Towners v The Gulls (1-4)

[ETFC2001]

44 minutes ago, Frothy Coffee said:

Where did all the support disappear too when the players came over at full time?

Can’t say I blame them today though mate, people are getting very frustrated and rightly so. We all knew this wasn’t going to be easy but it’s bound to take tolls on people. 

[Flobalob]

21 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Or is the manager not up to the job? Is Step 3 as high as we can ever realistically aim?

Of course he’s not up to the job … i’ve never seen a manager so out of his depth flapping around with scatter gun selections and substitutions …. Any board with any ambition would see that the team and the fans need a boost or some hope but we are too damn nice and Gavin won’t resign because it would damage his reputation if a new manager turned things round so yes Isthmian league will be our limit until we lose this small club mentality and show some ruthlessness….

[Towningaround]

1 minute ago, ETFC2001 said:

Towningaround, your constant excuses of Hutchinson makes me to believe you have to be in connection or a relative to him, which is fine and understandable if so.

 

As I’ve said several times that’s not the case.  It the weekly blame on whoever is playing up front is embarrassing in respect of any footballing understanding. The fact it goes directly to Hutchinson this week against a side that dominated every single area of the pitch is laughable and it boils my p!ss when I read it. 

Tuck, Youngs, Leonard and both wing backs were way way off the pace today and yet we want to dig out the only position on the pitch that’s entirely reliant on others in order to impact the game. It’s embarrassing.

In fact Lennon (and Thompson) were the only players to really perform today, Thompson because he’s able to fight and battle and Lennon with his ability on the ball which is completely wasted playing as a second striker. 

personally I felt Hutchinson did ok, on limited service and no real support, I thought he battled and worked tirelessly often without a Town player within 30 yards of him!

7 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

No one came on this forum tonight and singled out Hutchinson as the reason we lost today. I said we lost to capitulation and lack of characters when the going gets tough. Rhys also had a poor game, and others did today.

CC specifically singled him out as having had his final chance to impress. In his 7th game!!!!

8 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

I brought up the fact that he has to be near, or around the area if there is a ball going into the box. It is not rocket science what we want to do, we want to spam crosses into the box and win battles in the box and score scrappy goals because we have no player except Peake who can create their own chance or have a bit of magic.

 

He was in and around the box all f~ing game most of it on his own!! 

To score goals from crosses one of three things has to happen :-

1. The quality of cross has to be better 

2. The cross has to be delivered much much earlier so defenders aren’t set and in numbers

3. more than one player needs to be in there so that any battles and knock downs or scraps are picked up by our players not theirs. If we have 1 and they have 4 it’s a fair chance the ball will land at their feet not ours. Simple math really.

Agree about Lennon but he’s wasted as a second striker. That’s not his game. 

12 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

The targeting of Alfie Tuck, an 18 year old loanee who wears his heart on his sleeve, has become a fan favourite and clearly loves the club as much as a player who has been here for years and asking him to ‘create chances’ when that is not his role at-all is very odd to me. He sprays balls to wide areas for crosses so we can hopefully win a header and score a scrappy goal. He creates little patterns of play in the midfield for us and it comes off most of the time. But, each to their own. If you feel like he is the reason of why we lost today, fair enough.

I haven’t targeted Alfie I was opposing the view that he was untouchable or exempt from criticism. He is responsible for creating and he needs to pass the ball forwards more often in order to do so. Also if he’s going to play as deep as he does he needs to defend better and track his own runners as that’s at least three goals in the last two weeks where his man has scored in or around the box. He’s a pretty footballer but this is Nat South and lovely tippy tappy passes in his own half he’s finding it harder than the naked eye is seeing.

15 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

Carrying on, if we go 2-0 up, the game completely changes and we go on to win

You’re kidding yourself. I don’t care what the media friendly opposing manager says on the back of a 4-1 canter, he’ll know as well as anyone they’d have won the game no matter what. Even before they scored they were popping us around for fun.

