BTFC Fans Forum 09/11/21

Greg, Nick, Alex, Rob and Jody on the panel, Dave was unable to attend but sends his best wishes.

Greg Lake - introduction

- Forum entirely focused on the men's first team as that is everyone's main focus at the moment.

- We're in a bad place, a very bad place at the moment. The team has not been performing at all well this season, but also in the last two COVID-affected seasons.

- Everyone has a role in turning our fortunes around, the board hold their hands up and admit they made a mistake with the previous managerial appointment. However, Kevin never set out to lose and they wish him the best.

- The board are fans themselves and feel as much pain as supporters when the team loses. We are all in this together from the board, down to the players and fans, to help turn this around.

- There's a lot of the season to go, with plenty of time to turn it around with Jody and the new players coming in, we can get out of this mess if everybody sticks together.

- By no means have the club given up and accepted this season to be a write-off, they will do everything possible to turn it around. Two potential signings watched the game at the weekend.

- There are lots of rumors and speculation surrounding the board. At their very first fans forum, they emphasised that trust was a major factor and that time would be needed for them to get on course. They are in it for the long haul.

- Need to bust some myths spurted out on social media, firstly the idea that the owners are 'wronguns' - they are not and all want the same thing and have the same vision for the club. 100% commitment goes into the club and particularly the men's team, much more than what's seen on the pitch.

- Another myth is that the board don't mind if we go down. Yes they would, they would hate it just as much as us supporters.

- Final myth is that they care more about the women's and colts teams. They have to balance out their attention to create a successful club but no section of the club gets more money or time devoted to it than the men's team.

- We have an above average budget for the division. Players do need to be changed, but this takes time and is not an easy process, but Jody has their full backing on any decision made.

- This process doesn't happen overnight, no point in just ripping up all the contracts and starting again as that won't help matters. It's hard to attract players at the moment because of our league position, the team does need a reset but this is a process.

JODY BROWN

- Started off stating how happy he is to be at Billericay, a local manager and always a club he's admired from afar, and enjoyed visiting with opposition teams in the past.

- Came in under difficult circumstances, bottom of the league and off the back of COVID. Much less positivity at the club than they would've hoped for and appreciates right now they aren't in a good place.

- Understands that the fans want to see a winning team straight away, but this will take time. Vast majority of the team is on contract which takes up most of the budget, to sign players we need to sell first.

- It's difficult to attract players, being bottom of the league and players on contract elsewhere won't want to move this early on in the season.

- Wants stability. a group of players who want to play for Billericay as a club rather than players who will leave after 5 games for more money elsewhere, again this will game time to build.

- Signing of Rob Swaine emphaised this because of his history and affiliation with the club. Picked up a knock with Coggeshall but nothing bad. He's the type of player we want to attract, he turned down several offers from bigger clubs to play for us.

- Wants a group of players who match the fantastic infrastructure and fanbase. Vision is to make the club the biggest in Essex, with Southend/Colchester/Chelmsford/Braintree struggling there are many clubs in worse situations locally.

Q&A 

We have hard working and committed players, we just seem to have players who aren't good enough and therefore attract unfair criticism. How can we get behind them and help them as supporters, and how can you help them as a manager?

JB - On paper we have a very strong squad, ability is not an issue. The problem when they came in was balance within the squad, with a huge gap between esteemed pros such as Lawrie and Charlie, combined with youngsters like Windy and Felix, this caused a huge imbalance with nothing in between. The profile was too focused on experience, and you have to question how motivated certain ex-pros are in terms of keeping the club in the division. 

Many areas need improvement and they are working around the clock to improve it, but it will take time and needs some outgoings, but to sell players you also need interested teams which is tricky. Jack Munns is the type of player they are looking for, would much rather wait a week to be able to sign a player from a higher level than rush signings from the levels below. We are competing as we speak with a few full time clubs for players and the signings that have been made so far need to adapt eg. Hinds, Ekumah, Carvalho but they are vital for depth.

