Maynard out?

[Since71]

Exactly this.

Folk writing off our chances but if you ask them who they will think will win the playoffs, there wouldn?t be an obvious choice.

Folk saying we have this amazing squad, do we? We have a lot of unproven players at the level we are at. Most on here didn?t fancy our chances of promotion in pre season and those same voices are the ones piping up the most about lost opportunities and not being promoted.

Personally the recruitment hasn?t been as good as it should have been. Defensively we have it about right but we don?t have that genuine creative midfielder? we did, but his eye was turned and I?m not sure we saw the best of him prior to leaving.
We have always been a decent striker short with a heavy reliance on Jatta and Didz. Jatta seems bereft of form and confidence, but SM has no obvious replacement. Though he could go Didz up top and have JJ in the 10.
And IMO we are a right sided player shirt too.

SM tried to be more attacking on Monday? 3 strikers on the pitch. However, Flynn solved that puzzle and SM simply didn?t look for an answer.

The squad is short in key attacking areas IMO and isn?t as amazing as some make out.

This

[PedroTheFisherman66]

I agree 100% UTM.
These are exactly the experiences that I went through as a kid and it was very, very hard.
I hope not, but we could be languishing in League 2 for several seasons whilst Florist are entertaining the likes of Real Madrid, Juventus etc etc.
I am gradually being convinced that the playing style demanded by the owners is not appropriate for League 2 unless they are prepared to put the money in for players who are good enough to cope with low blocks or very high presses. Even if we manage to squeak promotion, most of the current squad are not good enough for League 1. Not fast enough, strong enough or skilful enough.
For the sake of our younger supporters and the future of the club we need promotion this season somehow. We all need to get down the Lane and hopefully Wembley and "Give it large". Worry about owners, managers and players next season.

They said you couldn't play football in the national league!!...

[jacobncfc]

I was saying that our squad would not be good enough for League 1 and it appears not really for League 2.
2 wing backs who were refused new contracts when Crawley went up. Perhaps they can go back there next season. Our captain isn?t playing as we know he can. We have no playmaker. RCB played by a young lad (who let?s face it is no right sided Bedeau) or an extremely left sided back up to Bedeau having to fill in. A January signing who hasn?t really turned up yet. A couple of young lads still learning the ropes. We sold Nemane and Crowley and didn?t get a replacement for either. And as you say the best player in League 2 only able to play occasionally.

Collectively we are not good enough to beat the low block or the high press. We do not have enough players of the right quality.
We all know that the club want to be sustainable and that is admirable but the consequence is that we collectively are not quite good enough.

Gordon and Tsaroulla were both offered new contracts at Crawley, they turned them down to come here. Presumably because we pay more.

[jacobncfc]

I agree with you about the players you mention but that is the first team at it's strongest, they are part of the squad, it's those players behind the best starters that is the weakness (especailly with multiple injuries to key players).

I just think this is what being a League Two squad is, though. No team has particularly good squad players or back ups, or even eleven particularly good players. Its about having a couple of stand-outs and making a bunch of journeymen or young lads a coherent unit around them.

Ive been to almost every game and I cant really remember thinking wow, we cant compete with the quality these have got, or wow we really cant get in the game at all. What I have seen are several teams that seem to have a clearer idea of what theyre supposed to be doing and what their plan is.

[jacobncfc]

I think you can find the answer to a lot of the problems in that quote earlier in the thread about SM trying to be more attacking by playing three strikers against Cheltenham.

[matt_magpie]

Have to say I?m not sure where I am with it. I was up for him going Monday and now I?m still not sure.
As many have said we have a handful of consistent players and I think the issue lies there more than anywhere else.

I don?t think there?s that much wrong with the style, we mix it up also but just lack that cutting edge when we actually get in and around the box, not sure what SM can do to rectify it.

Feel really deflated with it this week. I?m not confident if we get in the playoffs but to be honest which clubs fans are occupying the other current spots, they?ll be saying exactly the same, maybe we could request we play both legs away if we make them😂

[durhampie]

Have to say I?m not sure where I am with it. I was up for him going Monday and now I?m still not sure.
As many have said we have a handful of consistent players and I think the issue lies there more than anywhere else.

I don?t think there?s that much wrong with the style, we mix it up also but just lack that cutting edge when we actually get in and around the box, not sure what SM can do to rectify it.

Feel really deflated with it this week. I?m not confident if we get in the playoffs but to be honest which clubs fans are occupying the other current spots, they?ll be saying exactly the same, maybe we could request we play both legs away if we make them��

There is a lot SM could, for instance. Get them to move the ball quicker, Get the keeper to release the ball quicker instead of waiting until everyone is back, Get players to move into space when we have the ball, Get more players to want the ball from throwing's, Be more proactive with the subs, instead of waiting to see what the opposition does every game, Play players in their best position.. All basic stuff that we dont do.. This is why he has to go.

[durhampie]

Have to say I?m not sure where I am with it. I was up for him going Monday and now I?m still not sure.
As many have said we have a handful of consistent players and I think the issue lies there more than anywhere else.

I don?t think there?s that much wrong with the style, we mix it up also but just lack that cutting edge when we actually get in and around the box, not sure what SM can do to rectify it.

Feel really deflated with it this week. I?m not confident if we get in the playoffs but to be honest which clubs fans are occupying the other current spots, they?ll be saying exactly the same, maybe we could request we play both legs away if we make them😂

There is a lot SM could, for instance. Get them to move the ball quicker, Get the keeper to release the ball quicker instead of waiting until everyone is back, Get players to move into space when we have the ball, Get more players to want the ball from throwing's, Be more proactive with the subs, instead of waiting to see what the opposition does every game, Play players in their best position.. All basic stuff that we dont do.. This is why he has to go.

[ThaiPie]

Durhampie, this list is impossible to argue with. Only thing is, every manager in the world will have said they want these things. Some players can do these things and some can't.

[kill_the_drum]

In, unless we target a manager that the owners feel would be better.