Braintree Game

A few mumblings on Facebook of getting rid of the manager.
1. He's on contract, the club have no money to pay him off.
2. We have loan players because the club has no money to pay for players to sign on.
3. We're in this situation because the club has no money.
4. Has it sunk in yet that the club has no money.

Realistically what else can Jerry do at the moment? Rowe the new loan signing from Exeter didn't make much of an impact and there's no depth in the squad.

A different ref and it could have been 2-0 City

South London Road City wrote:Realistically what else can Jerry do at the moment? Rowe the new loan signing from Exeter didn't make much of an impact and there's no depth in the squad.

A different ref and it could have been 2-0 City

Too many short memories of managers who had zero love or interest for the club unless it came in a pay packet

Is Jerry now our longest serving manager since Tony Ricketts back in the 90s?

I don’t look on the Facebook page but I would imagine the rumblings are from those who closely follow the Premier League and think it’s a bit of a fun game chopping and changing manager relentlessly to try and get success. Fortunately non-league clubs behind the scenes are generally more sensible and look at the bigger picture.

I’ll hazard a guess that Jerry’s four year and four month reign is about sixth longest in our league whereas in most higher up some clubs go through at least half a dozen bosses in that time.

Longest serving manager since Ricketts time wise. Haven’t got the figures open but I think in terms of games he’s still some way short of Adie Britton.

[quote=A different ref and it could have been 2-0 City [/quote]

Agreed!

We were just starting to look like a team over christmas and then we were decimated by injuries. It is only because Joe Raynes can play full back that we are able to play 4 at the back. A clean sheet will do for me today.

South London Road City wrote:

A different ref and it could have been 2-0 City

I have not had time to write a report of yesterday's game due to other issues. However, it is probably just as well as the main focus would have been the referee. I must admit to being totally speechless about some of his decisions, particularly when Callum Rowe was right through and was brought down by a challenge that would have had Twickenham in raptures. Totally unbelievable!! I cannot comment on the foul in the area on Cody Cooke in the first half as I was long way from it, but it sounds as if the referee got that one wrong as well.

I thought that I had seen some pretty poor refereeing performances in some of the recent home games, but this one reached a totally new level of incompetence. The only worse one that I can remember during all my years watching City was by Alan Sheffield against Macclesfield Town in February 1997 and that will be etched in my memory until my dying day!

Dave's film coverage will be interesting.

stillmanjunior wrote:I don’t look on the Facebook page but I would imagine the rumblings are from those who closely follow the Premier League and think it’s a bit of a fun game chopping and changing manager relentlessly to try and get success. Fortunately non-league clubs behind the scenes are generally more sensible and look at the bigger picture.

I’ll hazard a guess that Jerry’s four year and four month reign is about sixth longest in our league whereas in most higher up some clubs go through at least half a dozen bosses in that time.

Longest serving manager since Ricketts time wise. Haven’t got the figures open but I think in terms of games he’s still some way short of Adie Britton.

Spot on. I am getting quite annoyed with some of the comments made on Facebook. This is National South not the Premier League!!

Kelston Koppite wrote:

South London Road City wrote:

A different ref and it could have been 2-0 City

I have not had time to write a report of yesterday's game due to other issues.  However, it is probably just as well as the main focus would have been the referee.  I must admit to being totally speechless about some of his decisions, particularly when Callum Rowe was right through and was brought down by a challenge that would have had Twickenham in raptures.  Totally unbelievable!!  I cannot comment on the foul in the area on Cody Cooke in the first half as I was long way from it, but it sounds as if the referee got that one wrong as well.

I thought that I had seen some pretty poor refereeing performances in some of the recent home games, but this one reached a totally new level of incompetence.  The only worse one that I can remember during all my years watching City was by Alan Sheffield against Macclesfield Town in February 1997 and that will be etched in my memory until my dying day!

I am starting to wonder what the point is of assistant referees, apart from to give throw ins and offsides etc as, apart from at Chelmsford, they never seem to get involved in any of the big decisions. The foul on Callum Rowe was blatantly obvious, so if somehow the referee missed it the assistant on the Popular Side must have seen it because what else was he watching? It also begs the question that if it wasn't a foul perhaps Rowe should also have been booked for diving as Delaney was.

