Braintree Town v Dartford Tue 12 Mar 2024

[Mark Sweet]

Just to clarify, Olly is not injured and is eligible to play if selected. ... and he travelled to both games.

That makes it worse. Manager hasn't got a clue.

[Kermo18]

So much has to change at the club over the summer, regardless of what league we find ourselves in. We shouldn’t ever be in a position where we are fighting to stay in this league, we should be fighting to get out of it.
So many on here still focusing on Dowse, he left 2 months ago and the results have got worse! This is easily the worst playing squad in terms of ability and effort, yes clearly dowse got the recruitment wrong (and admitted that) but the majority of this squad should in my opinion be taking a lot more abuse than dowse continues to get.
Tony tried and failed miserably to get things going again, will any new manager ever feel overly comfortable having him so involved in all aspects at the club?
We’ve also got a director who takes it upon himself to tweet about the interest being shown in Olly Box.
Clearly Pennock wasn’t the first choice for the job for some of the board, maybe appointing him earlier may of given us a better chance of making a go of it.
All in all, a total shambles of a season.
Young fresh ideas are needed at the club for next season, even if that means some of the furniture being removed.

[DartfordHero]

It’s really hard to take and say but this squad that we have this year deserves to be relegated. There aren’t many teams I’ve seen this year who have been worse. People on here keep asking for new faces and personal, you realise that it’s the end of the season? Any players worth having will be fighting for promotion or play offs. It’s far too late for talks of quality replacements and that now potentially includes the manager

[Mark Sweet]

Sums it up perfectly.

[Tall Dart]

I would like to say we fought hard but it wasn't to be. However truth is we were clueless going forward, gave the ball away far too cheaply and often played ourselves into danger.

The 2 yellows for Jordan were both over to top, playacting went against us as the ref was hoodwinked, however before the second he was given a final warning so should have probably been subbed.

How on earth is the manager supposed to turn this around?! Those 5-6 weeks waiting for his appointment could sadly be costly for us.

coyds

[Babylon]

Ì was going to have a rant, but do you know what ....I just can't be bothered.

[KSTDART]

Going along tonight to watch that was like a form self abuse . Still the banter and comradeship of us all suffering together made it slightly better than sitting at home cutting oneself.

[Taunton Dart]

Just to clarify, Olly is not injured and is eligible to play if selected. ... and he travelled to both games.

That makes it worse. Manager hasn't got a clue.

Mark you wonder why people 'have a go' at you - always so quick off the mark to criticise.

[Mark Sweet]

What's happened to Taylor Maloney?? Has barely played for us since signing.

[Skip]

Drove down to the game from the east coast and can confirm that the Darts performance lacked any real quality. Relegation is pretty much guaranteed based on the recent run of results so planning for the Isthmian Premier might as well begin. And with that in mind can I suggest the new manager actually sticks Olly Box in the team or on the bench as a minimum? From what I’ve seen and heard he is about the only bright spark in this deeply depressing shocker of a season.

Looks like my next instalment will be the Good Friday fixture at Chelmsford. A ground I detest but it could be a few years before we enjoy its hospitality again so I suppose I need to suffer with everyone else!

[Stumpy]

2 or 3 weeks ago I thought Dartford would be OK regards relegation. Now though, they are bang in trouble, and I'm struggling to see where the next point comes from leave the amount required to stay up.

Just got in from the game and that's about as bad as I've seen for a long time - and I watched 25 Dover games this season, lol. After the first goal, I honestly expected it to be 3 or 4. We haven't asked their keeper to make a single save. This isn't a side who look up for the fight, to me.

Problem is we concede every game and have no goals in the side to turn games around. I can't see anything but relegation.

EDIT: Sorry... DON'T look up for the fight

[Jonty]

Well, it’s all beginning to unravel and not in a good way. I didn’t go last night but I guess that we played 3 at the back again. From the games I have seen this season, our best performances have been when we have played with one up top.

Will be there Saturday with my boy but I can’t see us getting anything from that game either, we are just going through the motions until the inevitable happens. Fair play to the Welling for bringing in the right manager at the right time.

[Lol]

One positive from a dismal evening in Braintree was a solid debut from Ronny Nelson. And at least all the match balls were pumped up properly. On to Saturday and Maidscum, where Ollie Box will start, run rings around their defence and bag a couple of goals. Well, we live in eternal hope. Things do look dire, but, as someone once said, it's a funny old game.

[Park Life]

The lads tried again but in all honesty we just weren't good enough. One shot past the post first half but not a single shot on target all evening.
Ady will wake up this morning and realise the enormity of the job he has on his hands. He can shuffle the pack but he's still left with the same cards....
Relegation is looking a distinct possibility now and imo the only chance we have is if we can sign 4 or 5 players on NOW, otherwise it's difficult to see us picking up the required points to stay up.
MOTM for me, Nelson, a decent performance considering he'd probably not met the players until the day of the game.

With regards to Olly Box, I can confirm he travelled to both games and was available to play but was not selected. I have to say that I think the club have handled his situation poorly. From the ridiculous statement from one of the directors, leaving him out when he was playing well and now not even being in the matchday squad when he was playing well and scoring. We've got ourseleves into a bit of a mess with him now, we've put unnecessary pressure on him as if he is selected again people may be expecting too much from him.

[Hitchin Dart79]

Assume box would leave anyway the way he’s being messed around which is just bizarre from the club!!

[DA Mikey]

This Olly Box situation is so disappointing to hear. The catalogue of errors from top to bottom at our club this season is bewildering. Constant bad decision after bad decision, a disinterested auditor would be forgiven for thinking there was a saboteur on the inside. Many decent folk have given up. We don’t know who we are supporting anymore.
Sorry for the negativity, but I can’t imagine a mid-table team on 30 points at Christmas has ever looked so certain for relegation two months later. It’s an utter debacle.

[ozymandias]

What is this 'ridiculous situation ' as regards the director?
Division within the board over Pennock's appointment?
In my opinion the sacking of Dowse was far too late.
The. Appointment of a new manager, far too late.
That is no disrespect to Tony..
I gave up on my home games long ago.
Poor recruitment.
Poor squad.
A ranting clown. Not my choice.
Pennock appointment debatable for me.
Far too late to make any difference to our season.
Maidstone up next and I'm not pushed to drive up to see a game I normally would attend. I can't see this team getting a result on Saturday.
I may not attend another game this season.
That has been my season.
Next season? Who knows?

[Sleightly Deceptive]

I think we have to accept it and face the stark reality that is the Isthmian League. Sad to say that this squad isn’t even good enough for that! A month ago I was confident of avoiding the drop. Now, I can’t see where we are going to get any points. Boxgate just pisses me off even further.

[Babylon]

Have to agree with most of the comments and criticism on here.
This present squad is nowhere near national south standard .
At the moment we are Stone bonk certainties
to be relegated.
Lots of regulars have given up and after last night I might join them
Maidscum coming up ..Lord help us!

[MINTY]

The situation at Dartford is dire and i'm not talking about the town centre.
The board have to hold their hands up and say they got it wrong. Dowse was an appointment that everyone seemed happy with, experienced manager and everything. God knows how they interviewed him, perhaps an interpreter was used, who knows.
What the board are accountable for is the length of time they took to sack him. Far too late, perhaps they were hoping of a turn of form so they wouldn't have to pay out. Whatever the reason, it was far too late. Then they put TB in control, fair do's. But, for 6 weeks ? Now we have a manager in position with only a hand full of games to play, with an impossible task. Darts will meet some old friends next season in the Isthmian, because that is where they are heading, full steam ahead.
Olly Box situation, what's all that about ?