Hmmm.....

https://www.bbc.co.uk/radio/play/p06lx15y

He is beginning to sound like Slade sadly.

Like you say ginny, "hmm." 🤔
Full of?

Can you get a flight direct to sweeden from Hullberside ? ;D

If I aint sick of hear "acutely aware" come out of his mouth....he ain't that acutely aware coz if he was he'd play 4-4-2 and put 2-strikers on from the start and not play Collins at the back...

Cba to listen to his over analysis of absolute dross.

No panic.. we've got Fox, Dixon and Cardwell coming back from injury..

If he was still in banking and his investment advice had just lost all its value he could convince you to give him another load to lose.

Always seems like too much worrying about the opposition  :-/

Quoted from Abdul19

Always seems like too much worrying about the opposition  :-/

And that's exactly what Hurst did, would talk up the mighty Tamworth to the point where we were happy to scrape a home draw. That's probably why Fenty kept him so long, Hurst convinced him we were playing Real Madrid every week.

He's lost the frigging plot, using the words Woolford and athletic in the same sentence.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

If I aint sick of hear "acutely aware" come out of his mouth....he ain't that acutely aware coz if he was he'd play 4-4-2 and put 2-strikers on from the start and not play Collins at the back...

As we've got no attacking wide players in the squad and Welsh needs to be played in a three, I'd suggest a 3-5-2, but agree with everything else you say..

Next Saturday is all or nothing. One last shot. I don’t want him to get sacked, but there’s no hope for him if we lose next week. I have my fingers and everything else crossed for him. And us!

Quoted from Abdul19

Always seems like too much worrying about the opposition  :-/

When Brian Clough took over at Leeds the players wanted all the information on their opponents because Don Revie always did it,

Never mind about them Brian said let them worry about what we are going to do .

It was great thinking just because things did not work out for him there was because of the players not his thinking,

Just ask any Nottingham Forest fan if the ploy worked.

Another great point Brian made when co commentating on an England game,

The manager was sat next to the doctor up in the stand,

" Whats he doing sitting next to him, are they talking about  penicillen   ?  "   ;D

clough= it only takes a second to score a goal,we have 505 minutes without one.

As soon as the manager is trying to kid supporters on, then the end is nigh. It happened with Slade and I'm afraid that it's starting to sound the same. I understand the need to look for positives and to try to deflect pressure from himself and the team - sure we all do, but some of the stuff in that interview is plain bullsh1te. We might as well tell it like it is.

I am at a loss to explain why this is happening. Again.

I like Jolley and I was fully behind him. I think we all were. Hopeful and excited and grateful for what was achieved with Slade's awful squad but what the hell has happened since then? No blaming the fans this time. Back we all came with enthusiasm and hope - predicting good things, but it transpires that we can't compete in this division, once again. Not even with the middling teams. Why is that? Jolley's coaching credentials are second to none. If there are any better qualified coaches in L2 then they will be a tiny number. It must surely be the budget then. Does our bottom three league position reflect our investment in players? No hiding from the fact that we've signed too few quality players and retained too many average to poor ones.

I don't understand the persistence with some players who seem to prove, week in, week out, that they are barely up to this standard. Some of the selections have become baffling - Woolford and Collins auto picks despite terrible performance levels and Vernam not able to get a start. Famewo dropped. Players played out of position. Changes in the starting eleven every game and the system tinkered with endlessly, ensuring confusion and a lack of continuity. And this from a top qualified coach?!

I just can't understand why we seem to be sh1t regardless of who we sign, or who we play or who manages us. We are becoming a laughing stock. Once again, GTFC have killed that momentum. That local pride. All the fans forgiving and forgetting and returning, hoping for better and yet....more of the same. It really is dog t**d and I'm sick to the back teeth of it. I think we all are.

Quoted from chaos33

As soon as the manager is trying to kid supporters on, then the end is nigh. It happened with Slade and I'm afraid that it's starting to sound the same. I understand the need to look for positives and to try to deflect pressure from himself and the team - sure we all do, but some of the stuff in that interview is plain bullsh1te. We might as well tell it like it is.

