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I’m not saying Jolley is the messiah but I think he’s safe until next season. I don’t see the point in sacking a manager when at our level it’s difficult to get anyone better. It’s been a very sharp learning curve I’m sure for Mr Jolley and I think he’ll be a far better manager next season having had this one under his belt. Let’s face it he’s still very inexperienced. Time of course will tell but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment and support him and the team. UTM!

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Pretty sorry state of affairs at present. Poor fayre, downbeat management, two senior players apparently sacked and a threadbare squad- not the best pitch to sell tickets for next season and, again, no stadium in sight.

On the plus side......the floodlights are going to be demolished before they collapse.

Quoted from GrimExile

I’m not saying Jolley is the messiah but I think he’s safe until next season. I don’t see the point in sacking a manager when at our level it’s difficult to get anyone better. It’s been a very sharp learning curve I’m sure for Mr Jolley and I think he’ll be a far better manager next season having had this one under his belt. Let’s face it he’s still very inexperienced. Time of course will tell but let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for the moment and support him and the team. UTM!

Probably safe but another 2/3 bad results really puts him under pressure. He may survive, but if he does and does not get a competitive budget in the summer I can see him walking before he gets pushed.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

Probably safe but another 2/3 bad results really puts him under pressure. He may survive, but if he does and does not get a competitive budget in the summer I can see him walking before he gets pushed.

He walked from Eskilstuna after a disagreement over the direction of the club so it could happen.

If MJ left citing budget disagreements then things could turn very sour towards the regime.

I can’t see MJ leaving in such circumstances - it’d be a risky thing for him to do twice in a row with nothing immediate to go to. It’d probably mean the end of his managerial ambitions with no record of clear cut achievement.

WE all know the background at GTFC but other clubs who look at his job application might not.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I can’t see MJ leaving in such circumstances - it’d be a risky thing for him to do twice in a row with nothing immediate to go to. It’d probably mean the end of his managerial ambitions with no record of clear cut achievement.

WE all know the background at GTFC but other clubs who look at his job application might not.

I’m not suggesting he would leave unless he had something already fixed up. It might not even be as a manager.

YES another sad sack thread, just what this place needs.

Quoted from Son of Cod

YES another sad sack thread, just what this place needs.

Has anybody on here suggested sacking MJ?

The points being made are that he may well being under pressure from the club if results don't improve which is the norm at most clubs.

Anyway, tomorrow sees another game.  Who knows we might come away with thumping win and then the world will seem a much brighter place.

Let's face it, we are staying up, we have some good young players, and the summer is coming soon.  So it's not so bad really.

This time last year I spent every waking hour going through every possible permutation of results for ourselves Barnet, Chesterfield and others trying to assess our chances of staying up, and they were not good.

I remember seeing us thrashed 4-0 at Coventry, and the following day Chesterfield beating Notts County 3-1 to move to within four points of us with three games in hand. They looked certain to overtake us. I remember when Barnet took the lead at BP and I though we had had it.

So, boring though it is, the way the season has petered out early is preferable to the stress riven anxiety attacks that we all endured last year.

It could be worse! :)

Quoted from arryarryarry

Has anybody on here suggested sacking MJ?

The points being made are that he may well being under pressure from the club if results don't improve which is the norm at most clubs.

I meant sad sacks as in the dopey twits who are in meltdown mode over a couple of bad results.

It’s been sooo depressing on here lately. I’m much more upbeat about it all. Much better than last year, I’m even going tomorrow as I feel we’re due a win. We’ve lost away of late but to be fair haven’t played that badly and if we’d got in front with our chances things could of been way different ...... I’m optimistic regarding next season. I will be continuing my support for Jolley for some time yet. UTM

Quoted from oochiad

It’s been sooo depressing on here lately. I’m much more upbeat about it all. Much better than last year, I’m even going tomorrow as I feel we’re due a win. We’ve lost away of late but to be fair haven’t played that badly and if we’d got in front with our chances things could of been way different ...... I’m optimistic regarding next season. I will be continuing my support for Jolley for some time yet. UTM

Yeah, I'm absolutely fine with having nothing to play for after back to back to back failed playoff campaigns, another playoff final, 3 managers in one season and a relegation battle. Things aren't perfect, but still plenty of positives to take and yep I'll also be there tomorrow with fairly low expectations but looking forward to a day out.

