Met Police 1-1 Dulwich Hamlet (Tue 20 Sep, 7.45pm)

[Scutta]

Match report.

The firm

 

[editor]

 

[editor]

That sending off was really daft.

 

[Moroccan Sunset]

Personally I don't think we've progressed at all since Erhun left. I know there have been very small improvements in finishing positions, but on the whole each season has followed a very similar pattern: make wholesale changes to squad - look pretty good whilst never dominating the league - hit winter slump - manager loses faith in that season's players and we finish the season with a whimper. At the moment this season is looking like we're going straight to the slump phase which has to be a worry.

On paper I think this season's signings look impressive (Kargbo and Tomlin in particular), and we played some good football in pre-season, but I haven't seen any significant shift in approach from the management and my main worry remains the same as last season: Gavin is great at making strong signings, but questionable when it comes to getting the best out of those players. And this season he's already publicly criticised at least one individual player, which isn't good at all. And yet he apparently feels he's setting up the team as well as he can - something I'm sure a lot of us would question.

Eventually I think there has to come a time when we recognise that numerous good players are coming and going but the one constant factor in not getting the results is the management team. I would like to have seen more faith shown in players like Waldren last season, and more opportunities given to youngsters like Fernandes.

An increasingly big query for me is: with the manager being so deeply involved with the new stadium, and the academy, and apparently now the TV project - is he effectively unsackable, and is that a healthy sitution for the football team?

I think that last paragraph is bang on: while Gav is intrinsically involved in the new stadium thing, he remains, essentially, invincible. Hadley do not want to lose a useful ally in their attempts to get the planning permission pushed through. That's not good for us and it's not good for him. He can't ever really feel that he is looking over his shoulder, because he knows that the club cannot afford to boot him at this time. That sort of thing leads to complacency, which is partly why we're seeing with the same mistakes being made over and over and over and over again, I think.

From the way I've heard certain people heavily involved with the club talk, we're also shit scared of 'losing' ASPIRE. I don't really know why - I believe Gav has gone on record as saying he sees it's long term future here; the pathway from academy to first team seems to have constricted considerably so we're not reaping it's rewards year on year in terms of players; we've also actually got another youth system, that was here before GR arrived but we've neglected and frankly treated like shit from the moment we got wind of ASPIRE. South London is awash with non league players as well - DHFC would not collapse without ASPIRE.

I'd agree with what BlueHeaven and Vornstyle have said by and large. The last time we looked like a really good team was when Erhun was here and as we're all aware he was playing so far beneath his ability level it was ridiculous. It's becoming apparent that we were (arguably still are) utterly dependent on him. Frankly, if Gavin's systems need a player like Erhun for them to work then they're very flawed systems. You get a player like Erhun once a decade and you cannot rely on unearthing one. You need a system that gets the very best out of its players, and, as we showed last season with highly talented and experienced players like Waldren and Moss and now this season with Kargbo, Chambers and Tomlin, we do not have that system. The seasons prior to that were hardly classics either.

I think to repeatedly fall back on this whole 'improving year on year' thing is short sighted and sounds like it's straight out the Arsene Wenger Handbook of Excuses. We have a good budget, some of the best crowds in non league football, have had some very good players turn out for us (Daly represented ROI Under 21s for crying out loud) and yet we're still pedalling the same shit season on season. It's nightmarish at times. We should be doing better. You can still improve year on year and underperform.

It's all a bloody mess and I can't see it having anything other than an ugly, if inevitable, ending.

 

[vornstyle76]

Top post, moroccan.

From the way I've heard certain people heavily involved with the club talk, we're also shit scared of 'losing' ASPIRE. I don't really know why - I believe Gav has gone on record as saying he sees it's long term future here; the pathway from academy to first team seems to have constricted considerably so we're not reaping it's rewards year on year in terms of players; we've also actually got another youth system, that was here before GR arrived but we've neglected and frankly treated like shit from the moment we got wind of ASPIRE. South London is awash with non league players as well - DHFC would not collapse without ASPIRE.

I think the fans and club have been a quite caught up in the Aspire hype. They're very good at selling themselves. I mean, they had an article in the Guardian way back in 2009 ffs, written by a proper football journalist rather than a weekend supplement lifestyle section freelancer! But reality isn't really living up to the reputation.

 

[Lucy Fur]

I think that last paragraph is bang on: while Gav is intrinsically involved in the new stadium thing, he remains, essentially, invincible. Hadley do not want to lose a useful ally in their attempts to get the planning permission pushed through. That's not good for us and it's not good for him. He can't ever really feel that he is looking over his shoulder, because he knows that the club cannot afford to boot him at this time. That sort of thing leads to complacency, which is partly why we're seeing with the same mistakes being made over and over and over and over again, I think.

