Non-League Win Everything, Football League Win Nothing?

[kill_the_drum]

I'm a realist, I wasn't anti NA when he was appointed but ,the opposite I thought he was a good appointment .However his negative attitude took us down and his negative attitude will keep us down...
The embarrassment is when we get played off the park by teams at this level.Teams with less money and facilities but somehow manage to play us of the park.
I think NA'Scomments after the pool game summed him up completely.
The fact the majority of our games are now away from home will expose NA for what he is, limited and inept.
Just my opinion but all will be revealed.
If we get promoted I will be more amazed than embarrassed.
Would you consider winning the Mickey mouse cup and not getting promoted as a successful campaign ?

Stating that we can’t win anything with NA and that we’ll be lucky to finish in the top ten when we’ve already spent most of the season higher than that isn’t being a realist, it’s being a pessimist!
No I wouldn’t consider a cup win and not getting promoted a success. But nor would I call it a disaster considering the turmoil this club endured last summer. To a man on this message board the feeling going into this season was one of stabilising the club and not to expect too much too quickly. What happened to that? We basically threw together a squad on the eve of the season including a whole new back 5!
You only have to look at the bounce back stats of clubs dropping down to see this is a difficult league to get out of.
If we’re saying that any manager gets one crack at getting us promoted then prepare to continue along the same downward spiral.
I just hope we have owners that really are ‘realists.’

[PedroTheFisherman66]

Stating that we can’t win anything with NA and that we’ll be lucky to finish in the top ten when we’ve already spent most of the season higher than that isn’t being a realist, it’s being a pessimist!
No I wouldn’t consider a cup win and not getting promoted a success. But nor would I call it a disaster considering the turmoil this club endured last summer. To a man on this message board the feeling going into this season was one of stabilising the club and not to expect too much too quickly. What happened to that? We basically threw together a squad on the eve of the season including a whole new back 5!
You only have to look at the bounce back stats of clubs dropping down to see this is a difficult league to get out of.
If we’re saying that any manager gets one crack at getting us promoted then prepare to continue along the same downward spiral.
I just hope we have owners that really are ‘realists.’

Good to see you have your ready made excuse in place for when we don't get promoted.?
Just a thought but what should happen if we don't get promoted?
Should he stay or go?
A point of note re the start to our pre season..
Yes it was horrific,but NA had many of the team in place for the friendlies,
I think the pre season situation though is no longer a valid excuse for us getting outplayed by teams that should be considered inferior to us.!
I'm all for plucky fighting spirit,but to be
outplayed comes from our managers failings.
An example of this..at the pool going into the 2nd half with the wind behind us he sends out a more defensive formation.?
This guy is not a football genius,we have had a season's worth of games to discover this,
No matter the number of players he signs will he ever create a team capable of going out dominate the opposition week in week out,its not in his make up...
Safety first seems to be in his DNA

[laddo]

There is no doubt he's a conservative , risk averse manager who adopts a defensive approach with pretty and at times ineffective passing football. Surely everyone can see that.

Before a ball was kicked this season, hardly anybody was expecting promotion, that surely was down to the absolute shambles that was last season, the lengthy delay in selling the club, the rushed and very difficult pre season. Maybe fans also noted that the record of teams getting promoted back into the FL at the first time of asking is poor. Combination of the above.

Now, anything other than promotion is a failure to many on here. People forget so easily. We had talented players last season, remember we spent loads? We had an enhanced budget compared to most then, we had and still have great facilities etc. It's nothing new, nor is having a manager with obvious deficiencies. Last season we had three all with clear deficiencies.

Shall we try and be positive, we could have a play off campaign to get excited about

[kill_the_drum]

Good to see you have your ready made excuse in place for when we don't get promoted.?
Just a thought but what should happen if we don't get promoted?
Should he stay or go?
A point of note re the start to our pre season..
Yes it was horrific,but NA had many of the team in place for the friendlies,
I think the pre season situation though is no longer a valid excuse for us getting outplayed by teams that should be considered inferior to us.!
I'm all for plucky fighting spirit,but to be
outplayed comes from our managers failings.
An example of this..at the pool going into the 2nd half with the wind behind us he sends out a more defensive formation.?
This guy is not a football genius,we have had a season's worth of games to discover this,
No matter the number of players he signs will he ever create a team capable of going out dominate the opposition week in week out,its not in his make up...
Safety first seems to be in his DNA

I find it funny that you call yourself realistic and then proceed to say NA isn’t the manager to build a team that will dominate oppositions week after week.
Outside of Liverpool is there any team that does that?
The problem is you seem to think we’re too good for this league. Well we’re in it because we aren’t too good for it. We’re in it because we deserve to be in it.
I have no ready made excuses, I just accepted at the start of the season that we need to stabilise the club and rebuild and that will take time. If we were languishing near the bottom of the league then I would understand the calls to sack the manager. But we’re not. You on the other hand should we get promoted will no doubt defend your criticism of the manager by saying these players should win promotion without a manager. Which you will know full well is garbage.
If we finish in or around the playoffs I would not sack the manager. I would give him 3 years.

