Dempster interview

[part time pete]

Everyone needs to remember that these players are a year older.

Legs have gone on a number of them.

[wink68]

JD sounded utterly lost to me. I think he's at his wits end as what to do next. No matter what he does it doesn't work. As I've said Klopp would struggle to get a tune out of this lot. As a team they stink of relegation .

Near enough the same squad as last season when a proper manager very nearly got us promoted JD has sucked all ability and enthusiasm out of the players and working his way through the fans. Just the board to go.

[wink68]

Everyone needs to remember that these players are a year older.

Legs have gone on a number of them.

Sorry, what a lame excuse. Maybe Bishop with his age, but 27 or 28 should make no difference. Sick of saying it. ITS THE MANAGER.

[wardy12345]

He sounds like hes out of ideas and carnt manage or motivate the team.

He definitely needs help or moving back to the youth team, unless a few of the players are going to be shipped out in January

[Foresttownstag]

Everyone needs to remember that these players are a year older.

Legs have gone on a number of them.

Sorry, what a lame excuse. Maybe Bishop with his age, but 27 or 28 should make no difference. Sick of saying it. ITS THE MANAGER.

27,28 years of age, they should be in their prime.

The whole legs have gone is absolute rubbish, Bishop yes, rest of them absolutely not.

If the legs have gone then Drewe wouldn’t be spouting off every single week about how much running they all did in 90 minutes.

[gazza1988]

Everyone needs to remember that these players are a year older.

Legs have gone on a number of them.

Legs haven't gone. General fitness has.

This time last season we played County, check out the match stats (we are the home side if you don't want to read it https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46409052

Possession
Home58% Away42%
Shots
Home17 Away10
Shots on Target
Home7 Away5
Corners
Home5 Away4
Fouls
Home13 Away14


These are today's stats


Possession
Home51% Away49%
Shots
Home8 Away13
Shots on Target
Home0 Away8
Corners
Home3 Away6
Fouls
Home10 Away10

We have gone so far back our total shots in a game is only just higher that our shots on target from last season.

People go on about flitcroft against Swindon https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/46656615 even that, stat wise, is better than now.

[Chrisuknottm]

Everyone needs to remember that these players are a year older.

Legs have gone on a number of them.

Sorry, what a lame excuse. Maybe Bishop with his age, but 27 or 28 should make no difference. Sick of saying it. ITS THE MANAGER.

27,28 years of age, they should be in their prime.

The whole legs have gone is absolute rubbish, Bishop yes, rest of them absolutely not.

If the legs have gone then Drewe wouldn’t be spouting off every single week about how much running they all did in 90 minutes.

I know its only a small thing but did anyone else notice that one of the two backroom ladies took the pre match warm up today ......no disrespect intended but is that really going to motivate the players have someone plucked from statistics etc doing that?

[NorthLondonStag]

I’ve said it many times before Chris and I will say it agreeing with you again.

The pre match, half time and subs warm up routine is a shambles. An absolute shambles. I’ve mainly been away this year but the only bit that seems to have any structure is the shooting practice. That’s also the easiest and most interesting part I suspect.

‘Half time hoof ball’ is particularly useless.

It’s interesting not just for the waste of opportunity but also of the culture of preparation.

[Jamie]

To be fair yesterday at half time they were doing some organised training stuff in a square with tackling / short passing etc.

[Sneag]

There is obviously something seriously lacking in training, the overall fitness levels of the team seem to have taken a massive step backwards since last season. We look a yard slower all over the pitch, it's particulary noticable with Benning who seems to be running at about 50% compared to last year.

Defending and attracking at set peices is chaotic and ineffective at best. Defending & attacking in open play is pedestrian and predictable. We have a proper target man in Cook & never put any crosses into the box.

Every game has the appearance of the first friendly of pre-season.

It all points to a management team promoted beyond their capability.

[yorkshire stag]

Jobs to big for him, said it from day one

it’s now embarrassing

[NorthLondonStag]

To be fair yesterday at half time they were doing some organised training stuff in a square with tackling / short passing etc.

Interesting and sounds better. I didn’t go. A 300 mile round trip couldn’t be justified this time.

[kevin kents tasce]

Just watched the interview.

He's a man who held his hands up because the situation demands it, but he doesn't really believe he's at fault.

[Beano]

I don’t think they’re unfit.

I do think they can’t be arrised.

We need an experienced manager that strikes fear into them (a cuddle obviously hasn’t worked)

They clearly have little respect for Dempster, the club, or the fans.

[oldweststander]

So many fair to good players don't become bad players over a Summer break, there is a big problem somewhere.

The Portugal trip allegedly went well, pre season we were told was fine but when it came to the real important bread and butter games we were poor. The only thing that has changed over the last three months is that we have steadily and consistently got worse.

The manager admits he has failed and also blames the attitude of some players, why has their attitude changed?

A hard talking hard working new manager is required, someone the players won't mess with, someone the players will respect and work for. You must not forget, players are mercenaries, they play for the highest bidder and they want to be successful,. Come January there will not be many enquiries from other clubs re those on display against Cheltenham.