I am at a loss to explain why this is happening. Again.

I like Jolley and I was fully behind him. I think we all were. Hopeful and excited and grateful for what was achieved with Slade's awful squad but what the hell has happened since then? No blaming the fans this time. Back we all came with enthusiasm and hope -predicting good things, but it transpires that we can't compete in this division, once again. Not even with the middling teams. Why is that? Jolley's coaching credentials are second to none. If there are any better qualified coaches in L2 then they will be a tiny number. It must surely be the budget then. Does our bottom three league position reflect our investment in players? No hiding from the fact that we've signed too few quality players and retained too many average to poor ones.

I don't understand the persistence with some players who seem to prove, week in, week out, that they are barely up to this standard. Some of the selections have become baffling - Woolford and Collins auto picks despite terrible performance levels and Vernam not able to get a start. Famewo dropped. Players played out of position. Changes in the starting eleven every game and the system tinkered with endlessly, ensuring confusion and a lack of continuity. And his from a top qualified coach?!

I just can't understand why we seem to be sh1t regardless of who we sign, or who we play or who manages us. We are becoming a laughing stock. Once again, GTFC have killed that momentum. That local pride. All the fans forgiving and forgetting and returning, hoping for better and yet....more of the same. It really is dog t**d and I'm sick to the back teeth of it. I think we all are.

Well that get my vote for post of the week. It describes what I'm feeling ATM.

I would suggest that it's happening again because we have a p1ss poor budget no investment, MJ is a really decent guy who definitely understands what this club means to us I just think he's being found out a bit in that he's having to work with 4th Division players but trying to apply methodology that might have been o.k. at a different level or age group.

Who knows? all I know is that I'd like him to be a success (mid table is what I'd call success ATM) but if things don't get better soon we'll be in deep sh1t when experience will be required.  

If a tradesman turns up at your house without the right tools it doesn't matter how good he is, he's only as good as the tools he is employing. MJ has earnt the right to be given the time to get it right. Give me as many crosses as you like but I'm still right behind him, we can't keep changing the manager every 5 minutes because a few fans throw a wobble.

In my humble opinion, Michael Jolley needs to have a go at teams. Or he’ll be out of a job very soon.

Though I’m not convinced about the teams mental strength. In tight games, they seem geniuses at pulling defeats out of draws.

I like Jolley, but turning up at BBQ’s and christenings mean intercourse all, I wonder if he’s respected in the dressing room? Overall, I’m unhappy with the players, but the manager a close second. I won’t bury my head in the sand for the sake of positivity. I’m beginning to wonder how much of last seasons revival was to do with Slade going, more that Jolley coming in.

The board need to consider their options very carefully. Vernam is being criminally underused, if he is trusted he should become one of the best players in this division.

I want MJ to pull his head out of the modern day managers rulebook, I want him to succeed but I am concerned, give him three more games then sack him if this continues. I think that’s twelve games, without looking at the table. That’s fair enough.

Quoted from gaz57

If a tradesman turns up at your house without the right tools it doesn't matter how good he is, he's only as good as the tools he is employing. MJ has earnt the right to be given the time to get it right. Give me as many crosses as you like but I'm still right behind him, we can't keep changing the manager every 5 minutes because a few fans throw a wobble.

We're all behind him but please, PLEASE don't make excuses for a manager who sends a team out to get a 0-0 draw. A manager who drops Famewo to accommodate Collins and consistently leaves Vernam out & plays Woolford.

How many games is acceptable to go without goals, points and even shots on target?

He chose the 'tools' - your word - if he can't use them, he doesn't have much time.

It’s a tough situation for all Jolley supporters (of which I’m one). Desperate to see him do well here. I thought he’d bring stability, a calmness and a modern approach that might just give us an edge in what is a pretty poor division.

I wasn’t asking for promotion or even a play-off spot (for this season at least). I was preparing for a season around 14th where Jolley finds his feet and then builds for better things in the future.

I’m not demanding that he be sacked at all. Fed up with this managerial merry-go-round. But I’m totally baffled by what he’s trying to do here. So much of it makes no sense.

