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. 8)
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. 8)
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  :P

Quoted from barralad

Pretty much  :P

Because who says?

You and some others..

Nah. :P

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Because who says?

You and some others..

Nah. :P

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?  :o

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?  :o

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

Quoted from Alfie

Did you even go today?  :o

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.

Quoted from barralad

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.

I don't think the negativity necessarily helps when it comes to being at the game but I speak for myself and maybe others when I say when I'm there, I'd never vocally boo or criticise the players. So saying it on a message board instead is relatively harmless in comparison.

What you and others seem to be missing is that we're not saying it because we want to criticise. The fact is we pay money for something that isn't entertaining and is focused on being solid. The big problem is with that is when it goes wrong it's god damn awful and the games before it do not make up for it. I'm not coming on here and saying you or anybody else is wrong, the facts are there to see by the league table and points won. But I really think it's naive to think we can just keep doing what we're doing and be successful in the long term. The crowds are pretty poor this year, but were 3rd in the league, ask yourself why that is? What is the point of going up all the leagues when it's continually crap football? At what point do you need to be entertained? You may say if we entertain we won't win, go and tell Cambridge fans that. It's weak excuses for the fact we are boring as excrement to watch. What's frustrating, more than anything in the whole situation, is the fact we went through this last year. I stood at Newport after the game frankly embarrassed about what I'd just seen, I came on here and people were shocked. Couldn't believe we'd not shown, yet the signs were there for weeks!

One of the main points I and others were making was the situations of Cook not playing and Nielson not getting the time on the pitch. Lo and behold yesterday Nielson stays on the pitch for 90 mins for once and sets up Cook for what ended up as a vital goal.

It's of my opinion that a better side will show us up, we are doing the basics right which is fair enough. But we've never ONCE stepped it up a gear in a game this season. I keep asking for occasions when we have and nobody seems to be able to tell me. People say 'we were just in 3rd gear, we didn't need to step up' I've not seen one shred of evidence that we've got a 4th gear under Hurst. I accept we're not in the Championship anymore but I still expect a level of performance from time to time. My negativity stems from the feelings I had last April in Newport, I never want to feel like that after a football game.

Little stat for you. Since the play offs began in the conference in 01/02, ONE side have gone up having scored the least amount of goals of the top 5.

Quoted from Caesar

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.

This is my take on things as well. Whilst we might not be 'good', we are usually 'good enough'. I haven't seen anyone playing 'beautiful football' in the conference this year.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I don't think the negativity necessarily helps when it comes to being at the game but I speak for myself and maybe others when I say when I'm there, I'd never vocally boo or criticise the players. So saying it on a message board instead is relatively harmless in comparison.

What you and others seem to be missing is that we're not saying it because we want to criticise. The fact is we pay money for something that isn't entertaining and is focused on being solid. The big problem is with that is when it goes wrong it's god damn awful and the games before it do not make up for it. I'm not coming on here and saying you or anybody else is wrong, the facts are there to see by the league table and points won. But I really think it's naive to think we can just keep doing what we're doing and be successful in the long term. The crowds are pretty poor this year, but were 3rd in the league, ask yourself why that is? What is the point of going up all the leagues when it's continually crap football? At what point do you need to be entertained? You may say if we entertain we won't win, go and [b][/b]tell the Cambridge fans that It's weak excuses for the fact we are boring as excrement to watch. What's frustrating, more than anything in the whole situation, is the fact we went through this last year. I stood at Newport after the game frankly embarrassed about what I'd just seen, I came on here and people were shocked. Couldn't believe we'd not shown, yet the signs were there for weeks!

One of the main points I and others were making was the situations of Cook not playing and Nielson not getting the time on the pitch. Lo and behold yesterday Nielson stays on the pitch for 90 mins for once and sets up Cook for what ended up as a vital goal.

It's of my opinion that a better side will show us up, we are doing the basics right which is fair enough. But we've never ONCE stepped it up a gear in a game this season. I keep asking for occasions when we have and nobody seems to be able to tell me. People say 'we were just in 3rd gear, we didn't need to step up' I've not seen one shred of evidence that we've got a 4th gear under Hurst. I accept we're not in the Championship anymore but I still expect a level of performance from time to time. My negativity stems from the feelings I had last April in Newport, I never want to feel like that after a football game.

Little stat for you. Since the play offs began in the conference in 01/02, ONE side have gone up having scored the least amount of goals of the top 5.

Yes but Cambridge only had 2000 there to see their victory.

Lets not twist facts eh? 2,800 they had, with their average attendance being 3,000.

That's 33% up on last year, ours is down 12%.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I don't think the negativity necessarily helps when it comes to being at the game but I speak for myself and maybe others when I say when I'm there, I'd never vocally boo or criticise the players. So saying it on a message board instead is relatively harmless in comparison.

