Darlington v Brackley Town

Open now for discussion of all things Darlo!

Moderators: mikkyx, uncovered

User avatar
gabbas
Posts: 692
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:50 am
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Darlo

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by gabbas » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:05 pm

Radar wrote:Time for TW to now stand up and be counted. It's about results, pressure is now on.
He’s had 4 x 2/3 hour training sessions , pressures on as a club but let’s give him chance.

Quakerz
Posts: 20958
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:32 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Quakerz » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:16 pm

tdk1 wrote:We definitely need a couple of signings, and it's maybe time to ship a couple out who if we're honest can't really handle this level.
How are we going to ship anyone out. The only way they can go is down to the Northern League but our players are on contracts on good money

How are we going to afford signings on gates of 1,200? This must be way lower than budgeted for, I don't think anyone would have seen that coming.
Image

“Everybody knows where that club is going now, so I’m out of the way. They can carry on, it’s their club, they can keep it." - Raj Singh, 2017

Radar
Posts: 119
Joined: Sat Jun 18, 2016 8:10 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Radar » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:17 pm

gabbas wrote:
Radar wrote:Time for TW to now stand up and be counted. It's about results, pressure is now on.
He’s had 4 x 2/3 hour training sessions , pressures on as a club but let’s give him chance.
He's getting his chance, he's manager of DFC. It's not a job for the faint hearted, he knows he needs to get results. I'm just saying, he now needs to pull his finger out and re shuffle the group by letting some go to strengthen.

tdk1
Posts: 2479
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:21 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by tdk1 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:22 pm

Quakerz wrote:
tdk1 wrote:We definitely need a couple of signings, and it's maybe time to ship a couple out who if we're honest can't really handle this level.
How are we going to ship anyone out. The only way they can go is down to the Northern League but our players are on contracts on good money

How are we going to afford signings on gates of 1,200? This must be way lower than budgeted for, I don't think anyone would have seen that coming.
Well there appeared to be a taker on the cards for Burgess before Gray left for one.

DarloDean
Posts: 195
Joined: Wed Apr 17, 2013 10:01 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by DarloDean » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:23 pm

I've wrote 3 analogies from that game;


Best £14 I saved since not purchasing a Michael Jackson concert ticket back in 2009



Brackley were brutal. They gave us a snippet of hope in the 2nd half. It was like watching a horse being shot in the knee, and Brackley watching over us and laughing with pleasure, watching us squirm. Before finally executing us with a well placed head shot.


We looked like Lenny from Of Mice And Men the entire game. Unsure, indecisive and utterly inept. I was begging for a shot on target as much as he craved Tomato Ketchup. We handled the ball as well as he handled puppies. I would personally like to thank Brackley for delivering the final bullet and putting me out my misery.



If you didn't attend today, please share with myself your story of doing a load of ironing in place of that. I could do with cheering up.
Last edited by DarloDean on Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:24 pm, edited 1 time in total.

User avatar
loan_star
Posts: 7105
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:01 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by loan_star » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:24 pm

tdk1 wrote:
Well there appeared to be a taker on the cards for Burgess before Gray left for one.
By all accounts there were two clubs interested but the wages killed any deals.

Quakerz
Posts: 20958
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:32 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Quakerz » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:26 pm

Radar wrote:
gabbas wrote:
Radar wrote:Time for TW to now stand up and be counted. It's about results, pressure is now on.
He’s had 4 x 2/3 hour training sessions , pressures on as a club but let’s give him chance.
He's getting his chance, he's manager of DFC. It's not a job for the faint hearted, he knows he needs to get results. I'm just saying, he now needs to pull his finger out and re shuffle the group by letting some go to strengthen.
But it's not as easy as "letting them go".

Money Gray tied a lot of the squad up to 2 year contracts on good terms once we dug our hands in our pockets once again to satisfy his spending fetish.