Saw progress in the second half on Saturday and a more recognisable style of play, we want to be competitive as possible but at the moment we aren't at the level that's expected of the players. Outgoings do need to happen but will be dealt with professionally rather than just ripping up contracts and forcing players out. They are working with a good budget but are still working with Kevin's squad, where recruitment was poor.

My Dad lol - To be brutally honest, this team is quite possibly the worst team he's ever seen play for the club. They are lacking in desire, lacking in ability and lacking in commitment, so how is Jody going to turn it around with the current players who have been here since the start of the season?

JB - The main thing is solidarity, getting players to interact with fans, speak to them after games and feel responsibility when they step on that pitch, understand they are representing something important. Couldn't believe after Hungerford game that there was not a single player in the bar taking ownership of the situation, from now on at every home game, regardless of the scoreline, players will all be approachable to interact with fans and celebrate wins, or discuss the poor result. At the moment, it's far too easy for them to just jump in their car after the game and forget what it means to supporters.

Also, the character within the team is wrong. The changing rooms were being left in a mess, at Welling the subs just left bottles and bibs on the bench expecting someone else to clean it up and this is unacceptable. People need to feel accountable for their actions and that is the short-term answer to improving the current squad.

The current team seems very small and lightweight, is Jody happy with that being the case?

JB - We did suffer from that against Hungerford, who were far too physical for us. Doesn't want to end up with a small team but a good balance between players such as Munns and Felix with Swaine and Chambers is good. Fully aware of the components needed to compete in the NLS, but going forward we don't want a small team in general.

Any news on the assistant manager?

JB - Yes, can't yet be disclosed as to who because they are on contract elsewhere at the moment, as a scout at a Championship side. Played international football for England, hope to be with us in the next month or so.

How is Michael Chambers after his injury?

JB - He's feeling OK. The physio is assessing him tonight to see if he has concussion, if he does he's out for 3 weeks. Wanted to come back on the pitch but physio said no. Confident however he should be fit.

How much training does the team do?

JB - Trains for 2 hours on Tuesday's and an hour on Thursday. The physio is also a strength and conditioning coach so provides routines and exercises away from training. Tricky because 5 teams in the league train 4/5 days a week, but we train enough.

What's the thinking behind loaning out Darren Foxley?

JB - Picked up a knock against Dulwich, and then pulled up with the same shoulder injury in the BCD friendly at Maldon. He couldn't train for a couple of weeks but we still put him in the side, but he's not looked sharp since Jody arrived. As soon as he arrived at the club, Bishop's Stortford were ringing him and Daz was interested in going, so he's not sure whether or not he's fully committed to the club at the moment. He played 10 minutes at the weekend.

Are there any players you like the look of in the U23s?

JB - Gabby and Henry for sure, which is why they were loaned out as we want both of them playing first team football. The feedback from Hullbridge is good, Henry has played every game and Gabby all but one but he has scored. Robert Adams, U23 striker, impressed vs Maldon and looking for a loan for him. Dan and Ash are doing a great job with them but feels like the gap from U23 football to first team is too big for many of the boys at the moment, so looking for loans and hopes to use them soon. Windy and Luis also an indication of a clear pathway from the youth teams to first team.

How is Rob Swaine, when can we see him playing for us?

JB - Picked up a bruised foot playing for Coggeshall. Don't want to risk him at all so waiting until fully recovered so he can be used properly. If all goes to plan, he could be fit in 2 weeks.

What is the morale of the players at the moment of the back of performances, and also fan reactions?

JB - It was a strange dressing room to walk into, a flat group low on confidence and lacking leaders. They go a bit quiet after a defeat and the crowd does impact them, especially the younger players. Morale is mixed, some players do have a feeling that they don't have a long term future. Joe Felix and Lawrie Wilson examples of good leaders who go into every game feeling positive and motivated.

Is a lack of leadership something Jody is looking to change?

JB - Absolutely. Swainey and Munns are both leaders, upbeat but demand high standards.

