Not good enough.

Yet again. Absolutely p**s poor yet again.

If this team gets us promotion playing like that then the sides we beat will have had the most alrighty of nightmares.

Third in the league and the place is as flat as a fart. The players give the fans absolutely nothing to be positive about playing like that!!

Can see it all going to pot right at the wrong time again

I'm inclined to agree. I'm sick of this 'we got the result' because eventually that attitude will catch up with you and bite you on the bottom hard against good sides. See Newport last season, it's coming again I can guarantee you.

Anybody fancy naming me 5 occasions this season where we're comfortably outplayed a team and played like Champions? Anybody want to even give me 3 occasions? We are simply not good enough to go up and it's sad people are missing that. Chester we're horrific today, I bet Hyde were just as bad against Cambridge and Barnet against Halifax. The difference in results between the 3 sides tells you all you are going to need to know. In fact the fact Andy Cook was dropped from the entire squad today yet comes on to be arguably our best player in a 20 min spell tells you exactly what you need to know about Hursts ability as a manager.

My hope is that against the better teams (playoffs) we make a game of it, We seem to struggle against the so called lesser teams.

The teams around us are scoring lots of goals at the minute too, Tuesday will be a big test for Town and this may give us fans an insight on how we will cope in the playoffs.

I think Cambridge will win the playoffs now.

Err, while some of the second half wasn't great and there were a few mental lapses, McKeown has barely had to make any saves and our strikers have finally started scoring. I've not been particularly impressed with the way we have been scraping wins lately, but today was a marked improvement. It's certainly not all doom and gloom just yet. Wait and see how we do against Halifax on Tuesday before proclaiming our certain downfall in the playoffs yeah?

Tuesday will be crucial both for the points, and also as a pointer to how we may do in the playoffs.

If we win, then beating Hyde would take us to 79 points which should be enough. Any thing less and I think there is a real danger we may not make it. Both Braintree and Halifax are looking strong, and it may come down to the wire between us and Gateshead.

I have to say Lew, that your post above sums up why so many of your posts frustrate me. You are entitled to an opinion and that opinion is as valid as everybody elses. However, you can't guarantee it's 'coming again', just as nobody can guarantee we'll win the play offs. Likewise, you label today's performance dire without having witnessed it.

We're clearly not in great form but we're sound defensively, hard to beat, raise our game in big games (see the FA Cup), grind out results and we're good away from home. That's enough to give me some hope. I'd also ask why, if we're so inferior to , say Halifax, that 42 games into the season we have more points than them. Labelling our manager a moron and an idiot and lambasting members of the squad is counter-productive and unfair given where we are in the league and the stage of the season we're at. As for your constant suggestion that there is some kind of an agenda against Cook, if this is true why did he give him half an hour and leave Hannah on the bench? Sounds like he did well when he came on and I'd expect he'll be on the bench if not starting on Saturday.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

I have to say Lew, that your post above sums up why so many of your posts frustrate me. You are entitled to an opinion and that opinion is as valid as everybody elses. However, you can't guarantee it's 'coming again', just as nobody can guarantee we'll win the play offs. Likewise, you label today's performance dire without having witnessed it.

We're clearly not in great form but we're sound defensively, hard to beat, raise our game in big games (see the FA Cup), grind out results and we're good away from home. That's enough to give me some hope. I'd also ask why, if we're so inferior to , say Halifax, that 42 games into the season we have more points than them. Labelling our manager a moron and an idiot and lambasting members of the squad is counter-productive and unfair given where we are in the league and the stage of the season we're at. As for your constant suggestion that there is some kind of an agenda against Cook, if this is true why did he give him half an hour and leave Hannah on the bench? Sounds like he did well when he came on and I'd expect he'll be on the bench if not starting on Saturday.

Superb post

Did we really have to do anything after we had scored the first. Yes We should have put away 3 or 4 more but they did not trouble our back 4 or Macca all game apart from a fluke cross. I feel if a team come and put up a fight against us we will have enough to match them.
UTMM

Quoted from gobby

Did we really have to do anything after we had scored the first. Yes We should have put away 3 or 4 more but they did not trouble our back 4 or Macca all game apart from a fluke cross. I feel if a team come and put up a fight against us we will have enough to match them.
UTMM

I hope you are right. I think we will see on Tuesday.

Excellent post Rodley. These posters congratulating Cooky on 'showing' Hurst need to have their tea, calm down and think their posts through. Hannah was on the bench but Cook was picked ahead of him. Cook (and I'm only going by the radio) didn't sound like he was having some immense game while the rest of the team were 'dire'...certainly not as good a game as Thursday.
Still, don't want to spoil anyones conspiracy theories...

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

I have to say Lew, that your post above sums up why so many of your posts frustrate me. You are entitled to an opinion and that opinion is as valid as everybody elses. However, you can't guarantee it's 'coming again', just as nobody can guarantee we'll win the play offs. Likewise, you label today's performance dire without having witnessed it.

We're clearly not in great form but we're sound defensively, hard to beat, raise our game in big games (see the FA Cup), grind out results and we're good away from home. That's enough to give me some hope. I'd also ask why, if we're so inferior to , say Halifax, that 42 games into the season we have more points than them. Labelling our manager a moron and an idiot and lambasting members of the squad is counter-productive and unfair given where we are in the league and the stage of the season we're at. As for your constant suggestion that there is some kind of an agenda against Cook, if this is true why did he give him half an hour and leave Hannah on the bench? Sounds like he did well when he came on and I'd expect he'll be on the bench if not starting on Saturday.

I agree with hagrid. Superb post.

Quoted from 3610

I agree with hagrid. Superb post.

No I agree with Hagrid, and you and Rodley.  Hey maybe not everyone is a doom merchant on here after all

Some people have their heads in the cloud. Second half was urine poor again, story of the last few months since Huddersfield.

Cambridge put 7 past Hyde today, I wonder if we'll do the same?

Not convincing by any means but job done. Have we started with Tounkara and Cook yet? Think it's worth a go with them two after scoring today. Steady enough from McLaughlin covering at left back too so Hurst can put his boots back in the garage.

A bit embarrassing to have three or four grown men arguing over who's taking a penalty.

PS - If you've ever flown Crab Air through Brize Norton and wondered why it's taking an age for your bag to get unloaded it's because the movers are on here whinging about Town being excrement. My advice is do it yourself like I had to last time I came through  

Quoted from RoboCod

Excellent post Rodley. These posters congratulating Cooky on 'showing' Hurst need to have their tea, calm down and think their posts through. Hannah was on the bench but Cook was picked ahead of him. Cook (and I'm only going by the radio) didn't sound like he was having some immense game while the rest of the team were 'dire'...certainly not as good a game as Thursday.
Still, don't want to spoil anyones conspiracy theories...