The likes of Caton, Burgess and Scott are on 2 year deals.
Image

“Everybody knows where that club is going now, so I’m out of the way. They can carry on, it’s their club, they can keep it." - Raj Singh, 2017

Quakerz
Posts: 20958
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 6:32 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Quakerz » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:27 pm

loan_star wrote:
tdk1 wrote:
Well there appeared to be a taker on the cards for Burgess before Gray left for one.
By all accounts there were two clubs interested but the wages killed any deals.
Exactly.
Image

“Everybody knows where that club is going now, so I’m out of the way. They can carry on, it’s their club, they can keep it." - Raj Singh, 2017

Darlo_Pete
Posts: 14080
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:13 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Darlo_Pete » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:28 pm

Radar wrote:Time for TW to now stand up and be counted. It's about results, pressure is now on.
Don't be silly, TW has been dealt a bad set of players, low on confidence. Our position is nothing to do with TW.

tdk1
Posts: 2479
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:21 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by tdk1 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:29 pm

It's not unprecedented though. Wright has already talked about getting players in if necessary - and presumably he's getting an impression of what he needs now.

We got rid, rightly or wrongly, of Adam Mitchell last season,as an example.

Darlo_Pete
Posts: 14080
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:13 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Darlo_Pete » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:32 pm

Based on today's performance, we need a whole load of players.

User avatar
loan_star
Posts: 7105
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:01 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by loan_star » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:36 pm

tdk1 wrote:It's not unprecedented though. Wright has already talked about getting players in if necessary - and presumably he's getting an impression of what he needs now.

We got rid, rightly or wrongly, of Adam Mitchell last season,as an example.
There was a team willing to take him on terms that more or less matched what he got off us.

jjljks
Posts: 3014
Joined: Thu Oct 29, 2015 10:25 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by jjljks » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:37 pm

offside wrote:
tdk1 wrote:3 down now.

Where are the goals and results going to come from at the moment?
ENG NLN Kidderminster - Darlington 1883
ENG NLN Darlington 1883 - Tamworth
ENG NLN Darlington 1883 - Salford City
ENG NLN Gainsborough - Darlington 1883
ENG NLN Darlington 1883 - Harrogate Town
ENG NLN Harrogate Town - Darlington 1883
ENG NLN Darlington 1883 - York City
ENG NLN Alfreton Town - Darlington 1883
ENG NLN Darlington 1883 - Chorley FC
ENG NLN Leamington - Darlington 1883
ENG NLN Darlington 1883 - Blyth Spartans

Looking at the next 11 its going to be tough
Who is this 1883 team? :wave: :wtf:

tdk1
Posts: 2479
Joined: Wed Jul 22, 2009 6:21 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by tdk1 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:43 pm

loan_star wrote:
tdk1 wrote:It's not unprecedented though. Wright has already talked about getting players in if necessary - and presumably he's getting an impression of what he needs now.

We got rid, rightly or wrongly, of Adam Mitchell last season,as an example.
There was a team willing to take him on terms that more or less matched what he got off us.
So why is that impossible?

User avatar
Makka Pakka
Posts: 1302
Joined: Mon Jul 20, 2009 11:27 am
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Newton Aycliffe

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Makka Pakka » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:48 pm

We have actually got worse since Gray left. It's been a long time since we were as inferior to our opponents as that today.
"At a meeting held at the Grammar School on Friday last - Mr Phillip Wood M.A., in the chair - it was resolved to form an Association Football Club for Darlington and neighbourhood. The opinions of those present were so unanimous as to the desirability of this step, that a committee was formed to complete the organisation of the club, and Mr Craven, 17, Garden Street, was appointed secretary pro tem." - The Northern Echo, Monday 23rd July 1883

Radar
Posts: 119
Joined: Sat Jun 18, 2016 8:10 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Radar » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:54 pm

Darlo_Pete wrote:
Radar wrote:Time for TW to now stand up and be counted. It's about results, pressure is now on.
Don't be silly, TW has been dealt a bad set of players, low on confidence. Our position is nothing to do with TW.
Pete, can I ask how he's been dealt a bad set of players, low on confidence? He took this job on knowing fully well of the circumstances. He needs to show his metal now and get this situation turned around.

LoidLucan
Posts: 4536
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:29 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by LoidLucan » Sat Nov 04, 2017 5:57 pm

I didn't expect much from today in terms of result. It had the look of an away banker but the manner of the capitulation was alarming and doesn't bode well for the future. We were outbattled all over the pitch and they looked sharper, fitter, faster and stronger in every department. In fact it was so one-sided that it looked like two sides from different leagues. I don't think Brackley will have had an easier saunter to three points in a long time.