17 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

Yet again, we become negative in possession, and they score 2 in 3 minutes and thats ultimately the turning point

Nonsense. We couldn’t lay a glove on them in possession because we are so poorly organised in trying to press.  Hey fools springs to mind. One player chases, gets played around, then the next then the next….then when huge gaps appear between our lines or an overload is created out wide we’re punished…..week in week out….low cross from wide areas time and time again….we are set up to defend and have no idea how to defend other than to throw out bodies around in desperation. 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

18 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

A yeah you criticised the two wing backs, neither of which are wing backs and the young goalkeeper. 👍 

I think I'm perfectly within my rights to critique the play I have seen. It may be that there are reasons above and beyond the players' control which explain or mitigate any criticism, but I'd rather have a clear explanation than a plaintiff cry of "its unfair to blame the players!".

...and yes, a 'tired' Hutchinson should've anticipated where those crosses would land - he wasn't even in the same postcode.

[Towningaround]

1 minute ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

I think I'm perfectly within my rights to critique the play I have seen. It may be that there are reasons above and beyond the players' control which explain or mitigate any criticism, but I'd rather have a clear explanation than a plaintiff cry of "its unfair to blame the players!".

Correct. But don’t be surprised when someone who has a better understanding of the game pulls it apart. 

2 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

and yes, a 'tired' Hutchinson should've anticipated where those crosses would land - he wasn't even in the same postcode.

No you’re right. 

I mean apart from having to make another fruitless 40 yard run to get in the box and then having to gamble on near post or far post, or whether it’s played across goal or cut back or if it’s coming in high or low….or if the player is going to cross it early or late, crossing without another touch or after two more touches….i mean let’s be fair our deliveries are so consistent from both sides he should know exactly where it’s going to go….and when.

Perish the thought of having two up front and a midfielder joining in so one can go near one go far and one hang back just in case it’s cut back….i mean what sort of team would do that when you can just send one man forward and rely on him to know exactly where it’s going up against 3 defenders.

Buffoon.

 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

3 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

Correct. But don’t be surprised when someone who has a better understanding of the game pulls it apart. 

No you’re right. 

I mean apart from having to make another fruitless 40 yard run to get in the box and then having to gamble on near post or far post, or whether it’s played across goal or cut back or if it’s coming in high or low….or if the player is going to cross it early or late, crossing without another touch or after two more touches….i mean let’s be fair our deliveries are so consistent from both sides he should know exactly where it’s going to go….and when.

Perish the thought of having two up front and a midfielder joining in so one can go near one go far and one hang back just in case it’s cut back….i mean what sort of team would do that when you can just send one man forward and rely on him to know exactly where it’s going up against 3 defenders.

Buffoon.

 

Any minute now you're going to wap your UEFA A Licence out, aren't you? The fact of the matter is that someone more qualified than you clearly disagrees with everything you've typed (and probably much of what I've said this evening) - the manager of Enfield Town FC. He clearly feels Jake is lacking in some way - hence benching him recently and looking to recruit another striker. Gavin clearly felt that a lone front man could/should be able to do a job - and get on the end of crosses! I've seen enough in 7 games to have made my mind up (- its curious how someone apparently unconnected to Jake knows precisely how many games he's featured in!).

Kind regards,

Buffoon

[ETFC2001]

The capitulation week in week out is why we are losing football games. There is points to be had every week if we keep concentration and defend as a unit. I can’t see Payne and Parcell back off their man for 15 seconds and letting them run all over us. It cant happen at this level.

The goals we concede week in week out should not be happening. We have quality in areas of the pitch to stay up and be competitive in games but we fall off because of the lack of characters on the pitch. No one wants to take control, no one wants to sit in and defend together and let them have phases until the ball goes out and we can take the fight to them again.

