Yeovil Town have named an attacking line-up for their trip to National League leaders Wrexham (7.45pm kick-off).
Striker Reo Griffiths and winger Zanda Siziba are both in the starting XI after impressing in last weekend’s 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors, in place of Jordan Maguire-Drew and Jordan Young.
The other changes see Scott Pollock and Andrew Oluwabori come in for Malachi Linton and Max Hunt. Young, Linton and Hunt are all named on the bench.
An abject first half followed by a stirring comeback and even two goals to see Yeovil Town take a point from a 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors should be enough to cheer up that miserable curmudgeon Coatesie – right? Well, it kind of did, here’s his conclusions from his day out in the Midlands…..
The first half was pathetic: Let’s do this chronologically and start with the biggest negative. Charlie Cooper spoke after the game about playing for personal pride and, on the basis of the performance in the first half, that was completely lacking from every single player in a Yeovil Town shirt. Yes, I know there’s some who are playing with injuries, yes, there are some who really do care, but the way a Solihull side with nothing left to play for carved us apart at will was embarrassing. If any player thinks that type of performance will make them appealing to a club at this level or above, I want some of whatever they’re having. The half-time whistle was met with complete apathy, it was a performance so weak it sucked even the anger out of those who remained on the terrace when it sounded. Those with any sense had departed to the bar long before.
What a difference three subs makes: The arrival of Zanda Siziba and Reo Griffiths changed the game. From the first minute of the second half, Siziba was a constant menace down the left side and, though he was not so in the thick of it, Griffiths’ quality inside the box created both goals. With the two of them on the pitch, we looked a different side. None of us know what exactly has (and has not) gone on with them and the manager and some of their team-mates have not exactly hidden their distaste for it, but they brought exactly what we were crying out for over those crucial fixtures against Gateshead, Aldershot and Dorking. If they’d been given the chance, would it have made a difference? Truth is we will never know, but given how well what we tried worked, I will say it seems a mistake not to have even given it a go.
It had to be those two, didn’t it? Whilst I was delighted with the performances from both Siziba and Griffith, their performances gave the petty, childlish side show which continues to play out an opportunity to raise its head again. It’s obvious to everyone these two players were recruited by the owners-in-waiting and even if he’s kept his promise to stay off Twitter so far, Matt Uggla could not resist posting on his Instagram. And, yes Wattsy, you did call it on the last podcast – keep your eyes on Vinted and Strava, folks! I don’t know what’s gone on, but I hate the fact the thousands of good people who support and work for this football club they love are being treated with such contempt by people who claim they love it as well. And, yes, I mean Matt Uggla. Yes, I mean Mark Cooper who can’t resist a petty comment. And, yes, I mean everyone involved in the embarrassing sh*tshow which our club has descended in to. You know who you are and you should be utterly ashamed of what you have ‘achieved’ with your antics. Will you be ashamed? I have my doubts, why not prove me wrong?
I can’t wait for it to be over. Tuesday night at Wrexham will (barring some kind of miracle) see our relegation confirmed and what a strange situation it will be for it to happen whilst our opponents put a foot in to the Football League. The optimist in me (believe it or not, there is one) says that we have to look to the Welsh side to see what can be possible with investment and people with a genuine plan (yes, spending millions of pounds does count as ‘a plan’) can achieve. Let’s not forget (as if we could be allowed to forget) that the ‘fairytale’ in the Hollywood hills of North Wales follows decades of mismanagement, more than a brush with extinction and plenty of suffering for their supporters. Do I sound bitter? Probably because I am. Whilst I do detest how it’s come about and the fairytale fantasy, I am also deeply jealous of what those in the home end at the Racecourse Ground have. We had something like that once and we could have it again…….couldn’t we?
I did enjoy myself. If you have got to this stage of this hissy fit, then kudos to you for that. I feel I owe it to our last conclude-r, Marcus Duncomb, to try and end on a positive because I did enjoy (the second half) of this game. We were all any Yeovil Town supporter wants us to be – committed, attacking, fearless and playing with some pride. We scored a good first goal and an absolutely sumptuous second – a lot to be said for just leathering it, eh? Hats off to Owen Bevan for that strike. Yes, it was too little too late as I’ve said, but I did enjoy it.
