NLS: Tonbridge Angels v Torquay United 3pm 16 March 2024

With the next two games being Hampton and Yeovil, we really need a win here. Otherwise we may well enter the last six games with ground to make up in order to get out of the bottom four.

Travel arrangements will be against us, especially with the M25 closure.

We possibly have 19 men available - Tuesday’s 16 plus Archer,Hall and Martin.

I would have liked to see Marshall replace Tomlinson, but if Booth is out they may both play.

I would revert to 4-4-2 with Jude-Boyd and Stobbs double-banked on the right.

Not too happy with Moxey left back, but a 97-year-old Moxey would be more effective than Martin. Would play Jenkins Davies as floaty left midfield. He played that role intelligently when used there before.

I would happily drop McGavin and have Lapslie and Dawson as a solid two.

But given the transfer embargo and our need to manage pitch time, I think McGavin needs to play ahead of his upcoming ban. That would allow Dawson and Lapslie to timeshare and keep some fuel in the tank for when McGavin is out.

If we allow Hampton and Yeovil to stroll unopposed through our midfield, they will both slaughter us - so it is good that we will not have McGavin in midfield for those two games.

Although Downes is a far more uniting and fan-friendly face than Johnson, he has done little to rectify the huge structural faults in our setup that have made the last two seasons so disastrous. I am still convinced that a decent manager could turn us into a solid unit overnight.

We obviously cannot do anything at the moment that involves spending money - so the hope is that Downes can limp us to safety before an end-of-season clearout.

If we lose today, I think we need to see who we could bring in to guide us to safety whilst working for free. There will be someone out there who would do it. Trouble is, who would make that decision? So I think we are stuck with Downes. We will just have to cross our fingers and pray!

Cilla Black, 1 nil down already ☹️

I can fully understand the appointment of Downes as a financial decision.

However anyone watching the team for a couple of years will see that the defending has been disorganised while we have been employing a central defender as an Assistant Manager. It has been blatantly obvious for all that time that Aaron Downes is not the right man for this particular job.

If its any consolation, Dartford still have to play Truro twice. Two wins for the, er, Tinners would keep Dartford below us; albeit at the expense of Truro going above us.

… and now 2-0 down.

4-0.

Hard to see us amassing the points required to stay up. We are just not very good. With the exception of Booth replacing the increasing liability that is Tomlinson, probably had all likely starters available for us today. If Warnock fancies a free gig, then great. If not we go with what we’ve got unless any leave, in which case then we go with less.

Edwards Out.