Oops at the final stage of the competition we are facing some difficulties : For different reasons we maybe miss in the coming fixtures: Sean Kelly ( stopped ! ) Josh ( to a higher level ? ) Ronnie Dolan ( Ashford ) Kenny ( the coming 2 games ) Sam and Ben injured ( 50 -50 chance ) Matt Darby injured
So for tomorrows game what line-up will we be playing ? in a '' bad '' scenario :
Josh
Andy Henson - Tim - Danny - Andy Corrigan
Tom O Connor -Trevor - Tom Vickers - Jordan
Frankie - Bailo
Unfortunately this is going to sound like one of the previous 15 or so reports I've done but I might as well bore you all again with the same comments.
First half we actually played fairly well. Plenty of chances and possession and very unlucky not to go in 2 up. JJ missed a point blank header, Frankie and Bailo both had decent chances and Trevor was denied the most obvious penalty I have seen this season. In between this we had 4 or 5 other half chances but our shooting was really poor. T&M had a couple of half chances but all looked pretty good without setting the world alight. Then came the now famous half time speech. The management are either very good at demotivating the side or the players just don't care! sorry to be so harsh but as we have been most of the season, we came out 2nd half like a team of strangers. Very little battle and fight and a distinct lack of quality. Long balls hoofed the length of the pitch, no one able to pass a ball 5 yards, no final ball and shooting which wouldn't look out of place at Twickenham. It was abysmal....and all this against an equally poor opponent. T&M did their job at half time because suddenly they played 2 wingers against our back 3 and time and time again ran through the defence like they were statues and it was no surprise when they scored. We then expected the cavalry charge but were just treated to more long balls and more wayward shooting. We were standing in the top tier behind the goal and Bailo nearly decapitated us 3 times!
So another really poor performance and it is almost getting boring now talking about it. The players and management need to take a real hard look at themselves. I like Terry and he is clearly an excellent coach, but can anyone really come on here and tell me that things have changed since Maggsy left? We have gone to a 3-5-2, which clearly isn't working. We still have no decent full backs, Players are wanting out,We have no creativity in midfield and the boys up front are just getting no service. And yet still, week in week out, the same old band of loyal supporters pay a fortune in petrol and train fares to watch this rubbish. Really fed up!!
ps Forgot to mention, and this perhaps puts things in to perspective, I thought 17 year old Cruttwell was head and shoulders over any Hastings player on the pitch today.
have to agree john, first half good but shooting poor. the penalty shout was so obvious the ref must be daydreaming. second half i think it fitness, the players stop and cant get going again or like you say maybe they cant be bothered they know the get paid but i think they should pay our petrol money. it not good enough has not been all season there is no heart in this team no one that it means anything to win for hastings, it just 90 minutes of football and they dont care. think terry has tough job and i think we will be in this division next season and hope he get right characters in side because we have none now
****** off
Couldn't make it to the game and so can't really comment on things with full knowledge, but I am concerned by the reports of a lack of commitment, effort and fitness in the second half against a team that with all due respect we should be beating. I was hoping for more positives following our midweek performance.
I like TW as a Manager but I think he needs to look at some of the squads attitude and if there is no change then give a chance to other up and coming players that are hungry to prove themselves.
I'm hoping this was another blip and that we will come out fighting on Monday night.
I also think TW is a good manager and coach. He knows the game. He can only work with what he's got and can't make wholesale changes. I bet he's really frustrated and I'm also sure he can't play the way he wants to, as he hasn't the squad to execute his plans. He will find it hard to accept any lack of effort and commitment. Fitness is always likely to be a challenge, given our lack of decent local training facilities/weather. Where is the nearest 3G pitch? I hope he will be given time, although we all know about knee-jerk reactions. I think that even if you're not an outstanding player, you still run your heart out. This group don't appear to be good enough or hungry enough to get us up, and we'd probably need 8 new players and a much larger budget if we did. Presumably the club has plans in that respect. It is normally around Jan/Feb that a promotion seeking club starts to plan in detail.