From the way I've heard certain people heavily involved with the club talk, we're also shit scared of 'losing' ASPIRE. I don't really know why - I believe Gav has gone on record as saying he sees it's long term future here; the pathway from academy to first team seems to have constricted considerably so we're not reaping it's rewards year on year in terms of players; we've also actually got another youth system, that was here before GR arrived but we've neglected and frankly treated like shit from the moment we got wind of ASPIRE. South London is awash with non league players as well - DHFC would not collapse without ASPIRE.

I'd agree with what BlueHeaven and Vornstyle have said by and large. The last time we looked like a really good team was when Erhun was here and as we're all aware he was playing so far beneath his ability level it was ridiculous. It's becoming apparent that we were (arguably still are) utterly dependent on him. Frankly, if Gavin's systems need a player like Erhun for them to work then they're very flawed systems. You get a player like Erhun once a decade and you cannot rely on unearthing one. You need a system that gets the very best out of its players, and, as we showed last season with highly talented and experienced players like Waldren and Moss and now this season with Kargbo, Chambers and Tomlin, we do not have that system. The seasons prior to that were hardly classics either.

I think to repeatedly fall back on this whole 'improving year on year' thing is short sighted and sounds like it's straight out the Arsene Wenger Handbook of Excuses. We have a good budget, some of the best crowds in non league football, have had some very good players turn out for us (Daly represented ROI Under 21s for crying out loud) and yet we're still pedalling the same shit season on season. It's nightmarish at times. We should be doing better. You can still improve year on year and underperform.

It's all a bloody mess and I can't see it having anything other than an ugly, if inevitable, ending.

Yep, This post nails it for me. Add Ellis Green and Danny Carr into the mix, its hard not to wonder if we won it inspite, rather than because of Gavin Rose.

 

[editor]

I think the fans and club have been a quite caught up in the Aspire hype.

Not me!

 

[Scutta]

I think that last paragraph is bang on: while Gav is intrinsically involved in the new stadium thing, he remains, essentially, invincible. Hadley do not want to lose a useful ally in their attempts to get the planning permission pushed through. That's not good for us and it's not good for him. He can't ever really feel that he is looking over his shoulder, because he knows that the club cannot afford to boot him at this time. That sort of thing leads to complacency, which is partly why we're seeing with the same mistakes being made over and over and over and over again, I think.

From the way I've heard certain people heavily involved with the club talk, we're also shit scared of 'losing' ASPIRE. I don't really know why - I believe Gav has gone on record as saying he sees it's long term future here; the pathway from academy to first team seems to have constricted considerably so we're not reaping it's rewards year on year in terms of players; we've also actually got another youth system, that was here before GR arrived but we've neglected and frankly treated like shit from the moment we got wind of ASPIRE. South London is awash with non league players as well - DHFC would not collapse without ASPIRE.

I'd agree with what BlueHeaven and Vornstyle have said by and large. The last time we looked like a really good team was when Erhun was here and as we're all aware he was playing so far beneath his ability level it was ridiculous. It's becoming apparent that we were (arguably still are) utterly dependent on him. Frankly, if Gavin's systems need a player like Erhun for them to work then they're very flawed systems. You get a player like Erhun once a decade and you cannot rely on unearthing one. You need a system that gets the very best out of its players, and, as we showed last season with highly talented and experienced players like Waldren and Moss and now this season with Kargbo, Chambers and Tomlin, we do not have that system. The seasons prior to that were hardly classics either.

I think to repeatedly fall back on this whole 'improving year on year' thing is short sighted and sounds like it's straight out the Arsene Wenger Handbook of Excuses. We have a good budget, some of the best crowds in non league football, have had some very good players turn out for us (Daly represented ROI Under 21s for crying out loud) and yet we're still pedalling the same shit season on season. It's nightmarish at times. We should be doing better. You can still improve year on year and underperform.

It's all a bloody mess and I can't see it having anything other than an ugly, if inevitable, ending.

Cant really argue with that! Well done!

 

[Bugpowder Dust]

Just watched the highlights, for me the ref got the three big decisions wrong: the red card, the penalty and the disallowed goal.

RMPs first half penalty claim didn't seem to be included so can't tell much, but Hamlet players behind the tackle were adamant it was a foul.

 

[Taper]

We don't crave success do we. Just a team that does as good as it can do. That's well motivated and organised. And that isn't in a constant state of flux, to no obvious end. A team we can turn up and support and be proud of. It's been like that at its best. But not this season. And that's what I miss. Along with all the other crap and the uncertainty, this is quite a dark time for the club.

