FAO the punters on this board.

[jacobncfc]

See Elite, I don't think like that. We're a Non League club now because we weren't good enough to stay in the FL, so we are on a par with those lower level clubs based on capability. Just because we've got a big ground, a good budget (presumably?), excellent facilities and flash changing rooms, that doesn't automatically translate into rapid success. We've been badly run for many years, suffered chronic instability, had more managerial changes than any other club. We are paying the price for all of that.

It hurts all of us to be where we are, but I think some supporters have expectations of success that are sadly unrealistic. Change things at the end of the season, but doing it just before a cup semi final and whilst we were 5th having lost twice this year, it's something I just can't get my head round. Neithet can the players it appears. They are completely at sea after Ardley's sacking.

They’ve been completely at sea for ages. It’s like a month since we got outplayed at home by a King’s Lynn team with three subs, one of them a goalkeeper in his 50s, that had been forced to furlough half their players.

I do agree that the change was always likely to be detrimental to this season, though. Even the owners’ answers to the timing question in the press conference unveiling Burchnall hinted that they were effectively willing to write this season off. It’s bold decision making, but all of it is in keeping with the way they’ve said they were going to run the club and make decisions.

One thing I would say, if you are going to pull the trigger and make a huge change to the club’s management culture that is likely to take some time to work itself out, doing so when grounds are closed probably isn’t a terrible idea.

[cher1]

They’ve been completely at sea for ages. It’s like a month since we got outplayed at home by a King’s Lynn team with three subs, one of them a goalkeeper in his 50s, that had been forced to furlough half their players.

I do agree that the change was always likely to be detrimental to this season, though. Even the owners’ answers to the timing question in the press conference unveiling Burchnall hinted that they were effectively willing to write this season off. It’s bold decision making, but all of it is in keeping with the way they’ve said they were going to run the club and make decisions.

One thing I would say, if you are going to pull the trigger and make a huge change to the club’s management culture that is likely to take some time to work itself out, doing so when grounds are closed probably isn’t a terrible idea.

Whilst performances might have been poor, results - which is all that matters in the end - this year overall didn't suggest a group of players all at sea. They definitely are now though. We can't just pick the KL game as the bellwether of our season, we'd games in hand and, despite playing poorly, were still churning out results.

We'll never know of course, but I don't think we'd have capitulated on Saturday without all the unnecessary drama of last week. The timing was desperate and doesn't seem to fit with the careful considered approach the brothers have portrayed previously. Who knows what impact getting to Wembley might have had on our season? Or indeed what impact being shamed by Hornchurch will have?

Hopefully things will improve soon, let's face it, it's been a terrible start, so as Peter Cunnah once sang......