“It’s about character now,” said Bracken following the match at Merstham. “When you’re winning you get in the mindset to keep it going.
“But we’re a long way from that. We’re in character stage now. We need people to roll up their sleeves because we haven’t won in four. The season’s wrapping up and the teams below us have all got to play each other, so someone’s going to be picking up points. We need to get out on that pitch and battle and grind out some wins. Do I know which boys I’ll rely on for that? Of course I do.”
“The first fifteen to twenty minutes, we were very good. We arguably deserved to be one in-front.
“After that, we reacted very slowly to everything. We were chasing shadows for large parts of the first half.
“We changed things at half time but concede a horrible goal. It deflates everybody. It came at the wrong time as we had a couple of moments which gave me encouragement to see we’d pull ourselves back on level terms.
“We’ve had too many of those goals this season. Letting them in at crucial times. There’re too many players that don’t react the right way.
“It wasn’t good enough in terms of our own quality. We can be better than that.
And Bracken faces a unique problem; Casuals are the highest ranked amateur side in the country and therefore do not have a playing budget to sign new players.
“Every time I look at social media, teams in and around us have signed quality players, getting fresh blood in. All those sides have the money and power to have a go at staying up. They add a little more to their budget.
“We don’t have those resources. We need to look at ourselves as to what we can do.
“I stand by these players but it’s difficult. When we lost our main goalscorer (Danny Cunningham) to injury, it was tough. Warren (Mfula’s) done great. Gabriel (Odunaike) was missing and will be absent for a few more soon. What I’d give to be able to go out and ‘buy’ a striker, but we can’t.
“Whilst things are going well, it’s great but when the backs are against the wall, it’s difficult.
“I’ll re-iterate it though. I believe in these players. Even after that performance today, by some of their own standards, their poorest performance of the season. I genuinely don’t remember them being worse than that. However, all things considered, we still could’ve snatched a draw against a decent team on a pitch that suits them.
"Therefore, we can’t be too doom and gloom. We want to win."
“But we’re a long way from that. We’re in character stage now. We need people to roll up their sleeves because we haven’t won in four. The season’s wrapping up and the teams below us have all got to play each other, so someone’s going to be picking up points. We need to get out on that pitch and battle and grind out some wins. Do I know which boys I’ll rely on for that? Of course I do.”
“The first fifteen to twenty minutes, we were very good. We arguably deserved to be one in-front.
“After that, we reacted very slowly to everything. We were chasing shadows for large parts of the first half.
“We changed things at half time but concede a horrible goal. It deflates everybody. It came at the wrong time as we had a couple of moments which gave me encouragement to see we’d pull ourselves back on level terms.
“We’ve had too many of those goals this season. Letting them in at crucial times. There’re too many players that don’t react the right way.
“It wasn’t good enough in terms of our own quality. We can be better than that.
And Bracken faces a unique problem; Casuals are the highest ranked amateur side in the country and therefore do not have a playing budget to sign new players.
“Every time I look at social media, teams in and around us have signed quality players, getting fresh blood in. All those sides have the money and power to have a go at staying up. They add a little more to their budget.
“We don’t have those resources. We need to look at ourselves as to what we can do.
“I stand by these players but it’s difficult. When we lost our main goalscorer (Danny Cunningham) to injury, it was tough. Warren (Mfula’s) done great. Gabriel (Odunaike) was missing and will be absent for a few more soon. What I’d give to be able to go out and ‘buy’ a striker, but we can’t.
“Whilst things are going well, it’s great but when the backs are against the wall, it’s difficult.
“I’ll re-iterate it though. I believe in these players. Even after that performance today, by some of their own standards, their poorest performance of the season. I genuinely don’t remember them being worse than that. However, all things considered, we still could’ve snatched a draw against a decent team on a pitch that suits them.
"Therefore, we can’t be too doom and gloom. We want to win."
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