Five Conclusions (Page 13)

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Yeovil vs Hemel Hempstead - Image Courtesy of Dan Finill

The National League South season has begun, and fr*stratingly it was more of the same from Yeovil Town as the Glovers shot themselves in the foot to lose 1-0. Here are Ian’s conclusions from the press box at Hemel Hempstead…

That was a bump back to reality. We know this already, but all the optimism, hope and goodwill in the world will not win football matches. We came into kick off riding the crest of a wave but by the time we final whistle was blown, we’d suffered a wipeout. This isn’t going to be an easy season and we aren’t going to steamroll teams. We were told Hemel were well organised and had a good team spirit and they showed that in spades, and got a bit of luck for their winner after a mix up between Zac Bell and Will Buse.

We really struggled to maintain meaningful possession. It was a really bitty game. Most of our chances came from set pieces, or the aftermath of set pieces. Rhys Murphy had a couple of efforts that he should have done better with in the first half. Hemel Hempstead executed a brilliant game plan, disrupting the flow of the game and taking their time on the restarts. Their narrow midfield really crowded the centre of the pitch and I felt we struggled to get the ball through Matt Worthing and Charlie Cooper because of that.

Jake Wannell
Jake Wannell – Image courtesy of Dan Finill

Jake Wannell had a solid game. The left-sided centre back had a dominant display, winning his defensive headers and tackling aggressively. He was composed on the ball and I thought his partnership with Alex Whittle on the left looked promising. I think our defensive unit looked pretty steady, but for a couple of slips on the surface. As regular readers will know, I did not enjoy wingbacks last season, but we seem to have more suitable players this season.

“We’re going to have to find a way to adapt to and get results when we travel to clubs with them.”

I’m not sure if that was a good artificial pitch or not, but I didn’t like it. It didn’t seem like a very even surface and the way Hemel played in that second half was as if they were shooting downhill. The familiarity the Hemel players had with the pitch compared to ours was plain to see, our passing wasn’t quite there and I didn’t think we looked comfortable on it. We’re going to have to find a way to adapt to it though and get results when we travel to clubs with them.

We need to keep calm. The expectation following a rejuvenating summer has, perhaps, given us an over-expectancy. Don’t get me wrong, we should be putting teams like Hemel away given the quality of our squad, but there was 45 more matches in this season and 135 points to play for. The goal came from a sloppy error at the back rather than Yeovil’s goal coming under regular heavy pressure. Mark Cooper described the result as a ‘slap round the face’, Frank Nouble said it as a ‘wake up call’. Our big day out was spoiled by a team and manager who knows how to get a result in National League South. Next weekend St Albans City (off the back of a 2-1 win over W*ymouth) come to Huish Park and we’ll need to lay down a marker of how good we are with our home performance. 

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Gloverscast Ben took in Yeovil’s final pre-season friendly against Plymouth Parkway, there were plenty of talking points, here are his five conclusions from Bolitho Park.

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If we do things chronologically, the first thing I noticed was actually pre-match.

During the warm up, I noticed that the coaches were actually doing relatively little.

Rather than being told to go here, go there, run this way, around this cone, once a structured stretching session was completed, the little groups broke away in their positions and took control of what they needed to do.

The defenders worked on some shape and some heading, the midfielders pinged passes about and the attackers were working on their close control and finishing. It sounds simple enough, but it just looks like a group who know what they need to do and how they’re going to do it.

A refreshing change from the lost individuals masquerading as a team we saw so often last season.

Staunton, Wannell and Williams warm up

Once the game was underway, it is clear, no matter if we like them or loathe them, high flying wing backs are here to stay.

For the most part, in the first half, it worked, too.

Jordan Young had chalk on his boots on the right and on the left Will Dawes took the much coveted Gloverscast Man of the Match award.

He DID NOT stop causing havoc both in attack and defence.

His crosses were dangerous, his position constantly drew the opposition out of line and it made for a very attacking first half.

If we have the ability to take that approach against better sides, it will garner positive results.

Both Hyde and Nouble looked dangerous from Dawes’ deliveries and we continued to push forward even in the second half with ten men.

Will Dawes
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

The red card changed the game and it was totally needless.

Firstly, I really think it was a good thing that the game had a bit of bite to it, teams aren’t going to roll over and let us rub their tummies this season. Plenty of sides will boot us about, we best get used to it.

