Season Preview - 2019/2020

[Piglet_Phoenix]

So here we are again. For the second successive pre-season we’re in a climate of doom-mongering and negativity which may lead an impartial observer to take the view we are a club in crisis. Fuelled by unhelpful and mischievous rumour mongering and gossip by local media personalities who should know better, we have an air (online at least) of panic and despair.

I’m not buying any of it – the prevailing majority view at this stage last term was we had no chance and we would be relegated. The reality was, despite the chaos of Curle’s retained list and the time it took us to appoint a manager and coaching team, we were almost (and probably should’ve been) at the very least playoff material.

Last season I was mightily relieved Curle had finally departed (a year too late in honesty) and was disappointed by our hasty recruitment and preparation for the new season. However, this year is probably the most optimistic I’ve been since John Ward departed as manager in 2008. This despite the fact I wouldn’t have given the job to Pressley after his trial run (and ultimate failure) last season. Like it lump it he’s getting a second chance and is currently in favour with the powers that be, so I’d be churlish if I didn’t give him a second chance. He has a full pre-season, a blank slate and no excuses – it’s all on the line for him now. I expect nothing less than a top seven finish in May next year – anything else must (and will) be viewed as failure.

Enough has been written about our owners, but in absolute fairness to them since 2008 and until Sheridan they backed their chosen managers handsomely. Abbott was allowed to spend millions on building a team which was ultimately humiliated at tier three level. Kavanagh allowed to carry on in the same vein in tier four and Curle allowed to spend another bucket load to turn us into a mediocre tier four side. Our mistake had not been the capital amounts invested in the team, but the core decision of who to let spend the money. Clibbens, Nixon, Jenkins – bumbling old men, perhaps good at administration (or buying cheap meat and selling it on for a profit) but lacking in a good understanding of what it takes to find and assess a good football manager.

And that’s where Holdsworth comes in, isn’t it? It’s not especially relevant who brought him into the club, whether he’s EWM’s enforcer and Phil’s old mate. What matters is we have a vision and we have a blueprint we seem to be sticking to. Rather than just trust to the managerial tombola and beg, borrow and steal to let the incumbent gamble on players, now there is a carefully considered plan. Whether you think it’s a good plan or not is not the issues, the important thing is there is now a plan where before there was not.

It’s true Holdsworth may come across as a horrible gob-sh1te, but in fairness – those attributes are probably what you need when you’re dealing with football agents 24/7. Nixon or Clibbens going into contract negotiations would have been like tossing fattened lambs into the velociraptor paddock. I’d rather have someone thoroughly and unpleasantly unprepared to take any cr@p.

Squad wise I haven’t been sad to see any of last seasons players depart. In defence - Grainger, bless his heart, Liddle, Miller and Gerrard – old, slow, unfit, average and expensive. Parkes flattered to deceive, decent on the ball but prone to lapses in concentration and he only ever seemed truly effective when he had a Clint Hill or Gerrard to hold his hand. As central defensive partnership Liddle and Parkes is the true stuff of nightmares. By September I’ll probably have forgotten Peter Grant even existed

Arguably Jason Kennedy wasn’t given fair opportunity but what we did see looked a shadow of his former self and his age is definitely a factor. Richie Bennett struggled to find any consistency and at 28 you have to ask if he’s worth any more investment. George Glendon looked far too lightweight for tier four and it’s a mighty relief Slater was only on loan.

I’m also not wetting the bed in hysterical fashion over Devitt’s departure. I have nothing against him personally, he gave everything for the club last season. However I didn’t really expect him to stay – and let’s be honest about it, neither did his agent. If it hadn’t been contract length it would’ve been something else, the capital amount, the bonuses, the colour of Holdsworth’s turtle neck, whatever. He spent three years at the club and we offered him a fourth (with a probable fifth), if he’d really wanted to stay he could’ve – you don’t get much more secure than five years at a club.... But I actually question his fitness, and his ability to stay fit for forty games a season now. Good luck to him for looking after himself and to Blackpool for giving him a long contract, I hope they get 2018/19 Devitt not 2016/17 Devitt. Anyway, for loyalty and commitment to the club see Mike Jones.

We’re left with a really strong defensive duo in midfield (Jones & Etuhu), a goalkeeper who had an outstanding season last term (Collin). We’ve freshened the defence up with youth, pace and bagful of potential. Iredale (on the left) comes with decent experience, a cracking goal, and is a good age. Mellish has won all sorts of awards for a young central defender, Christie Elliot looks like a great signing at right-back. We obviously lack a right sided central defender, but we also have Branthwaite (although it’s a big ask to ask a young lad to step up and play forty games), apparently he's highly rated. So with a couple of additions we already have a freshened defence.

McKirdy and Bridge look like players who both fit in with the type of player we’re signing, youthful, pacey ambitious and determined to be successful. Both know the level, both maybe haven’t been utilised properly in the past. We also have McCarron, who also will be looking to fulfill some of his potential this season. This, for me, is where the excitement for the forthcoming season comes from. The tired old pro’s (who failed the club) and too often produced tired old football, have been swept away and been replaced with young hungry players who will (hopefully) inject some much needed life onto the pitch.

Of course we still need a few players, a couple of genuine centre-forwards would be top of my list. I wouldn’t be disappointed if we gave Arthur another opportunity (on the wing) and there’s always the fool’s hope we’ll get Thomas and/or O’Hare for the season – but we need a real presence in the box and someone who can hold the ball up top. I don’t even think Yates was the man, Hope’s not that type of player. A young potent loan striker would probably fit the bill, although for division four you probably need someone big and ugly to win you the odd game the horrible way. We also need more than one genuine centre-forward. In fairness, I don’t know how good Kerr is either.