If this is the standard we can look forward to, looking at the run of fixtures coming up we will almost certainly be looking at a battle at the wrong end of the table, never mind this claptrap about going for the play-offs.

Being frequently fragile at the back, lightweight in the middle and carrying nil threat up front has all the hallmarks of a relegation scrap. And there won't be many around to witness it - it was so pitiful today that most had given up and left long before the end.

User avatar
loan_star
Posts: 7105
Joined: Thu Jul 16, 2009 9:01 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by loan_star » Sat Nov 04, 2017 6:05 pm

tdk1 wrote:
loan_star wrote:
tdk1 wrote:It's not unprecedented though. Wright has already talked about getting players in if necessary - and presumably he's getting an impression of what he needs now.

We got rid, rightly or wrongly, of Adam Mitchell last season,as an example.
There was a team willing to take him on terms that more or less matched what he got off us.
So why is that impossible?
The main difference is that he was a fringe player in a very good team, easier to move on. Now we are struggling other teams won't be as keen on taking our players and especially if they are on very good money!

JE93
Posts: 1855
Joined: Sun Nov 29, 2009 2:48 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by JE93 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 6:21 pm

Some very strange starting decisions this afternoon I thought.

- no Syers when he has looked our biggest goal threat in recent games.

- Burgess on the bench again but apparently not fit enough to start. Either he's not fit enough to play or he's not food enough to play. He should be either on the pitch or shipped out. No point holding a high earner in the team if he won't play. We apparently had bid when he was first put on the transfer list so let's make a strong decision. He stays and plays while brown isn't fit or he goes.

Good to hear Caton had a better game but surely he should have been in the team ahead of Thompson who has been struggling for form and would have also allowed Syers to be on the pitch.

In my opinion we are 3 players away from being able to compete at this level if we play:

Bartlett

Marrs, Collins, (New CB), Galbraith

Turnbull, Portas

Gillies, Syers, (New left winger)

(New striker or Beck back in form)

One of our biggest problem s at the minute is that we simply don't carry enough attacking threat. If teams feel comfortable defending against you. They will be able to commit more men forwards which in turn puts greater pressure on the defence.

Truth is were in a scrap at the minute. We need reinforcements for what is going to be a very tough run of fixtures. It's nice to see us trying to play better football but its not unclear why we're losing games. Teams are targeting our well known weaknesses. Time to strengthen and pick ourselves up.

LoidLucan
Posts: 4536
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:29 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by LoidLucan » Sat Nov 04, 2017 6:26 pm

Thompson, even if below par this season, is still a far better bet than Caton.

Darlo_Pete
Posts: 14080
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 10:13 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Darlo_Pete » Sat Nov 04, 2017 6:33 pm

Thought Caton looked the best of our forwards today. I can't remember their keeper had to make a save. Ref gave some baffling decisions as well.

Darlopartisan
Posts: 1738
Joined: Sat Jul 22, 2017 12:49 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Darlopartisan » Sat Nov 04, 2017 6:41 pm

Watched today, and more or less got what we deserved , to be honest we just need Brown and Beck fit ( and Collins) and I think we can get back on track.
It was good to see Beck putting in some serious training before the game,and Brown doing loads of laps before the start, only assume with Brown it’s still his concussion that’s holding him back. Get these 3 fit and we should be ok

real_darlo_85
Posts: 1156
Joined: Fri Jul 10, 2009 2:06 pm
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Newton Aycliffe

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by real_darlo_85 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 6:46 pm

Well, what to say about that? First match I have attended at Blackwell and first match my brother had gone to since the Arena days - in terms of the ground it does offer potential and wasn't as bad as some have made it out to be. However this is where the positives stop.

In terms of a performance it was pathetic! Out battled and out fought in all departments. If this is what we play like for the next few matches, we'll be lucky to be above the relegation zone by Christmas! Wayward passes galore, high balls to probably the smallest strikers in the league. This reminded me of the season Joachim signed and at times it was just laughable how we kept repeating the same style of attack.

I hate to say this but unless TW can work miracles, it's going to take a lot more than people think to turn this season round.
"The world ain't all sunshine and rainbows. It is a very mean and nasty place and it will beat you to your knees and keep you there permanently if you let it. You, me, or nobody is gonna hit as hard as life. But it ain't how hard you hit; it's about how hard you can get hit, and keep moving forward. How much you can take, and keep moving forward. That's how winning is done!"

