I listen to the game on plane to Aussie,  fell asleep twice. 1st shot on the 73rd minute!!!

Right I'm going to say it, it's like the elephant in the room. 

Would Marc still be in a job if he wasn't the owner?

Is he answerable to anyone or persons,  if so can we hear from them. 

If not then he will just carry on with what he is doing. 

Posted by: @happy-hammers

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Right I'm going to say it, it's like the elephant in the room. 

Would Marc still be in a job if he wasn't the owner?

Is he answerable to anyone or persons,  if so can we hear from them. 

If not then he will just carry on with what he is doing. 

Personally I think his incredible record of promotions, motivation, man management, recruitment (including getting so much out of players who started out several divisions below), the difficulties of managing a part time team on a small budget, transitioning to a division of real quality and more, is enough to allow him a free pass for a long, long time yet, regardless of league position.  

What would another manager do that might improve things? I'd wager it would deteriorate pretty quickly - and imo we'd lose a key part of what makes this club so special.

@adeb I'm not saying he hasn't done a great , no a unbelievable job getting the club where it is today but a free pass can only take you a certain way. 

I personally think the club need a totally overhaul, I not saying straight away that would be impossible but little by little. 

I thought this was a business, what key part would you think would go missing?

Only imo and I'm not saying Marc has to go, just look at things a different way. 

Without the commitment, relentless desire, obsessive determination etc that Marc has brought (and his money, all the sponsors he has brought in etc), then essentially what we'd have in this town is the old DFC - typically 4th tier Ryman league football in front of 150 hardy old codgers.

Without Marc at the manager it's dull - when he's had his stadium bans, look at the pre and post match interviews with those standing in for him - it's not the same, it's dull.

And getting Steve King in would be not much different - again so, so dull.

You could argue that Matt Gray (the Sutton Manager who got Sutton into the EFL) might be the man. But I think a huge percentage of our fans and followers have been converted to supporting DWFC because of Marc and his charisma. Personally I'd rather spend 10 years in a row in the NL / NLS than just try and hurry to find success at all costs. Borehamwood for example are consistently more successful, but christ it's dull to watch, and not many people do go and watch them!! Stuff that!

And with all of his promotions, Marc has more than earned keeping his position as manager even if we go down a league. He more than anyone else has built this club.

Of course it's currently same old more weeks than not at the moment, but I think today is the turning point - from now on it's tried and trusted players over injury prone ones. 

Of course we could well go down if we continue as we currently are performing.

But bear in mind Marc isn't actually paid to be manager, which any replacement would have to be.

Any new manager would still have to work with Marc to agree signings, wages, budget. 

Marc would probably fire them within a few months anyway, as he'd have strong views on every mistake, tactical errors etc.

Marc is plain talking and often holds his hands up when its crap. I like that we win together and lose together. 

And just to add; let's just suppose Marc stepped down. And Dorking end up getting relegated. Who might be best placed to get them back up? I'd imagine the no 1 choice would be Marc White, given the track record.

Final thought - part of Dorking's DNA is continuity, fairness, treating people well, openness and honesty and playing football the 'right' way - i.e. entertaining the fans. It really is not, imo, just about the result.

As Marc has said, anyone could put together a defensive team of cloggers, and stay up each year but really, where is the fun in that?

@dorking-eagle Spot on. My sentiments exactly.

I turned away from Aldershot, mostly because of my son, but a big part was Marc and the club's DNA. Otherwise we become just another club.

Dorking Wanderers is for me, far more than that. 

In reality Gary, if you're being critical, you can't one minute praise Pro's like Fuller and Craig for their professionalism, then take the players on a day long piss up to the darts.

The 'management team' are all volunteers as well, I don't think I've ever seen them once on Bunch of Amateurs having anything critical to say or argue an alternative viewpoint with Marc - they seem like too many yes men.

The pre-season schedule is regularly horrific - we are step 1 but constantly play Horsham (step 3) and Leatherhead (step 4), plus choose another (away) fixture largely based on where it is for a piss up. 

It's so hard though because Marc has built almost everything, and take that away and it's like taking the crazy gang spirit out of Wimbledon. And ultimately Marc brings 10 times more into the club than what these sorts of things take away.

As I alluded to above - you can do things more professionally - look at Solihull, Altrincham, Borehamwood or Eastleigh - they have all worked out this division - but I wouldn't want to regularly watch any of those clubs or do things their way. The make it up as you go along way that this club works is a huge part of the appeal for me and so many of us.

Fair enough guys, just thought it had to be said. 

UP THE WANDERERS 😀

No probs Gary, always good to discuss and debate. 

As fans we mostly just buy tickets and go to games. We shout and cheer, clap, stamp our feet and encourage. Sometimes we post positive, supportive stuff on social media in the hope someone sees it and it makes a small bit of difference.