Yeovil Town midfielder Charlie Cooper has said his team-mates have to play for pride in their remaining three matches of the National League season.
The 25-year-old, who joined his father, manager Mark, at Huish Park at the start of the year, said he would “give everything” in the remaining fixtures and challenged others in the dressing room to do the same.
The Glovers’ relegation to National League South will be confirmed if they fail to win at league leaders Wrexham on Tuesday night, and even if they achieve that unlikely task, they will then need to win at home to Oldham Athletic next weekend and on the final day at Boreham Wood to stand a chance of survival.
Speaking after the 2-2 draw at Solihull Moors, he told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “It comes down to pride as a professional football player, we need to go and show that and put in maximum every day.
“I feel like I have tried to do that every day even if I am not having a good game, I will fight and scrap for everything. Everyone in the changing rooms needs to have a look at themselves and ask if they are doing everything for the team and the club.
“For the next three games we will give it everything and hopefully we can get some positive results.”
Asked about injuries he had been playing through in recent weeks, he added: “When it gets like this, you can hide behind injuries and say ‘I am not quite fit for this one’ but that is not me, if I am 50% (fit) I will give everything and I hope everyone else will do that as well. There’s a few in there that I look and think ‘I want you by my side’ and if we had 11 of them, I think we would be alright.”
Having gone 2-0 down inside half-an-hour after another gutless display in the first half at Damson Park, a second half revival saw them pull level to earn a point with goals from substitute Zanda Siziba and a stunning strike from Owen Bevan but could not do enough to nick the win.
Cooper admitted the dressing was “deflated” despite the point, adding: “We have given everything in the second half and shown that at times we can be a good team, but it’s probably been the story of the season – even though we had a ridiculous amount of chances, we have still not won the game.
“I don’t really know what happened in the first 20 minutes, people were just off the pace. We were all fired up before the game, we had some harsh words with the staff to get us fired up but we didn’t go out there and do that. There were some (more) harsh words at half-time and we had to show some personal pride, as well as pride for the club and the supporters and I felt like we did that in the second half, but on the whole it is obviously disappointing to be in this situation.
“If you out-run the opposition, you will more than likely get the result. There was a lot of energy shown out there in the second half, but it needs to be like that all the time from us as players on the pitch, every Saturday, every Tuesday, we have to put in maximum effort because if you don’t you are going to get punished for it. We did in the first 30 minutes.” What Ben Barrett would describe as “doing the dirty work” there, Charlie, and you’re quite right, there’s been a criminal lack of it on too many occasions this season.
The 25-year-old echoed the comments made by his father after the match about the perilous off-the-field situation surrounding the club’s ‘will they, won’t they?’ takeover and said he felt for the club’s staff and supporters.
He said: “I feel sorry for them because it’s not been good enough, on the pitch or off the pitch, it’s not been good enough. The club needs to come together as a whole, there’s no point in any negativity any more, I feel like it has probably been like that for a few years at this club and now it has to pick itself up and start from rock bottom and climb up the divisions. I do feel really bad for the supporters and I have done for the last seven or eight games because it has not been good enough.”
Asked about the public war of words between owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla and the manager, he admitted the situation had impacted a number of players in the dressing room during the crucial run-in towards the end of the season.
He said: “As players we see it every week on our phones after the games, we all get messages and notifications and it’s not helpful but as a player you need to block that out when you go out on the pitch. You need to think about the fans and the staff who have been involved with the club for a long time and put on a performance for them because they don’t deserve this. It needs to be sorted out because I think everyone can see things are in turmoil at the minute, so the quicker it gets sorted out the better. Everyone needs to pull together now and go in the right direction.”
