Time for turning

He's got 2 games to convince me that he can turn this around, I really want him to succeed but I'm not feeling it. Having said that, what's the alternative???

Am on the cusp of turning to be honest.

If on Tues night against Halifax we perform like we did against them almost exactly a year ago or end up with a similar 4-0 score against them, then this worm would definatly have turned.

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

Just a question.....what could Hurst have done to stop their second goal being scored?

We had possession in the centre of the park, Brown lost the ball ( too easily imho), they broke into our area and ended  up scoring.

Poor play all round by us...

Our tactics and formation at that time had nothing to do with Hurst but more to do with being caught flat-footed and not being able to deal with it

Just so you know I do have my doubts about his "tinkering" with the midfield in the last two games but to me today's defeat was more about our defensive errors than anything else

Not been mentioned but is it only me who thinks that Jimmy Mac should have done better for the two goals, especially the near post one and not coming out to claim the ball from Bignot at Lincoln, he also staid silent in the first half when a shout to Pearson would have relieved the threat, gone off his game since being coached at Hull IMO

He's engineered his own downfall for me, inexplicable tactics after such a superb pair of results 2 weeks ago. He's a seriously inept manager and he'll not last as long as Xmas unless he changes his stubborn ways.

I'm not turning, just like I didn't eat humble pie. And I have no intention of saying I told you so those who had a go at me for negativity about the manager a week or two back. No need is there?

The problems that were clear in the first few games are still there, just disguised by a couple of good performances and outstanding results. Of course the manager is the hostage of his players. He cannot prevent individual mistakes and he cannot put the ball in the net for them. But he signed them. He  picks them and he dictates the formation and style. He subs them or doesn't. He changes the tactics in mid-game or doesn't. Their attitudes are his attitudes. The way the team performs reflects him and the way he performs.

Good managers can have bad runs, bad referees and bad luck, but I have never seen a successful team with a bad manager. PH may not be bad but he sure ain't successful when you consider the opportunities he has had to sort out glaring deficiencies in his team and his inability to get consistent performances from players as individuals and as a team.

What will happen now? Predictably he will be excused a defeat on Tuesday at Halifax because of the "injuries to key players" or if he gets a loanee it will be "you can't expect miracles when he only joined the side yesterday". Or if we get a point or a miraculous 3 he will be a hero again. Then we will have a run of mixed results that will keep us just within touching distance of the play-offs or the relegation zone depending on your point of view. Certainly we will not be challenging for any titles will we?

Cue the usual posts about budgets and "being realistic" and "we are where we are". By the time JF decides we are going nowhere this season it will be too late.

There will be people who think it would be grossly unfair to sack PH now. They will say he should be given more time. Wait until the end of September/October/November/2014 ........ then if we are not within X points of the play offs ........ forgetting that it will take JF an age to "find the right man" who will have to "take time to assess the squad" and what do you know ...... it's May and we are watching yet another two sides escape the dungeons.

We are not in the proverbial ....... yet. But the odd loanee is not going to fix things. I don't know what you think but to me a play off spot is not success. A play off final is not success. Promotion is the only measure of success for this club.

Can anyone truthfully see that happening? Even the most rose tinted customers from Specsavers must surely have big doubts.

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

hat could Hurst have done to stop their second goal being scored?

We had possession in the centre of the park, Brown lost the ball ( too easily imho), they broke into our area and ended  up scoring.

Poor play all round by us...

Our tactics and formation at that time had nothing to do with Hurst but more to do with


Just so you know I do have my doubts about his "tinkering" with the midfield in the last two games but to me today's defeat was more about our defensive errors than anything else

Appears nobody is really sure who lost possession first or where .
Tactics and game plan are Hursts .  We pay to watch professional footballers , at times we appeared to be eleven individuals .
Questions must be asked when we can't even do the simple things right .
Very frustrated now and just can't see any light at the end of this very long tunnel .

Quoted from DocTower

Appears nobody is really sure who lost possession first or where .
Tactics and game plan are Hursts .  We pay to watch professional footballers , at times we appeared to be eleven individuals .
Questions must be asked when we can't even do the simple things right .
Very frustrated now and just can't see any light at the end of this very long tunnel .

Do you honestly think that the defensive errors in the first half were part of the game plan/tactics?

Quoted from pontoonlew

He's engineered his own downfall for me, inexplicable tactics after such a superb pair of results 2 weeks ago. He's a seriously inept manager and he'll not last as long as Xmas unless he changes his stubborn ways.

I may be a bit behind when it comes to understanding the finer points of football-having never made it past Sunday League Division 9 but could you expand on the stubborn nature of his ways involving today's team selection and tactics?

I didn't see/hear any pre match build up but was at Lincoln and thought Clay had got a knock which was why he was substituted. If that was the case then perhaps Hurst didn't think it was a good idea to play someone from the off who might not last. I think the problem is for us fans that we don't always understand the level to which players have to be prepared to play for 90 minutes. It could be that Clay would have managed the whole game but had he started and aggravated the knock Hurst would have got stick for that. Sometimes he appears to be in a lose/lose situation. That being the case there was little option other than to play the latest scapegoat Disley. Other than that were there any surprises? Paddy played which was one of the things Hurst was castigated for not doing against Lincoln. LJL got a chance to build on his blossoming partnership with The Pope (well for 30 minutes...) Pearson had recovered from what I expected would have been an injury that would have kept him out for at least a week or two (see what I mean about not understanding what goes on behind the scenes?)

