The Lounge

[Devon Womble]

Fascinating… Neil Cox reporting that “the players” have been ringing in to voice their opinion on Saturday’s disaster.
Apparently there’s a great spirit between manager and players though…. clearly this is (not) the case methinks?

[Colum]

The Northampton result was the worst performance I’ve seen in a long long time. Sure they were helped by some horrendous decisions by the officials. From the moment that blatant dive won them a penalty, we were doomed. Northampton did what they did best. Time wasting and committing petty foul after petty foul. When LTB was booked for taking a free kick too early, and Fuller was penalised for taking a quick throw in, only to be told that he wasn’t far enough forward by the referee, you knew this was going to be a painful afternoon.

The officials aside, we never looked like getting back in the game. We were lucky to draw level once, and never looked likely to repeat the feat. If it wasn’t for the Bury defeat you could put this one down to a one off. The trouble is with three lost games on the trot, you can’t. If Rochdale win against the scum tonight and we lose against Plymouth, we’re back in the relegation zone.

Sacking our management at this stage of the season wouldn’t achieve very much. We’ve shown we can win, and win well. We can get ourselves out of this mess, but it needs us all to stick together and believe.

I saw a post today from a fan would suggested that if you’d told him back in May 2002 that we’d be 20th in League One, be above the scum, and have a new stadium being built back in Plough Lane, he’d have bitten your hand off.

Yes we may go down, but would that really be the end of the world? No of course not. It is a reality that with our playing budget, we will always be up against it. Neal Ardley has done a good job to date with limited funds. It would be unreasonable to expect him to continually work miracles. Sooner or later our finances are likely to catch up with us.

[Windlesham Don]

I have a really bad feeling about tonight’s match. The vibe coming from the club management is not good and a couple of times on Saturday players were arguing with each other and with the bench.

Either we will produce a performance out of the blue, like at Scunthorpe last season, or we could take a pasting from an in form Plymouth side.

If we do lose and lose poorly then the knives will truly be out for the management. IMO for things not to get very difficult at the club then we need to win one of the next two matches…

[Devon Womble]

Well, the widespread expectation proved correct.
From what I saw on ifollow’s jerky efforts, most of our defensive woes boil down to the fact that with eight and often all ten players defending, everyone expected someone else to tackle the opposition player bearing down on our goal. Thus, as they were busy looking at each other, the pass would be made to an unmarked player and the ball would be in the back of the net; Dons players eyes merely following the ball as they stayed rooted to the spot.
Elsewhere, we may be thankful for LTB’s efforts but frankly the only time he delivers is when he’s in front of the goal, vis a vis his excellently poached goal off of a rebound. His set piece delivery abilities are woeful.

As to what to make of this sorry affair, I can only refer to one wag on Facebook who posted that we played our best football in January because everybody thought they might lose their place to one of NA’s recruitment targets, and that now that risk was over they could go back to cruise mode.
If I be my cynical best therefore, I’d have to say that this might be nearer the truth than we dare think and explain the sudden reversal of fortune… in which case, it only adds to my belief that NA has become too soft on the players, is too naive, too limited in tactical awareness, and frankly, has now lost his ability to manage what he referred to as the best squad we’ve ever had.
While I will be gracious enough to admit that he has achieved much for the club and will find his place in the Hall of Fame, I think it time to move on.
As to who might replace him, well, that’s a whole new post.

[MacWomble]

M K Dons’ new manager is not exactly doing them a lot of good. I doubt there is a decent and new manager out there, and certainly not one that the club could afford. The fat lady has not sung yet, so there is hope. I think we will have to resign ourselves to riding the rollercoaster with The Gaffer and his team of underperformers for the rest of the season. During the Summer maybe we can toughen them up with some stadium bricklaying courtesy of the Vinnie Jones School of Hod Carrying and Aggression. When is this darn stadium ever going to materialise – a story that never seems to end.

[Windlesham Don]

Fair to say that today’s match is vital to us. I don’t subscribe to the ‘must win’ view, but I feel it is important to avoid defeat and to play well. Another defeat and confidence could be shot. Another defeat in the manner of Bury or Northampton and we are doomed. We need to tighten up the defence and do what we were doing in January. A run of conceding 2,2,3 and 4 is only heading in one direction and the finish line is League 2!
As ever, I want Trotter to be benched, but as ever it isn’t going to happen. I also think that Pigott is finding the step up to League 1 tough and I’d like to see McDonald return to the starting line up. I’d play Parrett instead of the lumbering Trotter.

Today starts a run of 4 home games in 5 matches. If we can pick up 8 or 9 points from these 5 then the table will look much rosier.

It is time to end the ‘group hugs’ and group discussions. It is time for every player to role his sleeves up and give 100% to the cause.

COYD!!

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