FA Cup local derby 'must-win' for Salisbury boss
The Whites are yet to win since Ali Alhamad's takeover
It's a must-win game for Salisbury boss Brian Dutton today as his side host Laverstock & Ford in an FA Cup local derby.
The match is a Second Qualifying Round tie and comes as The Whites continue to search for their first win of the season, which follows the takeover by Kuwaiti businessman, Ali Alhamad, in the summer.
So far in the National League South, Salisbury have recorded four draws from seven matches, leaving them second from bottom.
Dave Drag, from the unofficial Salisbury FC Supporters Group on Facebook, says there have been patches of games where the team has performed well, but consistency has yet to be achieved.
Asked whether the fanbase remains supportive of the manager, Dave said there are mixed opinions.
"After the home game against Tonbridge, there were more dissenting voices in the crowd than I've heard for a long time, but that's not to say the whole fanbase isn't behind him," he said.
"I think there are those that that have maybe a little bit more prepared to give the side a little bit longer to gel, and there are some that I think are concerned at how long can we go without a win before we start getting potentially cut adrift," Dave added.
He noted that last season, Weymouth and Aveley both found themselves lagging behind after a poor start to the season, and a run of form later in the season wasn't enough to save them from the drop.
While the club doesn't have a history of sacking managers, with it usually being bosses moving on to progress their careers at a higher level, Dave said the decision new owner takes will be revealing.
He said: "If there is a managerial change, it will tell the fans a lot about Ali and what he's prepared to do and his thought process is behind how he's going to get to where he clearly wants to get to with the club."
Chance to score confidence-boosting win
Today's match with Laverstock & Ford is one that Salisbury should win, although the FA Cup has a rich history of giant-killing performances.
Dave believes any side Salisbury puts out should be good enough to move to the next round, but is wary of the lack of confidence that could undo the Whites hopes.
He said it's an opportunity to boost confidence in front of goal, with scoring being an issue so far this season.
Dave told us: "Surely it's to the benefit of the club to win by as much as possible and make it look as comfortable as possible and actually get some confidence in there.
"There's been a number of clean sheets, but four goals in eight league games, you know, says there's a problem there.
"There's an opportunity in a game against, on paper, weaker opposition to potentially score a lot of goals. If goals are our problem. Scoring goals breeds confidence and potentially carries that into the league form."