Tonbridge (H)

[Tony]

Is Chic Botley still available?

[TW3 Beaver]

No Post Match interview.

Interesting.

[Lord Elpus]

Is Chic Botley still available?

Botley...great example of a case in point. Pretty good in.his first spell, made some astute signings and made us quite a force to be reckoned with in the Isthmian League. Then our Glorious Leader/Chairman decided he'd be good for a return to steady the ship after some similar "wilderness" years such as those Dowson has recently experienced. Some of the football Botley's sides served up in that second period was truly awful and he ended up being sacked.

[Lord Elpus]

No Post Match interview.

Interesting.

Personally I wouldn't read too much into that. Yet. Sometimes this season the social media has appeared the next day, especially after an evening game.

[BevereeMaster]

Is Chic Botley still available?

Careful! He might try forging the relegation paperwork again!

[Sparky]

I for one would be very sad to see Jules go. He seems a decent chap, and he was handed a very difficult job. Having to assemble a completely new squad each year must have been a nightmare.

That being said, there's a pattern emerging. We start the season really well, playing some very good football. But as the season goes on we lose our way and end up clinging on.

The conclusion I draw from that is that Jules and their staff know their stuff. But something they're doing, or not doing, is leading to a big fall-off during the season. Seems a bit early to blame a lot of fixtures, so it's not that. Injuries, well yes, but don't get players in with an injury record.

Is it that other teams see our tactics and work us out? Maybe. After playing out from the back earlier, and relying on movement and passing, somebody seems to have hit the panic button and switched to fast, long balls.

What do you guys think has happened?

[RogerB]

As for not taking on injury-prone players, I don't think we had much option. The Petruzzos held out so long before selling that players without injury records had already been snapped up by other clubs.
As for what's gone wrong, I do wonder if squad morale has taken a few knocks. The way the arrival of Mike Atkinson was greeted by our social media teams as if it was the second coming of the Messiah cannot have helped. The mysterious departure of James Holden who seemed to have been an integral part of squad togetherness at the start of the season points to possible problems behind the scenes. Then there's the Rohan Ince saga!!

[Tony]

In truth, we are pretty much where we thought we would be in the league when the new squad was revealed in the summer. Recruitment was made very difficult given the time it took to exit the Petruzzos and the gamble we took on Ince and Greg-Cox hasn't paid off.And yes, we have been very unlucky with injuries which has resulted in a number of loans coming in to plug the gap, mostly younger inexperienced players that haven't been able to prevent the losing streak. Players returning from injury probably still need time to get back to their best so I have sympathy for the management team and the predicament they have found themselves in. The Horsham away draw was the first game where automatic first choices were largely available and by all accounts we looked half decent. The real turning point ( if indeed it is that) came with the inexplicably poor performance at Leatherhead in the Trophy and this carried through into the Bath game and last night against Tonbridge. The post Bath comments didn't help matters. The mood in the camp has always been very positive but confidence is a fragile thing and on last night's performance is at a low ebb. I am sure the Chairman's instinct is to back his manager but a loss at Eastbourne and next Tuesday against Totton may make the position untenable. If a change was to be made then the board would need to find someone who was experienced enough to bring in better players, permanent or on loan, and remotivate the current squad. I dare say such a person if they exist would need greater financial backing, and that may not be possible. And if not, what would appointing a new manager achieve?

[EastTerracer]

I doubt Jules's position in under serious threat despite the run of results but I do question some of his decisions. For example, Harry Gardner got the full 90 last night when he looks way off form giving the ball away countless times. What has happened to Alfie Tuck who showed some real quality ?

[Josh2002]

I think it has to be under serious threat, winless in nearly three months sets the alarm bells off at any club, regardless of injuries.