Eastleigh v Braintree

[hantslondoner]

After a two-week break (thanks to FA Cup failure) we have another home game that given league positions we should win but obviously there are concerns over our recent form and style of play.

It will be an interesting clash at the Irons have old boys Messrs. Langston and Clampin in their squad- the former was unlucky not be offered a contract extension here, IMO.

With players like Covolan, Vennings, Lisbie, Effiong and Akinde also in their squad (they all started in the 4-2 win v West Ham U21s in the Mickey-Mouse cup, in itself a decent result) you could argue that they're underachieving, so this could be a tricky game. 
Also the fact that a squad like this is fourth bottom may show that, like last season, it's a very competitive league and we need to stay away from the lower reaches of the table.
The good news is we already have about 40% of the points needed for safety. 
 

[efc21]

Eastleigh 1 Braintree 2


2024-25 TEAM SHEET - BRAINTREE TOWN - HOME.pdf (162.54 KB)

[spitfiresteve]

What an awful performance. Even Joe McDonnell not excused from that one and not for parrying the ball in for the first goal, but for being way too slow in his distribution. But then the team is rubbish at being switched on. Way too much long ball again - almost always a waste as we often don't win the first ball and rarely win the 2nd. This is starting to feel so much like the Martin Allen era, and that almost ended up with us being relegated. I thought this was meant to be a project- most projects have a plan - I can't see one at present. The communication between the club and the fans is awful too. No more developments on the ground - no sign of a roof being put in on the bars under the South stand. And as for the management of the minutes silence today... I am absolutely fuming.

[Will]

Same comments as the Boston game, copy and paste. Anyone who doesn't think this is a relegation side as things stand is simply delusional. Easily the dourest Eastleigh team I can remember in the six or so years I've been attending - no spark, no fluidity, no hunger. Just mindless hoofball. Time to end the KD experiment.

(and yes the Remembrance tribute was an absolute shambles, embarrassing)

[hantslondoner]

Hopefully this is the low point in the season.

It started with the Remembrance Day cockup off the pitch, and, on the pitch, it got worse from there. The standard from both teams at times was well below NL level.

The second half was just shocking - Braintree were poor too, but eventually realised we were there for the taking (unlike Boston), put a bit of pressure on, and... two goals. Both terrible. Joe was already down when their header went into the ground and over his hand, and the defending for the long throw was poor too. I see Macca's been 'credited' with that one as an own goal.

One good thing was that Gape started (if you see my previous posts I've been astounded that we signed an experienced central midfielder on loan and haven't played him) and, surprise, surprise, he provided a stable platform for our two other midfielders to got forward and support McCallum (Maguire was a no show today - perhaps he's better coming off the bench at the moment?), but unfortunately they weren't up to it today.
Then, when we were looking to win the game, the management took Gape off (maybe he wasn't ready for 90 mins not having played yet) and sent out three defenders. Two of them played in midfield against Boston and that didn't work, so why repeat it today?
Good to see Joe Ryan come on, I've seen him for Colden Common and he's an undoubted talent, but he only got five minutes and I don't think anyone gave him the ball.

In the Boston thread usspitfire was asking if KD has three games to turn it round - well, there's one of them well and truly gone today.

[usspitfire]

Nov 9, 2024 18:16:30 GMT hantslondoner said:

.....In the Boston thread usspitfire was asking if KD has three games to turn it round - well, there's one of them well and truly gone today.

I think I was being over generous giving him 3 games. I think it's time for him to pack his bags! 
Not because we only picked up 1 point from 6 at home against teams in the bottom 4, but because the team are going backwards and he seems powerless, or clueless on how to turn things around.

We started off the season playing attractive attacking football but now seem so scared of losing we resemble the dark Bradbury days.

[hey55]

We looked dodgy for the first 10 minutes with a shocking kick out by Mc donnel who seems to have lost his confidence, but we got through that and were rewarded with a stunning run and strike from Shade, plus his acrobatic display celebrating the goal.
I thought we were going to take the came by the scruff of the neck, especially as Braintree looked nothing going forward, and we appeared to switch off and go to sleep.
The second half was dire, we looked like the bottom 4 side, the substitutions were amazing, why did Fernandez go off he didn`t look injured, nor did Gape, to do that at only 1.0 up shows KD doesn`t have any plan, and certainly doesn`t have the players to improve that sorry squad.
Our days as a National side are truly numbered, shocking just shocking!

[hey55]

To put this situation into context, KD has not recruited a full squad, we are sorely missing a proper forward running and even a defensive midfield, to take this club forward.
He may have been successful with the Saints under 21`s but he didn`t go out and find them, the Saints experienced scouts found and signed them, KD was the organiser on a week to week basis.
Therefore left to his own devices he has not achieved, and has really missed the importance of the full team approach, and we are witnessing that over the last 8 games.
What happens now ? Can we hold on for the January window, or will we be too far adrift ??

[unknownquantity]

Although we are still in the top half of the table with as many wins as losses I think the result on Saturday gave more cause for concern than the Boston result.

At least against Boston we seemingly rallied well with only 10 men on the field and earned a point, and could factor in that having a goal lead gave Boston something to hold on to and that Boston's away form was better than their away form.

On Saturday we took the initiative through taking the lead against a team that prior to Saturday had only taken 2 points from 8 away league games and then surrendered it with our manager saying we could not match their energy levels in the second half despite the fact that we should be relatively fresh having not played for two weeks.

The non-league paper actually awarded the man of the match to a Braintree player we let go at the end of the last season and who had some involvement in their winning goal.

[hey55]

If we cannot match the second half energy levels of a bottom 4 team we are doomed,on a happier note a lot of the players we signed in the summer appear to have hardly played, the guy we got from Paetick,l think, has loads of energy and pace, why not use him and stop playing the slow ones

[hey55]

If we cannot match the second half energy levels of a bottom 4 team we are doomed,on a happier note a lot of the players we signed in the summer appear to have hardly played, the guy we got from Paetick,l think, has loads of energy and pace, why not use him and stop playing the slow ones