User avatar
gabbas
Posts: 692
Joined: Sat Nov 14, 2009 6:50 am
Team Supported: Darlington
Location: Darlo

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by gabbas » Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:37 pm

Radar wrote:
Darlo_Pete wrote:
Radar wrote:Time for TW to now stand up and be counted. It's about results, pressure is now on.
Don't be silly, TW has been dealt a bad set of players, low on confidence. Our position is nothing to do with TW.
Pete, can I ask how he's been dealt a bad set of players, low on confidence? He took this job on knowing fully well of the circumstances. He needs to show his metal now and get this situation turned around.
Not a bad set of players but certainly you can’t argue that they are low on confidence, takes more than 10 days to turn that around.

LoidLucan
Posts: 4536
Joined: Sun Jul 19, 2009 11:29 am
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by LoidLucan » Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:49 pm

We showed a helluva lot more in the bradford pa game in terms of our organisation and endeavour than we showed today. We didnt look that low on confidence in brown and turnbull's final game in charge.

DarloDave40
Posts: 173
Joined: Sun Feb 24, 2013 12:45 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by DarloDave40 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 7:53 pm

gabbas wrote:
Radar wrote:
Darlo_Pete wrote:
Radar wrote:Time for TW to now stand up and be counted. It's about results, pressure is now on.
Don't be silly, TW has been dealt a bad set of players, low on confidence. Our position is nothing to do with TW.
Pete, can I ask how he's been dealt a bad set of players, low on confidence? He took this job on knowing fully well of the circumstances. He needs to show his metal now and get this situation turned around.
Not a bad set of players but certainly you can’t argue that they are low on confidence, takes more than 10 days to turn that around.
I really dont understand all this doom and gloom we lost to a team on a roll and played very well. Let’s give the management team more than two games in charge to put there stamp on the squad. Remember it’s virtually the same team that got us to the playoffs last year.

50 years
Posts: 626
Joined: Sun Jul 30, 2017 12:02 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by 50 years » Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:06 pm

Well what can you say about that, hopefully Tommy and Alan will have learned from this.
Some strange decisions on team choice I thought, as we played well last week against Blyth in the fist half and with Collins back assumed that we would have the same team?

Instead we had Gillies, Caton and Thompson on together, none renown for supporting the defence and tackling back - (I for one believe all three at luxury players and we can only afford one of these on at any time), with poor Cartman up front by himself and totally isolated at times (you had to feel sorry for him he must have been totally frustrated with balls hoofed forward nowhere near him most time and very little protection from the referee). These four players with no real height and not a lot of strength against some really competent, tall, big, strong and fast defenders. They seemed confused as to where they playing to be honest.

Overall the team were all over the place in the first half against a team that were fast well organised and hunted in groups closing us down and our defence often reverting to lumping the ball forward to no one. It was a bit of a worry that the bench watched this and made no effort to change things around even though it looked like men against boys.

The second half was better with more effort and movement without creating any real dangerous situations - it says it all when we did not get one corner and only one shot in each half (both from outside the box and the first blocked outside the box and the other bobbling towards the keeper).

Our full backs were walked around easily (often having little support from the rest of the team, where when we were down the channels our player was surrounded by three or four of their players) in fact at times it looked like Scott was so focussed on watching the ball that he was not aware of the opposition players behind him.

Collins had a reasonable game (big worry that he had to go off again), along with Portus, Turbull ran his heart out but was trying to do too much at times, and Cartman battled on in a difficult position. We missed Syers with a bit of height and some football know how to support Cartman (hope he isn't injured as well).

As in many previous games we were slow to build up often going backward giving defences plenty of time to organise, we lack any real speed going forward and worked as individuals not really supporting each other (like Blyth and Brackley did). I hope that Alan W can work on the strength and speed of the team so we can battle these teams in future and Tommy on getting team into an effective unit.

Tommy W has some difficult decisions to make, (and I believe he is capable of making these), as some of the team are struggling in this league (clearly MG left us in a difficult position with the contracts), it may be that we plan now for next year and blood the young ones and let some of the senior players out on loan? Several people today said to me before the game that we will be fighting relegation and I said rubbish as we have some great players but after today's showing and the type of games coming up I think I may be wrong.

