New Year New Era

Quoted from GrimRob

Interview very positive, compared to the chaos that preceeded it. A breath of fresh air.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sounds/play/p092t5wc

Without over egging it he shows he gets it. Understands the challenge but we can get out of the pit. He knows what’s wrong and what we need. I feel quietly confident. Usual Hurst, slowly slowly catch-ye monkey. But as others have said he seems a bit more relaxed than before.

Some of the relaxed feeling is probably because he is new to the job and not under any pressure at the moment.

Great to see him acknowledge our problems. "Without criticising anyone" and then basically went on to criticise Runaway.

Sounds like we are a mess off the pitch. Diplomatic in his response about the scout Runaway brought in so I suggest he will be shown the door before long.

"I spoke to Ben and he does a lot of jobs"

We have a part-time analyst at the moment but Hurst will be making that a full-time role at the club.

Runaway was part of the board. How much of this mess is his own doing?

Also looks like Macca was being shipped out on loan in January. Hurst sees Russell as a coach and will need to deal with that. Certainly sounds like there is more than meets the eye with that one.

Has a massive job on his hands, I can't think of a previous Manager coming to the club with the side in such a perilous (as he calls it) state.  The Situation seems a lot worse than when Jolley came in. Fans are upbeat due to the buyout, but it remains a distinct possibility that we will be relegated.

Its the worst squad/side in my 50 years as a supporter, sub-standard, and not even close to being something that could be deemed professional.  This is of course not his fault, and blame lies firmly with the previous manager, who should have been sacked after Dagenham.

Im sure he will improve the squad, but its a major overhaul thats needed, not just the sacking off of every Holloway player in the squad, but improving it and quickly, he has no time.

I would not be the least surprised if we are relegated,

It's not the worst side we've had. They all try at least, unlike the useless bags of skin masquerading as footballers we had under Newell.

Unlike that side, this one could be vastly improved with 3 or 4 players in key areas. I think relegation is far from a given at the moment.

Quoted from ginnywings

It's not the worst side we've had. They all try at least, unlike the useless bags of skin masquerading as footballers we had under Newell.

Unlike that side, this one could be vastly improved with 3 or 4 players in key areas. I think relegation is far from a given at the moment.

Think the side that lost 5-0 to Braintree must be close to our worse ever team

I’m not going to argue that this squad does not contain a lot of mediocre players but there is within this group a strong core, Macca, Hendrie, Waterfall, Pollock. Hewitt, Rose & Morais, supported with what I would describe as squad players to include the likes of Wright, Clifton, Preston, Gibson, Jackson Jnr & Scannell.

I heard Hurst say there is currently space for 4 players but hopefully this will be extended with others leaving, however, should we sign as a minimum 4 quality players that would make a significant difference. The one factor we have not been able to utilise this season, because of our erratic form, is confidence. It should not be underestimated the difference confidence makes not only to the better players but also those on the fringes who come in to cover suspensions and injuries.

Why I’m pleased to get Hurst back, given our position, is the knowledge will be in doubt what system they are playing and what their role is. Draw a couple win a couple using his tactics and that confidence comes flooding into the team and maybe players who have looked average thus far will show they can provide much more.

Maybe this is me just being hopeful but we’ve seen many other teams change completely once that confidence arrives most recently at Southend so let’s hope it’s our turn shortly and by the end of this month we are starting to share that confidence.

We don't need a massive upturn in form to get ourselves safe. To get to 50 points and probable safety, we need to be taking 1.2 points per game from now on. That equates to 4 wins from the next ten games, then same again from the following ten, and a couple from the final five. We are currently averaging slightly shy of 1 point per game.

If any wins come in six pointers with the teams around us then all the better. We have a run of such games coming up, but unfortunately we may be tackling them without the benefit of new players coming into the squad just yet, as Hurst needs time to assess and recruit

There are a lot of mediocre sides in this division and I think with the addition of 5 or 6 astute signings, our fortunes will have an upturn. Think it will take most of the window to achieve the necessary changes, but I trust Hurst with the task at hand.

Quoted from ginnywings

It's not the worst side we've had. They all try at least, unlike the useless bags of skin masquerading as footballers we had under Newell.

Unlike that side, this one could be vastly improved with 3 or 4 players in key areas. I think relegation is far from a given at the moment.

if there is a bigger excuse ever its that they try...they are excrement, shitter and excrement.  Players i genuinely hate, all down to scumbag Holloway. If only that illegitimate was sacked when he should have been,

Quoted from ginnywings

It's not the worst side we've had. They all try at least, unlike the useless bags of skin masquerading as footballers we had under Newell.

Unlike that side, this one could be vastly improved with 3 or 4 players in key areas. I think relegation is far from a given at the moment.

Agree to a point, but don't think Tilley, Williams and Green put much effort in the other day.

Quoted from IlkleyMariner

Think the side that lost 5-0 to Braintree must be close to our worse ever team

As shocking a result as that was, the starting 11 that day included McKeown, Pearson, Disley and Hearn, so I’m not having that. I recall the likes of Pearson and Hearn finding it particularly tough making the step up to the Conference, but never looked back once they got going.

It’s difficult to make an assessment on the current crop as there are so many of them and ‘the team’ has changed so much from game to game. However, I’d take a look at the lineups from our defeats to Bath in 2009 and Chasetown in 2011 and see how many players you’d want to bring into what we’ve got now.

I’m also of the opinion that what we have is salvageable. We have a back 5 that is easily capable of playing in League Two. I am confident that Hurst will bring some structure and rigidity to our game and that, along with some basic improvements in terms of personnel should be sufficient to keep us up. The bar is very low - even minor progress should keep us above it.