Aldershot Town 2-2 Braintree Town - Tuesday 14th January 2025 (Match Day Thread)

[Peter macdonald]

For what it is worth, (and I know that it is worth little as I am just a fan who does not know what happens at the club Monday to Friday, as our Manager stated in the Eastleigh home programme), I now have no confidence in the management team of ATFC. Not just the player selection, but the lack of MEANINGFUL communication between the management team and the fans on club 'interviews', and the lack of leadership from our Board of Directors with regards to the playing staff and the three objectives set out some time ago, re - ground 'improvements' (pray let's not let the proposed plans come to fruition, it would kill the club), solvency and promotion. Sounding more like His Majesty's Government every day!

I just cannot get my head around team selection, like many others. We need to keep a settled first 11. I feel that the manager has now lost the fans, especially after last night. I feel for TW in his health dilemma; perhaps he should stand down and take a break and give his health and the club a chance. We were warned about him by his previous club King's Lynn. We are sleep-walking into relegation, and there is no verbal direction from the club to galvanise the fight for NL survival. We need leaders. We need a vision, we need passion. Rant over - awaits flack.

Good post

[Rba]

For what it is worth, (and I know that it is worth little as I am just a fan who does not know what happens at the club Monday to Friday, as our Manager stated in the Eastleigh home programme), I now have no confidence in the management team of ATFC. Not just the player selection, but the lack of MEANINGFUL communication between the management team and the fans on club 'interviews', and the lack of leadership from our Board of Directors with regards to the playing staff and the three objectives set out some time ago, re - ground 'improvements' (pray let's not let the proposed plans come to fruition, it would kill the club), solvency and promotion. Sounding more like His Majesty's Government every day!

I just cannot get my head around team selection, like many others. We need to keep a settled first 11. I feel that the manager has now lost the fans, especially after last night. I feel for TW in his health dilemma; perhaps he should stand down and take a break and give his health and the club a chance. We were warned about him by his previous club King's Lynn. We are sleep-walking into relegation, and there is no verbal direction from the club to galvanise the fight for NL survival. We need leaders. We need a vision, we need passion. Rant over - awaits flack.

No flack a good honest from the heart opinion.
Which I am afraid to say is turning more to " fact" than opinion every day.
It was a fantastic meaningful post.

[Reg's corner]

You sometimes have to wonder if all these bizarre decisions and team selections are done deliberately they’re that bizarre

You do wonder why it has gone so wrong in the last 9 months.

I think back to when I was a 12 year old in 1983 when I started following the shots and I recall my dad saying to me that Aldershot don’t want to go up to the then 3rd division because they can’t afford to even though we did go up fortuitously via the playoffs and I thought he was talking nonsense and I have to think it’s similar now with all these bizarre team selections and the dramatic collapse out of nowhere since last march

Perhaps Tw and and son are secrets agents working for the wokin and doing all they can to mastermind our downfall !!

[Silasgoldeen]

For what it is worth, (and I know that it is worth little as I am just a fan who does not know what happens at the club Monday to Friday, as our Manager stated in the Eastleigh home programme), I now have no confidence in the management team of ATFC. Not just the player selection, but the lack of MEANINGFUL communication between the management team and the fans on club 'interviews', and the lack of leadership from our Board of Directors with regards to the playing staff and the three objectives set out some time ago, re - ground 'improvements' (pray let's not let the proposed plans come to fruition, it would kill the club), solvency and promotion. Sounding more like His Majesty's Government every day!

I just cannot get my head around team selection, like many others. We need to keep a settled first 11. I feel that the manager has now lost the fans, especially after last night. I feel for TW in his health dilemma; perhaps he should stand down and take a break and give his health and the club a chance. We were warned about him by his previous club King's Lynn. We are sleep-walking into relegation, and there is no verbal direction from the club to galvanise the fight for NL survival. We need leaders. We need a vision, we need passion. Rant over - awaits flack.

What did Kings Lynn fans say?

[chimpster99]

For what it is worth, (and I know that it is worth little as I am just a fan who does not know what happens at the club Monday to Friday, as our Manager stated in the Eastleigh home programme), I now have no confidence in the management team of ATFC. Not just the player selection, but the lack of MEANINGFUL communication between the management team and the fans on club 'interviews', and the lack of leadership from our Board of Directors with regards to the playing staff and the three objectives set out some time ago, re - ground 'improvements' (pray let's not let the proposed plans come to fruition, it would kill the club), solvency and promotion. Sounding more like His Majesty's Government every day!

I just cannot get my head around team selection, like many others. We need to keep a settled first 11. I feel that the manager has now lost the fans, especially after last night. I feel for TW in his health dilemma; perhaps he should stand down and take a break and give his health and the club a chance. We were warned about him by his previous club King's Lynn. We are sleep-walking into relegation, and there is no verbal direction from the club to galvanise the fight for NL survival. We need leaders. We need a vision, we need passion. Rant over - awaits flack.

What did Kings Lynn fans say?

I think we all knew they were right, but for as long as the results were going our way we were happy to ignore them!!

