|
Post by Dayvan Cowboy on Feb 26, 2017 11:29:45 GMT
Is it too early to start questioning whether he is the right man for this job? He comes across very well and I know we've had a tough couple months of fixtures but his record so far is shocking. 6 defeats from 7 and come tomorrow night it'll probably be 7 from 8 with an equally tough game at Hitchin. Players brought in, many of which have been questionable to say the least.
Clearly the aim for him now is just to stay up. I didn't think we were in any real danger before he came in but now we are very much in the thick of it, results and the majority of performances haven't suggested otherwise. The cautious optimism I do feel is that after Monday, we have a slightly more positive looking run of games, where hopefully we can pick up enough points here or there to survive. I was fairly positive at the start of his appointment, but now i'm completely on the fence. But the signs so far haven't been good.
|
|
|
Post by philstandfield on Feb 26, 2017 12:48:37 GMT
Same here. Thought we needed 2 strikers in as we had not had a recognised striker since Tony Lee left and one of the biggest faults we had i thought was no recognised striker to score goals to take the pressure off the defence abit and scoring goals may have meant we could have sneaked a win here or there or at least a point.
With strikers in it would have meant Nathan could have dropped back but of course with Chris Dillon out for the rest of the season then another central defender would be needed and thought the return of Gary Bowles may have helped give cover but of course that went out of the window after half hour or so. Jon Vance seems a good fit for Lewis Morgan.
Good to see Ollie Bassett back as at times he looks the deal but the other newcomers perhaps are just in to swell the squad ?? as they dont really seem to be much better than our reserves yes they maybe from higher clubs but seems that they are nowhere near the starting line ups there and i do wonder if they are going to care much about the club as after their loan spell they will go back to their clubs whether we stay up or go down not meaning any thing to them except they got game time, whereas using players out of the reserves who do have the club at heart may mean that they would care about what happens.
Yes we have had a very hard run of games so perhaps results were hard to come by but there didt seem to me to be a lift in performance from the team that you normally get when a new manager comes in,it could be all the newcomers coming in and taking time to settle in which we dont have as we are being sucked into a relegation fight. or it could be Craig doesn't know his best starting 11 or even his tactics are not right for this league yes he comes across well but then so do alot of managers but at the end of the day its results that count and ours are just not good enough recently.
|
|
|
Post by cherrymagpie on Feb 26, 2017 15:15:07 GMT
It's not too early to start questioning Craig Laird. He's taken charge of 7 games he's brought in 9 players to date your judged from day one we were not in any real immediate danger of the drop before his appointment but we are very much now. Rumours of dressing room unrest I say rumours but look at the reaction of Frankie when subbed that does not strike of a harmonious dressing room to me. He's dug Frankie out in various games when others were more worthy of being subbed so whilst I never will condone any player throw our shirt on the ground in disgust i understand his frustration. He's come out in various forms criticising the players then on Friday he sais they have given everything talk about mixed messages and contradicting yourself. Gives the players training off why? We need to try and bode in his signings integrate them into the squad not just turn up on match day. Maybe learn defensive shape / structure as it's beyond a joke how many we are conceding.
You look at study the statistics of his reign and it makes for damming reading. From his games to date we have conceded 19 which equates to about 3 a game so to win a game under him we have to score 4 have we even had 4 attempts on target in any game of his reign to date? We have scored a mere 5 in 7 so less than 1 a game disaster of all proportions. To put that into context we have scored 4 once all season and that was in September long before Craig Laird.
In our 7 games before Craig Laird we conceded 8 in 7 games but we had scored 10 in those games and picked up 10 points not perfect but we had a little niche going which would have put us just below mid table on my reckoning if we had continued.
Im well aware statistics don't tell you everything and who played who and so forth but they are a very good indication and something which should not be ignored. If I could see a way forward pin a few what if moments in his reign I'd be more positive but I see very little. When things are not working he refuses to change its infuriating. All he mentions is his philosophy what is it mate as all I can see is concede as many as possible? His talk of an assistant manager it's been just under 2 months since his appointment so stop talking get on and act. Talk is cheap results / performances are what is needed. I think 4 points from these 3 games Hitchin, Redditch, Hayes and Yeading is a must plain and simple.