Once again, I’ll share this: 

Points dropped from winning positions this season:

Salisbury (1 point)

Truro (Loss)

Farnborough (Loss)

Torquay (x2) (Loss)

Chippenham (Loss)

Aveley (Loss)

That is 1 point from a possible 21 in winning positions this season. We have conceded 21 goals in those games, and scored 2 goals after going infront. 

So, just for arguments sake let’s say we got 10/21 of those points instead of 1/21, we would be 19th, with a game in hand on Bath.

How is this possible week in week out? Someone has to give me a reason why we are good enough to score against good sides but cannot keep a lead to save our lives? 

 

[Towningaround]

6 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

Any minute now you're going to wap your UEFA A Licence out, aren't you?

Funny you should say that….

7 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

The fact of the matter is that someone more qualified than you clearly disagrees with everything you've typed (and probably much of what I've said this evening) - the manager of Enfield Town FC

I’m not sure that’s much of a commendation based on this season is it? 

8 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

He clearly feels Jake is lacking in some way - hence benching him recently and looking to recruit another striker. Gavin clearly felt that a lone front man could/should be able to do a job - and get on the end of crosses!

Possibly. I’d imagine any manager with only one striker in a squad this large would be on the look out for another one wouldnt you? If he wants two up front I’d imagine he’d like to have 3 in the squad.

Im not sure Gavin’s playing 1 up by choice….i think he’s seen enough of Shakpoke to have seen the last of him so that hasn’t worked out either. My bet is the plan is to play Hutchinson with another striker rather than replace him and have the same problems?

10 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

I've seen enough in 7 games to have made my mind up (- its curious how someone apparently unconnected to Jake knows precisely how many games he's featured in!).

You should work in recruitment fella. Maybe in the school holidays?

Ive seen enough in 7 games to see him make runs and find positions that if and when we find a system that gains some control in games and opens teams up that he will get goals. I’ve also seen enough in his goal record to suggest he’s more than capable at this level. 

Finally you really don’t have to be connected to someone to count to 7 pal….it’s not that hard….i can tell you who’s he’s played against if you like? If you’re really struggling go on to Transfermarkt.com and it’ll tell you all you need to know 👍

[No bull Towner]

Knew I could rely on several pages of moaning and keyboard managing after this defeat. Don't worry lads, sacking the manager and most of the team by the sounds of it should sort it all out. We won't have a team soon don't worry as the decent ones will bugger off of their own accord as I'm sure hanging on to a sinking ship does their individual prospects no favours. So far we seem to think Gav, Rhys, Mickey and Jake are shit...have I missed anyone? I'm sure there were more but can't be bothered to reread it all. But hey a new manager shuffling the same players will make all the difference. Oh no sorry this new manager is going to know loads of top proven players who will come on the cheap or will he need to have a top secret money tree that he can bring with him? We all knew it was going to be hard and didn't expect anything from this match until suddenly now we should have won it and we are shit. Same with the league, we knew it would be hard and a miracle to stay up until we are struggling at the bottom and then we are under performing and shit. I can't even comment anymore you can all just get on with it!

[The Crowing Cockerel]

18 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

Finally you really don’t have to be connected to someone to count to 7 pal….it’s not that hard….i can tell you who’s he’s played against if you like? If you’re really struggling go on to Transfermarkt.com and it’ll tell you all you need to know 👍

You're clearly Jake's agent. Every now and then a new poster appears on the forum with a clear agenda following an addition to the squad - and its never a coincidence.

Don't suppose you can persuade Jake's brother to sign, can you?

[Towningaround]

1 minute ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

You're clearly Jake's agent. Every now and then a new poster appears on the forum with a clear agenda following an addition to the squad - and its never a coincidence.

Don't suppose you can persuade Jake's brother to sign, can you?