What you and others seem to be missing is that we're not saying it because we want to criticise. The fact is we pay money for something that isn't entertaining and is focused on being solid. The big problem is with that is when it goes wrong it's god damn awful and the games before it do not make up for it. I'm not coming on here and saying you or anybody else is wrong, the facts are there to see by the league table and points won. But I really think it's naive to think we can just keep doing what we're doing and be successful in the long term. The crowds are pretty poor this year, but were 3rd in the league, ask yourself why that is? What is the point of going up all the leagues when it's continually crap football? At what point do you need to be entertained? You may say if we entertain we won't win, go and tell Cambridge fans that. It's weak excuses for the fact we are boring as excrement to watch. What's frustrating, more than anything in the whole situation, is the fact we went through this last year. I stood at Newport after the game frankly embarrassed about what I'd just seen, I came on here and people were shocked. Couldn't believe we'd not shown, yet the signs were there for weeks!

One of the main points I and others were making was the situations of Cook not playing and Nielson not getting the time on the pitch. Lo and behold yesterday Nielson stays on the pitch for 90 mins for once and sets up Cook for what ended up as a vital goal.

It's of my opinion that a better side will show us up, we are doing the basics right which is fair enough. But we've never ONCE stepped it up a gear in a game this season. I keep asking for occasions when we have and nobody seems to be able to tell me. People say 'we were just in 3rd gear, we didn't need to step up' I've not seen one shred of evidence that we've got a 4th gear under Hurst. I accept we're not in the Championship anymore but I still expect a level of performance from time to time. My negativity stems from the feelings I had last April in Newport, I never want to feel like that after a football game.

Little stat for you. Since the play offs began in the conference in 01/02, ONE side have gone up having scored the least amount of goals of the top 5.

Sums up my thoughts exactly. Good post  :)

@pontoonlew we were excellent at home to Kidderminster and scunny and Huddersfield and Cambridge away.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

@pontoonlew we were excellent at home to Kidderminster and scunny and Huddersfield and Cambridge away.

Couldn't argue with you that we were good. I'd ask you this though, is being able to name 2 league games we can say we played well in, in a whole season acceptable?

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.

What a bizarre comment. Do we rely on the opposition not scoring or do we have an excellent defensive record based on a well organised back 5. Any team the records three clean sheets in a row away from home does more than rely on the opposition not scoring. Can't get my head around it being a lottery how many points we get when we concede either.

Everyone's entitled to their opinion etc etc. The problem with posting negative comments on a public forum is that eventually it becomes divisive and risks affecting the confidence of the players. It's not Buckley football but some so called fans even moaned when AB was in charge. Get behind the lads until the end of the season (on the pitch and off it) and then make a judgement.

Quoted from pontoonlew

Little stat for you. Since the play offs began in the conference in 01/02, ONE side have gone up having scored the least amount of goals of the top 5.

Another little stat. Playoffs began 02/03 season and in the 11 playoffs, the team finishing 3rd has been promoted on 6 occasions.  ;)

Quoted from pontoonlew

Lets not twist facts eh? 2,800 they had, with their average attendance being 3,000.

That's 33% up on last year, ours is down 12%.

Yes but you know what I mean. They would expect a big increase over last season, they were top for a long time and have not been out of the top 2.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I don't think the negativity necessarily helps when it comes to being at the game but I speak for myself and maybe others when I say when I'm there, I'd never vocally boo or criticise the players. So saying it on a message board instead is relatively harmless in comparison.

What you and others seem to be missing is that we're not saying it because we want to criticise. The fact is we pay money for something that isn't entertaining and is focused on being solid. The big problem is with that is when it goes wrong it's god damn awful and the games before it do not make up for it. I'm not coming on here and saying you or anybody else is wrong, the facts are there to see by the league table and points won. But I really think it's naive to think we can just keep doing what we're doing and be successful in the long term. The crowds are pretty poor this year, but were 3rd in the league, ask yourself why that is? What is the point of going up all the leagues when it's continually crap football? At what point do you need to be entertained? You may say if we entertain we won't win, go and tell Cambridge fans that. It's weak excuses for the fact we are boring as excrement to watch. What's frustrating, more than anything in the whole situation, is the fact we went through this last year. I stood at Newport after the game frankly embarrassed about what I'd just seen, I came on here and people were shocked. Couldn't believe we'd not shown, yet the signs were there for weeks!

One of the main points I and others were making was the situations of Cook not playing and Nielson not getting the time on the pitch. Lo and behold yesterday Nielson stays on the pitch for 90 mins for once and sets up Cook for what ended up as a vital goal.

It's of my opinion that a better side will show us up, we are doing the basics right which is fair enough. But we've never ONCE stepped it up a gear in a game this season. I keep asking for occasions when we have and nobody seems to be able to tell me. People say 'we were just in 3rd gear, we didn't need to step up' I've not seen one shred of evidence that we've got a 4th gear under Hurst. I accept we're not in the Championship anymore but I still expect a level of performance from time to time. My negativity stems from the feelings I had last April in Newport, I never want to feel like that after a football game.

