In Jolley we trust

Unfortunately I am starting to lose faith in Jolley for next season.

I hate to pick players out but Ohman has at least shown glimpses of being a decent player, having said that a red card is always possible.

Ring ....He has something but he is out of his depth at this level.

Cardwell.......need I say more.

We can't score to save our life.

A very concerned Mariner.

Is anyone else annoyed that Thomas was totally left out of the team today?

Arguably today he was the best striker available and wasn’t in the team,

Obviously the rumours are true about an argument and we don’t know exactly what was said or gone on but at the end of the day, we needed him to play you’d of thought being a professsional football clubthey would of sat down and sorted it and moved on, Thomas given a warning or whatever needed.

End of day his out top goal scorer and under contract to end of season,

I wish I could have a day off work and be paid for every time I had a argument with my boss.

You sort it and move on, he was a miss today his way better than Cardwell and Dennis in his current form.

We’re hopeless. And im also losing faith rapidly in Jolley

In the last 7 games we have failed to score in 5 of them. The 2 where we did score, we lost. Having Thomas in the side is neither here nor there. The only surprise is we haven’t chorused “you don’t know what you’re doing.” We must have the most patient supporters in the league. Is this really better than last year?

How can a team fail to score in nearly 50% of the games?
I think Jolley has earned undeserved patience from the fans, that patience is starting to wear pretty
thin now, this is mostly HIS team now and the fans deserve better, where is the entertaining pressing game he promised?
We may scrape survival this season, but where is the hope for next?

We were done today by our two main Achilles heels....Collins pace and crosses

Something has to change next season.

If we don’t win any of the next 5 hes job must be at risk

Makes you wonder that whatever the point of Thomas's augument/conversation with Jolley was that he was most probably right!!

Think Jolleys time with us will be based on next 5 games even if we stay up

Notts and Colchester look tricky but we surely can’t lose all of Carlisle morecambe and Crewe.....can we?🤦🏻‍♂️

In Jolley I trust too have here at the start of next season...but that's hanging by thread...

Quoted from bawarmy

Something has to change next season.

The playing budget would be a good start.

We’ve lost 20 games. 20! As many as the bottom 2

Quoted from IlkleyMariner

Think Jolleys time with us will be based on next 5 games even if we stay up

Notts and Colchester look tricky but we surely can’t lose all of Carlisle morecambe and Crewe.....can we?🤦🏻‍♂️

The only way we look like getting points is through keeping a clean sheet. Scoring goals looks completely beyond us.

I still have faith in MJ but he will have to be more flexible in his approach. I know he favours 3-5-2 and it can be an effective format but you need the right players in the back 5 for it to work and we don't. I'm sure he will have learnt a lot from this season especially in what is required to succeed and I think he is intelligent enough to implement that.

The goodwill that Jolley has enjoyed for longer than most would receive from the Town faithfull is definitely starting to run on empty now. The belief and promise just hasn't materialised into anything tangible. Honestly, how many times have we actually played well for 90 minutes? Worrying times.

Ultimately, you can do as much stuff off the pitch as you like, but it's a results business. Engaging with fans has bought him time, but the results nor the performances are present. If anyone says they're confident we won't be in a relegation battle next season, they're lying. The fact my expectations have gone down for next season is very concerning.

Quoted from Hagrid

We’ve lost 20 games. 20! As many as the bottom 2

We've also won one less game than Swindon in 10th! If some of those losses were draws we would have been saying that it has been a successful season. If some of those wins were draws however...

Quoted from scott_gtfc_89

Is anyone else annoyed that Thomas was totally left out of the team today?

Arguably today he was the best striker available and wasn’t in the team,

Obviously the rumours are true about an argument and we don’t know exactly what was said or gone on but at the end of the day, we needed him to play you’d of thought being a professsional football clubthey would of sat down and sorted it and moved on, Thomas given a warning or whatever needed.

End of day his out top goal scorer and under contract to end of season,

I wish I could have a day off work and be paid for every time I had a argument with my boss.

You sort it and move on, he was a miss today his way better than Cardwell and Dennis in his current form.

From what I've been told, he won't be back.

I have said before that Jolley is a coach not a manager, and his record is as bad as any of the other managers we have had before that have been sacked.This persistance  with the 352 system is beyond a joke. The only thing he excells at it saying the right things ,but not doing them. We have reasonable players playing the wrong system and if he cannot see that he needs to go back in too banking, I suspect he will be given about 8 games in the new season , and if no beter than this season he will be gone

ok.....so just listened to his post match interview....in a nutshell

we havn't been scoring enough goals

need to look at why

we dont have a set system, we will look at any system to solve it

looking ahead for the summer and next season

the answer to the first 3 is...try selecting a team that has more than one player capable of beating an opposition player

the answer to the final point...try building a squad that has more than one player capable of beating an opposition player

Whilst todays squad was depleted for various reasons, the overall lack of pace, creativity and skill that Jolley has built is very concerning. Then use that in a formation that requires a degree of pace and creativity and you get lots of 0's in our scorelines.

While i like some of the technical elements he has brought in and some degree of comfort on the ball we now have, it is too slow and uninventive to create the opposition any worries and that has been evident since Christmas at least.

Quoted from moosey_club

We were done today by our two main Achilles heels....Collins pace and crosses

So not scoring again had nothing to do with it?

Im afraid he is out of his depth, a brave appointment by Fenty at the time, but he is being found out quite quickly now.

Didnt know what he was doing today, substitutions were ridiculous to say the least.

Be quite happy if the axe falls on Monday, long term we are going nowhere with Jolley.

Same old situation though isn't it? We get a manager, he does OK, he hasn't got much budget and has now lost two of his bigger earners (Welsh - not really a miss - and Thomas) and arguably his most influential player in Embleton. Add Whitehouse into that and the release of Mitch Rose and we've lost a full midfield without replacing any.

What's for sure is that we need quality in midfield and up front that we haven't got now. Collins is a liability if an attack has some pace and will surely be replaced but we're sort of OK at the back. We must however recruit players who can create and score.

Jolley needs to find a couple of midfielders who can play a ball through to the attackers and Aldo get 5/6 goals themselves, and a couple of attackers who are capable of getting 10/12 goals each. Not easy I know but the defence is as good as sorted, obviously without Collins. my concern is that the budget will not be greatly increased because it seems that as little no as we survive each season Mr Fenty can get some of his loan back.

Quoted from carrot top

So not scoring again had nothing to do with it?

Obvs.....as the kids say.

Quoted from denni266

I have said before that Jolley is a coach not a manager, and his record is as bad as any of the other managers we have had before that have been sacked.This persistance  with the 352 system is beyond a joke. The only thing he excells at it saying the right things ,but not doing them. We have reasonable players playing the wrong system and if he cannot see that he needs to go back in too banking, I suspect he will be given about 8 games in the new season , and if no beter than this season he will be gone

bang on the money ,he should not any more time ,he needs replacing now.

