H&S Doubters

People are chomping at the bit to discuss this on TOTY so thought I'd set up a new thread.

I can see both sides - think the fans talking about relegation not so long ago should have got a grip, but like Scott says it's an ongoing process and we haven't achieved anything yet.

I've defended S&H from the flak and we've certainly progressed going the right way recently, but I wouldn't say I have no doubts at all going forward either - so I'm a "possible". Won't say why right now.

So are you confident S&H will now deliver promotion this season or next ?
Or are you a doubter wondering if they're still the right choice ?

In either case, why ?

Discuss...

Their was hardly any doubters in the first place when they came, so surely their won't be many votes

Clearly, it's a possibilty.

Definitely possible.

It's still way to early to call H&S a success or failure.

I never doubted their potential and ability. If you look at their managerial career it has just steadily progressed and we are the next stage in their progression as a competent force. Too many fans on here wrote them off early in the season and gave them ridiculous nicknames but it was never going to be easy to pull things round at the club. I can see a very interesting second half of the season and a much better next season.

We haven't beaten a decent team yet, or had a cup run: I'm keeping my four feet firmly on the ground.

I hope to get excited around Easter if we still have a chance of the Play-Offs and a Trophy triumph.

Quoted from 1600

People are chomping at the bit to discuss this on TOTY so thought I'd set up a new thread.

I can see both sides - think the fans talking about relegation not so long ago should have got a grip, but like Scott says it's an ongoing process and we haven't achieved anything yet.

I've defended S&H from the flak and we've certainly progressed going the right way recently, but I wouldn't say I have no doubts at all going forward either - so I'm a "possible". Won't say why right now.

So are you confident S&H will now deliver promotion this season or next ?
Or are you a doubter wondering if they're still the right choice ?

In either case, why ?

Discuss...

I thought they was a good appointmnt when they took over and wasn't too concerned with their poor results from last season... The start we had this season was shocking, the good performances were sporadic at best and to me, at times, the players displayed the same sort of 'can't be arsed' attitude that we have had for many years, this is when I became a 'doubter' and would have quite happily seen the back of them...

Lately, there can be no denying we seem to have, at last, made some real progress... 3 league wins in a row, 1 defeat in 13, some of the quality performances and the amount of goals we have scored are signs of progress... I hope the progress continues and even in the times when I did doubt them, I didn't abuse them, just raised my concerns regarding whether they was the right men to take the club forward...

I still have some doubts though... I want to see us win the top teams both, home and away, because not trying to take anything away from recent results, have we really played any one of real quality who is up at the top end of the league...??? I also guess a lot of my doubts aren't directly related to the managers we have now but more the 'not wanting to get suckedd in to believing again and ending up being dissapointed...

As for this season I think we are too far adrift to make the play-off spots even though we seem to be giving a real crack... Next season with the same progress and an ability to beat the top teams we can deffinately achieve promotion and it would be a disapointment if we didn't make the play-offs...

I've put possibly but leaning more towards probably

I reckon they're doing everything needed but we are still struggling financially and need the gates to increase to support a promotion push (we seem to be a little light on experienced central midfielders atm). Not overly sure what the board want the supporters trust to do about setting their budget.

Three things that would push me to suggest probably:

Ryan Bennett being sold in the summer giving us enough cash to keep going for an extra 2 years at current overspend
Wembley visit with the fa vase and cash
A couple of excelllent money spinning friendlies to boost the youth system funds. I'm not overly sure why so many of our friendlies last year were away and to clubs with fan bases in the hundreds. Real shame about the Hull fixture but guess they made up for it with Townsend.

Quoted from voice of reason

I thought they was a good appointmnt when they took over and wasn't too concerned with their poor results from last season... The start we had this season was shocking, the good performances were sporadic at best and to me, at times, the players displayed the same sort of 'can't be arsed' attitude that we have had for many years, this is when I became a 'doubter' and would have quite happily seen the back of them...

Lately, there can be no denying we seem to have, at last, made some real progress... 3 league wins in a row, 1 defeat in 13, some of the quality performances and the amount of goals we have scored are signs of progress... I hope the progress continues and even in the times when I did doubt them, I didn't abuse them, just raised my concerns regarding whether they was the right men to take the club forward...

I still have some doubts though... I want to see us win the top teams both, home and away, because not trying to take anything away from recent results, have we really played any one of real quality who is up at the top end of the league...??? I also guess a lot of my doubts aren't directly related to the managers we have now but more the 'not wanting to get suckedd in to believing again and ending up being dissapointed...