Venue: Damson Park
Saturday, 15th April, 3pm kick-off
Pitch: In pretty good nick for this stage of the season
Conditions: Dry and bright
Attendance: 1813 (176 away supporters)
Scorers: Josh Kelly 23, 28, Zanda Siziba 53, Owen Bevan 83
Bookings:
Yeovil Town: None
Solihull Moors: J Clarke, J Kelly
Referee: Farai Hallam
Yeovil Town (5-3-2)
Substitutes: Andrew Oluwabori (for Max Hunt, 29) Zanda Siziba (for Jordan Maguire-Drew, 45) Reo Griffiths (for Jordan Young, 45) Grant Smith, Scott Pollock
Solihull Moors: Boot, Beck, Clarke, Donawa (for Mills, 77), Gudger, Howe (for Jones, 60), Kelly, Morgan, Stevens (for Wood 81), Tiensia, Whelan Substitutes: Howell, Roberts
Yeovil Town managed to turn round a dire first half performance to earn a point at Solihull Moors this afternoon. Second half goals from Zanda Siziba and Owen Bevan cancelled out Josh Kelly’s first half double.
The result see’s Yeovil cut adrift by eight points behind Aldershot with just nine points left to play for.
Here’s how Coatesie saw it…
After the opening exchanges between a team all but relegated and another with nothing to play for came to the anticipated amount – very little – the it was Solihull Moors who settled in to their rhythm the quicker.
On six minutes, a misplaced pass in midfield gifted the ball to hosts’ striker Jake Stevens whose effort was turned around the post by Will Buse, making his first start of the season. That sparked a flurry of attacks with Solihull captain Callum Howe arriving at the back post to head against the outside of the post before a long range effort from full-back Junior Tiensia warmed the palms of Buse. I’ve seen hot knives have more trouble tackling a block of butter than Solihull had getting through our defence.
Going forward, the script for this one was identical to almost any other you have read for Yeovil Town this season. A lot of play through the midfield, plenty of running around from Jordan Young and Malachi Linton up front, but zero in the way in terms of efforts to trouble Ryan Boot in the hosts’ goal.
The breakthrough came after just 23 minutes, Justin (‘The Boy’) Donawa found James Clarke on the overlap, he pulled it back to Josh KELLY who tucked away the opener. Former Yeovil striker Mark Beck, who looks every bit the head on a stick he did when he played for us, indicated the direction he expected his former employers were heading. Hard to argue.
If that was game and set, match was soon to follow. Four minutes after the first goal, along came the second when Stevens’ shot was blocked by one of a scrum of Yeovil defenders – and the referee adjudged it had hit a hand. Hard to say from my angle but there was not too much by way or argument from the visiting defence. KELLY stepped up and sent Buse the wrong way from the spot. Game. Set. And you have to feel, match.
Assistant manager Chris Todd was the man on the touchline with manager Mark Cooper suspended for too many booking this season. I therefore assume it was Todd (maybe after a text message from Cooper) that introduced Andrew Oluwabori in place of Max Hunt with Owen Bevan moving across to the right side of defence after 29 minutes.
Ten minutes from half-time a rare foray in to the box saw efforts (such as they are) from first Matt Worthington and then Jamie Reckord. Pot shots would probably be a better way to describe them.
In fact, the nearest we got to a meaningful effort came at the start of the one minute of first half injury time was mercifully awarded and Oluwabori broke forward down the left, beat at least two players on his own and then fired over the top.
Resigned dejection is the best way to describe the noise from the away end which met the referee’s whistle. So, so soft.
The half-time break saw striker Reo Griffiths and midfielder Zanda Siziba replace two of our Jordan’s – Young and Maguire-Drew. Unless you’ve been living under a rock, you’ll be in no doubt what the view of the manager and many of their own team-mates think of the two players who joined the fray. A ‘Hail Mary’ is what you call that, I think.
Whatever it was, Siziba was straight in to action with a ball in from the left wing which almost found one of Oluwabori or Linton at the back post. As it was it didn’t find either of them.
But, it was the two half-time arrivals who combined to create a goal which at least gave the long-suffering away support something to cheer about. Griffiths showed great close control down the left side before laying it back to SIZIBA who finished coolly in the corner.
It would not be an exaggeration to say the desire of that pairing, both quite obviously brought in by owners-in-waiting SU Glovers, has been openly questioned. But on the basis of their effort in even the opening ten minutes, you have to question why it’s taken until everything was lost (in this game and this season) for them to be thrown in.
That seemed to add some of the spark which was so sadly lacking in the first half and, lo and behold, a little attacking intent led to some efforts on goal. Firstly, Oluwabori’s 65th minute effort was turned over by goalkeeper Ryan Boot, and then Linton saw two breakaways see him denied by the keeper.