Cook was impressive when he came on, but someone who isn't getting enough credit is Tounkara who I thought was excellent today. Very good movement and a composed finish for his goal and he also won a penalty using his pace and persistence. With 2 goals in 3 games he must start on Tuesday.

Good to see plenty of posters countering the doom mongers.  If we were rubbish we wouldn't be third.  Probably only need four more points for the play offs.

I feel for the manager and players having to contend with this negativity.

    What team would you put out on Tues . Chris?

It's a shame, given that PH obviously likes a big/little combo upfront, that Jennings and Hannah seem currently to be the two most out of form strikers. If LJL is out I wonder if he might try Cook- Tounkara on Tuesday?

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

I have to say Lew, that your post above sums up why so many of your posts frustrate me. You are entitled to an opinion and that opinion is as valid as everybody elses. However, you can't guarantee it's 'coming again', just as nobody can guarantee we'll win the play offs. Likewise, you label today's performance dire without having witnessed it.

We're clearly not in great form but we're sound defensively, hard to beat, raise our game in big games (see the FA Cup), grind out results and we're good away from home. That's enough to give me some hope. I'd also ask why, if we're so inferior to , say Halifax, that 42 games into the season we have more points than them. Labelling our manager a moron and an idiot and lambasting members of the squad is counter-productive and unfair given where we are in the league and the stage of the season we're at. As for your constant suggestion that there is some kind of an agenda against Cook, if this is true why did he give him half an hour and leave Hannah on the bench? Sounds like he did well when he came on and I'd expect he'll be on the bench if not starting on Saturday.

Pontoonlew seems to have the opposite of rose-tinted glasses --  mogadon-infected contact lenses?  So predictably and relentlessly negative - and - in my opinion, so lacking in balanced football judgement is he, that I've blocked his posts (took a sneaky peek of this one though, so I could make this snarky response).

Cheer up Pontoonlew -- get some proper perspective chum.  Support the team now and then - it can be enjoyable. Honest.

By the way -- I didn't think we were remotely 'dire' today.  We're a pretty good Division 5 team, with an honest bunch of players.

My glass is half full. Third, 5 points clear of sixth. Fine we're spluttering a bit, but the pounding PH is taking is awful and its showing in his interviews. Get behind the boys.
Look at Luton today, it's a nerve wracking time of the season and we need to be positive. PH is on target to take us to our best finish since we got relegated so well done to him.

I've been critical, and still am/intend to be, of Hurst when the need arises but 4 games in 8 days is an extraordinary period of activity. I decided to lay off the management and the team throughout this period and let it sort itself out.
See what Tuesday brings and from then on we need to start finding better form, there's really no reason why a team as talented as this should labour like they do.

On a similar theme to my previous post script: Did John-Lewis board a Malaysian Airlines flight before the game? He was mentioned as starting but obviously didn't.  Other possibilities include him being kidnapped by the boo boys or pontoonlew was distracted by the fishy and put him on the wrong flight.

I am just trying to imagine the meltdown on here had Chester made it 2-2 in the dying moments.  I mean seriously we are 3rd, 2 of our strikers score and it's not good enough.  I understand peoples frustrations, think almost all of us on here remember much better days but we are where we are.  3rd with a very real chance of promotion.  That is pretty good.  Pleased to see excellent responses to the thread though!

LJL ended up sat near the commentary team I think. Quite possibly tapped Tondeur on the shoulder as JT was announcing 'John Lewis picks it up just outside the box...just a minute...it's Tounkara...", or similar situation according to the ET.

Quoted from buckstown

My glass is half full. Third, 5 points clear of sixth. Fine we're spluttering a bit, but the pounding PH is taking is awful and its showing in his interviews. Get behind the boys.
Look at Luton today, it's a nerve wracking time of the season and we need to be positive. PH is on target to take us to our best finish since we got relegated so well done to him.

It all boils down to whether the players want promotion, or are they just as happy playing in the lower Leagues earning a regular easy weekly pay packet.

I agree that PH and the team needs the support from the fans that they can get. Todays win wasn`t pretty , but it WAS a win.!!

Town can, will self belief and the support of the fans get to Wembley, win the Cup and get back into the League.

Quoted from LH

Not convincing by any means but job done. Have we started with Tounkara and Cook yet? Think it's worth a go with them two after scoring today.

Not sure why Jennings wasn't taken off rather than tounkara. Would have given the opportunity to see cook and tounkara together.....might be a good combination....

I make it 16 points from a possible 21 from a very busy/testing looking past 2 weeks..........how can anyone complain?

IF we do make it in the play-offs then its decided on the performances on those days and I really do believe that this side will be able to click it up a gear when it's needed and can compete with anyone, no team is a shoe in to win the play-offs IMO

Have to say, after seeing town a few times recently, on the positive side we are grinding out results, but performance wise we are very very poor.  Granted their goal was a fluke and it would have been another clean sheet but we look a very poor team compared to last year.

Watching us today reminded me a lot of the way we played in the play offs last year, which in truth was just about the worst I had seen us play.

I just hope we turn it around but think it would be a massive ask for us to beat Cambridge or indeed a number of the other form teams who may get there.

On a separate note I can only assume that Hurst left Jennings on as long as he did today in the hope he scored and gained confidence as I would had him off at half time, very surprising how poor he was to be honest.

Quoted from LongEatonMariner

No I agree with Hagrid, and you and Rodley.  Hey maybe not everyone is a doom merchant on here after all

I agree with lew and I did go today..

Does that make me a doom merchant?

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

I have to say Lew, that your post above sums up why so many of your posts frustrate me. You are entitled to an opinion and that opinion is as valid as everybody elses. However, you can't guarantee it's 'coming again', just as nobody can guarantee we'll win the play offs. Likewise, you label today's performance dire without having witnessed it.

We're clearly not in great form but we're sound defensively, hard to beat, raise our game in big games (see the FA Cup), grind out results and we're good away from home. That's enough to give me some hope. I'd also ask why, if we're so inferior to , say Halifax, that 42 games into the season we have more points than them. Labelling our manager a moron and an idiot and lambasting members of the squad is counter-productive and unfair given where we are in the league and the stage of the season we're at. As for your constant suggestion that there is some kind of an agenda against Cook, if this is true why did he give him half an hour and leave Hannah on the bench? Sounds like he did well when he came on and I'd expect he'll be on the bench if not starting on Saturday.

