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Unlucky to the boys on Saturday – I thought we deserved a point against a very good team. Unlike Cup of Tea who was doing his utmost to score zero but was thwarted by that very same Dorking goal. Good job they didn’t get a second Simon. Sir Colin wasn’t much better to be fair. Meanwhile in the game of the day, His Lordship won the bragging rights in another low scoring derby with Ozz – if you are looking for entertainment I would advise never going to one of these turgid encounters. It once finished 2-1 which is a record low for a 5 game week. In other news I had the ignominy of losing to the Dummy Team after all my Billy Big Boots last week. That will make some of you very happy. Mr D will not be happy though – he’s the only pointless one in this frankly pointless competition. And the missus stays top. Well done sweetness. Golden Boots - Urchin Queen and Mysterious Nick Lucky B@stard – Lord Upminster THE LES WALKER DIV ONE THE FA VASE DIVISION TWO Next week – Week 4 of 14 – by 23:59, Friday 31/01/25 Dundee v Hearts N. Forest v Brighton Watford v Norwich Maidstone v Torquay Hornchurch v Salisbury Attendance: Contingency: Sydney v Adelaide United That's yer lot. See you in Farnborough or wherever, JAGO

Very much an on the fence comment as usual, but I don't think our struggles this season boil down to any one issue, it's a combination of all of the following in no particular order (and I'm sure everyone will have an opinion on which of these carry the most weight): 1. We were blind-sided by promotion, I think we recruited Gavin with the medium term in mind, and we expected better football than under Leese (tick), whilst being competitive at step 3 (tick) and having a management team who were a bit less passive and more fan friendly than previous team (also tick). Getting Gavin and team in was a project, maybe for 3 or 4 seasons, as we built, strengthened, and hopefully moved closer to step 2. Whilst the playoffs were a realistic target, winning promotion was beyond people's expectations (fans, board, management), and we just weren't prepared for it as a club, it does feel like there was a collective of "oh sh*t, what now?" once the dust had settled. 2. The management team have clearly made mistakes throughout all this, I was of the opinion that in a much tougher league, we would be better off continuing last season's fundamentals of keep things tight and defensively compact first, frustrate the oppo and build on that foundation, but it's not really played out like that. At times we have had no outlet, have been backs to the wall inviting pressure, and defeat has really felt like it was inevitable. There have only been a few occasions where this has worked well (I'm thinking Tonbridge, Weston, Dorking), but as I've said many times, this is a really tough league, we're now at the sharp end of non-league football, and we're closer to the pro game than we are to our ESL/Isthmian North beginnings. There are games at this level that we're just not going to win, no matter what we do, as we're playing full time pros who are well drilled, fitter and better from 1-11, but there are games where we could and should have won, where we aren't a worse side, but still failed to do so. 3. Recruitment has been a real issue, and both the management and the board have pretty much said as much. At step 3, it seems like getting a player was very much a case of speaking with said player, agreeing terms, putting in an approach and that player is running out in your colours on Saturday. From what people have said, step 2 involves agents, contracts and a whole host of other factors that just aren't at play in the division below. We've admitted that we should have appointed a head of recruitment to help navigate all of this, however I suspect a person with that skillset isn't easy to find/attract. Coming into the start of the season in the position that we were in couldn't have been much worse in terms of preparation, and I think at the end of the season it'll be the results in the first half of the season that sent us down, rather than what we did in the second half. 4. Players - I think there was a naivety that the players that got us promoted would form the basis of the team that would keep us up this season, and the buck for that largely stops with the management. Last season, we were a good (not great) step 3 side, with a very good forward. The whole team contributed to our success, and I don't subscribe to the "we'd have been nothing without Marcus" viewpoint, but if you compare us to Hornchurch, who finished 20 odd points above us, they'd put together a side (with clearly more budget than us) with a view to being competitive at step 2, whereas we had a side that were competitive at step 3, and very quickly a lot of those players were found out at step 2. The side we have now, compared to the side at the start of the season is night and day, and I actually think we have a reasonable side now, which, had we had a pre-season with, and hit the ground running, we'd be a lot closer to Welling in 20th than we are now. How much we could have done about this is questionable, clearly we had to learn and react quickly, but without any direct experience of management at step 2, it's maybe difficult to know who can step up and who can't. Of the squad last season, Youngs looks up to it, but took a long time to adjust and start scoring goals, Parcell has been fairly solid all season, and Rhys is a step 2 player that could even play higher. There are a couple of others who I think are good enough as fringe players (Dylan and Payne of those that are still with us spring to mind), but they're not really starters at step 2. 5. Game management - this is where the players are at fault, and possibly the management. The much talked about dark arts of slowing things down, feigning injury, berating the ref to get marginal decisions, an unnoticed shirt pull to gain an advantage at a set piece, knowing when to just get rid of the ball, put it in the corner, go direct, adjust the formation on the pitch. I don't see many leaders in the starting 11, Thompson I would say is one, but we're missing players who can manage games, and the players we started the season with (and many of those we brought in), whilst good enough, maybe aren't savvy enough compared to other sides in the league. With better decision making throughout the season, we could easily have managed our way through some of the winning positions we've thrown away late on, and could be in a much more healthy league position (Weymouth yesterday being the latest in a long line of examples of this). I'm sure there are other things that I've not mentioned at play here, but I honestly think it's a combination of the above. The key is what we do with the knowledge gained this season, and how we move forwards - will we do a Concord and potentially go down another step, or will we quickly rebuild, recover and be competitive at step 3 in the short/medium term with a view to being back at step 2 again when we're ready? This is the biggest challenge facing the club at the moment, and we really need at some point soon, to pivot to making decisions around what's best for next season, rather than how many points we can gain this season. I really hope I'm wrong, but I have us relegated now - even if we go on a run, I can't see how we're going to extract ourselves from this predicament, as we've given other sides too much of a head start. Sad times, but life goes on, the club will still be here, and we will eventually come back stronger from this - all I ask is please don't get too disheartened, and don't give up supporting the team and the club, we need to pull together and continue our support in good times and bad.

