PAUL HURST

Quoted from diehardmariner

That's a really good point.  I think people underestimate how much of a repair job was needed at the time.  I'm sorry but the argument about where we sat in the table when Holloway left doesn't wash with him.  We were rotten to the core and getting worse by the week.  

Hurst, without shadow of doubt, improved that spine.  The four of Menayese, Matete, Coke and Lenny were significant improvements on what we had.  Where Hurst failed was that he didn't really improve anything beyond the spine.  We were still pretty excrement out wide and whilst Lenny did Lenny stuff up top, we weren't very threatening for a long, long time.  

He also, arguably, took too long in making us solid.  There was a crucial few weeks when we looked ready to have a go at teams and try and win games, but he was too focused on avoiding defeats.  The win over Crawley should have been the springboard to really get more wins on the board, but we went to Harrogate four days later and put in one of the most negative displays I've ever seen.  We had to wait exactly another month for the second win under him and even with a little flurry at the end it was too much too late.  

8 games undefeated in the midst of trying to get out of the relegation places, that should be something to be inspired by.  But in reality we only picked 10 points.  At a time when points were crucial.  10 points adrift when we started that undefeated run, yet it only reduced the gap to 7 points when it ended.

The likes of Habergham are always brought up as bad signings.  He literally was out there with his begging bowl trying to get anyone in who would play for 4p and a banana.  Fair enough, he gambled on Payne but that was all he had - a single roll of the dice. Coke and LJL hadn't played for ages because of the NLN closing down, the loan lads had limited game time, the free agents had barely seen the grass in god knows how long.  Those that were here when he arrived were unfit.  The final two months of the season were frantic.  Tuesday-Saturday every week with even a Tues-Thurs-Sat thrown in there.  Our ragtag lot couldn't handle it.  

Could he have done things different?  Definitely.  Could he have done better?  Probably (always room for improvement).  Did he make mistakes? Of course.

But the blame doesn't lie at his feet, the damage was done. He just couldn't do the repair job in time.

Quoted from arryarryarry

Your quote about improving in February doesn't match the facts I quoted so is it your memory failing?

Quoted from Son of Cod

Spot on, agree with all of that.


Our points per game in February was better than it was in December and January.

Quoted from arryarryarry

FFS how far do you want to drill it down.

Holloway's last game in charge we lost so no points. Hurst's last game of the season we lost so no points, therefore no better.

intercourse knows why some cannot accept the very simple fact that Hurst was in charge for more games than Holloway but was no better than Holloway in fact points per game were slightly less.

Quoted from arryarryarry

FFS how far do you want to drill it down.

Holloway's last game in charge we lost so no points. Hurst's last game of the season we lost so no points, therefore no better.

intercourse knows why some cannot accept the very simple fact that Hurst was in charge for more games than Holloway but was no better than Holloway in fact points per game were slightly less.

Quoted from Rodley Mariner

It was a dreadful time to try to rebuild a squad. Hard enough attracting players to a League 2 relegation battle without the backdrop of another COVID lockdown and all the challenges that will have brought with trying to persuade players to relocate.

Not sure why the need for the conversation anyway. Maybe we'd have stayed up if they'd sacked him or appointed someone else. Almost certain we wouldn't have had the play off campaign of the following season or the FA Cup run of the last. If you didn't like him them fine and he's gone. But would you really want to change the last three years?

Quoted from It Bites

If he’s got money you can kiss goodbye to Danny rose

Quoted from Son of Cod

I went through my bank statement after the season was over and counted how many tenners I'd spent watching the whole fiasco so can confirm I watched something like 40 matches.

You point to Habergham as Hurst's worst signing but he wouldn't even have been in the worst five Holloway signings that season. Hurst signed our best player that season in Matete and shored up defence, midfield and attack with experienced/decent players in Menayese, Coke and Lenny. It was a decent window all things considered. The window before was a complete and utter shitshow. This is all before we even get onto the fact that Holloway allowed Vernam to walk away from the club despite us having an option on another year.

Holloway: Bilel Mohsni, Ir Jackson Jr, Montel Gibson, George Williams, Alhagi Touray Sissay, Danny Rose, Felipe Morais, Sean Scannell, Luke Spokes, Danny Preston, Owura Edwards, Terry Taylor, James Morton, Kyle Bennett, Owen Windsor, Virgil Gomis

Hurst: Sam Habergham, Stefan Payne, Joe Bunney, Lennell John-Lewis, Julien Lamy, Giles Coke, Rollin Menayese, Jay Matete, Idris El Mizouni, Joe Adams, Jake Eastwood