My point is that we went over all of these points last season and we wound up getting embarrassed in the play-offs. I nor anybody else want to feel that again at the end of this month, we just seem to be sweeping it under the carpet and coming up with the same cliches. If I didn't care about the eventual out come or was overly negative I wouldn't be posting any of this.

We're simply boring as hell to watch, we have been for about a year now. We failed last season after we just dribbled into the play-offs, playing poorly but grinding them out. 'Sign of a good team' they said, 'play-offs is a lottery' they said. I have to say I disagree with both, we haven't earnt the right to say playing badly is the sign of a good team because we don't play well enough throughout the season. I sit and see the budgets we all have in this league and see how exciting some of the teams around us are to watch and just think why do we look so far off on the pitch?

We've scored the least goals in the top 5 and barely have the defensive record to back that up as we rank 3rd amongst the top 5. Out of the teams who occupy the play-offs, we have the worst form in the last 10 games. We've got 2 wins against the top 5 this season and have the second lowest points tally against the top 5 with 7 points. So I'm not entirely sure where people get the idea that we beat these teams or play better against them comes from, 2 wins and a draw from 7 games against the top sides isn't great form.

Onto Hurst and the Cook situation. If everything had gone to plan today, Andy Cook wouldn't had been in the squad. The reason for that? Can you give me an honest reason why Cook deserved that? Our top scorer last season, the Non League young player of the year who has been given no chances of a proper run to show what he can do. He's given half a chance at Dartford and plays well, better than Tonk and Hannah and gets MOM. Today he was lucky to get on the bench at the last minute, he then goes on to get a goal and play very well. Is Hurst supposed to pretend that he's engineered that? Cook came on ahead of Hannah because Tonk was shattered and he insists on playing a big man and a little man, no matter what happens it HAS to be that. He's destroyed Cook this season, other players have been given countless chances no matter how the play yet Cook can't even get in the squad 2 days after being the MOM.

As I've said before, I say this because I care very much about how we do. I just do not see how we can justify that we're in any position to give the play-offs a real crack. We're tough to beat prehaps, but when push comes to shove I don't personally believe we can play so poorly and think we can go on and win the play-offs. It's not me wanting to be negative, I can just see striking similarities between this side and the one which let us down so badly last season.

I'll be there on Tuesday, showing support as I always do whenever I go to the games. My views on here do not affect my willingness to drive the team on when I go, in the hope that at some point we turn it around and kick on. Because we do have the squad for it, but for me i'm not seeing the signs that we're going to do it, which is frustrating.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

I agree with lew and I did go today..

Does that make me a doom merchant?

Pretty much  

Quoted from barralad

Pretty much  

Because who says?

You and some others..

Nah.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Because who says?

You and some others..

Nah.

It doesn't matter that much to me. I just don't understand how someone who wasn't at the match Lew) can have a view on the performances of the players and expect to be taken seriously....especially when the commentary was being given by someone who had a player down who wasn't on the pitch!

Quoted from barralad

It doesn't matter that much to me. I just don't understand how someone who wasn't at the match Lew) can have a view on the performances of the players and expect to be taken seriously....especially when the commentary was being given by someone who had a player down who wasn't on the pitch!

Fair point.

I thought today we were just about above average.

And re the cook goal he could seriously not miss,  it was as easy as they come after neilson did all the hard work.

I just struggle since cambridge away to think were we have played well to convince me and others that if we get in the playoffs that we have that performance in us to do it..

For me its deja vu from last season with a not as strong defence.

I do of course want us to do it I really do..

Agree with lew if we are lucky enough to get out this league then we would have to be one of the poorest teams ever to gain promotion to the football league, and would surely be one of the favourites for relegation.
It's just one stuttering performance after another I also agree with a previous poster I've seen most of the home games and there isn't one league game that stands out were we have totally dominated and looked a class above, hope I eat my words but from what I've seen nowhere near good enough and we won't get promoted.

Absolutely spot on Lew. I urge everyone who hasn't read it to read the Geoff Ford column in Friday's ET. An excellent article by a Town fan. He sums things up just so correctly.

Absolutely spot on Lew. I urge everyone who hasn't read it to read the Geoff Ford column in Friday's ET. An excellent article by a Town fan. He sums things up just so correctly.

Quoted from pontoonlew

My point is that we went over all of these points last season and we wound up getting embarrassed in the play-offs. I nor anybody else want to feel that again at the end of this month, we just seem to be sweeping it under the carpet and coming up with the same cliches. If I didn't care about the eventual out come or was overly negative I wouldn't be posting any of this.

We're simply boring as hell to watch, we have been for about a year now. We failed last season after we just dribbled into the play-offs, playing poorly but grinding them out. 'Sign of a good team' they said, 'play-offs is a lottery' they said. I have to say I disagree with both, we haven't earnt the right to say playing badly is the sign of a good team because we don't play well enough throughout the season. I sit and see the budgets we all have in this league and see how exciting some of the teams around us are to watch and just think why do we look so far off on the pitch?

We've scored the least goals in the top 5 and barely have the defensive record to back that up as we rank 3rd amongst the top 5. Out of the teams who occupy the play-offs, we have the worst form in the last 10 games. We've got 2 wins against the top 5 this season and have the second lowest points tally against the top 5 with 7 points. So I'm not entirely sure where people get the idea that we beat these teams or play better against them comes from, 2 wins and a draw from 7 games against the top sides isn't great form.

Onto Hurst and the Cook situation. If everything had gone to plan today, Andy Cook wouldn't had been in the squad. The reason for that? Can you give me an honest reason why Cook deserved that? Our top scorer last season, the Non League young player of the year who has been given no chances of a proper run to show what he can do. He's given half a chance at Dartford and plays well, better than Tonk and Hannah and gets MOM. Today he was lucky to get on the bench at the last minute, he then goes on to get a goal and play very well. Is Hurst supposed to pretend that he's engineered that? Cook came on ahead of Hannah because Tonk was shattered and he insists on playing a big man and a little man, no matter what happens it HAS to be that. He's destroyed Cook this season, other players have been given countless chances no matter how the play yet Cook can't even get in the squad 2 days after being the MOM.

As I've said before, I say this because I care very much about how we do. I just do not see how we can justify that we're in any position to give the play-offs a real crack. We're tough to beat prehaps, but when push comes to shove I don't personally believe we can play so poorly and think we can go on and win the play-offs. It's not me wanting to be negative, I can just see striking similarities between this side and the one which let us down so badly last season.

