Seriously how do we stay up ?

[Cokey]

The most crucial error in my view was letting the three midfield amigos all leave at the same time. That was a red flag situation which should have been managed out or at least staggered at all costs. Maybe the owners did all they could but it was a catastrophic situation which we all saw coming a mile off.

If a list is to be made of failings this season, stick that one at number one.

It was by far my biggest worry heading into the season. How do we possibly replace Campbell, Gotts and Spence?

We didn't. Not even close. Now we're heading down.

[Mark Johnson]

Why we ever released Tom White is beyond me also.

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

Some good points from Aberdeen especially regarding the Covid era; they were strange days for every walk of life. The most crucial error in my view was letting the three midfield amigos all leave at the same time. That was a red flag situation which should have been managed out or at least staggered at all costs. Maybe the owners did all they could but it was a catastrophic situation which we all saw coming a mile off.

Unfortunately in the modern day game the players and agents hold all the cards when it comes to contracts. At our level it’s all about maximising income in what’s ultimately a short career. The clubs the three midfielders went to were all at a higher level and financially more able to offer a deal to satisfy them. Yes you can offer players new contracts of which I firmly believe we will have done but you cannot force them to sign anything especially when the players agents are in their ears saying club x, y of Z. are offering better financial deals.

[Cokey]

Unfortunately in the modern day game the players and agents hold all the cards when it comes to contracts. At our level it’s all about maximising income in what’s ultimately a short career. The clubs the three midfielders went to were all at a higher level and financially more able to offer a deal to satisfy them. Yes you can offer players new contracts of which I firmly believe we will have done but you cannot force them to sign anything especially when the players agents are in their ears saying club x, y of Z. are offering better financial deals.

That’s very true, and the same for every club, unless you’re Real Madrid. Players can always leave when their contracts are up. It’s who you replace them with, is what is in your own hands.

We signed far too many injury prone players. How many players have been injured this season? It’s been absolutely farcical. Every week there’s another one or two missing!

Recruitment has been a disaster. An absolute shambles. I don’t want any of those involved in the process still here next season. They don’t know what they’re doing.

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

Unfortunately in the modern day game the players and agents hold all the cards when it comes to contracts. At our level it’s all about maximising income in what’s ultimately a short career. The clubs the three midfielders went to were all at a higher level and financially more able to offer a deal to satisfy them. Yes you can offer players new contracts of which I firmly believe we will have done but you cannot force them to sign anything especially when the players agents are in their ears saying club x, y of Z. are offering better financial deals.

That’s very true, and the same for every club, unless you’re Real Madrid. Players can always leave when their contracts are up. It’s who you replace them with, is what is in your own hands.

We signed far too many injury prone players. How many players have been injured this season? It’s been absolutely farcical. Every week there’s another one or two missing!

Recruitment has been a disaster. An absolute shambles. I don’t want any of those involved in the process still here next season. They don’t know what they’re doing.

I think they did the best they could with the finances available to them at the time. Initially the owners kept the same playing budget as last season where as most other clubs raised there's meaning we dropped down the table for what we pay players. Unfortunately to many of the signings never worked out. Its quite ironic that Charlie McCann was one of our better signings a player who couldn't get a club during the window and we signed him as a free agent.

[Bingo]

I don’t see any evidence that we will start to win all of a sudden but you never know.

I suppose the time to debate this season will be when it has all over.

However if we do go out of the football league what has the club realistically achieved in the 6 years. Ok the ground is better but still the worst in the league, we are slightly better at extracting money on match days but it’s still hard work to spend money.

We’ve failed to employ staff in key positions - commercially very much behind other league 2 sides.

We can’t even throw some reserves on or academy players to give them a chance - we have no structure at the club whatsoever. These things pay for themselves over the years - selling on assets / getting more families and more people in the town interested in football and buying into the club.

Anyway maybe a debate for another day - we can still stop up so while there is still hope let’s see what we can do

[45YEARS+]

People talking about limited resources have got it all wrong, we were the tenth highest budget in league two, it's the people who chose the players who need to be sacked ( please take note Woods and pack yor bags)

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

People talking about limited resources have got it all wrong, we were the tenth highest budget in league two, it's the people who chose the players who need to be sacked ( please take note Woods and pack yor bags)

We weren’t. Paul Hornby said at the start of the season our budget was bottom quarter of the league this season. All these so called lists of what salaries clubs are paying are way off the mark where we are concerned

[bluessupporter]

[quote=45YEARS+ post_id=559955 time=1773930352 it's the people who chose the players who need to be sacked ( please take note Woods and pack yor bags)
[/quote]

Wood is fireproof having wormed his way on to the Board! Only chance we’ll have to get rid is if his contract has a clause terminating it on relegation.

