[Aspire_webby]

h again, on Jul 15 2007, 05:05 PM, said:

Look on the bright side. We once got Sammy Clingan back at a much later stage than this. I seem to remember we had trouble fitting him in because Mark Allott was playing so well though. Happy days - but nobody thought so at the time.

Truly happy days!

Reality check: Clingan joined Forest on 23 Jan 2006. We haven't added significantly to our central midfield (in terms of a signing - not a loan) since. We have howeevr, lost Mark Allott from an area where there was so little cover last season that we resorted to playing a full back and a centre half there during the season. We are 26 days away from kick off at Chester. There is an ongoing, long-term problem with our midfield that has been papered over with 3 loan players over the past 2 seasons, has led to relegation (regardless of the commonly held view that strikers was the problem last season) and is now a crisis - in my humble opinion!


PS Niven signed in December 2003 a few months after Hudson. Since then?

[Willspireite]

spireiteblue, on Jul 16 2007, 11:52 AM, said:

We replaced Folan after we was relegated,this is a fact Will,if we do not sort out our midfield asap,i don't think any of our players,Niven apart,are good enough to be thrown straight in at the deep end,not even at league two level.

This is where the Conference comes into the equation,if we don't sort the midfield out,then the Conference will be a good possibility,if and when we have a full squad of players to compete at this level,then i will stop mentioning the Conference,not until,as we stand the 'end is nigh',your words Will not mine

Ha ha ... will have to get ya a sandwich board blue!!! Give you a flat cap and you could stand outside Saltergate on match days handing out flyers ... "Turn from Saltergate" ... "Doom is imminent" ... ha ha!!

Was merely saying Folan as been replaced, and then some ... compared to last years line of Folan, Chief, Larkin, Shaw ... we now have Ward, Lester, Fletcher (Shaw and Chief too) ... that, in my opinion, is a HUGE improvement.

I agree midield needs sorted still ... and would be concerned if we don't address that area before the season kicks off ... having said that, with Rico having played midfield at a good level, I'd guess he'd know who can do what ... just like Roy could pick a good centre back, I'm gonna believe that Rico will be able to create a good midfield!! I think we'll have a couple more signings soon, then maybe you can put down the sandwich board, put on the robes and start singing "Oh happy day" instead!!

This post has been edited by Willspireite: 16 July 2007 - 11:34 AM

[Spireite61]

spireiteblue, on Jul 16 2007, 11:52 AM, said:

We replaced Folan after we was relegated,this is a fact Will,if we do not sort out our midfield asap,i don't think any of our players,Niven apart,are good enough to be thrown straight in at the deep end,not even at league two level.

This is where the Conference comes into the equation,if we don't sort the midfield out,then the Conference will be a good possibility,if and when we have a full squad of players to compete at this level,then i will stop mentioning the Conference,not until,as we stand the 'end is nigh',your words Will not mine

I'm sure that the likes of Oxford etc didn't think it likely they would ever be relegated to the Conference either (and I'm betting they went into their relegation season with a bigger squad then we are going to).

No matter what league you are in getting out of it the right way is always going to be difficult, even with good players in all positions - to contemplate attempting it with players in unfamiliar positions from the start is madness in my opinion, so here's hoping that we get at least the 2 players Richardson has mentioned.

[Bugerov]

Spireite61, on Jul 16 2007, 12:59 PM, said:

I'm sure that the likes of Oxford etc didn't think it likely they would ever be relegated to the Conference either (and I'm betting they went into their relegation season with a bigger squad then we are going to).

No matter what league you are in getting out of it the right way is always going to be difficult, even with good players in all positions - to contemplate attempting it with players in unfamiliar positions from the start is madness in my opinion, so here's hoping that we get at least the 2 players Richardson has mentioned.

....and soon

[Wooden Spoon]

Willspireite, on Jul 16 2007, 11:31 AM, said:

Are we likely to be auto promotion candidates given the current squad ... prob not.
Are we likely to be in play off's ... possible.
Are we likely to be in top half of table ... yes.
I think we'll bring in a couple more players and we'll be in the play off's ... that's my prediction.

As for Conference ... where do folks bring that idea from? Have a look at the squads of other teams, look at the players we have compared to theirs ... we do not have a squad that looks like it'll get relegated, far from it. I understand some folks are fearful that we may not be as successful as we all want CFC to be ... but relegation from League Two, whilst a possibility for every team at the start of the year, is highly unlikley when you look at the stats and squads.

some clubs have had succesive relegations, torquay and cambridge to name 2, and oxford utd im sure never expected to be in the conference. Stockport flirted with it for 3 seasons following relegation, so it does happen.

[Wooden Spoon]

Spireite61, on Jul 16 2007, 12:59 PM, said:

I'm sure that the likes of Oxford etc didn't think it likely they would ever be relegated to the Conference either (and I'm betting they went into their relegation season with a bigger squad then we are going to).

No matter what league you are in getting out of it the right way is always going to be difficult, even with good players in all positions - to contemplate attempting it with players in unfamiliar positions from the start is madness in my opinion, so here's hoping that we get at least the 2 players Richardson has mentioned.

we are not so bad though. sure we would all like another player or three, but our midfield could start with robertson niven davies and lowry. it could be better, but it could also be much worse.

[Bugerov]

death, on Jul 16 2007, 01:29 PM, said:

we are not so bad though. sure we would all like another player or three, but our midfield could start with robertson niven davies and lowry. it could be better, but it could also be much worse.