It does seem that each referee is worse than the one before - hopefully we might have reached rock bottom yesterday but I am not holding out too much hope.

And yet when the assistant was consulted the other week at Chelmsford the ref was castigated for changing his decision.

comrade powell wrote:And yet when the assistant was consulted the other week at Chelmsford the ref was castigated for changing his decision.

I wasn't one of them though. Although it was very frustrating as it would have given us a way back into the game, I think there was a general concensus that the changed decision was the right one. Even then, I don't think it was a case that the assistant flagged rather that the referee was unsure if he had made the right decision so wanted a 'second opinion' which surely should be part of the role of the assistant, particularly in potentially 'game changing' situations.

I agree with you but most didn’t. The argument seemed to be that having made his decision the Chelmsford ref was wrong to change it.
Sirkev’s comment above about this not being the Premier League regarding patience with management is spot on but it also applies to the quality of officiating.
For the record, some of the worst decisions I’ve witnessed this season were the two penalties we were awarded at Braintree and the howler at Dorking. So perhaps we haven’t been so hard done by…

Agree re Dorking but our two pens at Braintree were nailed on for me. First handball felt harsh at the time but watched it back once and changed my mind. Second I called pen and one watch back confirmed it. The ref was the same who overturned ours at Chelmsford.

And if anyone is in any doubt over then being pens, Braintree’s socials listed them as ‘debatable’. Which means they were penalties.

In terms of being an assistant, I would have been furious if this involved Braintree if the ref, who I thought was well placed, didn’t give a foul yet an assistant further away flagged. I was occasionally told to effectively manage a ‘zone’ for fouls when running the line unless it was obvious the referee was well behind play for whatever reason.

One of our small group has been a referee upto Western league level. He does view incidents from a referee's standpoint but from where we were watching could see no reason not to penalise the defender.

stillmanjunior wrote:Agree re Dorking but our two pens at Braintree were nailed on for me. First handball felt harsh at the time but watched it back once and changed my mind. Second I called pen and one watch back confirmed it.

Just watched them again and concede that the second decision was justified. But still think their defender was very unlucky with the first. The bottom line is that many of our fans would have been furious if the award had been against us.

The refs at all levels below the EPL get just get one look and have to make their decision knowing full well that many players are chucking themselves to the floor. No VAR back up and no opportunity to watch endless YouTube videos. And they then have to put up with all the abuse they get.

Which is why they should make full use of their linos. It is clear in many games that the ref has told his assistants he will make all the calls. Sometimes the ref even decides the throw ins.

And those watching, plus players and staff, will then accept any decision taken after this consultation? Unlikely.

I’m a bit confused about how this ‘use the assistant’ debate started when the main talking points on Saturday are two decisions which the referee had the best view of.

If the referee didn’t give the penalty on Saturday from six yards away and the assistant, some 40 yards away with an impeded view, gave it, would people say that’s good officiating? If that worked in Braintree’s favour the arguments would be ‘the assistants are trying to get too involved again.’

For me the decision to not even give a foul on Rowe was wrong. Going by our recent efforts I doubt we would have scored the free-kick but them going down to 10 would have had a major impact on the game. Players can be quite cunning in disguising fouls but this one was obvious. He’s obviously seen something 10 yards away which plenty of players and supporters didn’t. Be interested to know what.

I went to Radstock v Welton on Wednesday as a neutral. Officials were superb, kept control of a very difficult game. Welton tweeted their appreciation. Radstock players replying did not.

comrade powell wrote:And those watching, plus players and staff, will then accept any decision taken after this consultation? Unlikely.

I didn't say consultation. I wasn't thinking of one off decisions but of the game as a whole, and the need to constantly make instant decisions from one vantage point.

With the speed of the modern game, the controversial rules on issues like handball and the blatant cheating, even at our level, I've felt for some time that two refs would help.

If referees had got their decisions right this season we would clearly be in the play-offs.

comrade powell wrote:With the speed of the modern game, the controversial rules on issues like handball and the blatant cheating, even at our level, I've felt for some time that two refs would help.

Yes I came to a similar conclusion but presumably founders on the question of cost.

Do you think there is more cheating nowadays? Or is it just more blatant?

Sadly I feel it has filtered down from the highest levels of the game. Ironically the number of cameras present at top flight matches nowadays means it’s more difficult to get away with it but many teams still try!