Next, the initial challenge did look nasty, the 21-man melee was a bit over the top (the Parkway keeper clearly didn’t fancy it), but to see a red card brandished was totally unnecessary.

If Williams deserved to see red, so did a dozen others.

There was no surprise to see Mark Cooper head onto the pitch and explain that he could, if needed to, substitute Morgan Williams rather than scupper the game’s integrity.

The Glovers will, I’m sure, have trained for lopsided numbers in training and to be honest, still kept Plymouth at arms length through most of the second half.

Yeovil Town manager Mark Cooper and his assistant Chris Todd ‘discuss’ the sending off with the referee.

The game also changed when Frank Nouble was taken off.

During the first half, Nouble was kicked, booted, dragged down, pulled and pushed, but kept himself right in the mix of everything.

He dropped deep to pick up the ball, he kept it stuck to his boot when playing a solo role up front and nearly scored and assisted himself.

But, Olly Thomas didn’t have quite that same effect on the game and as a result, the ball came back at the Glovers defence a bit too much.

I have no doubt in my mind in a league game, Mark Cooper would have kept Nouble on for exactly the reason of keeping the ball at the right end when playing with 10 men to buy time and soak up pressure.

Thomas has his place for Yeovil this season, but I’m not sure that was it.

Frank Nouble.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

Finally, with the attacking options we have, players from last season (like JMD, Owers, Dawes to name just three) adding extra %s to their pre season games it’s safe to say the Glovers head into the season in the best position I’ve seen the side since dropping into Non League and maybe before.

The options are plentiful, the link ups look like they’re well in the process of gelling nicely.

We’ve thrashed a couple teams, scored a couple goals, had some moments of adversity and a little wake up call in defeat too.

The lads are ready, the stadium is ready, the supporters are ready.

Roll on Hemel.

 

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We had the first taste of pre-season at Huish Park last night on a glorious summer evening as Yeovil ran out 2-0 winners over Newport County. Here are Ian’s conclusions from a confidence-boosting evening at home…

Huish Park was looking resplendent. We all know our home has been in desperate need of some tender loving care for a long time and we’ve seen a lot of the work that has been done over the Summer through social media. Last night more than 2100 supporters got to see it first hand for the first time and to say it looks impressive is an understatement. The refreshed seats, the dugouts have transformed pitch side (and make you feel closer to the players and staff), the carpet, as much as we love it, has been replaced with modern wooden flooring. And, there’s more to come behind the Thatchers Stand too. The pitch is looking impressive too, and complemented some of our excellent passages of passing play. 

Frank Nouble is everything we’ve been looking for. For so long we’ve needed a ‘sticky’ striker. Someone strong, who can hold off defenders and keep the ball to alleviate some pressure on our defence. Nouble has that about his game, as well as some explosivity too. He’s formed a good partnership with Rhys Murphy already from what we’ve seen, and last night he and Olly Thomas seemed to strike it off too. I don’t want to look back, but you can’t help but wonder where we might be had Mark Cooper been allowed to sign Nouble a few months earlier…

Frank Nouble celebrates his goal with Jordan Maguire-Drew, left, and Jordan Young.

Jordan Maguire-Drew is purring. If you ever lose your keys, give JMD a call, I think he can unlock anything. We saw flashes last season before injury derailed his season, but during pre-season he’s been on another level. He’s shown how good he is against smaller teams and against Newport County he showed other assets of his game. I can’t recall a set piece that wasn’t dangerous, the deliveries were pinpoint and caused the League Two side all sorts of problems in the box. He’s looking sharp, knows where his teammates are those relationships are strengthening. We knew he was good, but I think he’s the man to make us tick when August 5th rolls around.

What a difference a year makes. Last summer, although there was optimism (isn’t there always in Summer?), we struggled to score goals throughout our pre-season. We couldn’t create clear openings but for Tom Knowles (#DFILWF). This summer it’s been a totally different story at the top end of the pitch. We’ve got experience in Murphy, Hyde and Nouble and I’m excited about Olly Thomas too. Combined with that there’s the likes of Jordan Young, Sonny Blu Lo-Everton, JMD, Matt Worthington, Alex Whittle and Zac Bell who are all contributing in those attacking areas. There’s massive depth up front and the patterns of play taking shape and creating chances.

