Would love to know more about his role. I don't think it's ever been shared.
And I hope there is something in the name of "succession planning" in place for Hak. Didn't seem like anything was remotely prepared for Gav's departure.
Dulwich Hamlet vs Bognor Regis Town, ILP, Saturday 4th January
- Thread starter Paula_G
- Start date
And I hope there is something in the name of "succession planning" in place for Hak. Didn't seem like anything was remotely prepared for Gav's departure.
Bugpowder Dust
Well-Known Member
AveryDave
Well-Known Member
He told the players to show some pride, at least twice - what more do you want?!?
JoeBoy1959
Well-Known Member
I don't want an apology - I want him out!
Bugpowder Dust
Well-Known Member
If he is doing media, does that mean he's still in a job?
Individually the players are skilful and experienced enough. But they are not playing for him.
Our promotion hopes are surely gone, and a slide into the relegation places is entirely possible. The "must-win" match was not only not won, it's was thrown away against 10 men.
So the conclusion has to be that the only direction to go now is with a new manager.
El Matador
Member
Talk about hanging Barnes out to dry. He had a dreadful last half hour but shocking to see a manager publicly blame his keeper like that.
Except responsibility then and RESIGN
NoShitSherlock
New Member
I’m not sure how you can call anyone who says in interviews that they take “full responsibility”, while repeatedly throwing the players under the bus, a ‘Leader’.
It was very telling how he scurried off down the tunnel while Millsy led the team around at the end, especially when he constantly says how important the fans are. If he actually believes that, then he should go of his own accord.
It was very telling how he scurried off down the tunnel while Millsy led the team around at the end, especially when he constantly says how important the fans are. If he actually believes that, then he should go of his own accord.
This is what creates from what I can see a clearly very toxic environment in the dressing room. It starts from the mgt team. No team ethic, all blaming each other on the pitch, playing for themselves etc etc none of the players look like they enjoy playing for him
A good example.. At FT JB was lying on the pitch clearly distraught at what happened. Not one player went over to him to pick him up.. players and mgt team walking past him just leaving him there.
Embarrassing
Paula_G
Flitting in & out like Tinkerbell on Meth
Gives even more credence to Ruddy’s comments about Hak eroding his confidence.
wphillips7
Member
Bognor were great today and deserved their win. Played the more attractive football, adapted better to the red card, seemed to have an incredibly young side (I might be wrong), finished chances expertly - the 4th goal was superb, they out worked us, they out fought us, had great attitudes and completely deserved the win. We had some control, but that was because we have the extra player and despite that, they out thought us. We saw that win coming a mile off.
Also, in that interview (and others), we seem to constantly blame individual mistakes. Aren’t most goals because of mistakes.
Also, in that interview (and others), we seem to constantly blame individual mistakes. Aren’t most goals because of mistakes.
wphillips7
Member
Feel for Barnes, don’t recall seeing a player thrown under the bus so severely. I don’t see what that achieves. Nothing positive can come of that. That’s like a management 101 fail.
Club feels pretty toxic right now, sadly
Club feels pretty toxic right now, sadly
Paula_G
Flitting in & out like Tinkerbell on Meth
Wasn’t he in attendance at the last Fans Forum? Talking of which have I missed anything but don’t believe that there’s been an FF since the start of May last year?
Paula_G
Flitting in & out like Tinkerbell on Meth
Wasn’t Dumaka in attendance at the last Fans Forum? Talking of which have I missed anything but don’t believe that there’s been an FF since the start of May last year?
MrFouldsy
Well-Known Member
He was. But to be honest, it's the entire set up that's not quite right. Not sure what resource he has. Strategy is definitely either lacking or not working.
Multigums
Active Member
Honest appraisal - I expected a very open game with plenty of goals and first half lived up to that tho they could have scored a couple more - as could we. At 3-2 I was nervous just like the team and they fell apart. Winning goal was quality as were their fans throughout - big turnout travelling in hope. I would love to say same for Billericay on 18th? Probably best to drop the near the playoff schtick now
Paula_G
Flitting in & out like Tinkerbell on Meth
Rather reminded me of Mick Browne saying we were in 22nd place back in 1997 after a midweek defeat away to St Albans (I think?) left the Hamlet bottom of the Isthmian Premier.
Bugpowder Dust
Well-Known Member
Jack is back on the comments!
