Nathen Jones sacked by Stoke.

He had a lot of success at Luton but found the championship a step too far .

He is not on his own there is here ?

Well it looks like the Cowleys are the real deal. Quite a turnaround at Huddersfield. Bet they're delighted they left.

Speaking to a Huddersfield fan, so far they seem quite impressed with the Cowleys.

Always thought they would succeed as they have a massive drive & are relentless.
Their time came to an end at Lincoln as they could not go forward with us anymore and were not prepared to make do.
Great memories in the past 3 seasons ones i'll never forget.

Quoted from Helgy

Always thought they would succeed as they have a massive drive & are relentless.
Their time came to an end at Lincoln as they could not go forward with us anymore and were not prepared to make do.
Great memories in the past 3 seasons ones i'll never forget.

Must be a bit of kicker now though Helgy, seeing as Appleton's not really cutting the mustard...what's the chances of him biting the dust before season's end seeing as though you have a board hell bent on success...

Quoted from Helgy

Did someone say Cowleys?

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Must be a bit of kicker now though Helgy, seeing as Appleton's not really cutting the mustard...what's the chances of him biting the dust before season's end seeing as though you have a board hell bent on success...

Personally think Appleton will prove a good appointment. I understand he is trying to introduce a different style of play and reports are they have played very well in certain games, Peterborough away in particular, with no reward. However, the dip in form has coincided with ours which has helped reduce the amount of stick I have to put up with which has been pretty relentless of last 3 years.

More concerned with our Manager to be honest and trying to remain optimistic but a lack of an obvious pattern of play after approaching two years in charge is a major worry!!

Quoted from Lincoln Mariner 56

Personally think Appleton will prove a good appointment. I understand he is trying to introduce a different style of play and reports are they have played very well in certain games, Peterborough away in particular, with no reward. However, the dip in form has coincided with ours which has helped reduce the amount of stick I have to put up with which has been pretty relentless of last 3 years.

More concerned with our Manager to be honest and trying to remain optimistic but a lack of an obvious pattern of play after approaching two years in charge is a major worry!!

Have to say I'm pleased you pointed that out as I keep taking pelters for saying Jolley hasn't impressed me in nearly 2 years and shows no signs of improvement to be honest
No one can say what we are about, be it long ball, counter attack, possession based or any other style..it always seems to be "suck it and see" every game under Jolley..

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Have to say I'm pleased you pointed that out as I keep taking pelters for saying Jolley hasn't impressed me in nearly 2 years and shows no signs of improvement to be honest
No one can say what we are about, be it long ball, counter attack, possession based or any other style..it always seems to be "suck it and see" every game under Jolley..

I have to admit I am a bit disappointed with MJ Jeff I thought given time he will be successful but as soon as we go on a run we start to have a losing streak.
Some of his tactics and team selections baffle me and if he does not learn quickly it will stay the same win a few lose a few.

Quoted from grimsby pete

I have to admit I am a bit disappointed with MJ Jeff I thought given time he will be successful but as soon as we go on a run we start to have a losing streak.
Some of his tactics and team selections baffle me and if he does not learn quickly it will stay the same win a few lose a few.

Pete, you and Swin took some crud for your disdain if the appointment, now I'm with you.
All the optimism that came with his appointment has gone and if you look at it in the cold light of day it was pure luck we stayed up in those 10 games...
Since then we've not improved, yes the squad has no doubt about that but the performances haven't, all in all I think he's probably a good coach but he's no Messiah and isn't a good manager...there, I've said it, MJ is not a good manager...

He's improved us quite significantly given the financial constraints he has to work within. You seem to be forgetting just how bad we were when he took over. Last season was a marginal improvement on the year before, and this year is looking like a similar level of improvement on last. Improving year on year is good management in any line of business.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

He's improved us quite significantly given the financial constraints he has to work within. You seem to be forgetting just how bad we were when he took over. Last season was a marginal improvement on the year before, and this year is looking like a similar level of improvement on last. Improving year on year is good management in any line of business.

Absolutely balls...we've not improved in our playing style at all, yes we were gash before he took over, even Stevie Wonder could see that, but to say he's improved us is gash... we're regressing back to Slade ball quicker than than the sinking of the Titanic..
I've said we have better squad, but until he sorts out our style of play and puts a stamp on it I'll carry on saying he's no more than an a wanna be professional footballer who didn't make it and thinks he can make it as a league football manager...

