For those of you who've stated "It's not the three games, it's since Christmas - Hurst should be more positive"

Quick thought - who of you thinks signing Arnold, Makreith, Pitman and resigning Neilson isn't positive action? Or do you think that Brown and Toto aren't positive signings?

These were made in the close season in response to the things going wrong that we could all see. We know that Jennings decided not to come to us. That's not a reflection on the effort of the management team; neither is Rodman going to Gateshead. Connell left it to the time that he wasn't being signed to come to us to try and put himself in the shop window; again, a player's choice, not the team. If we'd broken the bank to try and get someone there's potential repercussions in effects on our budget, or more pertinently team morale.

Has it been possible to play them all in the team yet? No, so the positive things done by Hurst cannot be evaluated yet, can they?

This is why people have stated it's only three games..

We don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes, and it's easy with hindsight to second guess people.



Just an alternative viewpoint. Can I ask for constructive reasoned discussion rather than the one liners?

One thing I'd personally like to see from Paul is to make a substitution a bit earlier in the game, when a player is clearly not at the races or having a good day, I'd like to see a sub being made in say the 60th minute, rather than the 85th, which was often the case last season. Just my opinion of course.

UTM

Quoted from BrickTop

One thing I'd personally like to see from Paul is to make a substitution a bit earlier in the game, when a player is clearly not at the races or having a good day, I'd like to see a sub being made in say the 60th minute, rather than the 85th, which was often the case last season. Just my opinion of course.

UTM

1st sub on Saturday after about 65 minutes, he then went on to score.

Can we please stop with these decent reasoned arguments!

Can we please stop with these decent reasoned arguments!

I think the close season signings have been excellent,as far as they have gone.There is still a concern re Pitman's long term fitness though.
Have to agree when he came on Saturday he gave a different dimension to the game,it also looked as he and LJL had an understanding and it is maybe what he needs to bring the best out of him.
To be fair to LJL there are dual expectations of him
a)to be a target man where he is for the majority of the time the lone player up front with his back to the goal.

b) the main goal scorer.

It maybe a is incompatible to b and Pitman is the person who needs to feed him.
Taken into account he is often helping the defence out,perhaps he is trying (or being told) to take on too many roles.

However must still be long terms concerns about Pitman playing 40 games a season(hope I am wrong).
But we are  still short of a top quality striker who can score goals.

Quoted from headingly_mariner

1st sub on Saturday after about 65 minutes, he then went on to score.

I did say the 60th Headingly, so what good is the 65th? ;). It was just something I noticed last season, don't know of anyone else thinks the same. I haven't managed to get to a game yet this season unfortunately, due to work commitments.

UTM

Quoted from mike_d

For those of you who've stated "It's not the three games, it's since Christmas - Hurst should be more positive"

Quick thought - who of you thinks signing Arnold, Makreith, Pitman and resigning Neilson isn't positive action? Or do you think that Brown and Toto aren't positive signings?

These were made in the close season in response to the things going wrong that we could all see. We know that Jennings decided not to come to us. That's not a reflection on the effort of the management team; neither is Rodman going to Gateshead. Connell left it to the time that he wasn't being signed to come to us to try and put himself in the shop window; again, a player's choice, not the team. If we'd broken the bank to try and get someone there's potential repercussions in effects on our budget, or more pertinently team morale.

Has it been possible to play them all in the team yet? No, so the positive things done by Hurst cannot be evaluated yet, can they?

This is why people have stated it's only three games..

We don't know everything that goes on behind the scenes, and it's easy with hindsight to second guess people.



Just an alternative viewpoint. Can I ask for constructive reasoned discussion rather than the one liners?

Are you 80s? That's five question marks I can see under the headline 'Quick question'!

To be serious, Toto for MacDonald looks like an improvement, Magnay for Hatton too. Arnold is a loan signing, Pittman seems to have a health warning round his neck and what I saw of Mackreth in the Bristol game, he looked more Colbeck than Rodman. Brown clearly has more to him than Kerr but likewise Clay hasn't got the ability that Thanoj had when he cared to use it.

It's been posted on other threads - PH clearly has an eye for a defender but none of his attacking signings appear to have worked. We are defensively sound but haven't scored enough goals.

I think the other thing that grates is 'the hairs on the back of y/your neck' quote - nothing that's happened since that quote (remember we'd already signed Brown, Toto and Mackreth) has inspired me at all.

Of course we hope Pittman can regain full and lasting fitness, if so he will definitely score and set up goals. Furthermore the key player for me who we have yet to seen is Nathan Arnold, he has good pace and can both set up chances and score himself. Much for us to look forward to.

Arnold may well be a loan signing, but I don't see any difference in signing a player on a year long loan and signing a player on a year long contract. (if they can't recall him in Jan)

I'm looking forward to seeing him play for us, always impressed me in the past.

It does my head in when we have these sort of discussions about he is a great signing or he is a positive signing.

We have these claims at the start of every season.

No one knows until the end of the season whether the singings have impoved the squad or not.

If we go up, great they have. If we are still in this shite league next season then no they haven't.

I'd say the signings are positive and not many people would argue against. The fact is you can sign all the players you like, it's what you're telling them to do out there on the pitch that matters. Hurst's tactics still smack of defense before attack to me, signing certain players doesn't particularly change that.

Though if he does utilize those players better, things can change quickly. Just from experience of Hurst, I don't trust that he will.

It'd help though if the players he's signed could actually play before you criticise how he deploys them defensively, wouldn't it?

To be honest, I don't want Hurst to go. BUT, the team we had last season would have gone up if we could actually score goals. We've replaced like for like in defence and midfield and kept the same ineffective strike force. This is a problem.

Quoted from Dan

To be honest, I don't want Hurst to go. BUT, the team we had last season would have gone up if we could actually score goals. We've replaced like for like in defence and midfield and kept the same ineffective strike force*. This is a problem.

*Except for the signing of Pittman and possibly Arnold up front as well as (hopefully) the future arrival of another attacker or two.

Quoted from arryarryarry

It does my head in when we have these sort of discussions about he is a great signing or he is a positive signing.

We have these claims at the start of every season.

No one knows until the end of the season whether the singings have impoved the squad or not.

If we go up, great they have. If we are still in this shite league next season then no they haven't.

eh up arry. I have seen him play in the past and have seen him play pre-season and he looks the business for me. however I agree, there are no guarantees that a signing will work out, only time will tell. I am looking forward to seeing him play and hoping he comes good. What else are we supposed to do? You sound a bit like my dear old mother used to be. I would call round to see her and say something like "fine day today mum" to which she would reply "yeh, but rain is on its way later" . Did my head in, bless her