London Senior Cup: Dulwich Hamlet vs Wingate & Finchley, Tuesday 19th November
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StephenMac
Well-Known Member
Lucky it wasn't a full-strength Wingate side.
Bugpowder Dust
Well-Known Member
A new low point in a season of huge highs and fairly big lows.
I get that cups like these are usually a chance to let squad players have a go but three of our defence had been benched for the biggest game of our recent history and Preston hadn't played since July. Five wingers up front and no strikers was a bold move.
Ultimately we are three points off bottom having changed the entire squad and spending a load of cash and I'm not sure any of the players we have now are a noticeable upgrade from the ones we had before.
Pretty humiliating and not sure I can see how we turn this around. Got to get to a consistent 11 who work for each other as soon as possible. Much harder when we have players under contract who can't be moved on.
I get that cups like these are usually a chance to let squad players have a go but three of our defence had been benched for the biggest game of our recent history and Preston hadn't played since July. Five wingers up front and no strikers was a bold move.
Ultimately we are three points off bottom having changed the entire squad and spending a load of cash and I'm not sure any of the players we have now are a noticeable upgrade from the ones we had before.
Pretty humiliating and not sure I can see how we turn this around. Got to get to a consistent 11 who work for each other as soon as possible. Much harder when we have players under contract who can't be moved on.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
Yes it does. Our second goal came from the last kick of the match, although that might easily have been an equaliser had Monakana's beautifully flighted cross from the byline not been headed over the gaping net from inside the six yard box by Mills just after we'd entered the six minutes of stoppage time. Of all the players you would back to bury a chance like that ... However the whole performance raised a lot of questions and few useful answers that I can see, and even if we'd somehow wriggled off the hook and triumphed in a shoot-out that would still very much be the same.
Two down inside the first twenty minutes, we looked clueless going forward in a dreadful first half display. Those who couldn't wait to see Vose left out might note the shocking lack of composure and purpose in midfield in his absence.
The introduction of Mills for the second half at least gave our attack a focal point, but after Wingate had a man sent off for pulling down Clunis as he raced clear towards goal we managed to fall even further behind.
I don't want to see any knee-jerk reactions to a county cup performance. At the end of the day it's just one more addition to the rather large catalogue of embarrassing exits from the lowest priority competition. However we've reached a point now where we're absolutely desperate for a win. Any win would surely have been a boost for morale and confidence, and this just adds to the growing sense of malaise.
Did we underestimate the visitors, who are fourth bottom of the division below us? Should we have made fewer changes from the side that played alright three days ago apart from the result? (All the players we picked are proper first teamers, there were no academy lads or triallists even on the bench.) Why did we start the match with no recognised striker? Yusuff and Akinyemi have filled their boots in matches like this in the past - where were they tonight?
Team (4-4-2): Edwards - Barnes, Taylor, N.Smith, Connors - Ainsworth, Chapman, Ijaha(c), White - Clunis, Hunte. Subs: Mills (for Barnes), Monakana (for White), Dempsey (for N.Smith), Grainger, Vose (not used)
Attendance: 245
Moroccan Sunset
Well-Known Member
It's just dawned on me: this Netflix series is going to have a very different tone to the one I thought it'd have in July.
Let's hope they focus on the "huge highs" we've had this season like; the Havant cup result, ummmm.....the undeserved home win against Wealdstone, errrr.... the above average 2nd half against Chelmsford. I can't wait!
Bugpowder Dust
Well-Known Member
Another observation to file under 'probably wouldn't be typing this if we had won' - why is Ijaha such a dick at corners, standing on the goal line wrestling with the opposition?
Just annoys the ref and increases the chances that if we did score it would be disallowed.
Just annoys the ref and increases the chances that if we did score it would be disallowed.
Looking at goals scored earlier in the season it's to trap the keeper on his line and worked against Tonbridge and Wealdstone at the start of the season. Perfectly legitimate tactic if delivery is right.
sleaterkinney
Well-Known Member
The opposition: “We saw you cry on Netflix”
Is there even any guarantee that the Netflix thing will ever be turned into a programme & shown?
