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Post by cherrymagpie on Nov 14, 2016 16:15:05 GMT
Firstly before I start what is below is meant as no offence to any person or a personal nature just a mere fan with real concerns with where the club is heading. If any person can answer some of my questions be much appreciated as mean it very open ended. I apologise for grammar and ramblings and going off topic in advance 👍
We as a club sit deep in a relegation battle out of every cup with a whimper. We went into this season with a slight budget cut meaning we all had to take a deep breath and be realistic in terms of what's considered a good season. In previous years the play offs was my aim as a club of our size at this level should aspire too. This I went in thinking a good solid mid table finish with a cup run in FA Cup/ FA trophy would be success with a feel good factor we were heading in the right direction.
What were the aims and aspirations of the board before a ball was kicked? Something that was set out for Mark Jermyn and his coaching team. 2 games in our assistant manager came out after a humiliating defeat saying the aim was survival. If that's the case why have the board set such low targets?
We are now in November the squad is very in balanced we have no natural right back or centre forward. Yet an abundance of midfielders 3 of whom are on loan 2 of whom were on the bench Saturday. Why? We seem to have 4/5 players on the books looking to the future while that's to be commended in some respect in others why? Short term we are in trouble we need players for here and now. Yes those players may be on a small amount but over 4/5 players that equates to a player ready for the first team now. Questions I would ask in a fans fourm but we have not had one since October 2014. We have a keeper who can only play in a few games just wow!
Mark Jermyn has had 22 months in the job have we shown any improvement? For me I don't think so pretty much same league position which was a real under archivement at the time. In the cups let's not look at his record it's appalling. As mentioned above our squad has no balance to it that's his job. The crime isn't having a small budget it's wasting that budget. He needs to take a step back and judge things from the side. In 10 months we have won 3 home league games.. That's a disgrace how can you expect to attract new fans with form like that.
Writing that last paragraph was hard I love Mark Jermyn I've kinda grown up with him in the team since he joined as a 19 year old from Torquay I think I was 13/14 at the time. He epitomised everything I wanted as a fan. Hard work, committed, organised, a will to win. I don't get that from him as a manager or his sides.
On a side note we brought Chillys shop inside, why at half time could I not see what we sold? Unfortantly due to ill health I cannot be out for long so i can't come in before / after like I usually like to do at present. It's near Christmas time people pick up things for xmas etc.
UTM
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Post by magpie on Nov 15, 2016 7:17:49 GMT
I have to agree with Cherry Magpie in that the budget has not been used effectively. We desperately need another striker, Nathan has done a fantastic job up front and I actually like him being played as a striker but he needs help and if he got injured, where would be then?
It would be interesting to see how Jem's record compares to Kemp's but we have been on a bad run now since January and the cup exits have been really disappointing, particularly the performances in these games. Maybe it is time for a change of the manager and coaching team as I believe we are in very real danger of being sucked into a relegation scrap and could even go down.
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Post by neutral on Nov 15, 2016 8:33:41 GMT
It seems obvious that the club is totally focused on balancing the books ((which is fair enough.) unfortunately football is like no other business and it's results on the field that matters, and without taking some risks and gambles, the club shall be fighting relegation each year with the occasional hope of finishing mid table.
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bmike
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Post by bmike on Nov 15, 2016 15:21:17 GMT
There is no need for the club to take financial risks, nor should it. Effective use of the existing budget should be sufficient for at least a comfortable mid table position in this league.
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Post by tom on Nov 15, 2016 18:20:39 GMT
sorry to hear of your illness Cherry, here's hoping you get well soon
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Post by seantizz on Nov 17, 2016 13:23:20 GMT
Three days since Cherry posted this well constructed and passionate thread and the fact that none of us have been able to respond in any meaningful fashion says it all to me.
I'm a little more sympathetic to Jem as a manager. I have a feeling that he can still do it. I do suspect that he's not necessarily being helped by his coaching team. And do wonder if Stuart Heath might need replacing? But even more than that, I suspect that he's not being helped by his board of directors. Remember back to some of the good old days - Stuart Morgan and Mark Morris were the excellent managers they were partly because of the incredible pastoral support they received from Peter Aitken, Keith Miller, Eddie Belt and others. I wonder whether that support still exists in the same way now?
The job must be incredibly draining for Jem. It always has been a tough job but I suspect it's even harder now than it was for Morgan and Morris.
I think there are opportunities to remain positive. This league is one of small margins. I do think that it's only a small tweak here and there that will see us catapulting up the league. A recognised goalscorer is a necessity - or at least an unrecognised goalscorer who can come in and do the business. It's a shame that Conor Jevon turned down the approach because he might have been the one. Surely, there are others? We're not far away from being a very good team. Hopefully, that's the message that's being pushed.