Little stat for you. Since the play offs began in the conference in 01/02, ONE side have gone up having scored the least amount of goals of the top 5.

Not wishing to belittle your feelings but if that is the worst you have felt after a Town match then you are lucky!

I must have missed the posts where you asked when we had stepped up a gear..I haven't seen all of the games this season but Scunthorpe away-after they equalised, Huddersfield at home-after they'd equalised, Woking at home after they'd gone in front twice, Dartford at home after they'd gone 1-0 up, Salisbury away after they'd gone 1-0 up (ultimately unsuccessful but that's football) Kiddy at home, Macclesfield at home after going 2-0 down (again ultimately unsuccessful)....just to be going on with.
To assume that in other games we were somehow at fault for not stepping up a gear is to be unduly critical. The games against Alfreton, Dartford, Tamworth (both home games and away), Aldershot away, Forest Green (home), Barnet (home), Lincoln away, Salisbury (home), Wrexham home and away, and Hereford away we won whilst playing within ourselves. I guess the argument is a case of wanting to be entertained versus accepting results in the hope of moving on to better things.
The Huddersfield cup game was amongst the finest performances I've seen from a Town team in over 40 years of attendance at Blundell Park. The fact is though that at the end of it we weren't in the hat for the fourth round. I really enjoyed the game but we weren't any further on at the end of it. My desire to be entertained is tempered by the fact that seeing the bigger picture, sometimes we just have to win-no matter what that entails. With the loss of Liam Hearn (a point that doesn't seem to have been made too many times during this whole debate) we were unlikely ever to be a free scoring side. It IS frustrating when the extent of the managers apparent "Plan B" seems to be to remove the same players from the fray EVERY game but he, currently, is the man chosen to manage our team. He sees those players day in day out and is in the best position to judge who should represent the team. None of us have any idea who trains well, what their physical and mental states are etc. etc. I like Cookie as a player but being kind he didn't help himself at the start of the season-nor in some of the games-against weaker opposition he was chosen for. For me your argument loses credibility when you seem to be accusing the manager of having a vendetta against him. If you stopped to think about it, when the managers mortgage depends on results what on earth is there to be gained from adopting that stance. I am permanently mystified by some of the team selections but surely that is how-for a lay person, it should be?
You play a dangerous game when you cite one incidence as justification for your views. It wasn't an accident that Neilson was left on the pitch yesterday for the whole 90 minutes. It was a conscious decision by the manager. Did the fact that he created the winning goal make anyone feel more entertained? It made me thankful that we'd got a second goal and that I could breathe a bit easier

Quoted from pontoonlew

Couldn't argue with you that we were good. I'd ask you this though, is being able to name 2 league games we can say we played well in, in a whole season acceptable?

Again it depends where you are coming from:- I'd count Alfreton, Tamworth, Dartford, Forest Green, Kiddy, (all home) and Aldershot, Tamworth, Lincoln (all away) as games where we played well largely without scoring shed loads of goals...

It's also worth pointing out, amidst the gloom, that of the likely/possible opponents we might face in the play offs, that this season we've beaten Cambridge, beaten and drawn with Gateshead, beaten Braintree, beaten Alfreton. So the only potential opponent we haven't beaten is Halifax. Let's hope we can put that right on Tuesday.

Another point I'd add is that I've repeatedly read that Macclesfield and Barnet are two of the most attractive, entertaining sides in the division. Who wants to swap with them?

Quoted from barralad

Not wishing to belittle your feelings but if that is the worst you have felt after a Town match then you are lucky!

I must have missed the posts where you asked when we had stepped up a gear..I haven't seen all of the games this season but Scunthorpe away-after they equalised, Huddersfield at home-after they'd equalised, Woking at home after they'd gone in front twice, Dartford at home after they'd gone 1-0 up, Salisbury away after they'd gone 1-0 up (ultimately unsuccessful but that's football) Kiddy at home, Macclesfield at home after going 2-0 down (again ultimately unsuccessful)....just to be going on with.
To assume that in other games we were somehow at fault for not stepping up a gear is to be unduly critical. The games against Alfreton, Dartford, Tamworth (both home games and away), Aldershot away, Forest Green (home), Barnet (home), Lincoln away, Salisbury (home), Wrexham home and away, and Hereford away we won whilst playing within ourselves. I guess the argument is a case of wanting to be entertained versus accepting results in the hope of moving on to better things.
The Huddersfield cup game was amongst the finest performances I've seen from a Town team in over 40 years of attendance at Blundell Park. The fact is though that at the end of it we weren't in the hat for the fourth round. I really enjoyed the game but we weren't any further on at the end of it. My desire to be entertained is tempered by the fact that seeing the bigger picture, sometimes we just have to win-no matter what that entails. With the loss of Liam Hearn (a point that doesn't seem to have been made too many times during this whole debate) we were unlikely ever to be a free scoring side. It IS frustrating when the extent of the managers apparent "Plan B" seems to be to remove the same players from the fray EVERY game but he, currently, is the man chosen to manage our team. He sees those players day in day out and is in the best position to judge who should represent the team. None of us have any idea who trains well, what their physical and mental states are etc. etc. I like Cookie as a player but being kind he didn't help himself at the start of the season-nor in some of the games-against weaker opposition he was chosen for. For me your argument loses credibility when you seem to be accusing the manager of having a vendetta against him. If you stopped to think about it, when the managers mortgage depends on results what on earth is there to be gained from adopting that stance. I am permanently mystified by some of the team selections but surely that is how-for a lay person, it should be?
You play a dangerous game when you cite one incidence as justification for your views. It wasn't an accident that Neilson was left on the pitch yesterday for the whole 90 minutes. It was a conscious decision by the manager. Did the fact that he created the winning goal make anyone feel more entertained? It made me thankful that we'd got a second goal and that I could breathe a bit easier