Indeed could being surrounded by their ‘fly in the cameras’ have been a bit of a hindrance at times?
Indeed could being surrounded by their ‘fly in the cameras’ have been a bit of a hindrance at times?
Ben Caldecourt
Well-Known Member
If I'm being honest, I quite like it. Ijaha is one of the biggest wind-up merchants in the league and I absolutely hated him last year at Welling because he was so in the refs face, but seemed to win everything he or his side appealed for - over the last few months, it looks like we've lost this as a side. Our first few games, the experienced players would surround the ref after every challenge on us, Ijaha, Mills, Smith, Orlu, Connors etc. I'm not saying that this is going to win us the league, but we began this season looking like we'd learnt a lot from last season and that we knew how to win the odd foul here and there and how to get the opposition 'wound-up' as such. We have lost this over the last few months, mainly because we haven't had a consistent 11. But my point is, Ijaha doing this at corners will annoy the opposition and if you watch him before the game has already kicked off he is so in the referee's ear, saying what exactly I don't know but it appears to instantly earn him the respect off of the referee that a captain should have. If we are a little bit more street-wise (like we appeared to be at the start of the campaign) and actually begin to fight for each other as a team then I think we will start to get back on track.
Our side is more than good enough to be competing for playoffs, but the longer this goes on, the harder it's going to be. Consistency is needed in the lineup, but I guess it's hard for Gav to pick a starting 11 when there isn't really anyone screaming out with a stand-out performance.
Don't really want to talk about last night too much, good to see Mills chip in with a couple goals, but too little too late unfortunately. Glad Preston has got some minutes. Connors has to start for me at left back. Ainsworth looked sharp, end product just needs to be a tad better. Clunis and Hunte aren't strikers. Lewis White needs a goal. Over and out.
Ben Caldecourt
Well-Known Member
Football Web Pages
McKimms interview is exactly what I'm talking about for those that might disagree. 'Winning fouls' as he says, we experienced it in our first year in the NLS and in the Tonbridge game we executed it brilliantly. But we seemed to have lost this over the last few months and I don't know for the life of me why?
McKimms interview is exactly what I'm talking about for those that might disagree. 'Winning fouls' as he says, we experienced it in our first year in the NLS and in the Tonbridge game we executed it brilliantly. But we seemed to have lost this over the last few months and I don't know for the life of me why?
Nivag
Well-Known Member
I thought he was very good, the delivery of his passes is quicker than the recipients can get there which is a problem. He is class.[/QUOTE]
He fired a few crosses in during the game when we had no recognised strikers on the pitch to run in on, so they just fizzed across the face of the goal.
pettyboy
Well-Known Member
The results would say otherwise. We were actually winning games when the cameras were still there.
pettyboy
Well-Known Member
Bang on. I was saying the same last night - even before that performance.
Ben Caldecourt
Well-Known Member
He fired a few crosses in during the game when we had no recognised strikers on the pitch to run in on, so they just fizzed across the face of the goal.[/QUOTE]
Yeah you're probably right! The deliveries were good, but like you say no one to get on the end of them.
I hope he comes good, his chat seemed quite good on the pitch yesterday as well.
Bring them back then!
editor
hiraethified
Moroccan Sunset
Well-Known Member
That doesn't wash with me, I'm afraid. One or two players losing form is one thing, but entire squads?
None of these players were bad before we got hold of them: Barnes has been professional at two League clubs; Connors, C Smith, Vose and Orlu are experienced at this level and the one above; Hunte was bright at the back end of last season, Ijaha and Mills were an integral part of a team that go to the play off final; Monakana turned out 40 times for Preston; Clunis held on his own as a winger last season; the St Lucian international Monlouis has been at three pro clubs; Yussuff scored a goal every other game for Folkestone; Dipo, in the 12 and a half minutes he was given last season scored 18 goals in a troubled side; Lewis White was on the bench for Millwall a couple of times. That's before I even touch on McCoy, Nathan Smith, Maynard-Brewer, Grainger and Quade.