[upthemaggies]

I find it funny that you call yourself realistic and then proceed to say NA isn’t the manager to build a team that will dominate oppositions week after week.
Outside of Liverpool is there any team that does that?
The problem is you seem to think we’re too good for this league. Well we’re in it because we aren’t too good for it. We’re in it because we deserve to be in it.
I have no ready made excuses, I just accepted at the start of the season that we need to stabilise the club and rebuild and that will take time. If we were languishing near the bottom of the league then I would understand the calls to sack the manager. But we’re not. You on the other hand should we get promoted will no doubt defend your criticism of the manager by saying these players should win promotion without a manager. Which you will know full well is garbage.
If we finish in or around the playoffs I would not sack the manager. I would give him 3 years.

The Trews and Hardy deserved to be in this division, but not the club and its' supporters. They chose us, we didn't choose them, yet it's the supporters who have to suffer for their actions (together with Hardy's parting gift, Neal Ardley on a 3 year contract) whilst Trew and Hardy disappear into the night.
No supporters of a club that can average 5k + deserve 5th tier football.

[nw6pie]

The Trews and Hardy deserved to be in this division, but not the club and its' supporters. They chose us, we didn't choose them, yet it's the supporters who have to suffer for their actions (together with Hardy's parting gift, Neal Ardley on a 3 year contract) whilst Trew and Hardy disappear into the night.
No supporters of a club that can average 5k + deserve 5th tier football.

Disagree with that last sentence. I would say that no club that can average 5k+ crowds should be in the fifth tier - but if they are, it’s because they’ve been incredibly badly run. You are where you deserve to be, ultimately, and no one can deny that we were one of the two worst teams in the entire league last season. That’s also why a big club like Sunderland are in League 1.

Hopefully we’ve turned a corner with the new owners and are now finally heading in the right direction after years of mismanagement.

[pjace]

We don't belong here full stop
I know we havn't a god given right to be a football league club and have to earn promotion
but just look at our stadium our history the players who have worn our colours with distinction
we need to get out of this division if not this season then next as our parachute money ends then.
It's been nice to have a few weekends in a good mood with some wins but i'll exchange it for a few more
unhappy ones and be a football league club.

WE DON'T BELONG IN NON LEAGUE FOOTBALL

[upthemaggies]

We don't belong here full stop
I know we havn't a god given right to be a football league club and have to earn promotion
but just look at our stadium our history the players who have worn our colours with distinction
we need to get out of this division if not this season then next as our parachute money ends then.
It's been nice to have a few weekends in a good mood with some wins but i'll exchange it for a few more
unhappy ones and be a football league club.

WE DON'T BELONG IN NON LEAGUE FOOTBALL

If we had a table of the to 100 English clubs by average attendance and compared the placings against where they are in the period, I would think the vast majority would occupy very similar positions. Notable exceptions would include Sunderland and ourselves.

We can only regain our rightful place by winning football matches and to do that, we need a winning mentality. I don't see that at the moment.

[PedroTheFisherman66]

[QUOTE=kill_the_drum;39447151]I find it funny that you call yourself realistic and then proceed to say NA isn’t the manager to build a team that will dominate oppositions week after week.
Outside of Liverpool is there any team that does that?
The problem is you seem to think we’re too good for this league. Well we’re in it because we aren’t too good for it. We’re in it because we deserve to be in it.
I have no ready made excuses, I just accepted at the start of the season that we need to stabilise the club and rebuild and that will take time. If we were languishing near the bottom of the league then I would understand the calls to sack the manager. But we’re not. You on the other hand should we get promoted will no doubt defend your criticism of the manager by saying these players should win promotion without a manager. Which you will know full well is garbage.
If we finish in or around the playoffs I would not sack the manager. I would give him 3 years.[/QUOTE

We are in this division because N.A. couldn't keep us up..!
It's as simple as that...he was given ample time and money and he blew it.!
His Master plan at the time was hit it long up to a target man who wasnt a target man, is and was amongst one of his master plans.!
HK got more out of the old squad than he did...then he created his own team which wasnt good enough to keep us up..
If it makes you happy KTD I will sit here in my padded cell thinking positive thoughts only.
They being I will win the star prize on the lottery
My c0ck will grow to a hefty 12 inches
And N.A. Will steer us to promotion within 3 years.!
So far only one of my positive thinking vibes as worked..! Xxx

[laddo]

"We are in this division because N.A. couldn't keep us up..! It's as simple as that."

You don't need to read any further than that. I cant take anyone seriously who puts all the blame at the managers door and none at the previous two managers that season, or the chairman who sacked two and appointed two within just a few months.

If Kevin Nolan had managed just a meagre point a game from his first 5 league games, that would of been enough. He managed one and a shocking negative goal difference.

If Alan Hardy hadn't......[people can fill in the blanks here, cos it's a considerable list of mistakes]