City v Whitehawk

HT 0-1

0-2 new loanee Dale replaces Kington

0-3

0-4

1-4 Stearn pen

FT 1-4

Whitehawk looked a division better than us from start to finish. We were clinging on by our finger nails from kick off. They were quicker sharper stronger and better.

Lucky it was only four in the end. A miserable miserable performance.

They have spent a lot of money, King wouldnt be there otherwise, so not the best measure or timing. Wealdstone and Stortford will be the better benchmark, need 4 or 6 pts from next 2.

Awful performance again today. A non-existent midfield again. A clueless management duo. Time for a change!

Had enough. Havent called for the management to go until now. I have patiently stuck with them since relegation from the premier but no more. I cant justify the expense anymore. Its a boring waste of an afternoon. Absolutely clueless which is a real shame as we have some talented players.

Couldn't agree more bristoldome. There's no patterns of play, no style, a persistence with a long ball game when there are talented players out there who can play. Time for Adie and Howells to do what's best for the club and leave! It needs a new voice/direction in the dressing room!

very painful today. i totally agree with tapper80, we've no patterns of play and continue to play long ball. if Adie and Arch have any feelings for the club then they should leave. Adie, stick with finding us a new ground. Arch stick to cutting hair. Directors bring in a big name, lets get some excitement back in the club, get the crowds back.
that hurt today.

Whilst the previous defeats were as frustrating as disappointing today we were simply beaten by a much much better side. And it still took 40 minutes and a cruel piece of luck for them to go ahead. Whatever you think of Steve King he has clearly assembled a team that looks a class above this division (on today's performance even better than Eastleigh last year).

When you look at their line-up it is full of players who could (should?) be playing in the Conference Premier - Lorraine, Torres, Deering, Mills (and Barnes-Homer couldn't even get in the starting XI). And they were a typical King side, getting in the referee's face from the opening minute, going down at the slightest touch and taking gamesmanship as far as they could get away with.

Yea that's pretty much it in a nutshell. Although I would have insulted King more, what a nasty piece of work that bloke is.

The next two games are an indication of where we're heading this season. If we don't win at least once I fear we're in trouble.

Badly miss Artus in midfield and Walsh at the back. Whitehawk had their centre-back carried off and other sent off but expect they'll have some big money replacement pretty sharp-ish. We simply don't have the funds to compete. Hopefully by the time we play them again they'll end up like a standard King team - disarray.

Whitehawk were a really ordinary team. They scored their first completely against the run of play while we were looking good upfront. Whitehawk started their time-wasting early with all the play-acting on the floor like they had been shot.

The second half, I don't don't know where to begin. The thing is that the starting line-up isn't far from the best we can put out (although I would get rid of Adelsbury and try and find a way of playing Bowman, possibly in midfield). However, there is a general malaise around the team and, increasingly, the club and supporters that I can only think comes from the man-management.

I don't need every manager to be Ian Holloway. They can be as quiet as a mouse as long as the team is playing well (not necessarily winning every game) but when events are as dire as they were today, I don't want to see the management team sitting in the dug out. Rollo is the only one saying anything to the players and, with the best will in the world, I think that he is just saying what would have as captain presently.

As I have said before, the least that needs to happen is that Adie goes into the stands so that we can see who is running the team and who needs to take responsibility.

I thought they were better than ordinary, particularly second half. We helped them look good at times for sure, but the resources they have is ridiculous.

Fortunately that joke of a penalty for them didn't have an impact on the result. Thought the ref was good in dealing with their constant time-wasting and that, but that decision was dreadful.

Sorry Marc don't agree with you at all. They were better than us in every position. They are the best team we have seen here for a while. But we should not be capitulating 4-1.

I could write a book on the failings.

Being better than us is hardly a high mark to set, presently. They weren't great in the first half and second half we went to pieces. It doesn't really matter as we have lost to very ordinary teams already this season and have much harder teams to face after Tuesday. Tuesday still looks difficult though.

It isnt just about today. I have taken various friends/relatives (and their kids) since the 2nd premier season until recently. None of them have come back regularly as the football has been as dull as dishwater. I really have done my part by introducing people to twerton park but the club has let me/themselves down. Does the club want increased attendances? If so they are very much going the wrong way about it. It doesnt matter if kids go free, it doesnt matter if you paid them to go, if the football is awful they wont come back. I dont mind if we lose because we cant compete financially so long as we give it a bloody good go. Enough is enough. It has to change otherwise more fans will vote with their feet and soon there will be more people in the dugout than on the terraces.

To back up what i have previously posted I have just noticed that dulwich hamlet got almost 3000 through the gate today! It was pay what you like and they got a far bigger crowd than when we did it and to watch a lower standard of football. They didnt lose and the crowd got to see dulwich score more than one goal. I know its london and therefore a bit different but it just shows it can be done.

I thought Whitehawk were well drilled and had some good players and crucially clear plan. They weren't a footballing side but they knew what they were doing and were streetwise.
Leaving aside the fact that they were an unpleasant bunch from the board of directors to the coaching staff, they actually seemed to know what they were doing.
Sadly we seem to have forgotten the plan. Losing Walsh is a big deal and any team at this level would suffer from not having artus in the team but we were pretty clueless.
We lack leaders on the field. When we go 2-0 as we have a few times this season at home there doesn't seem to be any change.
I wouldn't call for the heads of the managers but they need to have a serious look at things and if they don't understand what is actually going wrong then they maybe do need to fall on their swords and do the decent thing.
Our midfield was non existent today and was by passed anyway in a very direct style which didn't help Pratt and Watkins at all. We have had our share of bad luck this year but I just don't see what the plan actually is.

We just aint good enough.

Poor signings, weaker than last season, out muscled and out played.

We have been a patient lot of fans but how much more are we prepared to take. We are a club in decline, poor performances, shrinking fan base and no doubt financial implications.

The league table does not lie.

Lets hope the Board have the strength to make the right decision and change the management team now. I do not want to see us in the bottom four at Christmas and fighting for relegation. Now is the time for action.

I hope senior people at the Club read what bristol dome says.

We have to act to arrest this decline or it's a relegation battle and a spiral downwards. We have the players. Why aren't we competing, accepting that Whitehawk may be a top 3 side. We thought that's where we would be. Let's back the players and hope the leadership changes.

Tuesday night at Wealdstone to bounce back. Can't wait. Not far for me but hope the traveling faithful get some reward.

I'm actually shocked that people are on here trying to justify today! We are a poor team, individually good players but not a team. The management have no clue what to do with the resources available. Every week we come up against bigger and better drilled teams designed to get out of this league and yet we persist in small players unable to cope with the demands of the league and playing long balls, bypassing the midfield to 2 small strikers! It's time we get rid of Howells and Britton and not just rearrange the deck chairs and give Rollo the job. Jim should be the next number 2 alongside someone who can come in and organise us better and get us playing with some spirit! It's time the board acted! We deserve better for £12 a week! 1 point from 12 at Twerton Pk is surely time for a change!