Dulwich Hamlet vs Bognor Regis Town, ILP, Saturday 4th January

[editor]

Max pics!

In photos: Fans call for the manager to be sacked after Dulwich Hamlet lose to bottom club Bognor Regis, Sat 4th Jan 2025

As Dulwich Hamlet performances go, this was one of the worst ever witnessed, with the home team throwing away a 3-1 lead to lose 3-4 to Bognor Regis – despite the visitors having a player sen…

www.brixtonbuzz.com

 

[Bugpowder Dust]

So if it's now almost 48 hours after the match, does that mean Hak has survived the axe?

 

[editor]

So if it's now almost 48 hours after the match, does that mean Hak has survived the axe?

Given their truly atrocious form and the nature of their recent defeats, you'd think the club would be quick to make a statement about what's going on.

 

[Pink Panther]

Given their truly atrocious form and the nature of their recent defeats, you'd think the club would be quick to make a statement about what's going on.

What exactly do you expect from this statement? A "vote of confidence", which by implication suggests the manager is on borrowed time? I mean, he surely is anyway unless or until we have a reasonable sequence of results with more wins than losses, but would it really help anyone to spell it out?

So if it's now almost 48 hours after the match, does that mean Hak has survived the axe?

For what it's worth, the departure of Paul Barnes was announced at 1.30pm on the club's website on the Tuesday after his final game, which was a 2-0 defeat away to Hampton. (I just searched for that match thread and the announcement was linked within.)

Reflecting on Saturday's debacle, Hak was pretty unlucky with the two key moments that were clearly bugging him in his post-match interview. The Barnes blunder for their crucial second goal was the sort of thing you don't see more than once a season at this level, and you might occasionally see it even at Premier League level, but the odds must be pretty long for it to happen at that moment in a "must win" game when you're well on top, but not quite home and dry. How does any manager legislate for that? Or for Kresh's crazy decision to pass sideways instead of shooting from a central position with the goal apparently at his mercy a few minutes before that?

Unfortunately for Hak, I don't think he can afford to be unlucky right now. He simply doesn't have any credit left in the bank. Even if we'd come through to win that game 3-1 or 3-2, it was a very shaky performance riddled with all sorts of collective and individual errors, but at least it would have represented something tangible to build on. Conceding 4 at home to each of the top two teams is one thing, but a repeat against the bottom team with a two goal lead and an extra man?

 

[editor]

What exactly do you expect from this statement? A "vote of confidence", which by implication suggests the manager is on borrowed time? I mean, he surely is anyway unless or until we have a reasonable sequence of results with more wins than losses, but would it really help anyone to spell it out?

Oh, I don't know. Maybe something like "sorry for the fucking comically shit results but we can't tell you how much your support is appreciated right now."
You know, basic communication/empathy with your paying customers.

 

[Paula_G]

“Unlucky” seems to be one of the most over used words on this forum and probably in post match interviews too. Lately I keep thinking back to these words “Things just seemed to go too wrong too many times.” Sad really.

 

[Pink Panther]

Oh, I don't know. Maybe something like "sorry for the fucking comically shit results but we can't tell you how much your support is appreciated right now."
You know, basic communication/empathy with your paying customers.

So a bit like this, but with more platitudes or self flagellation?

 

[editor]

So a bit like this, but with more platitudes or self flagellation?

If you think those two lines are sufficient after what has to be one of the club's most humiliating home defeats in recent years, then we can agree to disagree!

 

[Bugpowder Dust]

FWIW I thought the club's post on bluesky (and I presume other socials) was balanced and well judged.

OT if a post on Twitter is a Tweet, what's a post on Bluesky called?

 

[Alex W]

FWIW I thought the club's post on bluesky (and I presume other socials) was balanced and well judged.

OT if a post on Twitter is a Tweet, what's a post on Bluesky called?

Some people are very desperate to make "skeet" a thing. Otherwise, "post" is popular.

 

[KPMG]

Whilst I think he has lost the dressing room and, if he does have a playing strategy, the players don’t understand it, and/or are not committed to it, if he is to stay the best thing he could do would be to publicly apologise for dissing players, and confirm that he won’t do any more post match interviews.

 

[Paula_G]

It’s happened Club Men's Team Statement

 

[Cyclodunc]

He's been sacked.

Hak Sacked

https://dulwichhamletfc.co.uk/latest-news/mens-news/club-mens-team-statement

www.urban75.net

 

[Cyclodunc]

Some people are very desperate to make "skeet" a thing. Otherwise, "post" is popular.

It's slang for something else...

 

[Bugpowder Dust]

For what it's worth, the departure of Paul Barnes was announced at 1.30pm on the club's website on the Tuesday after his final game

Turns out it was worth quite a lot!

 

[Pink Panther]

Turns out it was worth quite a lot!

Ben always seems very punctual and well organised!

 

[nunhead dweller]

Right decision. His post match interview on Saturday repeatedly singling out player mistakes was final straw for me

 

[wphillips7]

The sad thing is that he clearly loved being the manager. Interacting with fans etc. it’s a shame it didn’t work out.

 

[Don't Slow Down]

The sad thing is that he clearly loved being the manager. Interacting with fans etc. it’s a shame it didn’t work out.

Totally agree, where there have previously been managers I'd help out the door.

 

[Pink Panther]

The sad thing is that he clearly loved being the manager. Interacting with fans etc. it’s a shame it didn’t work out.

Yes, I wanted him to succeed because he seemed to "get" our club and genuinely enjoy being here. Ultimately he just never achieved the desired consistency of results and performances, even before the wheels came off in the last 6 weeks.

He was always quite passionate and forthright in his post-match interviews, so some of his criticisms of individual players came across as harsh and tactless, although he seemed to treat everyone the same and I didn't think it was ever personal. Perhaps if he'd been speaking the following morning he'd have been a bit more guarded.

I thought he overdid it with singling our Kresh and Dillon after this game, but he'd probably still be in a job without those blunders, even if it had only delayed the inevitable for a couple of weeks. The more alarming aspect was how the whole team fell apart while we were still leading 3-2 after 87 minutes. Ultimately he's paid the price for a 10 match span of results and performances with few redeeming features and, as he said himself on more than one occasion, the buck stops with him.

I wonder whether he was given the option to walk away and declined? The club statement is pretty unequivocal in saying his "contract has been terminated". Maybe he simply didn't want to look like a quitter? I'm always a bit sad to see a manager leave like this, even though I fully understand the decision and can't argue with it.

 

[AveryDave]

Don’t think he gave the club much choice with that final interview. Had similarities to Barnes final couple of interviews when it got away from him completely, although I don’t recall Barnes going as far as singling out specific players, at least by name.

No mention of “mutual consent” in the statement, which does suggest he didn’t go by choice. Hopefully that came from a genuine belief he could turn it around rather than contractual considerations.

As ever, the success of this decision will be majority determined by what happens next, but not sure what else the club were supposed to do.

Edited to say: on what happens next, will be interesting to see the level of candidate it attracts - not sure it’s as plum an opportunity as some may think, with a playing squad in pieces (both performance and fitness-wise), renewed uncertainty over the stadium, the associated pressure on financial sustainability, and no youth or academy setup in place. Lots to deal with there.