Quoted from Hagrid

We’ve lost 20 games. 20! As many as the bottom 2

And we've won twice as many at home as we had last season at this stage.

Progress of sorts

Only one man to blame, John Shelton Fenty.

Get a grip and demand more from the man who has consistently dragged this club down like no other.

The budget set by the board dictates where you finish in the league. Yes you can over achieve with a small budget. Yes you can fail with a large budget.

Overall, your budget will dictate which players you can attract and as shown by the last few managers we dont attract quality players in anything like the numbers required to build a successful team.

Quoted from Cod Cheeks

And we've won twice as many at home as we had last season at this stage.

Progress of sorts

This calendar year we have won just 4 out of 16 league games. We are averaging less than a point a game, and less than a goal a game. (11 in 16). On recent form we are currently the worst team in the country.

3 points from the last 8 games. It's the kind of form that led to Slade getting the sack.

It's a results business, and we need to see that Jolley is capable of turning this around in the remaining games.

Quoted from lowerfindus

Only one man to blame, John Shelton Fenty.

Get a grip and demand more from the man who has consistently dragged this club down like no other.

The budget set by the board dictates where you finish in the league. Yes you can over achieve with a small budget. Yes you can fail with a large budget.

Overall, your budget will dictate which players you can attract and as shown by the last few managers we dont attract quality players in anything like the numbers required to build a successful team.

A budget is not the only thing to dictate the quality of signings and the way the team subsequently performs. I agree we do not attract quality players but success breeds success. Not only do you get more income when you win, you get players wanting to join a club on the up

If a player sees or hears that the manager is fartarsing about with formations more suited to the Champions League and runs a side that seems incapable of moving the ball in an attacking manner then any player would want extra-silly money to sign up or will go elsewhere. If they see a club with great team spirit and players who know what they are doing on the park then they are more likely to be impressed.

I think money does play a big part in squad building, especially for a club in the back of beyond like Town, but the key is still the bloke who runs the team.

Quoted from denni266

I suspect he will be given about 8 games in the new season , and if no beter than this season he will be gone

I suspect you will be right Denni. But why wait? Why allow Jolley to spend in the off season only for a new manager to be left with Jolley's signings?

Quoted from lowerfindus

Only one man to blame, John Shelton Fenty.

Nail on the head Lower Findus. Bang on. Most of us know this. Have known this since the non league. But after banging on for years about his failings NOTHING HAS CHANGED and despite rumours and wishful thinking nothing appears will change any time soon.

Unfortunately after the non league years, Bignot, Slade and the build up and disappointment in Jolley the utter failure of this club has taken its toll. Mum and Dad stopped attending 2 months ago despite having season tickets and I have not been to the last three home games (again having a season ticket). Mum and Dad have supported GTFC since the early sixties and I since the mid eighties. But the interest has just drained away. Gone. Never thought I would be in the position where I would be rather at home on a Saturday afternoon. I don’t think my parents will return and I won’t be buying another season ticket in the foreseeable future. Maybe if there is a positive change at the top that interest may return. The club is in my blood. But enough is enough.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

A budget is not the only thing to dictate the quality of signings and the way the team subsequently performs. I agree we do not attract quality players but success breeds success. Not only do you get more income when you win, you get players wanting to join a club on the up

If a player sees or hears that the manager is fartarsing about with formations more suited to the Champions League and runs a side that seems incapable of moving the ball in an attacking manner then any player would want extra-silly money to sign up or will go elsewhere. If they see a club with great team spirit and players who know what they are doing on the park then they are more likely to be impressed.

I think money does play a big part in squad building, especially for a club in the back of beyond like Town, but the key is still the bloke who runs the team.

Agree. Most players and/or their agents will know how GTFC has been run for the past 15 years and you would probably go elsewhere if you were given a choice.

Looks like I'll have to have a look at us next week at Morecambe.
Even Zak Mills scored for them today - remember him being our best player there 2 - 3 years ago.

UTM

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

A budget is not the only thing to dictate the quality of signings and the way the team subsequently performs. I agree we do not attract quality players but success breeds success. Not only do you get more income when you win, you get players wanting to join a club on the up

If a player sees or hears that the manager is fartarsing about with formations more suited to the Champions League and runs a side that seems incapable of moving the ball in an attacking manner then any player would want extra-silly money to sign up or will go elsewhere. If they see a club with great team spirit and players who know what they are doing on the park then they are more likely to be impressed.

I think money does play a big part in squad building, especially for a club in the back of beyond like Town, but the key is still the bloke who runs the team.

Loving the term fartarsing.

I sort of agree to a point, however....

Several successful teams in our league play using the formations we have used this season. We have had spells with both formations that has seen us win games.

During those spells attendances have been up and we have won cup games, both bringing money into the club this season. Wheres that money now??

If players weren't impressed with our cup run and performance at Palace then they are never going to play for us.

Facts are you need to get a few decent players into start with and we have consistently struggled to get those decent players in since back in the league.

Signing a prominent attacking player and midfielder is a must. Then you might be able to work on a few points you make in order to progress.

Bottom line is if the budget doesn't allow you to do that you will be relieving yourself in the wind.

Very poor end to the season . Although if I’d been offered a lower mid table end position in August without the threat of relegation I’d have took it tbh .
However , considering the position we were in , I’ve got to say the players and management have to take a long hard look at themselves. To roll over like this with 10-15 games left is fooking pathetic and to be quite truthful the majority of them can do one .
I don’t think sacking Jolley and Limbrick would achieve anything but they have to look at the players they’ve got to work with and really make some tough decisions. The majority are just lower L2 / conference standard which is why are are where we are . Fenty has to up the ££ available and MJ has to find better players . It’s that simple .

Quoted from Teestogreen

Looks like I'll have to have a look at us next week at Morecambe.
Even Zak Mills scored for them today - remember him being our best player there 2 - 3 years ago.

UTM

Hopefully that young guy Ellison won't be playing.  

Remember seeing him playing for us on loan from Leicester City - in the equivalent of the current Championship. He can always hurt us.

Though I am currently really p1ssed off with our current and inconstant form I think in reality we could do a lot worse than Jolley (like Slade or Bignot) but he needs to start learning from his mistakes and take the odd chance or two.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Though I am currently really p1ssed off with our current and inconstant form I think in reality we could do a lot worse than Jolley (like Slade or Bignot) but he needs to start learning from his mistakes and take the odd chance or two.

Thought we were top half when Bignot was sacked and had just won away at Blackpool?  

Quoted from Teestogreen

Remember seeing him playing for us on loan from Leicester City - in the equivalent of the current Championship. He can always hurt us.

