MotM: 09-10-21 Brackley Town (H) Freemantle

[Mac]

Agree with you there as these part time teams are way too good for us lol. Maybe we should all donate an additional £10 on top of the top dollar admission price + surcharges we already pay in order to catch them up? I am sure Penn knows a few over the hill brummies to pay good money and draft in and give 3 yr contracts to.

Will not be predicting an easy 3 nil in a long while lol.

[Edgar T Peaceful]

Interesting how some find the chanting utterly disagreeable when it is part and parcel of the banter up and down the country. To those that disagree why wait until you get home to speak out? Why not intervene? or was that cucumber sandwich you ate in the East Stand to tasty at the time? Maybe you are the ones that should find a different sport instead?

Try making your point without ad hominem attacks. You know nothing about me, and you don't represent football culture any more than I do.

[Sheffield Harrier]

They turned up and paid their hard earned money. Do you want them to stay at home instead?

Yes, if they're going to sing 'we're f'ing shit' at the players while there's a match still going on. By all means moan about it afterwards.

Exactly. Wouldn’t be the same bunch singing how shit we are who we’re singing about winning the league when we beat York, or off to Wembley when we beat Khalsa and Ware.

Yes, I know football is fickle, football fandom is fickle. It doesn’t have to be stupid though. A fan is a supporter. Clues in the word. Jeez Louise

Think we can safely rule out Wembley and try and work on what the fans actually sang today and why they sang it. It is no good polishing a turd. We were shit today! Being a fan does not mean you also have to be a mug and have to sit in silence when you are being woefully let down. If you pay for steak and chips you do not expect cold beans on toast. If you are served crap you speak out.

Interesting how some find the chanting utterly disagreeable when it is part and parcel of the banter up and down the country. To those that disagree why wait until you get home to speak out? Why not intervene? or was that cucumber sandwich you ate in the East Stand to tasty at the time? Maybe you are the ones that should find a different sport instead?

I've watched a lot of football up and down this land. Chanting that your team is shit is not part of banter. It's embarrassing.

[harry211]

Come on Mac. There's having a different opinion and there's being contrarian just to prove a point. Agree that it seems a poor performance when there's a slight bumper crowd - but hat sort of chanting is the sort of thing you sing when you're well gone at the bottom of the table - not on a small cup run and mid table after 9 games.

Booing them off at full time as a verdict is one thing, this is very different during the game. Childish stuff.

Good post by Garth. Let's hope we can turn it around - but also suspect big changes are needed.

[Mac]

Harry, the guys chanting are being let down and have been consistently let down for many seasons. Like it or lump it many of them travel both home and away and pay to help the club profit. Losing to part time teams regularly when you are a so called full time professional outfit is a bitter pill for many to take. If the team entertained and play the way we expect them to the chants are very proactive. Surely you have heard these chants too?

Cup run lol - We beat nobody yet and Ware away should not have required a replay at all. We must not forget the recent upsets against Stamford, Halesowen and Stourbridge which again put fuel on the upset and hurt many supporters are feeling right now. The way the team is performing needs rectifying not criticising fans for telling the club their feelings.

The only way to put a halt to the derogatory chants is for the team to perform in manner those paying top dollar prices expect. Idiotic posts saying these club assets should keep their money and stay away is lunacy. The ball sits firmly in the hands of the RP right now to sort the team out so winning becomes a habit and not losing.

[harriershane]

I’m only gonna bite on the cup run point. Yes, we should’ve got the job done first time at Ware. But to your point of not beating anyone, let me say this:

As I’m sure you know, in Q2 and 3, we are among the highest ranked sides in those rounds. By definition, it’s heavily odds against that we will draw someone above us, therefore making it night on impossible to, as you call it, “beat somebody”. Now in Q4, yes Step 1 come in, but there are still far more teams below us than above us. Perhaps contact the FA and ask for a redraw if you’re not happy at playing inferior opposition?
Now if we do get into R1 and draw a league club are you going to slag the team for not beating a “somebody” because we’re a full time vs another full time. Plus the fact, it’s the first time at this stage since 2017, so yeah it would constitute a cup run, albeit small at the minute, would it not?

Come on Mac, I understand you don’t have the most positive outlook on things, I understand you’re frustrated but come on, even you must realise some of what you say is silly at times.

[Mac]

Going to bite on Ware and Sporting Khalsa constituting a cup run? With respect to both these teams they are much weaker teams playing in much lower leagues. Full time professional outfits surely would see both these games as a bye and an opportunity to rest players and still win by a big margin? If for whatever reason you see these opponents as being tricky or on the same level of the team that would be stupid. The team won but many would argue we were far from convincing against these much inferior opponents.

The benchmark we should be taking right now is comparing us against other teams demanding around £20 to watch and getting gates just below 2000. If we do this comparison the club is under achieving and has been for too long now!

Brackley £13 and 500 attendance and they won with a canter. Not good when you compare is it?

I do have a positive look as I do expect to see this team playing and challenging in the NL in the future when it is being managed correctly. Surely this expectation should be the focus of RP, every player, every club official and every spectator?

You might like your cold beans on toast instead of steak and chips right now but I don't.

[harriershane]

Mac, you’re somewhat obsessed with entry prices. You feel it’s high, understandable and you have a point.

But to use comparative prices and attendances, ie off pitch, as a barometer for on pitch?

