This brief interlude from league action at approximately its third way checkpoint - as the FA Cup momentarily seized focus with the retrospectively ironic possibility of some desperately-needed escapism - feels like an opportune time to deconstruct our progress thus far... or rather lack thereof.
For it has been simply disastrous, illustrated by our positioning within the dreaded bottom four alongside the National League North's promoted duo AFC Fylde and Kidderminster Harriers, plus perennial strugglers Maidenhead United, around whom our company is neither put of place nor misaligned with all performance metrics. Quite simply, we are where we deserve to be, having played enough games for the table to hold credibility. Case in point, that the bottom four this time last year contained three of the sides who eventually went down in Maidstone United, Scunthorpe United and Torquay United, while the other, Yeovil Town, were just outside. Gateshead, in 22nd, were the anomaly we must seek to emulate although I'm not convinced whether there are the necessarily the requisite tools to do so. Whether a survival battle does ensue, one must wait and see, but it's certainly not fear-mongering to suggest the possibility on all evidence so far. Primarily the 'Goals Scored' column, which is of staggeringly stark contrast to previous years when our potency at finding the net would frequency mask the deficiencies at the other end. They are now been somewhat resolved, with our tally of 20 conceded actually lower than league leaders Chesterfield, although still more than we can muster in response thus a recipe for us narrowly losing games by fine margins. However, when these repeat so regularly, they polarise in the grander scheme, hence how things are. The obvious rebuttal and source of encouragement against all this is the fact there have been strong spells among virtually every performance - we did a real job on Barnet, had Chesterfield worried for 70 minutes, plus merited a point against both Bromley and Hartlepool to reference just those inside the top seven, while controlling many other games, but if anything this only amplifies the concern further because we surely reach higher gears than already, so there is little alluding to a change in fortunes. Unless we somehow conjure up three points via a sudden moment of magic or luck, as happened in the latter category at home to Barnet, which proved the springboard for two further victories. Minus that solitary week, though, the form is deplorable with none besides. Chuck in the hand grenade of last Saturday's humiliating cup exit to Bracknell Town and any remaining leeway towards Ben Strevens has surely expired. For all his affirmations about building a team on foundations of workmanlike graft, whom we can be proud of, at the minute feelings could not be more drastically opposed. Everybody wants him to succeed here, possibly more than any predecessor in the dugout, because his genuine desperation to do so is clear to see. He's not a blagger attempting to pull the wool over people's eyes, rather a decent guy who truly deserves the backing, having inherited a difficult challenge. That being said, the judgement was always going to come when he built his own side. It is plainly not living up to expectations, and downgraded ones at that, in proportion with a budget that has evidently been cut but not to the extent which justifies our current placement. Certain factors have undeniably conspired against him - from unfortunate unavailabilities like Josh Hare and Tom Eastman within the opening fortnight, Myles Weston while on international duty for Antigua, now seemingly Ryan Hill too - to ones completely out of the ordinary, in essence Inih Effiong. However, most teams go through these spells with few, if any, ever able to name their strongest theoretical eleven. It has not been ideal for us, but also isn't an excuse for how poor we've been. So arrives a huge few days whereby Woking then Boreham Wood visit Victoria Road. We simply cannot afford to drop more points than we take from this double-header otherwise questions really will have to be asked.
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WRITERArchives
January 2024
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