National League South

[djwilf]

  

 

23 24                                  Relegated  Dover,      Havant and W,       Taunton T.     Dartford.       Bishop S*

23 24                                  Promoted   Enfield Town. 21     Chesham. 14     Hornchurch.18     Salisbury. 13.            Current positions

22 23                                  Relegated.  Dulwich H,    Cheshunt,    Concord R,       Hungerford T.      

22 23                                  Promoted.   Aveley.          WSM              Truro C           Bishop S*

21 22                                   Relegated.  Billericay Town 

21 22                                   Promoted.  Worthing,     Cheshunt.      Taunton          Farnborough

 

Dear all, been giving this some thought now for a while to show the size of the task we face.   Cheshunt, Dulwich, Billericay Concord, and I've included Bishop S even though they were in our league were treated even more harshly as despite being just up the A10 they had some monster journeys last year being in NLN      Some of those positions above may be inaccurate however I think most are as they seem.

Anyway, all those teams only managed to stay in NLS for one or two seasons at the most.   Havant and W were playing up at Liverpool just over a decade ago and took the lead twice against the Reds.

I guess some of you with better knowledge than me may be able to make more of this post than I have however I think it goes a long way to showing that getting to the National League South is one thing.    I think only now are some of us starting to realise just how big a job we have on our hands and Gavin is clearly trying to do his best with his coaching staff.  I think some of the performances recently have started to show a bit more strength and character but there are very FEW easy games if any at this level and as some of you have intimated, finishing in 20th place could well be the best we hope for.   Our goals conceded has been a major issue and clearly this needs to be sorted before too long otherwise it will be too late.   We have played probably a quarter of the season and we drastically need an improvement in our luck/performances/quality of play etc etc.    Here's hoping the squad can get fit, the players can get to know each other quickly and we can start getting some points as I don't think some confidence will go amiss either.     Hopefully the team can become a bit more settled and we link some good performances together as we get into the main part of the season.

Here's hoping and I'm sure the fans will do all they can to tilt the pitch in our favour.     It is SO difficult to stay in this league.  Would be interesting to know the average length of time a team stays in this league after being promoted?

 

 

  

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Its all very well watching a few highlight videos from afar last season and assuming your team can stand and trade with the Sloughs and Maidstone's of the non-league world on the basis of an FA Cup tie (or two) several years back. Unfortunately the gulf between Steps 2 and 3 is very significant. I'm enjoying the NLS though - better players, better play, more tactically astute management, more opposition fans, better grounds. NLS has a lot going for it - and I'd like Town to stay there. Its a big ask though. This season feels a bit like trying to swim away from a shark - only you don't have to out-swim the shark. You only have to out-swim four others alongside you in order to make it to safety. Here's hoping Gavin can somehow work a miracle!

[No bull Towner]

I have every faith in the team getting their act together as the season progresses. A couple of wins over the next couple of weeks will do our position the power of good as they are teams around us. Wins breed confidence and that is what we are lacking right now; a bit of belief that we can do enough to stay up. COYT you've got this!

[Flobalob]

i fully expected a relegation campaign so not surprised by that … what has surprised me is the reactionary way Gavin has picked his teams…. A revolving door of players leaving or dropped after one or two games is not going to get a settled side …. i’m sure there are some on here that has the figures of how many players have taken part this season… Listening to his interview after Farnborough again he mentioned change of personnel… players will soon get sick of this and your unlikely to get a great performance out of somebody who wants to leave…. Pick your team Gav and stick with them coz this revolving door system ain’t working….

[djwilf]

About a month ago I think we were up to 25 players........may be closer to 30 now.   I'm quite confident we've gone through the most players this season after being quite settled last year.   I wonder how many players he has that he thinks are regulars?

[The Crowing Cockerel]

All I would say about the revolving door is that the players recruited do seem to be improving in quality. The likes of Alfie Tuck, Xavier Benjamin and Josh Hutchinson are a step up. Although it might also be fair to point out that the likes of Kasimu and Folivi were very good players who were let down by the lack of decent players behind them at the time - and a defensively-minded system which really didn't suit them.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Just now, djwilf said:

About a month ago I think we were up to 25 players........may be closer to 30 now.   I'm quite confident we've gone through the most players this season after being quite settled last year.   I wonder how many players he has that he thinks are regulars?

Rhys, Mickey and Sam!

[Flobalob]

I CAME UP WITH THESE

FORSTER

TANNER

NEMBHARD

PAYNE

THOMAS

LASHABELA

YOUNGS

KNIGHT

LEONARD

KASIMU

BECKLES

FOLIVI

ALVES

OYENUGA

KRASNIQI

HERSI

SOLOMAN

PEAKE

OWUSU

PARCELL

MILLS

OTTOWAY

CONNOLLY

SMITH

OBI

THOMPSON

BENJAMIN

HUTCHINSON

MENSAH

TUCK

THATS ONE HELL OF A SQUAD… how many have left… Krasniqi and Mensah seems to have vanished….

 

Edited October 16 by WHY DO I BOTHER

[Barney]

Agreed with the comments about the need for stability - no question that if we have a settled side, which hopefully picks up a few wins, that breeds confidence, and familiarity with the players around you can only help. I feel that over the last couple of games, we've got closer to a side that's a little more settled, but I'm sure there will be more changes to come (it's a balance between the need to improve us, and the disruption of the revolving door). I think a lot of the issue is that we should have been doing all this pre-season, and hit the ground running (or at least walking) at the start of the season with a settled squad. We've really been playing catch up since, and I hope that some of the points that we've dropped during the first few games don't come back to bite us at the end of the season. There's an arugment that that the rotation of strikers and centre halves can in part be put down to McKenzie and Wyllie leaving us quite close to the start of the season - how much Gavin could/should have anticipated and planned for this, I don't know, but it seems that we've worked through a lot of players in both of those positions since, who probably wouldn't have been tried if we'd had Marcus and Taylor playing every match.

[The Crowing Cockerel]

Taylor McKenzie really struggled in NLS with Ches***t a couple of years back. From what I've seen, I suspect he may have done so again with us. Benjamin is clearly a step up in that department. Anyone know what has happened to Carl Mensah?

Its a shame Nana Owusu didn't really seem to get much of a chance at Step 2.

[Father Jack]

A thought: Taylor McKenzie didn't start a single PSF. Did Gavin know all along?

[No bull Towner]

I don't think Nana Owusu or Carl Mensah have stepped up very well from what I've seen. They look like a breath of fresh air when they first play as they are new/fresh but actually don't really cut it. Mensah added height in the box but made plenty of costly mistakes and was easily outpaced. No idea if he's injured or still with us but don't think he's been a big miss lately. Nana is doing ok back at Walton and think that is probably his level but we can bring him back if needed though it's not wingers we struggle with. The newish additions of Tuck, Benjamin, Mills, Hutchinson, Ottoway and Leshabela offer decent quality and I think should be regularly selected. Beckles should get more opportunities in my opinion as he's got an eye for goal but lacks minutes to prove himself.

[Barney]

Fair points on McKenzie FJ and TCC