A case for the defence. Other than the defeat at Wimborne pre-season has been pretty much immaculate. We’ve conceded five goals (but scored 18) and huffed and puffed against some teams, but that’s to be expected. The only questions that have been asked on social media have been around the defence but against Newport County we looked like a good defensive unit. Morgan Williams, a goal scorer on the night, was in the middle of a three and provided that pace that helped to cover Jake Wannell and Jamie Sendles-White who aren’t necessarily as quick. In the case of Wannell and Sendles-White, they had their best performance so far in a three and as a pair later in the evening. It’s natural that as these players gain fitness, they improve and we’ve seen that in the culmination of a good performance where we kept a football league side at arms length – despite their ‘official’ version of events.

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A glorious July afternoon in Devon saw Mark Cooper’s Yeovil Town run out 4-0 winners against Buckland Athletic. There was plenty of travelling support for the first pre season game of 2023/24 and a good sprinkling of optimism amongst supporters who saw Yeovil put on a goal scoring display. What a novelty! And before you say, ‘come on it’s Buckland’, we’ve had a miserable 12 months and to see us score four goals was lovely.

Ian was there, and here are his conclusions:

Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

We have a wealth of attacking options. How long has it been? With Jake Hyde, Malachi Linton, Jordan Stevens and Benjani Junior in the first half and a front five of Rhys Murphy, Frank Nouble, Jordan Maguire-Drew, Jordan Young and Matt Worthington we are blessed with depth at the top end of the pitch. Four of those listed got on the score sheet yesterday and if an instant return to the National League is going to happen, they all need to chip in.

With those forward thinking players, the defensive midfielder role is key. Josh Owers did a decent job in the first half, but was receiving lots of advice from Mark Cooper throughout his 45. The second half saw Charlie Cooper take up that role in front of the defence. Buckland got more out of our defence in the first half, with Will Dawes and Ollie Haste on the left half of the back four. But Whittle, Wannell, Sendles-White and Matt Buse were resolute on the 2nd and barely gave Buckland a sniff.

Jake Wannell.
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

I’ve teed this one up, but I was so relieved to see a back four. It felt more balanced, we appeared more comfortable with the ball and the team seemed more aware of eachothers positioning. This isn’t an anti-wingback crusade, I’m open to it with the right players, but we looked confident throughout.

That kit is lovely. We may as well get the ‘Best Dressed, award out the way. The anxiety around kits is real but this one is a belter. Some of the Errea ones that have been released already have been shockers but this one is League-winning, I’m sure.

Jake Hyde
Picture courtesy of Iain Morland.

It felt good to see a win. Yes, it was against Buckland. Yes, it’s only pre-season. Cynics will say it’s mainly a fitness exercise and I was amongst them. Last summer I was in that camp when we struggled to a draw against Taunton. When we put up a decent fight against Exeter and Plymouth without ever really laying a glove on them. We drew with Dorchester before scraping past Weston. It set the tone for a woeful season that none of us expected. We’ve started bright, we actually look like a team and we’ve scored some goals. That feels good.

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That’s that then! As Yeovil Town made it 20 defeats – to surpass their total of draws by one – with a 1-0 defeat at Boreham Wood on the final day of the National League season.

Coatesie was among the 226 supporters in the away end trying desperately to avoid getting sun stroke on the terraces of Meadow Lane, here he desperately tries (and fails) to come up with an original conclusion.

 

Thank God that’s over. My overriding emotion at the final whistle was one of relief. Relief that for at least another three months I will not have to wait for the inevitable “moment we switched off” or hear my fellow supporters shouting “just f***ing shoot” as we enjoy possession and fail to have a meaningful effort on goal. Forget the off-the-pitch stuff (for now, see Conclusion #5), on-the-field this is one of the worst Yeovil Town teams I have seen in a long while and many supporters have told me they feel it is the worst they have ever seen. I’m not knocking the effort of some and the quality of others is undoubtedly there, there’s off-the-field issues which have played a part, but the stats don’t lie – those who have turned out for us this season have failed to deliver too many times. They have a relegation on their playing records now and (by and large) they deserve one.

