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Manager Jake Leberl felt some Dover fans couldn’t wait to be negative again.
Whites, who had looked like they would be challenging for the Isthmian Premier title until recently, sit fifth after Saturday’s 2-0 defeat to Whitehawk at Crabble.
After two relegations in three years, the good times - initially - appeared to have come back for Dover on their return to Isthmian League football this season.
But now, they haven’t won at home in the league since mid-November, having lost five times and drawn twice in their past seven league games at Crabble.
“Negativity has definitely crept in around here,” Leberl admitted. “If I’m being honest, it felt like people couldn’t wait to be negative!
“After the three seasons the club have had, the minute we’re on a bit of a downer, people want to be negative.
“We have got a young group so that’s not going to help anyone.
"But they’re entitled to their opinions and that’s just how football is.”
While Athletic still have the best away record in the division, being beaten only twice on their travels, they have lost more Isthmian Premier home matches than they have won this term.
Facing tough times isn’t exactly a new experience for many in Dover’s young and small squad, many of whom have come through the club’s Academy, who have already tasted two relegations with the club.
Leberl said: “The boys that have been here a while are used to it, aren’t they?
“The place has been doom and gloom for so long. I sensed it creeping in a few weeks back and, obviously, that’s not going to help anyone.
“Again, I understand it because fans want to see you win at home and we’ve struggled here a little bit of late.
“But confidence is massive in any sport and the boys are suffering with that a little bit at the minute.”
Teenage Gillingham loanee striker Harry Bridle gave Whitehawk an early advantage and they held firm before substitute Billie Clark’s stoppage-time goal consigned Whites to their latest loss.
Leberl reflected: “I thought, second half, we played a lot better.
“We had a lot more ball retention and we were camped in their half but, to be honest, we didn’t look like we were going to score.
"Obviously, it’s a really difficult pitch - not making any excuses.
“The deliveries into the box weren’t great. Of the couple that we did deliver well, we didn’t get across their men and I think their keeper, really, has only had one save to make [in the second half], hasn’t he?
“So, it’s bitterly disappointing.”
Dover made a season’s most three changes for the game against Whitehawk that saw defender Joe Tennent, right-back Tamas Amgbaduba and midfielder George Wilkinson come in.
“We did change today for the first time,” said Leberl, who had his No.2, Mike Sandmann, cautioned by referee George Lynch inside the first 15 minutes.
“You could say that it didn’t work, but I don’t think any of the lads coming in did any worse than the lads who have been playing.
“It was just a frustrating game. There was a lot of time-wasting early on.
“But we were too worried about arguing with the referee than getting on with the job. Their goal has come from a throw-in that he’s taken 20 yards further up the field than where the ball went out.
“But I’m not interested in blaming other things - we’ve got to look at ourselves.”
Dover are now some eight points behind red-hot league leaders Dartford.
Asked if his team’s title hopes were effectively over, Leberl said: “I hadn’t really thought about it.
“We’ve just got to take every game as it comes. We have got 11 league games to go so there’s 33 points to play for.
“But obviously, we’re in a bit of a rut. That’s three defeats on the spin.
“I was really confident, going into today’s game, but we just didn’t start very well at all. We lost out in the midfield. They have got some good, experienced, players and they’ve done a job on us.
“We just have got to try and get back to it, and picking up points.”
Whites, who will aim to make the Kent Senior Cup final at Welling on Tuesday, will have a Kent derby at home against Chatham next weekend.
