Hurst and Doig have rejoined us

Quoted from Garth

The thing about Holloway that I'm still smarting about was,  he falsely conned us into thinking that we were unbelievable lucky to have him in our presence, as a non quitter, hardworking loyal guy who had fallen in love with the idea of taking us fantastic supporters to heights we could only have dreamed of before he arrived on the scene.
He then shoved excrement into our besotted faces by signing inferior players, playing them out of position, loosing more games than winning and finally slinking off before he got sacked leaving us in the mire

How many times in the summer did he hint at some 'great signings' that he's working on....

How many of them did we see, or how many actually existed?

Strange feeling waking up to a new day and thiinking for the first time in over a decade that the future of our club is in safe hands both on and off the pitch. A lot of work to do with league position and building a new infrastructure, but I firmly believe the right people are in the right positions at the right time. Our stadium, training facilities and modus operandi might be all very shabby at the minute, and we might be only 90th out of 92 in the Football League and in need of a playing squad overhaul, but I feel strangely content in believing my hopes and dreams for GTFC are at last fully justified and achievable. What a difference a week in football can make..

A lot of posts about Holloway and how he shafted us and it’s hard to disagree. I guess Covid will forever be his excuse but in truth he just padded out the squad with bullshit. He told us we were well run, he said he’d be honest with fans...if the board were forcing his hand why not be honest and call them out? Or why not just work a little harder and still not waste the entire budget on Poundland players.

He duped us and whilst a few weren’t ever truly happy with his appointment, many were taken in and he was full of bluster when in truth his playing style wasn’t any better than anything else we’ve seen and clearly money was a motivator for him, not something he portrayed when he arrived.

Hopefully the club is in a position to finally move forward, that doesn’t always mean huge cash injections but just people with ideas and a forward thinking mindset. Hurst coming back will put a few fans off, much like some of us never wanted Holloway. He will need our support and looking at the squad, a lot of patience.

Time will tell long term whether it’s a good appointment but it’s happened so we need to support it. It can’t be worse than the last 4 years...

Quoted from aldi_01

A lot of posts about Holloway and how he shafted us and it’s hard to disagree. I guess Covid will forever be his excuse but in truth he just padded out the squad with bullshit. He told us we were well run, he said he’d be honest with fans...if the board were forcing his hand why not be honest and call them out? Or why not just work a little harder and still not waste the entire budget on Poundland players.

He duped us and whilst a few weren’t ever truly happy with his appointment, many were taken in and he was full of bluster when in truth his playing style wasn’t any better than anything else we’ve seen and clearly money was a motivator for him, not something he portrayed when he arrived.

Hopefully the club is in a position to finally move forward, that doesn’t always mean huge cash injections but just people with ideas and a forward thinking mindset. Hurst coming back will put a few fans off, much like some of us never wanted Holloway. He will need our support and looking at the squad, a lot of patience.

Time will tell long term whether it’s a good appointment but it’s happened so we need to support it. It can’t be worse than the last 4 years...

I have to be honest and say I was one of those who were duped. I also have to be honest and say that I am still reeling that (1) it didn't work (2) so so much BS and (3) the way he left and what he left us with. I was so excited by his appointment that I actually believed in a new dawn.
I feel more practical now with both the takeover and the appointment of Hurst/Doig. The new regime is a shot in the arm in that they will bring in fresh ideas and a new way of working. Hurst was most probably our best option and I liked the way he talked in his interview. Wont ever let myself get taken in again though like I was with Holloway.

Quoted from GrimRob

Holloway hardly made any good signings. Hurst hardly made any bad ones. Most of my favourite players of the last 15 years Hurst signed.

I think there’s an element of rose tinted specs to suggest that he hardly made any bad ones. Anthony Straker anyone? He was here for five years, so there were inevitably going to be some duffers along the way.

However, your point is a good one. Off the top of my head, Hurst signed Macca, Pearson, Hearn, Disley, Townsend, LJL, Arnold, Magnay, Toto, Gowling, Bogle, Amond, Nolan, Henderson etc. There are loads more, and even if one or two of those were slightly divisive at the time I think it’s fair to say most of us have a slew of happy memories of and a real affinity with those players.

Who, since he left, would fit in with that group of players? We’ve had some half decent players, the likes of Hendrie and the odd decent loanee, but those players were on a different level in so many ways.

Tough ask to repeat that, particularly a higher level, but you’d have to have more confidence in him to make a sign a player than the last sycophantic clown, surely?

Quoted from Poojah

I think there’s an element of rose tinted specs to suggest that he hardly made any bad ones. Anthony Straker anyone? He was here for five years, so there were inevitably going to be some duffers along the way.

However, your point is a good one. Off the top of my head, Hurst signed Macca, Pearson, Hearn, Disley, Townsend, LJL, Arnold, Magnay, Toto, Gowling, Bogle, Amond, Nolan, Henderson etc. There are loads more, and even if one or two of those were slightly divisive at the time I think it’s fair to say most of us have a slew of happy memories of and a real affinity with those players.

Who, since he left, would fit in with that group of players? We’ve had some half decent players, the likes of Hendrie and the odd decent loanee, but those players were on a different level in so many ways.

Tough ask to repeat that, particularly a higher level, but you’d have to have more confidence in him to make a sign a player than the last sycophantic clown, surely?

Since he left there's been Pollock, Vernam, Dembele, but even the last two's stars shone only briefly here

Quoted from GrimRob

Since he left there's been Pollock, Vernam, Dembele, but even the last two's stars shone only briefly here

I was a big fan of Vernam, even before he ended up on loan at non-league, you could see a good player in him.

the only thing is, he shone at the end of last season, but is a league 2 player for sure, i mean, look at Burton, bottom and 6 points from safety already...

"Players since our return to the Football League that are still playing" GTFC team.. If only..

Henderson

Hendrie
Pollock
Davis
Townsend

Dembele
Nolan
Hessenthaler
Vernam


Bogle
Amond

Quoted from Bigdog

"Players since our return to the Football League" GTFC team.. If only..

Henderson

Hendrie
Pollock
Davis
Townsend

Dembele
Nolan
Hessenthler
Vernam


Bogle
Amond

A solid looking team, only Townsend and Amond never played league football for us.

Quoted from Poojah

A solid looking team, only Townsend and Amond never played league football for us.

Buggger. Andrew to replace Townsend and no one I can think of to replace Podge then..