Hippolyte calls for realistic expectations from Maidenhead United supporters

JohnsonHippolyte has admitted it’s getting harder to keep up with the big boys in the Conference South and reckons fans need to get real about what they can achieve.

Having recorded their first league win of 2015 with a   2-0 success against Chelmsford City on Saturday, their fragile form saw the Magpies capitulate to a 3-0 home defeat to Basingstoke Town on Tuesday.

Hippolyte admitted the visitors fully deserved to take the points, and says it’s becoming harder for a side like Maidenhead to compete with teams like Basingstoke.

“I would say to the fans they’ve got to be realistic,” said Hippolyte.

“We’d love to be higher up the table, but people have to realise that it’s getting harder and harder to keep pace with the bigger clubs, and their bigger budgets.

“Manny Williams, who scored against us and St Albans in his last two games was rested by Basingstoke last night. He wasn’t injured, but the top sides can afford to do that when we can’t.

“It’s getting harder to keep abreast of sides like that and they need to realise we’re not a top seven Conference South club.”

The clamour for Peter Griffin to make a change, and remove Drax from the role he’s held for eight years has been growing again, after their fine initial season form gave way to a difficult spell since Christmas where the side have secured just one league win.

And it would seem that the side will finish the season some way short of their target of a mid-table finish.

“I’ve spoken to Peter (Griffin, Maidenhead United’s chairman) and maybe at the end of the season it will be time for a new manager,” he said.

“But we’re doing everything we can to keep Maidenhead in this league, and to move as close as we can to the top half of the table.

“I’ll be honest and say that our current position (17th) won’t be good enough (to keep him in the role).

“I set myself goals at the start of the season and if we finish below 12th or 13th then I think that’s a failure this year. But every year we keep Maidenhead in the division is an achievement, because it’s a very difficult league.”

But the doggedly determined boss still hopes to inspire the players to an improved finish to the season.

“At the moment we’re struggling at the wrong end of the table, but I don’t think we’re a million miles from being 12/13th, and if we could win a couple of games we’d jump right up the table,” he added.

 United visit Havant & Waterlooville on Saturday, hoping to repeat last season’s 3-1 success.

“When we went there last season it looked done and dusted that we’d get relegated,” said Hippolyte.

“But the boys showed what they can do and put on a show. They were excellent on the night, but Havant are another strong Conference South. But we’ll go there and work hard to try and get a result.”