The Lounge

[Colum]

Agree 100% Cape Cod. You weren’t at the game on Friday, but there were a sizable minority of our fans singing, “You’re not fit to wear the shirt” for about the last ten minutes – until we scored that was. Plus some fans showed their frustration to the players as they came over after the game. That was probably the straw that broke the camel’s back.

[Devon Womble]

Well, so long Mr NA. You did give us some good times and some great times and despite my frequent frustrations with your methods and decisions, you will be respected as the man that got us to L1. But I also think you probably did more to our internal structure than we may ever know. If you have a crowning achievement in your time with us then, I suspect, it is that we are now a professional football club.

Going forward, I hope Bassey is given some time to demonstrate his abilities. He has been understudy forever and must know every trick and method there is. My gut feel is that under his management, even if temporary, we will see much more blood and guts performances. I think he will drive hard for that ‘pride in the shirt’ thing he stands for. I think his team selections will be ruthless (they need to be). And I think the players will respond to him… he will, after all, not be a known pair of comfy slippers for them to wear now that he is free to stamp his own claim on the job. I’m actually behind him.

[liamwimbo]

Must admit I was more surprised at the news than I should be. I thought the board were going to stick by him through thick and thin, but then again maybe he had his own mind set by the end.
Like Dave Anderson and Terry Brown before him, he brought the club forward and for that, we should be grateful. I hope he will be made welcome back at KM like those two, and even more importantly at New Plough Lane. To use a cliché, he left the club in a better position than when he arrived.
And of course the current squad shares some if not a lot of the blame for our current position. But as usual the buck stops with the manager and we have to accept that.
So thanks to you, Neal, for all your efforts. That day out at Wembley will long live in my memory, and for that alone you should be proud of what you have achieved.
Hopefully now is the time for all Dons fans to pull together and support both the new manager and the players in the months ahead.
COYDs

[Colum]

I for one would like to see him offered the opportunity to say goodbye properly at a home game. The treatment he got from a small minority at the end of the game last Friday was nothing short of appalling. He deserves so much more than that.

[Singapore Don]

Oh dear, we really are in serious trouble. Our current players are clearly just not good enough. They lack the fight, the passion, the staying power to overcome adversity. We miss the experience and leadership of Charles and Fuller at the back, the buzzing energy and grittiness of Reeves and Bulman in midfield, and the prowess and power up front of Taylor, Elliott or Akinfenwa. We are a poor, poor team of not very good individuals, distinctly lacking any quality or character. The Doncaster defeat doesn’t hurt because expectations are zero, so there’s no hope to kill any more. I pity the manager who has to come in and turn this around – a thankless job. If he (or she?) does miraculously keep us up, they will become a new Dons hero. It’s hard not to think right now that a relegation on their CV is more likely.

[MacWomble]

Come back Ardley. I’m a bit surprised that the club let him go. I doubt anyone else can save us. We can blame managers all we want, but surely the players must also face the music. I doubt Bassey is the Great White Hope. He has been around enough to stamp his authority as well, and we are nowhere. I wonder if the next gaffer will be tempted by a larger salary, or if we will be hunting in the ponds of the ultra-low leagues? It sure is going to be a rollercoaster ride for the rest of the season, as surely we cannot be bead in the water in November? Also, from the posts, it sounds over the years as though some of the AFC ‘fans’ are continually moving away from the ethos of what the club is meant to be about: family, crazy gang, persistence, facing hurdles, etc. Behaving like yobs just because your crap team in a crap league underperforms is too obvious and not what Wimbledon means.

[Author]

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