I don't think the team will get relegated. And I think Gavin should have this season to do the best he can. I think he is a top man and a brilliant manager. But if it doesn't feel right at the end of the season, then everyone one needs to move on.

 

[Roger D]

Aspire deserve better than to say the fans have been caught up in their hype. They have totally transformed the club and deserve credit.

The next question is can they take the club any further? The, from a distance, failure to learn lessons makes that questionable.

The next question is can the club go further without them? Many years ago I was sitting on a South London bus the day Alan Curbishley resigned. A Charlton fan sitting behind me said he was sad he hadn't gone to the game as he would like to have said farewell but was glad he had gone as Charlton would never become European regulars under him. Suspect they'd take mid table premiership now.

Major decisions loom for both Aspire and Dulwich if the situation doesn't change. Hopefully both will come out stronger however the blunt truth is that is unlikely, it is rare for both sides to gain in this situation.

 

[vornstyle76]

Not me!

One regular forum user said to me in the **summer of 2013** that he thought Gavin/Aspire and the club/supporters were inevitably on a collision course due to conflicting interests, which I was a far too warm-glow-of-the-championship to understand at the time, but they were right.

 

[Big G 76]

I do think it is early days to be calling for management changes. However I have been to six out of our eleven competitive games so far this season and have to say the performances which I have witnessed have been pretty dire. The team just can't seem to get going. If I remember rightly we had a good 2nd half at home to Enfield Town even then that became a bit end to end and we looked like we could concede at any time. I think we also have an inability to kill teams off when we get our nose in front and are on top. (I know most games we have gone a goal down). Last nights match was a prime example, we should of had the game wrapped up within 30 mins. I still feel confident we can put a good run together and wins breed confidence and I think confidence is what we all need at the moment, the management, the players and also us.....the fans.

 

[Moroccan Sunset]

I do think it is early days to be calling for management changes. However I have been to six out of our eleven competitive games so far this season and have to say the performances which I have witnessed have been pretty dire. The team just can't seem to get going. If I remember rightly we had a good 2nd half at home to Enfield Town even then that became a bit end to end and we looked like we could concede at any time. I think we also have an inability to kill teams off when we get our nose in front and are on top. (I know most games we have gone a goal down). Last nights match was a prime example, we should of had the game wrapped up within 30 mins. I still feel confident we can put a good run together and wins breed confidence and I think confidence is what we all need at the moment, the management, the players and also us.....the fans.

Early days?! Its been like this since Carr/Erhun left?! That's three to four seasons. How much more time does he need? How much more money? If there's two things he has been given it is time and money.

To pretend that these problems will evaporate in a fortnights time after a couple of good results is to grossly underestimate the severity of the problems in the playing systems. If they haven't been addressed in three seasons, what is the likelihood of them getting sorted out in a month or so?

The performances this season have been dire, but it was hardly dazzling when Joe Benjamin and Jacob Erskine were trotting round the pitch. This isn't a new problem, the rot has been setting in since we tried to shoehorn Ian Daly into a false 9 position.

 

[sleaterkinney]

Are the performances on the pitch the biggest issue the club has - or is it the stadium?. Don't forget we've been in the playoffs last two seasons.

 

[Joe K]

vornstyle76 & Moroccan Sunset - top posts as ever, but I'd add a caveat re Erhun being the main cause of promotion in 2013. I think this is broadly true, but I was at Lewes v Carshalton on Saturday and Peter '1 year older than I am' Adeniyi was, by light years, the best player on the pitch (in a very impressive Carshalton side). It reminded me that there was a line of real footballing intelligence going through that side: Adeniyi, Erhun and the underrated Lewis Goncalves really made Gav's big idea work. It's no coincidence that the football continued to look really good well into the following season when all three were still there. When we came back after summer 2014 the team just didn't seem to have the same kind of subtlety or authority.

 

[Poids]

vornstyle76 & Moroccan Sunset - top posts as ever, but I'd add a caveat re Erhun being the main cause of promotion in 2013. I think this is broadly true, but I was at Lewes v Carshalton on Saturday and Peter '1 year older than I am' Adeniyi was, by light years, the best player on the pitch (in a very impressive Carshalton side). It reminded me that there was a line of real footballing intelligence going through that side: Adeniyi, Erhun and the underrated Lewis Goncalves really made Gav's big idea work. It's no coincidence that the football continued to look really good well into the following season when all three were still there. When we came back after summer 2014 the team just didn't seem to have the same kind of subtlety or authority.