As for this season I think we are too far adrift to make the play-off spots even though we seem to be giving a real crack... Next season with the same progress and an ability to beat the top teams we can deffinately achieve promotion and it would be a disapointment if we didn't make the play-offs...

Good post but I believe its 1 loss in 14 not 13.

Quoted from MyDogsThoughts

We haven't beaten a decent team yet, or had a cup run: I'm keeping my four feet firmly on the ground.

I hope to get excited around Easter if we still have a chance of the Play-Offs and a Trophy triumph.

I would say starting in the f a cup qualifiers and almost getting to the 3rd round is a decent cup run compared to the last few seasons to be honest.

I think there's a good chance it's a safe bet to say it might just possibly be a probability at the moment

no fence sitting from me !!!  

this year is to mutch to ask after the start we had but a bit more fine tunning ready for the start of next season a massive possability just keep playing with pride and passion and getting a few results along the way and the fans wil come back

Quoted from MyDogsThoughts

We haven't beaten a decent team yet, or had a cup run: I'm keeping my four feet firmly on the ground.

I hope to get excited around Easter if we still have a chance of the Play-Offs and a Trophy triumph.

This

Quoted from Fishfinger

This

Apart from the four feet bit, presumably  

And yeah, possibly from me too.

I couldn't pretend to be anything other than infuriated, ratty and sometimes downright annoyed when we were bobbling about in the relegation places early on in the season - after so many years of being positive and patient, I think the situation finally got to me.  Mind you, I was in good company, as the management team weren't exactly complimentary towards their own players back then, either.  

I would never have called for Scott and Hurst to be sacked, as I strongly believe the continual and relentless change of personnel was partly responsible for our demise in the first place, and that is why I found it so frustrating to see us scratting around at the bottom of the table with a brand new team.

As for now, I am still unsure.  I always hoped the fact that we were a young side would mean there was room for improvement.  I saw the first signs of something very real and solid in Conor Townsend's performance on Sunday - for me, the improvement in his game shone like a beacon and really lifted my spirits.  I know he's not exactly ours, but the fact that he's on loan until the end of the season means he is likely to be with us for as long as some of our own contracted players, and I'm so pleased about that, especially if he can maintain some sort of consistency and play like that every game, or even improve on his performance, if that's possible.

But I am not getting carried away with things just yet.  As VOR says, I'd like to see how we perform against quality opposition - Port Vale was good, but I'd like to see us get results against some of the high flyers in our own league.  I think that would work wonders for my confidence in the team - I have definitely enjoyed the last few games ... but still I feel cautious.

I don't think Icy was particularly enamoured of the management team in the early days, and I only wish he had been around long enough to see the current upturn in our fortunes.  I'm sure he would have been delighted by our recent form and I'd have loved to know what his views might be now about our prospects for the future.

Quoted from Fishfinger

This

that.............

Agree with those saying too early to say success or failure.  I've always said if anyone is going to restore us to our former glories, indeed anything close to it, would need more than the five minutes Fenty usually affords.  Perhaps the boardroom wranglings have prevented Fenty from pulling the trigger or at least distracted from the discontent amongst many until only a couple of months ago.

Scott and Hurst do appear to be getting it right, bringing in the right sort of players.  The sort of players we've lacked for so long.  It is though a huge ask to get into the play-offs and ultimately one too big I feel.   Hope I'm wrong but an injury and lengthy lay off for someone like Hearn, Elding, Coulson, Disley, Townsend, Wood or McKewon would mess us up big time without a like-for-like replacement. Of course every team in any league is the same but we need near perfect results for the rest of the season. Unfortunately with the likes of Silk, Spencer etc in the team for a long run we would be too weak in my eyes.  

As for next season, regardless of what league we're in, there is a pretty strong likelihood we won't have at least half of the seven players mentioned above.  They will require replacing and the cycle starts again (Hearn took x amount of games to get going, Elding the same).  Next May is when it will be fair to judge Scott and Hurst but I feel this summer and our resolve with incoming bids and the ability to keep our better players will be the make or break point.  

I don't think the playoffs are out of reach at all.  Now advancing via the playoffs is a crap shoot, but finishing in the places can be done by this team barring a lot of injuries.

I think Cambridge in a week or so will be a big test for us. At this moment in time I'm a bit sceptical because of Manny Panther obviously leaving, Disley touch and go, Bradley Wood banned for two games and the re-introduction of Anthony Church.

Will we win three more games than the clubs above us before the end of the season?

That is the real question, beating each of them once will help, but do you really think we are going to get three points at either Fleetwood or Wrexham?