[Silasgoldeen]

For what it is worth, (and I know that it is worth little as I am just a fan who does not know what happens at the club Monday to Friday, as our Manager stated in the Eastleigh home programme), I now have no confidence in the management team of ATFC. Not just the player selection, but the lack of MEANINGFUL communication between the management team and the fans on club 'interviews', and the lack of leadership from our Board of Directors with regards to the playing staff and the three objectives set out some time ago, re - ground 'improvements' (pray let's not let the proposed plans come to fruition, it would kill the club), solvency and promotion. Sounding more like His Majesty's Government every day!

I just cannot get my head around team selection, like many others. We need to keep a settled first 11. I feel that the manager has now lost the fans, especially after last night. I feel for TW in his health dilemma; perhaps he should stand down and take a break and give his health and the club a chance. We were warned about him by his previous club King's Lynn. We are sleep-walking into relegation, and there is no verbal direction from the club to galvanise the fight for NL survival. We need leaders. We need a vision, we need passion. Rant over - awaits flack.

What did Kings Lynn fans say?

I think we all knew they were right, but for as long as the results were going our way we were happy to ignore them!!

What were they saying though? Tactical inflexibility and a bit of an ego?

[Mytshot]

For what it is worth, (and I know that it is worth little as I am just a fan who does not know what happens at the club Monday to Friday, as our Manager stated in the Eastleigh home programme), I now have no confidence in the management team of ATFC. Not just the player selection, but the lack of MEANINGFUL communication between the management team and the fans on club 'interviews', and the lack of leadership from our Board of Directors with regards to the playing staff and the three objectives set out some time ago, re - ground 'improvements' (pray let's not let the proposed plans come to fruition, it would kill the club), solvency and promotion. Sounding more like His Majesty's Government every day!

I just cannot get my head around team selection, like many others. We need to keep a settled first 11. I feel that the manager has now lost the fans, especially after last night. I feel for TW in his health dilemma; perhaps he should stand down and take a break and give his health and the club a chance. We were warned about him by his previous club King's Lynn. We are sleep-walking into relegation, and there is no verbal direction from the club to galvanise the fight for NL survival. We need leaders. We need a vision, we need passion. Rant over - awaits flack.

What did Kings Lynn fans say?

https://www.edp24.co.uk/sport/23403218. ... de-defeat/

He does seem to get very touchy with comments from supporters. Seen it a few times here now.

[chimpster99]

What did Kings Lynn fans say?

I think we all knew they were right, but for as long as the results were going our way we were happy to ignore them!!

What were they saying though? Tactical inflexibility and a bit of an ego?

From what I recall:
- Stubborn as a mule
- Full of himself
- Argumentative with everyone include players, fans and Board
- Has his favourites
- Will pick his son no matter how badly he plays or no matter how poor the team's form is

Everything we are witnessing we were pre-warned about!

[IanShots]

I remember the Kings Lynn fan telling us milk turns faster than Theo Widdrington. How true was that…

The supporters of him and the deniers of nepotism’s on here do seem to have strangely disappeared. The ones that told us to get behind the team and stop moaning.

[Alf W]

Reflecting on Tuesday’s game, Theo wasn’t great but I thought our defence couldn’t deal well with the bypassing of midfield from the long ball game Braintree frequently used.Whereas Braintree players treated the game as must win, there were some sorry under performances by a number of our players.

[Silasgoldeen]

Reflecting on Tuesday’s game, Theo wasn’t great but I thought our defence couldn’t deal well with the bypassing of midfield from the long ball game Braintree frequently used.Whereas Braintree players treated the game as must win, there were some sorry under performances by a number of our players.

I thought Braintree could have gone after Armitage a bit more than they did in the first half while he was a bit of a rabbit in the headlights.

Also agree that blaming so much on Theo is probably missing the mark. A few things are true, I think:

1) Tetek and Hargreaves are the better pairing on form at the moment, so should play. (But I think Theo was better than given credit for earlier in the season)
2) Having the manager's son in the team is always going to draw negativity, and doubly so if the team is struggling, and even more if there are good alternatives not being used. So politically it's all a bit dubious and basically is asking for trouble. I'm sure Tommy thought he could handle all this but if the players start to doubt the setup he's in trouble. So it's a pointless distraction if the player isn't extremely good.
3) generally speaking one player doesn't make that much difference. I don't think Theo is holding us back, he's just not pushing us forward at the moment and his play is a symptom of the broader problems. And Tetek and Hargreaves would give us a slightly better chance to win week in and week out.
4) the bigger issue remains tactical, this loyalty to a 3-4-2-1 formation that doesn't seem to have any great merit and which the players don't always look comfortable in, and the constant chopping and changing of players in the back so they can't build the relationships and partnerships they need to.
5) They are also being stupid with Johnny Stuttle (and even Kai Corbett). Players get tired in games and there's no world where Barham after 75 minutes of running is a better player than Stuttle.

[Birdman]

Highlights :- https://www.theshots.co.uk/shots-tv/mat ... ee-town-h/

[Weybourne Shot]

Still cannot believe exactly how Lisbie and Akinde missed those two chances !!!

[Les Briley]

Still cannot believe exactly how Lisbie and Akinde missed those two chances !!!

No one could really have complained if Braintree had scored at least 5 or 6 goals in the first half alone.

[Alf W]

Yep, I was sure Akinde would score as down the High Street end at the time and could see him coming in unmarked at the far post and it looked simpler to net than miss .Glad he did miss though ashe was giving it the “big I am “ after the first half tap in and how the Ref never booked him I just don’t know!