Going Backwards?

Quoted from BrMarin

Agree with this post. All Woodsy needed was a decent midfielder.

And a tactical brain and not to mention the killer instinct...

Without knocking Ridley in any way as an honest straight forward defender, it will be good to see Green back in the left back slot with faster speed down that left flank.

That dimension of play may have been a telling factor in holding Wrexham at bay during their high possession spells on Saturday.

Coulson on from the start as well !

More mobility and guile in midfield !

Would we be any worse off league position wise if we were still playing Heggs, Northy etc, to be honest I am not sure

H&S would have loved North with his running and physical presence - could imagine him alongside Hearn bullying the defenders in this league!

With current players, Duffy is still my choice next to Hearn - give them a good run together!

Hegarty is lightweight and very injury prone, but could cross a ball really well when he was here and weighed in with an odd few goals - would probably be beaten up by defenders in this league.

Would either bring anything new to the party, no, and could be more boo boys for the fickle fans again.

Quoted from Maringer

Unfortunately, I eventually had to come to the conclusion last season that Woods just didn't have a clue about what was necessary to compete in this division. Despite this, I don't think it was the right decision to sack him during the season. Much better to wait until the end of the year, then look for a new manager during the close season.

I think the team we have this season is generally better than that from last season, though there isn't a huge amount in it. Obviously, lacking a player like Connell who single-handedly won us games last season makes us seem worse than we actually are.

I'm hopeful that we can knuckle-down and drag our way up the table during the rest of this season but it won't necessarily be pretty. Most of the new signings are capable enough (though none are exactly world-beaters), but I think that Elding and Artus are both probably not the sort of players we required. Artus reminds me of Sweeney - lots of skill, but too keen to show it and therefore never moves the ball on fast enough. Often caught in possession as well. Elding has had a few very good goalscoring seasons during his career. However, the last was a few years ago and he's not exactly been tearing up any trees in recent seasons. The new Adam Proudlock, perhaps!

I think JF was right to fire Woods when he did. We were not good enough to get a playoff spot, so nothing was lost by removing him, and bringing S+H in when he did gave tyhem a chance to evauate the squad ahead of the close season.

I may be talking crap here, because as an exile I haven't been to BP yet this season, but I remain optimistic.

Though results are bad, we seem to be playing some good football in patches even in the games which we lose.  Reading the reports it seems like we have had spells of being on top against all of the sides we have played so far, even Braintee when we got murdured 5-0.

My take is that we are making progress, but that we are far too frail defensively. We seem to give cheap goals away far too often and I think S+H really need to adress this as a matter of urgency. Goals are game changers, and often have been conceeded aginstv the run of play with disasterous consequences. We must sort this out pronto if we are to get anything out of this season.

Reagrding the attack, it sounds like Hearn is a great aquisition but we need the right partner for him. That coukld be Duffy, or perhaps Spence with his physical presence once he is fit again.

There is still time to mount a challenge, but we need to resolve our problems soon and with existing resources beacuse I can't see any extra funding any time soon.

Quoted from aldi_01

Everything the chuckle brothers have said they wanted to change and needed to improve they haven't...I don't see any improvements personally and info believe we have gone backwards but I also believe getting rid of shouty and shorty wouldn't be the right answer either...I didnt want them and in all honesty I don't know manyfans that did but we have to support them no matter what...were they another cheap option? Who knows and only time will tell if they work for us...I don't think they will, whilst we never really looke promotion candidates but we were still sat in 8th or 9th just outside the playoffs, this season we look even miles off of that...

I agree with all of this.
We haven't been able to stay in L2 and we haven't been able to respond to relegation.
Why on earth would anyone even think we could achieve this with an ever diminishing budget and managers in their first full time professional role is beyond me.
There will not be a millionaire nutter who wants to lose the best part of £1m per annum knocking on our door soon and our squad will not miraculously improve over night.
Survival of the club is paramount but to be fair, nobody has formulated a plan for this as time ticks away.