He (Ellison) has never played for us - has he? If he has I must have been in a coma.

I vaguely remember him playing for the reserves whilst on trial, but he never played for the first team

Regarding the budget. To me we use to have a better playing budget in the conference than we do now, Tait, Connel, Amond ect. Surely the budget in our non league days was alot less than it is now we are in league 2?

Quoted from Ashby mariner

Regarding the budget. To me we use to have a better playing budget in the conference than we do now, Tait, Connel, Amond ect. Surely the budget in our non league days was alot less than it is now we are in league 2?

The season we got promoted the clubs wage budget was £1.6m. The first 2 seasons back in the EFL it was £2.3m and then £2.5m. That includes non-football staff, but it shows the budget has increased since promotion.

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

Very poor end to the season . Although if I’d been offered a lower mid table end position in August without the threat of relegation I’d have took it tbh .
However , considering the position we were in , I’ve got to say the players and management have to take a long hard look at themselves. To roll over like this with 10-15 games left is fooking pathetic and to be quite truthful the majority of them can do one .
I don’t think sacking Jolley and Limbrick would achieve anything but they have to look at the players they’ve got to work with and really make some tough decisions. The majority are just lower L2 / conference standard which is why are are where we are . Fenty has to up the ££ available and MJ has to find better players . It’s that simple .

Nail on head. I think only Hess mckeown and Hendrie out of the 14 today would get in a top half side.possibly Clifton and Dennis. The rest are barely above conference standard. That’s 9 or 10 players that need to be greatly improved or released.i just wish he’d play players in their natural positions instead of trying to shoe horn inadequate players into a system that doesn’t suit them.

Quoted from The Boys Paddock

Thought we were top half when Bignot was sacked and had just won away at Blackpool?  

True that was a week or two after fielding an experimental side in a local derby and getting embarrassed by conceding 5 goals versus the free scoring league leaders.

Add to that a massive playing squad sapping up the clubs coffers, nothing to play for and in the process. In addition to p1sing off most of the players left at the club who got us up after having just p1ssed off one the the biggest clubs in the World by throwing their England Youth keeper publicly under a bus so much so that they recalled him due to an "injury crisis",  

The fumiest thing about the Bignot reign is that we had a head of recruitment who just used to set the cones out on match day rather than being at other matches watching future targets. This actually is almost as funny as someone thinking we;d have progressed under Bignot..  

Quoted from forza ivano

Nail on head. I think only Hess mckeown and Hendrie out of the 14 today would get in a top half side.possibly Clifton and Dennis. The rest are barely above conference standard. That’s 9 or 10 players that need to be greatly improved or released.i just wish he’d play players in their natural positions instead of trying to shoe horn inadequate players into a system that doesn’t suit them.

After today I'd say goodbye to whitmore.. absolutely useless

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

After today I'd say goodbye to whitmore.. absolutely useless

I knew that after the Fgr game in August. I’m sorry but he’s another tony crane . Might have looked good as a 16 year old but never developed. Just a non league standard now .

Quoted from HertsGTFC

True that was a week or two after fielding an experimental side in a local derby and getting embarrassed by conceding 5 goals versus the free scoring league leaders.

Add to that a massive playing squad sapping up the clubs coffers, nothing to play for and in the process. In addition to p1sing off most of the players left at the club who got us up after having just p1ssed off one the the biggest clubs in the World by throwing their England Youth keeper publicly under a bus so much so that they recalled him due to an "injury crisis",  

The fumiest thing about the Bignot reign is that we had a head of recruitment who just used to set the cones out on match day rather than being at other matches watching future targets. This actually is almost as funny as someone thinking we;d have progressed under Bignot..  

always make me laugh, the playing squad under Bignot, its like the chairman didnt know what was going on.

Quoted from The Boys Paddock

always make me laugh, the playing squad under Bignot, its like the chairman didnt know what was going on.

The Chairman doesn't even know if he is the Chairman  

Quoted from The Boys Paddock

always make me laugh, the playing squad under Bignot, its like the chairman didnt know what was going on.

What? When did we appoint a Chairman?

To be fair to the club Bignot assures the board that he’d ship players out if he could bring them in but wasn’t true to his word.

McKeown, Ohman, Davis, RHJ, Hendrie, Hess, Clifton and maybe Dennis, Cook and Vernam (as squad players) are good enough to push further up the league. What I've noticed is that when we've sat back and countered we've really lacked quality and that cutting edge we need, so sides aren't especially worried about us hurting them. There is a glaring lack of guile and creativity in our side and set piece delivery has been dire since Pringle left. We're going to need some serious upgrades in midfield and up front if we're to persist with this 3-5-2 and hit them on the break plan. We need pace and quality to scare oppositions and be able to hurt them. I don't think Ring's quite up to it. He gets beaten too easily, his delivery is dreadful and sides often expose the space he vacates when he goes forward. Woolford was great for a few weeks in Jan and Feb but has looked leggy of late, think next year maybe one year too far. I've been saying Whitmore and Cardwell aren't good enough for months now, Cardwell works hard but I could work hard if I was a footballer. Whitmore's just a non-league centre half in every sense of the phrase. I don't know why he moved RHJ from that role on the right of a back 3 when he was causing sides all sorts of problems with his stealth like runs forward. We need someone left-footed, comfortable in possession and mobile left sided centre half next season. We also need a more mobile left wing back who can deliver a cross.

Disagree completely about rhj. As a fellow aylesburian I’d love him to do well but his total inability with the ball means imho that he’s a decent conference/ lower div 2 player. It’s only because he has a bit of pace that he’s almost essential in our squad. Was Zak mills that bad, after all he was released because he didn’t pass the ball well enough?

Don’t agree about Whitmore who has been ok this season and certainly less culpable than Collins and we’ve let better full backs go than Ring and RHJ.

Quoted from forza ivano

Disagree completely about rhj. As a fellow aylesburian I’d love him to do well but his total inability with the ball means imho that he’s a decent conference/ lower div 2 player. It’s only because he has a bit of pace that he’s almost essential in our squad. Was Zak mills that bad, after all he was released because he didn’t pass the ball well enough?

RHJ is better then Mills and more versatile. Mills could get in some good attacking positions but couldn’t cross a pools coupon or more importantly defend very well.

And if I wanted to be pedantic Mills is a RB and no way better then Hendrie so possibly worth killing the Mills argument as it’s not very pertinent.

If we’re going to persist with 352 I’d have RHJ in as 1 of the 3 . Get rid of whitmore and Davis and find better . Hendrie rwb and give Ring a chance as he might need a bit longer to settle in yet . Ohman looks like a solid if occasional disaster Cb . Great in the air but a bit of a bambi on the deck . Collins - you can’t knock him . Great career and respect to him for dropping down the leagues when he could’ve packed up early . I laughed at Crawley with his exasperated look a couple of times with his colleagues choices but in reality it’s time for him to hang those boots up .
Easy for us experts saying what should happen but if we actually had to run Gtfc it would be different I suspect.