Robertson we k now zilch about, Davies is no great shakes and Lowry has yet to have a run of games to prove himself. It could be one of the worst midfields in the division, we really don't know

[Willspireite]

death, on Jul 16 2007, 01:10 PM, said:

some clubs have had succesive relegations, torquay and cambridge to name 2, and oxford utd im sure never expected to be in the conference. Stockport flirted with it for 3 seasons following relegation, so it does happen.

I appreciate it has happened, but at each one of those clubs were there not major transfer exits, with little coming in, and they ended up relying on young kids to pull them through? I remember at Torquay it was more than just the squad going pear shaped, everything seemed a mess! I'm not sayin it doesn't happen, but we are in a much healthier position than the clubs you mention were in, as far as I'm aware. Could be wrong, if so apologies! I'm not saying it can't happen, just that structure wise, even squad wise, we aren't relegation candidates ... maybe the wheels will come off and Conference football is ahead ... but I'd imagine it'd take a huge disaster now to make that happen.

[Balearic Mac]

Willspireite, on Jul 16 2007, 01:54 PM, said:

....structure wise, even squad wise, we aren't relegation candidates....

How's about we defer a judgement on our credentials until the season actually kicks off? Whilst I'm seriously worried about our chances as things stand, we don't know how we're going to fare. I just hope the seriously disproportionate spending on the club's background set-up starts paying instant dividends..

[Willspireite]

Balearic Mac, on Jul 16 2007, 02:15 PM, said:

How's about we defer a judgement on our credentials until the season actually kicks off? Whilst I'm seriously worried about our chances as things stand, we don't know how we're going to fare. I just hope the seriously disproportionate spending on the club's background set-up starts paying instant dividends..

I agree BM ... all I'm trying to do is balance up the debate, as it seems to be that it's ok to talk of relegation, disasters, failure ... yet irresponisble/naive/childish to talk about decent prospects, or to voice any suggeston that maybe things aren't as bad as many seem to fear.

The only time we'll know if things are going to be successful is when the real action starts.

[philmoore6]

death, on Jul 16 2007, 01:29 PM, said:

we are not so bad though. sure we would all like another player or three, but our midfield could start with robertson niven davies and lowry. it could be better, but it could also be much worse.

i am sorry i am not one of the doom brigade

but i fail to see where you can quote lowry as part of our midfield, up to present i dont think he has played more than 6 full games has he. what games he has played were in defence.

while i fully agree he definitely appears to have dont you think you putting to much pressure on the young lad, lets give him chance to blossom and prove us right.

some people on this message board are already selling him for a million?

[philmoore6]

death, on Jul 16 2007, 01:29 PM, said:

we are not so bad though. sure we would all like another player or three, but our midfield could start with robertson niven davies and lowry. it could be better, but it could also be much worse.

i am sorry i am not one of the doom brigade

but i fail to see where you can quote lowry as part of our midfield, up to present i dont think he has played more than 6 full games has he. what games he has played were in defence.

while i fully agree he definitely appears to have potential but dont you think you putting to much pressure on the young lad, lets give him chance to blossom and prove us right.

some people on this message board are already selling him for a million?

[Willspireite]

For the likes of Torquay, Cambridge United and Oxford the general feeling from their supporters is that it was financial mismanagement that led to their downfalls ... esp with Oxford and Cambridge ... the chairman not being prepared to put money in, in much the same way as at Field Mill.
Whilst being aware that many will suggest we're in a similar place, I think that there are distinct differences between those clubs and ourselves. It's easy to cite other clubs who've fallen out of the league, but if you compare the scenarios they were in with ours ... there are numerous positives in favour of us NOT doing the same.

[Eddie63]

I have posted many times how much I dont like the loan system its a bit like taking drugs I think you become dependent on them if you take to many.we have been able to see some good players in the last few seasons but how does it feel when we have to let them go back?How does it feel when we cant afford them any more?worse still what about when you get a bad one or two ? lets save some money and grow our own and develope some good young players instead of scrounging about and beggin of every body else. lol. lol

[Aspire_webby]

philmoore6, on Jul 16 2007, 02:41 PM, said:

i am sorry i am not one of the doom brigade

but i fail to see where you can quote lowry as part of our midfield, up to present i dont think he has played more than 6 full games has he. what games he has played were in defence.

while i fully agree he definitely appears to have potential but dont you think you putting to much pressure on the young lad, lets give him chance to blossom and prove us right.

some people on this message board are already selling him for a million?

I agree. He did not have a good game in a more advanced position at Northampton and I'd hate to see his talent squandered through expediency. Sits Vac: Second Division Association Football team require midfield players - experience a distinct advantage

[Bugerov]

Aspire_webby, on Jul 17 2007, 01:21 PM, said:

I agree. He did not have a good game in a more advanced position at Northampton and I'd hate to see his talent squandered through expediency. Sits Vac: Second Division Association Football team require midfield players - experience a distinct advantage

This club has no age discrimination, ad should state that players aged 35 years and over are very welcome

[Aspire_webby]

latewinner, on Jul 17 2007, 01:36 PM, said:

This club has no age discrimination, ad should state that players aged 35 years and over are very welcome

So if a player's CV says they have played in "Black and White" we shouldn't assume they have played for Newcastle or Notts County in the past then? Could just be an early appearance on Match of the Day.