Sittingbourne 4-2 Town // FA Trophy 3rd Round

[Comet]

Shocking result. We simply cannot defend. 
 

absolute shambles 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

I suggest Billy "The Cat" Cove gets the job for the rest of the season.

[Comet]

Get Brad back 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

2 minutes ago, Comet said:

Get Brad back 

Absolutely. Knows the league, knows the club and likes a 4-4-2.

Edited December 7, 2024 by The Crowing Cockerel

[ETFC2001]

And I would imagine that’s the end of Gavins tenure. Rightly so, today was such a poor day for all traveling fans. We deserve more and we certainly deserve to ask for more.

Simply not good enough, from the players to the management team. Just embarrassing, and we’ve heard that a lot this season.

[Wildlife rescue]

Brad is waiting in the wings 

We could certainly do a whole lot worse 

[No bull Towner]

Absolutely shocking performance all over the pitch. The players just don't look like they care any more and they certainly looked like they were going to lose the whole match 

[Towningaround]

2 minutes ago, Wildlife rescue said:

Brad is waiting in the wings 

We could certainly do a whole lot worse 

Why on earth would anyone want to revisit a manager let alone a manager who hasn’t never managed in the league we’re trying to stay in?

If Gavin is to go it can only be for someone who has experience of this league and can bring something to it that we haven’t had so far….ie a plan, a tactic, some professionalism, get the players fit, get them organised….and maybe bring in 3/4 players who have also played this level. 

Today was a shambles. We knew they start quick and yet we managed to go a goal down on the counter attack within 3 minutes!

To then get back in it with two good goals only to concede three of the most shambolic goals I’ve seen all season within a 10 minute spell is just criminal.

Even without dissecting each goal individually, tactically to see within mins that the game was a wide open basketball match and to not manage to put the players into a shape to get to half time at 2-1 or the very least 2-2 was naive at best. 

They looked like scoring every single time they got in our half. Each goal being a counter attack where we had players all over the place and no protection whatsoever with a midfield that was literally non existent.

Simply had to look at it at 2-1 up the hill into the wind and say to the wing backs to sit in 20 yards and to ask Sam Youngs to play alongside Lennon as two deeper forwards and leave Jake up front alone packing out the midfield and leaving no space down the sides - especially as we seem to concede at least 2 goals every single week from overloads down our sides. 

If we get to half time in that shape we win the game. 

Second half was embarrassing.

We created nothing. We played too narrow, ran into trouble through the middle trying to dribble, got in each others way and the deliveries were nothing short of atrocious.

It looked and was awful. Just awful.

[No bull Towner]

Unless a new manager can bring in at least half a team then it will be the same result. We lack class and now due to the amount of beatings we've been receiving in the league we now lack desire. The whole team look defeated walking on to the pitch, there's no energy or oomph and I guess this is coming from management down, but there doesn't seem to be any team spirit just shouting and blaming each other at every opportunity. All hope is lost sadly I feel. We are not a step 2 side and never will be.

[No bull Towner]

8 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

Why on earth would anyone want to revisit a manager let alone a manager who hasn’t never managed in the league we’re trying to stay in?

If Gavin is to go it can only be for someone who has experience of this league and can bring something to it that we haven’t had so far….ie a plan, a tactic, some professionalism, get the players fit, get them organised….and maybe bring in 3/4 players who have also played this level. 

Today was a shambles. We knew they start quick and yet we managed to go a goal down on the counter attack within 3 minutes!

To then get back in it with two good goals only to concede three of the most shambolic goals I’ve seen all season within a 10 minute spell is just criminal.

Even without dissecting each goal individually, tactically to see within mins that the game was a wide open basketball match and to not manage to put the players into a shape to get to half time at 2-1 or the very least 2-2 was naive at best. 

They looked like scoring every single time they got in our half. Each goal being a counter attack where we had players all over the place and no protection whatsoever with a midfield that was literally non existent.

Simply had to look at it at 2-1 up the hill into the wind and say to the wing backs to sit in 20 yards and to ask Sam Youngs to play alongside Lennon as two deeper forwards and leave Jake up front alone packing out the midfield and leaving no space down the sides - especially as we seem to concede at least 2 goals every single week from overloads down our sides. 

If we get to half time in that shape we win the game. 

Second half was embarrassing.

We created nothing. We played too narrow, ran into trouble through the middle trying to dribble, got in each others way and the deliveries were nothing short of atrocious.

It looked and was awful. Just awful.