Great point regarding Hearn. Had Luton lost Gray or Halifax lost Gregory I doubt they would have coped as well as we have.

Has Scott Neilson played through the middle since he signed? I.e a number 10 type role?

Had my Maths book out and this is how the table looks mathematically at the minute.
80 Points at this momment in time will definatly achieve a play off spot. Obviously 7 points from what we have got now.

From the teams outside of the play offs (without me checking if any have to play each other) with maximum points:
Braintree can achieve 80 points
Kiddiminster can achieve 76 points
Alfeton can achieve 75 points
Forest Green can achieve 74 points
Barnet can achieve 74 points
One more win for us would stop the bottom 4 of that being able to catch us as Kiddy have a huge goal difference to make up. Braintree still have to play Gateshead (h), Barnet (a) and us at home.. Can't imagine them picking up full points. Were in a very good position to get play offs and from there it is a lottery.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

It's also worth pointing out, amidst the gloom, that of the likely/possible opponents we might face in the play offs, that this season we've beaten Cambridge, beaten and drawn with Gateshead, beaten Braintree, beaten Alfreton. So the only potential opponent we haven't beaten is Halifax. Let's hope we can put that right on Tuesday.

Another point I'd add is that I've repeatedly read that Macclesfield and Barnet are two of the most attractive, entertaining sides in the division. Who wants to swap with them?

The only point I'd raise to the attractive business is the fact we don't seem to have it in our locker to go and pass a team off the pitch. Well, not under Hursts stewardship anyway. It's fine winning one way all the time, that makes you a good team.

Winning all sorts of ways make you a very good team and for whatever reason, we've shown nothing to say we can have that edge to be a very good side. Just my opinion.

Quoted from pontoonlew

The only point I'd raise to the attractive business is the fact we don't seem to have it in our locker to go and pass a team off the pitch. Well, not under Hursts stewardship anyway. It's fine winning one way all the time, that makes you a good team.

Winning all sorts of ways make you a very good team and for whatever reason, we've shown nothing to say we can have that edge to be a very good side. Just my opinion.

I haven't seen a side in the conference in 4 years who can "pass a team off the pitch"!

Not a criticism but how many times have you seen Town this season? I appreciate your job keeps you away from Gy and I recall you posting previously that you cannot get to see the team as often as you would like

A few weeks ago I didn't believe we had what it took to get into and stay in the play off's.  Within a couple of games we jump straight into the play off's and so far maintained our 3rd position.  Being a fan you go through the motions of belief and non belief and this debate has certainly got posters sitting firmly in their camps.

Pontonlew who is at times rather over dramatic, does raise valid points.  However, it is clear to see that the team is developing at the right end of the season to give us a fair shout.

We need to start being more vocal at home and to help that, the club needs to open up the Osmond.  I can't believe a few weeks ago that I thought we had bottled it and now I am starting to get that buzz that something good is coming our way.

This is the business end of the season and we should all be singing off the same hymn sheet.  If at the end of the season we don't make it then it won't be because of the lack of trying from all parties.  We will regroup and go at it again next season.

Quoted from BIGChris

I haven't seen a side in the conference in 4 years who can "pass a team off the pitch"!

Not a criticism but how many times have you seen Town this season? I appreciate your job keeps you away from Gy and I recall you posting previously that you cannot get to see the team as often as you would like

I'd point to York City for that, my point being that your Lutons, Mansfields and Newports of this world had loads in their lockers.

I'd say I've seen about 10 games, which is about every game I could've physically seen. Understandably it seems urine poor as to how I could have such a view on our season but I'd counter that by saying the games I have seen have given me a pretty good idea of the way we've set out to play. The commentary and the posts on here do the rest, all of which underwhelm me as to the standard of our performance so far this season.

When did you last go? As for being informed by posts on here, lots of people who go regularly seem far less negative about the team and manager than you are. Do you only take information from the negative posts?