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
That was absolutely shocking. Obviously there have been plenty of other games when we've been dreadful from start to finish and ended up well beaten, but I don't think I've ever seen a more shambolic defeat in a match where the odds have been so heavily stacked in our favour. At home to the bottom team, who haven't won for ages - one point from their last 8 games, with four or more goals conceded on 4 occasions. A goal up inside 60 seconds. An extra man for more than three quarters of the game after one of their defenders collected the first two yellow cards of the afternoon for a pair of blatant fouls. Even after conceding a sucker punch of an equaliser, we established a two goal lead and wasted a string of chances to put further distance between ourselves and the visitors. We were still in front with 3 minutes plus stoppage time remaining, with the opposition having played 70 minutes a man short, and we still couldn't get over the line. We conceded three unanswered second half goals against ten men! I don't think I've ever seen a team with a man disadvantage score more than twice in any game, yet Bognor scored four times while playing a man short, and they're still bottom of the table after more than half the season! There were absolutely no mitigating circumstances whatsoever. It was all our own work.
We actually scored three really good goals from open play. The first one was created by Lorenzo with a great run down the right, beating the full back and delivering a low cross for Wanadio to fire home from near the penalty spot. Bognor gave us warning that we shouldn't get complacent, creating a couple of chances around the edge of the box, one saved and the other just wide. Then came the red card, but 5 minutes later we were caught out by a long clearance from the keeper that eluded Chambers on the bounce, and a couple of quick passes later their centre forward was firing past an exposed Barnes. Not to worry, as it only took a couple of minutes to regain the lead. The ball was passed from right to left across our backline before JBW was released on one of his trademark juggernaut raids down the left touchline, he picked out Hand inside the box, who took the ball in his stride to convert the chance in style. Another great piece of wing play from Lorenzo set up Hand in similar fashion to our first goal, but he miscued when it looked easier to score and the ball rebounded from the inside of the post before a defender cleared it. We did have a third goal soon after when Chambers advanced into the Bognor half and fired a pass out to the left for Wanadio, who twisted inside and picked out Hand arriving in the box to beat the keeper. That really should have been game over.
There was no real sign of any drama during the first twenty minutes of the second half, other than our failure to take further chances to put the game well and truly beyond Bognor's reach, despite creating enough. Deon Moore gave a strong all round performance at centre forward, showing plenty of pace and strength on the ball, but he wasted a couple of good opportunities by shooting from optimistic positions instead of slipping a pass to a better placed teammate. Krasniqi seized upon a defensive slip just inside the box with only the keeper to beat from a central position, but appeared more interested in setting up Hand for a hat-trick, who seemed so surprised to receive the pass he couldn't do anything useful with it. Bognor looked like they'd settled for damage limitation at this point, but then a sluggish piece of defending allowed them to force a corner. The delivery was straight down Barnes' throat, he took it just above his head under no real pressure, then somehow dropped it at his feet for a forward to smash into the net. Our keeper, who had looked good in his half dozen or so games since returning from injury, seemed to go to pieces after that. He made a good blocking save at a forward's feet from a counter attack only a couple of minutes later, but almost knocked the ball into his own net in scrambling to pouch it. The final two goals both came after Barnes had failed to reach the halfway line with clearances that were won by opponents, although on each occasion there were more than enough defenders in the way who should have been able to deal with the threat.
I normally stand fairly close to the main exit gates, and the numbers leaving early are generally quite small, even when we're more than a goal behind. Today there seemed to be more than usual leaving as soon as it got to 3-3, and I half thought about joining them. Even if we'd got the late winner at that stage it would have been embarrassing. There was a level of booing at the final whistle that I don't think I've heard before. We looked complacent at 3-1. Too many players were playing as if the game was in the bag, instead of finishing the job. JBW was repeatedly joining the attack in open play, then lingering upfield and leaving Wanadio to cover for him. I don't want to see our main goalscorer operating as an auxiliary left back! I'd have taken JBW off at that point, especially with Hudson on the bench. He's just been out for two games with a knock, and picked up another avoidable yellow card for tugging a defender back off the ball because he couldn't keep pace with him.
I'm not sure whether Hak has lost the dressing room or lost the plot, but we're haemorrhaging goals with 4-1, 4-2 and 4-3 defeats in the last four home games, and it's beginning to resemble the last days under Paul Barnes. The manager's post match interview includes an initial brief reference to the Kresh wasted chance to make it 4-1, and the Barnes howler that let them back in at 3-2, which is fair enough. It's really just a statement of the bleedin' obvious, as those did feel like the two moments that allowed the tide to turn. I was cursing that indecision and that fumble at the time, and I'm sure many others were too, but having completed his summary he revisits those incidents and really lays into those players, then does it again a bit later! (We were still in front when Kresh was substituted!) At least I don't think the injury list got a mention this time. It was starting to remind me of Keir Starmer saying his father was a toolmaker. By contrast AJ's interview is much more composed, saying it was collectively the players' fault, without mentioning any individuals, and that they let down the management as well as the supporters.
