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blumooncrab wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 3:51 pm I’d say that both Pressley and Acqua are miles/ leagues better than Cameron.

Agree

32mile_cul-de-sac wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 9:58 am I honestly don't blame Whing, changing manager wont work this time, you cant polish a turd. Recruitment has been abysmal that's where the problem lies. Ship out in Jan and recruit better we MIGHT have a chance of staying up.

There are 38 games left yet and still thing we have some
Really good players

Scott5 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 2:14 pm As much as you can blame Wood for some of the previous decisions ie. the decision to part company with Pete Wild and the appointment of Stephen Clemence and then not getting rid when it should've been done at the start of January (continues)

Out of interest, on what basis do you believe that to be true?

Hadrian wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 4:16 pm

Scott5 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 2:14 pm As much as you can blame Wood for some of the previous decisions ie. the decision to part company with Pete Wild and the appointment of Stephen Clemence and then not getting rid when it should've been done at the start of January (continues)

Out of interest, on what basis do you believe that to be true?

Which one? The decision to part with Wild came three weeks after the season ended following a ‘review’ led by Wood and whatever the factors, you have to say we’ve gone backwards since then. Wrong decision and particularly in appointing Clemence when perhaps Whing was first choice at the time.

Clemence himself said when he was sacked that he was expecting it 2-3 weeks earlier. Instead we backed him with a load of new signings and then sacked him at the end of January after a woeful performance at Swindon. Think it was the Harrogate game where he needed to go as it was clear the players and crowd had lost confidence in him.

I think it's time to realise that we're punching above our weight in EFL Div 2.

Sack Andy Whing? No manager in the world can create a successful side if the players aren't good enough.
We'll still have the same sh*t players.
Sign new players in January?
The BOD have already stated they don't have the money to pay the wages that decent players expect in Div 2.

Regarding the lack of atmosphere at home games - what is there to get excited about?
Can't expect people to jump up and down, cheer, sing and chant, when they're having to watch total dross!

I'm afraid the National League is looming and it's tightening its grip!

Scott5 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 4:24 pm

Hadrian wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 4:16 pm
Out of interest, on what basis do you believe that to be true?

Which one? The decision to part with Wild came three weeks after the season ended following a ‘review’ led by Wood and whatever the factors, you have to say we’ve gone backwards since then. Wrong decision and particularly in appointing Clemence when perhaps Whing was first choice at the time.

Clemence himself said when he was sacked that he was expecting it 2-3 weeks earlier. Instead we backed him with a load of new signings and then sacked him at the end of January after a woeful performance at Swindon. Think it was the Harrogate game where he needed to go as it was clear the players and crowd had lost confidence in him.

Scott, you need to listen to Hornby’s interviews. He said clearly that the Board had to keep Clemence on until all the signings were completed, so as not to scare them off. Clemence himself knew that and PH was very grateful that Clemence stayed on knowing that he would be sacked at the end of the window.

As much as people don't like to hear it, season upon season we are slipping down the pecking order (along with the likes of Accrington and Harrogate) when it comes to the resources required to compete at this level. Before anyone mentions it, I am well aware that the National League is more of a financial minefield than this one. Every pound has to stretch further season after season, hence why we are now needing to make riskier signings. In this scenario we need stability more than anything, relentless managerial churn just eats away financially. Therefore I still firmly believe we shouldn't be making changes unless things are absolutely desperate, which despite the last few weeks, isn't the case at the moment.

Well said Matty.

[quote="Main Stand The part that Wood will have the biggest say in will be the money side of the deal.
[/quote]

Perhaps Wood has some agent connections who are trying to offload some duds.

bluessupporter wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 8:44 pm [quote="Main Stand The part that Wood will have the biggest say in will be the money side of the deal.

Perhaps Wood has some agent connections who are trying to offload some duds.
[/quote]

Whing doesn't rate Pressley so his best mate signs him ,we get Earing then Gordon hmm !

blue nige wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 8:51 pm

bluessupporter wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 8:44 pm [quote="Main Stand The part that Wood will have the biggest say in will be the money side of the deal.

