Non league manager’s gone viral post-match comments leads to backlash from fans

A non league manager’s gone viral post-match comments leads to backlash from fans following defeat on Monday night.

Bracknell Town boss Matt Saunders expressed frustration with his senior players’ lack of professionalism, fitness, and effort, contrasting their performance with the younger players who “produced” in their side’s 2-0 defeat to a fit, lean Gloucester City side who are top of the table.

He criticised senior players for not leading, failing to maintain fitness, and letting the team down with basic errors, like allowing an opponent to score easily. Saunders vowed to make further changes, refusing to let unprofessional players “drag the football club down.”

His blunt comments got fans talking, likely due to his public criticism of the squad, though some may support his call for higher standards.

The defeat sees Bracknell sitting bottom of the Southern League – Premier South with 5 points from 10 games played, and 1 win in their opening 10 league games.

Matt Saunders speaks to us after the defeat to Gloucester City. 🎙️ pic.twitter.com/toY5dncvcI

— Bracknell Town FC (@BracknellTownFC) October 13, 2025

Interviewer: “Hi Matt, not the result you wanted today, talk us through the game.”

Matt: “I thought, again, I’m going to sound like a broken record, I thought we played well. You get all the plaudits from the opposition and their players saying we’re the best team they’ve played and they were blowing and it was hard and I’m just really disappointed for the group because listen, I’m going to be very, very transparent and honest and the young lads have produced and unfortunately the senior lads haven’t.

“I said from day one when I came in, people are either going to show me they’re capable or they’re not. I’ve got a 19 year old from Notts County come in, have one training session. This is his second game with the group. And he’s like a warrior out there doing his job. He’s like one of our best players.

“You’ve got Noah McCann at middle centre back doing his job. And we’ve got senior lads that can’t do it, unfortunately. And I’ve given them enough time.

“And listen, people will see that I’ve also got rid of other players that ultimately aren’t athletic enough, aren’t professional and I’m not going to let this football club be dragged down by people that can’t run, can’t look after their body, want to go and drink after games, it ain’t happening.

“So, it’s very clear to me now, it’s been very clear to me from probably a week of being here, what the problem’s been and why this club’s been where it’s been and again today is another example of exactly that and people can say, you should protect the players, should do this, not when we’re not professional enough to be fit and to be able to run.

“I’m not protecting people that can do that. protect people that make mistakes. Like if young Theo comes in and he makes a mistake, I’ll protect him. I ain’t letting people drag this football club down.

“And I’ve been very blunt in the way that I’ve assessed things so far and also changed things so far. And I’m going to keep changing it because I’m not letting people let people down.

“The young lads have produced and the senior lads have offered nothing. And when you get a team when our senior lads aren’t offering anything, it’s very hard because they’re meant to be the ones that drag you through.

“They’re meant to be the ones that lead. They’re meant to be the ones that when the young lads are looking for help, they’re helping them. But our young lads have produced today, they’ve spent 90 minutes performing to a really high level to be let down by people. So we might as well have just turned up today and just been really blasé and just not even tried.

“Because the amount of work that’s gone into that performance in terms of the staff, the structure, you’ve got the opposition praising us on the way that we moved the ball at times and they couldn’t work out what we were doing.

“But ultimately, when you dangle a leg on the edge of the box and let a man dance past you and pass the ball into the corner, two of our senior lads let that happen, I mean I don’t think anybody needs to know what the answer to that is. Well, doesn’t know what the answer to that is.

“So yeah, I’m just really gutted because the amount of work that’s gone in and I’m not going to let people keep letting the team down. It’s not going to happen.

“So yeah, if I have to make more changes than I will, because I’m not letting this football club be dragged down by people that can’t run. They don’t want to do the basics well. They don’t want to eat well. They don’t want to live right.

“Because look at Gloucester. They’re all fit. They’re all lean. They can all run. You’ve got Ben Richards-Everton that comes on, that’s played, I tried to get him when we were at Wealdstone, he’s played at a really good level, you’ve got Ed Williams in midfield, played at a high level, they could be entitled, but they’re not, they’re all fit, they’re lean, they’re built like professional footballers. We’re not.

“And that’s why ultimately, that is what decides games. You cannot, that’s the reason why people retire, that’s the reason why I retired, because I couldn’t run anymore. I was a good technical player, but I couldn’t run.

“So ultimately, if you can’t run, you cannot play football. And we sit here and we talk about, know, Gloucester this and Walton that.

“You look at every one of their players, they can all run. The only one that can’t run in any of them teams potentially is Joey Jones, who sits and does an unbelievable job organising the team for Walton.