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

He's improved us quite significantly given the financial constraints he has to work within. You seem to be forgetting just how bad we were when he took over. Last season was a marginal improvement on the year before, and this year is looking like a similar level of improvement on last. Improving year on year is good management in any line of business.

I don't see that at all.

We are constantly rubbish, but not quite as rubbish as last time is not what I call progress.

I thought we may have turned a corner earlier in the season, but that has drifted off into the ether as always.

Despite several false starts we cannot seem to get a run going that will get the club rocking. If our progress is so slow as not to notice, what is the point?

The only plus point is that we are actually in the Football League, but we have got to start showing we want to improve our fourth tier cannon fodder tag asap before we start slipping backwards again.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I don't see that at all.

We are constantly rubbish, but not quite as rubbish as last time is not what I call progress.

I thought we may have turned a corner earlier in the season, but that has drifted off into the ether as always.

Despite several false starts we cannot seem to get a run going that will get the club rocking. If our progress is so slow as not to notice, what is the point?

The only plus point is that we are actually in the Football League, but we have got to start showing we want to improve our fourth tier cannon fodder tag asap before we start slipping backwards again.

With you completely Lew...

We were 15 without a win when he took over and looked like it, I think we've improved since then. Maybe not as much as we all wanted, but improved nonetheless.

I have been saying for two yrs that MJ  is not a manager  and is not learning from his mistakes. He is probably a very good coach of players but that is not what a proper manager does, its a whole different world. I would think that 70% of experienced managers struggle at times so MJ has no chance in the long run. Hanson is a very good winner of the ball especially in the air, but you need players round him to run on to flick ons etc. At the moment he wins the ball and has no options but to try hold on to it until maby one player gets near him 10 seconds too late

Quoted from Abdul19

We were 15 without a win when he took over and looked like it, I think we've improved since then. Maybe not as much as we all wanted, but improved nonetheless.

Though I don’t like getting dicked 4 - 0 at home to a team we should beat and his platitudes are beginning to grind my gears we where on the slide big style when MJ came in.

He does appear to have gone a bit quiet on “being accessible” though.

Looks like MJ is struggling really didn’t have him down as the falling out with crowd type , normally a good indicator of the path he’s on

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

I don't see that at all.

We are constantly rubbish, but not quite as rubbish as last time is not what I call progress.

I thought we may have turned a corner earlier in the season, but that has drifted off into the ether as always.

Despite several false starts we cannot seem to get a run going that will get the club rocking. If our progress is so slow as not to notice, what is the point?

The only plus point is that we are actually in the Football League, but we have got to start showing we want to improve our fourth tier cannon fodder tag asap before we start slipping backwards again.

Our record this year is W5 D4 L6 - hardly "constant rubbish" or "cannon fodder". It might not be the level of progress we would all love to see, but it is progress. Given he is also bringing through the young players and the club made a profit last year, I think he's doing a better job by a long way than what Slade was doing.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

Our record this year is W5 D4 L6 - hardly "constant rubbish" or "cannon fodder". It might not be the level of progress we would all love to see, but it is progress. Given he is also bringing through the young players and the club made a profit last year, I think he's doing a better job by a long way than what Slade was doing.

I accept at the end of the game the main judgement placed on a Manager and team is how many points did we get from the match, after that we will all have opinions on style, approach, commitment and the quality of individual players. However, I believe on a previous thread a poster was able to show that over the period of MJ’s tenure we took more points in the first 50% of matches as opposed to the second 50%, thus some of the perceived improvement is not factually correct.

I am a pretty patient fan and have not expected miracles and accept thatMJ was a novice, would make errors and had a lot to learn. Unfortunately, at present I am not witnessing any evidence in our performances to support the argument we are getting better. Like many the positive performances at the start of the season suggested he was going down a longer ball route but I am ok with this provided it’s done properly not half baked with a front three that play nowhere near each other with crosses made 30 yards or more from where they can cause the optimum problem for the opposition.

His after and pre- match interviews are as bland as PH and tell us nothing but that’s by the by in reality as I just want to go watch town and look forward to the experience and not like last week be more delighted when the game is actually postponed.

I would stick with MJ for the remainder of the season to see if the required progress and improvement can be achieved and to see if the a January transfer window can address some of the problems if not I would support a change.

Quoted from LH

Haha like that.

