GTFC Form Reality Check

I know our current form is bad, but I still think we'll make the play-offs. Enough quality in the squad when confidence and key players return. One or two added in January will help too.

If we had started the season with a few defeats and then had a run of wins, the perception of our current position would be different.  The actual league position would be the same.

The Board said that Hurst would be here in the long term.  Maybe an unwise and naive comment from new owners.

3 of us had a chat after the game,  we wanted Hurst to stay as manager this season.  Strengthen in Jan and the summer.  (Funds are still invested in players not playing). Probably end up in the lottery of the playoffs this season.

Next season we would be better.  Like Chesterfield, improve the squad.  No expensive striker but Hurst has found diamonds before.

McAtee has been about half the team.  When he is back we should improve. The risk to Hurst staying is the pressure from fans if we fall and remain in the lower half of the league.  That would be toxic.

Quoted from TownSNAFU5

If we had started the season with a few defeats and then had a run of wins, the perception of our current position would be different.  The actual league position would be the same.

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True, but the direct of travel would be entirely different.

Quoted from grimsby pete

We need some quality signings in January then who knows where we will end up.

BUT

If they are the usual cheap options then we can forget going up this season.

We need to spend some money.

I think Pete hits the nail on the head here.

The new owners spent £1 million buying the club, but the first £500k loan repayment to Fenty has been paid by incoming transfer fees. The gate receipts have been much higher than expected and must be covering the running costs pretty well, and we have not splashed out serious cash on incoming transfers.

I don't really see the point of spending a million on a club and then not investing in quality players to make the club serious promotion contenders.

The existing squad is better than what we have had in recent years, but It is clear that we need improvements in key areas. So unless the new owners want us just to bumble along as we have been doing for the last two months they must invest. Imagine how different things would be now if we had pushed the boat out to buy Tshimanga. It was certainly not impossible.

So we need some serious investment in January. Bringing in a couple of quality players to add to what we already have would make all the difference to our prospects.    

I am wondering where do we go from here, too many defeats and nothing much to hang on to. Our new owners are running true to form, as I remember attending a dinner when George Kerr, the then manager, was the speaker. His words were something like ' I can never understand how successful business people buy into a football club costing £1,000s ( in those days) and then run it like a hobby' Not the exact words but you get my drift. It doesn't half remind me of  JS & AP who say they are not football people. If they are not football people, neither has our CEO experience of football, then how in hell are they going to be of use in turning our current situation around?

I was amazed at the statistic of Hurst 19 wins in 100 games and let's not forget 8 of them came this season. It's not the sort of stat you want to read now things have gone wrong. I have supported Hurst since his return but find his selection today bizarre, what I refer to is the subs bench of attacking options. LJL is not the player he was, his last outing was poor and he cannot shoot for toffee, Scannell who hasn't played for months and Mag-Drew who is not a centre forward. What sort of attacking options were these players supposed to be, Adlard and Essel would have been better. Yes, they are young but should be able to be put on as last 20 min subs if need be.

We then have his reluctance to spend any money at all. He seems entrenched in a Fenty mindset of spending nothing and expecting league class players. £250K for a striker on £2/3k per week is ridiculous but somewhere along the line he has to splash the cash to keep his job, so a victory over Kings Lynn is a must or he has to go. 19 games, plus preseason and he hasn't signed a No 9 says it all.

We have players out, for various reasons, but Chesterfield had 11 out today and according to reports were quicker to the ball than ours. So it would appear our new fitness regime is useless. Coming into a game like today's players should be motivated to keep their place in the team selection and not just turn up to fill a gap. Reports say they put in a good shift but was it good enough? We were the home team, not the away team and produced 2 goal chances. I not saying they failed to perform but the performance was not good enough, again. A defeat is a defeat and I fail to see how the dressing room can be upbeat about anything.

I am usually known for my optimistic positive enthusiasm for wins but even for me, that is wearing thin. At the minute the only optimism is we won't be relegated, and I hope for a positive new year.

Bit of perspective. Yes, we need to strengthen in jan, and we all know where. But calling for the manager's head is stupid, I mean come on! whos going to replace him? then how much time will they take to build their team? In my opinion, it would be the most counterproductive thing we could do.

Also, only 4 teams in the league have won more games than us, only 6 have scored more goals than us, only 6 have a better goal difference than us. We have won the same amount of games in our first 19 this season as we did in all 46 last season.

Let us not panic. Get behind the team and manager and see what happens in Jan.

Quoted from NorthLondonMariner

Bit of perspective. Yes, we need to strengthen in jan, and we all know where. But calling for the manager's head is stupid, I mean come on! whos going to replace him? then how much time will they take to build their team? In my opinion, it would be the most counterproductive thing we could do.

Also, only 4 teams in the league have won more games than us, only 6 have scored more goals than us, only 6 have a better goal difference than us. We have won the same amount of games in our first 19 this season as we did in all 46 last season.

Let us not panic. Get behind the team and manager and see what happens in Jan.

If you accept the stats, what about the direction of travel? Downhill very rapidly.

And the negative selection? We were top of the league and scoring for fun 6 weeks ago and yesterday we set up hoping for a 0-0.

Something must have happened. The change is palpable and it seems that this season is almost done already. I’m happy to be proved wrong.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

If you accept the stats, what about the direction of travel? Downhill very rapidly.

And the negative selection? We were top of the league and scoring for fun 6 weeks ago and yesterday we set up hoping for a 0-0.

Something must have happened. The change is palpable and it seems that this season is almost done already. I’m happy to be proved wrong.

1. Yes that needs to change, we have 25 games and a transfer window to do it. We are not in the bottom 3rd of the table,  It's certainly not panic stations yet.
2. A lot of our better players injured or suspended? Again something we need to address in Jan.
3. Maybe something has happened? We will never know. But to say that the season is almost done already? Realy? We are not even halfway through and have a transfer window to play with to.

Quoted from Germo66

Hurst has to shoulder the blame, I'd give him two more games to sort it out. Plenty of effort from the players just poor tactics today

Are you a professional football manager?

Quoted from 123614

Are you a professional football manager?

I’m not a gourmet chef.

But I know a poor meal when I’m served one !!