There was a lack of leadership from the bench from Kevin Watson. Will Jody be the opposite?

JB - Yes absolutely. Will always be reactive and address things during games, whether that be changing systems, making subs or whatever. Will never just sit down and watch us lose. Motivation is a big factor and will always try and be proactive to earn respect, he doesn't expect to just get it for free but hopes to earn it by never accepting defeat as acceptable.

JODY NOW LEFT AND TOOK TRAINING

Did Kevin and Jody have the same budget to work with?

GL - Yes they did. The board made the mistake of not getting involved with signings previously and not doing some research of who players are before signing them. Will learn from these errors.

AM - We aren't stopping the manager from moving around the squad, but needs to comply with the budget in order to be sustainable.

NH - We need to have a manager who can be held accountable rather than one who can blame the board or supporters for mistakes. The board can be held accountable for managerial choices, the manager is held accountable for recruitment and player decisions.

It was very obvious that we started the season without enough quality, so was it any surprise to the board when we started so poorly?

GL - Losing Toyosi was massive for us, felt like he would've been a big help especially when we lost players due to injury. We had a good pre-season, and Watson believed he had a squad good enough to compete. There were some concerns from the board but it has turned out worse than expected.

Jody has gained a lot of respect from the supporters already by coming over at FT on Saturday and putting things straight. Kevin showed little to no passion from the supporters so is this something that concerned the board?

GL - Jody is working so hard to get the players to win over the supporters and believes it is a key aspect of turning the season around. Greg went into the managers room after a home game this season and went ballistic at Watson, everyone gets angry after defeats. The board can hold their hands up and say they got the Watson appointment wrong.

RD - Without COVID, we could have gone down twice, so concerns were there. The refreshing change now is that Jody is getting across new ideas and proposing different signings so we have a chance to start again entirely. We went through an extensive hiring process to hire Watson, but they are new to owning a football club so will make these mistakes.

AM - Jody has contacts up and down the leagues, whereas the previous manager seemed content with signing lower level players.

The way Jody spoke about the club was refreshing and honest, which will win over supporters. As a club, how important is it to unite and back the first team through this tough period?

RD - Some of the comments made at FT on Saturday crossed the line in his opinion, but understands emotion is a big factor behind it. Lots of comments have also been made about the budget, but we have a budget in the top 1/3 of the league, so money has not been an issue, but recruitment. It's vital we stick together and remain as positive as possible.

Do we have a win bonus for the squad?

GL - Yes, a section of the budget is available for that.

Is there anything us supporters can do to help the board out?

GL - Don't get too high with the highs and too low with the lows. Can't ask anymore than backing the manager and players, remain positive and make the players feel welcomed and part of the club.

What happened with Jake Robinson? Why did he leave?

GL - We offered him a contract which he turned down. But would Jake make a difference in the current squad right now, probably not. He needs to play with better players supplying him.

NH - Kevin wanted to play 1 up front and that was likely to be Rowan. Jake would've effectively been a backup striker on a large contract.

Do all of the contracts run out at the end of the season?

NH - Yes. We had Robinson, Henry, Julian and Loft on two year deals so they were paid out. Watson had a free hit at this season, he decided every player that was put on contract and who stayed or was released from the previous season.

Player news/stuff I noticed or found out after training

- Toby Stephenson suspended at the weekend, but available afterwards, and his loan has been extended for 3 further months.

- Norman Wabo back fit next week. Commencing in outdoor training away from the main squad.

- Chambers, Lee and Swaine were at training but didn't train, instead saw the physio for minor injuries. Swaine and Chambers mentioned earlier, Lee no idea what's up.

- No Frankie Sutherland at all. No fans or Ben Robinson knew where he was so read into that what you want.

- Everyone else trained, including four players who aren't signed with us. Striker from Bromley (Lovatt I think his name is), Shaq Coulthirst (ex-Barnet striker) and two other players who I didn't recognise. 

- Hoping to bring in "3 or 4 more" in the coming weeks, including a couple of attacking players.