🗓️Pre-Season Friendlies 2024/25

[matt_magpie]

The lessons are there to be learned from the Pavis era and earlier. It was all going swimmingly for Pavis until he turned his attention away from the actual football. Nobody has done more than him than to try to put things right off the field, he literally re-built the entire ground, and that was the beginning of our downfall from which we still haven't recovered 29 years later. Two levels below where we were when the main stand was opened, supposedly the beginning of a new era. Well I suppose it was, it turned out to be easily the worst three decades in the club's history. No other 30 period comes anywhere close to matching the sustained depths of this one. Total disaster.

99 years ago we built what became known as the County Road stand having finished 9th in the top flight, FAC semi-finals a few years prior. Got relegated in the first season in front of the new stand and it wouldn't see top flight football again for 55 years. Altogether we had five 1st tier seasons in front of what it was built for in the 67 years it stood.

Dunnett's major contribution to the ground was the sports complex. The opening of the executive boxes as the finishing touch coincided with a double relegation and then we needed the Lifeline scheme to save the club from oblivion.

We should wait until we're properly established at a decent level before sorting out the non-football side of things, but owners just want some feature to show off when they sell up. It really wouldn't surprise me if Trew's main selling point to Hardy to bump up his offer was his wife's choice of decor in VIP areas whilst the club itself was on fire, I can imagine Hardy proudly showing off his 'Premier League' standard dressing room and the murals as we sank into non-league, No doubt the current owners will be distracting potential buyers with "The Nest" from whatever irreparable damage Maynard manages to inflict.

#newseasonoptimism

Whilst the above is true we have no idea how deep the owners pockets are or how much they are focussed on the team. I would suggest owning a football data company probably suggests at the very least they have the tools to be focussed.
It’s alright saying wait for the commercial bits but once you have other revenue streams, one it helps pay for the football side and two can negate whatever FFP style rules are in place to help you bring in better players.

[uysapie]

The lessons are there to be learned from the Pavis era and earlier. It was all going swimmingly for Pavis until he turned his attention away from the actual football. Nobody has done more than him than to try to put things right off the field, he literally re-built the entire ground, and that was the beginning of our downfall from which we still haven't recovered 29 years later. Two levels below where we were when the main stand was opened, supposedly the beginning of a new era. Well I suppose it was, it turned out to be easily the worst three decades in the club's history. No other 30 period comes anywhere close to matching the sustained depths of this one. Total disaster.

99 years ago we built what became known as the County Road stand having finished 9th in the top flight, FAC semi-finals a few years prior. Got relegated in the first season in front of the new stand and it wouldn't see top flight football again for 55 years. Altogether we had five 1st tier seasons in front of what it was built for in the 67 years it stood.

Dunnett's major contribution to the ground was the sports complex. The opening of the executive boxes as the finishing touch coincided with a double relegation and then we needed the Lifeline scheme to save the club from oblivion.

We should wait until we're properly established at a decent level before sorting out the non-football side of things, but owners just want some feature to show off when they sell up. It really wouldn't surprise me if Trew's main selling point to Hardy to bump up his offer was his wife's choice of decor in VIP areas whilst the club itself was on fire, I can imagine Hardy proudly showing off his 'Premier League' standard dressing room and the murals as we sank into non-league, No doubt the current owners will be distracting potential buyers with "The Nest" from whatever irreparable damage Maynard manages to inflict.

#newseasonoptimism

Not forgetting that Pavis sold Craig Short to Derby to raise £3.75m towards redevelopment.

[SmiffyPie]

Click on the teams on the official site and we show 15 first team players (including Morias)

[Elite_Pie]

There is enough time to boost the squad but I have precious little confidence in the recruitment team to achieve the right outcome. I give it until October before the crowd turns. Mid-table mediocrity awaits.

As things stand, mid-table mediocrity is at the upper end of my expectations.

[KCNotts]

I don’t think anyone gets overly excited with defenders. Bass was very well rated last season as was Bedeau, the response from Harrogate fans to McDonald was he was possibly their best defender so if he’s a back up it might be sensible, you missed Cundy who if is injury free should be way above this standard. Agree with the others bar Edwards, get a feeling he’s either going to be amazing or as you say, another Liam Walker. I’m just hoping we’re going to sniff out a couple of experienced players that have found themselves surplus to requirements at top end L1 or even possible struggling champ ones.

Ah yeah Cundy. Can't say I'm that fussed about that one either. Sounds like he has a long standing condition that has set him back twice in his career already. A bit like Cal Roberts' short hamstrings. I'm not even sure it's accurate to say Cundy is well above our level, based on his career, he has spent a lot of time pecking about on the scraps in non league.

[matt_magpie]

Ah yeah Cundy. Can't say I'm that fussed about that one either. Sounds like he has a long standing condition that has set him back twice in his career already. A bit like Cal Roberts' short hamstrings. I'm not even sure it's accurate to say Cundy is well above our level, based on his career, he has spent a lot of time pecking about on the scraps in non league.

Maybe way above is pushing it 😂but should be L1 standard, NL days were when he was 21/22 and since he has played Champ and League 1 so you would hope he can more than cut it at this level, the big IF as you say if he’s injury free else I don’t think he would have been signing for us if he hadn’t had these problems, it’s a risk.

[1955pie]

This is JPs doing, We have a pitch fit for the premier League, A fan Zone to equal to any other, 100s more comfy seats for his hospitality mates, and a team thats not fit for the National League. It seems pretty much that we have done things the wrong way round...

Didn't the Wimbledon fans say something similar when he was there. He is doing the job he was employed to do but if that means the owners don't now have the cash to properly invest in the team then it is putting the cart before the horse. I suppose The Nest was an opportunity that had to be taken whilst it was there. Along with the hospitality upgrades these will (or should ) bring financial gain. The pitch needed work and so long term it is probably the best solution.
It is the here and now that is the concern.
Durham, do you have any sympathy now for SM with the squad he currently has available?

[durhampie]

Didn't the Wimbledon fans say something similar when he was there. He is doing the job he was employed to do but if that means the owners don't now have the cash to properly invest in the team then it is putting the cart before the horse. I suppose The Nest was an opportunity that had to be taken whilst it was there. Along with the hospitality upgrades these will (or should ) bring financial gain. The pitch needed work and so long term it is probably the best solution.
It is the here and now that is the concern.
Durham, do you have any sympathy now for SM with the squad he currently has available?

I dont have any sympathy for him whatsoever.. He is completely out of his depth. It was his choice to take the job knowing damn well he wasnt up to it. And i would imagine that at some point in the not too distant future he will be back where he belongs..

[Elite_Pie]

do you have any sympathy now for SM with the squad he currently has available?

For me it's hard to say as I haven't seen any of the pre-season games. Maynard has to work with what he's got, and the general consensus from those who have been at games is that we don't seem to have a plan or a style of play, and some players are being played out of position. I find that a bit concerning.

[durhampie]

For me it's hard to say as I haven't seen any of the pre-season games. Maynard has to work with what he's got, and the general consensus from those who have been at games is that we don't seem to have a plan or a style of play, and some players are being played out of position. I find that a bit concerning.

Like playing both Jones and Nemane on the same side and Scot out on the left wing..