Unbelievable

Quoted from chaos33

No I'm not. I do think the fans can and do have a positive impact on performances, but the fact is, that it has the desired effect about half the time, and no effect on performances/results the other half. I do think we all need to get behind the team in the play offs, and I'm sure we all will. But it's a spurious argument, in my opinion, to be saying, at this point, that the fans have to do this and that in order the inspire the team to promotion. The team have been backed magnificently in numbers and in volume both home and away, and especially away. Has it created a championship winning team? A title challenging team? An irresistible force that other teams fear? No to all. If the fans won promotion for a club, we'd have scooped the title months if not years ago.

We need to do our bit on Thursday - we can all agree, but this is inconsequential compared to how the players and Manager approach the game and acquit themselves on the pitch. The fans, who'll be there anyway, will react to that.

I think we are broadly in agreement although I think the two are symbiotic. We probably need something to cheer but they need our unfettered backing. Anyway I expect to have no voice whatsoever on Friday morning...
UTFM

Quoted from LondonMariner43

Some of the posts on here tonight are unbelievable.

Some of you seem to have given up before a ball is kicked because our reserves lost to Tranmere.  Tranmere were in the FL last season and I bet their fans would give anything to be in our position today.

Like it or not, we are in the play offs.  None of the teams are unbeatable.  Just get behind the players and support them FFS.

Some on here seem to want us to fail so that they can be proved right about Hurst.  Get a life.  If you want us to lose, stay away.  If you want us to win, give your support unconditionally for these games.
You beat me to it completely agree, last week at the Chester match I witnessed the worst town fans that I had ever seen , they berated the players from the off and the picked fights with other fans. I was ashamed

No doubt I'll get red crossed but the Fishy has become a depressing place to visit this season.

The two are catalysts, or can be, for each other. But they also sometimes cannot. The key at BP is coming out of the blocks flying and really getting the BP crowd sensing goals and baying for blood. A slice of luck perhaps or pure overwhelming pressure then the rest falls into place.

Buckley says it all the time on the commentaries, he says if you don't start like that it's hard to gear up to that mode after ten minutes or so and I think it's where Hurst fundamentally at odds with what the BP crowd longs for. Inspire us and we'll respond -we can try but it's the players and the tactician with the power.

The first 20 minutes could shape the tone of both legs, let's grasp the nettle then the fans will become the true twelfth man.

£30 on Dover each game, I'll be happy to lose my money.

Quoted from GtfcGarner

£30 on Dover each game, I'll be happy to lose my money.

Shouldn't you have posted this under 'The most calamitous punter thread'?

Not sure people actually want us to lose however there are naturally optimistic and naturally pessimistic people in this world....following pre season and early season displays i was extremely confident we would win the play offs, never believed in the title after the start FGR had as always chasing too big a gap...however i am now feeling pessimistic about our chances.

Yesterday was our reserves in all effect.....would you feel confident turning to the bench looking for an inspirational player from that lot?
It all has an inevitable feel to it.

Had the players lost heart over the last few weeks once we lost to Chelts knowing the title had gone so have been playing within themselves as a result. Will they now be up for a three game competition to go and take the prize?

I am just about clinging on to the hope that at least, season on season we have got better at the play offs....which means to continue that pattern there is only one place left for us to go.    UTM.  

One thing that really annoyed me was the comments "the players were pathetic and  a disgrace to the fans."

WTF....................... Just feck right off.

Those players a lot were not regular first team players lost one nil to a full strength,must win Tranmere outfit. They do not deserve being slagged off like that.

Another myth busted, Hurst DID NOT deliberately snub the fans he has praised our fans in the past on many occasions or have you conveniently forgot that fact.

Lets leave the slagging off for a few weeks (hopefully) and get behind the team and manager for now.

UTM.

Quoted from chaos33

Jeez, do we go around in circles, blaming the fans and getting the excuses in early. How many noisy Town fans showed up at Halifax a few months ago, and what happened?

Perhaps it's you who knows nothing about competitive sport. It's vital that every player does their duty on Thursday first and foremost. As a Town fan I can think of scores of occasions when thousands of noisy fans turned up and the team didn't. You talk about our fans 'not supporting the team heartily enough', but for the 100th time - fans do do not win promotion, the team and manager do. Or don't. Christ - that support today, that backing, that noise. You couldn't better it. Unbelievable. Did it engender a decent shot on goal from the team? A spell of pressure? A spirited performance? Did it balls. You're in danger of getting the cart before the horse IMO. The fans need to get behind the team - agreed, but the results will be down to the performance of the players.

That's why I said "competitive" game which the play-off s are. Close games are something like 40% ability, 10% tactics and 50% luck what the final result is.

Quoted from LondonMariner43

Some of the posts on here tonight are unbelievable.

Some of you seem to have given up before a ball is kicked because our reserves lost to Tranmere.  Tranmere were in the FL last season and I bet their fans would give anything to be in our position today.

Like it or not, we are in the play offs.

I will start by saying that i NEVER want Grimsby to lose a game & i will never give up on them! If we lose a game we shake ourselves down, brush it off and start again. This is what we will have to do in order to start the "Mini Season" that is the playoffs. Treat it as a new season, a fresh start..

While i do agree with you i'm sure Tranmere fans would kill to be in our position. I don't support Tranmere and i'm glad they are not in the playoffs.
You have to remember we have been in Tranmere's position coming out of the FL thinking we need to get back at any cost. Many years later we are still in the dark ages of Non-League football. I think BR are the only team to come straight back up??

I think the reason why i and so many fans are frustrated with the current situation is that we have not been competitive for the title and being 21 points off the pace is not acceptable.
Our fans raised a staggering amount of money in the hope that we would smash this season. The bar was raised so highly that you can't complain when fans feel as they feel when they look at the league table and see a 21 point gap, they put their own money in.

FGR sacked theirs for coming second? While i stress it's not a time to panic i'm just trying to give an objective opinion to why our fans have reason to feel as they do.

Hurst should be made accountable at the end of the season & only at the end of the season.

Keep the faith and support our team because believe me, the way we are playing we need to get behind them more than ever!