I remember Brian Little when he first came to Darlo taking in what Lincoln had done the year before and built team on a strong defence, with the forward line less important, we have had two years now with our defence looking very vulnerable and the training not being able to get the problem sorted, so some work to do.

We have to trust that the management team know what they are doing and are trying options at the moment and will get it right in the next couple weeks.

"Up the Quakers"

User avatar
divas
Posts: 13213
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 1:38 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by divas » Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:23 pm

We need a presence up front - it's as simple as that. All of our problems stem from not having an out ball. Very few teams (none?!) at this level are successful with a small man up top as they simply don't have the quality in the team to pass the oppostion off the park. We're conceding because we're giving the ball away in daft areas waiting for players to move into space and being closed down. The alternative is to hammer it forwards and for it to come back. The way we set up today there just weren't enough options. I find it bizarre that Syers has not been played up front alongside Cartman. Teams have now worked out that if they close the midfield down quickly we don't have an answer.

If we're to persist with 3 central midfielders we need to stretch the play by getting our wingers wider when we have possession and play the ball in behind for them to run onto. Brackley closed us at every opportunity today but we made it easy as we played that tight and narrow that they only had to cover a few yards to close a player down. It might seem counter intuitive to stretch the play when you're trying to concede fewer but it's the only option without a target man

Feethams 1966
Posts: 293
Joined: Sun Oct 28, 2012 6:13 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by Feethams 1966 » Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:29 pm

Due to other committments I haven't seen us play for 6 weeks and was shocked today at how low we've sunk.
Out fought
Out thought
Out muscled
Out of ideas.
Someone said it was men against boys; too true I'm afraid, today was a shambles.
The (mostly) same players who last season were playing with confidence and conviction had lost their incisiveness and carried no threat. The vistors won't probably have an easier contest this season. Our players tried hard, give them that, but they seemed up against a brick wall as Brackley's defenders mopped up everything tidily at the back with ease.
Last season I think we would have matched this team or beaten them; today was just a case of how many they would score and whether we'd get a consolation goal.
Passes between our players were constantly intercepted.
Short balls out from our keeper were frequently intercepted.
Long balls out from our keeper were consistently met by Brackley heads.
Pass backs to our keeper were commonplace.
We played more side to side and backwards football than an England side because we had nowhere to go.
Cartman gave his all but was dwarfed by bigger oponents and when he did get the ball he received unpenalised shoves in the back or had no-one to pass to.
Last ditch defending, hoofing the ball forwards out of danger, simply invited more never-ending waves of pressure
Sure the ref seemed one-sided but you couldn't blame him for our awful performance.
I'm sorry to tell it like it is.
I don't know how you would pick the players morale up after that. I suppose now the manager knows what needs doing.

al_quaker
Posts: 5942
Joined: Sat Jul 11, 2009 2:51 pm
Team Supported: Darlington

Re: Darlington v Brackley Town

Post by al_quaker » Sat Nov 04, 2017 8:40 pm

We're missing Beck so so much - he's the one striker we've got who's a handful for defenders at this level. Both Gillies and Thompson love to drift inside - Beck gives them the second balls to work off, and they do that very well. But they're not wingers. A front 4 of Cartman Gillies Caton and Thompson offers no width or height (and very little pace for that matter). I thought Caton was the best of a very ineffective bunch today - at least he tried to beat his man occasionally, although he too turned back on himself too often.

We need some pace and or/height in the team to have any chance of creating chances. Strange why Syers wasn't playing, or even that he didn't come on. He's our biggest goal threat currently, and at least offers some sort of presence up front.

Saying all that, Brackley were a very good side - the best I've seen this season. They were simply better than us in defence and better than us in attack. However, saying that, we gifted them their 1st goal with, I counted, 5 individual mistakes. Their second looked like a clear foul on Thompson. Their 3rd was a good goal to be fair.

People today were saying we're in for a relegation fight - if we get Beck back (and playing like last season) we'll be fine. If not, or he gets sold, then we're in for a real struggle if we don't replace him. We struggle to create and we are prone to gifting the opposition goals. Not a good combination.

Poor crowd too.

Post Reply