Frankly Mr Shankly

I've developed a huge dislike for the FA Cup since we've had to win about five matches before we get anyone remotely decent.

Shit comp. Want promotion.

12 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

The issue is, we are now going into next season with the exact same 5 centre backs. We only need 4…

 

It also stunts Sutton’s growth and we have at least two promising youth centre backs, who will not get an opportunity. 

Do we place many of our faults on defence though. In terms of goals conceded, we were nowhere near the worst. In fact out of the top seven teams, we were one of the best if you're measuring that.

Creativity, goals scored, converting draws into wins and breaking down stubborn teams were all massive weaknesses which need severely addressing this summer. I'm not sure the likes of McGahey and our centre halves contribute in those areas, other than not scoring enough goals themselves as a collective. Therefore, for me, not too much needs changing amongst the personnel there.

27 minutes ago, JoeP said:

Also not sure about the hunger of a player who's already been there and done promotion. Do you have the same eagerness, if you've already won it? 

Or, is it not like a drug. Once you've experienced one success, you're hungry for more of it. As someone who's attending lots of interviews at the moment, employers want candidates who have demonstrated success elsewhere.

Alarm bells are raised far more from 'nearly men' than 'winners', if you get my jist.

45 minutes ago, Hemel latic said:

I'll also stick my head above the parapet on this. Of all the players currently on our books he's the best we've got at CDM and we know he's a CB by trade and has covered RB too. He's smart at breaking up play and covering from CDM, he works really hard. He's mentally strong, coming back from that back injury showed real fortitude and I don't think he's missed a game through injury since he came back.

 

Unless we're signing two better CDMs, or he's overpaid for what he does, it's an easy decision to keep him for me. 

He's definitely been used as a stopgap and the only one who was consistent in breaking up play. Yes, that last match at home was a total horror show, some may point out. But people forget how frequently teams used to travel with the ball right through central midfield.

I wouldn't have kept him myself as I think we're well serviced in central defence and I'd like us to focus on getting midfield sorted. But, providing MM wanted him as cover I don't think a huge deal needs to be made of that. We probably need the likes of McGahey and Sheron next season, with all their limitations, to bring on to help see out a tetchy 1-0 win.

17 minutes ago, PeteG said:

He was unable to reverse the decline that's obvious. He should never have bought the club unless he was buying the ground, it was a foolish move. Too many outside influences were working against him from day 1 and his biggest mistake was leaving his brother in situ and giving him too much influence and power. His intentions were ok, he never set out to try and destroy the club like some people say, why would he having invested so much of his own money. Running a football club and turning this thing round is clearly a massive task as seen by the current regime. So easy to get recruitment wrong etc. which can hold you back for years unless you have limitless funds. We can go back to the days of Lees Brewery, Moore, TTA and Abdallah but it's all history now, we need to get this thing moving forward and quickly.

He was unable to reverse the decline that's obvious. He should never have invaded Russia unless he was going the whole hog, it was a foolish move. Too many outside influences were working against him from day 1 and his biggest mistake was leaving Goebbels in situ and giving him too much influence and power. His intentions were ok, he never set out to try and destroy the world like some people say, why would he having invested so much of his own political energy. Running a totalitarian state and turning this thing round is clearly a massive task as seen by the current Putin regime. So easy to get forced enlistment wrong etc. which can hold you back for years unless you have limitless resources. We can go back to the days of Napolean, Pol Pot and Stalin but it's all history now, we need to get this apocoplypse moving forward and quickly.

5 minutes ago, Wardie said:

Official..

https://www.oldhamathletic.co.uk/news/2024/april/23042023-retained--released-list/

It's a blank page. Is that the club telling us it's a clean sweep of the decks? 

1 hour ago, Hemel latic said:

If we're going to let Mike go we need to sign someone in a similar mould - big, disruptive CF that can put himself about, good in the air and has a bit of pace.

We should be looking at Quigley from Chesterfield as a like-for-like replacement IMO. Out of contract there this summer.

I’m hopeful Conlon will play a part and produce more performances in line with his debut. Having McGahey as your chosen grafter in midfield most matches won’t have helped him, albeit I can see why MM played him there.

I had suspicions that MM’s brand of football will be unpalatable grinds before he got the job, based on his Tranmere team. He’s experienced enough to know that when you’re under pressure, in a results-driven business, setting up not to lose is the go-to plan. I assume it’s one reason why 3-5-2 was ditched with 7-8 matches left for a more rigid 4-4-2. 
 

