Dorking Wandering
The Dorking Wanderers FC Fans Forum
Rather than using all the match threads, let's put injury crisis discussion in one location.
Current injuries and expected returns:
Brennan Camp (Shoulder) - 8-10 weeks
George Francomb (Groin) - ~1 week
Jordan Norville-Williams (Hamstring) - Unknown but can be anywhere from a few days to a few weeks
Callum Kennedy (???) - ???
Jimmy Muitt (Calf) - ~1 week
Seb Bowerman (Hamstring) - ~1 week
Bobby-Joe Taylor (Suspended) - 1 more match
Josh Taylor (Foot) - Unknown
Luke Moore (MCL) - 6-8 weeks
Aaron Kuhl (MCL) - 6-8 weeks
Jason Prior (Knee) - 1-2 weeks
Rhys Murphy (Groin) - 1-2 weeks
James McShane (ACL) - 2+ months
Which leaves just the 9 fit senior players currently...
Harrison Foulkes
Barry Fuller
Tony Craig
Dan Gallagher
Matt Briggs
Niall McManus
Dan Pybus
Charlie Carter
Alfie Rutherford
Surely time for some loans? Memphis Depay is available on a free, let's see if he fancies the NLS.
@matthewpont Memphis Depay and Anthony Martial up top in the NLS 😍
It is clear that club will struggle to make the playoffs this season with the amount of injuries. The fans need to continue to support whoever wears the shirt.
Most professional teams have a few players that are prone to injuries but generally release them at the end of the contract. Dorking tend to give them new contracts which is unfortunately one of the reasons we have so many injured, as there are lot of players that get 2-3 injuries a year.
Marc does not seem keen to add to the squad or bring loan players in which indicates to me the money is very tight. His only option therefore is to bring in players from the B team, and hopefully some will do the team proud.
This was an entirely predictable situation to be in.
Since the first game of the season, has Jason Prior looked fit? Who is passing him to play consistently when he clearly is not fit? And if he is in that kind of shape at his age, don't be surprised when he finally does break down.
Luke Moore if you offered him out to the entire NLS would there be any takers? I am sure he can do a job still a level or 2 down though.
And two of the new signings in Camp and Murphy, what did the fans of those clubs say about them when we signed them? Injury prone.
And just WTF is Callum Kennedy doing in the squad? Answers on a postcard please. His skills must be being utilised off the pitch.
When professional clubs look at their squads, they assess previous serious injuries. The ages of the players, number of injuries, and games played.
The club has gone beyond a few mates playing football and going down the pub which is what Mark talks about a lot. Although he has brought down the average of the squad, he is not being ruthless enough with who he retains or diligent enough with signings. This is his money and his investors money, so its up to him. But I am sure he is burning inside right now at the current situation.
Lets hope that some of these B team lads can step up. It is about time some of the younger lads were given a chance and on another note its bizarre that he did not blood any of them over the past 3 seasons.
Should add that McManus is 1 yellow card away from a 1 match ban so that is another player guaranteed to be missing in one of these upcoming matches 😆
@jacksonfairweather I don't think Camp was necessarily considered injury prone as such, it was more that he had suffered one significant injury (ACL) and missed most of the previous season. You can't really account for people falling awkwardly and dislocating their shoulder, that is just bad luck.
I agree the Murphy signing was too much of a risk though. With his injury record and our pitch, I don't think it was a risk worth taking, especially as I am sure his wages are fairly high. I do wonder if there is a thought to only starting him for grass pitch away games and not the 3G ones.
Other than the home matches, how many more 3G pitches do we have to play on this season? Horsham, Maidstone, Slough, Worthing, Hemel Hempstead, are there any others?
I agree the Murphy signing was too much of a risk though. With his injury record and our pitch, I don't think it was a risk worth taking, especially as I am sure his wages are fairly high. I do wonder if there is a thought to only starting him for grass pitch away games and not the 3G ones.
I asked exactly that at the shareholders meeting before the start of the season and Marc said it was not the case at all, and that when we signed Murphy it was with the intention he was to be used half the time, but was never the intention to not use him on our 3G pitch for home games
Whilst there were some very interesting things shared at the shareholders meeting which we were asked to and I will keep 100% confidential, I don't think it is at all unreasonable to share this little bit of info.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
@dorking-eagle I wonder if Marc's mindset has changed on that point after his early injury this season.
Feels like it would make sense to start Rutherford and Prior for the home games (and use Murphy late on if required) and then Murphy and Rutherford/Prior for the grass away matches. Would be a good way of rotating the strikers and keeping them fresh as well.
That is what I would do, when they are all fully fit (or as fit as can be)
Right now though, my mood around all things DWFC has lifted enormously having seen the glorious range of merch available in the upgraded online shop. Going to have to try and control my spending later lol
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
@jacksonfairweather I don't think Camp was necessarily considered injury prone as such, it was more that he had suffered one significant injury (ACL) and missed most of the previous season. You can't really account for people falling awkwardly and dislocating their shoulder, that is just bad luck.
I agree the Murphy signing was too much of a risk though. With his injury record and our pitch, I don't think it was a risk worth taking, especially as I am sure his wages are fairly high. I do wonder if there is a thought to only starting him for grass pitch away games and not the 3G ones.
Other than the home matches, how many more 3G pitches do we have to play on this season? Horsham, Maidstone, Slough, Worthing, Hemel Hempstead, are there any others?
Yes but on the Camp situation. Professional clubs when they do an assessment of whether to sign a player or not, or offer them a new contract.
Assess have they had a serious injury keeping them out for 12 months, often leads to other injuries not necessarily in the same area. We can call this unlucky or whatever, but it’s a key criteria professional clubs use.
It’s simply a fact that once certain players get serious injuries they suffer other ones once they start playing again. That shown by statistical facts. Some end up dropping down levels to play regular football.
The Murphy signing was bizarre, considering that out of the 3 senior strikers one of them is JP9. Another striker who is in advanced years and now always injured. But clearly adept at passing “fitness tests” for weeks on end whilst injured.
Blaming this all on 3G is a bit weak. Many other clubs have 3G at this level and one higher, and some of them made it to league 2 with them.
Our 3G is one of the very worst I have ever seen though (up there with Whyteleafe's which is utterly awful). Aveley's (brand new) was great to be fair. Our's gets a load of rubber dumped on it every couple of years whether it needs it or not, to the point it is too deep in the black crumb.
"Why would I leave to join a League Two club? We're going there anyway!" - Marc White
Our 3G is one of the very worst I have ever seen though (up there with Whyteleafe's which is utterly awful). Aveley's (brand new) was great to be fair. Our's gets a load of rubber dumped on it every couple of years whether it needs it or not, to the point it is too deep in the black crumb.
The sooner it is ripped up and replaced the better as far as I am concerned.
No one is disputing that the pitch is terrible. It does not offer a consistent surface, and the rubber crumbs required are clearly a scam in order to keep the revenue flowing for the company that scammed Mark into installing it in the first place.