Agreed RR. I would think the club being run as it is now, the Pruti situation doesn't happen again. It was a different set of circumstances than sounds like the case now so hopefully the club does the right thing. Of those listed, Henry and Leon provide the biggest blow IMO, but it's difficult to know exactly who would be involved in movement as I guess, regardless of contract, anyone could be on the way out.

Most of our players are on a contract so you would think a fee would be due if one of them decides to leave. Unfortunately just like the Edon Pruti situation a contract is only of benefit to us if the other club agree to pay a fee. No fee no move? would the club stand in the way of a player wanting to progress his career? I doubt it. On which player/s are leaving: The obvious suspects are Leon, Ochieng, Ogbonna and possibly Goddard. Either way, with our current injury situation having important player/s leaving at this time is a real blow.

For the second successive weekend, a win for NCEL Premier Division leaders Silsden AFC and defeats for both of their nearest rivals means the title chase has turned further in the Cobbydalers' favour.View the full article

The Isthmian prem will be a tough place for this team. Hendon, who beat us 0-3 pre season, and Dulwich are struggling to stay in it. Not quite giving up but another last minute concession yesterday suggests the writing is on the wall. We are very close to the time to focus on next seasons rebuild IMO.

I agree with a lot of your points Towningaround and Barney. The same mistakes every week can not be happening. The same capitulation, the same nervous mentality every time we lead in a game.. this has to get talked about in briefings before games. And if it isn’t, why? I think we have individual quality, no doubt. Peake and Thompson arguably could play at NL level. Benjamin and others are definitely comfortable step 2 players. But something is not gelling as a team. Like Barney said, you could hear Rhys from the other side of the stadium so why are we making stupid mistakes in the box and giving away silly penalties? Whether that’s on management or the players is a hard one. I think Gavin should leave on ‘mutual consent’ at the end of the season. Seasons like these can affect you for a longer period, and I don’t want a ripple effect falling down and down like a Cheshunt or Concord. As much as I love Gavin for giving us that win last year (some would say Wyllie, I think Gavin tactically was amazing last season).

