Hopefully a goalkeeper.

As ever, spot on previews from Mark.

Two things strike me ahead of this game. We need to win or draw, as we are 5 points ahead just now, so if we lose they are then just 2 points behind us, with 4 games in hand, so if they win it is very likely they will overtake us, whereas if we draw we still have that 5 point gap, and if we win we have an 8 point gap, and I can't see them winning 3 games in hand to overtake us.

The other big thing is we keep starting really well, then have a player sent off, which totally screws up the game from our perspective. Opposition teams are not stupid, they know we have a bad disciplinary reputation, so are falling down fake pole axed if we tackle them, hoping to get our players sent off. So if we get a booking tonight, the manager needs to immediately substitute that player, as you can guarantee the opposition will try to get that player to get a second booking, and we can't have another 10 men game.

Chelmsford aren't exciting, but I sense they may win the play offs. Similarly, when the going gets tough, the tough get going, and although Antony has only scored once for us so far this season, suddenly he is doing great through balls, and takes responsibility and goes for shots, so watch this spot, Antony could be one of our unexpected heroes this season. His loan goals got Bowers and Pitsea out of the relegation zone, he came back to us, and they have slipped back into trouble, but something has clicked with him, and in football you get what you deserve, he is learning from Stefan and Ade and Warren, so if he gets a run of games (which as our pre season and the Bowers loan showed) is the secret to him playing well) I think he can finish this season with a bang and help save us, as at the moment despite the manager delusion we are in a fantastic place and not in a crisis, depending on results we are potentially one game away from a three points above relegation, and two games away from a relegation spot.

If we end this game 11 players v 11 players, on the basis of recent games we will win. We just can't afford any sendings off, and the problem is the opposition know this, so ffs immediately substitute any booked players.

I have to agree with Johnny on that point. A booked player particularly in the first half should be immediately substituted. The only other thing I want to say is Come on Welling, we can do this

Alan, I saw one of our recent games, an opponent fell down killed by a tackle, the ref didn't buy it, and the opponent got up and ran off laughing, as he realised his attempt to kid the ref hadn't worked, to him it was just a silly trick that hadn't worked. He wasn't even booked, though if the ref had fallen for it out player would have been red carded.

But this match is more serious, 3 points for us or them could be the difference between relegation or staying up.

I hate Arsenal, as years ago my other team West Ham played them, and every time West Ham were in an attacking position an Arsenal guy would cynically pull the shirt of a West Ham player, to stop the attack, concede a free kick, give time to get the defence set up... I noticed that is exactly how Havant played with Doswell, despite him being all nice in interviews.

I don't know, maybe we are too fkn honest for our own good. I remember saying to my team, nudging them, "look, if you fall down and get a penalty, that is fine by me". Ade's acting for free kicks is really bad, he is a big strong player, so no sensible ref is going to buy him being knocked off the ball in a dangerous position, so he may as well stay on his feet and go for it. But as much as football is the beautiful game, sometimes dark arts are needed, ****housery, and other teams have been taking the mick out of us doing that, let's get one of them sent off for a change, to even things up. It's not pretty, but it is reality.

The margins between success and failure are so fine. We stayed up by 2 points last season, so 1 win that ended a draw would have seen us down. In the Maidstone match our keeper standing on the line fumbled a ball, which 100% went over the line, even I from my midway spot on the Erith side of the stadium (to avoid having to hear someones tantrums) could clearly see. But the officials didn't award a goal, so we won, instead of drawing, and stayed up. Tonight's match is like that, a single decision could end up as the difference between relegation or safety.

Alan Hansen, you are a secret proof of the strength of Welling fans. I don't agree with anything you say, and personally I think you are incredibly naive, as by now Warren has had more than enough time to build his team and show what he is all about, and 6 points above relegation with 9 games to go and 5 home wins (and lowering attendances as a result) and 5 away wins to go tells its own story, but this isnt a toxic forum, we are united, everyone here wants us to do well, it is just we don't all agree on how to get there, and it is great we can all bounce ideas around to try to make sense of the madness.

Johnny Hartley wrote:

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Heading off to the match.

As long as we have 11 on the pitch, if we defend as a team, and attack as a team, we will win this one.

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 Yep, especially if we score more in goal hole than the opposition.

Barnes on for Balarabe

Alexander on for Barnes

Penalty to Taunton

FFS

One win from last 10 at home ffs

Another dismal performance.

Looking at the league table and our remaining fixtures, if we manage to stay up it will be because of the teams below us not picking up points rather than us picking up points in the remaining games. Feeney HAS to go to give us the best chance of staying up. This is a total sh**show at this point and anyone who doesnt think were now in a relegation battle is deluded.

All you Feeney fans - defend that please!  

Sack the board, sack the manager, sack the fella in the white socks at the end. lets have our club back please. 

Spills wrote:

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All you Feeney fans - defend that please!  

Sack the board, sack the manager, sack the fella in the white socks at the end. lets have our club back please. 

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 Fella in the white sox is the boyfriend of the owners daughter....****ing embarrassing. 

Terrible what happened at full time! What happened to we are all Wings together?

Jamison wrote:

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Spills wrote:

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All you Feeney fans - defend that please!  

Sack the board, sack the manager, sack the fella in the white socks at the end. lets have our club back please. 

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 Fella in the white sox is the boyfriend of the owners daughter....****ing embarrassing. 

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My god Lord, what have we become!!

 

 

In all honesty we moaned about Goldberg are we that much better off with this lot albeit with a covered stand, 7 pound burger bar, more investment supposedly in squad and a marquee that is no longer open.

Goldberg would have made a change maybe not the right one but he had a knack for pulling the trigger when enough was enough

Feeney's "going away to have a think" then.... classy to single out one player for criticism...

www.youtube.com/watch

-- Edited by richsdixon on Tuesday 21st of March 2023 10:58:41 PM

Bloody hell.

But the stupid thing is one shouldn't be surprised, as this has been going on since October. I really thought ahead of the game we'd win, but in retrospect that was wishful thinking, rather than based on anything realistic, as we just played the same unsuccessful way this constant failure of a manager keeps playing, whack a high long ball to the guy in attack, and hope he can beat the three defenders he is facing. Slight variation of playing another guy up too at times, but they played so far apart it was easy to defend against them. No real cutting edge in attack.

A ray of hope. I saw Steve King at the match, so maybe the owners are finally realising they have made a mistake and that a change is needed.

Cheshunt got a good point at St Albans, Chippenham beat Weymouth, so Cheshunt have closed the gap by a point, and we are now in a fantastic position five points off relegation, and not in a crisis. Taunton now are just 2 points behind us. They looked very determined tonight, and look likely to get out of trouble with 4 games in hand.

When he left his last three jobs his team were in the bottom three, can our serial loser manager make it four in a row? Judging by the 5 wins in the last SIX BLOODY MONTHS and 4 home wins all season, yes.