I’ll humour it. Courtesy of the non league paper:

3199 in at York
1554 in at Spennymoor
1305 in at Dartford
3334 in at Dulwich Hamlet
1382 in at Havant
2382 in at Maidstone

Those step 2 attendances are higher than, at Step 1:

Altrincham - 2091
Boreham Wood - 1111
Dover - 885
Kings Lynn - 1009
Wealdstone - 1267

So, because those 6 have had higher attendances they should be kicking up a stink that they’re not at Step 1?

My point? Attendances are not a barometer.

817 in at Stourbridge. That’s just under double Farsley, more than Guiseley and just under Gloucester. Should be in our league then?

Former EPL clubs in L1&2 have higher attendances and are “bigger clubs” than some in the Champ/Prem. Automatically put them back there then?

Full time professionals see playing lower games as a bye. Ask Peterborough about that last season (Chorley). This is what football is. It’s not on paper, you know this. Size doesn’t matter, otherwise your FGRs would still be rotting in regional leagues.

I just don’t get the whole “we average triple their attendance therefore we have a divine right to win”. It’s just not an argument

[sandman]

Brackley must be bankrolled? It sounds like the performance was not good enough but I don't feel we're at the same level as Brackley unfortunately so not the most surprising of defeats. It is another argument against us being full-time with having a small squad. We are now mid-table which is where I think we will end up. Boston, Hereford, Telford and certainly Southport fans might have more reason for complaint than us but of course it is frustrating to be seemingly stagnating in this division. It is not easy to see how we can progress by staying full-time and doing the same things. We just have to hope RP and JOC really get a grip of it, come up with a winning formula and sneak us into the play-offs.

[TWG85]

Brackley must be bankrolled?

Brackley are. yeah. They've got a benefactor who lives in America. Just takes the hit every season, I think.

[pershoreharrier]

One of those matches where you have to put up your hands and say we we beaten by a team who were higher quality, more physical, better focussed and more organised.
Over and above that, the game encapsulated for me the ongoing issues we have existing in NLN that need addressing if we are ever to progress.

The game again highlighted the fact that when chasing a game we are incapable of breaking down two defensive lines of four. This was an issue in 2015 under Eustace, and which successive coaches still havent resolved.
Our best player this season by far -Berjami- was also made to look decidedly average by a seasoned burly veteran like Ndlov, who I'd swop for AMS in an instant. The NLN spawns players that suit the league with specific -if limited- talents. These players are in demand and in short supply. We havent enough of them.
We play too much football, in the mistaken assumption total football will get out of this pub league. As Brackley showed, functional, well drilled simplicity trumps "the right way". We still havent learnt this lesson.

The match also for me puts to bed the notion that KHFC at present are serious candidates for first or second phase play off places.
The likes of Fylde, Brackley and Gateshead all prove the 'Lane era' as yet is no more progressive than the 'Gordon era', and that without serious investment and more astute player recruitment mid-table is our expected domain for the forseeable future.....with a FA Cup or Trophy run an enjoyable distraction.

Totally agree garthrocket - Brackley barely had to engage second gear to win the game with a professional ease that if that is their average standard will see them win this league. Fylde and Gateshead are good - Brackley much better in my opinion based on yesterday's showing.

I still think we can finish in the play-offs but progress to the NL is highly unlikely. The squad is clearly a work in progress and to reach the standard Brackley showed is going to need a huge amount of work over several seasons I would suggest.

[Medieval]

Brackley must be bankrolled?

Brackley are. yeah. They've got a benefactor who lives in America. Just takes the hit every season, I think.

I am getting more & more concerned that the only teams who escape this division will be bankrolled. Much cheaper bankrolling at this level then Prem. so more millionaires can chose to do it. Makes no difference what our crowd is or FT vs PT, bankrolling is the main difference.

As for the game, plan b needed, also, why did we not just try balls over the top?

[TWG85]

[TWG85]

Brackley must be bankrolled?

Brackley are. yeah. They've got a benefactor who lives in America. Just takes the hit every season, I think.

I am getting more & more concerned that the only teams who escape this division will be bankrolled. Much cheaper bankrolling at this level then Prem. so more millionaires can chose to do it. Makes no difference what our crowd is or FT vs PT, bankrolling is the main difference.

As for the game, plan b needed, also, why did we not just try balls over the top?

tbf, I'm not sure they've got a big budget. Just enough to compensate for their crowds and compete. And I wouldn't worry too much about not being bankrolled. The likes of Altrincham, Chorley gives you hope.....I'm not sure how much Stephen Cleeve has covered King's Lynn, though they apparently had a relatively big budget in this league.

And if we're being honest, the chances of getting out of the league are minimal anyway. With one automatic promotion spot and a farce of a six team play-off system, where you potentially have to win three one-off games. It's a complete lottery. There's a helluva lot of luck involvement.

But as fans you have to have hope. Otherwise we all meres well stay home.

[HarrierN2]

Brackley must be bankrolled?

Brackley are. yeah. They've got a benefactor who lives in America. Just takes the hit every season, I think.

I am getting more & more concerned that the only teams who escape this division will be bankrolled. Much cheaper bankrolling at this level then Prem. so more millionaires can chose to do it. Makes no difference what our crowd is or FT vs PT, bankrolling is the main difference.

As for the game, plan b needed, also, why did we not just try balls over the top?

Yeah, if things clearly aren't working you might as well get Bell on and start bombarding balls into their box. At 1-0 down I can understand sticking to principles, but not at 2-0 when nothing is working.