Poor Harry Clifton. The lad is an out-and-out central midfielder yet I don’t think he’s actually played there for us under Jolley. I like the fact that MJ is trying to play him but if he doesn’t fit the system then name him on the bench. He’s not a wing back and he’s not a wide attacking midfielder.

He brought Woolford into centre mid last season and he was great. He gets a new contract - presuming that he’ll remain in centre mid - and Jolley signs about 4 more centre mids.

We’ve got about 5 strikers st the club and, fair enough, we’ve had injuries, but we’re playing one up top... one that doesn’t have the attributes to carry out that role.

MJ got so much right last season. He improved confidence and played a simple 4-4-2 that the players clearly understood. I don’t know what formation it starting XI we’re going to play this season, week to week, and that makes it almost impossible to get behind.

The way we played against Notts Co and Forest Green last season was impressive. Every player looked comfortable and confident. Hooper scored a hat-trick for Christ’s sake!

Most of those players he worked with were dross, but he got something out of them. I feel this squad has more technical talent but they look weak and fragile, and confused at what they’re meant to be doing.

We have a squad that was assembled on the presumption that we’d play 3-5-2 this season but whether it’s three or four at the back we don’t look like we can defend and we certainly can’t score.

MJ really struggled when he first arrived last season. We were awful v Port Vale but scraped a draw, we were awful at Lincoln and Coventry and we only started showing signs of fighting when we lost at Wycombe.

I’m sort of hoping the same thing is happening now - we’re pretty rubbish but soon something will click and we’ll be alright.

I don't think it matters who's manager, where a rundown Town and Club, who can't attract players to come here apart from loans and Free Transfers, we don't have a plan, since being in league, i never liked Bignot but at least we was looking at Lower league, Osborne and Sam Jones, Chris Clements from Mansfield who scored 4 goals in 16 games name a midfielder who can get that in ratio from centre mid apart from Rose pens.

We need a plan drastically, and i don't think geting rid of Jolley is the plan, Jolley has given good contracts to youth another will just disgard them and pay them off, annoying thing for me is sending Rose and Wright on loan when we lack width and speed up front. Them two players sghould pushing for first team.

I think Jolley was expecting to get players like Ginnelly, Long etc and missed out on them and has gambled on having enough to January, i don't know what's happened to the team since Lincoln and MK Dons.

Im having a birthday party on tuesday michael , fancy one of your drop in's ? If so please feel free .

I have a few very reasonable questions i want to put your way.

We are still trying different systems and players - but still finding different ways to lose.  This is the managers analysis.

We are playing with fear (of losing) and without courage.  This is unacceptable to supporters.

Any continuation of this dire position will probable be  unacceptable to Fenty as well.

Quoted from chaos33

As soon as the manager is trying to kid supporters on, then the end is nigh. It happened with Slade and I'm afraid that it's starting to sound the same. I understand the need to look for positives and to try to deflect pressure from himself and the team - sure we all do, but some of the stuff in that interview is plain bullsh1te. We might as well tell it like it is.

I am at a loss to explain why this is happening. Again.

I like Jolley and I was fully behind him. I think we all were. Hopeful and excited and grateful for what was achieved with Slade's awful squad but what the hell has happened since then? No blaming the fans this time. Back we all came with enthusiasm and hope -predicting good things, but it transpires that we can't compete in this division, once again. Not even with the middling teams. Why is that? Jolley's coaching credentials are second to none. If there are any better qualified coaches in L2 then they will be a tiny number. It must surely be the budget then. Does our bottom three league position reflect our investment in players? No hiding from the fact that we've signed too few quality players and retained too many average to poor ones.

I don't understand the persistence with some players who seem to prove, week in, week out, that they are barely up to this standard. Some of the selections have become baffling - Woolford and Collins auto picks despite terrible performance levels and Vernam not able to get a start. Famewo dropped. Players played out of position. Changes in the starting eleven every game and the system tinkered with endlessly, ensuring confusion and a lack of continuity. And his from a top qualified coach?!