See I disagree. I think this team is good enough….well it has enough individuals that are good enough. However the management of those individuals has made sure that the sum of its parts are less than it should be when the skill of a manager or a coach is to make it more than it should be. The GK is more than good enough. Certainly haven’t seen many that are much better. Adam Thompson would get in most if not every single team in the division. Xavier Benjamin is more than good enough. Lennon Peake is a top 6 side player. Billy Leonard is also more than capable. Chukwu has scored goals at this level and Hutchinson has scored plenty at this level and some at the level above. Kaunda although raw has looked a half decent player. In fact I haven’t seen many teams that have had out and out forwards who have done much of anything more than ours have. Can’t name one outstanding no 9 performance from an opposing team at all in fact. Sam Youngs is a player who wouldn’t be allowed to get away with what he does out of possession at most clubs but would also be a welcome addition at most clubs and has probably outscored every attacking midfielder in the league. Parcell is ok and I’ve seen plenty who do less than he does in a variety of positions. We may be weak when it comes to replacements and cover - so why does the manager insist on making the same f~ing substitutions each week - but we’ve also had loans like Tuck Cox and Scott who were capable and Smith is suitable cover for a Parcell type. No im sorry this mess falls on how those players have been deployed and how the management have failed to get the best from them and in many cases found a way to actually destroy confidence when it was looking like they’d turned a corner (Hutchinson in particular). It’s been amateur hour on and off the pitch for to long and it’s way too late to make a difference now. We’ve had a manager bemoan “bad luck” and “players haven’t listened to the instructions” and “haven’t taken on board the instructions we gave them” and whose general downbeat demeanour each week has failed to lift the players to the level required, its failed to manage situations where we have had the upper hand and could’ve taken more points and its failed to find a system that gets the best out of the players we have. God knows what happens Tuesday and Thursday evenings because there’s little evidence of actual improvement other than a gradual change in personal that’s assisted marginal gains.

I thought rather than clogging up the Tonbridge and Torquay threads (and as it seems this maybe more than a 1 off topic) a separate thread was in order. With regards to the players: Leon - seems unlikely as whilst I'm sure he could get more money elsewhere, he only just signed a contract so, unlike the Pruti situation, I'd expect if he doesn't move on for us to get a good fee for him. As for the injuries and general squad etc, I'd say if we can't find players to come in as they want too much money, then now is the time to give players like Noah Hay and the young lad from Dunstable (who looked decent for a half, got injured and then subbed off and disappeared) a chance. It's a tough period with results not going our way and now the potential of losing 1/2 better players, but we have to look forwards and try to make the best of what we have and find some replacements as well.

I'll write more when I'm less tired (although I'm sure you're all bored of my long posts), but that was fundamentally a game that we should have won - but we really cannot create and take chances. We had enough of the play and possession in their half to have put the game out of sight, but going deep into the second half at 0-0, then trying to hold on to a 1-0 lead is just asking for trouble, and sure enough we slipped up again. For me, our pen seemed soft, theirs was totally avoidable if Rhys' call is listened to, and he gathers the ball, or if we put it into row Z instead of trying to take a touch. Both sendings off were also soft in my eyes, yes Benjamin pushed out, but was it violent conduct? Two uninspiring sides, of which I thought we were the better, but unless you can convert possession and territory into goals, you're not going to win games. I really do think it's all about the rebuild for next season now, unless something miraculous happens - sad really, as I'm going to miss these types of away days.

Hopefully we would get a fee for a contracted player but if no fee was offered would we stand in the way of a player progressing their career? Personally I don't think it'll be Bayliss and definitely not Gilbert based purely on what Scott said in his interview about looking forward to having him back from suspension.