Anyway, the squad seems to be shaping up quite well. It’s a time all football fans should embrace, a new team, a new approach, an actual plan and the beginning of a fresh journey.

[Psaw]

I am an impartial observer, and i would say that you are a club in crisis. Your pre season signings look poor. I would like to draw your attention to the last sentence. Pre season is always a moment of hope and optimism, a new approach etc, a plan, and a fresh journey.

How long will it take to know that nothing has changed, and will actually be worse than last year?

While im here i want to ask about Reginald Lamb. His contribution last year was close to zero, hes on the pitch, but he might as well be at the bar. Was he like that for you?

Before you get upset, Cambridge will be relegation candidates next year.

[Piglet_Phoenix]

If you're a supporter of another club in the fourth division, Psaw - you're not impartial

Anyway, how do you make out we're "a club in crisis" and which of our five signings look "poor" to you and why?

Further to my post this week, we've retained Stefan Scougall (So three out of five players we offered contracts to accepted) and improved our youth set hugely up by bringing in Eric Kinder to head our academy. More reasons to be positive. Scougall will benefit from a full pre-season and nobody would be a better fit than Kinder with our youth players.

On Lambe - he was a great player in August when the sun was shining, the pitches are nice and flat and the memory of being kicked into the air a few times by tier four defenders had faded for him over the summer. Some of his performances in early season for us were top drawer, in fairness to him. But as the season progresses he fades and ends up in January looking like he's wearing diver's boots and is frustratingly lightweight. I wasn't sad to see him leave, because despite the occasional performance where he was excellent (I can think maybe of Portsmouth and Crewe away from home - in all his games for us) most of the time he was disappointing.

[griff]

Not much to disagree with there Piglet. Tier 4 football is getting poorer by the season and many Clubs find themselves in difficulties. Some of the National League sides are throwing money around and picking up some of the ‘talent’ that would otherwise be available. Clubs higher up the pyramid suck up many talented younger players and it’s pot luck whether loanees are ready for the game or not. Gone are the days when 17 and 18 year olds were blooded and allowed to develop their game in first teams. You see only a handful now. I think that giving Scottish players a start in the English leagues is a positive thing, though only time will tell if we’ve got the right calibre of player in.

I’m happy that we’re looking at financial security as the proper model too. Look what’s happened to Bury, and Notts County’s spending spree took them down rather than up. I am nervous about the one year contract thing - we could technically have no contracted players left at the end of this coming season - but I’ll be a lot happier if I see those players who are performing offered contract extensions at Christmas, with those who aren’t being allowed to wither on the vine. I’m also nervous at the lack of movement (so far as I can see) for a decent set of forwards. You need experience and strength up front in this league and I’m Not sure that a couple of loanees will cut it. I want to see some talent through the doors before pre-season training starts on Thursday because I’m fed up with seeing our team start the season looking like they haven’t even been introduced. They need a couple of week running up and down the beach at Allonby together to get the bonding and team spirit started before they hit the turf in August.

Anyway, I have my season-ticket again and I can’t wait to see if the plan works.

[Psaw]

Mellish for a start Piglet. Not good enough for Gateshead, the other clubs after him were probably from lower down. I am sorry that i have tried to rob you of your optimism, i should have allowed it for the time that it lasts. So two didnt sign then?

Are you in Phoenix America?, i had a cousin in Tempe, who had sadly passed on. Phoenix is a wonderful place. I hope you have a good season, and that Griff hasnt a season ticket to the hottest parts of hell. I might be wrong about Carlisle, if i am, having fun at your expense will be hard to come by.

[Piglet_Phoenix]

Psaw, I'm in North America - but a different country.

The Phoenix in my moniker is a reference to "Phoenix Nights", the theme music of which was my mobile ringtone when I set this login up however long ago.

Anyway, how many of Mellish's forty-six appearances for Gateshead did you see last season to come to the opinion he is "not good enough"?

It certainly can't have been any of his appearances in September or March when he won player of the month awards. It also can't have been any of the performances which saw him win the National League's "Young Player of the Year" award or resulted in him being awarded a call up to the England 'C' team.

Granted it's all about potential, but as a genuinely left-sided central defender who excelled in a tough division like the Conference he's worth the investment in my view. Also, we signed him on 15th May (after frequently scouting his performances last term) so he was clearly a target not just a panic signing.

Added to this, our sixth summer signing (Byron Webster) arrived yesterday as the cornerstone of our back four (and on paper a perfect foil for Mellish).

"Crisis"

[Acido]

And lets not forget eh Griff & co on here, your all (hopefully) heading for a right tw*atting when you come to ours in the ludicrous old former Lg Cup 1st Round.

[Piglet_Phoenix]

Hopefully you'll play your reserves and give us a chance, Acido?

That's normally what happens in the first round of the League Cup, isn't it?

[griff]

Can’t see us beating Barnsley. Can’t see us beating Barnsley reserves, but it’ll be a day out.

[Acido]

Can’t see us beating Barnsley. Can’t see us beating Barnsley reserves, but it’ll be a day out.

Its a good draw for both teams actually, as we haven't met since season '85-6 (I think).
But this isn't our priority this season so we might play the kids instead. Although when you look at the low average age of our first team squad, they ARE the kids lol.