We as fans deserve better
UTM
|
|
|
Mr Laird
Feb 26, 2017 18:54:05 GMT
via mobile
Post by philstandfield on Feb 26, 2017 18:54:05 GMT
Spot on Cherry. His record was not too good at Yate i have been told also was told he didnt seem to have many tactics either and it was a relieve when he left, then his last club Bridgewater well i believe no win in 16 no tactics, no ideas, seems Southern Watcher who ever he is/was knows abit more than it was first felt. Think we need to get something out of both away games Hitchin,Redditch and 3 at home to Hayes & Yeading, We lose at home to H & W then something has to happen, Not there yesterday so i believe i was lucky.
|
|
|
Mr Laird
Feb 26, 2017 19:42:15 GMT
via mobile
Post by magpie90 on Feb 26, 2017 19:42:15 GMT
He seems to have brought in a lot of young lads who he keeps playing no matter what result we keep getting. At the same time he is upsetting/subbing refusing to play the players who have experience in this league. I can see the likes of Wood and Clarke leaving soon enough , thenwhere will it leave the team?
|
|
|
Post by magpie on Feb 26, 2017 19:53:16 GMT
I'm staying behind the manager.
Laird has virtually no playing budget to work with. He has been forced to get loan players in, some of which don't look up to it. The injuries to Dillon and his replacement Gary Bowles have been really unfortunate. Lewis Morgan left the club because he couldn't commit to training twice a week. So now we have lost Jem, Smeets, Dillon and Morgan from the starting 11 and it isn't a surprise we are struggling. We can't afford to replace those four players either due to the way the playing budget was front loaded. Could the budget have been spent better earlier in the season?
We have also had a tough run of fixtures, the Dunstable win, I think, was our first since beginning of December?
Franklyn's behaviour yesterday at being substituted was a disgrace, throwing the shirt on the floor shows a total lack of respect to the players coming on, the manager and the supporters. Truth is Franklyn has struggled the last few games so he needs to get back to where he was before Christmas.
|
|
|
Post by goingnowhere on Feb 26, 2017 21:07:49 GMT
I have been watching the side since the new manager took over they were not pretty to watch under Jem but at least they were a team and worked hard together and always up for a battle and got results but under the new guy the side just doesn't work how can you have a team when half the side are on loan and don't even train with Dorchester just roll up on a Saturday play pick up there money then go back to there own club and actually they are no better than the players we already have, before the new manager turned up I think the team just needed a stricker and maybe a centre half but he seems to have bought players in for all positions and has no clue who or what formation to play I actually can't see us winning another game but hopefully I'm wrong.
|
|
|
Mr Laird
Feb 27, 2017 8:20:27 GMT
via mobile
Post by neutral on Feb 27, 2017 8:20:27 GMT
I'm not sure what people expect from a club with probably the smallest budget in the league. (Or at least the lowest 3 in the league.) Rumoured to be in the £1000 a week bracket. As long as the players give 100% each week, you can't really expect much more from them. He's bringing in younger players becuse he simply can't afford experienced heads to steady the ship. Tactics can definately be questioned and formations can be scrutinised, but the bare hard facts are unless the budget gets increased , the team will be fighting relegation every year. In non league football, players have very little loyalty and will move around club to club for money. The likes of Leamington, Chippenham, Slough etc have big money players who are paid big sums of money and his is reflected in there performances week in week out. It's easy to moan about the manager but give the bloke a break as he's trying to manage a team and club which the previous manager walked away from becuse the budget kept being cut and he saw no sign of any hope. This should have given most people an idea that the club and team were in serious trouble.
|
|
|
Post by Dayvan Cowboy on Feb 27, 2017 10:11:20 GMT
I'm not sure what people expect from a club with probably the smallest budget in the league. Are you so sure about that? Whilst I know we'ere certainly not in the top half in terms of budgets and I have no idea how big the budget is compared to a lot of clubs in this league, but i'm sure if you'd ask any of the board whether it was the lowest, they'd beg to differ.
|
|
|
Mr Laird
Feb 27, 2017 11:55:17 GMT
via mobile
Post by neutral on Feb 27, 2017 11:55:17 GMT
I'm not sure what people expect from a club with probably the smallest budget in the league. Are you so sure about that? Whilst I know we'ere certainly not in the top half in terms of budgets and I have no idea how big the budget is compared to a lot of clubs in this league, but i'm sure if you'd ask any of the board whether it was the lowest, they'd beg to differ. I don't think JEM would have left if the budget was mid range and workable. He left becuse it was ridiculously low and being cut further, and I think it's fair to assume it's in the bottom 4 or 5.
|
|
|
Post by southernwatcher on Feb 27, 2017 12:49:31 GMT
Seems as if the penny has dropped with some. This wasn't an "inspirational" appointment that would've galvanised a dressing room and prompted that oft experienced "new manager response". His last record at his last two positions were dismal and shocking.....do your own research! Other Senior players will be on their way as they become the latest dressing room scapegoats in order to deflect blame. Clock is already ticking for Murphy & Oldring - who has now been told he is too overweight.
|
|