I'll be there on Tuesday, showing support as I always do whenever I go to the games. My views on here do not affect my willingness to drive the team on when I go, in the hope that at some point we turn it around and kick on. Because we do have the squad for it, but for me i'm not seeing the signs that we're going to do it, which is frustrating.

Good post IMO lew because were making hard work of it aren't we?

Glad we got the win but even LJL wouldn't have missed that chance today, and all credit to Scott for the brilliant run to put it on a plate for Cook .

Quoted from StiggsGTFC

Not sure why Jennings wasn't taken off rather than tounkara. Would have given the opportunity to see cook and tounkara together.....might be a good combination....

That's my thinking to. It's well worth a try.Quite impressed with Cook when he came on today.Also he was very unlucky not to score last thursday night.  I've liked Tonka when ever he has played.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

I agree with lew and I did go today..

Does that make me a doom merchant?

No, It makes you his best mate  

Quoted from Grimal

That's my thinking to. It's well worth a try.Quite impressed with Cook when he came on today.Also he was very unlucky not to score last thursday night.  I've liked Tonka when ever he has played.

Cook and Tonka was played on Thursday, would still give them another go as I felt there was promise there I felt that too often they were occupying the same areas and did not run off each other enough for me.

While people may feel we are poor, poorest team to go up if we do it?  I think not, we are hardly flying at the minute but at this level it is all about getting out of it, judging by some of the posts on here we are playing worse now then when we finished 11th and lost 14 times! Does anyone really think that this leagues has got that much worse that in 3 years we ae 11 points better off with 4 games left to play?

Quoted from Grimal

No, It makes you his best mate  

Well also a season ticket holder never met Lew but agree entirely with him but just one point we did play well at home to Kidderminster and I enjoyed game against Woking. However, for much of the rest it has been woeful and hence some of our more constructive posts on other threds on some actions which PH could take which would demonstrate he is developing as a coach, which is something we all want.

Quoted from Caesar

Cook and Tonka was played on Thursday, would still give them another go as I felt there was promise there I felt that too often they were occupying the same areas and did not run off each other enough for me.

While people may feel we are poor, poorest team to go up if we do it?  I think not, we are hardly flying at the minute but at this level it is all about getting out of it, judging by some of the posts on here we are playing worse now then when we finished 11th and lost 14 times! Does anyone really think that this leagues has got that much worse that in 3 years we ae 11 points better off with 4 games left to play?

As someone who hasn't missed a home game this season I can tell you that we've been poor for the most parts of this season, so no we're not really flying at the minute and haven't been since Christmas , but as I've just said on another post, we're making hard work of it IMO.

Three points is all that matters at the moment. Playoffs when we get there and we will are like cup finals. I have no worries whatsoever.

Rodley is right - negativity will only hurt our chances when we are so close to making the play-offs. Having said that though, the question at the back of my mind is this - are we good enough to beat a Cambridge side that has got its mojo back? That's the yardstick, they must be form favourites to go up. At some stage we would almost certainly have to play them and beating them means turning chances into goals. And by the look of things the other sides won't be pushovers either.

Quoted from KK_DOG

Three points is all that matters at the moment. Playoffs when we get there and we will are like cup finals. I have no worries whatsoever.

Let's hope your right then  

One Nill will do though.

Quoted from ackomariner

As someone who hasn't missed a home game this season I can tell you that we've been poor for the most parts of this season, so no we're not really flying at the minute and haven't been since Christmas , but as I've just said on another post, we're making hard work of it IMO.

I can agree with that then and say we have never been flying this season, but my point is suggesting that it will be a miracle if we go up and if we do we are the poorest team ever to do it is extreme.  This league is a tough one as we can see by how much teams relegated from league 2 sturggle but if we finish 3rd we have improved on last year and massess on the two years previous to that.  I cannot believe that the quality of the confernce has decreased that much, if we get promoted (and I agree we will have to improve and are not favourites) we will be as good as any other team to have gone up via the playoffs, ie. as good as is necessary.  

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Rodley is right - negativity will only hurt our chances when we are so close to making the play-offs. Having said that though, the question at the back of my mind is this - are we good enough to beat a Cambridge side that has got its mojo back? That's the yardstick, they must be form favourites to go up. At some stage we would almost certainly have to play them and beating them means turning chances into goals. And by the look of things the other sides won't be pushovers either.

Who knows whether we would play Cambridge or not though?

Assuming they finish up runners-up then unless we drop to 5th place there are no guarantees we would have to meet them
as we'd be in a 3rd v 4th tie and it is absolutely not a given that they'd beat whoever they do face in the semis

In reply to the O.P ...we did not play that bad today, certainly engineered more chances than of late, first half saw plenty created but wayward shots and some over elaborate interplay our downfall.
Second half was the difference, they made changes at half time and took the momentum, and this is my current gripe with Hurst, slow to make substitutions when we slow down or lose momentum, perhaps this is as a result of not having an assistant to maybe chirp into his ear a bit.
We just dont have a Plan B.,thats my worry.

Quoted from jonnyboy82

I agree with lew and I did go today..

Does that make me a doom merchant?

Not necessarily, and if you are so be it. I just like a bit of balance and I get the feeling there is a bit of negativity when there doesn't need to be.

We could be playing better / worse, we could be scoring more / less, our league position could be better / worse.

It still pains me to say it but we are currently non league & we can't expect to knock it about like we did in the days of championship footy.

Let's hope this season is a big step to getting closer to those days.

UTM

[url]http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/grimsby-town-2-chester-fc-6981735[/url]

Quoted from mariner83

[url]http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/grimsby-town-2-chester-fc-6981735[/url]

That report seems to say for the first hour we were far superior, and dare I type it, good?  Granted the writer will have been watching Chester all season tho!

Quoted from mariner83

[url]http://www.chesterchronicle.co.uk/sport/football/match-reports/grimsby-town-2-chester-fc-6981735[/url]

Reading that you'd almost believe that Town were the better side on the day and deserved their win....

Quoted from pontoonlew

My point is that we went over all of these points last season and we wound up getting embarrassed in the play-offs. I nor anybody else want to feel that again at the end of this month, we just seem to be sweeping it under the carpet and coming up with the same cliches. If I didn't care about the eventual out come or was overly negative I wouldn't be posting any of this.

We're simply boring as hell to watch, we have been for about a year now. We failed last season after we just dribbled into the play-offs, playing poorly but grinding them out. 'Sign of a good team' they said, 'play-offs is a lottery' they said. I have to say I disagree with both, we haven't earnt the right to say playing badly is the sign of a good team because we don't play well enough throughout the season. I sit and see the budgets we all have in this league and see how exciting some of the teams around us are to watch and just think why do we look so far off on the pitch?

