AFC Hayes 2-1 Slough Town

[Chris]

A lot will probably be made of certain AFC Hayes players & staff "Antics" at the final whistle, but that should not cover-up what was another very poor performance.

 

First-half was shocking. Midfield was non-existant. Our game plan seemed to be to get the ball out to the wing-backs, they hoof it forward in the direction of one of the front three, and even if one of the front three knocked it down the other two strikers are so far wide of him that Hayes easliy regained posession.

 

I know the pitch was poor, but even when we did put one or two passes we either go nowhere with it, or it's moved around the pitch like a hot potato with no real control of the ball and the move easily breaks down. So then we go back to the long-ball game again - it's ridiculous and we don't learn from the mistakes

 

AFC Hayes actually showed us how to do it at times in the first half, some nice passing finding the man in space, looking composed on the ball with an end product.

 

Were pretty much watching us make the same errors week-in, week-out and it's getting very frustrating. Were not learning from our mistakes. I must have said it about 10 times in the last 10 weeks but can everyone but the management staff not see that 3 UP FRONT DOES NOT WORK!!

 

Yes when they had the man sent-off we had most of the play, but apart from a Platt volley first half, aPlatt drive from the edge of the area, and a Yash fluffed chance with the final kick we created nothing else all match.

 

This can't go on much longer, the mistakes we are making we should be learning from, as well as which players can & can't play in certain positions and what formation we use. We have some good players and should be doing better, but the mistakes are stiill there and were not improving as a side, were going backwards if anything.

[Tom]

Absolutely shocking. The players were bad, the ref and linesman were also bad, but the management has to take full responsibility for the result today.

 

- Setting out with 5 defenders - Why?

- Having no midfield.

- Still persisting with 3 up front that hasn't worked all season.

 

What annoyed me more than anything else was the substitution of Fermie for Sonny. With 2 in midfield and quite clearly overrun, take off a defender go 4 at the back and play 3 in the centre!

 

There are so many points that I could pick out that left me frustrated.

 

- What is the point of Steve Roberts?

I assume he was sent off at half time due to him standing behind the dug out in the 2nd half. He'd done nothing of any note all season that makes me believe he is worthy of being an assistant manager.

 

- Do we have no one that can take a free kick?

One clear incident. Platt takes a free kick, Evans quite clearly and loudly states why is he taking it when he was needed in the centre? Platt then takes the next one.

 

- CAN WE HAVE SOME CONSISTENCY WITH THE TEAM FORMATION!

I doubt even the players no what they are playing week in week out. No one on the sidelines can work it out.

 

- The bench.

We have no options from the bench. When was the last time Attrell played. If he's not going to be used, why continue to bring him? Bring someone in that could perhaps turn a game.

 

 

[chris sliski]

Again we are starting to rely on other teams...results...which is not good enough...we have some very crucial matches to come...lets get our own results and let the other teams do the worrying...

 

come on Slough..today was too little to late...

 

chris sliski

[Ted]

Hayes were a hard working, organised, if somewhat prone to moaning, side. As such they deservedly beat us.

 

5-2-3, or whatever it is we play, not only does not work but is also tedious to watch. The players certainly tried, but the system isn't working. If Sweetman cannot see that, then he must go. Its the same failings, week in, week out, and Iget the impression thatit is clear to many supporters that its time for a change.

[Ian]

Firstly, several of the AFC players came and applauded the Slough fans at the final whistle so fair play to them. The keeper and the number 9 however acted like idiots. Anyone would think they'd beaten Man United not a very poor Slough side.

 

As for the game, either the players aren't good enough or the management team aren't. Although I really don't think Jordan has ever looked like a leading goalscorer you have to feel some sympathy when he has to drop as deep as the halfway line to get the ball because there was nothing behind him.

 

Derek Sweetman is a nice bloke, a really nice bloke and giving the manager time is right. But, as others have pointed out, when we persist with a formation that clearly doesn't work and when we don't learn from the same mistakes over and over and over again, the time comes for change.

[Guest Anonymous]

The ref was pretty shocking - and one of the linesmen was definitely pretty awful too.

The other one (dugout side) was ok - but didn't really have much to do except the little scrap in the dugout near the end.

As for the other two - well i don't know where they get them from but my nan could've done better.

[Chris]

Out of interest anyone speak to Paul Holsgrove there today. Presume he was scouting one of the AFC Hayes boys. Who is he working for?

[Chris]

Since the end of October, which is when I think things started to go wrong we've played:

 

- 22 games (in all competitions)

- Won 3

- Drawn 7

- Lost 13

 

But to win only 3 games since October is pathetic.

[Reading Rebel]

I've said it before and I'll say it again, Sweetman seems to be selecting players based upon who they and the fact that he has brought them to the club rather than for the benefit of the team.

 

Either that or he doesn't have a clue on team formation.

 

On paper, he has started with 5 defenders, 2 midfielders and 3 forwards. This formation has not worked for most of the season so why select it against a team that over-ran our midfield in the home fixture?

 

IMO I would have put 4 across the midfield to try to stifle their quick midfield players. This would of allowed DJ, Platt and Romeo to stay forward to put pressure on their suspect defence. DJ, as proven by his scoring record this season is trying to do too much work up front and covering for our lack of bodies in mid-field.