I don't know where we go from here. There's a week until we play at home again next week, against Folkestone. They reputedly have the biggest budget in the league, but they've had their fair share of poor results, and were held to a 2-2 draw at Bowers & Pitsea today where our former players Alex Teniola and Yannis Ambroisine scored against them. Under the circumstances, it wouldn't be a total surprise if we turn them over, but it now feels like each additional defeat ratchets up the pressure on the manager until eventually one of them must be the final straw. Then it's Billericay away the following week, where it's hard to see us getting anything on current form. Two of the teams occupying the four relegation places can now match our points total by winning their two games in hand.
We actually scored three really good goals from open play. The first one was created by Lorenzo with a great run down the right, beating the full back and delivering a low cross for Wanadio to fire home from near the penalty spot. Bognor gave us warning that we shouldn't get complacent, creating a couple of chances around the edge of the box, one saved and the other just wide. Then came the red card, but 5 minutes later we were caught out by a long clearance from the keeper that eluded Chambers on the bounce, and a couple of quick passes later their centre forward was firing past an exposed Barnes. Not to worry, as it only took a couple of minutes to regain the lead. The ball was passed from right to left across our backline before JBW was released on one of his trademark juggernaut raids down the left touchline, he picked out Hand inside the box, who took the ball in his stride to convert the chance in style. Another great piece of wing play from Lorenzo set up Hand in similar fashion to our first goal, but he miscued when it looked easier to score and the ball rebounded from the inside of the post before a defender cleared it. We did have a third goal soon after when Chambers advanced into the Bognor half and fired a pass out to the left for Wanadio, who twisted inside and picked out Hand arriving in the box to beat the keeper. That really should have been game over.
There was no real sign of any drama during the first twenty minutes of the second half, other than our failure to take further chances to put the game well and truly beyond Bognor's reach, despite creating enough. Deon Moore gave a strong all round performance at centre forward, showing plenty of pace and strength on the ball, but he wasted a couple of good opportunities by shooting from optimistic positions instead of slipping a pass to a better placed teammate. Krasniqi seized upon a defensive slip just inside the box with only the keeper to beat from a central position, but appeared more interested in setting up Hand for a hat-trick, who seemed so surprised to receive the pass he couldn't do anything useful with it. Bognor looked like they'd settled for damage limitation at this point, but then a sluggish piece of defending allowed them to force a corner. The delivery was straight down Barnes' throat, he took it just above his head under no real pressure, then somehow dropped it at his feet for a forward to smash into the net. Our keeper, who had looked good in his half dozen or so games since returning from injury, seemed to go to pieces after that. He made a good blocking save at a forward's feet from a counter attack only a couple of minutes later, but almost knocked the ball into his own net in scrambling to pouch it. The final two goals both came after Barnes had failed to reach the halfway line with clearances that were won by opponents, although on each occasion there were more than enough defenders in the way who should have been able to deal with the threat.
I normally stand fairly close to the main exit gates, and the numbers leaving early are generally quite small, even when we're more than a goal behind. Today there seemed to be more than usual leaving as soon as it got to 3-3, and I half thought about joining them. Even if we'd got the late winner at that stage it would have been embarrassing. There was a level of booing at the final whistle that I don't think I've heard before. We looked complacent at 3-1. Too many players were playing as if the game was in the bag, instead of finishing the job. JBW was repeatedly joining the attack in open play, then lingering upfield and leaving Wanadio to cover for him. I don't want to see our main goalscorer operating as an auxiliary left back! I'd have taken JBW off at that point, especially with Hudson on the bench. He's just been out for two games with a knock, and picked up another avoidable yellow card for tugging a defender back off the ball because he couldn't keep pace with him.
I'm not sure whether Hak has lost the dressing room or lost the plot, but we're haemorrhaging goals with 4-1, 4-2 and 4-3 defeats in the last four home games, and it's beginning to resemble the last days under Paul Barnes. The manager's post match interview includes an initial brief reference to the Kresh wasted chance to make it 4-1, and the Barnes howler that let them back in at 3-2, which is fair enough. It's really just a statement of the bleedin' obvious, as those did feel like the two moments that allowed the tide to turn. I was cursing that indecision and that fumble at the time, and I'm sure many others were too, but having completed his summary he revisits those incidents and really lays into those players, then does it again a bit later! (We were still in front when Kresh was substituted!) At least I don't think the injury list got a mention this time. It was starting to remind me of Keir Starmer saying his father was a toolmaker. By contrast AJ's interview is much more composed, saying it was collectively the players' fault, without mentioning any individuals, and that they let down the management as well as the supporters.