But in the grand scheme of things, the team the manager picks and the tactics the head coach comes up with have a far greater bearing than what we can do.

There are bigger clubs in lower leagues (Torquay, Scunny and Yeovil spring to mind). There are better stadiums in lower leagues too.

Most of us can remember when it was big to be playing Tooting and Mitcham, Corinthian Casuals, Margate, Haringey Borough, Dulwich Hamlet. 

Even if we do sadly go down, we've left those teams behind and off the pitch our club is in far greater shape - the sponsors, the academy and all the other teams, the supporter base, the social media / online following.

So whilst no-one wants things to go backwards, so much has gone forwards over the last few years, it'd likely only be a small blip before things are back on course.

Fingers crossed that things get on track soon of course.

I think Gary was right in what he said. We pay on the gate week in and week out. We invested in the club, which gives us the right to have an opinion, it's called democracy! I thought Marc's comment about the moaners after the game was crass and unnecessary and his interviews are now becoming predictable. Marc has done an incredible job and if it wasn't for him Wanderers wouldn't exist. But now he should have the courage of his convictions and admit he is out of his depth and there needs to be a change of management. As soon as we go a goal down the players heads drop and there is no plan b. As for letting Alfie go out on loan with the injury crisis we have, what was he thinking! We need to have a more experienced man in charge now to come in with fresh ideas and Marc needs to back him. All I can see right now is relegation unless things change PDQ

Of course everyone is absolutely entitled to their opinion, that's what this forum is all about.

Personally, and aside from all the other wider points, I just cannot see how another manager would do any better given budget restraints, training restrictions (part time), injuries and the difficulty of getting players back match fit in mid season. 

Marc has a plan and a vision, and given the right circumstances (which will eventually happen) I still say we are a play off capable side. Patience is need - in my opinion.

Relegation would seriously derail all the big projects the club has in the pipeline (think of the Academy and the first team training arrangements) and IMO do 2 years damage to the course we are on.

I always say never write off the Wanderers, and Marc will have a plan, I think playing the tried and trusted is the last real throw of the dice. 

If things don't improve and we do go down (and far bigger teams than us have done) then we will still go to the games, Marc will be doubly determined, and it doesn't mean such a rush to full time. Maybe it prolongs the Wanderers careers of a few players who are little out of their depth in the NL too?

I just can't see Marc getting someone else in to manage the team, I think he'd just not be able to interfere with what he sees. Imagine him in the Stonegate Stand (as Chairman) watching games, he just has to be in the dugout controlling things!!

Just to compare where we are to the same point last season:

23/24:

Played: 24

Wins: 7

Draws: 4

Losses: 13

Points: 25

Goals Scored: 28

Goals Against: 43

22/23:

Played: 25

Wins: 8

Draws: 6

Losses: 11

Points: 30

Goals Scored: 43

Goals Against: 55

It was New Years Day onward last season that we went on a really poor run for a couple of months. Hopefully we've had that poor run this season already.

Should add that we were 15th last season and 20th this season (albeit having played one game less)

Interesting discussion guys.  I strongly agree with @AdeB and @Dorking Eagle  - Marc has plenty of credit in the bank for a good while. 2 points: 

On the pitch, it is not surprising we have struggled to score goals, with the lack of fit wingers and forwards - not the manager's fault. And the squad is much stronger than last year, no doubt (Francomb, Craig, Pybus, Blair, Male, Hollis, Carter). Interesting that Marc said he perhaps let too many old hands go last season - our strength in depth is not that great - but that could have been a wage bill issue too. Overall, on the pitch, I agree we are competitive with almost every team in the division (Chesterfield & Gateshead apart perhaps) but there are fewer "easier" games this season. With a full strength team, there is enough strength and experience to avoid going down. the points difference from last season is not great. And @Mackers71, I think there is a plan B - going longer - the issue has been when to use it (probably a bit earlier and a bit more, imo, with regret). At the minute, Marc is faced with playing fit players out of position or unfit players in position - not easy to juggle this and - as he has admitted - it hasn't always worked. We don't know all the ins and outs of the injuries etc - we just haver to trust him and the management team, who do. 

Off the pitch, I agree with @Dorking Eagle that Marc is what makes the club so different, and more fun! It is the depressing thing about the Prem and other leagues that a few bad results bring the manager the sack as the owners gamble on finding a successful formula with the same players. There is no patience or faith in the person appointed, and the same managers go on the merry-go-round. So dull. Marc has been doing this for a while and his track record shows that he is prepared to do what is necessary to stay up - just look at last season, when we looked dead and buried for a few weeks in Jan/February.  This is without mentioning all the sponsors, players, revenue via BoA, and attention that he creates around the club in a pretty unique style and role. 

You may be right Gary, that any other club would have sacked the manager by now. But Dorking is not any other club, and that is why I follow the Wanderers!