Worse than under Davis

[Me For Crewe]

We could have any manager ,it will not change a thing . Years ago we had senior pro's supplemented with kids , now it's kids supplemented by senior pro's . This week we brought in Cooke another kid , when Luke Murphy went to burton and James Bailey to Carlisle , why ? Because we can not afford their wages because our glorious board of directors have split the club up into separate companies. In the words of a local solicitor who wrote to the club not illegal but morally WRONG

Can we really blame the separate companies thing on all our undoings? Aren't there clubs out there doing a lot better than us on similar budgets, somebody enlighten me?

[As it is]

Can we really blame the separate companies thing on all our undoings? Aren't there clubs out there doing a lot better than us on similar budgets, somebody enlighten me?

Look at clubs similar to Crewe , I.e burton they are not a bigger club than us yet can pay better wages than us. When we bought players like Brammer , Walton and jack we spent over a million on three players yet still had a academy . So why do you think mr bowler said a certain director would be gone by the start of the season

[Furberstreet]

I firmly believe that Davis had to go, though, given the Club's predicament, I am not convinced that an untried management duo was the right appointment. Despite being part of the Club hierarchy, it is possible that Artell and Lunt did not realise the magnitude of the problem within the first team squad. That said, if anything, results have worsened and the same clichés are now being trotted out. I have thought that the current first team squad has been playing below its potential, but perhaps it is the case that too many of the first team squad are not good enough, even for League Two, and too soft to mount a promotion challenge from the Conference?

[MiddleOfMainStand]

I agree with Furberstreet. At the start of the season I thought Davies had lost the dressing room and the player were all playing below their potential. Every home game I thought that the opposition had been nothing special and we could beat anybody on our day with a little motivation. It has now become reality that this team are just as poor as most teams in this league. I believe Davies had to go and I think DA and KL have now realised the magnitude of the task. I cannot see where a goal is going to come from. Yes we are playing better attacking football but without someone capable of sticking it in the net it seems a hopeless cause. If we stay up by the skin of our teeth then we would need a massive clear out in the summer to build a team capable of challenging in League 2. But by going by how are board are unwilling to rock the status quo nothing will happen and next season will be just as bad. If we go down then by god its going to be a massive challenge to get back to league football. Just look at Stockport, Chester, Wrexham et al. They haven't managed to get back up yet. Troubling times. We need something big to happen at board level. I wish i had the answers.

[gazan]

Davis = 6 months in charge before taking us to Wembley.
9 months later, he took us to Wembley again.
Then the good players left and it all went downhill for the next 3 years.
On the other hand, results-wise, Artell has started really badly.
Could he be doing things in reverse order?
Fingers crossed!!

[jamesdad]

Easy for SD to allude at his last public meeting with the fans that the academy needs to be looked at . He was in charge for long enough and did nothing about it.
I know nothing of other clubs with academy's but are there any that are those producing players who get into there own first team like we used to do or are the academy's an expensive white elephant across football as clubs can go world wide to buy players ready to slot into positions in a team

[somersetcrewe]

I know nothing of other clubs with academy's but are there any that are those producing players who get into there own first team like we used to do ...........

Used to do?
You sure about that?

[Furberstreet]

I expect that our first team squad contains more academy graduates than nearly every other club. That said, and playing Devil's Advocate here, is the number of Academy graduates in the first team squad so high because of the quality of the production line, or because we have no money and may promote some graduates who are not really good enough for League football? My preference is that the calibre of the graduates is high and you just do not produce gems like both Murphys, Westwood and Powell (what a waste of talent!) that often, but they get thrust into league football sooner than at most other clubs. It must be a tough learning curve, but, yet again, a number of young graduates (e.g. Cooper, Jones, Ray plus Kirk and Ainley) are proving that they can deliver in a very tough environment.

[AstonAlex]

Not forgetting Ben Garratt or the senior wrangler, Ollie Turton, Furber . . . . we can also answer those that complain that we haven't found enough talent in the 'non-league' and point to Guthrie and Wintle too . . . .

[somersetcrewe]

......but, yet again, a number of young graduates (e.g. Cooper, Jones, Ray plus Kirk and Ainley) are proving that they can deliver in a very tough environment.

Whilst not wishing to put too much of a dampener on things, I'd exercise a little caution with statements like that (before the negative posters on here do - where are they by the way? )
Of all those listed, I would only consider them "proving that they can deliver in a very tough environment" if they are really genuine transfer targets. And I really only think you can say that of Garrett and Cooper right now.

Of the others, I still maintain Jones is a future captain but I still worry about the consistency of his passing (which is especially crucial in this role), Ray has only just broken back into the team and whilst I have always liked the guy, he still has a lot of work to do to prove the doubters wrong (on the right lines though), Turton is beginning to look like Mr.Dependable at RB but I wouldn't say he's the sort that scouts would come rushing to watch and then there's Ainley who shows flashes of brilliance but just needs to do it for longer.
The staff must see something in Kirk that I don't but I'm hoping they know more than I do (which of course they do). A long way to go with him - a goal would be nice.
Of the ex-non-league, Guthrie is clearly the one who stands out there - but is he really a left-back? We know the answer to that one so the longer he stays there, the slower his progress will be.
Ryan Wintle - he's only had a handful of starts, so much too early to judge.

And all that from a team 18th in L2.

On the flip side, if we can get a result today, and I'd take a draw, then I'd suggest something is beginning to develop.