I don't know where we go from here. There's a week until we play at home again next week, against Folkestone. They reputedly have the biggest budget in the league, but they've had their fair share of poor results, and were held to a 2-2 draw at Bowers & Pitsea today where our former players Alex Teniola and Yannis Ambroisine scored against them. Under the circumstances, it wouldn't be a total surprise if we turn them over, but it now feels like each additional defeat ratchets up the pressure on the manager until eventually one of them must be the final straw. Then it's Billericay away the following week, where it's hard to see us getting anything on current form. Two of the teams occupying the four relegation places can now match our points total by winning their two games in hand.
nunhead dweller
New Member
I wonder what Ben Clasper is thinking or whether he leaves Dumaka (assuming he's still in post) to make key decisions on footballing side eg on retaining/ replacing manager. Ben has done wonders keepong club afloat, especially with ongoing uncertainty over new ground, and works tirelessly on top of day job. He clearly has excellent business brain and loves club. I'm sure he knows more about football at this level than me but I still remember him confidently circulating spreadsheet on this forum listing his forecast results for last dozen games which showed us staying up in season we got relegated from NLS. And comment he made at FF ahead of last season where he referred to not liking most people running NLS clubs (don't know if it was just this league) which doesn't suggest strong footballing contacts/ ties which may impede manager recruitment. Obviously Ben can't do everything himself, and may consider best to focus on what he knows most about ie business/ commercial side and leave footballing matters to others, but if latter I wonder if there's a risk of vacuum where necessary footballing decisions eg on replacing manager don't get made (or are delayed) and we just see gradual deterioration on pitch.
Pink Panther
Well-Known Member
Yes. I believe he's at all the home games, but rarely goes away.
There was an announcement that he would be interviewed by DHFCtv shortly after his appointment to explain the scope of his duties and what the role is all about, but that was at the start of the 2022-23 season and to the best of my knowledge it's never happened.
We have no reserve or youth team manager who can step in just for a couple of matches if necessary, and Hak's assistants all came with him, so my assumption is they'll leave with him. (We do have a women's team of course, and Ryan Dempsey has done very well as their manager, but I don't think it would be fair to risk disrupting that team by asking him to get involved.)
Even if everything is going well, there's always a risk any club might lose a manager to an irresistible offer from elsewhere, e.g. Steve Morison leaving Hornchurch for Sutton around this time last season when they were romping the league. Therefore I would expect the directors of any club in our position to maintain some sort of rolling shortlist of realistic targets who could be approached at short notice, which seems to be how we landed Hak in the first place.
When Gavin Rose was sacked 2 days before a very winnable home game against a struggling Hemel Hempstead side whose own manager was on borrowed time, the players were effectively left to manage themselves. Jack Holland and Danny Mills were nominally in charge, omitting themselves from the matchday squad in order to run the bench. It was only 2 more days before Paul Barnes was announced as interim manager, and his first game was an encouraging FA Cup win at home to Margate 2 days after that, but we effectively forfeited 3 points against Hemel and ended up getting relegated on goal difference.
I don't like spontaneous changes of manager during the season, as you rarely have the best range of replacements to choose from and there's always a sense of urgency to act as quickly as possible, but if there has to be a change I reckon January is probably the best month to do it. (Or April, with absolutely no chance of getting relegated.) Not September, as when Gavin Rose departed, when there are early season midweek fixtures and cup ties. Not March, when Paul Barnes left, when you're getting sucked into a relegation scrap with time running out and rescheduled fixtures are being squeezed in on midweek evenings. We still have plenty of points to play for, and a full 7 days between each game, with the possibility of more breathing space if any are postponed.
My ideal scenario is that we can get through safely to the end of the season with Hak, but right now it's hard to make a case for him staying longer than that. The Boxing Day win felt vital, but I wasn't really expecting more than the odd point from the away games at Whitehawk and Cray, given the sheer number of players missing and the recent improved form of those teams. However, we really had to back that up by winning yesterday with a relatively strong squad including a decent bench.
If planning permission lapses, the whole future of the club is in real doubt. I suspect the club are quite capable of simultaneously working that issue and considering the future of the management team but the survival of the club should have more focus than one misfiring season.
AveryDave
Well-Known Member
Suppose they could dig out Peter Crouch’s fabled PowerPoint if they’re struggling.
