OK so what needs to change in the summer to turn us into promotion contenders after a hugely disappointing campaign. We have a pretty large squad with six loans so I can't imagine we will be releasing everyone (probably only Jennings, Parslow, AMS and maybe Munns, Dayton, Lovett, Lymn).
The biggest issue for me is upfront but almost all players have been inconsistent across the season.
What needs to change in the summer?
Moderators: Admin, Ralph, asl, Robin
How anyone can expect we can go from this dreadful season to promotion contenders is beyond me. We need a total clear out so therefore need a very high percentage of the new signings to be a success. That's very hard to achieve especially as last summer was the worst recruitment since we got into the league.
I don't think we should be talking about promotion at the moment. Who knows in 6 weeks time we might be talking about promotion back to the Football League again. We just need to re-establish ourselves as a Football League club with a settled squad first of all. It will take a few years to build a promotion winning side, just like Wardy did and Yatesy nearly did, Gary knows this only too well.
There are some fundamental issues that need resolving which I'm sure those who run the club know only too well, we don't even know who will be in charge of the club in the next year or so ?
We all want success but let's pray we are still in League Two on the 7th May, and then take it from there both on and off the (abysmal) pitch.
There are some fundamental issues that need resolving which I'm sure those who run the club know only too well, we don't even know who will be in charge of the club in the next year or so ?
We all want success but let's pray we are still in League Two on the 7th May, and then take it from there both on and off the (abysmal) pitch.
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confused.com
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Agreed, no point in discussing until we know what league we will be in
Genuine question but does anyone really think we will be relegated? I see enough in this team and enough in Orient/Newport to be confident we won't go down. Therefore I would rather we planned early what needs to change in order to get promoted which was the aim at the start of this season.
It happens all the time Del Boy, Barnet were relegation battlers last year and have been challenging until recently, Wycombe the same both clubs on comparable budgets to ourselves I suspect.Del Boy wrote:How anyone can expect we can go from this dreadful season to promotion contenders is beyond me. We need a total clear out so therefore need a very high percentage of the new signings to be a success. That's very hard to achieve especially as last summer was the worst recruitment since we got into the league.
Don't get me wrong it's a hard ask after such a dire season but we have to aim high rather than no aim at all.
Regarding the squad so which players would you keep and release? I'm not sure the size but we must have 25/26 players in our squad. Apart from Parslow/Downes/Cranston/Jennings I don't see too many players who cannot do a job at this level albeit many are inconsistent.
I can't see many I would keep.
I would expect Hall, Rowe, Munns, Storer, Dayton, Wright, most of the defence to leave. I wouldn't be too bothered if Waters left. I think Holman is one of the few I would keep solely because he looked so good last season and has been affected by injuries.
This season just underlines what a fantastic job Mark Yates did getting us into the play-offs twice.
I would expect Hall, Rowe, Munns, Storer, Dayton, Wright, most of the defence to leave. I wouldn't be too bothered if Waters left. I think Holman is one of the few I would keep solely because he looked so good last season and has been affected by injuries.
This season just underlines what a fantastic job Mark Yates did getting us into the play-offs twice.
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confused.com
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Robin I personally think it reeks of arrogance to be saying we won't go down. Hopefully we won't but there is that possibility. We need to do a lot better to ensure we stay up
Yup, we just need Newport to win a couple when we don't and we are right back in it. Then again, we nick a couple of wins and the chances of us dropping are small (but by no means even close to zero). But the good news is that the outcome is in our hands - and I'd rather be in our position that the Exiles or the Os. At least for the time being.
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FOD_Wyman_2010
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Bearing in mind that a win tomorrow night for Newport closes the gap to 4 points.
They have a tough game away at Pompy on Saturday and the goal difference is just about ours for now but they have some very winnable home games coming up against the likes of Crawley, Yeovil, Stanley, County etc so we certainly can't consider ourselves safe.
They have a tough game away at Pompy on Saturday and the goal difference is just about ours for now but they have some very winnable home games coming up against the likes of Crawley, Yeovil, Stanley, County etc so we certainly can't consider ourselves safe.
Not sure I can understand the arrogance remark, I am looking at it objectively considering form and seven point cushion. Of course we could still go down but it's unlikely. If we hit 45 points we are very likely to be safe as I really cannot see Orient/Newport winning more than half their remaining games.
a. the board
b. the manager
c. the pitch
d. about 16 players
seriously - apart from kicking the squatters off our pitch and signing some more like we signed 2 summers ago and a few less loans we go as we have been - however if we can entice some more cash bearing directors that would be nice.
b. the manager
c. the pitch
d. about 16 players
seriously - apart from kicking the squatters off our pitch and signing some more like we signed 2 summers ago and a few less loans we go as we have been - however if we can entice some more cash bearing directors that would be nice.