On 73 minutes, it is almost inexplicable how the game was not level. A clever free-kick from Charlie Cooper bamboozled goalkeeper Ryan Boot and came back off the post. Griffith and Oluwabori were both in close attendance, but the quality of the effort caught them as unawares as the keeper and neither were able to turn the loose ball home.
You could literally see the confidence return to the likes of Oluwabori and Siziba as the game progressed. They tried things and they came off, it was like shackles coming off them. I enjoyed it, it was great to see, but my mind keeps going back to why it’s taken until now for it to happen.
Play swung straight to the other end with Kelly breaking clear of the Yeovil defence but curling his effort wide. Defensively, we still looked suspect but our attack was (for once this season) proving the best form of defence.
Ex-Glover Tom Whelan put a chance over with 80 minutes gone, but three minutes later Yeovil were deservedly level and again it was a goal which owed a lot to the skill and intent of Griffiths. It was the on loan Doncaster Rovers man’s footwork which kept the ball alive inside the box and broke to Owen BEVAN to thunder home his first goal for the club for the edge of the box.
The irony that Griffiths, whose desire was publicly questioned by his manager in the week, and Siziba, whose name fits the Tequila-themed chant far better than Dale Gorman’s ever did, were at the heart of both goals was not lost on anyone in the away end at Damson Park.
But Yeovil did not seem in the mood to stop at two goals. The attacks kept coming, I know, I’m thinking the same as you are – where has that been all season?! Linton battled, Oluwabori looked a constant threat with that magic ingredient of confidence injected in to him, and Siziba was involved in most of what was good.
The best chance in six minutes of injury time fell to Oluwabori, following good play by Griffiths, but the on loan Peterborough United player could not get his effort on goal.
So, a point it was. Not enough for today, not enough for the season, not enough to secure survival on the National League which will almost certainly be extinguished at the hands of Wrexham on Tuesday night – but something to shout about. You’ve got to take what cheer you can.
On loan goalkeeper Will Buse is handed his first National League start of the season as Yeovil Town take on Solihull Moors today (3pm kick-off).
The Bristol City stopper replaced number one Grant Smith who drops to the bench.
Up front Jordan Young comes in place of Scott Pollock, who is named among the substitutes, and Max Hunt is in for the suspended Chiori Johnson, who was red carded in the 1-0 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers last time out.
Substitutes: Grant Smith, Zanda Siziba, Reo Griffiths, Scott Pollock, Andrew Oluwabori.
Yeovil Town striker Malachi Linton has said revealed his team-mates have been told to “walk out the door” if they aren’t up for the fight for National League survival.
The 22-year-old, who is the club’s joint top scorer albeit with just five goals this season, said he believes that everyone in the Glovers’ dressing room is up for the fight.
But, speaking ahead of Saturday’s trip to Solihull Moors, he admitted the players have “let down” the club’s supporters with their performances in recent weeks.
He told BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins: “It’s been pretty blunt – if you’re not up for the fight, you may as well walk out the door. We are all here, everyone still has to believe, it’s not done until it’s done and we have to keep fight, claw, do anything we can to get those wins.
“It’s about having belief in each other and the thing we have lacked is cutting edge in the final third, myself included. If we had a bit more belief with shots and attacking crosses, we could have done a bit more and hopefully can do more in these next few games.
“We are all in this together, we know what it means, so I am confident we are all up for the fight. Winning cures all so a win will push in the right direction and we can start looking upwards.”
He also spoke of his frustration about the off-the-field noise’ that there has been at Huish Park – if you’ve been under a rock for the past few weeks, read the latest instalment – here.
He said: “There’s been a lot of noise throughout the year which is quite frustrating, but I am a player and I just have to focus on what I can do on the pitch and the team has stuck together and tried to be united. Whatever else goes on, goes on.”
But, he was full of admiration for club captain (and his house-mate) Josh Staunton who has won praise for a series of stirring post-match interviews after recent losses.
Mal added: “Without Josh Staunton we would be in a much worse position. I live with Josh and he’s just a great bloke who I know will look after me.
