There comes a time in the affairs of struggling football clubs that fans can, in the fullness of time, look back at and say, "There. That was the point when I knew things had to change, and change quickly." It's the tipping point, the time when fans stop being patient and giving the benefit of the doubt; the time the boos start and the abuse rains down from the stands to the pitch and the dugout, and, if there's any justice, to the posh seats in the Main Stand where the Board sits.
Tuesday night's 2-0 defeat at Bournemouth may just have been the tipping point in Terry Skiverton's reign as manager of Yeovil Town FC. It's not so much the loss that people have found hard to take, after all Bournemouth are way up there in the league table and have only dropped 4 points at home all season - no-one with any sense seriously expected the Glovers to get much if anything from the game. No, it's the manner of the loss that's the problem. The same old problems on view, the powder-puff attack, the meaningless long-balls, and most damning of all, the cluelessness in defence. Add to that the dissent shown when Adam Virgo was substituted and Sam Williams angry reaction to the Glovers supporters jeering of him when he was hauled off; it all adds up to the feeling that events are conspiring to undermine the manager and his staff. Just at the time he needs a bit of luck to go his way, he's getting none.
Having said, he's not helping himself. In my last blog I asked why, when it's patently obvious that the defence is the weak link in the team, did Skivo bring in another striker on loan (Adam Phillip)? To compound that why did he then add another attacking player, winger Ivan Sproule, on a month's loan from Bristol City? Especially when, according to City boss Keith Millen, Sproule's objective was to get match-fit in order to challenge for a place in City's first team in the new year. If he's not match-fit, why the hell is he playing for us? Now, at last, the gaffer's talking about bringing a defender in (and as I write it's been announced that 18-year-old Leicester defender Tom Parkes has signed on a month's loan), but he's beginning to resemble the little boy sticking his finger into holes in the dyke while the water is lapping up to his chin and rising steadily.
The last 7 league games tell their own story: Won 0, drawn 1, lost 6, goals for 9, goals against 17. We are now 23rd in the league, 6 points away from safety and with the worst goal difference in the division. We now require play-off attaining form to guarantee League One football next season. The bookies make us 10/11 on to be relegated at the end of the season, and it's not often at this stage of the season that the bookies are wrong. We have a huge mountain to climb.
And what is the Board doing, while all around them Rome burns? Fiddling, obviously! Not content with the ludicrous decision to increase ticket prices by £1 all round in January, chairman John Fry has today decided to insult supporters intelligence further by announcing an announcement that there may be an announcement concerning improved facilities at the club in a few weeks time; that is, there may be an announcement in a few weeks time, not miraculously improved facilities, obviously. It seems the Board have been talking to the South Somerset District Council amongst others, which of course brings the long-delayed Sportzone project to mind, though maybe I'm guilty of making 2+2 equal 5 there. Talks are evidently on-going with interested parties, including the Council, with Fry saying: "At this stage I am optimistic of a positive outcome which it is anticipated will provide economic benefits to the town and the club." And, of course those economic benefits will also go to the main shareholders in Yeovil Town Holdings Ltd, the company that now owns the land surrounding Huish Park on which any development will take place. And the main 2 shareholders? Club chairman John Fry and club owner Norman Hayward. Let's watch this space, though it's got to be said we've had this kind of talk from Fry many times in the past and nothing has ever come of it.
Back to Skivo and I suppose it's time I got off the fence. Should he stay or should he go? I'm reluctantly coming round to the view that time is running out for him to turn things around. I am naturally reluctant to call for a manager's head even at the worst of times as I strongly believe that continuity is the best policy nine times out of ten; I'm also reluctant to see change for changes sake simply because all too often you're better off with the devil you know. However there does come a time when one cannot ignore the signs of failure all around and indeed it becomes unfair to everyone - not least the man himself - to keep an obviously out-of-his-depth incumbent in a job. Not that I think we're quite at that stage yet, but the signs aren't good. For what it's worth I would give Skivo the next month to find a winning formula. By January he'll have been in the job a month shy of 2 years. That's long enough to make his mark and show he's got what it takes to turn things around. The ball's in his court.
In the meantime we all get a break from football league action this weekend with a trip to Hartlepool in the 2nd round of the FA Cup, weather permitting. The bookies make the home side evens favourites, the draw is priced at 12/5 and a Glovers win at 27/10. My fiver, more in hope than expectation and proving once and for all the old adage about a fool and his money, is going on the draw. The running total tells you all you need to know about what kind of season we've had up 'til now: -£30.25p. Perhaps the best outcome of all this weekend would be for the game to be postponed. At least that way we would definitely be in the hat for the 3rd round draw!
Showing posts with label relegation. Show all posts
Showing posts with label relegation. Show all posts
Thursday, 25 November 2010
Sunday, 14 November 2010
L1: Yeovil 1 Dagenham & Redbridge 3
Match report and comments: By Cruncher
Last week at Rushden was about missing chances and finding it hard to get into our fluent stride against organised opposition. This week was, er, about missing chances and finding it hard to find our flowing stride. While luck did influence the two contrasting results, Dagenham & Redbridge were last week's well-drilled opponents with knobs on.