I think next season will see him focus once more in making us hard to beat first and foremost, but with specialist personnel in those glaringly obvious positions. It was draws that cost us towards the end, not defeats. We absolutely have to convert those into W’s and it’s critical our home form is turned round. Three or four quality additions in the right areas will see a big improvement in my opinion. Might not be anywhere near a finished article, but the difference between flopping out of the play-offs to entrenching ourselves amongst them.

I know on the face of it, this looks like a terrible misstep from Gateshead council. However, as we’ve seen how thin on cash councils are (remember, a couple had to declare themselves insolvent), they may have a lot of taxpayers questioning the wisdom in committing to offering a long term lease, which they need to fund, to a club which has a reasonable likelihood of going back into the NL before that ten year lease is up.

Of course, if it was us in their position. I’d be the first on the town hall steps, dousing myself in petrol and flicking out the Zipper lighter.

24 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

We know all this, I already said he’s being honest.

I should imagine a fair chunk of ST holders are still mulling over renewing.

That interview will have a massive bearing on the outcome.

He could have been a little more positive in outlining his plans for next season given the timing.

He’s as good as written it off FFS!!……I really can’t imagine the board being too happy either!

 

 

it’s all about interpretation, isn’t it. A fine line to tread in his position. Put a too positive spin on it and you’re firmly in DU territory. But some ST holders hinging on that to renew will simply get disillusioned next season when things don’t go our way, which will be the case, but hopefully far less often as it happened this term.

My interpretation is that I wanted the manager to confirm what my assumptions have been on why we struggle to perform consistently. I thought MM did that to an extent and his message, to the board was that colossal damage has already been done in recruitment, before he ever got there.

We’ve seen he has an eye for a player with Stones. Others haven’t worked out (yet) but he has to be offered time to try and fix the glaring issues which we can all see. I can’t see another candidate who will be able to hit the ground running delivering a new philosophy in front of a crowd that release a massive audible groan as soon as a pass goes awry.

He’s lost the complete dunderheads in the main stand. But I’m hoping the club stop listening to dickheads as they had done in the past.

28 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Is it massively imbalanced though? Other than a right back and a left midfielder we seem pretty well stocked.

to sneak into the playoffs, perhaps. To be a team that wins the division outright above teams getting 80-90 points, we’re a long way off.

its pointless to explain this to someone who has such a visceral anti-MM agenda though. We virtually need a whole new midfield, RB and another attacker to replace 6-7 players already in those positions but are contracted for at least another year. Sticking your head in the sand about that isn’t going to get you anywhere. We’ll have less square pegs in round holes next term, but we’ll sure as shit be starting a new campaign with incumbent players who don’t possess the qualities we need to be a best in class.

8 minutes ago, scamp04 said:

Chesterfield fan in peace

Having done a 6 year stretch at this level it took us so long to get the formula right.

 

You remind me a lot of us in those first couple of seasons down here, we had Martin Allen in the first year and we just kept drawing games (I think 8 or 9 in a row at one point)

 

It's so difficult for a relegated side to get the  momentum back and one thing you definitely need is a positive manager. All of our players say how enthusiastic and positive Cook is and he's really lifted the fans since he came back.

 

Cook said when he came back constantly referred to our squad being too big, having 35 players at that point this season we've pretty much got through with a 23 man squad. I think I recognise that a little bit with you guys having a big squad this season. Trimming off the fat and getting quality in each area was key. We had a competitive budget this season but it was only the 3rd biggest in the league. (We only had two forwards all season don't forget )

 

This season I've also noticed is there doesn't seem to be any big egos anymore in the side. Cook has said this is the best set of personalities he's ever managed. When we first dropped to this level I can remember us signing players who were looking for one last pay day and thats never good. You need a mix of experience but still with the desire to do well (Grigg/Naylor/Jones) and the young upcoming (Dobra/Berry/Hobson)

 

The other thing you've got to do is get yourself out of the mindset that we should be beating (Altrincham/Bromley/Solihull) because of your clubs former football league history. We had a period of time where we showed a lack of respect for these sort of sides as players as well as fans. We regularly got frustrated to the point, that the players froze in home games and we relied on our away form to not drop out the league into the Conference North. Cook and Danny Webb prepare for every game as a tough one and that no one will be a push over.

 

The leagues also improved massively in terms of the brand of football whilst we've been down here and nowadays teams are more likely to get out of here playing good football. The other thing is that you'll get out this league by attacking we have conceded more than Kidderminster but have already scored 100 goals.

 

Prior to Cook coming in we were top of the league under James Rowe but the entire team was built around the goals of one player Kabongo Tshimanga who scored over 50 percent of the teams goals but, he then broke his leg and we had a terrible second half of the season. Cooks re-dressed that balance and most of the midfield have got 15-20 goal contributions (goals and assists) each this season. You've signed Norwood but, the balance seems to be wrong elsewhere.

