Jolley Press Conference - YouTube link

Just to clear it up..

Philip Day said..

"With everything going in our favour, there is no reason why we could not within the next five years regain our Championship status."

What does "with everything going in our favour" mean? Football fortune? Or is there a cohesive plan that means that we leapfrog clubs like Blackburn, Wigan, Portsmouth, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth, Charlton, Coventry, Luton, Bradford, Rotherham, Peterborough, clubs that drop out of the Championship and clubs that are bankrolled like Scunthorpe, Fleetwood and clubs that have already got new stadiums and infrastructure in place like Shrewsbury, Doncaster, Oxford and MK Dons. That's seventeen clubs for a start never mind the smaller ones we can't compete with at present.

I'm really positive regarding the managerial appointment, I really am, but that statement about Championship in five years.. they're either piling a lot on MJ's shoulders or something radical has got to change. I know a lot of you are saying it shows ambition, and it does, but it's blind ambition as it stands with this board. They have not proved anything to me in the past fifteen years that doesn't make me highly sceptical of PD's judgement in that statement, whether it's based on his belief or just plain hopefulness.

If I was interviewing PD, I'd have loved to ask him how he thought it would be possible without a new stadium, investment or a wholesale change in approach. I used to think our natural position was upper League One, but how we are set up at present, I can't make a case for us being higher than the seventeen clubs listed above..

There's a massive difference between someone telling you something you want to hear or telling you something you can fully believe in..

Quoted from Bigdog

Just to clear it up..

Philip Day said..

"With everything going in our favour, there is no reason why we could not within the next five years regain our Championship status."

What the hell does "with everything going in our favour" mean? Football fortune? Or is there a cohesive plan that means that we leapfrog clubs like Blackburn, Wigan, Portsmouth, Bristol Rovers, Plymouth, Charlton, Coventry, Luton, Bradford, Rotherham, Peterborough, clubs that drop out of the Championship and clubs that are bankrolled like Scunthorpe, Fleetwood and clubs that have already got new stadiums and infrastructure in place like Shrewsbury, Doncaster, Oxford and MK Dons. That's seventeen clubs for a start never mind the smaller ones we can't compete with at present.

I'm really positive regarding the managerial appointment, I really am, but that statement about Championship in five years.. they're either piling a lot on MJ's shoulders or something radical has got to change. I know a lot of you are saying it shows ambition, and it does, but it's blind ambition as it stands with this board. They have not proved anything to me in the past fifteen years that doesn't make me highly sceptical PD's judgement in that statement, whether it's based on his belief or just plain hopefulness.

If I was interviewing PD, I'd have loved to ask him how he thought it would be possible without a new stadium, investment or a wholesale change in approach. I used to think our natural position was upper League One, but how we are set up at present, I can't make a case for us being higher than the seventeen clubs listed above..

I tend to be in agreement with the vast majority of Bigdos posts but this is having a go for the sake of it. Phil Day said he hoped we could be a top half league one team in a few years and then when pushed said the above.

Nothing wrong with a bit of ambition and most of us would say top half league one is a reasonable target in 4 years or so.

Anyway by far and away the most important comments at the press conference were delivered by Jolley. It's a ten game season and a scrap at that

I have no problem with being ambitious but let's deal with the reality first. Achieving that ambition will require significant investment if we stay up. If we stay up, I would certainly like to know how that is going to be funded.

Quoted from Cloudy

I tend to be in agreement with the vast majority of Bigdos posts but this is having a go for the sake of it. Phil Day said he hoped we could be a top half league one team in a few years and then when pushed said the above.

Nothing wrong with a bit of ambition and most of us would say top half league one is a reasonable target in 4 years or so.

Anyway by far and away the most important comments at the press conference were delivered by Jolley. It's a ten game season and a scrap at that

I'm not having a go for the sake of it. My question is.. what tools are going to be given to our new manager that have not been afforded to any other manager appointed in the past fifteen years? It's a sound question.. If they're going to be the same, then I just can't agree with what Philip Day said..

A new manager cannot be expected to make up for all of the shortcomings at our club. It's highly unfair on him and highly unfair to raise fan expectation that much without having a sound plan to create a better environment all round at the club..

No '2005' style powerpoint presentation which is good.

I've a good feeling......