We've scored the least goals in the top 5 and barely have the defensive record to back that up as we rank 3rd amongst the top 5. Out of the teams who occupy the play-offs, we have the worst form in the last 10 games. We've got 2 wins against the top 5 this season and have the second lowest points tally against the top 5 with 7 points. So I'm not entirely sure where people get the idea that we beat these teams or play better against them comes from, 2 wins and a draw from 7 games against the top sides isn't great form.

Onto Hurst and the Cook situation. If everything had gone to plan today, Andy Cook wouldn't had been in the squad. The reason for that? Can you give me an honest reason why Cook deserved that? Our top scorer last season, the Non League young player of the year who has been given no chances of a proper run to show what he can do. He's given half a chance at Dartford and plays well, better than Tonk and Hannah and gets MOM. Today he was lucky to get on the bench at the last minute, he then goes on to get a goal and play very well. Is Hurst supposed to pretend that he's engineered that? Cook came on ahead of Hannah because Tonk was shattered and he insists on playing a big man and a little man, no matter what happens it HAS to be that. He's destroyed Cook this season, other players have been given countless chances no matter how the play yet Cook can't even get in the squad 2 days after being the MOM.

As I've said before, I say this because I care very much about how we do. I just do not see how we can justify that we're in any position to give the play-offs a real crack. We're tough to beat prehaps, but when push comes to shove I don't personally believe we can play so poorly and think we can go on and win the play-offs. It's not me wanting to be negative, I can just see striking similarities between this side and the one which let us down so badly last season.

I'll be there on Tuesday, showing support as I always do whenever I go to the games. My views on here do not affect my willingness to drive the team on when I go, in the hope that at some point we turn it around and kick on. Because we do have the squad for it, but for me i'm not seeing the signs that we're going to do it, which is frustrating.

Point taken but we (and our other play off rivals) also have better form in the last 10 games than the team that will go up as champions

Form going in to the play offs whilst good for confidence means not a lot really if you consider Kidderminster's push at the same time last season

I may not be 100% sure of how we'll fare if / when we get in to the play offs but who's to say we can't pull out three 1-0 wins and go on to get promoted?

Until we're in the thick of it, then it's all speculation as to what will happen

A point worth making also is that Nuneaton (who were in the play offs when we beat them) have now sunk as low as 13th - the past few weeks could have been much worse despite not being convincing.

The main thing is we look solid again defensively, and three consecutive clean sheets as we had a couple of weeks ago could well be all we need if we can nick one at the other end - look at Newport last season, they never convinced me but they made it through the play offs somehow!

I didn't think we were anywhere near as bad as people are making out. For large parts of the game we were on the front foot and it was nice to see us playing more to feet. There was some quite good intricate football at times and we could have easily have scored at least another two. The back four was fine (paddy did especially well at left back), Kerr played better than I've seen him do for a while, Rodman and Neilson also worked hard and looked threatening going forward, Jennings links the play very well (very rarely loses the ball and sprays the ball about very well) however he's coming to deep and does look short in confidence in front of goal. Tonka also played pretty well, as did cook and than on when they came on. I can't get my head around people being so negative.

Some good points made by both sides of the argument here.  Most important thing is that we don't start falling out at this stage of the season!

I wasn't at the game today (because of work) but have been reliably informed that we won without playing particularly well, which sounds very similar to the majority of our games in 2014.  While it's good that we are third and look like making the play-offs, we don't seem to be learning the lessons of last season's failure.

We don't seem confident enough to dispatch teams at home when we really should be beating them and have gifted away silly points in the process.  The quality in the squad is there but it's not be utilised very well. PH is starting to be appear weak to me recently, made worse by the fact that he sounded like he was going to burst into tears in Tuesday's post-match press conference.  However, he was part of a management team that has built a good squad that is capable of succeeding at this level, and I still have faith in him to be the man to fire us back up.

I think that we all badly want Town to succeed and any criticism we make comes from our desire to see Town back in the Football League, as long as it's constructive criticism.  Although I didn't hear any booing on Tuesday, booing a player before he steps up to take a crucial pen is not good.  I will be at the game on Tuesday and will be there again if we make the play-offs, in much hope of Town picking up form and eventually being successful.  Also, where has the atmosphere gone in home games?

Desperately hope we bring our A game with us on Tuesday, we really owe
Halifax one!

I don't believe this side is not good enough for L2 (we beat two L2 clubs in the FA Cup this season) but even if they aren't there's nothing to stop us changing most of the squad next year as nearly all the team are out of contract anyway. Let's worry about what happens next season when it comes around.

3 points at this stage of the season is job done. In football you get 3 points regardless of how you win. There are no bonus points as there are in other sports. We are obviously hard to beat (Woking thought they'd done it twice and they were wrong). Only 1 team has beaten us by more than one goal next season and we're playing them next.

We're doing well. Wake up if you think we're not!

All eleven players today worked their socks off for a deserved win which could have been by four goals had the chances offered been taken, I thought Paddy was my MOM considering he was playing out of position.
Looking forward to a win against Halifax and into the mix of the playoffs

All eleven players today worked their socks off for a deserved win which could have been by four goals had the chances offered been taken, I thought Paddy was my MOM considering he was playing out of position.
Looking forward to a win against Halifax and into the mix of the playoffs

Quoted from GrimRob

I don't believe this side is not good enough for L2 (we beat two L2 clubs in the FA Cup this season) but even if they aren't there's nothing to stop us changing most of the squad next year as nearly all the team are out of contract anyway. Let's worry about what happens next season when it comes around.

3 points at this stage of the season is job done. In football you get 3 points regardless of how you win. There are no bonus points as there are in other sports. We are obviously hard to beat (Woking thought they'd done it twice and they were wrong). Only 1 team has beaten us by more than one goal next season and we're playing them next.

We're doing well. Wake up if you think we're not!

Rob with due respect I think as one of PH's critics I can say that overall I am happy to be in third place, would like to be higher but thats life, however, I think most of us feel there are opportunities with the players in the squad to improve the quality of our play e.g. Treatment of Cook (no further comment as discussed to death) but more recently Thanoj and Paddy whose exclusion has been surprising given the form of Kerr and Dis, and as I said after Tuesday if not included why are they not brought on earlier when our midfleld clearly tires?

Thanoj in particular would benefit from being told that subject to injury you will now be playing until the end of the season. He is a creative player but if you are under constant pressure about your place are you always going to play the safe pass instead of the braver option which may create a goal.