“He goes out and does interviews on the toughest of days when nobody wants to talk, he has done that all season.“
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has said he wanted to retain his integrity as he was quizzed about comments from prospective owner Matt Uggla.
Following the 1-0 defeat to Dorking Wanderers on Easter Monday, he made a series of comments on his Twitter account claiming he had backed the manager in the transfer market after Cooper claimed a decision not to sign striker Frank Nouble had damaged any hopes of surviving in the National League.
The posts have now been deleted, but Cooper said on Thursday that he was contacted by a number of players who had read the posts.
Speaking about the incident ahead of Saturday’s trip to Solihull Moors, the manager said: “For me it is about trying to be as professional as I can be in really difficult circumstances and trying to be there for the players and prepare them as best as I can for the last few games.
“There was a period not so long ago when we played really well against Eastleigh when everything was rosy and since then it has been downhill for one reason or another.
“I want to try and retain my integrity and be professional and, if I’m not, then I lose the respect of the players and I think it is important that I am there for them and they know I have got their back.
“We can’t change what has happened, it is done. It’s been a challenging few weeks for everybody, and we have to go in to these next four games and give it all we’ve got.”
On Nouble, who has since joined relegation rivals Torquay United, he reiterated that he wanted the former Colchester United striker to come to Huish Park, adding: “Frank was on his way here but somewhere along the line it didn’t happen, I would have loved Frank here, but we can’t change that, that’s gone.”
Cooper now takes his side to Solihull Moors on Saturday sat third from bottom of the table, six points adrift of safety, knowing that relegation to National League South is now just a matter of time.
And, just in case the task was not any harder, they then travel to top-of-the-table Wrexham on Tuesday night when the big-spending Welshmen could clinch promotion back to the Football League.
Asked about the task, the manager added: “If we won on Saturday, the picture could change and, of course, we have an unbelievably difficult game on the Tuesday where Wrexham can probably win the title and be promoted, so we will be there to see the champions led in – but this is football, you never know. We have to be professional right to the very end.
“I gave the players a couple of days off to try and clear their heads, they’re not going to get any fitter, it’s about clear heads and getting focused now. There’s been a lot of emotion, chaos behind the scenes, but we have to rise above it all.
“Our performances have not been bad, from our goal to the edge of their box, we have been fine, we just have to be a bit more of a threat inside the penalty box.”
Speaking about an interview given by on loan striker Reo Griffiths – which you can read here – Cooper responded to claims that the Doncaster Rovers player was ready to score goals.
He said: “Talk’s cheap, it’s actions I need to see and that is not just on the pitch, that is during the week as well. If there is somebody in that squad that I see is going to score goals to give the team a lift, I am not going to cut my nose off to spite my face.”
Cooper also spoke about the performance on Easter Monday of referee Elliott Swallow who he described as “horrendous” after sending off defender Chiori Johnson.
The boss also pointed to a penalty appeal from striker Malachi Linton, saying: “It’s a clear red card when you see it back, I can’t see how you can’t get that right.”
He also revealed that he sent a video nasty of the 1-1 draw at FC Halifax Town last month in to the Professional Game Match Officials League (PGMOL).
The boss said: “There were some incredible decisions – there were two penalty shouts in there and a horrendous tackle on Edwin Agbaje that broke his leg, and the feedback I got was that the referee was correct in all their decisions.
“Until that changes, there is no point me doing a report for a referee or ringing up an assessor because they are just going to back the referee. So until that changes, we are wasting our time.”
Sadly, Mark, the Gloverscast’s Rule #1 agrees with everything you say. For reference, Rule #1: All National League referees are useless, there’s no point wasting your breath on them.
In keeping with the entire season (and probably the one before), rock bottom fell even lower for Yeovil Town with defeat at home to Dorking Wanderers putting another nail in the coffin of their National League status.
Marcus Duncomb was on co-commentary duties for BBC Radio Somerset at Huish Park on Easter Monday and here are his conclusions on what he saw….