I rate our chances of going down as unlikely, this time around we have a team that fights for everything and when Storer comes back in I think we will be fine IMO.
Assuming we stay up and if we can sort the pitch out I think Johnson will be able to go out and get a better squad but I believe some of the players we have got now will be better next season (Boyle in particular has bags of potential) if we can get other players in that are either young and hungry or players who have experienced a top 7 finish.
I would release Cranston, AMS, Wright, Parslow, Downes as a player but would be nice if he just helped out. Not sure what will happen with Hall, Rowe, Munns & Dayton, all of them produce something now and again but don't necessarily do it enough on a consistent basis, I would be sorry to see Asa go as I think he's an excellent player.
Assuming we stay up and if we can sort the pitch out I think Johnson will be able to go out and get a better squad but I believe some of the players we have got now will be better next season (Boyle in particular has bags of potential) if we can get other players in that are either young and hungry or players who have experienced a top 7 finish.
I would release Cranston, AMS, Wright, Parslow, Downes as a player but would be nice if he just helped out. Not sure what will happen with Hall, Rowe, Munns & Dayton, all of them produce something now and again but don't necessarily do it enough on a consistent basis, I would be sorry to see Asa go as I think he's an excellent player.
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London Exile
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I don't think we need to be realeasing all those out of contract players this summer. For me Barts, Munns, Waters, Storer, Hall, Dayton and DOS are more than capable at L2 level. We've already Pell, Boyle and Holman contracted so I think supplemented with decent players we could flirt with the play offs.
Our summer signings were poor and cost us half a season, if we can survive then I hope lessons were learnt and our recruitment process is much better this summer (watt we can afford/attract finance wise being a completely different question)
Our summer signings were poor and cost us half a season, if we can survive then I hope lessons were learnt and our recruitment process is much better this summer (watt we can afford/attract finance wise being a completely different question)
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Teams go from top six one season to bottom six the next, and vice versa all the time in L2. So it is fair for any team who is not being relegated to think about play offs.
And why are people still going on about recruitment last summer?
When we went down Gary had to build a squad for promotion, and he signed 16 or more players to do just that. Last summer was not about building the squad: the promotion squad were guaranteed first dibs and recruitment was just about filling out the numbers. As we saw with the better players coming in in January, GJ is now rebuilding the squad to challenge at this level. Expect quality signings in the summer.
The pitch obviously has to change: I hope there is a season ticket boycott by fans until pitch plans are announced.
Mindset and attitude of some of the fans needs to change too.
And why are people still going on about recruitment last summer?
When we went down Gary had to build a squad for promotion, and he signed 16 or more players to do just that. Last summer was not about building the squad: the promotion squad were guaranteed first dibs and recruitment was just about filling out the numbers. As we saw with the better players coming in in January, GJ is now rebuilding the squad to challenge at this level. Expect quality signings in the summer.
The pitch obviously has to change: I hope there is a season ticket boycott by fans until pitch plans are announced.
Mindset and attitude of some of the fans needs to change too.
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London Exile
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- Joined: 06 Dec 2009, 15:48
Essay Suliman, James Jennngs, Dan Whitehead and Jonny Smith, followed by the autumn signing of Alex sicknote Cooper!RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Teams go from top six one season to bottom six the next, and vice versa all the time in L2. So it is fair for any team who is not being relegated to think about play offs.
And why are people still going on about recruitment last summer?
When we went down Gary had to build a squad for promotion, and he signed 16 or more players to do just that. Last summer was not about building the squad: the promotion squad were guaranteed first dibs and recruitment was just about filling out the numbers. As we saw with the better players coming in in January, GJ is now rebuilding the squad to challenge at this level. Expect quality signings in the summer.
The pitch obviously has to change: I hope there is a season ticket boycott by fans until pitch plans are announced.
Mindset and attitude of some of the fans needs to change too.
By the same token you attribute the pitch as being a problem, I would say our summer recruitment was just as much to blame for our current position
Summer recruitment is a total red herring - another excuse. Regency is basically saying the manager signed players he knew weren't as good as we got - if that's true it's even more laughable.London Exile wrote:Essay Suliman, James Jennngs, Dan Whitehead and Jonny Smith, followed by the autumn signing of Alex sicknote Cooper!RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Teams go from top six one season to bottom six the next, and vice versa all the time in L2. So it is fair for any team who is not being relegated to think about play offs.