Story of the season klaxon. It’s right up there with the ‘we know our problem is scoring’ and ‘things happening off the pitch aren’t helping’ in the list of Yeovil Town’s lines which are trotted out in every interview going – this performance was the story of our season. Concede a goal through failing to do the defensive basics, fail to turn up for a 45 minutes (the only question is whether it is the first or the second 45 minutes), and then spend the other 45 minutes dominating possession, huffing and puffing and failing to blow anyone’s house down. I lost count of the amount of times we got the ball, played it around and failed to test Nathan Ashmore in goal for Boreham Wood. When the club’s official Twitter account is talking about one of their own players and “fluffing their lines” to summarise Reo Griffiths’ 68th minute ‘chance’, it tells you everything. Though if it were a player with ‘less back story’ then perhaps the tweet would have been different.

Ollie Haste is some player. Let’s try and inject a positive in to these conclusions, Ollie Haste looks some player. He was obviously highly rated in our Under-18s set up and I seem to remember him looking a bit gangly, but a season on loan at Truro City has done him wonders. Against some very good centre forwards in Tyrone Marsh and Lee Ndlovu, he was brave in the tackle, powerful with his head and looked every inch the one who would throw himself in front of anything-type defender we have needed. I don’t think it’s true to say that him playing more would have changed anything this season, but I hope that we see a lot more of him next season. An honourable mention also to Benjani Junior, who it was great to see come off the bench for his first senior appearance.

Ollie Haste.

Do-do-dooooo, relegation party. Allow me to throw a few statistics at you.

Boreham Wood: 226
Wrexham: 217
Solihull Moors: 176
Aldershot Town: 526
Gateshead: 191
FC Halifax Town: 103

Those are the number of away supporters who attended our last half-a-dozen matches this season. At Meadow Park on Saturday there were inflatables being chucked around, singing, chanting ‘Yeovil til I die’ and even doing The Worm (Hi, Pete!). I’ve said it before and I will say it again, but this club has betrayed the unblinking loyalty of these people in recent years. I just hope they can begin to repay the huge debt they owe them – and soon!

Owner-in-waiting Matt Uggla (blue shirt) was joined on the terraces by Paul Sackey and Sky Andrew.

 

We’ve done our part (again), over to you. Which brings me neatly on to my final conclusion. Matt Uggla and Paul Sackey – accompanied by Reo Griffiths’ agent Sky Andrew – were in the away end until about a minute before the final whistle and telling people to “ask <INSERT NAME OTHER THAN THEIR OWN>” what was going on. Stuart Robins and Martyn Starnes turned up to glad hand people at the final whistle and were quick to say they couldn’t say anything about the cliff edge our club is at. No surprise whatsoever that Scott Priestnall (the biggest villain of this pantomime out of them all) was nowhere to be seen. The players have failed (honourable mentions, as standard) on the pitch, the supporters (see Conclusion #4) have played their part – and now it’s time to deliver. Enough of the ‘there’s something happening we can’t talk about’ and ‘if you only knew about….’, enough of the ‘it will be next week’, do something. In the same way the history books will reflect the failure of this squad this season, it is these people who will be judged by what happens next and history is unkind to losers. We’re judging you on what you do, time’s up – now do something.

Conclusion 5a. I promised him that if I got the chance, I would add in a conclusion which London Green, Mark Green, gives to me every match. That was sh*t. Mark, I could not agree more. Season over.

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Yeovil finished their home campaign with a whimper yesterday, losing 3-0 to Oldham. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions…

 

It started badly and didn’t get any better. If this was a ‘pressure off, express yourself’ kind of day, it really didn’t feel it. After just 8 minutes a cross into the box found Devarn Green who was given the freedom on the six yard box to give Oldham the lead. Oldham looked organised, drilled and a team that could do something in the National League next season.

We just couldn’t get any attacking rhythm. Passes were either too short, too hard, impossible to control and wildly misplaced. There was no cohesion and it was a performance that was symptomatic of a relegated team that just want the season to finish. There were flashes of play, pockets of neatness but Oldham’s keeper was only really troubled by crosses into the box.