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

I'm not turning, just like I didn't eat humble pie. And I have no intention of saying I told you so those who had a go at me for negativity about the manager a week or two back. No need is there?

The problems that were clear in the first few games are still there, just disguised by a couple of good performances and outstanding results. Of course the manager is the hostage of his players. He cannot prevent individual mistakes and he cannot put the ball in the net for them. But he signed them. He  picks them and he dictates the formation and style. He subs them or doesn't. He changes the tactics in mid-game or doesn't. Their attitudes are his attitudes. The way the team performs reflects him and the way he performs.

Good managers can have bad runs, bad referees and bad luck, but I have never seen a successful team with a bad manager. PH may not be bad but he sure ain't successful when you consider the opportunities he has had to sort out glaring deficiencies in his team and his inability to get consistent performances from players as individuals and as a team.

What will happen now? Predictably he will be excused a defeat on Tuesday at Halifax because of the "injuries to key players" or if he gets a loanee it will be "you can't expect miracles when he only joined the side yesterday". Or if we get a point or a miraculous 3 he will be a hero again. Then we will have a run of mixed results that will keep us just within touching distance of the play-offs or the relegation zone depending on your point of view. Certainly we will not be challenging for any titles will we?

Cue the usual posts about budgets and "being realistic" and "we are where we are". By the time JF decides we are going nowhere this season it will be too late.

There will be people who think it would be grossly unfair to sack PH now. They will say he should be given more time. Wait until the end of September/October/November/2014 ........ then if we are not within X points of the play offs ........ forgetting that it will take JF an age to "find the right man" who will have to "take time to assess the squad" and what do you know ...... it's May and we are watching yet another two sides escape the dungeons.

We are not in the proverbial ....... yet. But the odd loanee is not going to fix things. I don't know what you think but to me a play off spot is not success. A play off final is not success. Promotion is the only measure of success for this club.

Can anyone truthfully see that happening? Even the most rose tinted customers from Specsavers must surely have big doubts.

I have to say that sadly i agree with most of RRFC's post, the worries and demons in PH's mind about the opposition stifle the way we are capable of playing, the results against Gateshead and
Alfreton (although they were a bit freakish tbh) prove that we can destroy teams, so long as the insecurities of the manager do not restrict us, Town fans would turn up in numbers if we 'went
for it' with gusto - even if it wasn't successful, this sometimes optimism,shortly followed by despair
is dragging everyone who cares about GTFC down.
Whether PH is the man to take us forward is a matter of opinion and everyones is valid, but i am old
enough to remember the 'feel' of potential success at GTFC and tbh that isn't there now, or IMHO
hasn't been for a few seasons now, despite the play off appearances.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

I'm not turning, just like I didn't eat humble pie. And I have no intention of saying I told you so those who had a go at me for negativity about the manager a week or two back. No need is there?

The problems that were clear in the first few games are still there, just disguised by a couple of good performances and outstanding results. Of course the manager is the hostage of his players. He cannot prevent individual mistakes and he cannot put the ball in the net for them. But he signed them. He  picks them and he dictates the formation and style. He subs them or doesn't. He changes the tactics in mid-game or doesn't. Their attitudes are his attitudes. The way the team performs reflects him and the way he performs.

Good managers can have bad runs, bad referees and bad luck, but I have never seen a successful team with a bad manager. PH may not be bad but he sure ain't successful when you consider the opportunities he has had to sort out glaring deficiencies in his team and his inability to get consistent performances from players as individuals and as a team.

What will happen now? Predictably he will be excused a defeat on Tuesday at Halifax because of the "injuries to key players" or if he gets a loanee it will be "you can't expect miracles when he only joined the side yesterday". Or if we get a point or a miraculous 3 he will be a hero again. Then we will have a run of mixed results that will keep us just within touching distance of the play-offs or the relegation zone depending on your point of view. Certainly we will not be challenging for any titles will we?

Cue the usual posts about budgets and "being realistic" and "we are where we are". By the time JF decides we are going nowhere this season it will be too late.

There will be people who think it would be grossly unfair to sack PH now. They will say he should be given more time. Wait until the end of September/October/November/2014 ........ then if we are not within X points of the play offs ........ forgetting that it will take JF an age to "find the right man" who will have to "take time to assess the squad" and what do you know ...... it's May and we are watching yet another two sides escape the dungeons.

We are not in the proverbial ....... yet. But the odd loanee is not going to fix things. I don't know what you think but to me a play off spot is not success. A play off final is not success. Promotion is the only measure of success for this club.

Can anyone truthfully see that happening? Even the most rose tinted customers from Specsavers must surely have big doubts.

Very good post Ron R - currently (rose tints removed, I can not see Grimsby Town being promoted to the Second Division of the main football league - this season).

May be the plan is to keep us here - who knows?