Quoted from RonMariner

Anyway, tomorrow sees another game.  Who knows we might come away with thumping win and then the world will seem a much brighter place.

Let's face it, we are staying up, we have some good young players, and the summer is coming soon.  So it's not so bad really.

This time last year I spent every waking hour going through every possible permutation of results for ourselves Barnet, Chesterfield and others trying to assess our chances of staying up, and they were not good.

I remember seeing us thrashed 4-0 at Coventry, and the following day Chesterfield beating Notts County 3-1 to move to within four points of us with three games in hand. They looked certain to overtake us. I remember when Barnet took the lead at BP and I though we had had it.

So, boring though it is, the way the season has petered out early is preferable to the stress riven anxiety attacks that we all endured last year.

top post  :)

It could be worse! :)

Quoted from Son of Cod

I meant sad sacks as in the dopey twits who are in meltdown mode over a couple of bad results.

That’s all right then.

For one moment I thought you were referring to those of us that are getting fed up after 17 years of lower/non league mediocrity!!!

To be fair Jolley cant really be blamed if the budget gets you budget players, takes time to build on a budget. Look at Accrington, they didn't run up the league they gave the manager a lot of time till things fell right.

urine poor budget makes it difficult for any manager, cant see Jose or Klop or anyone like that doing a job a town if they had the same budget to work too.

Really makes me wonder how much more Fenty can put into the Budget for next season? 200K gone back into his pocket would suggest that amount at least. So in order for Fenty to get his cash back the team has to be on a shoe string.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I meant sad sacks as in the dopey twits who are in meltdown mode over a couple of bad results.

You been away then?

Quoted from arryarryarry

You been away then?

Stevenage and Cambridge are the only truly bad ones really since the last winning streak, they make the Oldham and Crawley results seem worse than they are.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Stevenage and Cambridge are the only truly bad ones really since the last winning streak, they make the Oldham and Crawley results seem worse than they are.

8 games without a win and only 3 goals scored, 3 points from 24, not exactly the best of runs.

Hopefully a win tomorrow will stop the rot otherwise there may well be some on here demanding the sack for MJ.

Quoted from arryarryarry

8 games without a win and only 3 goals scored, 3 points from 24, not exactly the best of runs.

Hopefully a win tomorrow will stop the rot otherwise there may well be some on here demanding the sack for MJ[b][/b].

It's sort of the point of the thread - we go round in circles appointing managers, good bad or indifferent and we always end up with the same results. There's a common thread amongst all of these appointments for all that they're made with the best of intentions.

Quoted from Civvy at last

That’s all right then.

For one moment I thought you were referring to those of us that are getting fed up after 17 years of lower/non league mediocrity!!!

It's alright Civvy, he must be talking to mates in the boys' paddock. ;) Can't think anyone over 18 would regard an 8 game winless run and 5 scoreless games in the last 7 with optimism.

Quoted from MuddyWaters

Pretty sorry state of affairs at present. Poor fayre, downbeat management, two senior players apparently sacked and a threadbare squad- not the best pitch to sell tickets for next season and, again, no stadium in sight.

Who's the other senior player sacked?

Quoted from Teesknees

Who's the other senior player sacked?

Think he's insinuating Thomas got the bullet too .

So Welsh and Thomas?

Quoted from oochiad

So Welsh and Thomas?

That's what we are thinking although it would be nice for the club to come out and clarify the Thomas situation .

If Thomas has gone, who is our remaining top scorer?

Quoted from RonMariner

If Thomas has gone, who is our remaining top scorer?

Jordan Cook, on 5 goals

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

It's alright Civvy, he must be talking to mates in the boys' paddock. ;) Can't think anyone over 18 would regard an 8 game winless run and 5 scoreless games in the last 7 with optimism.

And therein lies part of the problem. We can bleat on about Fenty and the infrastructure of the club until we're blue in the face but any degree of optimism generated at the club will only ever be 8 or so games away from evaporation when there is a level of toxicity within the fanbase.

To be fair every club as fans that are demanding and why not it is about wining football matches and entertaining, long win less runs can test even the most ardent fans.

If the fans are the problem we really are in deep shat.

Quoted from Mrs Doyle

To be fair every club as fans that are demanding and why not it is about wining football matches and entertaining, long win less runs can test even the most ardent fans.

If the fans are the problem we really are in deep shat.