“But the problem is we have too many of them and I’ve got rid of a lot of them and ultimately I’m going to keep going. So my obligation is to the football club and to the fans because they turn up and they support and they’re unbelievable, like the kids behind the goal and I’m not going to let this club be dragged down by it. So I’ve bit on my tongue and I’m not going to do it anymore.

“Like I say, my obligation is to the owner, is to the fans, and is to all the good people that try and work tirelessly. You’ve got the girls in the kitchen, you’ve got Lammy who does ridiculous hours. Well, I don’t see that from some of our senior players and I’m not going to accept it.”

As mentioned the non league manager’s gone viral post-match comments leads to backlash from fans…

@JackMills36: You’re miles off it, step 3 if players want a beer after a match let them. You’ll win nothing with kids ⚽️

@MKTIRB: By the way, what pioneering stewardship it was to replace the manager with another guy getting worse results but in a baseball cap.

@matt784101: As someone who goes home and away, Just as pissed off with that interview as I was when I saw it yesterday. Hardly helping with morale and alienating the experienced players who can help get us out of this mess. Youth and loans aren’t the answer, not taken by him so far

@HamateursFC: Is this the Bracknell Town that was losing to us less than 10 years ago in Hellenic Division 1..? 🤯 You’d think they’ve been relegated from the football league the way he is going on..!! 😳

@TheRazorRayJ: I just wish he’d get off the fence and say what he thinks

@donrobbie8: Number 3 and 17 Stood out for me today really mature performances from two youngsters, This Bracknell side definitely should not be in a relegation scrap.

@JoshMonticelli: Been their, young and in a senior role, hard to manage emotions but don’t think it helps a young manager coming in with the temperament of the plum at the top. Maybe dare I say atleast have a debrief and a pint before you do your interviews.

@Rog0109: Bit harsh that ! Not sure I can agree senior players let the side down . Competed well & looked organised against a very good side . Too much emotion involved when doing these interviews immediately after full time

@bsj84026: Chucking the senior players under the bus. That’s going to go well 👍

@Casssseeeyy: All the talk of transparency, surely the fans deserve some.

@shearn1986: We played well tonight against a very, very good team. Just because you cannot allow players outside the 6 yard box when defending, have no centre forward to attack forwards and let our best player of the last few seasons told to go, you have no idea! Our “seniors” are good!

@DanielRWalkley: Granted emotions are high after yet another league defeat but calling out your senior players and telling people they can’t have a beer after the game is mental. Some phones be ringing this morning 📞

@PieCarlton: He’s not learnt his lesson has he?

@TheVOTTE: Looking forward to the inevitable Bracknell appointments of a fitness coach, head nutritionist and prohibition rules brought into their club bar after the game..

@ReeceDSport: Playing for Bracknell and not being allowed a pint after the game 😂 Talk about taking yourself too seriously

@rybohowells: Please play one of the ‘senior’ players in his right position. I can’t keep watching him running back to his own goal week in week out

@kaistubbsy: Can’t even have a drink after a game anymore. Games gone

@tomsaint233: You retired? From what 100 career games. Youre making yourself sound like a plonker here. This is non league football we aren’t prem. what I saw tonight was poor. Fans paying money to come watch that then you throw your toys out the pram, the young lads should be ripping this

@acostar1411_: This is peak bracknell. Blaming some senior lads who aren’t capable enough 🤣 Nice way to throw your players under the bus. You aren’t a premier league team mate x

@HarryGiless: He sounds like a right helmet , what a twat

@wrighty1000: Appreciate the frustration & it shows straight after the final whistle , but I thought we were as good as , if not better than the team at the top of the league for 80 mins. Yes it’s frustrating but can see progress.

@ChrisThoma11362: He will be gone very soon after that interview. Yes it’s disappointing to lose, however we competed very well against a very good side. Let’s be honest some of the loanees haven’t been all that…..who brought them in Matt????

@leighbr89270765: Totton players always have a beer after a game. Didn’t do them any harm won the play offs and in a play off position 6 points off top with a game in hand. The players bonding with a pint after a game not the issue!

@cameron_pickard: He’s probably going to regret this interview. Bracknell are a good side with some good experienced players, I don’t think throwing them under the bus is the correct way to go. It will also make recruiting new players difficult

@theonestar24: Take it on the chin, show humility, you need those lads to go to war for you over the next few weeks! Digging them out publicly will only end one way!

@Michael14929659: Being honest like that in public does t end well- that’s a painful watch. FYI running around isn’t the answer. FYI Joey Jones can run!!! The difference is he can read a game. Also you had young players that you treated like shit so blaming all the seniors is ridiculous