RHJ has a good leap on him which makes up for his lack of height. He had a good first half today and was causing them problems down the left wing but he went down holding his groin just before half time.

If we persist with 3-5-2 someone like Grayson would be ideal for LCB as he is tall, has a good range of passing and gets up and down.

First half in particular, the formation worked well. They scored from a good counter attack but earlier on Farman pulled off a Macca-esque save. At 1-0 they were slowing the he down at every opportunity but had we drawn first blood the game would have remained open.

I thought Cardwell offered us something today - we haven't competed that well in the air for a long time and with games, an understanding can be developed. 4-3-3 may be a way to go that incorporates Wright and Vernam either side of Cardwell as it can easily become a 4-5-1 to see the game out.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

RHJ has a good leap on him which makes up for his lack of height. He had a good first half today and was causing them problems down the left wing but he went down holding his groin just before half time.

If we persist with 3-5-2 someone like Grayson would be ideal for LCB as he is tall, has a good range of passing and gets up and down.

First half in particular, the formation worked well. They scored from a good counter attack but earlier on Farman pulled off a Macca-esque save. At 1-0 they were slowing the he down at every opportunity but had we drawn first blood the game would have remained open.

I thought Cardwell offered us something today - we haven't competed that well in the air for a long time and with games, an understanding can be developed. 4-3-3 may be a way to go that incorporates Wright and Vernam either side of Cardwell as it can easily become a 4-5-1 to see the game out.

I agree about Cardwell.i thought he’d bulked out and looked strong he won a number of good headers.just can’t agree about rhj, his passing just isn’t good enough and there have to be better options out there. That doesn’t include Grayson who looked bloody awful

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

If we’re going to persist with 352 I’d have RHJ in as 1 of the 3 . Get rid of whitmore and Davis and find better . Hendrie rwb and give Ring a chance as he might need a bit longer to settle in yet . Ohman looks like a solid if occasional disaster Cb . Great in the air but a bit of a bambi on the deck . Collins - you can’t knock him . Great career and respect to him for dropping down the leagues when he could’ve packed up early . I laughed at Crawley with his exasperated look a couple of times with his colleagues choices but in reality it’s time for him to hang those boots up .
Easy for us experts saying what should happen but if we actually had to run Gtfc it would be different I suspect.

DC is fantastic when attacking the ball....is also pretty calm on the ball under pressure.....trouble is he is now getting caught for pace and in a back three that gets exposed more....he is also playing at a level that must be frustrating for him at times....there were times today, and as you have pointed out, in other games this season where he just gives a withering look to his team mates whom he clearly is expecting to be able to do more...Grayson got a couple of cracking looks from Collins today when he failed to capitalise on a couple of DC lay offs.

Bottom line is that after a year in charge Jolley is sending out a team getting results on a par with Slade (3 points from 8 games , and no goals for four matches)

That is unacceptable. If this run continues to the end of the season we will have to make a change. On current form we are relegation candidates.

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

If we’re going to persist with 352 I’d have RHJ in as 1 of the 3 . Get rid of whitmore and Davis and find better . Hendrie rwb and give Ring a chance as he might need a bit longer to settle in yet . Ohman looks like a solid if occasional disaster Cb . Great in the air but a bit of a bambi on the deck . Collins - you can’t knock him . Great career and respect to him for dropping down the leagues when he could’ve packed up early . I laughed at Crawley with his exasperated look a couple of times with his colleagues choices but in reality it’s time for him to hang those boots up .
Easy for us experts saying what should happen but if we actually had to run Gtfc it would be different I suspect.

The best our central defence have played all season was when Davis and Whitmore played as a pair in a back four. Whitmore also played excellently against the top table side on the left hand side of a three and has only played the odd game since then. I find it very hard to judge whether he's good enough or not because of his management and not because of his performances apart from a couple of poor ones. For people to say get rid is extremely harsh on the lad and the same for Davis. Our problems in defence have been down to the manager's selections. How the hell has Collins been our third highest appearance maker this season when it's clear to see his shortcomings and the multitude of mistakes he has made? Earlier in the season.. how did Welsh play ahead of Hess or Clifton, how has Woolford played so many games when we've supposed to be front foot, physical and pacy, why do players find it so easy to leave what Jolley is trying to build, why do we defend so deep under manager's instruction and leave our forwards so isolated, why have we not solved our problem left hand side for two years, why did Cardwell get a contract extension, why persist with the 3-5-2 when it's clear it doesn't suit the squad, why haven't we seen more of Vernam and A Rose over the season when they've both got raw talent that could develop into something special yet stick to journeymen forwards, why are we so disorganised defending set pieces, why are we so predictable in our play? It's all adding up to gross mismanagement and nowhere near the bold claims our manager talked of at the end of last season. Some say it's Fenty's fault and it's not exactly true, it's his ultimate responsibility for the state of the club on and off the pitch, but on the pitch a large percentage of the fault is Jolley's. I didn't like him signing Woolford and Collins over the summer, I didn't like his team selections at the start of the season which betrayed his promises of youth, pace and the high press and then when he did get it right, he reverts back to Collins, and then when it improved again he changes formation because he signs a slow left back from Sweden who's worse than Fox who wasn't good enough for him in that position previously. The whole things a mess with two senior players leaving the club under a cloud before the season's out leaving us with youth on the bench who collectively struggle against reserve teams when they put out an experienced eleven rather than their youthful peers.

I don't trust Jolley at all but prepared to see what he does in the summer transfer window and how the team performs until Xmas (if he can prove to learn from his mistakes and we're not just seeing the best he can be presently) before entrusting him with any more budget.

I don't trust that we'll get anywhere near a competitive budget next season because the club fails miserably year after year to inspire new fans to buy season tickets or attract new inward investment.

And I don't trust the club with the new floodlights, which I guess will make our bodged up ground look more Rag Arsse Rovers than it does at the minute and will inspire prospective players just as much as the portakabins down at Cheapside to sign for us.

Jolley needs to sign at least six starters who are much better than we've got to make a mark on the top half of this division and even then I'm still not sure he's got it in him to get the best out of them.

In Jolley we trust? In Fenty we trust? Who the fook can we trust to deliver entertainment, pride and a little bit of hope?

Our club's a bit of an embarrassing shitshow..

Meanwhile the Gimps with their much derided ex-PE teacher management go 11 points clear at the top.

Quoted from RonMariner

Meanwhile the Gimps with their much derided ex-PE teacher management go 11 points clear at the top.