Reo Griffiths. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

There won’t be fond memories of this season at Huish Park. In 23 games at home this season, supporters have seen 6 wins, 8 draws and 9 defeats and celebrated just 18 goals. Last season wasn’t much better, 7 wins, 7 draws and 8 defeats and 20 goals. There was more than 4000 at Huish yesterday, and they weren’t sent away with a great deal to look forward to next season. The manager described relegation as death by a thousand cuts but in the last 108 league matches at home, the town has seen just 36 wins. Now that’s a tough sell…

That will be the last Huish Park sees of some of these players. Given our destination its a safe bet that many if these players won’t be around next season. Grant Smith, the standout player who kept teams at bay for so long this season will surely see his sights higher. Matt Worthington, who despite our dreadful season, has kind of had a breakout season of his own. He won’t be short of suitors in the National League and after his years in green and white who can begrudge him that. Lawson D’Ath’s heartfelt message last night feels like a goodbye. There will be a huge loss of character in the changing room if you take those three out and there will need to be a huge rebuild. That is why…

Matt Worthington. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

Someone needs to grab this club by the scruff of its neck and restore some pride. The owner has control of the destiny of Huish Park, facilitated by SSDC. He’s got what he wanted from before day one and has gone. SU Glovers, after ushering in a new era in March, weren’t at Huish Park yesterday. There has been discontent within the club about how SU have operated since there stewardship was announced more than 50 days ago. When Mark Cooper says it: ‘stirring the pot’. When Josh Staunton says it: ‘what a leader’. There is a universal truth at the club that the takeover has totally derailed the season. It’s difficult to comprehend just how badly the wheels have come off after such positivity. I know there are people still rooting for them and if it goes through everyone will be behind them, as wholesale change is inevitable. Right now though, I don’t see how this deal gets completed. Clearly, there is another plan underway and a search for an alternative trying to preserve the long term future of the club. After the debacle over the last couple of months, it’s difficult to have faith that the right person can be found when time is of the essence. From May, we’ll start paying the landlords for their ‘rescue package’ last Summer but the club feels anything but rescued. Administration is a massive risk but it would bring to light what’s been going on behind the scenes at the club over the past couple of seasons.

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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.

Reo Griffiths and Zanda Siziba applaud supporters after the match.

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.

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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-be owner bites back with a Twitter rampage (which later got deleted, but we’ve all got the screenshots), listing half the players in the National League and whose idea it was not to sign them or sign them. This petty civil war has completely derailed our season and once again Yeovil Town has been the master of its own downfall. We’re the laughing stock for rival fans and I don’t know how any player would want to be at this club in its current state. We may be a full-time club but we’re certainly not professional in any way.

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.

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At 4.45am on Wednesday morning, a supporters’ club coach pulled in to Huish Park filled with 50-odd of the Yeovil Town supporters who were part of a travelling contingent of 141 at Tuesday night’s 4-0 defeat at Gateshead, a warped trick of the fixture machine that they had to do that midweek.

Here’s the morning after the night before thoughts of Dave, who made it back to his (northern) home at 1.30am, on what he saw from the other side of the athletics track….

That’s it then. We’re down. “We’ve been to Elland Road and Bramall Lane, Coventry away……now we’re off to Taunton, Taunton awaaaaaay…….Taunton awaaaay!” echoed (to the tune of Rotterdam by The Beautiful South) from away end at the International Athletics Stadium in the second half. A bit of humour in response to what we were seeing unfold in front of us. If I have seen a worse Yeovil Town performance than that (and I remember the last time we played in regional football) then I cannot recall it. That was a team* without commitment (sorry, Mark, you might not be able to question it but after that you must be blind), without quality or at least not showing it, and without any pride to play for the badge or themselves. It’s National League South next season, I just don’t see how it is anything but. Please just put us out of our misery now.
*- as ever, Josh Staunton and Grant Smith came out of it with some credit.

Even the defence has lost it. The blunt attack has been there all season, heck it was there last season as well. It doesn’t even count as a conclusion to say that we’re rubbish at scoring goals – but the defence was the one thing we had to hang on to. Just watch the goals that Gateshead scored on Tuesday night and tell me if you have seen worse defending? Owen Bevan (who I still believe has a very bright future ahead of him) was targeted and turned inside out playing at right back (I mean, he’s not a right back) but Gateshead were literally taking the mick by the end of it. Playing little one-twos inside the box whilst we floundered around trying to stop them.

Can it get any worse if Cooper goes? Mark Cooper looked like a beaten man after that. I get he’s not a particularly smiley guy when the cameras roll, that he feels he’s been let down by the wrong recruitment and (even if he won’t say it himself) by many of his players. It’s hard to argue with ‘if we had a decent striker, we’d not be in this mess’ argument and that comes down to recruitment which he obviously feels it is not of his doing. But, can it get any worse if he was to be given his P45 today? We have been poor all season (just look at the results) but now we have a team and a management utterly demoralised. Chris Todd stayed after Chris Hargreaves left and looked to be the only one trying to direct proceedings on the touchline at Gateshead – why not put him in charge for the rest of the season? Honestly, can it get any worse?