Quoted from pontoonlew

I'd point to York City for that, my point being that your Lutons, Mansfields and Newports of this world had loads in their lockers.

I'd say I've seen about 10 games, which is about every game I could've physically seen. Understandably it seems urine poor as to how I could have such a view on our season but I'd counter that by saying the games I have seen have given me a pretty good idea of the way we've set out to play. The commentary and the posts on here do the rest, all of which underwhelm me as to the standard of our performance so far this season.

It took Luton's money several years to get to the position they are in today. I don't think you'd find many of even the most loyal Luton fans who'd agree with that definition.
Mansfield did well last year partly because of the huge sum of money generated by their cup match with the Scousers. I went to the away game at their place and I certainly wouldn't be holding them up as a shining example of how the game should be played.
Newport had money and all they had "in their locker" for me was the same grit and determination that our players are showing this year-particularly away from home. They did a job on us in the Play Off semis but it sure weren't pretty.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

Another point I'd add is that I've repeatedly read that Macclesfield and Barnet are two of the most attractive, entertaining sides in the division. Who wants to swap with them?

You could guarantee that if we did play more expansive football like them then many of the negative posters on here would complain about the lack of defensive solidity and over-attacking football. In the so-called glorious Buckley era there were loads of detractors complaing about overpassing. Many people wanted to get rid of him when he was sacked in 2000 as they felt he'd taken us as far as he could (the same accusation which is levelled at PH today by some).

No football team is ever perfect, you can always find faults, or you can find plus points. Some people are negative by nature. Personally I'm a glass half full man rather than half empty.

The bottom line is people like to come and watch a winning side. That's what gets the gates up, not style of football.

Quoted from pontoonlew

I'd point to York City for that, my point being that your Lutons, Mansfields and Newports of this world had loads in their lockers.

I'd say I've seen about 10 games, which is about every game I could've physically seen. Understandably it seems urine poor as to how I could have such a view on our season but I'd counter that by saying the games I have seen have given me a pretty good idea of the way we've set out to play. The commentary and the posts on here do the rest, all of which underwhelm me as to the standard of our performance so far this season.

"The posts on here....... "

This is exactly why negativity on forums and social media is a dangerous thing because negative behaviour and perception is very catching.

Your constant criticism of hurst and the team when you haven't been to a game may well convince someone else who hasn't been to the that game that we are in a lot worse position than what we really are- like how someone's previous negative comments on here have helped you come to your negative conclusions.

Quoted from Vance Warner

What a bizarre comment. Do we rely on the opposition not scoring or do we have an excellent defensive record based on a well organised back 5. Any team the records three clean sheets in a row away from home does more than [b]rely on the opposition not scoring. Can't get my head around it being a lottery how many points we get when we concede either.[/b]

Everyone's entitled to their opinion etc etc. The problem with posting negative comments on a public forum is that eventually it becomes divisive and risks affecting the confidence of the players. It's not Buckley football but some so called fans even moaned when AB was in charge. Get behind the lads until the end of the season (on the pitch and off it) and then make a judgement.

Since Christmas when the opposition have scored we won 4 drew 6 lost 5. I would say that goes some way to proving my point about complete reliance on our defence. And I dont think we have come from a losing position to win a game since new year either.

Phew! So to try and sum things up:

Some fans - who are accused of negativity - think we are not playing well enough to approach the play-offs
with any confidence, and...

...other fans - who are making the said accusation - point out we are likely to make the play-offs (something
which is not widely disputed) and the whole thing then becomes just a 'lottery'.

I'd say the logic is probably just about with the "some fans", but then the "other fans" point out that the
negativity doesn't help and what can we do about it at this stage of the season anyway? - which are also
valid points.

Perhaps it's best if we all just support the team, and keep our mouths shut and our fingers crossed!

Not going to comment on our ability or inability to win the play offs, as i have had my say on other threads at other times, but i will once again mention that it's damn annoying that any dissenters against Hurst and the team are labelled as "doom mongers", "negative posters" and "moaning twits", whilst those with a more positive outlook on our chances are somehow deemed as "sensible" and "supportive".

I don't like the way Hurst sets us up to play the game and i think a team reflects it's manager. I think Hurst is dull and uninspiring and he will never be loved by all the fans, as previous managers have been. That's not negativity, that's mine and others opinions.

I also don't see how being all happy clappy and positive on a message board helps the team in any way, just as i don't think the opposite view hinders the team in any way. It's just words and opinions at the end of the day. Negativity in the crowd can affect the team, granted, but that is going to happen, whatever is said or not said on here or other outlets. It's up to the manager and team to dispel that crowd negativity with one or two convincing performances.

I sincerely hope that Town go up this year, but i feel a lack of the killer instinct will do for us like it did last season and in the Slade season.

Quoted from ginnywings

Not going to comment on our ability or inability to win the play offs, as i have had my say on other threads at other times, but i will once again mention that it's damn annoying that any dissenters against Hurst and the team are labelled as "doom mongers", "negative posters" and "moaning twits", whilst those with a more positive outlook on our chances are somehow deemed as "sensible" and "supportive".