Derided? By who? Don’t think I’ve ever heard the word “Cowley” without it being followed by gushing praise.

You must be thinking of Slade, who definitely is a much-derided ex-teacher.

Quoted from Bigdog

The best our central defence have played all season was when Davis and Whitmore played as a pair in a back four. Whitmore also played excellently against the top table side on the left hand side of a three and has only played the odd game since then. I find it very hard to judge whether he's good enough or not because of his management and not because of his performances apart from a couple of poor ones. For people to say get rid is extremely harsh on the lad and the same for Davis. Our problems in defence have been down to the manager's selections. How the hell has Collins been our third highest appearance maker this season when it's clear to see his shortcomings and the multitude of mistakes he has made? Earlier in the season.. how did Welsh play ahead of Hess or Clifton, how has Woolford played so many games when we've supposed to be front foot, physical and pacy, why do players find it so easy to leave what Jolley is trying to build, why do we defend so deep under manager's instruction and leave our forwards so isolated, why have we not solved our problem left hand side for two years, why did Cardwell get a contract extension, why persist with the 3-5-2 when it's clear it doesn't suit the squad, why haven't we seen more of Vernam and A Rose over the season when they've both got raw talent that could develop into something special yet stick to journeymen forwards, why are we so disorganised defending set pieces, why are we so predictable in our play? It's all adding up to gross mismanagement and nowhere near the bold claims our manager talked of at the end of last season. Some say it's Fenty's fault and it's not exactly true, it's his ultimate responsibility for the state of the club on and off the pitch, but on the pitch a large percentage of the fault is Jolley's. I didn't like him signing Woolford and Collins over the summer, I didn't like his team selections at the start of the season which betrayed his promises of youth, pace and the high press and then when he did get it right, he reverts back to Collins, and then when it improved again he changes formation because he signs a slow left back from Sweden who's worse than Fox who wasn't good enough for him in that position previously. The whole things a mess with two senior players leaving the club under a cloud before the season's out leaving us with youth on the bench who collectively struggle against reserve teams when they put out an experienced eleven rather than their youthful peers.

I don't trust Jolley at all but prepared to see what he does in the summer transfer window and how the team performs until Xmas (if he can prove to learn from his mistakes and we're not just seeing the best he can be presently) before entrusting him with any more budget.

I don't trust that we'll get anywhere near a competitive budget next season because the club fails miserably year after year to inspire new fans to buy season tickets or attract new inward investment.

And I don't trust the club with the new floodlights, which I guess will make our bodged up ground look more Rag Arsse Rovers than it does at the minute and will inspire prospective players just as much as the portakabins down at Cheapside to sign for us.

Jolley needs to sign at least six starters who are much better than we've got to make a mark on the top half of this division and even then I'm still not sure he's got it in him to get the best out of them.

In Jolley we trust? In Fenty we trust? Who the fook can we trust to deliver entertainment, pride and a little bit of hope?
!
Our club's a bit of an embarrassing shitshow..

Could not agree more,  post of the season  IMO

I don't trust anyone who brings Woolford on as a substitute expecting him to change a game.

As for the rest the more I see the more I think most of the squad are not good enough, the midfield were hopeless today, as for the central defenders, I don't think any of them are that good, hopefully Ohman will get used to playing in the EFL and be a really good player for us.

Heard today that there were several players in the dressing room bust up last week so I'm wondering if MJ has lost some of the dressing room.

Quoted from Bigdog

The best our central defence have played all season was when Davis and Whitmore played as a pair in a back four. Whitmore also played excellently against the top table side on the left hand side of a three and has only played the odd game since then. I find it very hard to judge whether he's good enough or not because of his management and not because of his performances apart from a couple of poor ones. For people to say get rid is extremely harsh on the lad and the same for Davis. Our problems in defence have been down to the manager's selections. How the hell has Collins been our third highest appearance maker this season when it's clear to see his shortcomings and the multitude of mistakes he has made? Earlier in the season.. how did Welsh play ahead of Hess or Clifton, how has Woolford played so many games when we've supposed to be front foot, physical and pacy, why do players find it so easy to leave what Jolley is trying to build, why do we defend so deep under manager's instruction and leave our forwards so isolated, why have we not solved our problem left hand side for two years, why did Cardwell get a contract extension, why persist with the 3-5-2 when it's clear it doesn't suit the squad, why haven't we seen more of Vernam and A Rose over the season when they've both got raw talent that could develop into something special yet stick to journeymen forwards, why are we so disorganised defending set pieces, why are we so predictable in our play? It's all adding up to gross mismanagement and nowhere near the bold claims our manager talked of at the end of last season. Some say it's Fenty's fault and it's not exactly true, it's his ultimate responsibility for the state of the club on and off the pitch, but on the pitch a large percentage of the fault is Jolley's. I didn't like him signing Woolford and Collins over the summer, I didn't like his team selections at the start of the season which betrayed his promises of youth, pace and the high press and then when he did get it right, he reverts back to Collins, and then when it improved again he changes formation because he signs a slow left back from Sweden who's worse than Fox who wasn't good enough for him in that position previously. The whole things a mess with two senior players leaving the club under a cloud before the season's out leaving us with youth on the bench who collectively struggle against reserve teams when they put out an experienced eleven rather than their youthful peers.

I don't trust Jolley at all but prepared to see what he does in the summer transfer window and how the team performs until Xmas (if he can prove to learn from his mistakes and we're not just seeing the best he can be presently) before entrusting him with any more budget.

I don't trust that we'll get anywhere near a competitive budget next season because the club fails miserably year after year to inspire new fans to buy season tickets or attract new inward investment.

And I don't trust the club with the new floodlights, which I guess will make our bodged up ground look more Rag Arsse Rovers than it does at the minute and will inspire prospective players just as much as the portakabins down at Cheapside to sign for us.

Jolley needs to sign at least six starters who are much better than we've got to make a mark on the top half of this division and even then I'm still not sure he's got it in him to get the best out of them.

In Jolley we trust? In Fenty we trust? Who the fook can we trust to deliver entertainment, pride and a little bit of hope?

Our club's a bit of an embarrassing shitshow..

Give this man a medal!!...

