FA Cup Misery Continues

Hartley and Sevenoaks display the FA Cup fight that seems to desert us.

So so disappointed with that today.

Well done to Sevenoaks.

Well I certainly chose the right match to miss to go on our rescheduled holiday. Tuned into BCIR and it sounded painful. Will be interested to read the views of those present today.

I feel our results have masked poor performances for several weeks. Today it looked as if the players were trying to give the impression they were making an effort rather than actually performing. A number were woefully short of the standard we know they are capable of and they started so lackadaisically. Sevenoaks played with a far higher tempo and no little skill and we were always playing catch up in terms of intensity. If they had had a genuine striker they would have scored more. And we hardly tested their keeper at all. I think Wilson's shot was the only one on target.

Sevenoaks looked far better than City, which does not make sense given the difference in leagues and league positions. Our attitude and performance was woeful. I am puzzled.

I woke up this morning feeling nervous about today's game. After 10 minutes it was pretty obvious we were way too passive and lacking intensity. Players looked flat and lacking any attacking threat. Sevenoaks must have sensed early on that the City were there for the taking. Although there was a slight improvement second half we were just huffing and puffing and Sevenoaks always looked comfortable. Granted we are in a good position in the league but I am of the opinion that it may be time for a change in management as this City side today was not motivated enough.

Wasn't there but I have wondered why JG hasn't created a team in his and Rickos mould, I.e., tough, gritty, uncompromising, difficult to beat, able to ground out results, when needed, etc, etc. Short of getting byes our recent cup draws have been relative gifts.

Like Comrade Powell I wasn't able to be there today and instead tuned into BCIR and it sounded so much like the commentary from the Banbury game last season. That certainly caused an upheaval which we never really recovered from until the chips were down at the end of the season.

We have got off to a much better start in the league than we had then, but it will be interesting to see what the fall out from today is, although I have a feeling that things will continue as before. It does remind me of the situation back in 2008/09 when we lost at home in similar circumstances to Aylesbury which resulted in John Relish standing down as manager. I will be very surprised if we see a repeat of that.

Almost as frustrating as the cup exit is that the momentum and excitement that came from the second half comeback at Oxford and the late equaliser at Taunton has been lost. I think we will all look forward to Jerry's post match interview.

On the playing front, something that has concerned me for a while has been the lack of goals from anyone other than Cody or Fletch, our midfield rarely looking like adding to the meagre tally they have between them.      

Hungerford next week does provide the opportunity to bounce back quickly, as they have lost 8 from 11 and scored just 4 goals in the process.

Big game next Saturday but Greenslade coming back which gives us better balance.

Players will surely want to restore pride.

Difficult day for us all today

Does anyone know how Cody Cooke is after his head injury ? It sounded bad, but I was listening to it on the BCIR commentary. I hope it wasn't as serious as it sounded   .

He posted on Twitter earlier that he had spent 10 hours waiting in A&E before having stitches. Seemed fairly upbeat about it.

Thank you LB. I don't do Twitter etc so was glad to have your news.
Ten hours sounds a long time to wait for stitches   , but glad that he was able to post a message and sound upbeat

Interesting to read the comments above from those who attended the match yesterday. It sounds like so many in the past when we’ve been presented with an ideal draw and bottled it. I’m one of the lucky ones who witnessed those great cup games against the likes of Cardiff, Hereford and Stoke and feel sorry for those who are newer supporters and have endured a regular diet of disappointments like yesterday.

And of course the Club have lost out financially again. Had we won yesterday and gone out in the next round it would have made £6875. Winning through to the 1st round (which was denied us 12 months ago by that abject performance at Banbury) would have added another £6250 and the possibility of a golden payout from tv coverage.

What really peeves me is that the Club is blessed with some brilliant volunteers who are there every single match trying to raise money for our Club - those in the tea bar, programme sellers, draw sellers etc. For years Bob Chester sweated blood bringing in around a million - god knows what he thought after yesterday. All those volunteers must wonder why they bother, especially with the little if any thanks they receive.

City have won £5k ish this year, Sevenoaks got that just for yesterday's win. 4thQ winners get over £9k.

I was subtracting the prize for losers.

comrade powell wrote:Interesting to read the comments above from those who attended the match yesterday. It sounds like so many in the past when we’ve been presented with an ideal draw and bottled it. I’m one of the lucky ones who witnessed those great cup games against the likes of Cardiff, Hereford and Stoke and feel sorry for those who are newer supporters and have endured a regular diet of disappointments like yesterday.