As a former agent he was probably shrewd enough to have made himself fireproof.

As someone previously said this is a debate for another day but strangely enough I think we will avoid the drop but then again I still keep thinking I will win the lottery!

[Matty]

The variables that BA mentions, uncertainty regarding the unexpected promotion, the first season behind closed doors has resulted in short termism and a firefighting approach to our time in the EFL which we have struggled to get out of. On the pitch instability has led to what some would perceive to be a lack of progress off it. I might have been hoping for too much this time six years ago when I thought this was a golden opportunity to develop certain aspects of the club (youth system for one), leaving a good structure in place that would have given us a better foundation to bounce back from if we were relegated. But there are clearly complexities around delivering this sort of infrastructure.

[Main Stand SeasonTct]

The variables that BA mentions, uncertainty regarding the unexpected promotion, the first season behind closed doors has resulted in short termism and a firefighting approach to our time in the EFL which we have struggled to get out of. On the pitch instability has led to what some would perceive to be a lack of progress off it. I might have been hoping for too much this time six years ago when I thought this was a golden opportunity to develop certain aspects of the club (youth system for one), leaving a good structure in place that would have given us a better foundation to bounce back from if we were relegated. But there are clearly complexities around delivering this sort of infrastructure.

Complexities and the finances needed to develop a youth/Academy system were a problem especially when the owners although wealthy in their own right are not what you would call "football wealthy" It meant that the finances we did have were focused solely on the first team the training set up travel and weekly hotel bills.

[Barrow afc 2018]

The variables that BA mentions, uncertainty regarding the unexpected promotion, the first season behind closed doors has resulted in short termism and a firefighting approach to our time in the EFL which we have struggled to get out of. On the pitch instability has led to what some would perceive to be a lack of progress off it. I might have been hoping for too much this time six years ago when I thought this was a golden opportunity to develop certain aspects of the club (youth system for one), leaving a good structure in place that would have given us a better foundation to bounce back from if we were relegated. But there are clearly complexities around delivering this sort of infrastructure.

Complexities and the finances needed to develop a youth/Academy system were a problem especially when the owners although wealthy in their own right are not what you would call "football wealthy" It meant that the finances we did have were focused solely on the first team the training set up travel and weekly hotel bills.

Spot on MSST

[Wintergreen]

Some good points from Aberdeen especially regarding the Covid era; they were strange days for every walk of life. The most crucial error in my view was letting the three midfield amigos all leave at the same time. That was a red flag situation which should have been managed out or at least staggered at all costs. Maybe the owners did all they could but it was a catastrophic situation which we all saw coming a mile off.

Unfortunately in the modern day game the players and agents hold all the cards when it comes to contracts. At our level it’s all about maximising income in what’s ultimately a short career. The clubs the three midfielders went to were all at a higher level and financially more able to offer a deal to satisfy them. Yes you can offer players new contracts of which I firmly believe we will have done but you cannot force them to sign anything especially when the players agents are in their ears saying club x, y of Z. are offering better financial deals.

You are correct of course but there was a horrible feeling of inevitability about the situation. I’ve been on a few jobs where key personnel have been on notice and a replacement has.been brought in to ‘shadow’ them for a while and learn the ropes. Maybe football doesn’t work quite like that but if significant figures in a company structure ship out together, their replacements could be found wanting and the company suffers because of it. It’s all about managing change - a cliche l know but so true.

[Wintergreen]

Unfortunately in the modern day game the players and agents hold all the cards when it comes to contracts. At our level it’s all about maximising income in what’s ultimately a short career. The clubs the three midfielders went to were all at a higher level and financially more able to offer a deal to satisfy them. Yes you can offer players new contracts of which I firmly believe we will have done but you cannot force them to sign anything especially when the players agents are in their ears saying club x, y of Z. are offering better financial deals.

You are correct of course but there was a horrible feeling of inevitability about the situation. I’ve been on a few jobs where key personnel have been on notice and a replacement has been brought in to ‘shadow’ them for a while to learn the ropes. Maybe football doesn’t work quite like that but if significant figures in a company structure ship out together, their replacements could be found wanting and the company suffers because of it. It’s all about managing change - a cliche l know but so true.

[Rushy]

All this talk of beating Newport on the last day is wishful thinking.
We could conceivably be relegated with 3 games to go which would mean our window to get the required points is just 5 or 6 games. If we are still in it at that point then we can start thinking about Newport but we have to earn the right to go the full distance.
No pressure lads.