 

You need pace as well, as some teams will be difficult to break down. Last season we kept the ball well but struggled to break teams down. We signed Colclough last season and Berry this season who are quick and we've used this to our advantage by rotating the front four to bring on quick players to run at tired legs late on.

 

The good news is that once you get it right, getting out of this league is completely rejuvenating for your club. It's an amazing feeling to finally get out of the most difficult league in the country!
 

Nailed it pal. Your post should be printed out, framed and put up in every corner of the ground. Good luck in the EFL.

48 minutes ago, oafc1955 said:

That interview, whilst being honest, was just about as depressing as it could possibly get!

To say all those things, true or not, during a Season Ticket sale was beyond belief. There wasn’t a single shred of positivity in anything he said….If I was a board member I’d be absolutely furious!

We all know the situation he inherited and the problems he’s faced but all the ready made excuses are coming to the fore.

I hope he turns it around and I will hold my hands up if does, but I have seen nothing at all so far to suggest that he will.

If he fails I think he will blame it on everything but himself!

 

 

What could he have said under the circumstances? DU got rinsed, and rightly so, for rolling his turd in glitter by patronising and gaslighting supporters in his pressers.

MM inherited a massively imbalanced squad, much worse than he understood when he took on the roll. It needs a lot of work doing to it. He’s going to have to be cute in the market and wheel and deal to get a team that resembles one that fans want to see.

There isn’t no middle ground here. The positivity I see is that it will get better, once people accept the situation for what it is. 

Just now, Dave_Og said:

True.  But I don't get why it exchanged so abruptly from when we were 5th.  I'm sure something happened.  I know he's dour but he's looked completely uninterested since then

Problem is, none of us know how the dressing room actually is or who is the root cause within it. We pick up on elements from watching from afar on a Saturday, that's all.

I just can't see any manager turning it around quickly with so many underperforming and disinterested players on the books until at least 2025. 

Just now, Careca9 said:

The players have been woeful. U have to question if we have people happy to collect cash for easy ride in nat league knowing this is a tidy number and best they can get to see out their careers. Makes the argument for hungry younger players grow 

I think you could be right. You look at the makeup of all the top seven and, whilst nearly all of them have experienced pros, it's generally capped at about 2-3 each squad. The rest is made up of high energy players.

3 minutes ago, Dave_Og said:

 

Really?  He's shown no ability to coach, motivate, plan, select, inspire, innovate.  He may not have been dealt the best hand but surely he could have done better than this?  He's been around this level for years so he'll have been aware of the abilities of most of the players.  I can't see how he gets a free pass

He has to hold his hands up with certain decisions he's made, but the rot runs much, much deeper than him. This is the point I suppose I'm really getting at.

As it turned out in the end, whichever formations, gameplans and team selections he tried, the players by and large were incapable of executing any one of them.

Body language from him at the end suggests he may fall on his sword here. Unmitigated disaster in terms of managing such an insepid bunch of poor performers. He deserves a summer window, but with so many of them with at least another season in contract, it's a huge job to replace them all with hungry fighters. I don't blame MM in any way, the damage has already been done before he stepped through the door.

If only we could bottle whatever Mike Fondop has, put it into a serum and apply to the majority of the rest.

I've always said we need to sign a right 'orrible, hard bastard in midfield. Gregan-esque impact on the team. 90% of our on-field problems would evaoporate overnight.

1 hour ago, AndyB2 said:

Which good teams would they be?

02/03

06/07

07/08

16 minutes ago, LightDN123 said:

I’m not having a go at the fans, as such. 
 

I am simply saying the atmosphere and the acceptance that we arnt going to make the play offs seemed to set in far earlier than it should have. I include myself in that. 
 

I think the toxicity of our fanbase in the desperation for success is the reason why we've probably had the worst home record of any football league team over the past 30 years myself. Even when we had good teams.

14 minutes ago, Littlemoor Lad said:

Mellon has 10 games or else 

22 minutes ago, diggleblue said:

Twitter, tonight's match Aldershot quote- nothing to report in 1st 15 mins.

Plenty to report on in the second half. Outfield player in goal for Gateshead. 

19 hours ago, nzlatic said:

It’s quite unbelievable given how little of the season we’ve been in or near the play offs and that we haven’t won in 9 games, that there’s still a small chance of us getting in. Ridiculous really. We should be well out of it. 

Think I called it with 6 matches remaining we'd need to win four of them. We could've just won one!

Really shows the poor level of quality underneath the top 4 or so, doesn't it? An overhaul in midfield and a right back and I can't see us being any less than 4th next season. 

7 hours ago, Shrimperama said:

What's been the problem?

There isn't enough words in the internet to describe it.