Quoted from RonMariner

I think JF was right to fire Woods when he did. We were not good enough to get a playoff spot, so nothing was lost by removing him, and bringing S+H in when he did gave tyhem a chance to evauate the squad ahead of the close season.

Interesting point. As far as I can see their "evaluation" wasn't spectacularly successful. OK they decided the midfield three weren't good enough...no great surprises there.

They decided that Duffy and Makofo were surplus to requirements and then have found themselves playing both regularly.

They also unsettled our top scorer at a time when they surely needed him to be firing on all cylinders.

To provide a bit of balance they should be applauded for the signings of both Hearn and McKeown.

IMO they were guilty of deciding that virtually everything about the Woods era was wrong and weren't objective enough (or canny enough with the funds!) to actually look at it broad-mindedly. The reports coming out about fitness etc. pandered to those who were daft enough to think wholesale changes were the answer. The results of this were that for most of the lasty 10 games of the season players were asked to play in a way that clearly they weren't cut out for which only served to underline the view that wholesale changes were needed. This proved expensive because in effect it quickly removed any lingering hopes of making playoffs or top 10 finish and left the whole club in yet another state of uncertainty.
There will of course be posters who say and maybe rightly that under Woods we may still have suffered the same dip in performances. That however is pure speculation. The facts are that the dismal run came under the two new managers, highlighting once again the absolute futility of replacing a manager so close to the end of a season.
What did it achieve? In practise nothing judging by the lack of a flying start to the 2011/12 season. As recent events have sadly shown the need for a total rethink on their terms of the playing staff has done nothing other than put further strain on the finances which could have been avoided with a little more objectivity.

Quoted from barralad

They also unsettled our top scorer at a time when they surely needed him to be firing on all cylinders.

Really ?!! Please tell me more ?

Quoted from barralad

The results of this were that for most of the lasty 10 games of the season players were asked to play in a way that clearly they weren't cut out for which only served to underline the view that wholesale changes were needed.

I thought that at the time(and still do to an extent) but to be fair, Hurst came out later and said it was a case of seeing which of the current squad could play the way they wanted to play in the future.
But yeah I do think it was a bit of a "fait accomplis".

Quoted from barralad

This proved expensive because in effect it quickly removed any lingering hopes of making playoffs

Playoffs were all but gone when Woods got sacked. I'm sure the bookies were in total agreement at the time.

Quoted from barralad

The facts are that the dismal run came under the two new managers, highlighting once again the absolute futility of replacing a manager so close to the end of a season.

Any manager keen on sorting out the wheat from the chaff may talk playoffs but all their energies are gonna be on rebuilding,
As you say they didn't play to our strengths - there's your reason !

Quoted from barralad

What did it achieve? In practise nothing judging by the lack of a flying start to the 2011/12 season. As recent events have sadly shown the need for a total rethink on their terms of the playing staff has done nothing other than put further strain on the finances which could have been avoided with a little more objectivity.

Scott and Hurst didn't set the playing budget.
Is Woods to blame for the clubs financial situation too ?
Remember it was Fenty who said we needed a different type of player for the BSP !  
"on their terms" my bottom !  

I think we have a better squad than last season but the balance of the team does not seem right somehow and the play in the final third gets bogged down. Not enough balls into space for the frontmen, generally launched in from deep or wide, sometimes not very well. If we are to play 442 then we must have Eagle on the left and Coulson on the right. I have had enough frustration from Makefo, keep him on the bench to come on later in games if needed. If we play 3 in the middle Artus must be in there, in fact he could be worth a try wide left. He is one of our most creative players, but it is difficult to fit him in when Disley and Church are in. Church needs games still to adjust to this league, but I am sure he will get better. Elding is not a target man, never has been, he is more of a penalty box player, so he needs to step down unless we change our style to suit and reduce high balls. If we persist then I guess Duffy is the main target man. I don't mind who plays in the central defensive roles all 4 are decent enough players for this league. I am concerned we do not have any other options wide right (recent experiment with Eagle is not the answer). So overall a work in progress but with good potential I would say.