I don't like the way Hurst sets us up to play the game and i think a team reflects it's manager. I think Hurst is dull and uninspiring and he will never be loved by all the fans, as previous managers have been. That's not negativity, that's mine and others opinions.

I also don't see how being all happy clappy and positive on a message board helps the team in any way, just as i don't think the opposite view hinders the team in any way. It's just words and opinions at the end of the day. Negativity in the crowd can affect the team, granted, but that is going to happen, whatever is said or not said on here or other outlets. It's up to the manager and team to dispel that crowd negativity with one or two convincing performances.

I sincerely hope that Town go up this year, but i feel a lack of the killer instinct will do for us like it did last season and in the Slade season.

Don't intend to start nit-picking,  but do you mean we've actually had a manager who all the fans loved? Or am I reading your comment wrong?

If you do mean a manager that's a favourite of every fan, we have you might have to go back a long way to when that happened....20 plus years at least I'd say? Buckley's first spell maybe?

Even then I recall him and his players getting stick too...he had the temerity to bring in non-league players so an ex non-league manager was going to take us only one way, or so those moaners of years gone by used to say. Not quite how that panned out though as I remember things

Time will tell what will happen with Hurst I guess...might be here for another year or so but it depends on what he achieves here.

If he fails us, then he'll get the push in due course but if he does happen to succeed maybe he'll move on to bigger and better things than us, like Slade did

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

Don't intend to start nit-picking,  but do you mean we've actually had a manager who all the fans loved? Or am I reading your comment wrong?

If you do mean a manager that's a favourite of every fan, we have you might have to go back a long way to when that happened....20 plus years at least I'd say? Buckley's first spell maybe?

Even then I recall him and his players getting stick too...he had the temerity to bring in non-league players so an ex non-league manager was going to take us only one way, or so those moaners of years gone by used to say. Not quite how that panned out though as I remember things

Time will tell what will happen with Hurst I guess...might be here for another year or so but it depends on what he achieves here.

If he fails us, then he'll get the push in due course but if he does happen to succeed maybe he'll move on to bigger and better things than us, like Slade did

Yeah, possibly worded wrongly by me. Think McMenemy was held in high regard and possibly Kerr. Buckley had some opposition but won most around in the end. Dave Booth did a decent job but i can't really recall how the fans viewed him

I think Hurst is another Slade. Not liked by some but appreciated, if not loved, by others.

Him and his teams very rarely excite, but are efficient.

Quoted from ginnywings

Not going to comment on our ability or inability to win the play offs, as i have had my say on other threads at other times, but i will once again mention that it's damn annoying that any dissenters against Hurst and the team are labelled as "doom mongers", "negative posters" and "moaning twits", whilst those with a more positive outlook on our chances are somehow deemed as "sensible" and "supportive".

I don't like the way Hurst sets us up to play the game and i think a team reflects it's manager. I think Hurst is dull and uninspiring and he will never be loved by all the fans, as previous managers have been. That's not negativity, that's mine and others opinions.

I also don't see how being all happy clappy and positive on a message board helps the team in any way, just as i don't think the opposite view hinders the team in any way. It's just words and opinions at the end of the day. Negativity in the crowd can affect the team, granted, but that is going to happen, whatever is said or not said on here or other outlets. It's up to the manager and team to dispel that crowd negativity with one or two convincing performances.

I sincerely hope that Town go up this year, but i feel a lack of the killer instinct will do for us like it did last season and in the Slade season.

Just as you feel it is damned annoying to be labelled as a ‘doom–monger’, I’m equally sure Mr Hurst finds it damned annoying to be labelled as ‘dull and uninspiring’, and the less negative posters among us might also feel a little peeved at being called ‘happy-clappy’.  They are all opinions, and all derogatory.

It seems to me that we’ve got two factions going on here – those who predict the worst (let’s call them the Eeyores) versus those who live in hopeful expectation that ‘something will turn up ‘, (the Mr Micawbers).

I wonder if it might be more effective if we were all on the same side, rather than this non-stop bashing each other over the head as we approach the crucial, business end of the season.  My guess is, when the chips are down and it’s a really important game, we WILL be on the same side.  It’s just getting there that’s the problem.

Quoted from ginnywings

Yeah, possibly worded wrongly by me. Think McMenemy was held in high regard and possibly Kerr. Buckley had some opposition but won most around in the end. Dave Booth did a decent job but i can't really recall how the fans viewed him

I think Hurst is another Slade. Not liked by some but appreciated, if not loved, by others.

Him and his teams very rarely excite, but are efficient.