Yeovil still had enough chances to win this game. Missing good opportunities and messing up approach play though have become costly habit, the Daggers goals came from Yeovil attacking play breaking down. Three good Yeovil chances spurned in seconds led to the Daggers breaking down the right appearing to strive purposefully for a corner. Will Antwi's leap was softly contested to allow him a fairly easy header for the Daggers to go a goal up with 18 minutes gone. Yeovil were shaken. They hadn't been convincing but they had had the balance of play and had been punished following their most purposeful stint. In the period that followed, though, they were poor.
Dagenham snuffed out Yeovil's unadventurous blunt effort with ease - dominant in the air and with good recovering pace at the back - and first to the loose ball. Going forward their threat wasn't the sharpest, but on the back of their lead they on occasions got the ball forward quickly and held it up well enough to make us all worried that another frail moment might be near.
Until, in first-half injury time, Andy Williams, having drifted across to the left from his opposite flank, was set free by Owain Tudur Jones to thump an impressive strike past Chris Lewington. No dithering, no hanging on to the ball to 'make sure' - just one perfect clean confident clout - hard and true - that the situation demanded. Out of the blue it was 1-1 and game-on, now sort 'em out Skivo for the second-half and this match is there for the taking...
The second-half did see an improvement, patches of fluent play and numerous chances. There is no doubt that luck played a part against Yeovil this week, as they came agonisingly close a number of times. Mistakes though were also still an unfortunate factor, but on balance the home side had worked and probed well enough to have deserved a second goal. Dagenham were still positive and determined themselves, and Yeovil had to be careful at the back. As time wore on, and despite Gavin Williams and Luke Freeman joining the fray in a fruitless attempt to sharpen the attacking effort, the worry intensified that we might again get hit at the back, and that is exactly what happened with the Glovers showing a degree of naivety on two occasions. Abu Ogogo put the away side 2-1 up with a shot that didn't seem good enough to beat John Sullivan, though overall the Yeovil keeper had had a very good game. Late-on, the exposed Yeovil defence fell victim to Medy Elito angling in from the left, switching the ball on to his right foot to neatly beat Sullivan at his far post.
Yeovil battled on, but it wasn't to be, Paul Huntington unlucky with a firm header against the bar. 3-1 wasn't a reflection of any Dagenham dominance because they weren't vastly superior by any stretch, but there can be no qualms with the result that came about by our opponents maximising a combination of Yeovil misfortune and flaws. I had the pleasure of meeting up with my brother who was up from Devon for the day - not at all a football fan but always persuadable by the lure of a Hungry Horse sirloin. It was plain even for him to spot weaknesses causing the lack of Yeovil first-half cohesion. John Still's men had been efficient muggers on the day, whilst able to resist the Yeovil quality when it did surface. Shaun MacDonald's all-round midfield efforts were again admirable, I feel that he would do better with Jean Paul Kalala in there batting next to him.
It's going to be a tense few games coming up, because the harsh truth is that if we don't get a decent quota of points from those games then we could be adrift even before Christmas. The season is far from lost at this point, but it was a significantly bad result against a team also battling the drop. Those points thrown away against Swindon with three minutes to go are now appearing more crucial than ever they were. With just 3,500 regulars turning up, the future is presently appearing significantly bleak. Terry Skiverton will continue to fight for the cause, we must support him and there is no doubt that lack of squad-depth is a problem; such times inevitably turn the spotlight onto the Board and lack of off-field progression. That debate which has been simmering for consecutive seasons, is now appearing to be the main and constant topic for most supporters.
I had a long day of train travel yesterday. At the station for the first return leg I was surprised to note that the Dagenham contingent waiting for the train consisted of just a handful of supporters - the merry band of Londoners were in fact Dagenham players returning from their grand day out on the train - well not just some players but the entire team, management, staff, the Chairman in fact the whole caboodle. Gavin Tomlin was kind enough to tell (but not convince) me that we'll 'be alright.'
Final word was from my brother. He had to admit that it wasn't so bad as the last time he went. That time, so I now learn, was fixed in his memory as the most rotten of experiences, as I had taken advantage of his good nature to get a lift to the match. As that had been the awful second replay against Millwall in 1975, I could see why, but had no idea just how deeply for thirty-five years he had been carrying his scar. But now, he confessed that his mood had lightened and he might be persuaded to give it another go (with a compulsory sirloin). On the timespan from his first to his second match, I would expect his third might see us losing the Champions League Final in 2045 preceded by a steak and a shandy @ 98 Euros. But apparently no, it might even be this season - what do they put in the water, down there in Devon?
Final thought for Taff: Hope you enjoyed your Birthday and yer gallivanting in Wales. A very shrewd move by your wife to get you out of Somerset for this match, though desperately hard luck on the Wales result, certainly ran the Springboks close. Now prepare to do yer duty at HP again in three weeks when GJ comes down, or er, might come down if he can ride the wrath of the irate Irishman.