I have to say I agree with you they did look like scoring every time they came on the attack. The first two goals were carbon copies virtually, break down the wing, low ball into the box and smashed in. Non existent defence and not much Rhys could do about them. The third was a well taken bicycle kick but again why on earth did we not clear the ball? And the fourth was an own goal after again faffing around in the box and this was the only one Rhys should probably have dealt with better as it was all a bit of a cock up. The whole team just argued their way through the match blaming each other when passes didn't come off or possession was lost. The pitch was bad but equally bad for both teams so can't blame that. I wasn't impressed by the new tall fella Brown, he lacks control and gave away a few fouls,  he lacks pace and so just hacks at players and think he will cost us. Poor turnout today I thought too and there was only maybe 10 to see the team at the end....guess the fans and the team have given up!

[ETFC2001]

17 minutes ago, Towningaround said:

Why on earth would anyone want to revisit a manager let alone a manager who hasn’t never managed in the league we’re trying to stay in?

If Gavin is to go it can only be for someone who has experience of this league and can bring something to it that we haven’t had so far….ie a plan, a tactic, some professionalism, get the players fit, get them organised….and maybe bring in 3/4 players who have also played this level. 

Today was a shambles. We knew they start quick and yet we managed to go a goal down on the counter attack within 3 minutes!

To then get back in it with two good goals only to concede three of the most shambolic goals I’ve seen all season within a 10 minute spell is just criminal.

Even without dissecting each goal individually, tactically to see within mins that the game was a wide open basketball match and to not manage to put the players into a shape to get to half time at 2-1 or the very least 2-2 was naive at best. 

They looked like scoring every single time they got in our half. Each goal being a counter attack where we had players all over the place and no protection whatsoever with a midfield that was literally non existent.

Simply had to look at it at 2-1 up the hill into the wind and say to the wing backs to sit in 20 yards and to ask Sam Youngs to play alongside Lennon as two deeper forwards and leave Jake up front alone packing out the midfield and leaving no space down the sides - especially as we seem to concede at least 2 goals every single week from overloads down our sides. 

If we get to half time in that shape we win the game. 

Second half was embarrassing.

We created nothing. We played too narrow, ran into trouble through the middle trying to dribble, got in each others way and the deliveries were nothing short of atrocious.

It looked and was awful. Just awful.

Agree. No tactics today. Clearly we just thought we would score more goals then them because we’re two steps higher then they are. 

Such a naive performance, and straight up embarrassing. Travelling all that way through a storm, up to Kent to get served that. No one wants to take responsibility, no leaders on the pitch, a complete farce of a performance.

I don’t care what changes, something HAS to change, and the board needs to wake up. Or our season is over before the new year.

[ETFC2001]

2 minutes ago, No bull Towner said:

I have to say I agree with you they did look like scoring every time they came on the attack. The first two goals were carbon copies virtually, break down the wing, low ball into the box and smashed in. Non existent defence and not much Rhys could do about them. The third was a well taken bicycle kick but again why on earth did we not clear the ball? And the fourth was an own goal after again faffing around in the box and this was the only one Rhys should probably have dealt with better as it was all a bit of a cock up. The whole team just argued their way through the match blaming each other when passes didn't come off or possession was lost. The pitch was bad but equally bad for both teams so can't blame that. I wasn't impressed by the new tall fella Brown, he lacks control and gave away a few fouls,  he lacks pace and so just hacks at players and think he will cost us. Poor turnout today I thought too and there was only maybe 10 to see the team at the end....guess the fans and the team have given up!

How many times do we see that a game though? What do we actually work on with these two training sessions a week? The same things happen and we just look naive to everything. How many times do they cross the ball into the ball and we just let the ball bounce around until they score? Or they just put a ball across the goal and smash it home? It happens more then it should be happening at this level. Do we rewatch the games and see what keeps happening and try to work on it in training? I don’t understand how we get it wrong every week

[ETFC2001]

Someone said this a while back on here and I didn’t take much notice to it but - Hemel, Weymouth, St Albans, Bath, all close to us have sacked their manager and looked elsewhere. Why can’t we also? Is it because we’re too nice of a club? Or is it because it’s our first experience at step 2 and we should be allowed to watch this week in and week out? 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

5 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

Someone said this a while back on here and I didn’t take much notice to it but - Hemel, Weymouth, St Albans, Bath, all close to us have sacked their manager and looked elsewhere. Why can’t we also? Is it because we’re too nice of a club? Or is it because it’s our first experience at step 2 and we should be allowed to watch this week in and week out? 