Quoted from Bigdog

The best our central defence have played all season was when Davis and Whitmore played as a pair in a back four. Whitmore also played excellently against the top table side on the left hand side of a three and has only played the odd game since then. I find it very hard to judge whether he's good enough or not because of his management and not because of his performances apart from a couple of poor ones. For people to say get rid is extremely harsh on the lad and the same for Davis. Our problems in defence have been down to the manager's selections. How the hell has Collins been our third highest appearance maker this season when it's clear to see his shortcomings and the multitude of mistakes he has made? Earlier in the season.. how did Welsh play ahead of Hess or Clifton, how has Woolford played so many games when we've supposed to be front foot, physical and pacy, why do players find it so easy to leave what Jolley is trying to build, why do we defend so deep under manager's instruction and leave our forwards so isolated, why have we not solved our problem left hand side for two years, why did Cardwell get a contract extension, why persist with the 3-5-2 when it's clear it doesn't suit the squad, why haven't we seen more of Vernam and A Rose over the season when they've both got raw talent that could develop into something special yet stick to journeymen forwards, why are we so disorganised defending set pieces, why are we so predictable in our play? It's all adding up to gross mismanagement and nowhere near the bold claims our manager talked of at the end of last season. Some say it's Fenty's fault and it's not exactly true, it's his ultimate responsibility for the state of the club on and off the pitch, but on the pitch a large percentage of the fault is Jolley's. I didn't like him signing Woolford and Collins over the summer, I didn't like his team selections at the start of the season which betrayed his promises of youth, pace and the high press and then when he did get it right, he reverts back to Collins, and then when it improved again he changes formation because he signs a slow left back from Sweden who's worse than Fox who wasn't good enough for him in that position previously. The whole things a mess with two senior players leaving the club under a cloud before the season's out leaving us with youth on the bench who collectively struggle against reserve teams when they put out an experienced eleven rather than their youthful peers.

I don't trust Jolley at all but prepared to see what he does in the summer transfer window and how the team performs until Xmas (if he can prove to learn from his mistakes and we're not just seeing the best he can be presently) before entrusting him with any more budget.

I don't trust that we'll get anywhere near a competitive budget next season because the club fails miserably year after year to inspire new fans to buy season tickets or attract new inward investment.

And I don't trust the club with the new floodlights, which I guess will make our bodged up ground look more Rag Arsse Rovers than it does at the minute and will inspire prospective players just as much as the portakabins down at Cheapside to sign for us.

Jolley needs to sign at least six starters who are much better than we've got to make a mark on the top half of this division and even then I'm still not sure he's got it in him to get the best out of them.

In Jolley we trust? In Fenty we trust? Who the fook can we trust to deliver entertainment, pride and a little bit of hope?

Our club's a bit of an embarrassing shitshow..

The root of the problem remains, doesn't he?  

Quoted from louth_in_the_south

. Fenty has to up the ££ available and MJ has to find better players . It’s that simple .

Blaming Fenty (as usual) for not investing in better players is one thing but the manager has to be able to use those players to the limits of their abilities (be it the current lower Div 4 bunch or a world class group) by employing the right tactics

If Jolley had Man City's squad could he do anything with them?

Quoted from Ipswin

Blaming Fenty (as usual) for not investing in better players is one thing but the manager has to be able to use those players to the limits of their abilities (be it the current lower Div 4 bunch or a world class group) by employing the right tactics

If Jolley had Man City's squad could he do anything with them?

Jolley is just another statistic on the merry go round of managers that Fenty has appointed. Every one of them has struggled to cope with the dichotomy of the fans expectations versus the owners investment and until genuine and competitive funding is in place, nothing will change.

In the last couple of years we have let good players go without seemingly any effort to keep them and either signed crapp or given 2 year contracts or extensions to shite that were already here. Do we have players on the radar or will we be relying on the last minute left over shite as usual. Whatever we do whether it be players.managers,or tactics or results seems to be down to "pot luck" As usual before the next match most of us will be crossing our fingers or pulling on the wishbone hoping for a decent result. Surely it shouldn't be like this-with the support that we give we deserve better.

Quoted from Ipswin

Blaming Fenty (as usual) for not investing in better players is one thing but the manager has to be able to use those players to the limits of their abilities (be it the current lower Div 4 bunch or a world class group) by employing the right tactics

If Jolley had Man City's squad could he do anything with them?

I take it Jolley hasn’t bought your book then ?

At times when everyone (most) where fit this seasons squad before players started drifting off or where discarded was an improvement on last terms.

Jolley is learning his trade but with a valuable and delicate commodity an EFL club that in reality is a bit of a basket case. Managers at his level of experience in reality shouldn’t be entrusted with a club that will now always be earmarked for the drop.

In reality MJ is operating at a very precarious level where managers generally have a short life expectancy and the impact of a relegation could ruin a club for decades. A big gamble by JF? Possibly but no more than a gamble if we’d appointed another manager who’s career was in regression.

I still think he’s the man for the job as anyone in the GTFC hot seat would need time but it feels like he’s completely over thinking it and at times not having a bank of experience to fall back on really exposes some of his decision making.

I get why he’d go with starting Thomas ahead of the raw talent A Rose but would like to have seen more of Akheem rather than just the odd cameo, especially when we’ve been behind in so many games.

I get why we discarded some players but I think we should have kept M Rose and find it bonkers that Cardwell hasn’t been loaned out. During this season there has been a few too many comings and goings in one way shape or form. An inordinate amount of a red cards is also a concern in my mind.

So to 3 at the back, if that’s what you want to do don’t change the 3 CB’s depending on whom your playing stick with the same 3 improve the discipline and minimise the suspension s and allow them to gel. Ironically the most potent we’ve looked in attack was the odd times we’ve gone 4-3-3 but there you go.

The list could go on but with a rookie manager at a club in the state we’re effectively in can anyone expect anything different?

We can all carp on about it should be better, I’d replace the “should” with “could” as in reality after that long in non league, no stability or significant investment & making a complete f**k up of the first 2 seasons back on and off the pitch we’re an output of a club that has had no real plan.

Jolley has a plan one that as it appears to depend heavily on youth and loaning in better quality so ladies & gents it ain’t going to change much for a while but at least it’s a plan so who knows.

The loyal 3,000 and a strong away support do deserve better I agree but Town supporters are now faced with a challenge that’s hard to deal with ..... managing expectation.

Jolley should be given time as in reality I’m not sure we have any credible alternative.

Quoted from Civvy at last

I take it Jolley hasn’t bought your book then ?

Bloody hope not, he'd probably change the plot every week or so so it doesn't work at all

It's no surprise that so many are questioning Michael Jolley. There were manu fans calling for Solskjaer's head after the midweek defeat at Wolves. Patience has never been in such short supply among football supporters as it is these days.
However, in my opinion it would be a massive mistake to get rid of MJ.
Think back to that wonderful day at Selhurst Park in early January and the pride in that battling performance. Yes, three defeats followed then four successive wins which practically secured League Two status. Two points from the last seven matches is a dreadful run but it's happened once safety has been achieved. It's far from the first time Jolley's ability has been doubted in the last year, but every time he's turned things round and silenced the doubters.
If, and it's a big if, he's given a reasonable budget this Summer I believe he can mount a promotion challenge next season. The extraordinary season Norwich City are having is evidence of how things can improve dramatically. Farke had all last season including pre-season but couldn't manage a top half finish. Five matches into this season you wouldn't have found many Norwich supporters who'd have been upset if he'd got the bullet. Look at The Canaries now.
Come August Jolley will have had more than a full season and three transfer windows to mould the squad as he'd wish. If things are going badly by late October he'll have few excuses, but I believe Grimsby Town would live to regret ditching him before then. Watching Jolley succeed elsewhere, particularly if he's sacked rather than leaving Blundell Park of his own accord, would be a very bitter pill to swallow.