Sounds sense but is it? in those days tinternet was not invented so no fans forum like the Fishy existed to air ones views, you either got a ten second spot on the radio or relied on the local paper to say your piece, its neither fair nor accurate to compare the views of the fans of Buckley, Booth and Hurst if the feedback options were not equal

Quoted from marinette

I wonder if it might be more effective if we were all on the same side, rather than this non-stop bashing each other over the head as we approach the crucial, business end of the season.  My guess is, when the chips are down and it’s a really important game, we WILL be on the same side.  It’s just getting there that’s the problem.

We win away - when fans are all on the same side - giving consistently loud vocal support.  By contrast I felt Blundell Park was like a morgue on Saturday.  We still won so I can't complain. At least there was not much barracking or booing of our own players. But I hope our fans are a bit more up for it at BP if we make the play offs.

Quoted from Trawler

We win away - when fans are all on the same side - giving consistently loud vocal support.  By contrast I felt Blundell Park was like a morgue on Saturday.  We still won so I can't complain. At least there was not much barracking or booing of our own players. But I hope our fans are a bit more up for it at BP if we make the play offs.

You can't just blame the fans for poor vocal support at home, watching Hursts dull sitting back tatics doesn't exactly inspire, many times this season I've found myself back in the bar well before halftime because sitting there in the cold watching hoofball is enough to send a glass eye to sleep.
hurst should be fireing the team up when they come out, playing at high tempo from the start none of this sitting back being cagey negative excrement, they start games at home as if we are playing Real Madrid sometimes, there is little difference between all the teams in this league from what I have seen, to win games in this league  the team with that bit of arrogance and belief just like fleetwood the other season, and just like luton this season will be the team that wins.

Quoted from 2578

You can't just blame the fans for poor vocal support at home, watching Hursts dull sitting back tatics doesn't exactly inspire, many times this season I've found myself back in the bar well before halftime because sitting there in the cold watching hoofball is enough to send a glass eye to sleep.

What do you think we're being served up when we're away - champagne football?  No it's often dire and turgid - just like it is at home.  The difference is Grim74 that those supporters going away have made a conscious decision to give the team their backing.   Fans at home have a choice - either they do or they don't.  Regardless of the quality of the football being served up.

You also have a choice whether or not you retreat to the bar "well before half time" - it's your choice. But at this stage in the season?

The point being made by many on here is that we have reached the point in the season where the support at games home and away should be 'blind'.  Roar them on - win lose or draw.  Just get behind them whatever the quality on the pitch.  The famous 12th man - who knows - maybe, just maybe it will be enough to see us promoted.

I guess we'll never know if we all retreat to the bar.

There will be a time for post-mortems, where everyone can get out their daggers for the players, Hurst or Fenty, or none of the above.  The time in my view is not at BP, not now.

We are looking good for a play off place. Our opponents will be three out the following group of six teams ; Cambridge, Halifax, Gateshead, Braintree, Alfreton, or Kiddiminster.  We have in fact beaten five of those six teams this season.

So we are definitely good enough. That doesn't mean we will win the playoffs, but I think it wrong to say we are not good enough to stand a chance of doing so.

It is often said that the table does not lie. After 42 games we are right up there and have a small cushion over sixth place. We are one of the best handful of sides in this division.

If, as seems likely, we make it into the playoffs, we have as good a chance as anyone. And for those that think Cambridge will walk it, I would simply refer them to Kiddiminster last season.

Quoted from RonMariner

We are looking good for a play off place. Our opponents will be three out the following group of six teams ; Cambridge, Halifax, Gateshead, Braintree, Alfreton, or Kiddiminster.  We have in fact beaten five of those six teams this season.

So we are definitely good enough. That doesn't mean we will win the playoffs, but I think it wrong to say we are not good enough to stand a chance of doing so.

It is often said that the table does not lie. After 42 games we are right up there and have a small cushion over sixth place. We are one of the best handful of sides in this division.

If, as seems likely, we make it into the playoffs, we have as good a chance as anyone. And for those that think Cambridge will walk it, I would simply refer them to Kiddiminster last season.

Likewise when Wrexham beat Kiddy both home and away in the semi finals, I'd argue a majority would have thought that as they'd already beaten us at Wembley they would be the logical choice against Newport but that didn't happen

Whilst Cambridge are probably going to be favourites to go up via the play-offs there are no guarantees whatsoever

I'll share my opinion on whether we are good enough after the play offs, at the minute, we are picking up points which is the most important thing.

Quoted from brad_gtfc

I'll share my opinion on whether we are good enough after the play offs

We'll know the answer then anyway!

Interesting that Steve Burr doesn't think Town are as good this season as we were last year. But the point is really - does it matter? Football is a results business and I'll take 1-0 scrambles and 3 points for any and every game to the end of this season then go from there.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Interesting that Steve Burr doesn't think Town are as good this season as we were last year. But the point is really - does it matter? Football is a results business and I'll take 1-0 scrambles and 3 points for any and every game to the end of this season then go from there.

And last year we couldn't beat Kidderminster, League or Cup. At the end of the day if the players have given their all from kick off to the final whistle I can't complain. Some of the starts to games, and the frustrating lapses during games do throw up the question if this is always the case, however.
Fix that and we'll beat Halifax and have every chance of going up.