The Board's view seems to be: "well, Gavin did so much better than we expected last season that he gets a free hit at this season with it fully expected that we'll be relegated." The harm now being done to the playing squad and the support should not be underestimated. I maintain that no new manager could do any worse than Gavin has so far this season. 7 December and our season is effectively over. Out of all the cups and we need 35 points from 27 games in order to stand any chance of staying up. Its time to begin planning for next season.

If I were doing the post-match interview with Gavin I'd probably start with: "Do you think you are still the right man for the job?"

[The Crowing Cockerel]

1 hour ago, Towningaround said:

Why on earth would anyone want to revisit a manager let alone a manager who hasn’t never managed in the league we’re trying to stay in?

Completely agree with your tactical analysis. Not sure about your comments on Brad - who has, of course managed several clubs in NLS and even took Braintree to the rarified heights of the National League. I suggested Billy Cove slightly tongue in cheek as he's probably not ready yet, but he knows the club and would certainly bring the energy and enthusiasm we need.

[ETFC2001]

19 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

The Board's view seems to be: "well, Gavin did so much better than we expected last season that he gets a free hit at this season with it fully expected that we'll be relegated." The harm now being done to the playing squad and the support should not be underestimated. I maintain that no new manager could do any worse than Gavin has so far this season. 7 December and our season is effectively over. Out of all the cups and we need 35 points from 27 games in order to stand any chance of staying up. Its time to begin planning for next season.

If I were doing the post-match interview with Gavin I'd probably start with: "Do you think you are still the right man for the job?"

To be honest, I also thought that he deserved a free hit because new experiences for everyone. I now think I was being too nice suggesting that and I don’t think this should be the case anymore to save whatever season we have left. Gavin is just simply not the right man to take us forward, but I can’t imagine a perfect manager coming in now. We’re a sinking ship.

Honestly, a resignation would not surprise me. 

[The Crowing Cockerel]

6 minutes ago, ETFC2001 said:

Honestly, a resignation would not surprise me. 

It would surprise me. You just have to look at the other recently-departed managers in NLS to see that none of them jumped - they all waited for the sack - perhaps for contract reasons. (Weymouth, St Albans, Hemel...)

 

[No bull Towner]

I wouldn't worry about Gavin's resignation I would worry more about players leaving and saying enough is enough; they will jump surely for the same reason we can't recruit....nobody wants to lose every week and they definitely didn't look harmonious today!

[The Crowing Cockerel]

4 minutes ago, No bull Towner said:

I wouldn't worry about Gavin's resignation I would worry more about players leaving and saying enough is enough; they will jump surely for the same reason we can't recruit....nobody wants to lose every week and they definitely didn't look harmonious today!

Even more reason for the Board to make a management change. If the performances on the pitch get even worse then crowds will drop even lower etc. We need the boost of a new manager.

[Comet]

2 hours ago, Towningaround said:

Why on earth would anyone want to revisit a manager let alone a manager who hasn’t never managed in the league we’re trying to stay in?

If Gavin is to go it can only be for someone who has experience of this league and can bring something to it that we haven’t had so far….ie a plan, a tactic, some professionalism, get the players fit, get them organised….and maybe bring in 3/4 players who have also played this level. 

Today was a shambles. We knew they start quick and yet we managed to go a goal down on the counter attack within 3 minutes!

To then get back in it with two good goals only to concede three of the most shambolic goals I’ve seen all season within a 10 minute spell is just criminal.

Even without dissecting each goal individually, tactically to see within mins that the game was a wide open basketball match and to not manage to put the players into a shape to get to half time at 2-1 or the very least 2-2 was naive at best. 

They looked like scoring every single time they got in our half. Each goal being a counter attack where we had players all over the place and no protection whatsoever with a midfield that was literally non existent.

Simply had to look at it at 2-1 up the hill into the wind and say to the wing backs to sit in 20 yards and to ask Sam Youngs to play alongside Lennon as two deeper forwards and leave Jake up front alone packing out the midfield and leaving no space down the sides - especially as we seem to concede at least 2 goals every single week from overloads down our sides. 

If we get to half time in that shape we win the game. 

Second half was embarrassing.

We created nothing. We played too narrow, ran into trouble through the middle trying to dribble, got in each others way and the deliveries were nothing short of atrocious.

It looked and was awful. Just awful.

Was the double negative on purpose? Brad absolutely has managed at step 2. 
 

I was willing to give Gav a go but looks like players have given up.