Cruncher
Last week at Rushden was about missing chances and finding it hard to get into our fluent stride against organised opposition. This week was, er, about missing chances and finding it hard to find our flowing stride. While luck did influence the two contrasting results, Dagenham & Redbridge were last week's well-drilled opponents with knobs on.
Yeovil still had enough chances to win this game. Missing good opportunities and messing up approach play though have become costly habit, the Daggers goals came from Yeovil attacking play breaking down. Three good Yeovil chances spurned in seconds led to the Daggers breaking down the right appearing to strive purposefully for a corner. Will Antwi's leap was softly contested to allow him a fairly easy header for the Daggers to go a goal up with 18 minutes gone. Yeovil were shaken. They hadn't been convincing but they had had the balance of play and had been punished following their most purposeful stint. In the period that followed, though, they were poor.
Dagenham snuffed out Yeovil's unadventurous blunt effort with ease - dominant in the air and with good recovering pace at the back - and first to the loose ball. Going forward their threat wasn't the sharpest, but on the back of their lead they on occasions got the ball forward quickly and held it up well enough to make us all worried that another frail moment might be near.
Until, in first-half injury time, Andy Williams, having drifted across to the left from his opposite flank, was set free by Owain Tudur Jones to thump an impressive strike past Chris Lewington. No dithering, no hanging on to the ball to 'make sure' - just one perfect clean confident clout - hard and true - that the situation demanded. Out of the blue it was 1-1 and game-on, now sort 'em out Skivo for the second-half and this match is there for the taking...
The second-half did see an improvement, patches of fluent play and numerous chances. There is no doubt that luck played a part against Yeovil this week, as they came agonisingly close a number of times. Mistakes though were also still an unfortunate factor, but on balance the home side had worked and probed well enough to have deserved a second goal. Dagenham were still positive and determined themselves, and Yeovil had to be careful at the back. As time wore on, and despite Gavin Williams and Luke Freeman joining the fray in a fruitless attempt to sharpen the attacking effort, the worry intensified that we might again get hit at the back, and that is exactly what happened with the Glovers showing a degree of naivety on two occasions. Abu Ogogo put the away side 2-1 up with a shot that didn't seem good enough to beat John Sullivan, though overall the Yeovil keeper had had a very good game. Late-on, the exposed Yeovil defence fell victim to Medy Elito angling in from the left, switching the ball on to his right foot to neatly beat Sullivan at his far post.
Yeovil battled on, but it wasn't to be, Paul Huntington unlucky with a firm header against the bar. 3-1 wasn't a reflection of any Dagenham dominance because they weren't vastly superior by any stretch, but there can be no qualms with the result that came about by our opponents maximising a combination of Yeovil misfortune and flaws. I had the pleasure of meeting up with my brother who was up from Devon for the day - not at all a football fan but always persuadable by the lure of a Hungry Horse sirloin. It was plain even for him to spot weaknesses causing the lack of Yeovil first-half cohesion. John Still's men had been efficient muggers on the day, whilst able to resist the Yeovil quality when it did surface. Shaun MacDonald's all-round midfield efforts were again admirable, I feel that he would do better with Jean Paul Kalala in there batting next to him.
It's going to be a tense few games coming up, because the harsh truth is that if we don't get a decent quota of points from those games then we could be adrift even before Christmas. The season is far from lost at this point, but it was a significantly bad result against a team also battling the drop. Those points thrown away against Swindon with three minutes to go are now appearing more crucial than ever they were. With just 3,500 regulars turning up, the future is presently appearing significantly bleak. Terry Skiverton will continue to fight for the cause, we must support him and there is no doubt that lack of squad-depth is a problem; such times inevitably turn the spotlight onto the Board and lack of off-field progression. That debate which has been simmering for consecutive seasons, is now appearing to be the main and constant topic for most supporters.
I had a long day of train travel yesterday. At the station for the first return leg I was surprised to note that the Dagenham contingent waiting for the train consisted of just a handful of supporters - the merry band of Londoners were in fact Dagenham players returning from their grand day out on the train - well not just some players but the entire team, management, staff, the Chairman in fact the whole caboodle. Gavin Tomlin was kind enough to tell (but not convince) me that we'll 'be alright.'
Final word was from my brother. He had to admit that it wasn't so bad as the last time he went. That time, so I now learn, was fixed in his memory as the most rotten of experiences, as I had taken advantage of his good nature to get a lift to the match. As that had been the awful second replay against Millwall in 1975, I could see why, but had no idea just how deeply for thirty-five years he had been carrying his scar. But now, he confessed that his mood had lightened and he might be persuaded to give it another go (with a compulsory sirloin). On the timespan from his first to his second match, I would expect his third might see us losing the Champions League Final in 2045 preceded by a steak and a shandy @ 98 Euros. But apparently no, it might even be this season - what do they put in the water, down there in Devon?
Final thought for Taff: Hope you enjoyed your Birthday and yer gallivanting in Wales. A very shrewd move by your wife to get you out of Somerset for this match, though desperately hard luck on the Wales result, certainly ran the Springboks close. Now prepare to do yer duty at HP again in three weeks when GJ comes down, or er, might come down if he can ride the wrath of the irate Irishman.
Cruncher
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