And why are people still going on about recruitment last summer?
When we went down Gary had to build a squad for promotion, and he signed 16 or more players to do just that. Last summer was not about building the squad: the promotion squad were guaranteed first dibs and recruitment was just about filling out the numbers. As we saw with the better players coming in in January, GJ is now rebuilding the squad to challenge at this level. Expect quality signings in the summer.
The pitch obviously has to change: I hope there is a season ticket boycott by fans until pitch plans are announced.
Mindset and attitude of some of the fans needs to change too.
By the same token you attribute the pitch as being a problem, I would say our summer recruitment was just as much to blame for our current position
Summer recruitment was awful. There's no doubt about that.
Those who got us up deserved their chance, but they needed first-team ready players to come in and challenge for their places. We got dross I'm afraid.
This has been rectified in January and, by and large, we have looked a lot better in the second half of the season. Of the players out of contract I would definitely keep the following:
Kitscha (even if it's another year at number 2)
Barthram
O'Shaughnessey
Davis
Stoz (who I'd also make captain)
Waters
Wright (as back up)
I'd probably offer Munns, Dayts and Hall deals, the last two if they could prove their fitness. I'd offer Downes a coaching role (if he wants to accept it) and the rest I'd say thanks for all you did in getting us up last season and for your efforts this season.
Those who got us up deserved their chance, but they needed first-team ready players to come in and challenge for their places. We got dross I'm afraid.
This has been rectified in January and, by and large, we have looked a lot better in the second half of the season. Of the players out of contract I would definitely keep the following:
Kitscha (even if it's another year at number 2)
Barthram
O'Shaughnessey
Davis
Stoz (who I'd also make captain)
Waters
Wright (as back up)
I'd probably offer Munns, Dayts and Hall deals, the last two if they could prove their fitness. I'd offer Downes a coaching role (if he wants to accept it) and the rest I'd say thanks for all you did in getting us up last season and for your efforts this season.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
I agree with you both that the players recruited were poor and we were left with a squad not up to it. No one will argue against that. The added layer to think about if your brain is up to it is that the aim of the recruitment was to boost the numbers to support the Champions, who had been guaranteed their chance in the FL. Once some of the Champions were found out, Gary signed players to replace them in the first team.Del Boy wrote:Summer recruitment is a total red herring - another excuse. Regency is basically saying the manager signed players he knew weren't as good as we got - if that's true it's even more laughable.London Exile wrote:Essay Suliman, James Jennngs, Dan Whitehead and Jonny Smith, followed by the autumn signing of Alex sicknote Cooper!RegencyCheltenhamSpa wrote:Teams go from top six one season to bottom six the next, and vice versa all the time in L2. So it is fair for any team who is not being relegated to think about play offs.
And why are people still going on about recruitment last summer?
When we went down Gary had to build a squad for promotion, and he signed 16 or more players to do just that. Last summer was not about building the squad: the promotion squad were guaranteed first dibs and recruitment was just about filling out the numbers. As we saw with the better players coming in in January, GJ is now rebuilding the squad to challenge at this level. Expect quality signings in the summer.
The pitch obviously has to change: I hope there is a season ticket boycott by fans until pitch plans are announced.
Mindset and attitude of some of the fans needs to change too.
By the same token you attribute the pitch as being a problem, I would say our summer recruitment was just as much to blame for our current position
Some fans get angry and p!ssed off by that - I am fine with it, as that was the deal promised to the Champions.
As for this comment by London Exile: "By the same token you attribute the pitch as being a problem, I would say our summer recruitment was just as much to blame for our current position."
You will see that as well as the pitch, I also stated the manager and the players as being causes of the poor season. So not sure what point you are making!!
Not quite what he is saying, more that GJ signed players who would be squad based players (exceptions being Jennings and Whitehead) rather than improving the first eleven. I think we saw in January far better recruitment as Boyle, Davis and Winchester all appear to be better than we had and good players at this level.
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London Exile
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I'll just be glad to draw a line under this season and hope for better in 2017/18.
Some refocus and fresh blood both in the boardroom and on the playing staff could and should help that
Some refocus and fresh blood both in the boardroom and on the playing staff could and should help that
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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- Joined: 21 Nov 2009, 03:27
So as well as being incapable of understanding anything with multiple variables you also cannot look past a four game horizon? Compare the points we have accrued in the two months since mid-Jan with the points accrued in the two months before mid-Jan. That will give an indicationDel Boy wrote:If the recruitment was so much better in January how come we haven't scored in four games?? What we putting that down to?? The pitch, mole, sickness, bad luck, dodgy ref etc etc etc etc??