I just can't understand why we seem to be sh1t regardless of who we sign, or who we play or who manages us. We are becoming a laughing stock. Once again, GTFC have killed that momentum. That local pride. All the fans forgiving and forgetting and returning, hoping for better and yet....more of the same. It really is dog t**d and I'm sick to the back teeth of it. I think we all are.

Great post mate, agree with it all.

The bit in bold.. I just want to offer a theory..

I think it may be a general culture thing that's been hanging around the club for years and infects every manager and filters down to the players. Tight fisted budgets maybe? Small time attitudes and penny pinching ways defoinitely. Are we professional enough as a club to be taken seriously or are we just another payday on a career path? Until the culture and the people responsible for the culture change or are replaced, maybe it's always going to be the same?

Seems plausible doesn't it.

Quoted from Bigdog

No panic.. we've got Fox, Dixon and Cardwell coming back from injury..

Yeah, and I'm 'acutely aware' of just how desperate that sounds. Three more substandard, cheap players to come back to cement our bottom three status.

Quoted from chaos33

As soon as the manager is trying to kid supporters on, then the end is nigh. It happened with Slade and I'm afraid that it's starting to sound the same. I understand the need to look for positives and to try to deflect pressure from himself and the team - sure we all do, but some of the stuff in that interview is plain bullsh1te. We might as well tell it like it is.

I am at a loss to explain why this is happening. Again.

I like Jolley and I was fully behind him. I think we all were. Hopeful and excited and grateful for what was achieved with Slade's awful squad but what the hell has happened since then? No blaming the fans this time. Back we all came with enthusiasm and hope -predicting good things, but it transpires that we can't compete in this division, once again. Not even with the middling teams. Why is that? Jolley's coaching credentials are second to none. If there are any better qualified coaches in L2 then they will be a tiny number. It must surely be the budget then. Does our bottom three league position reflect our investment in players? No hiding from the fact that we've signed too few quality players and retained too many average to poor ones.

I don't understand the persistence with some players who seem to prove, week in, week out, that they are barely up to this standard. Some of the selections have become baffling - Woolford and Collins auto picks despite terrible performance levels and Vernam not able to get a start. Famewo dropped. Players played out of position. Changes in the starting eleven every game and the system tinkered with endlessly, ensuring confusion and a lack of continuity. And his from a top qualified coach?!

I just can't understand why we seem to be sh1t regardless of who we sign, or who we play or who manages us. We are becoming a laughing stock. Once again, GTFC have killed that momentum. That local pride. All the fans forgiving and forgetting and returning, hoping for better and yet....more of the same. It really is dog t**d and I'm sick to the back teeth of it. I think we all are.

Dog sh@t wrapped up in cat sh@t?

Quoted from Bigdog

Great post mate, agree with it all.

The bit in bold.. I just want to offer a theory..

I think it may be a general culture thing that's been hanging around the club for years and infects every manager and filters down to the players. Tight fisted budgets maybe? Small time attitudes and penny pinching ways defoinitely. Are we professional enough as a club to be taken seriously or are we just another payday on a career path? Until the culture and the people responsible for the culture change or are replaced, maybe it's always going to be the same?

The culture has been the same for way too long. Penny rich, pound thick.

Please, please someone come out of the woodwork and save us from more non-league and kick the Fenty regime into the wilderness where it belongs,

Quoted from jonnyboy82

Im having a birthday party on tuesday michael , fancy one of your drop in's ? If so please feel free .

I have a few very reasonable questions i want to put your way.

Sausages on the menu?

I think Jolley is like a school teacher trying to educate a D class into being an A class

It will not work Michael forget your fancy formations and tactics,

You have to come down to their level.

If you don't you will be out of work before they are.

Quoted from chaos33

Yeah, and I'm 'acutely aware' of just how desperate that sounds. Three more substandard, cheap players to come back to cement our bottom three status.

Harsh on Fox and probably Cardwell too.

Fox played well for us after joining last season and doesn't deserve to be denigrated. Cardwell gave his all in that late run of games as well, though whether that will be good enough in the future remains to be seen. Dixon isn't very good, however, despite the surprising pedigree from earlier in his career.