I'm not saying we're the only problem, but as a collective we're not entirely blameless. The majority of Town fans talked the talk about wanting to give Jolley time to build something but there are a lot getting restless now. The whole notion of giving someone time, especially in a division in which they have a fairly poor budget, centres around the fact that we're potentially gonna have to put up with some dross.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I'm not saying we're the only problem, but as a collective we're not entirely blameless. The majority of Town fans talked the talk about wanting to give Jolley time to build something but there are a lot getting restless now. The whole notion of giving someone time, especially in a division in which they have a fairly poor budget, centres around the fact that we're potentially gonna have to put up with some dross.

GTFC must have one of the most patient and loyal fan bases in the country to be honest. Patience has now worn very thin. Ground zero wasn't when Jolley was appointed, ground zero was about 17 years ago when the perpetual dross began. About twenty exciting home games out of 350. It's a long time to be in the doldrums while watching other teams prosper which includes pretty much every local team within 60 miles. To shoulder some of the blame on our fans is laughable after what we've been through. 100% victims, 0% perpetrators of our very sorry state..

Quoted from Bigdog

GTFC must have one of the most patient and loyal fan bases in the country to be honest. Patience has now worn very thin. Ground zero wasn't when Jolley was appointed, ground zero was about 17 years ago when the perpetual dross began. About twenty exciting home games out of 350. It's a long time to be in the doldrums while watching other teams prosper which includes pretty much every local team within 60 miles. To shoulder some of the blame on our fans is laughable after what we've been through. 100% victims, 0% perpetrators of our very sorry state..

I couldn't disagree with that more to be honest. Do you ever go watch other teams play? As in go to matches that don't involve Town? The amount of fans we have that are seemingly desperate to tear into certain players/scapegoats compared to most other away ends I've been in is alarming.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I couldn't disagree with that more to be honest. Do you ever go watch other teams play? As in go to matches that don't involve Town? The amount of fans we have that are seemingly desperate to tear into certain players/scapegoats compared to most other away ends I've been in is alarming.

Have those fans you speak of put up with 18 yerars of decline though? I don't disagree that BP and our away following can be very critical but so they should.

We have kept the faith for most of the time, including years of thin gruel in the humiliating non league years.

Nearly all of the blame is heaped on the board. They are the custodians of the club, who should have its well being at heart. They are the ones who determine our future. I don't blame managers or players so much, as they are fairly short term pieces of the jigsaw, and they are only as good as circumstances allow.

If the board had any strategy whatsoever, players and managers coming and going would be just a way of making progress. We rely almost entirely on fans contributions and a "hope it all comes right" attitude with fingers crossed.

We have two ways of trying to get success. One is a new board with more (a bit more) money to spend and more importantly a plan to go with it, or two get lucky and find a manager who could mould a cheap squad with the budget he has to play with into a promotion team.

I like Michael Jolley, and I hope he can succeed. If he cannot get a team together on the budget (which let's face it is certainly not "competitive") then he will have to be replaced sooner or later and the search would go on for a manager who can.

Until we get a board with drive and ambition, with a realistic plan for stadium improvements, a better match day experience, a team to be proud of and getting more people through the gate, we will just stumble on in the elusive search for football fortune on a shoestring.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Have those fans you speak of put up with 18 yerars of decline though? I don't disagree that BP and our away following can be very critical but so they should.

We have kept the faith for most of the time, including years of thin gruel in the humiliating non league years.

Nearly all of the blame is heaped on the board. They are the custodians of the club, who should have its well being at heart. They are the ones who determine our future. I don't blame managers or players so much, as they are fairly short term pieces of the jigsaw, and they are only as good as circumstances allow.

If the board had any strategy whatsoever, players and managers coming and going would be just a way of making progress. We rely almost entirely on fans contributions and a "hope it all comes right" attitude with fingers crossed.

We have two ways of trying to get success. One is a new board with more (a bit more) money to spend and more importantly a plan to go with it, or two get lucky and find a manager who could mould a cheap squad with the budget he has to play with into a promotion team.

I like Michael Jolley, and I hope he can succeed. If he cannot get a team together on the budget (which let's face it is certainly not "competitive") then he will have to be replaced sooner or later and the search would go on for a manager who can.

Until we get a board with drive and ambition, with a realistic plan for stadium improvements, a better match day experience, a team to be proud of and getting more people through the gate, we will just stumble on in the elusive search for football fortune on a shoestring.