Most if not all of this side can play a one off storming game - Colbeck, on his game, is unplayable, for example.

However, what we have not yet seen consistently is all 11 having storming games together.

There have been excellent games - the FA cup run - but the league seems to splutter along with the wins just enough to get us up to third currently.

We should be aiming for the three important games to be when the play offs and final are played.  

That's when the team must have total support, full shouting and encouragement, player praise and no negatives.

Just for all three matches hopefully, be the 12th player behind Grimsby Town - it's a chance to return once and for all back to the League - support Hurst... and whoever he chooses to play in those games !

No Newport out-thinking the team this time, no team physically playing us off the park, no more missed penalties if given, no one thinking that the players have not given their all !!

Quoted from Trawler

What do you think we're being served up when we're away - champagne football?  No it's often dire and turgid - just like it is at home.  The difference is Grim74 that those supporters going away have made a conscious decision to give the team their backing.   Fans at home have a choice - either they do or they don't.  Regardless of the quality of the football being served up.

You also have a choice whether or not you retreat to the bar "well before half time" - it's your choice. But at this stage in the season?

The point being made by many on here is that we have reached the point in the season where the support at games home and away should be 'blind'.  Roar them on - win lose or draw.  Just get behind them whatever the quality on the pitch.  The famous 12th man - who knows - maybe, just maybe it will be enough to see us promoted.

I guess we'll never know if we all retreat to the bar.

There will be a time for post-mortems, where everyone can get out their daggers for the players, Hurst or Fenty, or none of the above.  The time in my view is not at BP, not now.

I agree regarding away support but you still can't blame the home fans, Gateshead seem do ok with no vocal support and playing attractive football by all accounts.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Interesting that Steve Burr doesn't think Town are as good this season as we were last year. But the point is really - does it matter? Football is a results business and I'll take 1-0 scrambles and 3 points for any and every game to the end of this season then go from there.

I think this sums up totally what I've been saying, not a patch on last year.  Is it a poorer league?  Hopefully we'll still go up but is Hurst good enough on his own?

Agree overall with the comments and fear as well if we do make playoffs it could be the same disappointment as last year but we have looked good in
Kidderminster Home
Cambridge away
Macclesfield away
Scunthorpe in the cup, both games
Northampton and Huddersfield in the cup
so we can do it, we have played well in some fixtures.
We just have to keep the faith..
Come on Town..

Quoted from marinette

Just as you feel it is damned annoying to be labelled as a ‘doom–monger’, I’m equally sure Mr Hurst finds it damned annoying to be labelled as ‘dull and uninspiring’, and the less negative posters among us might also feel a little peeved at being called ‘happy-clappy’.  They are all opinions, and all derogatory.

It seems to me that we’ve got two factions going on here – those who predict the worst (let’s call them the Eeyores) versus those who live in hopeful expectation that ‘something will turn up ‘, (the Mr Micawbers).

I wonder if it might be more effective if we were all on the same side, rather than this non-stop bashing each other over the head as we approach the crucial, business end of the season.  My guess is, when the chips are down and it’s a really important game, we WILL be on the same side.  It’s just getting there that’s the problem.

I thought we were all on the same side. Some of us have different views on management and the team, but we all want the same thing, surely?

I'll eat my head if we don't.  ;)

I rest my case.

Pluck the positives out of that one.

We are not even close to good enough and if anybody can give me a genuine reason to think otherwise then I'll gladly change my mind and say my original post was wrong.

Should have kept a thread like this going from January ,You'd only have to read the first page after every home game this year

flipping excrement town not a flipping hope! can the all silly girl privates on here that still think we have a serious chance of getting promoted now go and stick your flipping heads down the toilet and then flush.

Quoted from 2578

flipping excrement town not a flipping hope! can the all silly girl privates on here that still think we have a serious chance of getting promoted now go and stick your flipping heads down the toilet and then flush.

Probably the same ones that argued with me when I suggested Woods would take us down but some of the numpties on here thought they new their stuff and said he would keep us up. :P

Quoted from arryarryarry

Probably the same ones that argued with me when I suggested Woods would take us down but some of the numpties on here thought they new their stuff and said he would keep us up. :P

I think some on here are trying to win the supporter of the year award for blind stupid loyalty

Quoted from arryarryarry

Probably the same ones that argued with me when I suggested Woods would take us down but some of the numpties on here thought they new their stuff and said he would keep us up. :P

Must agree, it's the same names on here who have agreed with everything that's gone wrong with the club in the past 4-5 years. The Woods decision is the worst of the lot. 'Back the team' why? If things are so obviously wrong why shouldn't we voice the issues?

This season has seen us put in the most bad performances in a season in years and I'm astonished we are we're we are. People shouldn't just accept playing crap and win because it culminates in games like last night. We're simply not good enough, by a long long way.