The arse has fallen out of most of these players, most of whom are highly experienced. Lewis White, as an example, looks utterly bereft of confidence: but he's young, fresh out of Millwall. How has that been allowed to happen? We have leadership, we have goals, we have promotion experience and yet it's a complete shambles.
But I think the more telling point is that our performances have degraded. As Ben Caldecourt points out, we started brightly, we were savvy, winning fouls, winning games (!), looking ruthless. We know, for a fact, that this side is capable of beating sides at this level - Wealdstone were an outstanding team and yet we nicked a goal and held on to a valuable three points.
I just don't buy that all of these players have collectively lost form together. It's a blunt conclusion but it feels like they're being badly managed. I can't come up with another explanation.
blueheaven
Well-Known Member
I agree with all of the above and would add that something else that I've noticed over the last few games (not including last night as I wasn't there) is just how slow and lacking in sharpness we seem, not only in comparison to some of our opponents, but in comparison to ourselves only a few months ago. There doesn't seem to be any get-up-and-go from the players. Our use of the ball is ponderous and lacking in ideas, and we always seem vulnerable to a quick break-away from the opposition. Given the switch to full-time training, that just shouldn't be happening, and it makes me question how this extra training time is being utilised. The players often look tired and down and on the back-foot. Where has that come from? I thought it was especially noticeable on Saturday when Ainsworth came off the bench, how much sharper and more up for it he looked than everyone else. I can't help but wonder if he'll continue at that level, or fall into the same malaise as his team mates.
Then again, it's far from the first time we've had this sort of mid-season slump under Gavin Rose, and the chopping and changing and apparent fallings out with players is nothing new - but it does seem to be having a more severe effect this time.
editor
hiraethified
Were currently bottom of the form table over our last ten league games, but top of the attendance table, so absolutely raking in the cash compared to other teams, although who knows what our wages bill looks like with all these players coming and going.
We've managed a miserable five points from ten games. And then there's the cup losses on top. It's awful.
Dulwich Hamlet | Form Guide | Last 10 Matches | Football Web Pages
We've managed a miserable five points from ten games. And then there's the cup losses on top. It's awful.
Dulwich Hamlet | Form Guide | Last 10 Matches | Football Web Pages
editor
hiraethified
That bizarre group training dance prior to the second half kicking off seemed fabulously ineffective on Saturday, as did the delayed entrance on the field.
JoeBoy1959
Well-Known Member
It's not only the bizarre dance routine.
I watch them warm up before matches and maybe I'm missing it, but there seems not to be any work around the area.
Yet I always see the other teams do it.
editor
hiraethified
Let me spin these posts off into a seperate thread as it's got nothing to do with WingateGate.
Here: Jump the shark with £60 Dulwich Hamlet branded designer gin
Here: Jump the shark with £60 Dulwich Hamlet branded designer gin
Nivag
Well-Known Member
Just finished reading Chris Boardman's book and he talks about the negative effect of overtraining had on his career.
The club does seem to be increasingly run as a ruthless commercial venture at the moment with fairly little regard paid to whats going on playing wise, and an awful lot of criticism aimed at the thousands of people who turn up to watch a team lose at home to a bunch of loanees whilst playing the awful, turgid football. The players can't be exempt from criticism though, to suggest that they look exhausted and flat due to three morning training sessions is stretching it a bit. That's not much workload for a semi-professional athlete, unless they spend the whole time doing hill sprints or something. Saying players look like they are lacking confidence is very often an excuse for lack of work-rate, urgency, and individual leadership. I'm not saying that the management is exempt from blame but the players aren't exactly producing odd moments of individual brilliance at the moment, just looking around for others to take on that responsibility. They could also show a little bit more connect with the club. The bottom line is that this run of form could easily last until the end of January, in which case we'll get relegated. That's just how it happens.
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