Incredible 🤣🤣

 

[Flobalob]

13 minutes ago, No bull Towner said:

Knew I could rely on several pages of moaning and keyboard managing after this defeat. Don't worry lads, sacking the manager and most of the team by the sounds of it should sort it all out. We won't have a team soon don't worry as the decent ones will bugger off of their own accord as I'm sure hanging on to a sinking ship does their individual prospects no favours. So far we seem to think Gav, Rhys, Mickey and Jake are shit...have I missed anyone? I'm sure there were more but can't be bothered to reread it all. But hey a new manager shuffling the same players will make all the difference. Oh no sorry this new manager is going to know loads of top proven players who will come on the cheap or will he need to have a top secret money tree that he can bring with him? We all knew it was going to be hard and didn't expect anything from this match until suddenly now we should have won it and we are shit. Same with the league, we knew it would be hard and a miracle to stay up until we are struggling at the bottom and then we are under performing and shit. I can't even comment anymore you can all just get on with it!

two weeks ago you said be careful what you wish for as things could get worse 🤣🤣🤣 hilarious…bottom of the league conceding 44 goals things could get worse 🤣🤣🤣keep supporting a failing manager keep rattling on about the budget just ignore the fact he can’t organise a team on the pitch at this level…. just ignore the revolving door policy… Funny how Harry is gone after three games then hey presto he starts for Tonbridge the week after…why did he leave ? did Tonbridge offer so much more money ??…  or like 20+ others he fell a victim to our managers two average games and your out policy… anyway enjoyed the banter but probably best if i called it a day on here as my views on wanting success goes against our club’s ethics…. hope everyone enjoys the rest of the season and be nice to each other…

[Comet]

Lots of anger on here. It was never going to be easy. The manager has earned the right to try and find the right formula.

Look at the playing staff, totally different squad compared to last year. It’s near impossible to get them to gel when turning over so many players to find ones that fit. 

Get the stand built so we have something to show for the season then go again. 
 

I still don’t agree with letting Marcus go. Impossible to replace him, especially so late in the day and he was on a contract for 1 more year. The one year he could make an impact and keep us up. 
 

 

Edited December 1 by Comet

[ETFC2001]

1 hour ago, Comet said:

Lots of anger on here. It was never going to be easy. The manager has earned the right to try and find the right formula.

Look at the playing staff, totally different squad compared to last year. It’s near impossible to get them to gel when turning over so many players to find ones that fit. 

Get the stand built so we have something to show for the season then go again. 
 

I still don’t agree with letting Marcus go. Impossible to replace him, especially so late in the day and he was on a contract for 1 more year. The one year he could make an impact and keep us up. 
 

 

Don’t say this too loudly people will come with pitchforks. Wonder where all the money Gillingham paid us for him. We let him go 2 weeks before Torquay away and we didn’t even bother having a list of replacements or at-least weigh in options and we wonder why we’re 8 points from safety and every fan is still begging for a proven goal scorer to be signed. The lack of recruitment and capitulation from winning positions is why we’re going to have a shiny new stand in step 3, when we should really be staying up quite comfortably if we could hold leads and not fold over when the going gets tough.

[ETFC2001]

9 hours ago, No bull Towner said:

Knew I could rely on several pages of moaning and keyboard managing after this defeat. Don't worry lads, sacking the manager and most of the team by the sounds of it should sort it all out. We won't have a team soon don't worry as the decent ones will bugger off of their own accord as I'm sure hanging on to a sinking ship does their individual prospects no favours. So far we seem to think Gav, Rhys, Mickey and Jake are shit...have I missed anyone? I'm sure there were more but can't be bothered to reread it all. But hey a new manager shuffling the same players will make all the difference. Oh no sorry this new manager is going to know loads of top proven players who will come on the cheap or will he need to have a top secret money tree that he can bring with him? We all knew it was going to be hard and didn't expect anything from this match until suddenly now we should have won it and we are shit. Same with the league, we knew it would be hard and a miracle to stay up until we are struggling at the bottom and then we are under performing and shit. I can't even comment anymore you can all just get on with it!