'Whats gone wrong?' From day one most of us thought that we were light in defence especially in our left back position. We got away with it because players were fresh and injuries were minimal. The squad was light but results were good so there seemed to be no need to rush out and sign players unnecessarily. It's now at that stage in the season where clubs with the smaller squads will struggle and clubs with the money and bigger squads will get stronger. We've also got the double whammy whereby clubs at the top pushing for promotion are looking to try and strengthen for the run in leaving us vulnerable to losing players like Leon for more money and the chance to progress his career. It's also been compounded for us by losing our only two center backs at the same time. Looking on the positive side we possibly only need around 10 points from 18 games to stay up which surely is achievable.

Benjamins a good player, yes. Maybe Billy Leonard too but he hasn’t impressed me as much as I was made to believe we just signed the best thing since sliced bread. I compare Wyllies move to the move Faal did going to Bolton after that season where he dominated every team until we became very one dimensional. Granted, Faal and Wyllie are different players but these football league moves look good until you have to take that step up overnight. Some players do it, some players don’t. Faal is an amazing player and I loved watching him play week in week out but I personally think this is his level and step 5 (NL). He will be an amazing goal scorer for many years as he has the intangibles you can’t teach for this level, but I can’t see him going back into the football league. I think Wyllie is on the same path. I really hope Wyllie does well of course I’m not wishing anything bad, but I don’t really know how you can take the step up from Step 7 (Isthmian Prem) to Step 4 (League Two) overnight.. I think he will go on loan somewhere to a NL side because I don’t think he is Gillinghams plans, and he might score a load of goals I don’t know, but I hope he does as he was a top player but a top man for us last season. I hope they both succeed and go on to have great careers but this is just my opinion.

Got every right to lose it though if he did.. Bayley Brown has no reason to do that. Complete irrational decision because we can’t hold our heads, and he’s played several games at this level. He should do better. Looking around us, Aveley just beat Farnborough, St Albans are picking up gradual points and Welling thrashed WSM. Hemel improving aswell, Bath getting points etc. Weymouth and Enfield are basically fighting for 23rd and 24th.

Tuesday & today we were 2-1 down & went for the equaliser….. sometimes you get it, sometimes you concede a third. We’re a point better off than if we had just let the matches fizzle out at 2-1.

Some suggestion on the Weymouth forum that Gavin completely lost it at the end of the match. Anyone able to shed any light on this? Are things coming to a head?

Wasn’t it said somewhere that 11 or 12 of our players are now on contract? So, isn’t it likely that we will receive a fee for any of our better players being approached? I would say it’s likely to be Bayliss, Parillon, Gilbert or Ochieng….. they would be the ones I think have been performing regularly at the upper end of our level or have the potential to play a level higher.

That was the first time in 26 games that Tonbridge scored 3 or more.

I think that Benjamin is better than Tanner or Mackenzie. Leonard is probably better going forward than Adjei-Hersey. And then, of course, we have the elephant in the room with Wyllie playing as a lone front man in the play-off final. (With Marcus currently out for at least another 6 weeks, I wonder what prospect of Gillingham releasing him at the end of the season...?)

I thought Leon extended his contract until the end of next season? Unless he has a buy out clause?

Well I guess Ochieng and Leon will be leaving then as they've been 2 of our best players IMO this season, and now we're shorter in defence and can't compete for players, what's gone wrong ? Surely Beeden stays now , time to shine again 🙏, kweku at Virginia water hopefully means he's getting minutes and not leaving.

Peake and Thompson are the only 2 who get in last year’s team.

I'm afraid you're right. And in some areas the team isn't even as good as the promotion-winning side of last season. We've spoken about the loss of Marcus at length, but none of the replacements have measured-up. Can someone please explain why Mickey Parcell is playing in the centre of midfield? I can't recall him ever regularly playing there at Step 3 - for ETFC or Hornchurch. In any event, Manny Harvest was playing for us in the play-off final and must be considered better than MP? I would suggest that Adam Thompson, Xavier Benjamin and Lennon Peake are improvements on last season's squad, but that's just not enough.

I don't know if Leon has a good job but he'll be going full time if it's Torquay or Eastbourne.

I think that's always been the way but it now seems that clubs lower down with wealthy benefactors can splash out the money. You've just got to hope that players like playing for us and don't like all the travelling they might have to do just for more money.