I wholeheartedly agree with the vast majority of that. I don't think that going through x years of crap is a justification of going out of your way to be negative though. Teams often go through a lot worse than us in a shorter space of time. I don't think the non-league was particularly bad either, it was infinitely more enjoyable than pretty much every season between 05/06 and going down.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I wholeheartedly agree with the vast majority of that. I don't think that going through x years of crap is a justification of going out of your way to be negative though. Teams often go through a lot worse than us in a shorter space of time. I don't think the non-league was particularly bad either, it was infinitely more enjoyable than pretty much every season between 05/06 and going down.

I dont think anyone is going out of there way to be negative though. Why would someone even do that? Some people might be miserable buggers, but people don't go out of their way to be like it.*

And whilst some of the time is non-League was entertaining, it was often inspite of the quality of football.

* Swin excepted ;D

Quoted from Son of Cod

And therein lies part of the problem. We can bleat on about Fenty and the infrastructure of the club until we're blue in the face but any degree of optimism generated at the club will only ever be 8 or so games away from evaporation when there is a level of toxicity within the fanbase.

There goes that word again. It suggests a certain degree of superiority in the person using it. And completely ignores why there might be ill-feeling in the first place.

Quoted from Son of Cod

And therein lies part of the problem. We can bleat on about Fenty and the infrastructure of the club until we're blue in the face but any degree of optimism generated at the club will only ever be 8 or so games away from evaporation when there is a level of toxicity within the fanbase.

Let's not forget who made the decisions regarding loans, share issues, benign loans etc. - the problem is always managing expectations but I bet there's not one fan of GTFC that expected us to plummet down the league & spend 6 years as a non-league club. I do have an issue with statements like 'every manager is only six games from the sack' - things like that tend to stick especially with our track record.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

I dont think anyone is going out of there way to be negative though. Why would someone even do that? Some people might be miserable buggers, but people don't go out of their way to be like it.*

And whilst some of the time is non-League was entertaining, it was often inspite of the quality of football.

* Swin excepted ;D

I've heard Town players berated in the first few minutes of matches before even kicking a ball, I'd argue that those people are going out of their way to be negative.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

There goes that word again. It suggests a certain degree of superiority in the person using it. And completely ignores why there might be ill-feeling in the first place.

Well, I wouldn't consider myself superior to anyone but glad to read that you think I am - thank you.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I wholeheartedly agree with the vast majority of that. I don't think that going through x years of crap is a justification of going out of your way to be negative though. Teams often go through a lot worse than us in a shorter space of time. I don't think the non-league was particularly bad either, it was infinitely more enjoyable than pretty much every season between 05/06 and going down.

This reads almost troll-like in its contrariness. What’s next? Blaming the TV money fiasco again? I could not give a rat’s hindquarters what other clubs have gone through and I think non-league was an appalling period for the club. But there again I’m only speaking as a member of the Toxic Fans Society.

. Supporters have always chuntered about managers. Buckley was subject to it more than once, so was George Kerr and they were our most successful in my time. God knows what you would have made of the years when we had people like Lyons and Don McAvoy.

People are entitled though to take a manager at his word and question whether he is on the right track. As to experience, a year is plenty in my view. By now we should be seeing the fruits of a playing method developed under an umbrella of goodwill and patience from the stands. Are we? Are we spherical objects! When comment is made to that effect on here all we get are the same tired mantas - budget, budget, budget plus inexperience. It is neither toxic nor unfair nor unreasonable to expect better after 12 months of the messiah. The words “give him time” have a bit of a hollow ring now.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I've heard Town players berated in the first few minutes of matches before even kicking a ball, I'd argue that those people are going out of their way to be negative.

Well, I wouldn't consider myself superior to anyone but glad to read that you think I am - thank you.

They might be being negative, and it might be unhelpful behaviour. And boring to boot. But why do you think someone would actually try to be negative? Bizarre thinking. Seems like it says more about you than them.

You can thank me all you like. Clearly I wasn't suggesting you were actually superior.

Quoted from Son of Cod

I couldn't disagree with that more to be honest. Do you ever go watch other teams play? As in go to matches that don't involve Town? The amount of fans we have that are seemingly desperate to tear into certain players/scapegoats compared to most other away ends I've been in is alarming.

I have the benefit of getting around a lot of clubs and sitting in their home ends. Chesterfield v Maidenhead earlier this season was probably the most toxic atmosphere I have been in. They lost 3-1 and it was about 9 games into Martin Allen's awful run. Last season, Rotherham got promoted and were around the play-offs all season but their supporters were not happy.