Yesterday’s loss was not on Gavin, it was on the players. You can’t teach mentality and basic things. It’s either you have it or you don’t and we saw it again. As soon it goes 1-1, we go back to what we do best which is playing scared, making mistakes, and ultimately every fan in the stadium is waiting for the 2nd, then the 3rd, like we’ve seen all season.

I don’t think Rhys or Micky are sh*t, obviously Rhys is tired, he made a couple of mistakes yesterday and it’s fine because ultimately he has kept us in games so it all adds up. I don’t think MP is sh*t neither, but Dylan had a great performance against Dorking so I think he should warrant another start. Understandably, if he has got a knock and is on a minutes restriction at the moment then fair enough. 

I went into yesterday’s game thinking whatever the result was wasn’t going to bother me because Torquay are this great football league club but when you feel like we could of got a point atleast yesterday, and we had chances to put the game away, or at-least not just fall over until it’s 4-1.

I imagine there will be a massive rebuild next season as not many players will stay around because they think they are better then step 3. Whatever happens, we should have a good core and asking Peake to stay, Thompson (I doubt it very much), Rhys, Leonard, Youngs. Probably a few I’m missing. 

10 hours ago, ETFC2001 said:

Once again, I’ll share this: 

 

Points dropped from winning positions this season:

Salisbury (1 point)

Truro (Loss)

Farnborough (Loss)

Torquay (x2) (Loss)

Chippenham (Loss)

Aveley (Loss)

That is 1 point from a possible 21 in winning positions this season. We have conceded 21 goals in those games, and scored 2 goals after going infront. 

So, just for arguments sake let’s say we got 10/21 of those points instead of 1/21, we would be 19th, with a game in hand on Bath.

Realistically, we should be winning that Aveley game, Salisbury game and that Chippenham game. That is now 9/21 and that would get us out of the relegation zone. I just think if we had more concentration, talking to eachother when we get in hard spells of games and we didn’t fall over after conceding 1, every single fan would feel good about staying up this season. 

[4wembleyfinals]

Reading all the recent comments and seeing the results week after week it is obvious that the club is in decline. 

Over the number of years I have been a member and  posted on this forum I have always stated the same view when the club was in a similar predicament as now. That is tha the members have to decide whether they want to be part of a social club with a football team or a fully fledged football club.

If the later then it's going to cost money!!! This means  attributing more of the clubs revenue towards maintaining a team equal to the level of the league they play in. As well as improvements to the ground a good team will always be the best revenue builder. Easier said than done but still necessary. 

Having said my piece I think that it now time for me to bow out since I am well past my sell by date. Having had connections to an "Enfield" football club since 1947. 

My final comment being that I hope the Club soon find a way out of their current crisis.... What did Shankley say,  " football is greater than life itself".  Or something to that affect. Hope you all have better times. I have enjoyed my time both playing and watching.

My title should really be Six Wembley finals and two replays!! But that's water under the bridge.

Edited December 1 by 4wembleyfinals

[The Crowing Cockerel]

