Lewes v Charlton. Dripping Pan Sunday 23rd October
The Lewes Women are one position above the dreaded single relegation place in the Women’s Championship, four points out of five, four draws and a win. Mind you so are two other teams and bottom placed Coventry have no points in five games. So a relegation threat a long way off
The board maybe slightly concerned. Scott Booth was appointed before the start of the season. A superb record in Scottish women’s football at Glasgow City including some fine European results would make him look a superb appointment. City reached the Champions League quarter-finals for the second time in 2019–20; they were the last independent women’s football club to achieve this under his tenure. But you don’t get something for nothing and he left Scotland to join Birmingham City in the Women’s Premiership where his record was dire- P7 W0 L6 D1. An ambitious appointment with a tinge surely of concern at a diabolical record in English football.
However, Birmingham had the smallest budget by far in the Premiership and there were apparently a number of shortcomings in the Birmingham City set up. But a slightly risky appointment nontheless. Football is an impatient sport and with the previous managers doing such a fine job there must be concern. Our defence has been solid and that is such a plus point. Just a few lucky touches and a couple of goals would see us sitting comfortably mid table. A win on Sunday could settle the jitters and we can build towards pressing towards the top, a loss and a win for bottom placed Coventry P5L5 and an inevitable sense of doom, such as that on the team Truss team this week, will begin to settle.
My prediction Lewes 1-1 Charlton
Lewes v Margate. Dripping Pan Saturday 22nd October
Having just missed out on the play offs last season nobody at Lewes thought a nearly a quarter of the way though the season Tony Russell would have us sitting in 17th place. A sound start has led to a miserable string of results including the spineless exit to Three Bridges in the FA Cup. Premature talk of relinquishing with his services were muted by a fine 4-2 away win at fancied Enfield Town six days ago.
A dissection of the debacle here-
We are at a stage in the season where two defeats will see you near the relegation zone and two wind sniffing at the trough of the play offs. I have consistently said a manager with a poor start to the season has to be judged on his first twelve games. Tony has three home games on the trot to stabilise the season for the Lewes men. Coming into them on the back of the Enfield win and we have a number of games in hand, some good results will take pressure of the players and fingers crossed in 8 days’ time we can be talking of crashing into the play offs. Three bad results and the board may have to act. The fundamental problem is for all to see. We play lovely football, great of course, but to break out of leagues like the Isthmian Prem you need to sometimes scrap to win games. You need an impenetrable defence and if you cannot nick games settle for a draw. Style is not a prerequisite if you want promotion, it is a luxury you hope you can encompass into the game. Russell needs to show as well as overseeing good attractive football he has the man management skills to turn Lewes into better honed spirited team of fighters to win promotion and eek out results and a little less pussy footing around.
The foundations are there, we have a top five defence and look good going forward, but we have a sound nucleus nowhere near a finished article at the moment.
My prediction Lewes 3-2 Margate
The Rights of Fans. 