Yeovil Town’s FA Cup dream came to a premature end at the first hurdle for the second successive season yesterday. The Glovers were beaten by a Hemel Hempstead Town side which played for more than an hour with ten men. Dave was among the travelling contingent and here are his conclusions.
Out fought. Out thought. Out. We were simply second best in every department and I have to say right off the bat that Hemel deserved their win. From the opening whistle, they simply wanted it more and we never seemed to have a plan to counter them. You can put a misplaced pass or a scuffed shot down to the surface, but time and again we were pulled apart and gave them time and space to run. At the risk of sounding like the old man (I know, I am), but I miss us the Cup giving our players the hunger and desire I saw from Hemel.
Are we sure they had ten men? An extension on Conclusion #1, but two occasions in the second half I had to count Hemel’s players to be sure. Aside from a few moments around the time we scored, they never looked like they were a man down. You can see why they are in the form they are in the National League South. Defensively they were outstanding and we simply could not find a way through.
Where did our desire to attack go? If I had not seen highlights of the games at Aldershot and Sutton, I would have believed they were AI inventions. In the first half, it was only when Andrew Oluwabori got on the ball that we ever had any purpose going forward and in the second only when Byron Pendleton came on did we look to get balls in from wide positions. There is quality going forward in this team, but we simply did not show it.
What are we doing here? Hearing Richard Dryden say we had tried and failed to attract players to strengthen the squad is a major red flag. But should we be surprised? We’ve heard about ‘The 3 Cs’ from our owners -calmness, competitiveness, community, in case you forgot. But it’s not easy to stay calm with no obvious plan about how we’re going to be competitive. A manager who feels stop gap no matter how much we’re told he’s not, players signing on 12-month deals, what are we selling people here? It feels like we’re living hand to mouth waiting for……what?
Rochdale next. Gulp. Next up, top of the league Rochdale away from home. That one speaks for itself. Another clear week, another chance to take a breath and I hope the pain we all feel – and yes I include the team, they must feel it – gets a reaction.
100% agree Dave. I think we started watching YTFC around the same time (late 1987) so my first memory of the Cup was QPR. Back then and until, oh about the time Cooper took over (?), we had a go every year and bar a few shortfalls, there were fewer years where the club would bow out on the first round we entered.
Just a thought about the player contracts – could they be an automatic extension IF player and club agree or player reaches an agreed threshold (appearances – which is a given right now!) I don’t know but the club would have to be unbelievably short-sighted to not plan for next season.
I also can’t believe our leaders are full of crap either, so still think there is a truth that there is money but as mentioned on previous pods, how difficult is it to find, agree a contract, and players A, B, and C hit the ground running…two months into the season? Free agents want contract certainty for years – not months, or else they probably wouldn’t be free agents, right?
One upon a time, a cup run ignite our spirits. Hell, I can even remember during the Sarll era, that a chance at an FA cup run had the players well up for it. Now it just seems as if it’s a distraction from other things, but what other things can there be? We aren’t good enough to make the play-offs, so surely this was our major chance of some good old revenue.
It seems like it was a false dawn from these new owners.
I’m sorry but I don’t see the quality in the squad. The two players you mentioned that did anything in the game were Andrew Oluawbori and Byron Pendleton, and they are two loan lads!
I’m sure Richard Dryden is doing the best he can with what he’s got, but that isn’t much if we’re honest. He needs help from above and I very much doubt that help is coming.
The “3c’s” are nothing but a joke. I’m certainly not “calm.” There was definitely no “competitiveness” in that display yesterday, and “community” went up the M5 along with the players training!
An absolute joke of a club at the moment.
There used to be a lot of pride in supporting this football club. But once again, it feels like we’ve been sold another false dream, built on empty promises and polished PR.
I’d love to be optimistic about the future, but sadly, it’s the hope that kills.
Talking of polished PR. I wonder how the politician Nicholas will spin this when he comes on the pod.
A club with a once proud FA Cup history being dumped out by lower league opposition at first hurdle in 3 of the last 4 years. Taunton Town 2022, Chesham 2024 and Hemel yesterday. When Nicholas does come on hold him and the ownership to account as I know you lads will do. Conclusion number 4 sums things up nicely sadly. What is the plan beyond this season? Very well put Dave. It seems this club moves from one bad ownership to another. When will we get a break? Jury well and truly out on Prabhu.
No disrespect to Richard Dryden who is doing his best with what he’s got but stand by my original opinion that we should have gone back to our shortlist and recruited replacement manager with a longer term plan. Any players we are looking to sign will only want short term contract.
Prabhu keeps referring to the 3Cs of calmness, competitiveness and community. Right now I don’t see much of those being achieved.