The last four games have seen dire play with no creativity and no inspiration from the manager. They have also seen two games on an awful pitch, a poor red card decision, and illness and two games away at teams much better than us. We can't do anything about the red card, pitch or illness and like you I agree that the players and management team have been poor and not good enough. I repeat, no one is disagreeing with you that the team is bad and that bad play is a reason we are third bottom. Not sure why you are getting so worked up by it.
If posting my opinion is getting worked up you must be in a complete frenzy everyday.
Of course you need to look past a four-game horizon - try the whole season.
My opinion is - before you resort to more personal insults - few players in this squad are good enough. I hope most of them are released this summer but I don't have much confidence in the manager to recruit the necessary players. You might want to give them all another chance, or you might want to have them flogged in the car park - I don't really care.
Of course you need to look past a four-game horizon - try the whole season.
My opinion is - before you resort to more personal insults - few players in this squad are good enough. I hope most of them are released this summer but I don't have much confidence in the manager to recruit the necessary players. You might want to give them all another chance, or you might want to have them flogged in the car park - I don't really care.
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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I agree that most of the players are not good enough and an overhaul is needed and have never said otherwise. We may disagree about Gary Johnson but that is not what we are arguing about. My personal insults were fuelled by your odd refusal to accept that factors other than one team of players and the manager could affect the result of a football match. Luckily, daily frenzy avoided as I rarely experience anyone with such bizarre arguments.Del Boy wrote:If posting my opinion is getting worked up you must be in a complete frenzy everyday.
Of course you need to look past a four-game horizon - try the whole season.
My opinion is - before you resort to more personal insults - few players in this squad are good enough. I hope most of them are released this summer but I don't have much confidence in the manager to recruit the necessary players. You might want to give them all another chance, or you might want to have them flogged in the car park - I don't really care.
Our form since January (before last few games) was play-off standardDel Boy wrote:If the recruitment was so much better in January how come we haven't scored in four games?? What we putting that down to?? The pitch, mole, sickness, bad luck, dodgy ref etc etc etc etc??
Just to get away from things which we can`t control i.e.board,management,players,pitch all matters of concern to me ? I would like to get rid of the home football kit,but i think it has another season before a change.Robin wrote:OK so what needs to change in the summer to turn us into promotion contenders after a hugely disappointing campaign. We have a pretty large squad with six loans so I can't imagine we will be releasing everyone (probably only Jennings, Parslow, AMS and maybe Munns, Dayton, Lovett, Lymn).
The biggest issue for me is upfront but almost all players have been inconsistent across the season.
So if you ignore the first six months of the season and the four games we've played in March (without scoring a single goal) we're play-off contenders. I take it you're on the wind-up??Robin wrote:Our form since January (before last few games) was play-off standardDel Boy wrote:If the recruitment was so much better in January how come we haven't scored in four games?? What we putting that down to?? The pitch, mole, sickness, bad luck, dodgy ref etc etc etc etc??
How anyone can try to put a positive spin on this season - one of the worst since we came into the league - is beyond me. Especially someone like you Robin, who a few years ago was demanding the manager be sacked because he ONLY got us into the play-offs (for the second year in a row).
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RegencyCheltenhamSpa
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Robin was only talking about form since January, not before. Read posts before ranting.Del Boy wrote:So if you ignore the first six months of the season and the four games we've played in March (without scoring a single goal) we're play-off contenders. I take it you're on the wind-up??Robin wrote:Our form since January (before last few games) was play-off standardDel Boy wrote:If the recruitment was so much better in January how come we haven't scored in four games?? What we putting that down to?? The pitch, mole, sickness, bad luck, dodgy ref etc etc etc etc??
How anyone can try to put a positive spin on this season - one of the worst since we came into the league - is beyond me. Especially someone like you Robin, who a few years ago was demanding the manager be sacked because he ONLY got us into the play-offs (for the second year in a row).
You seem to think any post of mine is a rant for some strange reason. I was merely pointing out to ignore the last four games and the previous six months to put a positive spin on a dreadful season was bonkers. You might disagree. Again, I don't really care.
I'd prefer it if you didn't reply to my posts - you're becoming a bit of a stalker.
I'd prefer it if you didn't reply to my posts - you're becoming a bit of a stalker.
What's happened to the little Italian lad from Bristol that is on loan. Scored goals when he first came and now you hear nothing about himRobin wrote:Our form since January (before last few games) was play-off standardDel Boy wrote:If the recruitment was so much better in January how come we haven't scored in four games?? What we putting that down to?? The pitch, mole, sickness, bad luck, dodgy ref etc etc etc etc??