Missing the Point

Quoted from friskneymariner

In response to 80's glory yes it was apparent we failed to strengthen our squad to any significant extent in the January window,to those who attend every home and away game it was evident that we were lacking in the ability to  break teams down as the number of goals scored demonstrate,after the first leg against Gateshead had we taken our chances the tie would have been over.

Well no worries, that's your opinion.

Not sure how you can speak for everyone attending every home and away game but that's another matter.

Personally I see the failures at Gateshead as 'tactical' not down to missing a hatful of chances.
I remember we went 1-0 down by not pressing them enough, then when we did, got on top.
So I remember we were playing catch up and made things difficult for ourselves.
I accept we were better overall 1st leg and perhaps deserved to win but don't particularly remember a hatful of glaring chances missed.

You say "ability to break teams down as the number of goals scored demonstrate"
In all fairness it may be true but it doesn't demonstrate it to be true.
Perhaps it was more of a desire to defend, shut up shop or take points (to secure that playoff place) and NOT attack which was the reason.

Who knows, we've got our opinions.
But I'm not putting the ultimate failure of the playoffs down to the strikers.
For me it boiled down to a bit of bad luck (sending off) then how we stopped attacking when we pulled it back to 1-1.
So yes, I think Hurst cocked up tactically on this one but not gonna be too harsh on him, I give him credit for getting us there over 46 games.

Does anyone know what budgets Luton, Mansfield, Fleetwood etc had when they go promoted? Does anyone know what our rivals have this year? If so, quote the numbers and ideally your sources.

Anyone, bar Bristol Rovers, who has a budget bigger than us must be getting oodles of cash from their sugar-daddy. We've got the second biggest average attendance and a pretty large commercial operation, and on top of that we can't make ends meet so we get several £100,000s of loans/bail-out from the directors every year.

Even with the windmill guy, do FGR really have a bigger budget?

Who is bankrolling Gateshead and Eastbourne (with a fraction of our attendance)? How much are they getting in hand-outs?

Who has received £1m plus fees for players recently?

I'm prepared to be convinced by facts, but until someone shows the numbers, I just don't see us having anything but the second biggest budget in this league.

Not only the failure of the playoffs but the whole season was blighted by the lack of goals,just look at the final table.Defence was adequate and it was only down to the relatively few goals we had scored against us that we finished in the playoffs.Surely you are not attempting to advocate our lack of goals for, is not a problem and has been for a considerable time.If you are I would suggest you have a good look at last years league table.

So you would like to leave it to luck as whether we are promoted or not would,I would prefer it to be on footballing ability,don't think I will be investing in rabbits feet yet.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Does anyone know what budgets Luton, Mansfield, Fleetwood etc had when they go promoted? Does anyone know what our rivals have this year? If so, quote the numbers and ideally your sources.

Anyone, bar Bristol Rovers, who has a budget bigger than us must be getting oodles of cash from their sugar-daddy. We've got the second biggest average attendance and a pretty large commercial operation, and on top of that we can't make ends meet so we get several £100,000s of loans/bail-out from the directors every year.

Even with the windmill guy, do FGR really have a bigger budget?

Who is bankrolling Gateshead and Eastbourne (with a fraction of our attendance)? How much are they getting in hand-outs?

Who has received £1m plus fees for players recently?

I'm prepared to be convinced by facts, but until someone shows the numbers, I just don't see us having anything but the second biggest budget in this league.

Eastbourne?  

I'm told that the Eastleigh owner has spent a lot on players this season by a bloke we know who is deeply involved in the Conference South. Some of their signings have come down a couple of divisions to play for the club, haven't they, in a similar way that the Crawley signings did? This means very high wages.

Dale Whatshisface at FGR has been spending buckets of money for a few seasons now. Just look at the long, long list of strikers they've had on their books at times. What gets my goat about this is that Vince has made most of his money at the expense of taxpayers through subsidies for 'green' energy.

I don't think that the Mansfield owner spent a vast amount on players, did he? Most of his money probably went on his wife!  

I think there was a substantial spending there, but something just clicked with them and they went on a ridiculous winning run to earn promotion.

No idea about any of the others, but I've read that Gateshead have spent a good bit on wages this season and the fact that Rodman signed for them is probably indicative of this.

When we were relegated, I think we were expecting it to be a fight between the handful of 'bigger' clubs to win promotion with one or two smaller clubs making a challenge here and there. However, what has actually occurred is that Crawley and Fleetwood have spent their way to the title, which has been a surprise as they were both tiny clubs before splashing the cash. No surprise that Luton eventually got it right last season, or Cambridge for that matter, but it remains to be seen whether the Nouveau riche clubs will be the ones who manage to get up this season. It's our job to try and stop them.

Longer-term, I can't help but think that some of these clubs will eventually drop back down when the money runs out. I see that Crawley are doing pretty well in League One, yet only managed to draw just over 2,200 fans to their home game the other night! How can that possibly be sustainable in the long term?

Eastleigh must've offered James Constable a very good amount to make him leave Oxford.

Quoted from friskneymariner

Surely you are not attempting to advocate our lack of goals for, is not a problem and has been for a considerable time.

I'd say it's been the case for decades !
Please name me 1 Town manager in living memory who scored hatfuls of goals ?
And then see if you can figure out why...
What I'm saying is rightly or wrongly (wrongly IMO but can understand why) we set up to be strong and the back and work from there.
You think a new manager is suddenly gonna change the pattern overnight and go all guns blazing when the fans are reacting to every disappointment or defeat even if we're attacking more trying our best ?

Quoted from friskneymariner

So you would like to leave it to luck as whether we are promoted or not would,I would prefer it to be on footballing ability,don't think I will be investing in rabbits feet yet.

Luck is always a factor but no, I'd like as much quality as we can get.
What's your suggestion again ?

Alan Buckley
Paul Groves
Mike Newell

Assume you're replying Laughing Mariner ?

Well Buckley ground out his fair share of 1-0's and 0-0's didn't he ?
As for Newell and Groves I'd find it suprising as they were both involved in relegation battles ?
Wasn't Groves at the helm when we went down ?
Newell ? Nuff said...

Anyway that's my opinion.

Even when we was struggling in the old 1st division under Buckley the team always attacked and we often got 4-0 and 5-0 wins in a season .
I cant remember Hurst having any big wins under his time here which is surprising considering we was in the top 5 for most of the last two seasons

Perhaps following your logic 80's glory, a dozen sprigs of heather, a couple of horseshoes and a side order of chicken bones.