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Post by timothyq on Sept 8, 2014 6:55:20 GMT
I'm not alone here in my shock that we're out of the football league and now languishing mid table in the conference, like most others I'm angry that the current senior management took on a reasonable strong league club and have buggered everything up to this extent, but I think the club and the fans now need to step back and ask what the expectations are this year and how we are to respond to losses.
On entering this league I expected, against all logic, that we'd bounce up by virtue of being rovers, having spent 90 years in the FL and being a big club, however the realities of our financial position and the unique nature of this league are quickly bringing me to 'earth' (for want of a more appropriate cliche) and I now realise this will be a tough nut to crack. The board have made big claims about what needs to happen, however I've been following this people for long enough to realise that asking or demanding isn't getting from Rovers, so I'll take what positives I can and let the BoD worry about the money issues, either they find a way to sort our position out or they don't, and realistically, if they can't sort us out when we're 15th, I doubt they'll be able to sort it out when we're 5th.
So if we aren't expecting to break tradition and bounce back up (unless we have a run at the playoffs) what do we now expect? I want to see the club hold its own with the best in this league and build an experienced side to have a big run at the top spot next season, so really I want to see the team in the top half. How's this gone so far? No great you might say as we're 15th, but we've beaten the 2nd places team, and our other win was against FGR who are currently above us in the league, we've dropped some silly points and the standard hasn't been inspiring this is true, but we are only a few weeks in and I never like to judge until October time when the league table has had a chance to settle down a bit.
I'd like to see some more recruitment, I'd say our back 4 is pretty solid but we're not scoring enough goals and a bit more spark in the final third would make a big difference, but I'm worried we are hindered by finances and if I was a non-league footballer who enjoys his life at FGR or Wrexham or Mac, I don't think a trip to the Mem would inspire me to make a change even if it was worth a couple of grand a year, it's not a very nice place to go at the moment.
Do we cheerily accept failure? No. Do we ignore the boards mismanagement? No, but that's a separate issue. But we're never going to carry on as Gasheads and keep our sanity if we all bounce off the ceiling every time we lose to a 'part-time' outfit, to say nothing of creating a good environment at the Mem and, dare I say it? Actually enjoying the non-league experience.
Just a few thoughts, Tim.
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Peter Parker
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Post by Peter Parker on Sept 8, 2014 7:00:35 GMT
I expected exactly what we are seeing. I am not happy about losing to some of the teams we have, but it is what it is.
We have been told, the history of relegated teams is there for all us to see
The club is a shambles and whilst I would love us to go up, that would just have acted as some sort of vindication to the board that they had put things right when they haven't had a bloody clue whilst their 'empire' was falling down around them
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2014 7:02:16 GMT
Quality post Tim think most of us Gasheads are like you in our expectations for this year and can only hope it all comes good and we have a chance of a playoff place
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2014 7:08:26 GMT
For me its not losing to Braintree, Altrincham or even Barnet. Its the way we are losing. Abjectly.
I really never did buy that we would bounce back easily, that we just beat teams because we were an ex league team. Having watched quite a lot of non league football over the last couple of years I thought the league team that got relegated by a couple of points would have to fight hard to win promotion at this level. But then in the summer we recruited a whole lot of non league players which of course made it even more problematic.
Not we have the manager saying they gave up for the last 30 minutes after being 0-2 down. Have you ever heard of such a thing? After the the FGR result the manager said he would have to ignore what was going on behind the scenes.
Its all smacks of a deeper malaise at the club and you Tim state that the boards mismanagement is a seperate issue.
I couldnt disagree more, they are the fundemental underlying issue at the club which appears to be in total dissareay.
The fish rots from the head.
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on Sept 8, 2014 7:10:23 GMT
For me its not losing to Braintree, Altrincham or even Barnet. Its the way we are losing. Abjectly. I really never did buy that we would bounce back easily, that we just beat teams because we were an ex league team. Having watched quite a lot of non league football over the last couple of years I thought the league team that got relegated by a couple of points would have to fight hard to win promotion at this level. But then in the summer we recruited a whole lot of non league players which of course made it even more problematic. Not we have the manager saying they gave up for the last 30 minutes after being 0-2 down. Have you ever heard of such a thing? After the the FGR result the manager said he would have to ignore what was going on behind the scenes. Its all smacks of a deeper malaise at the club and you Tim state that the boards mismanagement is a seperate issue. I couldnt disagree more, they are the fundemental underlying issue at the club which appears to be in total dissareay. The fish rots from the head.But the crap comes out the back  |
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Post by stevek192 on Sept 8, 2014 9:03:38 GMT
The trouble with Rovers has always been that we take things to the extreme and each year seem to have a set scheme
ie
"Bring in the youth" - Definition We are going for the cheap option and playing all or most of our youngsters
"Quality not quantity" - definition We are not going to sign many players
" Need non league players" - Definition Cheap and nasty and sign too many non League players
" Build from the back" - Definition We will spend all our budget on a few Defenders and make up the rest of the team with rubbish
The truth is that the reason ex League teams don't do very well and bounce straight back is because they reduce their budgets and can't sign players they want because most decent players don't want to drop out of the League.
We released every player that we could do at the end of last season but the truth is that non of the players we have recruited are any better than what we had ,in fact probably worse!! I think in their own right all the players signed could play League 2 or be in a top Conference side but ALL TOGETHER they become an mid-bottom Conference side. The sad truth is that decent players with League experience will only go to a Conference side if they are paid decent wages. Lets put it this way there is NO WAY WHATSOEVER that Mildenhall, Brown, Parkes, Lockyer,Brunt, McCrystal would be here if they were on the wages that all our new players are on.