Sean
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Post by keithmiller on Nov 17, 2016 14:00:04 GMT
Three days since Cherry posted this well constructed and passionate thread and the fact that none of us have been able to respond in any meaningful fashion says it all to me. I'm a little more sympathetic to Jem as a manager. I have a feeling that he can still do it. I do suspect that he's not necessarily being helped by his coaching team. And do wonder if Stuart Heath might need replacing? But even more than that, I suspect that he's not being helped by his board of directors. Remember back to some of the good old days - Stuart Morgan and Mark Morris were the excellent managers they were partly because of the incredible pastoral support they received from Peter Aitken, Keith Miller, Eddie Belt and others. I wonder whether that support still exists in the same way now? The job must be incredibly draining for Jem. It always has been a tough job but I suspect it's even harder now than it was for Morgan and Morris. I think there are opportunities to remain positive. This league is one of small margins. I do think that it's only a small tweak here and there that will see us catapulting up the league. A recognised goalscorer is a necessity - or at least an unrecognised goalscorer who can come in and do the business. It's a shame that Conor Jevon turned down the approach because he might have been the one. Surely, there are others? We're not far away from being a very good team. Hopefully, that's the message that's being pushed. Sean Seeing as my name has been mentioned by Sean (how are you?) and I'm starting to take an interest again now that I live a bit nearer the old homestead, I thought I should register again and say my bit.
Lots to say and don't know where to start, but first up, thanks Sean for the reference back to Stuart and Mark. Great memories, although the Club was always struggling financially, with only one man who ever gave money to the Club and didn't expect it back and that was Peter Aiken, bless him. I understand that others that gave over money (I didn't because I couldn't afford it at the time) eventually expected to be paid back, which is why the Club now finds itself in its current position. I stand corrected of course.
I didn't quite follow what went on in the Eddie Mitchell era, but wasn't he the benefactor everyone had prayed for, but turned out to be a bit of a maverick, which would be alien to most locals. No doubt there are other circumstances that meant he had couldn't stay around.
Anyway, I'm planning to get to The Avenue Stadium shortly, which will be a marvellous feeling for me. I've been watching my football at Millwall (I can explain), which is great fun, but they are just a bigger version of the Magpies - no money, great manager who makes ordinary players play above themselves, as did Mark, etc
Keith
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Post by philstandfield on Nov 17, 2016 15:52:31 GMT
Just catching up on this thread. I think what Sean has said is nearly spot on. I also think Jem can do it, has he got the right coaching staff alongside him, only Jem will know that but if he has got any doubts he needs to sort it now as the longer it goes on the worse it will be to sort out and time/points will run out at some point
As for the backing of the Chairman/Board pretty sure he has at the moment got most of the Board on his side no doubt there are one or two with differing views but surely any Board must look at the big picture Ambition, Budget,Results, on/off field plans etc to see if the club is heading along ok or does it need some changes to the club possibly upsetting some people to achieve the aims of the club.
A Lot of people i have spoken too said the run of results from around February till the end of season were poor but it would have given Jem a chance to see who wanted to stay and play/fight for the club this season so that in close season he would know who/what style of player he needed but this far into the season it would seem that the new players have not fitted in as planned Mario & Nick Swann, for example and perhaps a couple who were in the reserves have not progressed as hoped.
It's been said to me countless times over the past couple of weeks our results since around February have not been good, not winning many home games, going out of cups pretty tamely, yet at the same time just a couple of results being different (Slough away etc) we could have 5 or 6 points more so things would look alot better, but yes things are not quite right somewhere not sure what needs tweaking though.
The Board are all hard working people with the good of the Club at heart but as Sean said there perhaps is not a strong leader there to drive the club on whether that's because as a Community Owned Club there cant be a strong willed person making the hard choices or not i have no idea, Again not trying to have a dig at anyone on the Board as they put in a tremendous commitment in time and no doubt some cases money and it just seems that people are having ago at them all the time but cant/wont put forwards ideas/help out. we all know about the loss of the P&R money but if i remember correctly the news about it came out start of May so there were a few weeks to start working on plans to raise more from other ways. I am sure if people have ideas about raising money in some way the Board would be happy to talk it through.
It is also well known Terry Spracklen took on the Commercial manager's role during close/pre season and brought in alot of money through the Patrons draw ( i believe increased numbers) and other sponsorship mainly by going into the Business in the town and talking to them which makes me wonder what the previous CM's did as this surely is one of the nailed on things to do along with other ways to fundraise which being CM's should be known,
There are things that look good like the 3G pitch just hope it is the same as Slough's pitch as that was superb, although my view is Football should be played on grass but i realise that by going down the 3 G route a number of games could be played on it every day if wanted bringing in money through pitch hire, also of course it would mean all the clubs training could be done at the Club and not done somewhere else no doubt paying for hire as well
All in all i think we all need to get behind the Club at this hard time whether Volunteering, or just paying to come through the gate and playing our part, Just wish the gates would go up again but in these times it is not just OUR Club finding it hard to attract people through the gates most Sports clubs at our level Football,Rugby, Cricket etc are all finding attendances down.
It would be nice to see Keith back at the ground.
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