Everything about that game summed what’s been wrong with us this season. We played some nice football, had more of the ball and were trying to do the right thing. But as soon as we got anywhere near the final third there was no-one in there making a lung-busting run or screaming for the ball. It’s as if we have no idea what to do when we get near the opposition goal. Then Chiori Johnson decided to get sent off by making a stupid and needless decision which ultimately doomed us. Self-capitulation seems to be a theme in Yeovil’s recent history. Finally Dorking rubbed salt into the wounds to win the game, showing us just what we were missing. A decent pot-shot from range was parried and first to react was Jason Prior who showed predatory striker’s instinct. Just what we’ve been missing. He was signed in February and has scored six in 11 to rocket Dorking towards safety…
We’re not achieving by unity and ultimately that has relegated us. Managers, players, owners and directors all come and go but they all occasionally manage to mention the club’s motto of ‘Achieve by Unity’. Never has it been so far from the truth. Alex Fisher hobbled out just before kick off to give a heartwarming message of thanks to the Huish Park faithful and he ended his speech with the club motto which roused the crowd. The match and the aftermath showed how little that phrase is being followed though. The problem isn’t wholly that we didn’t sign striker X who could have saved us (although it definitely could have helped). It’s that we’re in a farcical situation where our manager is telling fans through interviews that he plainly doesn’t agree with how the club has been run in the past few months. And then our not-yet-but-probably-soon-to-
If there was any hope, it is gone. I know we’ve been saying that every result since the Southend home defeat has doomed us, but this really does feel like the final nail in the coffin. I don’t know how I had any hope after the Gateshead mauling – but looking at the table it wasn’t impossible. Torquay, Gateshead and Dorking have shown that, no matter how down and out you look, you just need to pull together a string of three or four wins and it completely saves your season. That’s all it takes. Unfortunately for Yeovil fans, we have seen absolutely nothing to show that we can go on a run of victories. We’ve won one game in 16 and haven’t had back-to-back victories since Darren Sarll. The squad look completely dejected and disjointed and sadly it would be better for everyone’s sake for our inevitable fate to be sealed sooner rather than cruelly dragging it out like this.
This squad is a complete mish mash. It’s similar to the previous point but as I watched us limp to defeat against Dorking Wanderers, you could see a complete mix of players. You had three from the Darren Sarll era in Smith, Worthington and Staunton, who all happen to be our three top performers this season. There were four carrying on from Chris Hargreaves’ short and, let’s be honest, forgettable 17 games at the helm – Johnson, Reckord, Bevan and Linton. C. Cooper and Maguire-Drew were from Cooper’s early recruitment and then Pollock and Freckleton as the two from Uggla’s recruitment. Thanks to Matt’s handy Twitter thread, we know exactly which players were whose signings! There are four different people, all with completely different ideas, beliefs and styles who have assembled this squad. It’s no wonder it looks so disjointed on the pitch and that there’s an unsettled dressing room. When our club captain says it’s ridiculous that we’ve used so many players in a season, you know something has gone wrong. Yes, part of this is down to summer recruitment being off and ultimately failing, but the lack of alignment since then has not helped.
Alex Fisher is the nicest man in football. I had to try and find one positive, and believe me it wasn’t easy. But the Fish coming out beforehand really did lift the spirits of a nervy Huish Park before kick off. This was something entirely of his own accord and to be quite honest I’m really not sure he was in any fit state to be parading around the pitch. However, he did it because he cares and that’s been a lot of what’s been missing this season. Our number nine has come under a lot of stick this season, and much of it unnecessarily in my opinion. It’s not his fault that he’s been burdened with the pressure of scoring the goals to fire us to safety when he’s never really been that type of striker. He’s scored more goals this season than he had in his past three seasons combined. Whatever happens to us next season, Fisher is someone that you want around the club even if he’s injured until the new year. Thanks for caring, Alex.
In a long thread post on his Twitter channel, prospective Yeovil Town owner Matt Uggla has responded to claims from manager Mark Cooper that he had not been backed in the transfer market.
The thread can be viewed on Twitter – click here – and if you are interested in it, that is probably the best place to read it in full because some tweets seem to have been deleted and the narrative is a little tricky to follow.
However, after we published comments made by the manager claiming he was not supported in the transfer market, it only seems fair to give right of reply to the owner-in-waiting. If you wanted to read what Cooper said about Nouble – see here.