I'm not sure this is a crisis as such or that the club is in decline. We all wish the team were performing better, but this situation was entirely predictable. Just look at how clubs recently promoted from Step 3 to 2 have faired. Hornchurch have thrown money at the problem and will comfortably survive this season with an expensively-assembled squad. Chesham have also splashed some cash and appear to have a competitive budget for Step 2. Aveley over-achieved last season and have a fight on their hands to survive this time round - although they made do so. Then look at the fates of Cheshunt and Bishops Stortford. Both had terrible seasons at Step 2 and were swiftly returned to Step 3. If you come up to this level less than fully-prepared then you are going to get found out. That's precisely where Town are at this moment. At present I don't see this as indicating the club is stuck in some sort of terminal decline. If we go down then I expect us to remain a fairly strong Step 3 team. Crowds won't change a great deal and we'll have learned plenty from our brief time at Step 2. My main disappointment is in the manager. He was recruited on the basis of his ability to assemble a very good team on a limited budget. He has completely failed to manage that this season. The only question now is how much goodwill a play-off final win gets you? It looks as if Gavin gets a free hit this season. However, should the Board be more ruthless? Should they be saying: can't you recruit better than this? The tactics seem all over the place? The only players I can see us possibly hanging on to following relegation would be Parcell, Youngs, Payne and RBR. Peake will want to stay at Step 2, Leonard moved from Hendon specifically to play at Step 2, Thompson could play higher, Rhys will probably stay at Step 2...etc. Plus this season will undoubtedly leave some scars - not least on Gavin. Assuming he doesn't perform some kind of modern day miracle and keep us up, I doubt Gavin will still be in charge in 12 months time. And by then people will be saying "why didn't we make a change sooner?". We're a 'nice' club with a 'nice' board, and perhaps that will ultimately hold us back?

[djwilf]

I don't blame Marcus for our position, but there is a perfect storm happening right now.   We were fully unprepared for this season, despite what Gavin has said about the hard work starting after the win v Chatham.     A manager will only be as good as his players and the revolving door policy has meant that the team hasn't settled and against the big boys our settled team isn't good enough, physically or tactically.   I guess the old maxim you have to speculate to accumulate is true here and yes we haven't had a striker all season long, and whilst the 2nd half yesterday some great balls were in the box you can't concede 3+ goals every game and expect a return.    

Yes we are a well liked club.....we've raised enough money for a shiny new stand however that isn't doing the job on the pitch.   Marcus had every right to move on, and to expect blind player loyalty is unrealistic in this day and age.   We haven't got enough quality in and it speaks volumes that our best players this year have been on loan from QPR and Derby C.   Adam has been a welcome addition but really we need 3 or 4 more of his quality which isn't really happening this late into the season.   We are lacking in so many departments and this season is only going to get longer and harder against tougher opposition.

Any updates on Alfie's injury? 

 

Was criticised by some on here but true to say, this forum has truly sprung to life with our current predicament.

 

 

 

 

 

[ETFC2001]

Unfortunately, we are just not an attractive name in step 2 at the moment. At step 3, I think the board or Gavin would have no problem bringing in the best for step 3. This is why recruitment should have been done at the start of the season before we now look like we’re a sinking ship.

It’s now too late, why would anyone want to come to a club that is destined back to step 3? Our fairytale dream of signing an amazing striker for step 2 are slipping away, because we are too. 

The board were quite happy for us to go into the season, with a lacklustre recruitment plan. They are quite happy for us to be a very good step 3 side, challenging for the playoffs/promotion every year but when we got up here, it’s like we’re completely lost. I understand this is a new experience for everyone, and hopefully if we ever come back here it will be a much better experience for the fans to the players to the manager, if that’s still Gavin or not.

If you do not splash cash while coming up, good luck staying up. That is quite the simple explanation of it.

To your points about Gavin, he also needs to take blame for the recruitment. We are a nice club with a nice board yes, but I feel he is very nice too about a lot of things in this club. I imagine he doesn’t want to demand anything because he understands budget restrictions but it is becoming a lame excuse. We have got rid of players now off the wage bill, so I imagine that has freed up cash. Is it a lack of strikers on the market or is it a lack of money? I’ll let someone else decide that. Whatever it is, I think he should be given the start of next season at step 3, if something isn’t working, cut our losses and let’s rebuild from the start again. 

Miracles need to happen this season for us to stay up. We’ve dug ourselves a big enough hole, so it’s time to rest in it.
 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

4 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

We have got rid of players now off the wage bill, so I imagine that has freed up cash. Is it a lack of strikers on the market or is it a lack of money?

Gavin has explained in his post-match interview that prospective strikers are taking one look at the league table and saying "no thanks"!