Quoted from Tommy

The Board/Club gets criticised enough for not showing any ambition. So I don't mind them showing some ambition with the Championship aspiration. Note this was only after saying that he believes we should be capable as a Club of holding our own in the top half of League One. It wasn't like he just came out all guns blazing saying we want Championship football in 5 years.

No harm in aiming high is there?

Some on here recently have suggested that some of the Board would be happier for us to be in the Conference where we'd be a big fish in a small pond, so maybe there's an element of batting that away with this comment too?

It's a bit difficult to believe when money is coming out of the club instead of going in and you sell your top scorer in January. There has been no evidence of any abililty to take the club forward in the time we've been back in the league.

It would take a complete shift from the board in terms of ambition to challange in this league, let alone the next.
They'd have to actually put some money into the team.

The temptation is to read too much into this 'Championship in 5 years' comment.

If we're honest with ourselves, it's where we'd all like to be again. We were there a few years back, we enjoyed it, we've missed it ever since. Personally I don't see any harm in PD saying what he said as it's the dream, not necessarily the hard-and-fast plan.

I criticise the club's PR skills more than most but I'll cut them some slack on that point.

However, I'd have rather him answer the question not in terms of league position but the general health of the club, i.e. in 5 years' time I'd like the club to be financially stable, 3-4 players in our starting XI from our youth team, more engaged with community projects, have a stronger Trust, etc.

While winning (and league positions) are important, if we are still in League 2 in 5 years' time but incredibly strong off the pitch, with player/fan relationships like they were with Disley, Pearson, etc - and the likes of Clifton, Wright, etc in the first team, I'd be really happy with that.

Because when you have the foundation, you can build on it. Going all guns blazing for promotion often leaves you throwing money at something, and when it fails things just crumble all around you.

Really impressed and like the look of him... My only complaint is the unrealistic comment about being a championship team within 5 years... Come on guys, be realistic. At best we're mid table league 1 set up, at best. Our stadium is terrible, capacity is low, our income is no way near championship standard, the way the club is run is no way near good enough for that level, not to mention squad and training facilities.. Personally I think staying up is a massive thing we all need to concentrate on. Next season and the next couple personally think we should realistically should be aiming to try get in the play offs. If we finish 4 or 5 points and 3 or 4 places away from it for me it's a half decent season.

Quoted from RichMariner

The temptation is to read too much into this 'Championship in 5 years' comment.

If we're honest with ourselves, it's where we'd all like to be again. We were there a few years back, we enjoyed it, we've missed it ever since. Personally I don't see any harm in PD saying what he said as it's the dream, not necessarily the hard-and-fast plan.

I criticise the club's PR skills more than most but I'll cut them some slack on that point.

However, I'd have rather him answer the question not in terms of league position but the general health of the club, i.e. in 5 years' time I'd like the club to be financially stable, 3-4 players in our starting XI from our youth team, more engaged with community projects, have a stronger Trust, etc.

While winning (and league positions) are important, if we are still in League 2 in 5 years' time but incredibly strong off the pitch, with player/fan relationships like they were with Disley, Pearson, etc - and the likes of Clifton, Wright, etc in the first team, I'd be really happy with that.

Because when you have the foundation, you can build on it. Going all guns blazing for promotion often leaves you throwing money at something, and when it fails things just crumble all around you.

You make some good points Rich.
The press conference was understated and I like that. Jolley appears to exude a calm, quiet confidence, but devoid of the usual ego trips previous managers have displayed. I cannot for one minute imagine Jolley cocking his ear towards a jubilant Wembley crowd, or attacking Matt Dean like a rabid Pitbull, then sulking off refusing to take interviews from Matt ever again. No, I think this guy is for real.

Now if he can somehow translate that calm, assured confidence on to the team and radiate his apparent professionalism on to the club, then I truly believe we are on to a winner here. Yes, I know its early days and maybe some of the Fishy’s and Phillip Day’s new found optimism is rubbing off on me. But, if provided with a realistic budget, full support of the fans and minimal interference by Fenty then the good times could be just around the corner.

Don't knock the guy for expressing some ambition. Aim for the stars and you might hit the moon. It's not like we have never been in the championship. I've seen us promoted to it three times.

If you told Bournemouth fans, when they were handed a huge points deduction that seemed sure to relegate them out of the league, that they would soon be a premiership club, they would have thought you were totally insane.

Dare to dream.

Until Saturday at least.