On Nouble, he says: “The fact Frank Nouble didn’t sign is down to a number of reasons. One being Mark Cooper and his agent. We have back the man. Plus he sat in my house in Hampstead in January saying we don’t need to sign anyone else.”
Recognising that there’s people for and people against Cooper staying as manager and SU Glovers completing the takeover of the deal from chairman Scott Priestnall, we’re happy to report both sides of what is a very public civil war.
But……these antics (on both sides) could not be further away from the calls for unity we have heard from both sides in recent weeks and quite frankly they are only making a bad situation in to an absolute laughing stock.
Uggla signs off his thread: “This is my last tweet until the start of next season when positivity will be back.” Now that does sound like a good idea.
Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper has again pointed to poor recruitment in the transfer window as being behind the collapse in form which puts his side on the brink of relegation to National League South.
Echoing what he said after the losses to Southend United and Gateshead, the boss went a step further by revealing that striker Frank Nouble was ready to join the club before being allowed to join relegation rivals Torquay United.
The former Colchester United player scored twice for the Gulls in a 3-1 win at Maidenhead United on Easter Monday whilst Cooper’s side struggled in front of goal again as they went down to a 1-0 home defeat to Dorking Wanderers.
Speaking to BBC Somerset’s Sheridan Robins after the game, Cooper said: “It didn’t have to be like this. Five or six weeks ago, the players we wanted to bring in….one of them is going to keep Torquay up by the looks of it and it just didn’t happen. We have to learn from that.”
Asked directly if he was referring to Nouble, the manager said: “The deal was done, Frank was coming in on a five-week deal and it didn’t happen. That’s what way it is. It’s frustrating because it didn’t have to be like this; I will get the majority of the blame, but it didn’t have to be like this.”
The boss has not attempted to hide his displeasure that a number of new signings, including striker Reo Griffiths and midfielders Scott Pollock, Callum Harriott and Zanda Siziba, had been recruited by the club’s prospective owners, SU Glovers, without his involvement.
Asked why the Nouble deal did not go through, Cooper replied: “I will leave you to surmise what went wrong with that.” Grab a calculator folks, punch in 2 + 2 and see if it comes up with 4.
Minutes after the manager’s comments went out, owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla took to his Twitter feed with a lengthy thread claiming why he disagrees with Cooper (to put it mildly) – you can read that here.
The result means there are six points between Yeovil and safety in the National League with just four games remaining, meaning relegation to National League South now seems an inevitability.
Cooper said: “When people sit back and look at it, they can see what happen and it is such a shame because it didn’t have to be like that.
“When it is finished, the football club has to see that as a real opportunity to build and say that is rock bottom, we have to put things in place and do things right and be a real professional football club.”
He added: “I would love to be (manager next season). I know supporters hate me at the minute, but a lot of it has been out of my control. I just hope the club move professionally forward.”
On the pitch, it was the same old story with a struggle to score goals compounded by the sending off of Chiori Johnson at the end of the first half.
Cooper said his side “never looked in too much trouble” until the defender received his marching orders, the boss said: “We played one up front, two in behind, high wing backs to try and get crosses in the box and we had really good opportunities in and around the goal but that final piece is what was missing.
“We have four or five players that I don’t know how they put the shift in that they do. Every game they run, they fight and they scrap but then we are filling in around them that you never know what performance you are going to get out of them.
“But, they are great lads, great characters, trying their absolute socks off <**TRYING THEIR SOCKS OFF KLAXON***> and it is an aboslute pleasure every day to work with them.”
He also took aim at referee Elliott Swallow claiming the sending off should never have happened. From my perspective, Johnson was somewhat fortunate to not receive his marching orders for his first tackle on James McShane, so it does feel like Cooper is clutching at straws here.
He said: “It is never sending off (for Chiori Johnson), it should have been a red card (for Dorking’s George Francomb) and I got booked for asking about an offside. Horrendous decisions. I have been to speak to the ref and I can’t explain it.
“Every foul the referee gave in the first half was a booking. I said to him he doesn’t understand the game because you are allowed to make a tackle without getting booked. That is game understanding from a young referee. He will learn from that.”
Oh, and it sounds like Matt Worthington has “tweaked a hamstring” as well. Just in case you didn’t think things could get any worse.