 

I'll say it again until I'm blue in the face, Sweetman needs to start selecting players for the good of the team and not based upon the fact that he has brought them to the club and feels obliged to play them.

 

 

[Martin]

I am not sure how much longer I can put up with watching that. It isn't that we are a bad team and we do have some good players but we are playing at a disadvantage with our formation and consistent mistakes. I understand Steve Roberts told some fans that we were playing 3-4-3 today. Clearly Webby, Fenton and DJ didn't think so.

 

And if you reflect on the three wins we have had since October they were against Winchester who were garbage, Paulton where we actually played well and then Windsor who had a man sent off in the first half.

 

One of Yash or DJ needs to drop to the bench. We then need to play with 4 across the middle of the park. Simple.

[Reading Rebel]

So if it was supposed to be 4 in midfield who were the 4 players?

 

If they were, they were defenders trying to fill a midfilders role when we had Sonny and Tom on the bench.

[Tom]

Interesting to see that Steve Easterbrook thinks that the drop in home attendances is down to the credit crunch.

 

I'd be more inclined to say its down to poor results and bad performances that are driving people away.

 

1 point from being 4th from bottom with teams below having games in hand. If we don't beat Andover next week, then Sweetman has to go.

[Guest RWG.]

I hate saying I told you so-because this is my Slough Town also( more so actually).But I put you all wise about sweetman a long time back, and nothing was done to arrest the situation.He is clueless about formations and motivation, also you only have to read his pieces in the Observer, which are always excuses BEFORE the games.I repeat WHAT SUCCESS has he acheived in football NOTHING!! he has a coach in Steve Roberts who has no standing in the game either,not even a good player himself( I am still waiting for some one to tell me when he supposedly played for Slough TOwn)On the whole the players look good enough but they have no leader management wise-please committe hurry before its too late to retrieve the situation we are now in !!

[Woody SUFC]

Why are any of you susprised about losing away to one of the form sides in the league?

[Martin]

Not a surprise we lost Woody but it was the level of the performance and the fact we once again appeared to be playing a ridiculous formation that is surprising. When we play well we play very well but the good performances are too few and far between.

[Guest Anonymous]

It's not a suprise, nobody is saying that. It's the fact were making the same mistakes week-in-week-out, not learning from them and not looking like a team. If we battled our hearts out and put in a decent performance but still lost most fans would say fair enough, but that's not happening.

[Woody SUFC]

Well thats down to the manager and if he cant do it he should go. However what decent manager would move during the season? ( Dave Mudge is free) When we had Dave Carroll as a manager we knew he wasnt good enough but we took our time and got someone a hell of a lot better in and that is the major reason why we're enjoying this season!

 

As for Paul Holsgrove he was a scout for us earlier on in the season unsure if he still is. We have a young player on loan there he may of been watching.

[Guest Anonymous]

responce to comment re the officials - Guys i was the ref yesterday and i am interested in your opinions on how i handled the game - You are not happy with the hayes first goal - the hays player came from an onside position from a nod on and shot then followed up when jackson spilled the ball - perfectly good goal - Jackon and ryan were complaining that the nod on was offside photos show different. Penalty shout in the first 5 minutes was a bad touch which the player admitted a little later - please fee free to respond to anything else.

[Guest Anonymous]

Shocking performance god only knows where the next win is coming from as i said before this will go to the wire if sweetman stays as we are now relying on other teams losing. Totally agree with Wizard on this one he was right all along, if this clown of a manager stays till the end of the season then this time next year we will be playing Chalfont Wasps or Haringey Borough. Please go now sweetman for the sake of our Club...

[Matt]

It's not losing to an in-form team that angers me, it's that the same mistakes are made game in, game out, and my view is pretty much the same as the others above. Regardless of the quality of the opposition, we're setting ourselves up for defeat every time.

 

Sweetman and Roberts have shown themselves to be totally clueless when it comes to how we line the team up. At the moment there are numerous problem areas on the field.

 

In defence we have three or four decent players vying for two centre-half positions, and in attack three decent strikers vying for what should be two forward positions. Yet the management felt it necessary to change the system of 4 at the back which seemed to suit us well against Windsor and Truro, and revert to this strange 5-2-3 or 3-4-3 which we know does not work because Fenton and Webb haven't been doing the business as wingbacks. We as fans know this, but the management seems not to. For God's sake, drop one of the strikers and one of the centre-backs, get another body in midfield and stop trying to keep everyone happy. I bet the players are thinking the same too.

 

In fact did anyone see the way Chris Fermie reacted after being subbed? He didn't head for the dugout, but over the advertising hoardings. Seemed like an angry man to me, and he had every right because he was playing fairly well and was the kind of player we needed on that bog of a pitch. When Allaway went off injured in the first half, that was the time to bring Sonny on and go to 4-3-3.

 

I'm adamant that we need to play with a 4-4-2 because currently Jordan is being wasted, dropping very deep to pick up the play, and we're not getting the most out of Platt and Romeo - instead they're chasing long balls all day. Fermie and Brown could work well in midfield but they're getting overrun and need help. If Sweetman doesn't rate Attrell on the left for example, then why does he keep making the bench? I thought he was going on loan to Flackwell.

 

I feel time is rapidly running out for Sweetman and co, but still, at least the Brook House boys enjoyed it. Shame we couldn't stick around to see the cup being presented after the game.