Perhaps Wood has some agent connections who are trying to offload some duds.

Whing doesn't rate Pressley so his best mate signs him ,we get Earing then Gordon hmm !
[/quote]

Perhaps he was simply out of our budget

Big E wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 9:33 pm

blue nige wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 8:51 pm

Perhaps Wood has some agent connections who are trying to offload some duds.

Whing doesn't rate Pressley so his best mate signs him ,we get Earing then Gordon hmm !

Perhaps he was simply out of our budget
[/quote]

That was probably the case. Whilst with us Stevenage will have been paying part of his salary which helps massively.
Its like Paul Hornby has said we have not reduced the overall budget this season its exactly the same but many more clubs in league two have increased theirs meaning we have slipped well down the playing budget table this sesson

Don't think I can pay good money for the next 3 years to watch teams step past Booty like they're avoiding a dog turd.

Jim wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 5:34 pm

Scott5 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 4:24 pm

Which one? The decision to part with Wild came three weeks after the season ended following a ‘review’ led by Wood and whatever the factors, you have to say we’ve gone backwards since then. Wrong decision and particularly in appointing Clemence when perhaps Whing was first choice at the time.

Clemence himself said when he was sacked that he was expecting it 2-3 weeks earlier. Instead we backed him with a load of new signings and then sacked him at the end of January after a woeful performance at Swindon. Think it was the Harrogate game where he needed to go as it was clear the players and crowd had lost confidence in him.

Scott, you need to listen to Hornby’s interviews. He said clearly that the Board had to keep Clemence on until all the signings were completed, so as not to scare them off. Clemence himself knew that and PH was very grateful that Clemence stayed on knowing that he would be sacked at the end of the window.

If that’s right then it’s even worse!
Giving a new manager less time to work with players and not giving him the opportunity to assess and bring his own in!

I was under the impression from Adam that when Clemence was sacked he had expected it earlier but not that he’d been told he definitely would be getting it later, what a strange set up.
Wild had his faults but you knew what you were getting there and we improved in each of his seasons, and have been going backwards ever since.

Scott5 wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 4:24 pm

Hadrian wrote: ↑Thu Sep 18, 2025 4:16 pm
Out of interest, on what basis do you believe that to be true?

Which one? The decision to part with Wild came three weeks after the season ended following a ‘review’ led by Wood and whatever the factors, you have to say we’ve gone backwards since then. Wrong decision and particularly in appointing Clemence when perhaps Whing was first choice at the time.

Clemence himself said when he was sacked that he was expecting it 2-3 weeks earlier. Instead we backed him with a load of new signings and then sacked him at the end of January after a woeful performance at Swindon. Think it was the Harrogate game where he needed to go as it was clear the players and crowd had lost confidence in him.

Thank you, Scott5. My apologies - I should have put 'those' rather than 'that'.

I asked the question because what you wrote appeared to have been at odds with what the Chairman had told supporters, as Jim has already pointed out. I am confident that it will be the owners that will take the major decisions, not an employee and there may well be circumstances behind any such decision of which the public may not be aware.

There appears to be significant doom and gloom among a section of forum members. Nobody but nobody with BAFC in their heart will be happy with the start to this season but many will understand the circumstances behind it - loss of the midfield to League One clubs, increased pressure on the club from better-financed competitors in signing players, a bad collection of injuries among them.

Talk of National League is defeatist and premature. The first 'milestone' approaches after two more games and we will not be where we need to be. The second comes at the turn of the year. If things are no better at that point we will have suffered a difficult autumn as supporters of The Soccer and difficult decisions may need to be taken by the owners. It would be naïve in the extreme to assume that the answer might be to spend big in the the transfer window.

The end of the (BAFC) world is not here and those who worry that we are sliding into an inevitable abyss in mid-September might wish to recall the 2007-8 season.