Baird reflects on the season

-
Adrian Kajumba of the Daily Echo interviewed manager Ian Baird recently where the Spitfires’ boss reflected on the season and why he thinks things haven’t quite gone to plan this time round.

Kajumba wrote: At the outset, the Spitfires had high hopes of bettering last term when their campaign was cruelly cut short in the Blue Square South play-off semi finals.

A number of factors, some self-inflicted, have since combined to dramatic and disastrous effect for Eastleigh.

And the Spitfires conceded that their play-off hopes are over following back to back defeats over the Easter weekend against Dover and Woking.

Ian BairdBaird said: “It’s been a week of reflection.

“We realized that we have blown the opportunity of getting in the play-offs.

“And we have been looking as a management team at what we could have done better, the facts of the season, what targets we have got for next season, what players we try and keep, what budget we are going to have and are we going to be competitive.

“Overall, where it all went wrong.”

Expanding on that, Baird continued: “What people don’t realize is this season we have sold almost £40,000 of players and Aaron Martin we have also not adequately replaced.

“Aaron has gone (to Saints) and we have missed his pace in the back four and not had a settled defence.

“We have missed Brett Williams (who joined AFC Totton) – he was a big part for us after Christmas last year.

“I wouldn’t say we have missed Michael Green (who joined Totton) but I would like to think we would have.

“So selling those three players has been a factor, not having a settled side all season, having six of our first-team players unavailable at various times due to injury and working with a wafer thin squad have all been problems.

“We have also been a little bit too top heavy with six or seven player’s wages and the pitch has not helped us.”

An element of self-analysis has also taken place in Eastleigh’s review of the season Baird explained.

“We have shot ourselves in the foot at times in games,” he continued.

“And the management team have to take a hard look at ourselves as well,” he said.

“I know we have been unlucky with the players we have bought in because, no disrespect to the lads from the Glenn Hoddle Academy and the loan players, they have not done particularly well.”

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Deal sealed with Lawshield

-
Image
Eastleigh Football Club are delighted to unveil Lawshield as sponsors for the South Stand (opposite the clubhouse end) at the Silverlake Stadium for the 2012-2013 season. Lawshield have signed a deal with the club which sees the stand rebranded the Lawshield Stand and we hope the fans will embrace the newly named ‘Lawshield End'. Lawshield Managing Director Ken Specter commented:"It gives us great pleasure to continue our association with Eastleigh Football Club - we wish the whole team, both on the pitch and behind the scenes at the club all the best for the forthcoming season". Lawshield specialise in providing quality insurance products which are underwritten by leading insurers. Their products and services offer comprehensive cover and a seamless integrated service solution to Insurers, Brokers, Fleet Managers and Affinities. They provide a one stop shop offering outsourced claims assistance solutions for household insurance and personal/commercial motor insura...
Read more

Eastleigh 3-1 Newport County

-
Image
EASTLEIGH V NEWPORT COUNTY MONDAY 12th MARCH 2007 Conference South So far so good, as Eastleigh pressed on with their busy schedule with a second comprehensive win in as many days. Yet another classy performance from the Spitfires saw them come out firing on all cylinders finding themselves two goals to the good in the blink of an eye, and just like they did in the Farnborough match at the weekend, they comfortably saw the game out. The only change from the winning side, saw Liam Green replace the injured David Hughes in the centre of midfield. Newport were panicking from the start with the excellent Steve Watts and Jamie Brown letting their presence be felt up the front, giving their opponents no time on the ball. The constant chasing down and pressure from the two Eastleigh forwards almost led to catastrophe in the third minute for Newport, as Stewart Edwards played across his own goal with his keeper missing the ball before it was eventually hacked away. Scorer of Eastl...
Read more

Richard Hill

-
Image
Eastleigh Football Club are delighted to announce Richard Hill as their new first team manager, with immediate effect. Richard will be introduced to the players and staff tomorrow evening and will take charge of his first match on Saturday against Maidenhead. Richard is vastly experienced having managed Stevenage Borough and assisted John Gregory at both Wycombe and QPR, Brian Little at Aston Villa and also fulfilled the same roles at Gillingham, Tranmere Rovers and Northampton Town. It is a new era for the football club and we feel that in appointing Richard we have made the right choice. We are confident that he has all the attributes necessary to ensure the football club continues to develop and move forward in the correct manner. Stewart Donald added ‘I am delighted that we have been able to appoint Richard so quickly. He is exactly the calibre of Manager I wanted. Like all managers that inherit a team, there will be a transitional period while he familiarises himself with...
Read more