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Ebbsfleet - crunch time

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AdeB
 AdeB
(@adeb)
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So it's a real '6 pointer' on Saturday. I'm going for;

Dorking (1)2 Ebbsfleet (0)2 Blair, Carter

2,020 (381 from Fleet)

I'd be interested to know the style of football Ebbsfleet play, and what line up we might put out to get the best from this one...Tom - over to you!


   
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Gary Pascoe
(@happy-hammers)
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Just listen to the post match interview. IMO no a good interview,  throwing players under the bus. Again IMO that's how you lose changing rooms. 

Players not training properly, what is that all about,  also same goals we are concerning,  doesn't sound like anyone is learning or working on it on the training ground. 

Worrying times. 


   
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Henryp44
(@henryp44)
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Honestly today was so depressing to watch. Same sh*t different day. We are so slow at the back it is a painful to watch at times. 

I hate to be negative but I just don’t see where the wins come from that will be needed to survive this season. As Marc alluded to in his interview our fixtures are incredibly tough and other sides around us have really picked up some big wins. 

We have played 18 games at home this season and have won 5, drawn 2 and lost 11! Included in those 11 defeats are loses to Woking, Fylde, Kidderminster, Oxford, ebbsfleet, Maidenhead and Dagenham. I fear these results will be the deciding factor.

We now play chesterfield at home before 3 away games at Altrincham, maindenhead and Southend. Realistically I can’t see us getting more than 4 points from those games and I fear our position will be even more precarious.

Hopefully I will wake up tomorrow with a renewed sense of positivity. Tonight it feels very bleak indeed

 

This post was modified 8 months ago by Henryp44

   
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TomCalvert
(@calvertskans)
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Groundhog Day, yet again. We should just skip the first half of games and start the second half at 2-1 down every game.

Start the second half well, miss a big chance, have a goal disallowed for offside and then concede a goal on the break. It's the same every week.

Some really poor performances out there today. Josh Taylor really really poor and at fault for the second goal. Hollis is great when the ball is in the air but poor when the ball is on the floor like it was today. Surprised Rutherford started and he offered very little with Prior not far behind him. Bobby-Joe at fault for the 3rd and 4th goals. Not good from TC and now without him for Chesterfield next week. Whisper it quietly but Harrison Male has been really poor in recent weeks...

One positive was Cook who looked good when he came on.

We really miss having fit wingers and I'm just still baffled we haven't signed cover in that area in recent months.

I wonder who Marc was referring to about the training performance on Thursday? The lineup was pretty much as expected so not sure who it could be. Maybe Gallagher as he wasn't in the squad?


   
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Gary Pascoe
(@happy-hammers)
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Just looked at the table and if results go against us on Tuesday then we will be in 23rd. Goal difference is poor again, 2nd worst in the league. 

Not sure why we couldn't of brought in a winger on loan for a month or so. 

Barlow at Eastleigh not playing. 


   
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(@epsomwanderer)
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Yesterday was tough, for me its was really groundhog day, I thought we poor and got pretty much what we deserved. 

After the last home game Marc criticised fans for bolting for the door and not clapping the team off. My train back to epsom is 5.17 so won lose or draw I tend to bolt for the door. But we finished 'early' enough to hang around at the end and team seemed more interested in moaning at the ref than thanking fans. 

I  personally didnt think the ref had a bad game it was niggle through out, as you would expect for 2 teams in that position. The sending off the first card was debatable but the second was unquestionable. The penalty shout on Prior I didn't get a great view of it as I stand at the other end but for me and sorry to blaspheme but for his size he does seem to spend a lot of time on the deck. Also for the record and I cant remember the score at the time but they had a very good shout for a penalty turned down.  

 

BJT first booking for descent (criminal at this level) certainly cost us a goal, he got booked them less than minute later he 2 on 1 should have made better challenge but he couldn't as any error he'd have been off, and they scored from the break!

Still love Harrison, not sure if his size cost us the goal at the free kick @all thoughts welcome. But for the third home game in a row seemed to be the only one that gave a monkeys about not conceding more. Lots of bollockings given out!

 

Positives Carter was a pain in the arse for them all day maybe needs to working on his finishing and Cook looked good when he came on   

 

 


   
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Gary Pascoe
(@happy-hammers)
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Just watched the highlights,  not a good watch, not much to say to be honest.  All been said. 


   
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AdeB
 AdeB
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@epsomwanderer Yep - a good summary there. 

Male is a cracking keeper, no doubt - but the height may be an issue. How tall is he? 5'10 or so? Maybe more?

Disappointed with Prior atm, and I wonder how much longer he can cope with a very physical league, as well as being part time. 

Alfie did little too - not sure what the problem is there, he must be fit, surely?

Maybe the issue is the lack of wingers? Will we even see Briggs again this season, or Bowerman, who was always a constant threat and one of our best and most consistent players.

So many questions atm.


   
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AdeB
 AdeB
(@adeb)
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To add - our players do appear generally tired. Not as sharp as the opposition. Is the part-time thing really hurting us once more?