The key is to get the core of the team in on reasonable money ie Goalkeeper,Strong centre half,2 central midfielders and 2 strikers. We have no key players at the present time other than the goalkeeper and one centre half. We needed an experienced League striker ala Bowman (Torquay) and an experienced creative player in the midfield AND we needed tactics that bring out the strengths in that area.
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Post by fanatical on Sept 8, 2014 9:25:06 GMT
The trouble with Rovers has always been that we take things to the extreme and each year seem to have a set scheme ie "Bring in the youth" - Definition We are going for the cheap option and playing all or most of our youngsters "Quality not quantity" - definition We are not going to sign many players " Need non league players" - Definition Cheap and nasty and sign too many non League players " Build from the back" - Definition We will spend all our budget on a few Defenders and make up the rest of the team with rubbish The truth is that the reason ex League teams don't do very well and bounce straight back is because they reduce their budgets and can't sign players they want because most decent players don't want to drop out of the League. We released every player that we could do at the end of last season but the truth is that non of the players we have recruited are any better than what we had ,in fact probably worse!! I think in their own right all the players signed could play League 2 or be in a top Conference side but ALL TOGETHER they become an mid-bottom Conference side. The sad truth is that decent players with League experience will only go to a Conference side if they are paid decent wages. Lets put it this way there is NO WAY WHATSOEVER that Mildenhall, Brown, Parkes, Lockyer,Brunt, McCrystal would be here if they were on the wages that all our new players are on. The key is to get the core of the team in on reasonable money ie Goalkeeper,Strong centre half,2 central midfielders and 2 strikers. We have no key players at the present time other than the goalkeeper and one centre half. We needed an experienced League striker ala Bowman (Torquay) and an experienced creative player in the midfield AND we needed tactics that bring out the strengths in that area. I totally disagree with your last paragraph. The players that have adapted and are playing the way we need them to are the players that have been brought to the club this season. Parkes, Clarke, McCrystal etc are too slow in thought and action for this level. I cannot argue about the standard of ability though but you only get what you pay for. |
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Post by stevek192 on Sept 8, 2014 9:45:41 GMT
Fanatical, I agree your point as regards INDIVIDUALS but as a team they are terrible- too many non league players with no organisation. I use Sinclair as an example. Runs everywhere and can't fault him as an individual but look at what happens when he comes on- he runs all over the place but as a team there is no shape and everybody look like headless chickens. A good Manager will USE Sinclair in the Stuart campbell role BUT ensure he maintains his position. Monkhouse is the only player we have with the ability to hold on to the ball and he is wasted out wide mainly because Tom Lockyer cannot pass a ball so he gets very little of the ball. Monkhouse has good aerial strength,good control of the ball and can pass and run with the ball. He should be our midfield general. If the Manager is not going to play Leadbitter then the player who has experience playing right back is Lee Mansell. We need three players in the central midfield and just play with one wide man.
Assuming that Gosling and harrison are not available tomorrow night I would go with the following:
Mildenhall
Mansell (Capt) Trotman Parkes Brown
Lockyer Monkhouse Sinclair
Taylor Cunnington Martin
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Post by fanatical on Sept 8, 2014 13:05:49 GMT
Fanatical, I agree your point as regards INDIVIDUALS but as a team they are terrible- too many non league players with no organisation. I use Sinclair as an example. Runs everywhere and can't fault him as an individual but look at what happens when he comes on- he runs all over the place but as a team there is no shape and everybody look like headless chickens. A good Manager will USE Sinclair in the Stuart campbell role BUT ensure he maintains his position. Monkhouse is the only player we have with the ability to hold on to the ball and he is wasted out wide mainly because Tom Lockyer cannot pass a ball so he gets very little of the ball. Monkhouse has good aerial strength,good control of the ball and can pass and run with the ball. He should be our midfield general. If the Manager is not going to play Leadbitter then the player who has experience playing right back is Lee Mansell. We need three players in the central midfield and just play with one wide man. Assuming that Gosling and harrison are not available tomorrow night I would go with the following: Mildenhall Mansell (Capt) Trotman Parkes Brown Lockyer Monkhouse Sinclair Taylor Cunnington Martin Agreed - suggest you apply if there is a managerial vacancy |
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jets4
Joined: June 2014
Posts: 110
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Post by jets4 on Sept 8, 2014 22:35:31 GMT
Fanatical, I agree your point as regards INDIVIDUALS but as a team they are terrible- too many non league players with no organisation. I use Sinclair as an example. Runs everywhere and can't fault him as an individual but look at what happens when he comes on- he runs all over the place but as a team there is no shape and everybody look like headless chickens. A good Manager will USE Sinclair in the Stuart campbell role BUT ensure he maintains his position. Monkhouse is the only player we have with the ability to hold on to the ball and he is wasted out wide mainly because Tom Lockyer cannot pass a ball so he gets very little of the ball. Monkhouse has good aerial strength,good control of the ball and can pass and run with the ball. He should be our midfield general. If the Manager is not going to play Leadbitter then the player who has experience playing right back is Lee Mansell. We need three players in the central midfield and just play with one wide man. Assuming that Gosling and harrison are not available tomorrow night I would go with the following: Mildenhall Mansell (Capt) Trotman Parkes Brown Lockyer Monkhouse Sinclair Taylor Cunnington Martin |
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