The Bury collapse has saved Mr Radford from acting, he knows the club is very unlikely to be relegated and maybe his future intensions are not what they have been in previous years. Maybe his view is to let Dempster ride the season out, and reassess his and the clubs future at that point.

I cannot see any other reason why he would not dispense with the manager immediately?

[cassellswasmagic]

It’s a fact that 29 is the prime footballing age. All the top footballers performed their best around this age. Our players, Bishop aside are not over the hill. I’m sick of these excuses. Lots of players play well older than that.

[MTFCMusings]

It’s a fact that 29 is the prime footballing age. All the top footballers performed their best around this age. Our players, Bishop aside are not over the hill. I’m sick of these excuses. Lots of players play well older than that.

It differs by position I would say.

Keepers tend to be in their prime years later than outfield players.
Defenders and midfielders around 27-28 as you say.
Strikers a bit younger, 24-26 I would say.

[gazza1988]

The problem we've got now is we need to improve that fitness. It's difficult with games every week. You risk injury because you are working players hard.

Look at the videos that were released before last season started. DF had meetings with the players and we got to see that (never seen that before tbh)and he told them what he wanted from them in the close season. Put on extra sessions during the close season as well. Teams generally return for pre season training mid-late June with the first pre season games being 2-3 weeks later. Those first few weeks are vital for getting the players fit, there's no high intensity games so players can train harder. Then during the pre season games that intensity is lowered but players generally spend the first few pre season games playing 45 minutes or so against lower league opposition. Then training intensity is lowered to the intensity for the season once the bigger sides start appearing for a pre season friendly. We all saw the benefits of this.

Am I correct in saying that the only non contact training injury we had was Bobby blowing his knee (not sure about Davies, I think his was in a game)? Imagine how last season would have gone had White not had his leg broke or Rose didn't get assaulted at Newport.

That high intensity, fitness focused training is good at lowering the risk of injury (well barring face breaks and leg breaks obviously) we've abandoned that level of training and we've got players pulling up with injury through running.

Last season we had 9 pre season games 5 of which were against higher league 1st teams (some mixed and 45 minutes each half, also one was our first game of pre season in Portugal
). This season we had 8 pre season games 3 of which were against higher league 1st teams (same as above, 1 Portugal and some mixed and 1st team sides)

Ask yourself this. Do the player look like they can't be bothered because they don't like the manager or do they look like they can't be bothered because the managers training methods mean they're knackered?

We used to be allowed to watch some training last season. Is that still the case and has anyone gone to look see what we are actually doing? The evidence on the pitch is we don't do much fitness work, some may say we don't do much work at all.

[cassellswasmagic]

It’s a fact that 29 is the prime footballing age. All the top footballers performed their best around this age. Our players, Bishop aside are not over the hill. I’m sick of these excuses. Lots of players play well older than that.

It differs by position I would say.

Keepers tend to be in their prime years later than outfield players.
Defenders and midfielders around 27-28 as you say.
Strikers a bit younger, 24-26 I would say.

World Cup stats actually say 27.5 is the prime age of a footballer. What’s our average age.
Question: Why do Exeter keep producing youngsters that attract lots of money in transfers (they’ve got another one) and Stags don’t?

[MTFCMusings]

It’s a fact that 29 is the prime footballing age. All the top footballers performed their best around this age. Our players, Bishop aside are not over the hill. I’m sick of these excuses. Lots of players play well older than that.

It differs by position I would say.

Keepers tend to be in their prime years later than outfield players.
Defenders and midfielders around 27-28 as you say.
Strikers a bit younger, 24-26 I would say.

World Cup stats actually say 27.5 is the prime age of a footballer. What’s our average age.
Question: Why do Exeter keep producing youngsters that attract lots of money in transfers (they’ve got another one) and Stags don’t?

Well that would be right wouldn't it, based on what I've said.

But it differs from player to player. Look at Michael Owen, he had his peak early in his career. The more the player relies on pace, the early they are likely to peak. Look at Sterling now.

[gazza1988]

It’s a fact that 29 is the prime footballing age. All the top footballers performed their best around this age. Our players, Bishop aside are not over the hill. I’m sick of these excuses. Lots of players play well older than that.

It differs by position I would say.

Keepers tend to be in their prime years later than outfield players.
Defenders and midfielders around 27-28 as you say.
Strikers a bit younger, 24-26 I would say.

World Cup stats actually say 27.5 is the prime age of a footballer. What’s our average age.
Question: Why do Exeter keep producing youngsters that attract lots of money in transfers (they’ve got another one) and Stags don’t?

As for youths. Exeter compete with Plymouth for the better players in that area. Who is closest in the to 4 leagues after that? Bristol? Bournemouth? They're both decent treks from that area. We on the other hand have a championship club on our doorstep and Derby is not much further away. Both generally compete towards the top end of the championship. Players leave us and go part time or leave the game (Tom Naylor is the lest player I remmeber going on to have a decent career but he's now 28 and in a mid table league 1 side. Players leave clubs like forest and a higher percentage stay in the professional game. As a young lad trying to make it, who would you sign youth forms with?