Tuesday 23rd February fixtures

[Hollywood Red]

The bunker used to be busy but now is deserted, it's not worth reading and shows the club in a bad light these days. Should be shut down.

It's run by a couple of old right-wing cranks who delete posts from people who don't agree with Brexit or aren't racist. Everyone's moved to different forums or FB groups. You have to know people to get on them mind. Big divisions in our fanbase not helped by the North West Corner vs Trust BEEF.

The only public opinions you'll get from us are from here or Twitter. If you want to know what we're thinking - we all unanimously agree you badly miss Adi Yussuf.

Not sure about missing Yussuf he only scored 6 goals all season and was never fit enough to play a full match.
Just shows how poor the league is as we are still in the play offs.
We have only played well once this season ie Sutton home game.
Next season is our season

 

[jacobncfc]

14 of our 21 league games have had one or no goals in them. That is real commitment to being boring.

 

[Soup Ladle]

Not sure about missing Yussuf he only scored 6 goals all season and was never fit enough to play a full match.
Just shows how poor the league is as we are still in the play offs.
We have only played well once this season ie Sutton home game.
Next season is our season

I wasn't being entirely serious mate.

 

[Hollywood Red]

I wasn't being entirely serious mate.

Cheers ! I have had humour bypass after another 90 minutes of turgid football.
You have a tidy little team good luck for the rest of the season

 

[BornUnderTheElmslie]

Got to be happy with a point and a clean sheet against the league's in form side. The management team have made sorting out our shape and defensive mindset a priority; apart from the collapse at Sutton after going down to 10 men, we've done well away at Torquay and against Eastleigh last night.

Matt Saunders' (caretaker assistant manager) post match interview is very interesting. Pulls no punches.. says when he arrived back at the club, he was shocked at the state of things on the playing side. Players had been "neglected" and they have had to rebuild them mentally and tactically. Brennan used to call every game against a former EFL side "a free hit" and Saunders rubbishes that. Wants 3 points from every game, says that language breeds a bad mentality amongst the players and throughout the club, fans don't want to hear it. Impressive interview it not surprising.

 

[Fyldefan]

Still haven’t seen any articles saying Barnet have been kicked out of the league to make way for a team with 2 stars on their shirts. Disappointing. Only a matter of time though surely

 

[CFC91]

big win for us, a proper ugly scrappy ground out one but exactly the type we are going to need to get us up the table. We looked really leggy, in awful conditions and credit to Alty they were a decent side and probably will feel unlucky not to pinch a point in the second half - even if it wasn't a penalty according to both managers.

Good job we've got 22/23 players on the books as we're going to need to start rotating a bit I feel, Sat/Tue pretty much solid for the next few weeks so barring any postponements it's going to be a right old slog.

6 points off the play offs with 4 in hand puts us in a good position - though we definitely won't play one of those games (Dover)

 

[spireite]

big win for us, a proper ugly scrappy ground out one but exactly the type we are going to need to get us up the table. We looked really leggy, in awful conditions and credit to Alty they were a decent side and probably will feel unlucky not to pinch a point in the second half - even if it wasn't a penalty according to both managers.

Good job we've got 22/23 players on the books as we're going to need to start rotating a bit I feel, Sat/Tue pretty much solid for the next few weeks so barring any postponements it's going to be a right old slog.

6 points off the play offs with 4 in hand puts us in a good position - though we definitely won't play one of those games (Dover)

What's happening with those Dover games. In terms of points and stuff?

 

[rudebwoyben]

14 of our 21 league games have had one or no goals in them. That is real commitment to being boring.

When are you playing us? It will be amusing to see a team play against us in such a risk-averse way when there is no need to.

 

[Aberstone]

When are you playing us? It will be amusing to see a team play against us in such a risk-averse way when there is no need to.

I read a bit of your forum this morning, the knives are well and truly out for Tim Flowers.

 

[CFC91]

What's happening with those Dover games. In terms of points and stuff?

Assume anyone that has played them will get the results expunged so in a sense good for us, as we gain 3 points on some teams without having to travel down there and actually play.

Not sure on Kings Lynn etc. Sounds like them, Wealdstone and others might be rolling out the kids for rest of season which would be nice having them left to play as well.

 

[Sestonpoolie]

We want Keates gone after we win to be honest.

I popped onto your board earlier today and there had been like 5 posts all day. Have you all migrated?

As Soup said the Bunker is finished,some downright nasty twats on there now.
There's another board also 'outoftheblue',which I use.
Some decent posters & doesn't take itself to seriously.

 

[BornUnderTheElmslie]

Assume anyone that has played them will get the results expunged so in a sense good for us, as we gain 3 points on some teams without having to travel down there and actually play.

