The worst ever start to a season?

[magpie_mania]

Hardy is being let down by his employees, but I do think he’s created some of this by his alleged demand for more attractive football, hence KN’s seemingly exclusive focus on forward players or anybody under 6ft.

Our track record when it comes to signing forwards has always been pretty disastrous, though - Tony Agana being the most obvious, but there’s probably a whole list of them (Rimmer, Jemson and Beadle spring to mind). Looks like we’ve done it again with Hemmings and Dennis, who seem too similar to play together. I’m struggling to remember either of them setting up a chance for each other.

Enzio may flit in and out of games, but he’s pretty much our only goal threat. Maybe it’s worth trying him and Steady up top at some point?

Izale McLeod and Tony Hackworth also come to mind. Along with Karl Hawley and Ben Burgess.

[pielover]

I don't mean statistically, I mean due the sheer weight of expectation after blowing some serious beans in the Summer and being tipped to win the league.

For me it didn't look right against Derby in pre-season and has gone down hill since.

I just don't understand what the hell is going on? I wasn't that impressed with the signings and the gaps in the squad are glaringly obvious, but on paper they should be better than this? We just look so poor! We aren't just losing, we are being battered by some seriously average teams.

Hardy's ego can't handle this...he will sell up soon.

Whether you like the man, or his decisions, you can't argue he's having a go. I have my issues with AH but he deserves the support of the fans more than anyone else. If you haven't got some gratitude for what he's doing, even if it's motivated by ego (not that I think it all is), then you haven't experienced (endured) many of our previous owners/situations.

[BigFatPie]

Izale McLeod and Tony Hackworth also come to mind. Along with Karl Hawley and Ben Burgess.

Let’s face it, pretty much every striker we signed in the last 20 years has been rubbish with the exceptions of Stall and Hoozie. It’s a becoming a tradition.

Dennis might be alright once he’s fit at Christmas, not sure about Hemmings, but it doesn’t look like they’ll ever be a partnership.

[MAD_MAGPIE]

Let's make this absolutely clear. This is not Alan Hardy's fault. He has put his heart and soul and cash into trying to give this club a fresh start over the past two years and he deserves much, much better outcomes from the football professionals he has employed, including some recruited for considerable fees.

Everyone has their opinion about which managers they would appoint and which players we should have recruited, retained or released, but the current squad is on a good wage budget by League Two standards and have enough experience and ability to give much more and do much better than they are.

There were teams playing today in the Conference North and South who would have given Exeter a better game and gone down (if they went down) with more fight than this one-paced Notts team shows. Mark Stallard keeps saying it in his commentaries - this isn't about ability, it's about a basic lack of bottle, application and effort week on week. Our so-called professional players are performing way below the bare minimum standard the Chairman, manager or fans are entitled to expect.

I agree wholeheartedly. Everyone at the club are being let down by this squad of players big time. They are the ones who cross the line at the end of the day. They are getting paid a good wage to do a job and perform and they are seriously under performing.

It’s clear to me that they let KN down and they got him the sack with their inept performances. Now Kevin Nolan has gone they have reacted like the players post Curle when Kiwomya took over and appear to have gone into a sulk.

I’m sorry but some of these players need a reality check after today and take a long hard look at themselves in the mirror and ask am I giving my all for this club, instead of going through the motions week in and week out.

I really do feel sorry for all the fans and the chairman. He’s put his heart and soul into improving the club over the past 18 months. I also feel sorry for Harry Kewell as well, he deserved better for his first league game in charge.

The strikers are not scoring goals, the defence is a shambles and the midfield is light weight. Good luck Harry Kewell because you’ve got a massive job on.

.

[McCullochisGod]

Izale McLeod and Tony Hackworth also come to mind. Along with Karl Hawley and Ben Burgess.

Alan Young, but yes Ricky Green did take some beating.

[queenslandpie]

Whether you like the man, or his decisions, you can't argue he's having a go. I have my issues with AH but he deserves the support of the fans more than anyone else. If you haven't got some gratitude for what he's doing, even if it's motivated by ego (not that I think it all is), then you haven't experienced (endured) many of our previous owners/situations.

On the surface you cant fault Hardys effort investment and application. I do think the appointment of Kewell whether you like him or dont is a massive risk and if it backfires a lot of fans will turn on him in the same way Ray Trew saw the beginning of the end after Craig Short got the boot and it was all downhill from there.

[i961pie]

[QUOTE=BigFatPie;39009662]Let’s face it, pretty much every striker we signed in the last 20 years has been rubbish with the exceptions of Stall and Hoozie. It’s a becoming a tradition.

Oh I don't know Heffernan, Rogers and Allsop weren't to bad.

[slack_pie]

Izale McLeod and Tony Hackworth also come to mind. Along with Karl Hawley and Ben Burgess.

Don't forget Danny Haynes!

[slack_pie]

Agreed that Hardy has put his heart and soul into the club, but it's clear that he has been naive. A lot of the decisions appear to be the kind of knee-jerk ones you'd make on a football manager game. Buy two strikers without thinking how they'll work together. Buy two wingers without thinking how we'll defend. But fancy midfielders without thinking how we'll win the ball back. Don't buy defenders because we want to play attacking football.

In reality, we'd have been better off signing bishop to replace Yates and making him captain, signing a decent cb, and signing akinde to replace shola, and then sticking to the direct approach that nearly got us promoted. Then keeping collin and keeping forte. Why wasted so much money in a bizarre effort to completely change our ethos, and the result is a team devoid of fight passion and the ability to get the basics right. It's an unmitaged disaster.

We didn't sign the players we needed. Instead we went for luxury players and tried to shoehorn them into a 442. It's worth noting that Exeter paid roughly the same for Stockley that we did for Dennis, but he's twice the player. Dennis will struggle to get double figures this season.

[navypie]

Alan Young, but yes Ricky Green did take some beating.

Crickey , Ricky Green , now he was bad! Didn't we sign him from Chesterfield?