If you claim you love this club – show it! Our absent owner Scott Priestnall told us he was a fan, Matt Uggla speaks with passion about how he’s fallen in love with the club – but whatever glacially slow process is holding up the transfer of power from one to the other is killing the thing they both claim to love. There’s blame everywhere for that – with those two, the owners prior to them, South Somerset District Council, players, managers, directors, you name it. But the time for pointing fingers and saying “it’s their fault” has passed. Supporters will (barring a miracle) be watching regional football next season, there’s staff at Huish Park (on and off the pitch) who will be wondering where their futures lie next season and a very public civil war breaking out all over the place. It’s time for people to grow up, put their differences aside and show their allegiance to the only thing we all care about – Yeovil Town Football Club.

Spare a thought for JG-W. In a few weeks time we will mark the 20th anniversary of the club’s promotion to the Football League. It took 108 years to get there and now things have never felt bleaker. I thought back the other day to Jon Goddard-Watts, the founder of Screwfix Direct whose generosity created all of that. He invested to take us from part-time to full-time football, he invested to get us in to the Football League – he had no desire for minor celebrity status in fact I am not even sure how in to football he was. He wanted to do a good thing for the community which had served his business and when he resigned from the board in 2005, he wrote off a £1m loan to the club. I imagine he’d roll in his grave to see what those who followed him have allowed to happen.

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In: Latest Yeovil Town News, Five Conclusions, Gloversblog

Yeovil Town suffered a damaging defeat at the hands of Southend United on the telly last night and find themselves in huge trouble in the relegation battle in the National League. Here are Ian’s Five Conclusions (although there could have been more!) from Huish Park…

It couldn’t have gone much worse. A devastating injury to Alex Fisher will inevitably see him out of action for a long time. It was horrible to see the reaction of players and supporters in the immediate aftermath of the incident and I hope he makes a strong recovery. Miguel Freckleton picked up a red card, albeit a harsh one, which put to bed any hope of a comeback. It feels like a damaging defeat mentally as much as anything. Social media is sapped of belief, Huish Park was sapped of belief and rebuilding that belief will not be easy.

I thought we started well. We came out quickly and Scott Pollock should have put us ahead in the first five minutes. If he scores there it totally changes the complexion of the evening. As it was, Southend handled pressure and as we’ve seen so many times this season, they kept our attackers at arms length. Jake Hyde took the Shrimpers first chance when it came to them and once they were ahead it Southend could be confident that they were heading back to Essex with three points. So many times this season we’ve talked about how we’ve played well in spells, or for a half, but rarely for the full 90 minutes. Is it any wonder that we are where we are?

Scott Pollock in action for Yeovil Town. Picture courtesy of Mike Kunz.

How we miss Matt Worthington. The yellow card at Halifax looks absolutely pivotal now. We tried Freckleton in there last week and it didn’t work and yesterday with Pollock in there it didn’t work either. Pollock is still finding match fitness and it showed. The energy Worthy gives us in midfield is irreplaceable. Charlie Cooper tried to take on some of that role but it’s clear how much Worthington’s energy is missed in the team. 

We never looked like scoring, whereas Southend had two chances and took them both. [Insert story of the season line]. We look a better team with Jordan Young in the side but we could have been there until next week and Southend’s keeper would have claimed everything comfortably. The injury to Fisher scuppered our plans to change anything. The tactical response was to bring on Max Hunt, which I understand. Knock it long and bring others into it, but no one got near him and we struggled to get the ball to him in good areas. Malachi Linton came on after but there was no pattern to rhythm to our attacking play for him to make a difference. The script was written for Rhys Murphy to settle matters with a typical poachers effort on his return.

I don’t know how we get out of this. It’s hard not to be defeatist in this position were in, so I apologise for that. The next three matches are huge and right now it feels an impossibility that we come away with anything from Gateshead, Aldershot or Dorking. The inquest of this season will come (probably on this website) but my overriding feeling yesterday was that we’re facing the abyss. Conspicuous by their absences yesterday were the players we’ve signed to get us out of this predicament, it’s clear they are either unfit or not good enough. When the time came to make signings that could help us, we’ve got it absolutely wrong. Mark Cooper cut a dejected figure yesterday after the match and I’m not sure even he can save us.