Not sure on Kings Lynn etc. Sounds like them, Wealdstone and others might be rolling out the kids for rest of season which would be nice having them left to play as well.

We've already furloughed some of the squad. I suspect as things evolve we'll furlough more but doubt we'll play the kids. Expect a balance of players we want to retain for next season, Premier League/Championship loanees (which cost us nothing) and maybe one or two highly rated youth players.

 

[#Beebot]

Got to be happy with a point and a clean sheet against the league's in form side. The management team have made sorting out our shape and defensive mindset a priority; apart from the collapse at Sutton after going down to 10 men, we've done well away at Torquay and against Eastleigh last night.

Matt Saunders' (caretaker assistant manager) post match interview is very interesting. Pulls no punches.. says when he arrived back at the club, he was shocked at the state of things on the playing side. Players had been "neglected" and they have had to rebuild them mentally and tactically. Brennan used to call every game against a former EFL side "a free hit" and Saunders rubbishes that. Wants 3 points from every game, says that language breeds a bad mentality amongst the players and throughout the club, fans don't want to hear it. Impressive interview it not surprising.

Seems to be a lot of revisionism going on at Wealdstone, Brennan is surely the best manager in your history and then someone with barely any coaching experience comes along and tries to trash his reputation. Looks a bit off to me.

 

[BornUnderTheElmslie]

Seems to be a lot of revisionism going on at Wealdstone, Brennan is surely the best manager in your history and then someone with barely any coaching experience comes along and tries to trash his reputation. Looks a bit off to me.

Brennan did a fantastic job last season and will do down as one of our best - not THE best - but something was not right this season. You don't know what to believe when you hear the rumours, but Saunders last night basically confirmed a lot of them. Why things changed so much from last season to this season, only Brennan can answer.

 

[jacobncfc]

Brennan did a fantastic job last season and will do down as one of our best - not THE best - but something was not right this season. You don't know what to believe when you hear the rumours, but Saunders last night basically confirmed a lot of them. Why things changed so much from last season to this season, only Brennan can answer.

Surely the biggest change is that you’re playing bigger teams with much bigger budgets and better players pretty much every week? It’s not even like you were adrift at the bottom, you’d been on a poor run but from the outside it does all seem very harsh. I’m not sure how much better you could realistically expect to have been doing.

 

[Stoney Ground]

Surely the biggest change is that you’re playing bigger teams with much bigger budgets and better players pretty much every week? It’s not even like you were adrift at the bottom, you’d been on a poor run but from the outside it does all seem very harsh. I’m not sure how much better you could realistically expect to have been doing.

Dean Brennan resigned, he had a great season last year and all credit to him and his management team, which Stuart Maynard and Matt Saunders were part of that team. Matt was cut from the first team coaching staff 3 games into the season for financial savings, but continued to be in charge of our Academy.

It was clear pretty early, although entertaining, the style of play we had in National South was not going to be possible in this division. Dean seemed to continue with that style and kept saying negative things, although they may be true “We are part time, we have to work then travel, can’t sign loans because extra subs at higher level” all this whilst shipping goals.

Then Barnet came in for him and wanted him, but our chairman persuaded him not to go. It is believed he offered him a new contract but then results got worse, we signed some players that were not even getting games during this period. He claims he heard that the chairman had offered his job to someone else and confronted him about it, the new contract was not offered then and he resigned over it. If you believe Barnet did not speak to him prior to speaking to our chairman then you would say he was right to resign, but this is football and Tony Kleanthous is involve.

I am more than happy for the pair to see the season out and re-evaluate in the summer.

 

[Alty Pieman]

big win for us, a proper ugly scrappy ground out one but exactly the type we are going to need to get us up the table. We looked really leggy, in awful conditions and credit to Alty they were a decent side and probably will feel unlucky not to pinch a point in the second half - even if it wasn't a penalty according to both managers.

Good job we've got 22/23 players on the books as we're going to need to start rotating a bit I feel, Sat/Tue pretty much solid for the next few weeks so barring any postponements it's going to be a right old slog.

6 points off the play offs with 4 in hand puts us in a good position - though we definitely won't play one of those games (Dover)

Yeah, disappointed but not entirely surprised as injuries and a suspension have disrupted us. After we beat Torquay we were top of the form table over 10 games but since then, despite not playing badly (apart from Yeovil when our manager said worst we'd played in 4 years) but not taking chances and getting pipped like last night. Stonewall pen not given to us first half and then he gives one that was pretty soft, then we let a young sub who isnt even fit or up to speed take it,.. guess what he misses. Hancock would have buried that had he been fit.

Moral in the story,.. dont count your chickens, we were looking definites for playoffs and 2 week later we dont.

This year was always about finding our feet again, done that,.. now prepare to progress next season and get into the EFL,... maybe with Chesterfield

 

[Optipez]

14 of our 21 league games have had one or no goals in them. That is real commitment to being boring.