Match after match the selections baffle us and the players seem not to be playing to a plan. Will miss the Morecambe game while in France but I expect repercussions if we fail again. Vernam must start!

We have never been told what Cardwell did in pre training,

Was he building up his strength and dropped a heavy weight on his foot ?

Quoted from Maringer

Harsh on Fox and probably Cardwell too.

Fox played well for us after joining last season and doesn't deserve to be denigrated. Cardwell gave his all in that late run of games as well, though whether that will be good enough in the future remains to be seen. Dixon isn't very good, however, despite the surprising pedigree from earlier in his career.

Come on. Fox is decent at best, and Cardwell is relatively unknown having achieved nothing of note in his career as yet. Dixon is poor. In context, the return of these players does not inspire confidence. Watch the highlights from all L2 matches and see what quality other teams have. These three epitomise the general calibre of player that we have. Bang average at absolute best.

Like many have agree with... Chaos 33 sums up my feelings 100%
Even Hurst's teams - ultimately successful - were never exciting and never set the pulse racing but it was (by and large) a winning set up; if your team's style is basically functional with the odd moment of incisiveness(needed to score a goal!) then it has to be a winning team... otherwise the product is laid bare for what it is - unexciting, no thrills, just never ending mediocrity.

I do still believe in MJ - I want him to succeed - I'm sick of merry-go-round manager attitude (six games and your'e out).
I accept he's young and raw - had very few games as a manager - had injury and suspension frustrations (not least Whitehouse who I think he regarded as one of his major signings for the style he wants to play) etc etc but having seen his selections it leaves the team unbalanced, lopsided, with square pegs in round holes, and about 5/6 players in positions they are not used to

Hence you have several things happen - here are three IMO

1) Midfield players get balls in attacking third - stop, go sideways or backwards - it is not in their instinct to drive on (Stevenage players were superb at that I thought)

2) No natural widemen - you end up with players like Hess and Clifton picking balls up out wide and because they are not natural wingers they very rarely whip the ball in... first instinct is to stop, turn around and pass backwards...hence all momentum is lost

3) When we did whip it in yesterday (Thomas mainly - who I thought played very well considering he was lone striker) we twice had only ONE of five midfielders in the box. No natural instinct IMO to drive on and get into the box

So.... again this is my opinion and people might disagree - when everyone (or almost everyone) is available he MUST pick players who are used to their positions...this will mean hard and tough choices

RHJ or Hendrie at right back
Fox or Dixon at left back (neither are the best we've ever had but they know the position and give balance as natural left footed players)
The 4 other defenders fight for two places - it's harsh but that's football

I honestly don't see Welsh in a three in midfield - pace is vital in 4 3 3 and he hasn't really got any.
And do you need a holding midfielder in L2 football?
Does he naturally slow everything down?

I know it's possible heresy on here to question Welsh...but I think all things need looking at

4 3 3?

3 5 2?

I honestly feel 4 4 2 is the worst option cos of my points above about natural width

4 3 3
Pringle Hess Embleton
Vernam Thomas Cook

3 5 2
Hendrie/RHJ - Welsh - Hess - Pringle - Fox/Dixon
Thomas Cook/Vernam

Who knows? With the make up of the squad I'm lost as to what the best way forward is

Whatever, we need players to be more attacking, braver and incisive

Quoted from devs

Like many have agree with... Chaos 33 sums up my feelings 100%
Even Hurst's teams - ultimately successful - were never exciting and never set the pulse racing but it was (by and large) a winning set up; if your team's style is basically functional with the odd moment of incisiveness(needed to score a goal!) then it has to be a winning team... otherwise the product is laid bare for what it is - unexciting, no thrills, just never ending mediocrity.

