and this squad and style of play is worst ever

[Park Life]