That's not good enough really. Losing Dennis and Thomas has made us a lot weaker up front.

 

[SuperHans]

Ugliest performance under Rowe but still got the 3 points - can't complain.

 

[jacobncfc]

That's of good enough really. Losing Dennis and Thomas has made us a lot weaker up front.

On the other hand, we’ve conceded the joint fewest goals in English professional football with Manchester City, so it wouldn’t take a massive improvement at the other end. Maybe Roberts can do it.

 

[Pinner Stones]

Seems to be a lot of revisionism going on at Wealdstone, Brennan is surely the best manager in your history and then someone with barely any coaching experience comes along and tries to trash his reputation. Looks a bit off to me.

How does Brennan go down as the best manager is our history? In the modern era, Brian Hall (double winner), Allan Batsford (built the double side and only ill health stopped him taking that side further) and Gordon Bartlett (manager for over two decades and took us from RL div 3 to NLS) ahead of him for starters.

 

[#Beebot]

How does Brennan go down as the best manager is our history? In the modern era, Brian Hall (double winner), Allan Batsford (built the double side and only ill health stopped him taking that side further) and Gordon Bartlett (manager for over two decades and took us from RL div 3 to NLS) ahead of him for starters.

OK I'm sure you know your club's history better than I do but winning the NL South title on a pretty modest budget was a brilliant achievement.

Did any of your fans expect a title challenge going into last season? If not then he well exceeded expectations.

 

[#Beebot]

I read a bit of your forum this morning, the knives are well and truly out for Tim Flowers.

I have a feeling that your recently departed manager won't be out of a job for much longer. Flowers is getting more angry and pissed off by the game.

 

[B2TF]

Yeah, disappointed but not entirely surprised as injuries and a suspension have disrupted us. After we beat Torquay we were top of the form table over 10 games but since then, despite not playing badly (apart from Yeovil when our manager said worst we'd played in 4 years) but not taking chances and getting pipped like last night. Stonewall pen not given to us first half and then he gives one that was pretty soft, then we let a young sub who isnt even fit or up to speed take it,.. guess what he misses. Hancock would have buried that had he been fit.

Moral in the story,.. dont count your chickens, we were looking definites for playoffs and 2 week later we dont.

This year was always about finding our feet again, done that,.. now prepare to progress next season and get into the EFL,... maybe with Chesterfield

PRO TIP: Nobody is "definites for the play offs" 1/2 way through the season.

 

[Pinner Stones]

I have a feeling that your recently departed manager won't be out of a job for much longer. Flowers is getting more angry and pissed off by the game.

Rumours are that he’s been sniffing around for a while. In hindsight he should have taken the job when it was offered, as we have been in footballing free fall ever since. We have at least attempted to shore up the defence since he’s left.

 

[Pinner Stones]

OK I'm sure you know your club's history better than I do but winning the NL South title on a pretty modest budget was a brilliant achievement.

Did any of your fans expect a title challenge going into last season? If not then he well exceeded expectations.

DB deserves huge praise for last season. The style of football was fantastic and as good as many of us can remember, but it was ill suited for the NL. He was asked at a pre season meet the manager event whether we could play the same way at the higher level and he was certain it could. We have played naive football, too gung ho, and were sussed out.

Our plan this season was to survive at this level. Nothing more. Remember he walked away and wasn’t sacked.

 

[BornUnderTheElmslie]

OK I'm sure you know your club's history better than I do but winning the NL South title on a pretty modest budget was a brilliant achievement.

Did any of your fans expect a title challenge going into last season? If not then he well exceeded expectations.

It was, achieved by a management TEAM. At the moment, the majority of that management team remain in place at the Stones (including Matt Saunders who was first team coach last season). It will be interesting if Brennan can repeat success on his own.

 

[Aberstone]

I have a feeling that your recently departed manager won't be out of a job for much longer. Flowers is getting more angry and pissed off by the game.

I hope he does get a good gig in the future - he'll also have Gary King and Kirk Rayment alongside him who were with us last season and I'll wish the 3 of them all the best in whatever role they land.

How long is TF's contract, I seem to recall it was a 2 and a half year deal penned back in December but maybe it was 18 months again? Just wondering whether or not Kleanthous would be prepared to pay out another contract this season.

How does Brennan go down as the best manager is our history? In the modern era, Brian Hall (double winner), Allan Batsford (built the double side and only ill health stopped him taking that side further) and Gordon Bartlett (manager for over two decades and took us from RL div 3 to NLS) ahead of him for starters.

Brian Hall and Allan Batsford were both ahead of my time, isn't it the latter who has the greatest winning percentage in the club's history? I know he was revered at Wimbledon too.