I accept this is a new challenge for PH working alone and I believe a number of us would have expected that he would have learned from some of the mistakes made previously both with and without RS. It is as though he is the perfect coach for away fixtures but cannot handle the pressure brought about by expectations when playing at home, and with the exception of this years cup games, this has normally been when we have larger home crowds.

We all want success its just that some of us believe this can be achieved with a more positive style of play.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I'm inclined to agree. I'm sick of this 'we got the result' because eventually that attitude will catch up with you and bite you on the bottom hard against good sides. See Newport last season, it's coming again I can guarantee you.

Anybody fancy naming me 5 occasions this season where we're comfortably outplayed a team and played like Champions? Anybody want to even give me 3 occasions? We are simply not good enough to go up and it's sad people are missing that. Chester we're horrific today, I bet Hyde were just as bad against Cambridge and Barnet against Halifax. The difference in results between the 3 sides tells you all you are going to need to know. In fact the fact Andy Cook was dropped from the entire squad today yet comes on to be arguably our best player in a 20 min spell tells you exactly what you need to know about Hursts ability as a manager.

Did you even go today?  

Quoted from Caesar

Cook and Tonka was played on Thursday, would still give them another go as I felt there was promise there I felt that too often they were occupying the same areas and did not run off each other enough for me.

While people may feel we are poor, poorest team to go up if we do it?  I think not, we are hardly flying at the minute but at this level it is all about getting out of it, judging by some of the posts on here we are playing worse now then when we finished 11th and lost 14 times! Does anyone really think that this leagues has got that much worse that in 3 years we ae 11 points better off with 4 games left to play?

We were far far better when we finished 11th. We had a terrible start but for afew months we were playing the best football I've seen under s&h. If it wasn't for the bad start (first season under them) we would have cruised into the playoffs. That was a harder league that year as well surely
That's about the best thing we've got going for us - were not very good.... but then neither is anybody else!
Anyway its about time everyone got behind the team now. Last push, what's the worst that could happen?!

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Rob with due respect I think as one of PH's critics I can say that overall I am happy to be in third place, would like to be higher but thats life, however, I think most of us feel there are opportunities with the players in the squad to improve the quality of our play e.g. Treatment of Cook (no further comment as discussed to death) but more recently Thanoj and Paddy whose exclusion has been surprising given the form of Kerr and Dis, and as I said after Tuesday if not included why are they not brought on earlier when our midfleld clearly tires?

Thanoj in particular would benefit from being told that subject to injury you will now be playing until the end of the season. He is a creative player but if you are under constant pressure about your place are you always going to play the safe pass instead of the braver option which may create a goal.

I accept this is a new challenge for PH working alone and I believe a number of us would have expected that he would have learned from some of the mistakes made previously both with and without RS. It is as though he is the perfect coach for away fixtures but cannot handle the pressure brought about by expectations when playing at home, and with the exception of this years cup games, this has normally been when we have larger home crowds.

We all want success its just that some of us believe this can be achieved with a more positive style of play.

Excellent post.

Quoted from Alfie

Did you even go today?  

no I don't think he did....

Quoted from Alfie

Did you even go today?  

Because I didn't go to a game I'm not allowed my opinion on the current affairs on the club? I think after 15 years of going to almost every home game, having happily said I've always vocally supported us throughout that, I'm entitled to an opinion. I travel hundreds of miles to go to games so when it's poor and as negative as it has been it's more of a bitter pill to swallow.

You may not agree with it but I'm sick of people on this board ganging up against people who have different views. I think a lot of people are naive as to how we're doing and I believe I could have a point. But anybody who doesn't share that opinion I'll have an honest debate with. Unfortunately some like to turn it into a flipping gentlemens club and jump on people who go against popular opinion.

I can't quite believe what I'm reading on here tonight. We won and I thought we played some excellent football at times today. If we don't play well in the playoffs and win then job done. Job done today.

Quoted from nightrider

We were far far better when we finished 11th. We had a terrible start but for afew months we were playing the best football I've seen under s&h. If it wasn't for the bad start (first season under them) we would have cruised into the playoffs. That was a harder league that year as well surely
That's about the best thing we've got going for us - were not very good.... but then neither is anybody else!
Anyway its about time everyone got behind the team now. Last push, what's the worst that could happen?!

When Woods was the manager we scored 7 against Mansfield then 6 away to Histon,

BUT

What happened after that ?

We are in a good position at the moment,

So lets get behind the team and hope we can do it this season.

I really do not understand the mentality of some posters on this thread.  Did we lose?  NO.  I just do not know what the team has to do to please some people.  I think this season is our best chance to get out of this league, and all people can do is criticize anything and everything.

Quoted from Tangerine Chris

I really do not understand the mentality of some posters on this thread.  Did we lose?  NO.  I just do not know what the team has to do to please some people.  I think this season is our best chance to get out of this league, and all people can do is criticize anything and everything.

You're not the only one, I think the majority seem to be sensible but there seems to be quite a few on here who were happier winning the odd game by a few goals and then losing 3 others, finishing in mid-table nothingness rather than being in 3rd with a very real chance of promoition.  

Also the way it is being described on here you get the image we play route one all the time and nothing else.  I will admit I cannot see us every week but when I have seen us we play what I would call very average football.  We occassionally play some very nice stuff, we occassionally just boot it but mostly we play with a little bit of quality without being scintaliting.  It is not football we were spoilt with in the Buckley eras but in my opinion it is better than the effective but dull Slade.

Caesar , the last sentence sums it all up . We were spoilt with ABs football , what we have now is light years away from that  . Sad thing is the squad we have aren't clever enough and our manager either knows this or he's too defencive in his thinking  . It's not sexy football to watch , I find it uninspiring . However it's still my team and I wouldn't change it for the world .

Quoted from pontoonlew

Because I didn't go to a game I'm not allowed my opinion on the current affairs on the club? I think after 15 years of going to almost every home game, having happily said I've always vocally supported us throughout that, I'm entitled to an opinion. I travel hundreds of miles to go to games so when it's poor and as negative as it has been it's more of a bitter pill to swallow.

You may not agree with it but I'm sick of people on this board ganging up against people who have different views. I think a lot of people are naive as to how we're doing and I believe I could have a point. But anybody who doesn't share that opinion I'll have an honest debate with. Unfortunately some like to turn it into a flipping gentlemens club and jump on people who go against popular opinion.

The thing is Lew, freedom of speech is a two way street. You are quite entitled to your opinion but equally so are those including myself who wish to take issue with what you have to say. I cannot find anything to agree with in your dystopian view of the way things are at Blundell Park at the moment and as long as I am a regular contributor to this discussion board I will continue to say so. Get over it...