Quoted from ROKERITE

It's no surprise that so many are questioning Michael Jolley. There were manu fans calling for Solskjaer's head after the midweek defeat at Wolves. Patience has never been in such short supply among football supporters as it is these days.
However, in my opinion it would be a massive mistake to get rid of MJ.
Think back to that wonderful day at Selhurst Park in early January and the pride in that battling performance. Yes, three defeats followed then four successive wins which practically secured League Two status. Two points from the last seven matches is a dreadful run but it's happened once safety has been achieved. It's far from the first time Jolley's ability has been doubted in the last year, but every time he's turned things round and silenced the doubters.
If, and it's a big if, he's given a reasonable budget this Summer I believe he can mount a promotion challenge next season. The extraordinary season Norwich City are having is evidence of how things can improve dramatically. Farke had all last season including pre-season but couldn't manage a top half finish. Five matches into this season you wouldn't have found many Norwich supporters who'd have been upset if he'd got the bullet. Look at The Canaries now.
Come August Jolley will have had more than a full season and three transfer windows to mould the squad as he'd wish. If things are going badly by late October he'll have few excuses, but I believe Grimsby Town would live to regret ditching him before then. Watching Jolley succeed elsewhere, particularly if he's sacked rather than leaving Blundell Park of his own accord, would be a very bitter pill to swallow.

I got a sense yesterday when I saw the team sheet that there was a bit of panic about it. Several players unavailable so the youngsters on the bench was not a surprise. But then changing the shape of the side as well and putting a defender into midfield to cover up the 2 central defenders made the side look more like 5 at the back. For a side which doesn't know where the next goal is coming from this wasn't exactly an attacking move.

The comparison with Norwich is fair in one way but not in others. Farke was unpopular last season because he signed a number of very average foreign players and persisted with a Huddersfield style of playing the ball around midfield and not having a cutting edge up front. Norwich couldn't score to save their lives so similar to Town there. This season he started off the same and results were bad but salvation came when they had an injury crisis and he was forced to play 3 or 4 juniors all at the same time in the League Cup. They won and he had the sense to keep those players in and bring in more youth. It was they more than him who changed the way City play, more pace and much more direct. He rode on the wave.

There may be a lesson for Jolley there but he'd better learn it fast.

Could probably post this on several threads at the moment , is it Jolley's fault vs is it Fenty's fault ....is management style the issue or budget the issue ?

Realistically lets think back....Jolley was appointed at a time when we had an awful style of play, poorly organised squad, transfer window gone and the club was in turmoil and staring down at a potential relegation....not an easy sell to any prospective new manager.....

MJ was desperate for a chance to manage....

From interviews with Jolley at the time there was a clear indication that he had the job on a temporary basis, he wouldnt comment on any future based questions, batted off any talk about the following season and there were rumours of him working for nothing !

He came with a youth ideology, a coaching ideology ....younger squad, smaller squad supplemented by quality loans.

All of that to me talks John Fenty's language....cheaper than an experienced football league manager.

Jolley did make an improvement to that failing Slade side, some tinkering made us harder to beat and we kept the ball better, yes we relied on penalties to secure those wins but he did it.

I think his inexperience and the JF budget strings did for him in the summer though, he retained experienced players that probably have gone a season too far, recruited an aging captain that had gone a season too far and probably been over generous with "potential" player contracts. I think he also under estimated how difficult the transition from UEFA text book coaching of youth players to Division 4 club management would be.

I have seen some good things under Jolley in both seasons so far...i have also seen some very frustrating things. I think he will learn alot from this first full season himself and should be better for it in the future. Not only playing coaching style but also regards the wider aspects of club management.

Now regards the budget...there has been an acknowledgement from JF that the budget requires review....what that actually means who knows. If we have the 4th, 10th, 15th , 20th biggest budget at the moment i dont know, but will any such review propel the budget to a top four budget for next season ? Of course it wont, top 10 ? mid table ? Again who knows other than JF.

My only hope regards next season, and it is only hope, is that MJ has learnt quickly and JF realises that whilst he is the custodian of the club that shouldnt just mean that surviving alone is some sort of ambition fulfilled.

UTM

It's been blindingly obvious from the first few weeks of the season that we were lacking pace throughout the squad and didn't have anybody other than Vernam who can run at players. 3-5-2 can be a fantastic formation but if you don't have mobility across the pitch, particularly at wing-back and your three defenders then it falls apart.

Jolley's recruitment this season has not been that great. He is without doubt working within budget constraints and hopefully he'll learn lessons from this year which he can put right next year. My main concern with his recruitment was he tried 3-5-2 all pre-season despite not signing any recognised wing-backs which effectively meant we might as well not have bothered with any pre-season at all after it was scrapped so soon. He also didn't recognise the fact that it's a formation that relies on mobility in the areas highlighted above which is most concerning. If you're going to aim to play a particular formation more often than not then your recruitment must reflect that. The other worry is that despite not properly recruiting for 3-5-2, the lack of any wide players meant we couldn't really play any other formation effectively either. The result being that we've spent all year never being properly cohesive. Hopefully he'll learn. He's clearly intelligent but Jolley has to have learned his lessons because if he fails with recruitment again this summer then he'll not get another chance in management.

This summer he needs to go out and buy some players with some pace, some athleticism and players who can run at the opposition.. We need to have the ability to scare defenders. Teams are more than happy to let us pass it around the back and in the middle of the pitch because they know we've got precisely nothing to worry them with in behind. I can't remember the last time we had a properly quick player but for years Town have been too cumbersome compared to other sides.

Quoted from moosey_club

Could probably post this on several threads at the moment , is it Jolley's fault vs is it Fenty's fault ....is management style the issue or budget the issue ?

Realistically lets think back....Jolley was appointed at a time when we had an awful style of play, poorly organised squad, transfer window gone and the club was in turmoil and staring down at a potential relegation....not an easy sell to any prospective new manager.....

MJ was desperate for a chance to manage....

From interviews with Jolley at the time there was a clear indication that he had the job on a temporary basis, he wouldnt comment on any future based questions, batted off any talk about the following season and there were rumours of him working for nothing !

He came with a youth ideology, a coaching ideology ....younger squad, smaller squad supplemented by quality loans.