Over the last 17 years we have had an expectation to be higher up the league table than we have been. Football is an expensive day out and we have a right to want value for money. In 33 of our 41 games this season we have scored 1 or less. With statistics like that you can see why people are staying away.

Quoted from jamesgtfc

In 33 of our 41 games this season we have scored 1 or less. With statistics like that you can see why people are staying away.

I never realised that those are terrible stats.

Now 34 out of 42. Pretty shocking.

Only Port Vale (36), Cambridge (37) and Yeovil (38) have scored less than our 41 goals this season.

Oldham (13th) and Carlisle (8th) are the only 2 teams with over 60 goals not in the top 7. Statistics only tell part of the story but we are a 20 goal striker away from competing at the top end.

And I went to a game at BP when we were 6-0 up at half-time.

Quoted from TheRonRaffertyFanClub

This reads almost troll-like in its contrariness. What’s next? Blaming the TV money fiasco again? I could not give a rat’s hindquarters what other clubs have gone through and I think non-league was an appalling period for the club. But there again I’m only speaking as a member of the Toxic Fans Society.

. Supporters have always chuntered about managers. Buckley was subject to it more than once, so was George Kerr and they were our most successful in my time. God knows what you would have made of the years when we had people like Lyons and Don McAvoy.

People are entitled though to take a manager at his word and question whether he is on the right track. As to experience, a year is plenty in my view. By now we should be seeing the fruits of a playing method developed under an umbrella of goodwill and patience from the stands. Are we? Are we spherical objects! When comment is made to that effect on here all we get are the same tired mantas - budget, budget, budget plus inexperience. It is neither toxic nor unfair nor unreasonable to expect better after 12 months of the messiah. The words “give him time” have a bit of a hollow ring now.

Who exactly proclaimed him the messiah? He inherited a terrible squad and I believe he himself said he'd need at least three transfer windows to get us anywhere near competitive. It took us six years to get out the last division with a top five budget every season. Interesting to note that the first few paragraphs of Codalmighty today are essentially saying all I've been saying.

In terms of seeing the fruits of a playing method, it's quite clear that Jolley has made us harder to break down and more solid at the back. We're obviously lacking creativity and a goal threat, but building from the back first isn't such a bad thing is it?

Quoted from KingstonMariner

They might be being negative, and it might be unhelpful behaviour. And boring to boot. But why do you think someone would actually try to be negative? Bizarre thinking. Seems like it says more about you than them.

You can thank me all you like. Clearly I wasn't suggesting you were actually superior.

I neither really know nor care about what you're getting at by insinuating that what I've said says something about my character. To me though, if someone is getting on the backs of players 30 seconds into a match then yeah - they're going out of their way to be negative. I'm not sure what you find so bizarre about that.

Quoted from Son of Cod

Who exactly proclaimed him the messiah? He inherited a terrible squad and I believe he himself said he'd need at least three transfer windows to get us anywhere near competitive. It took us six years to get out the last division with a top five budget every season. Interesting to note that the first few paragraphs of Codalmighty today are essentially saying all I've been saying.

In terms of seeing the fruits of a playing method, it's quite clear that Jolley has made us harder to break down and more solid at the back. We're obviously lacking creativity and a goal threat, but building from the back first isn't such a bad thing is it?

I neither really know nor care about what you're getting at by insinuating that what I've said says something about my character. To me though, if someone is getting on the backs of players 30 seconds into a match then yeah - they're going out of their way to be negative. I'm not sure what you find so bizarre about that.

Well to make it plain enough to understand....if you think that someone goes out of their way to be a miserable fornicator (rather than either just being made that way/ending up that way through life's bitter experiences) then it shows how perversely you think. You really think someone thinks about how they're going to be and says to themself 'either I can just be neutral or positive without much effort, or I can pull my finger out and put my back into being negative'?!

Quoted from KingstonMariner

Well to make it plain enough to understand....if you think that someone goes out of their way to be a miserable fornicator (rather than either just being made that way/ending up that way through life's bitter experiences) then it shows how perversely you think. You really think someone thinks about how they're going to be and says to themself 'either I can just be neutral or positive without much effort, or I can pull my finger out and put my back into being negative'?!

Oh, I think there are people like that. However, I also think there are people who genuinely like to complain and moan about things.