Good point. Always loved Adeniyi. Such a classy player. The sight of him effortlessly strolling up the pitch with the ball at his feet, nonchalantly gliding past the opposition. I'm getting quite misty-eyed at the memory! A true ball playing centre-back and a very good captain too.

 

[bkbk]

Good point. Always loved Adeniyi. Such a classy player. The sight of him effortlessly strolling up the pitch with the ball at his feet, nonchalantly gliding past the opposition. I'm getting quite misty-eyed at the memory! A true ball playing centre-back and a very good captain too.

As player/manager he masterminded Carshalton to a 10-0 victory on Monday night too! He's got the lot.

 

[Cyclodunc]

Fotos: Met Police 1 - 1 Dulwich Hamlet | Facebook

 

[Balbi]

Good point. Always loved Adeniyi. Such a classy player. The sight of him effortlessly strolling up the pitch with the ball at his feet, nonchalantly gliding past the opposition. I'm getting quite misty-eyed at the memory! A true ball playing centre-back and a very good captain too.

My memory of Adeniyi was of him galloping towards the rabble, unstoppable, time and time again.

 

[editor]

I like this pic. Look at the bloke at the far left!

 

[NPDHFC]

Makes a good 'Spot the Ball'

 

[NPDHFC]

Or scene from the boxing

 

[editor]

 

[Scutta]

Party time

 

[dcdulwich]

vornstyle76 & Moroccan Sunset - top posts as ever, but I'd add a caveat re Erhun being the main cause of promotion in 2013. I think this is broadly true, but I was at Lewes v Carshalton on Saturday and Peter '1 year older than I am' Adeniyi was, by light years, the best player on the pitch (in a very impressive Carshalton side). It reminded me that there was a line of real footballing intelligence going through that side: Adeniyi, Erhun and the underrated Lewis Goncalves really made Gav's big idea work. It's no coincidence that the football continued to look really good well into the following season when all three were still there. When we came back after summer 2014 the team just didn't seem to have the same kind of subtlety or authority.

This is bang on. Since Peter left at the end of the 13/14 season we had Terrell Forbes as captain in 14/15, then Danny Waldren and, towards the end of last season, Ethan Pinnock. Of those, only Ethan has come anywhere close to emulating the leadership and authority of Adeniyi and it was sadly inevitable that he would move on at the end of last season.

This season we've had Sanchez Ming who has been okay (I have no axe to grind being a co-sponsor of the guy) but he doesn't appear to have brought strong leadership to the group. I also gather he was run ragged at right back vs Hendon (I'm only going on highlights and reports as I was at Lord's to see Surrey being murdered by Warks).

So to Tuesday, when Weatherstone started at right back and received the armband. He made a couple of small slips vs Met but overall I think he is starting to show the composure and leadership he demonstrated as captain at Wingate and Finchley - so maybe there's some hope in that direction. I thought his interview after last Saturday was honest and gave an interesting insight into where the team is now:

 

[Poids]

This is bang on. Since Peter left at the end of the 13/14 season we had Terrell Forbes as captain in 14/15, then Danny Waldren and, towards the end of last season, Ethan Pinnock. Of those, only Ethan has come anywhere close to emulating the leadership and authority of Adeniyi and it was sadly inevitable that he would move on at the end of last season.

This season we've had Sanchez Ming who has been okay (I have no axe to grind being a co-sponsor of the guy) but he doesn't appear to have brought strong leadership to the group. I also gather he was run ragged at right back vs Hendon (I'm only going on highlights and reports as I was at Lord's to see Surrey being murdered by Warks).

So to Tuesday, when Weatherstone started at right back and received the armband. He made a couple of small slips vs Met but overall I think he is starting to show the composure and leadership he demonstrated as captain at Wingate and Finchley - so maybe there's some hope in that direction. I thought his interview after last Saturday was honest and gave an interesting insight into where the team is now:

Thanks for posting that vid. I found Marc's attitude very heartening. He said everything you want to hear as a fan. Like you say he made a couple of errors on Tuesday night but for me he has to be starting week in, week out. He's strong in the tackle, put some good balls in the area going forward and he's got the air and authority of a real leader about him. It was great to hear him and Drage getting vocal out there. Long may it continue.

 

[clog]

I think we're missing Pinnock a lot.

 

[3010]

3:25 onwards in this clip - sadly it didn't change.

 

[dcdulwich]

3:25 onwards in this clip - sadly it didn't change.

True. The only slip in the interview - leaving a hostage to fortune like that. But it was an odd game on Tuesday.
The other BIG question is should it be 'Marc' as captioned in the interview and as it was in the W&F programme last season or 'Mark' as it's been appearing in our prog?