I do still believe in MJ - I want him to succeed - I'm sick of merry-go-round manager attitude (six games and your'e out).
I accept he's young and raw - had very few games as a manager - had injury and suspension frustrations (not least Whitehouse who I think he regarded as one of his major signings for the style he wants to play) etc etc but having seen his selections it leaves the team unbalanced, lopsided, with square pegs in round holes, and about 5/6 players in positions they are not used to

Hence you have several things happen - here are three IMO

1) Midfield players get balls in attacking third - stop, go sideways or backwards - it is not in their instinct to drive on (Stevenage players were superb at that I thought)

2) No natural widemen - you end up with players like Hess and Clifton picking balls up out wide and because they are not natural wingers they very rarely whip the ball in... first instinct is to stop, turn around and pass backwards...hence all momentum is lost

3) When we did whip it in yesterday (Thomas mainly - who I thought played very well considering he was lone striker) we twice had only ONE of five midfielders in the box. No natural instinct IMO to drive on and get into the box

So.... again this is my opinion and people might disagree - when everyone (or almost everyone) is available he MUST pick players who are used to their positions...this will mean hard and tough choices

RHJ or Hendrie at right back
Fox or Dixon at left back (neither are the best we've ever had but they know the position and give balance as natural left footed players)
The 4 other defenders fight for two places - it's harsh but that's football

I honestly don't see Welsh in a three in midfield - pace is vital in 4 3 3 and he hasn't really got any.
And do you need a holding midfielder in L2 football?
Does he naturally slow everything down?

I know it's possible heresy on here to question Welsh...but I think all things need looking at

4 3 3?

3 5 2?

I honestly feel 4 4 2 is the worst option cos of my points above about natural width

4 3 3
Pringle Hess Embleton
Vernam Thomas Cook

3 5 2
Hendrie/RHJ - Welsh - Hess - Pringle - Fox/Dixon
Thomas Cook/Vernam

Who knows? With the make up of the squad I'm lost as to what the best way forward is

Whatever, we need players to be more attacking, braver and incisive

Is it the consequence of having a smaller squad? Have we not got enough options to play the various formations that we seem to want to play?

We were promised a high-tempo and athletic approach yet we started yesterday with Welsh, Woolford & Collins. If we're going athletic & high tempo then surely we need Famewo, Embleton, Vernam & even Akheem Rose involved. It's no use moaning now about other teams having 6ft 3in giants - we could have signed some too!

To me, we need to start fighting fire with fire.

Agree Old Codger
Stevenage (Stevenage for Christ sake) looked fitter, faster, more mobile, better drilled, more positive, braver, more direct...

Unfortunately OC, there is only one to play against these big lads, that's to play round and through them, which is what we did so well against lincoln...but and a big but, macca has resorted back to lumping the ball up to Woolford, who at best couldn't out jump a rattle snake...
Yes fight fire with fire, play out from the back, get the ball on the floor, pass and move,....with the general size of our players it's the only way forward I can see..

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Unfortunately OC, there is only one to play against these big lads, that's to play round and through them, which is what we did so well against lincoln...but and a big but, macca has resorted back to lumping the ball up to Woolford, who at best couldn't out jump a rattle snake...
Yes fight fire with fire, play out from the back, get the ball on the floor, pass and move,....with the general size of our players it's the only way forward I can see..

Absolutely.

The plan was to sign players to play in a certain way. It's not going to work every week but we seem to have thrown the baby out with the bath water very early into the project.

This debate from the other week is interesting and has some parallels with what's going on at town. I agree with Neville, Jolley needs to stick to his guns; if he changes his principles every week he'll quickly lose the respect of his players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BFw1B1pwPQ

All Jolley and the team need is a bit of luck to change things round.

Look what happened at Burnley yesterday,

They got 2 goals in a minute just before half time,

They had only scored I goal in the previous 5 games,

Bournemouth came back at them in the 2nd half and Burnley caught them on the break twice 4-0

No way was that a 4-0 game but it will give the Burnley players and the fans confidence in the coming games.

Same again for us next week please Lady Luck.

Quoted from Vance Warner

This debate from the other week is interesting and has some parallels with what's going on at town. I agree with Neville, Jolley needs to stick to his guns; if he changes his principles every week he'll quickly lose the respect of his players.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0BFw1B1pwPQ

Spot on