   
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TomCalvert
(@calvertskans)
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Interestingly, the stats very much in favour of Dorking:

xG: Dorking 2.45 - 1.71 Ebbsfleet 

Possession: Dorking 52% - 48% Ebbsfleet

 

Height very much an issue for Male. He looks shorter than 5'10 to me and I think he saves the first 2 goals if he was a few inches taller.

I also think selling Seager was a big mistake this season. Prior has 1 goal since October, so does Ottaway and Rutherford has 2. Losing McShane has also been a big blow as he really got us ticking in the final 1/3rd at home.

I do think Gallagher should come back in to the side for some of these home games. He shields the back 3 well and will help tighten us up a bit. I don't think that first Ebbsfleet goal happens with him on the pitch.


   
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Baggy
(@baggy)
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Yes, that was a big reality check yesterday. Another team down the bottom coming to Meadowbank and fielding young mobile players trying to play inventive football in the last third. Surprised at the XG, as apart from Carter, I don't recall too many chances created. Ebbsfleet fully deserved their win. 

As said above, same old problems. Team selection was fine apart from Hollis - Cook should play against the mobile, skilful forwards. Too many balls went into the feet of their forwards - Pybus should be there i would think. Gallagher does that job well.  But the playing out from the back was not working. They let TC have the ball and he could do nothing with it. Sad to say that Prior is not mobile enough and contributing enough at the moment, although no-one else wins as much in the air as he does. With the exception of Charlie Carter perhaps, who with Cook was the only positive from the game. 

Not a fan of managers throwing players under the bus in public - he has to work with what he has - but agree with Marc that the fixture list looks pretty daunting. Tough times. 

 


   
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(@georges)
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Depressing day for us all.

My attitude after each defeat this season has been an optimistic "we weren't actually outplayed that much, just the odd mistake cost us", but times that by 20+ games over the course of the season and we just look out of our depth conceding these avoidable goals and not offering enough in attack. There's a good team in these lads, it's just not happening this season.

I'm a big fan of Marc but in his interviews this season if we lose it's someone else's fault and if we scrape a 1-0 win etc then everything is ok. The tactics simply haven't been pragmatic enough this season and the recruitment hasn't worked out. Watched a 21/22 Bunch of Amateurs the other day and, wow, we had an actual midfield back then. I don't think Jason Prior's ability is in question, rather he's now being required to make deep defensive tackles as well play a deeper holding forward role and he's looking worn out doing it, we just need his physical presence in the opposition box and let someone else do the running!

Yesterday our higher xG will be from our close range goal and that brief flurry of chances around the penalty shout in the 2nd half. Ebbsfleet took their goals well but did not put in a 4 goal performance themselves. I thought until their first goal we were looking very positive, until Tony Craig got time on the ball and suddenly all our play kept going back to GK, the game was a slow death from then on. Tom Blair and Bobby Joe on the wings looked dangerous in the first half but rarely saw the ball. Despite costing us a couple of goals and a yellow, Bobby Joe's cross for the assist reminded us what he can do.

At 1-0 up we were sitting 15th in the table, we're not out of the league yet. However the way we folded yesterday I'm now expecting the worst but hoping for the best.

This post was modified 8 months ago 3 times by GeorgeS

   
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(@crawleysth)
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I think will need four, possibly five wins to stay up or four wins and few draws. Still to play 5 out of top 6, so tough fixtures. Maidenhead, Southend, Wealdstone, Rochdale (all away) and Harrlepool home look possible wins, but means will go down to last few games if still surviving.

Never been fan of 3 at back (Crawley play this way too). Only if defenders fit and mobile plus defensive midfielder helps out, but leaves you open to pacy wingers, or two attacking central midfielders. Not sure what Marc means by had extra defender because Ebsfleet play 3-5-2, surely that means 2 of 5 in midfield will be wingers which mean it is 4 against 3 not 3 v 2.

If going to stay up, feel will have to switch to 4 at back and win ugly at times like done away recently. Not scoring enough to win well, and most wingers injured so may have to play a different way to survive.

 


   
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Dorking Eagle
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Posted by: @happy-hammers

 

Not sure why we couldn't of brought in a winger on loan for a month or so. 

 

 

Pure guesswork but I think we are absolutely skint Gary. Marc mentioned on a BoA episode I watched a week ago about us being half a million quid over budget which he would have to find. He's more than once rued going out the FA Cup so meekly, which was a financial disaster.

And he has several off field projects he really would like to see done - buying the Meadowbank freehold being really important so we're not basically subsidizing Surrey FA's activities

 

"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White


   
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SDDWFC
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@dorking-eagle staying in the NL is so important to the off field commercial side of the club’s business #GoesWitboutSaying I know 🤔 

‘We’re the red and white army’ 🐔 ⚽️


   
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SDDWFC
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@calvertskans I agree re Dan G … I always think we look more solid defensively when he plays … he hasn’t had much game time recently 🤔 

Dan G and Joe Cook back in the team will surely make us more solid and also a bit of pace relatively speaking 

‘We’re the red and white army’ 🐔 ⚽️


   
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