And of course the Club have lost out financially again. Had we won yesterday and gone out in the next round it would have made £6875. Winning through to the 1st round (which was denied us 12 months ago by that abject performance at Banbury) would have added another £6250 and the possibility of a golden payout from tv coverage.

What really peeves me is that the Club is blessed with some brilliant volunteers who are there every single match trying to raise money for our Club - those in the tea bar, programme sellers, draw sellers etc. For years Bob Chester sweated blood bringing in around a million - god knows what he thought after yesterday. All those volunteers must wonder why they bother, especially with the little if any thanks they receive.

How I agree with every word Martin. Many times I have posted to say how important the cup is.
My first match at TP was versus Bolton Wanderers (then in the top flight) FA cup 3rd round. Supported City ever since. City's cup performances in recent years must have put a fair few off ever going again.

Our average attendance in the first season in this run of not reaching R1 was 584. So far this season in the league it's 1154 - nearly double. So while it's frustrating to not reach this stage I would be surprised if a fair few have been put off ever going again.

Saying that I didn't (or rather couldn't) go yesterday.

As far as would anybody be put off going to City again after a dire cup performance then I believe that could be argued for or against.
For me personally my very 1st City game was an FA Cup game against Bristol City in 1986 so you could argue that it does make a difference as to whether someone comes down to watch City again.

Who is going to take responsibility for, yet again, being on the wrong side of a giant killing. We have become a cup side, but not in the way we would like to be. In his post match interview Jerry said that 'we were not good enough'. I have heard that comment from JG on more that one ocassion.

Luton Roman made a comment about Tony Rickett's teams which I agree with.
Most know I have not time for the manager and I well remember going to a very early meet the manager evening when the question of him moving to Yeovil as a player came up. Although he will most likely deny it now I clearly remember him saying he had to get away because of the style of play.
The was the start of me losing respect for him because what Tony did was make the best use of the limited resources available to him and put out a side that was competitive in every sense of the word.
Dicks, Crowley, Ricko himself, Palmer, Brooks, Mings maybe not the best footballers but all prepared to fight tooth and nail, and they had a great keeper in Dave Mogg behind them. These players would do very well in Conf South today and they were the ones that featured in the good cup runs. I just thought it wrong for JG to say what he did, should have more respect for what Tony Ricketts achieved.
Mention of Greenslade, seen him a few times and always looked reasonable but long history of being injury prone and will likely spend more games injured than playing.

Having had time to reflect I think Yuffies review on the official site is telling. Sevenoaks comfortably saw out the game. There was no barnstorming finish and at no stage did we look like a side from two divisions higher.
We could really do without the Sonerset cup onTuesday. I can't see Jerry using youth players but it would be for the best so that the lads can have a midweek rest.

I have to say I am in full agreement with many of the posts regarding Saturday`s game, from the very start it was like we were playing a pre-season friendly. Surely when the opponents are two leagues below you the last thing you want is to give them a nice quiet introduction to Twerton Park. Whilst playing umpteen passes across & back around the centre circle we allowed them plenty of time to settle & grow in confidence. We should have been in their faces from the kick off not giving them time to breathe. As has been mentioned, the team of Tony Ricketts would have tested them from the off & let them know they were in for a fight. Once Sevenoaks realized they just had to sit tight and wait for us to lose the ball, they then immediately got the ball to their two widemen who took the fastest route to our byeline causing problems all first half. By the hour mark they had ran out of steam, but by then they knew they just had to sit deep & watch us run out of ideas. I don`t know how good their keeper is because he didn`t have anything to do all game.

Regarding Jerry`s management, we know that previously he has been coaching at FL Academy level where the emphasis is more on improving technical ability in young players & that is more his philosophy, but we are National League South and sometimes you have to be a bit more pragmatic in your approach to certain games. As we have witnessed recently in games against Weymouth and Hartley Wintney, although going two goals ahead each time we were very fortunate to get results after being outfought. It`s not all about pretty football.

Midsomer-chris wrote:Does anyone know how Cody Cooke is after his head injury ? It sounded bad, but I was listening to it on the BCIR commentary. I hope it wasn't as serious as it sounded   .

Very sad that he had to wait 10 hours in A&E but with staff shortages the most serious would be treated first;  blame the Government for the under-resourcing over many decades.

WARNING - The pictures below show personal injuries, but as was said on Twitter Cody is still a pin up for the ladies.  

OUCH!


After treatment




Before treatment