Quoted from Northbank Mariner

Must be a bit of kicker now though Helgy, seeing as Appleton's not really cutting the mustard...what's the chances of him biting the dust before season's end seeing as though you have a board hell bent on success...

The board have given him a long contract so I doubt he would be got rid of, its important to let him get in his players should see that at the next window.
We only have 3 in contract at the end of the season so I expect big changes in the summer. He's inherited an unbalanced squad but only because of the previous managers (LH) squad set up.

Quoted from Helgy

The board have given him a long contract so I doubt he would be got rid of, its important to let him get in his players should see that at the next window.
We only have 3 in contract at the end of the season so I expect big changes in the summer. He's inherited an unbalanced squad but only because of the previous managers (LH) squad set up.

Was Appleton the only applicant do you know Helgy?Though he’s have been dropping a level I thought you’d have gone for Adkins as he would have known how to keep your momentum going.

Quoted from Roast Em Bobby

Our record this year is W5 D4 L6 - hardly "constant rubbish" or "cannon fodder". It might not be the level of progress we would all love to see, but it is progress. Given he is also bringing through the young players and the club made a profit last year, I think he's doing a better job by a long way than what Slade was doing.

We were actually quite high in the table up to Christmas with Slade, until we dropped like a stone and I can only speculate, as is nearly always the case, that something went on "in the background"

Our sytle of play is not dissimilar to Slade, and we currently sit 18th in division 4, albeit with a game in hand. The manager is getting tetchy, the team is falling away - I wonder what the chances are that something has "gone on in the background"?

If you think that nearly 20 seasons in division 4, and in the lower reaches of it, together with 6 years in non-league is not constant rubbish then fair enough.

Quoted from HertsGTFC

Was Appleton the only applicant do you know Helgy?Though he’s have been dropping a level I thought you’d have gone for Adkins as he would have known how to keep your momentum going.

There were others but they were happy were they were ,Adkins was a good shout but Appleton is a good appointment and is his own man which I think is important.

Quoted from Helgy

The board have given him a long contract so I doubt he would be got rid of, its important to let him get in his players should see that at the next window.
We only have 3 in contract at the end of the season so I expect big changes in the summer. He's inherited an unbalanced squad but only because of the previous managers (LH) squad set up.

Our manager has got a longer contract it's never ending    ;D

Quoted from denni266

I have been saying for two yrs that MJ  is not a manager  and is not learning from his mistakes. He is probably a very good coach of players but that is not what a proper manager does, its a whole different world. I would think that 70% of experienced managers struggle at times so MJ has no chance in the long run. Hanson is a very good winner of the ball especially in the air, but you need players round him to run on to flick ons etc. At the moment he wins the ball and has no options but to try hold on to it until maby one player gets near him 10 seconds too late

To be honest I'd never heard of Jolley until he joined us last year.... credit to you for keeping tabs on him back then though and keeping everyone informed ;)

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

We were actually quite high in the table up to Christmas with Slade, until we dropped like a stone and I can only speculate, as is nearly always the case, that something went on "in the background"

Our sytle of play is not dissimilar to Slade, and we currently sit 18th in division 4, albeit with a game in hand. The manager is getting tetchy, the team is falling away - I wonder what the chances are that something has "gone on in the background"?

If you think that nearly 20 seasons in division 4, and in the lower reaches of it, together with 6 years in non-league is not constant rubbish then fair enough.

It's a good job you weren't born in to being a Rochdale suppporter Lew..... they spent nearly twice that length of time in the bottom division.

Quoted from FishOutOfWater

It's a good job you weren't born in to being a Rochdale suppporter Lew..... they spent nearly twice that length of time in the bottom division.

I'm spoiled  ;D

Some of us have seen better days, but those poor sods born in the last 20 years have had division 4 or non-league like it or lump it.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

We were actually quite high in the table up to Christmas with Slade, until we dropped like a stone and I can only speculate, as is nearly always the case, that something went on "in the background"

Our sytle of play is not dissimilar to Slade, and we currently sit 18th in division 4, albeit with a game in hand. The manager is getting tetchy, the team is falling away - I wonder what the chances are that something has "gone on in the background"?

If you think that nearly 20 seasons in division 4, and in the lower reaches of it, together with 6 years in non-league is not constant rubbish then fair enough.

On that long term view Lew, you could hardly blame Jolley then.