All of that to me talks John Fenty's language....cheaper than an experienced football league manager.

Jolley did make an improvement to that failing Slade side, some tinkering made us harder to beat and we kept the ball better, yes we relied on penalties to secure those wins but he did it.

I think his inexperience and the JF budget strings did for him in the summer though, he retained experienced players that probably have gone a season too far, recruited an aging captain that had gone a season too far and probably been over generous with "potential" player contracts. I think he also under estimated how difficult the transition from UEFA text book coaching of youth players to Division 4 club management would be.

I have seen some good things under Jolley in both seasons so far...i have also seen some very frustrating things. I think he will learn alot from this first full season himself and should be better for it in the future. Not only playing coaching style but also regards the wider aspects of club management.

Now regards the budget...there has been an acknowledgement from JF that the budget requires review....what that actually means who knows. If we have the 4th, 10th, 15th , 20th biggest budget at the moment i dont know, but will any such review propel the budget to a top four budget for next season ? Of course it wont, top 10 ? mid table ? Again who knows other than JF.

My only hope regards next season, and it is only hope, is that MJ has learnt quickly and JF realises that whilst he is the custodian of the club that shouldnt just mean that surviving alone is some sort of ambition fulfilled.

UTM

Very true. The message seems to be loud & clear from the boardroom - survival is an acceptable achievement. Let's remind ourselves - May 2006 was the last time we finished in the top half of the lowest division of the Football League. 13 bloody long years ago, all under the same 'custodian'. I think it's time we got a little bit more than that.

It really is groundhog day, each and every season. There is a stigma attached to the club; the rest of the football world sees a low-quality club, run on a shoestring with failed ambitions to get a new stadium. The years in non-league confirm that we are not well run, and the man who oversees it must have something of a reputation within the game.Mr. Fenty saved our bacon all those years ago, and great credit to him for that, but to buy something and then let it deteriorate doesn't really make sense.

20 years we have stagnated whilst clubs like Stevenage (no disrespect) have gone past us. We haven't finished higher than 13th since Fenty took the reins, and 6 of those were stuck in non-league wilderness - and we never looked likely to get out of there without the help of the playoff system.

Managers come and go, players come and go, but hardly any have left on good terms, or have a good word to say about the club and the way it is run. Players are like the rest of us - they want good pay, obviously, but they want the best facilities and working environment they can secure, and of course a sense of purpose and willingness of a club to go places. Despite Jolleys best efforts with his PR skills, the club is not seen as a force to be reckoned with, which is a great shame as we could be so much better.

The obvious solution is the simple matter of changing the owner(!) and completely changing the atmosphere within the club. Clubs seem to change hands all the time, but apparently, it is impossible to find even someone who will invest at all. Until it changes we will have groundhog day each and every season I guess.

Jolley talks "younger" and Fenty thinks 'cheaper'....  

Looking back to the great escape last season one player I hoped would stay was Jamile Matt he as done well at Newport with Podge but him and Thomas could have clicked here in the same way.

Matt is what Cardwell shoud be.

Sadly neither will ever happen.

Nothing is guaranteed in football we could have got a very experienced man in charge and he might cocked it up ( Slade )

We have shown we can win games but also shown we can easily be beaten without much of a fight,

We need a striker who can score goals , who cares if he runs around a lot ?
All we need is for him to put the ball in the net 20+ times in the season and we will ne happy,

Most teams this season know if we do not score they will win which has happened far too often,

Scoring the 1st goal in the game means a lot it puts you on the front foot but that will not happen very often if you do not have a decent striker.

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

Looking back to the great escape last season one player I hoped would stay was Jamile Matt he as done well at Newport with Podge but him and Thomas could have clicked here in the same way.

Matt is what Cardwell shoud be.

Sadly neither will ever happen.

Why!? matt was absolute excrement here why would anyone have wanted him to stay

He's done well at Newport??

Quoted from ska face

Derided? By who? Don’t think I’ve ever heard the word “Cowley” without it being followed by gushing praise.

You must be thinking of Slade, who definitely is a much-derided ex-teacher.

We must be reading different threads. On this site they have been roundly castigated for their touchline antics, their attitude to officials, their tactics, and their gamesmanship.  I must have missed the gushing praise apart from that lavished on them by the visiting Gimps fans here to gloat.  

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

He's done well at Newport??

It's strange. He looked one of the worst players to wear the shirt in recent years here, and yet he had been a real handful at Newport.

How are they able to get the best out of him when we couldn't?

Quoted from RonMariner

It's strange. He looked one of the worst players to wear the shirt in recent years here, and yet he had been a real handful at Newport.

How are they able to get the best out of him when we couldn't?

Poor and simple, players come here and are brought down to the mentality of the clubs status, which at the moment is p!ss poor to anyone outside of our own, then move on and actually play to their abilities...we have a knack of taking an half decent player and completely destroying them... .

Bit of context - he's done ok at Newport, who themselves are very average indeed and will be in L2 again next season. It's not as if we lost a world class player. He was gash for us, generally, and he's been a bit better at Newport, but I wouldn't waste time pretending and regretting we lost a world beater.....

Quoted from chaos33

It's not as if we lost a world class player. He was gash for us, generally, and he's been a bit better at Newport, but I wouldn't waste time pretending and regretting we lost a world beater.....

No, just a goal scorer, something which has been sadly lacking.

Perhaps the management style or tactics at Newport suits him better plus playing with another outstanding goal scorer too of course

If only we had both of them.....oh! I forgot, we did

Quoted from chaos33

Bit of context - he's done ok at Newport, who themselves are very average indeed and will be in L2 again next season. It's not as if we lost a world class player. He was gash for us, generally, and he's been a bit better at Newport, but I wouldn't waste time pretending and regretting we lost a world beater.....

Gash is such a under used word

Quoted from chaos33

Bit of context - he's done ok at Newport, who themselves are very average indeed and will be in L2 again next season. It's not as if we lost a world class player. He was gash for us, generally, and he's been a bit better at Newport, but I wouldn't waste time pretending and regretting we lost a world beater.....

Nonetheless, he’s done significantly more/better than Cardwell.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Poor and simple, players come here and are brought down to the mentality of the clubs status, which at the moment is p!ss poor to anyone outside of our own, then move on and actually play to their abilities...we have a knack of taking an half decent player and completely destroying them... .

Yes.  Look at JJ Hooper, 18 goals in 22 games for Bromley. Ok, its a lower league, but still.

I notice Yussuff is banging them in too, and we didn't even give him a chance here. Plus of course disposing of a guy that netted 37 in a single season.

Incredible. It's as if we are doing it on purpose.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Nonetheless, he’s done significantly more/better than Cardwell.

Matt is seven years older than Cardwell

He is more experienced and some of him having done more or better than him will be to do with having more experience I feel sure