Summer Signings

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Thought something may have been said judging by his reaction when they came back to re-start.

It’s not all the new lads, some of last seasons players look paralysed by fear & lost.

I think someone shouted to him something along the lines of “come on Rose, you’re meant to be the captain, what are you doing.”

Quoted from davmariner

I think someone shouted to him something along the lines of “come on Rose, you’re meant to be the captain, what are you doing.”

It’s beyond my why we have a forward in his role as captain, not been that close to the play for ages but if I’d never seen Town before and didn’t know who had the armband I’d have said Maher was the skipper as he was the only one taking & organising from the back.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

It’s beyond my why we have a forward in his role as captain, not been that close to the play for ages but if I’d never seen Town before and didn’t know who had the armband I’d have said Maher was the skipper as he was the only one taking & organising from the back.

I can only presume he was given the captaincy due to the likelyhood of him playing every week. How on earth can he be the manager's voice whilst ploughing a lonely furrow up there? Just one of many bizarre decisions in what is turning out to be a very bizarre season and we are only just into November.

Oldest cliché in the book but you need 11 captains, to be honest I don't think we've got any out there.

Doesn't need an armband to lead, it takes courage. Front to back we look scared of our own shadow.

I still don't believe that the side that started well and looked like it would get better has suddenly become full of poor players.

I just don't see any identity in this side, just eleven blokes cobbled together. Where have the neat triangles, clever one-two's and hunting in packs gone?

Biggest job for the new manager is lifting this group and making them believe in themselves.  

Quoted from diehardmariner

Oldest cliché in the book but you need 11 captains, to be honest I don't think we've got any out there.

Doesn't need an armband to lead, it takes courage. Front to back we look scared of our own shadow.

I still don't believe that the side that started well and looked like it would get better has suddenly become full of poor players.

I just don't see any identity in this side, just eleven blokes cobbled together. Where have the neat triangles, clever one-two's and hunting in packs gone?

Biggest job for the new manager is lifting this group and making them believe in themselves.  

I agree. Probably not so much ‘poor players’ as players who haven’t gelled, haven’t invested, don’t know what’s expected of them and don’t have any confidence. Players whose standards have dropped alarmingly: see Conteh, Clifton, Eisa and Rodgers particularly.  I do think we are short of quality though.

Quoted from Yoda

Hurst signings have been terrible apart from Rose.
The Vernham signing being the worst

You can’t even spell his name right, he’s played 4(!) games with an injury and you’re citing him as our worst signing.

You would assume Danny Rose is regretting his decision not to  sign a new contract for Big Steve at Stevenage and head back north .

Can't imagine it's gone the way he thought it would , much like most of us .

Without wanting to go in on anyone and this isn't directly just at him... but if Rose is unhappy at the way it's going then he, along with the rest of the players, need to collectively reflect on what their role in the disappointing season so far.

As a bunch they've not done enough, I think even individually there's quite a few who need to take a long look at in the mirror.

Let's make no mistake, Hurst has quite rightly fallen on his sword because of the poor results but the players are equally to blame.

We don't want to hear statements in the press every week saying that they're working hard to fix it and tweets saying how great Hurst was and they're sorry to see him gone.  

I'm not saying they've downed tools, I don't believe that.  But there's a difference between giving it everything and showing genuine courage out there.  Rose, Waterfall, Holohan, Clifton and the other senior/experienced players need to lead from the front on this.  Be it Hurst, or Davies/Pearson or any new manager can do everything in their power to install belief and confidence, but the players as individuals as a unit, need to show that courage on the field.  This isn't the time for hiding and playing it safe, it needs bravery on the ball and willingness to shake off the doom and gloom that's around the place.  

Yesterday was same-old-same-old.  Safe passes or the same ineffective stuff, no-one was willing to try anything different.  On that surface it was crying out for someone to get hold of the ball and control play.  I was begging Conteh to do what he can do, but he was anonymous for most of the first half.  Green, when he came on, at least tried to do that but technically he's limited and if we're looking to him to dictate play and tempo then we're truly copulated.  

For most of the season the only player I've seen who has been brave enough on the ball is Holohan and we badly miss him when he's unavailable.

I think the players have got away with it a little so far, largely because any anger was directed towards Hurst.  But now the fall guy has gone they're going to exposed.  Up to them if they want to take the criticism on the chin and respond to it or if they want to sulk and hide away.

Quoted from diehardmariner

Without wanting to go in on anyone and this isn't directly just at him...

Good points and I broadly agree with you.

I really wonder if we need Waterfall back for his leadership - the last time I saw him play he looked like he was running through treacle but maybe a regular place alongside Maher would improve his fitness and we'd have his leadership out there.

I also wonder if anyone has got the players together for a conversation about what they think needs to change and what they are going to do - a number of Premier league managers have mentioned the players meeting together and coming out with suggestions/solutions. I think there's something in that.

I want to agree with you on Waterfall, but I think there's that offset of his leadership against his flaws when on the football pitch at the minute.  Whenever he's played this season he's looked a liability.  I think it's just a case of one season too far for him.

Maher and Rodgers did show, in the early stages of the season, that they can play effectively as a pair.  How the squad is made up too, it's all geared towards bringing it out from the back and a higher line.  Waterfall can't really play that way and it shows.

If he is the only leader we've got, which I hate to say is looking more likely than not at the minute - certainly one of a very small number, then we're in deeper trouble than I first thought.