I’d like to see any manager do a better job with the limited budget Jolley and Limbo have had to play with . This is reflected in the totally inconsistent run of results we’ve had . Better players can consistently play to a higher level and go on promotion runs . That’s not a dig at our squad but a fair assessment of L2 on the whole . Just look at the results of each team over a 6 week period. Up and down on the whole . That’s why betting on L1 &2 is so difficult!
At the end of the day we as fans have to be realistic. Jolley said he’d need at least 3 windows. I’d say 6 tbh - he’s not going to say that tbf to him as it would make it look like he was making excuses for slow progress but he probably knew it . We don’t have the budget to instantly get success . It’s all about experienced additions matched with youth coming through.
Anyone calling for the managers head needs to have a think about where we are .

Quoted from KingstonMariner

On that long term view Lew, you could hardly blame Jolley then.

Jolley is just the latest in a long line of managers that have struggled. They struggle because the club is not set up right and never will until we get new owners.

Successful clubs are invariably well run, with a vision and passion for what they are trying to achieve. Sadly our managers have to try and make something out of not a lot and they all fail. Sad but true.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

Jolley is just the latest in a long line of managers that have struggled. They struggle because the club is not set up right and never will until we get new owners.

Successful clubs are invariably well run, with a vision and passion for what they are trying to achieve. Sadly our managers have to try and make something out of not a lot and they all fail. Sad but true.

I don’t disagree with the basic thought there Lew. I  really hope Jolley will push us forward enough to break the trend. I fear that even if we did get promoted it’d just be a matter of time before we fell back.

In the absence of any magic wand/Grimsby Jack Walker appearing, I’m clutching at straws like recent improvements in signs coming out of the Politburo.

Quoted from KingstonMariner

In the absence of any magic wand/Grimsby Jack Walker appearing, I’m clutching at straws like recent improvements in signs coming out of the Politburo.

JF was our kind of Jack Walker when he came in, shored the club up and injected finances for our survival.  Major differences being Jack Walker had more money, didnt want it back and when he passed on left even more money to the club. ...whereas our version "lent" the money and has had enough and wants the money back.
The only other loaded local who wanted in had his pants dropped in public by the current regime , left as a result and then his shares were given away to the people who he had fallen out with.
There arent many loaded people with local connections, their names get trotted out every now again and with the latest Shutes interest there were murmers his connections to David Ross might be behind it all, but with virtually no communications in a month or two then that seems to have fallen totally flat now.
Forget the sugar daddy route, stable club, running on its means and building bridges locally is the best case scenario we have right now, Jolley is certainly bringing the youth into the first team, the Acadamy seems to be on a little roll in bringing players through so ride on them for a season, sell one on, raise another one...etc etc.  

Look at Scunny, prior to last season it could be said they were a well run club, punching above their weight. Now it's going a bit t@@ts up its starting to come out how much money was actually pumped into them for that success. I'm afraid for our level it's always a rollercoaster, 2/3 seasons on the up then 2/3 seasons of struggle, so I think so long as we are patient a winning formula will be found and once again we will have some fortune before once again falling back to good old division 4.

Quoted from Gaffer58

Look at Scunny, prior to last season it could be said they were a well run club, punching above their weight. Now it's going a bit t@@ts up its starting to come out how much money was actually pumped into them for that success. I'm afraid for our level it's always a rollercoaster, 2/3 seasons on the up then 2/3 seasons of struggle, so I think so long as we are patient a winning formula will be found and once again we will have some fortune before once again falling back to good old division 4.

How long would you like us to be patient for? Any (nearly) 20 year old has never seen us above division 4. Even if they did see it they were too young to remember it.

Where are the 2/3 seasons on the up? We have decent crowds, why haven't we done better? At least Scunthorpe had some success, and being a better run club will get further success when it does come quicker than in 20 years.

Quoted from lew chaterleys lover

How long would you like us to be patient for? Any (nearly) 20 year old has never seen us above division 4. Even if they did see it they were too young to remember it.

Where are the 2/3 seasons on the up? We have decent crowds, why haven't we done better? At least Scunthorpe had some success, and being a better run club will get further success when it does come quicker than in 20 years.

Scunny’s owner was pouring in millions though. If they can’t cut their cloth according to their means they could go the same way as Bury when Mrs Wilco’ husband pulls the rug.

To be clear I am not saying be grateful for JSF’s stewardship.