Quoted from pontoonlew

Because I didn't go to a game I'm not allowed my opinion on the current affairs on the club? I think after 15 years of going to almost every home game, having happily said I've always vocally supported us throughout that, I'm entitled to an opinion. I travel hundreds of miles to go to games so when it's poor and as negative as it has been it's more of a bitter pill to swallow.

You may not agree with it but I'm sick of people on this board ganging up against people who have different views. I think a lot of people are naive as to how we're doing and I believe I could have a point. But anybody who doesn't share that opinion I'll have an honest debate with. Unfortunately some like to turn it into a flipping gentlemens club and jump on people who go against popular opinion.

People don't just go against you because you go against public opinion.

People actually try and have an honest debate with you, follow up on the majority of stuff you post and highlight how the majority of it is absolute crap. A bit like when Rodley stated all those quotes of yours. You then go quiet and repeat the same arguments the following day. You are a broken record.

You have a point that we could be playing better- but let's face it so could most teams. And quite frankly, we can't change the players that we have at this time of the season so this is what we have. On our day we can beat anyone and gain promotion this year. That is the aim so just back the boys till the end of the season. Stop worrying your little heart out about stuff that may not happen!

And for those that are worried about being the worst team to gain promotion- who cares! It will mean we are less likely to bust and that's all that matters.

I honestly am in shock that anybody on this board can say that yesterday was a 'good performance'.

It was WOEFUL!!

Nobody wants to be saying this, but it was just so so bad and we were playing 19th in the table!!

Was our season objective not to reach the play offs and hopefully go up? Are we not meeting that objective at present?

Yes we are, some will moan about how we've been playing recently, others won't. Having only ever seen York play football and go up and the others, Luton includes just play a high tempo counter attacking game we an safely say that what is needed to get out of this league is effective football, not pretty passing or indeed big boot, a style that wins games and clearly we can do that, look at our away form.

There will be lots of sides that play excellent football all over Europe in many different leagues that will end their seasons with nothing and will have gone no where.

Football is about opinions, they will differ but surely at this stage we all just need to support our club that is on track to meet its objective instead of getting on their backs and moaning time after time...

Quoted from Sconeboy

I honestly am in shock that anybody on this board can say that yesterday was a 'good performance'.

It was WOEFUL!!

Nobody wants to be saying this, but it was just so so bad and we were playing 19th in the table!!

Oh, cheer the intercourse up. I don't think anyone is saying it was a GOOD performance yesterday but we're still 3rd in the table with a bit of a cushion.

If we do go up (and we still have a decent chance of that) then all the moaning will look a bit stupid, but if we don't then you can moan to your hearts content. As it is we have 4 games left to clinch that play-off spot, so lets just back the team can we rather than all this sniping and bitching.

The so-called 'moaners' on here want nothing but the best for this club, especially promotion to the football league, so get off their backs.

What they see is such consistently poor performances that they realise that promotion is extremely unlikely unless things change and there are a lot of fans who share that view.

All views and opinions are valid and if you don't share them, tough. Deal with it.


UTM

Quoted from Bradford Mariner

The so-called 'moaners' on here want nothing but the best for this club, especially promotion to the football league, so get off their backs.

Is this sentence deliberately ironic?
If your argument is that people have the right to moan then it does seem a tad inconsistent to demand that others get off their backs!

Quoted from Caesar

I can agree with that then and say we have never been flying this season, but my point is suggesting that it will be a miracle if we go up and if we do we are the poorest team ever to do it is extreme.  This league is a tough one as we can see by how much teams relegated from league 2 sturggle but if we finish 3rd we have improved on last year and massess on the two years previous to that.  I cannot believe that the quality of the confernce has decreased that much, if we get promoted (and I agree we will have to improve and are not favourites) we will be as good as any other team to have gone up via the playoffs, ie. as good as is necessary.  

The quality of the teams in the Conference has improved every year since automatic promotion was introduced. This isn't to say that the quality of the football has improved that much though. Every season two teams are relegated to the Conference and the majority have been established Football League teams. The Conference has gone from a virtually total semi-professional league to a predominantly professional one. Most seasons there seems to be a team like Crawley or Fleetwood who invest heavily on the gamble that they will get promoted but this isn't guarenteed. FGR are an example of a lot of investment last season with no promotion and not being able to sustain that this season.If we go up this season I can imagine there will be a lot of changes in playing staff - some not being good enough for league football and some just wanting away , like Hatton. I'm sure PH is totally aware of who he thinks he will need next season if we are promoted. I think it is foolish for us fans to look at this squad and think we won't be good enough to survive in the Football League when the odds are that the squad will be completely different when the new season starts.

Can I just say that I would be unbelievably happy if we were the worst team ever to get promoted out of this league, and it happened this year.

I think the major concerns of those labelled as moaners is the fact that potential is not being transformed into performances on the pitch. We have a good budget, a solid squad that is reasonably balanced but the managers obsession with collecting strikers and then swapping and changing (all bar one ) , dubious subs ( good job Nielsen was kept on for once yesterday ) and a apparent acceptance of these "just enough" performances causes questions to be asked. He does nothing to put these right, we should have spanked Chester by three or four. The pen was a disaster and he openly admits in his post match interview that he doesn't name a penalty taker before the kick off thus the scenes of  Tonks, Hatton and Nielsen arguing who was going to take it. That's poor, he even said post match that he would have had Hatton take it, well your the manger, sort it out FFS!

I don't think its wrong to ask for more considering PH has been here a little while (in modern manager terms) and seems to be making similar mistakes to last season, has he learnt anything from our dismal performances against Newport ?

We all want promotion but are we really giving ourselves the best possible chance going into the playoffs at the moment?

UTM

Problem we have is we rely on the opposition not scoring, if they do then it seems pretty much a lottery of how many points we get from the game. There are a few good attacking teams in this league that score plenty of goals, we will struggle to beat them by scoring just 1 from the meagre 4 or 5 chances we create in a game, and unfortunately we play 2 of these teams before the end of the season and will most likely meet one of them at some point in the play offs.

Quoted from Madeleymariner

Problem we have is we rely on the opposition not scoring, if they do then it seems pretty much a lottery of how many points we get from the game. There are a few good attacking teams in this league that score plenty of goals, we will struggle to beat them by scoring just 1 from the meagre 4 or 5 chances we create in a game, and unfortunately we play 2 of these teams before the end of the season and will most likely meet one of them at some point in the play offs.

This, this this.

