Statement from Board

[Thordardaughter]

So SM is with us next season! Relegation fight on the horizon. Stats do not win games, any one with eyes can see how crap the defence is and how substitutions have cost us points.

Stats certainly don’t win games ! Do they only look at stats for our attacking football ? I would love to see their stats for our defence because apart from possession I almost guarantee they’re awful !

[queenslandpie]

"Clearly, our weakness this season has been the high number of goals we’ve conceded – but it would be unfair to blame this only on our defensive players"
I'm sorry but that statement right there astounds me... the amount of half hearted tackles and completely unforced errors has been shocking 😑 of course the midfield have to chip in defensively but they can do nothing when our defense simply hand teams goals on a regular basis

Agree. Whilst Jones is great, he cannot defend and several goals have come from his lack of ability at the back. As for Nemane well you might as well not bother having him at the back he cannot head a ball, gets pushed off it with ease and does not anticipate danger. Not withstanding Jones would be my first name on the team sheet every week. You cannot just teach these players to defend as they are simply not defenders! It's like putting me up front. Bostocks negative play in recent months is horrible to watch and I hope he does not get a contract renewal his legs have gone. We need a pretty big rethink on that area as despite obvious weakness known about for 12 months little of substance has been done to rectify it. Oh and over the season our league position is probably about right. Stats aside we can simply be very exciting but very crap as well. Stick that up your XG and sign some decent defenders chaps!

[legs77]

Stats certainly don’t win games ! Do they only look at stats for our attacking football ? I would love to see their stats for our defence because apart from possession I almost guarantee they’re awful !

I would guess they do look at everything they are experts in this field remember.

Its clear our defensive players are weaker than our attackers everyone can see that and the club will know it too but no way will they put that in a statement !

You do however win / lose as a TEAM and defending from the front is a huge part of the game now its not really fair to keep slaming the centre backs on every loss.

We do need to at times though go back to basics and clear your lines but as it has happened for nearly two years its a clear instruction from coaches so I guess players will do it as if they dont they will think they will get dropped.

We have badly missed Palmer too he is miles better than any other CM we have its clear to see that too good presser, reads the game, passing good and covers ground well.

One player doesnt make a team clearly but he is a ***** cog just like Yates was 5 years ago and the same thing happened.

[matt_magpie]

The owners aren’t disputing the league position or that they’re disappointed. They’re clearly saying they believe we should have got more points for the performances and bridging the gap to be challenging higher isn’t miles off.
Putting it out on a Friday night for me was a massive mistake, a lot of people have had a drink and then emotions runs high.
Some of the comments on here and Twitter though are astounding to me though towards the owners.
It’s a learning curve coming up, there’s absolutely no point looking a Wrexham, their player budget is 3 times the amount of ours.

[meoldlaner]

On Magpie Circle, the voice of reason Mark Stallard, said. the club should come out and make a statement.
It feels like someone at the club was listening and had a light bulb moment and thought "Oh I didn't realise the supporters were unhappy, we'll issue a statement." Poor timing.

[Notts78]

The owners aren’t disputing the league position or that they’re disappointed. They’re clearly saying they believe we should have got more points for the performances and bridging the gap to be challenging higher isn’t miles off.
Putting it out on a Friday night for me was a massive mistake, a lot of people have had a drink and then emotions runs high.
Some of the comments on here and Twitter though are astounding to me though towards the owners.
It’s a learning curve coming up, there’s absolutely no point looking a Wrexham, their player budget is 3 times the amount of ours.

This.

Damned if they do, damned if they don’t springs to mind.

I believe they will keep Maynard and allow him some input in to the recruitment. LW always said he was involved and I suspect that SM will have his say.
A minimum if we continue the 3-4-3 / 3-5-2 is 2 proper CB’s. Competition for Nemane and Jones or alternatives so we can be more resilient away from home. Having Scott and hopefully Palmer back provides competition BUT I hope we have learned that we need a bigger squad to cope with the rigours of EFL football. Flogging players like Didzy, Macca, Jones and Nemane has led to dips in form with some quick to turn on them.

[OP67]

It could be the dreaded vote of confidence from the board but worded in a modern way

As said our defence has been shocking all season, it hasn't just been SM that's been responsible for our dreadful GA stat. However we have now lost that fast attacking football that used to win games by keeping the ball away from our defenders. I think SM really needs to up his game over these last 5 games. Pick up just a couple of points will surely force the owners hand.

[OP67]

The owners aren’t disputing the league position or that they’re disappointed. They’re clearly saying they believe we should have got more points for the performances and bridging the gap to be challenging higher isn’t miles off.
Putting it out on a Friday night for me was a massive mistake, a lot of people have had a drink and then emotions runs high.
Some of the comments on here and Twitter though are astounding to me though towards the owners.
It’s a learning curve coming up, there’s absolutely no point looking a Wrexham, their player budget is 3 times the amount of ours.

Exactly, we really couldn't wish for better owners. The Wrexham model is great and gets you instant success but it can easily come tumbling down. If they fail to get promoted this season then the american following will mostly move on, they only back winners. If they do go up they then have to repeat it next season. No thanks to that, the risks are too high just look at Bury.

[the_anticlough]

Credit for wanting to communicate, but it did have a 'lady doth protest too much' feel about it and might have been copied and pasted from various posts on NCM.

So Chris, Alex and Richard want to deviate from the normal actions of football clubs (when looking at a sub-Fullarton record and precipitous fall from 6th to 16th). Their prerogative. As long as they know that supporters and players, both present and potential won't stop acting as they always do by voting with their feet.
Even before the statement I was in two minds whether to go today. If it moved the needle at all it is in the negative direction.

[BigFatPie]

Quite surprised that our owners have put out a statement, but ok that they have and what they have said.If you take out the lucky & good luck analogies it seems a pretty fair assesment of where NCFC is at.

For years we have been wanting NCFC to be run in a proper manner by people that know what they are doing, we now have it laid bare, the reality of a 2nd division club with owners that will not let it go bust. It's a steady onward pursuit of climbing the higher divisions whilst keeping a tight reign on the money, nothing at all wrong with that.

As a throwback line from many years ago "these brothers are not for turning" you might say.

I cannot read through any of the lines anywhere that says ambition and promotion are not wanted or desired by the owners, quite the opposite but in a calculated manner.
Just another take on it when some people are upset about it.

That’s a good take and if sustainability was all they talked about it would be fair enough. It’s the arguing that night is day when it comes to what we’ve seen on the pitch that I think most people are objecting to.

Every team we’ve left to face has something to play for, if we lose all 5 or similar then the statement will be seen even less favourably.