In a previous post, I think it was Les, it was mentioned that very few teams get promoted playing pretty football. AB2 was An exception but even he knew that you had to have a very solid defence to go up. Davison kept a record number of clean sheets that year. Over recent weeks we've become tighter at the back and have collected a decent points tally.
Sladeball was similar in that it relied on percentage football and at times was dull as ditchwater. It was again effective though and but for his disgraceful actions at the end of that season, we'd have gone up then too. Point I'm making is that there are many ways to skin a cat, and this team show a number of characteristics that could get us promoted. I just hope to god they pull it off. Suggest BP is made to be a febrile couldron on Tuesday night, though this will be difficult with the number of moaners and chunterers out there. But just remember what a huge game it is for us and get down there with your energy focused on urging the team to win rather than worrying that they are not playing tika-taka football.

It is time some people came to terms with the fact that we are in The Conference and not the Championship. I know it is not always great but we are where we are with a good chance of getting back into League Football something everyone would have been happy with prior to the season starting, so get down to BP on Tues and support the team in a positive way.

Quoted from Bradford Mariner

The so-called 'moaners' on here want nothing but the best for this club, especially promotion to the football league, so get off their backs.

What they see is such consistently poor performances that they realise that promotion is extremely unlikely unless things change and there are a lot of fans who share that view.

All views and opinions are valid and if you don't share them, tough. Deal with it.


UTM

Thanks for the permission to deal with it.


I'm "dealing with it" in my own way which is to post counter arguments. That is unless of course your expertise extends past your own peculiar brand of inspirational support into telling others how and what to think.

A simple question:- Do you believe that by being consistently negative you are actually helping the situation?

Quoted from Sconeboy

I honestly am in shock that anybody on this board can say that yesterday was a 'good performance'.

It was WOEFUL!!

Nobody wants to be saying this, but it was just so so bad and we were playing 19th in the table!!

Have a lie down dear!

Quoted from barralad

Thanks for the permission to deal with it.


I'm "dealing with it" in my own way which is to post counter arguments. That is unless of course your expertise extends past your own peculiar brand of inspirational support into telling others how and what to think.

A simple question:- Do you believe that by being consistently negative you are actually helping the situation?

Yes I do believe that people posting comments which don't necessarily conform with others views are both helpful and appropriate. Just because they don't coincide with the your view and that of others doesn't make them negative. In fact, they just might be more realistic.

For example, I don't think we'll get promoted this season because I don't believe we're good enough, often enough. This might not be a view shared by many other supporters but I haven't got a problem with that.

At the end of the day, we all want the same thing for this club, we just have different ways of expresssing it.


UTM

Quoted from oldun

It is time some people came to terms with the fact that we are in The Conference and not the Championship.

With the greatest of respect to those with a more pessimistic view of things than either you or I, the time for that was nearly four years ago.

Yesterday's performance was not woeful. For half an hour or so, we were excellent and we should have been at least a couple of goals up. After that, I will readily accept it wasn't great, but we got the points and, at this stage of the season more than any other, that is what matters most of all.

I find the negativity of many of my fellow Mariners, on this forum and elsewhere, deeply frustrating. Having perhaps overachieved last season, a playoff place was my minimum requirement at the start of the season. We are on course to achieve that. We might want to see more attractive football, but surely we all want to see effective, successful, WINNING football. Don't we?

Quoted from Bradford Mariner

Yes I do believe that people posting comments which don't necessarily conform with others views are both helpful and appropriate. Just because they don't coincide with the your view and that of others doesn't make them negative. In fact, they just might be more realistic.

For example, I don't think we'll get promoted this season because I don't believe we're good enough, often enough. This might not be a view shared by many other supporters but I haven't got a problem with that.

At the end of the day, we all want the same thing for this club, we just have different ways of expresssing it.


UTM

I confess to being intrigued. I was hoping that you would go on to explain exactly "how" your negativity is helping. Failing that a little bit of explanation as to why you think we are "not good enough-often enough".

Some people are living in a comic book land where their team play this marvellous attacking football-pressure doesn't exist and we rampage over the opposition who are after all only there to make up the numbers.
Ultimately you may well be proved right. That will be the time to "enjoy" your "I told you so" moment. Let's hope you are wrong.

Quoted from EY Mariner

With the greatest of respect to those with a more pessimistic view of things than either you or I, the time for that was nearly four years ago.

Yesterday's performance was not woeful. For half an hour or so, we were excellent and we should have been at least a couple of goals up. After that, I will readily accept it wasn't great, but we got the points and, at this stage of the season more than any other, that is what matters most of all.

I find the negativity of many of my fellow Mariners, on this forum and elsewhere, deeply frustrating. Having perhaps overachieved last season, a playoff place was my minimum requirement at the start of the season. We are on course to achieve that. We might want to see more attractive football, but surely we all want to see effective, successful, WINNING football. Don't we?

Agree with all of the above.  I am confused by the talk of us "being really poor".  As I said previously I may not have been to all our games this season and cannot get to Blundell Park very often but from what I have seen while we have not been magnificent we have been O.K. We have played some very nice stuff at times but on the whole we have played very average stuff, not fantastic football but not atrocious either.  Judging by comments on here you get the picture that we are the most dire team to watch and are making a Sam Allardyce team look like total football.

I have been reading people's opinions regarding our performances and league position this season, here are a few stats
for you.

2010-11 finished 11th on 62 points scoring 72 and conceding 62 number of wins 15 leading goal scorer Connell (29)
2011-12 finished 11th on 70 points scoring 79 and conceding 60 number of wins 19 leading goal scorer Hearn (31)
2012-13 finished 4th on 83 points scoring 70 and conceding 38 number of wins 21 leading goal scorer Cook (16)
2013-14 currently 3rd on 73 points scoring 61 and conceding 40 number of wins 21 leading goal scorer Disley & Hannah (9) with 4 games to be played.

So in the first two seasons we scored more goals and conceded more goals but finished 11th.  Last season we scored less goals but conceded less but won more games and finished 4th and this season we are 3rd with 21 wins.
While I accept the performances since Christmas have not been convincing we have taken similar points this season during the same period as last season, with 4 games remaining.

As for team selection it's Hurst job on the line, to us the fans some of his decisions are strange, but he has his style of play and is reluctant to change especially at home, which frustrates us fans.

As for scoring more goals and been more entertaining look at Forest Green beat Hyde 8-0 & 6-2 but were are they in the league.  

Last season both us and Kidderminster went into the play-offs in good form and both teams lost.  We beat Newport in the last game of the season, but lost both legs.

At the moment we are strong position to finish in the play-offs, then it is down to which team has the desire and wants it.