[The Earl of Chesterfield]

Bonnyman, on 04 March 2025 - 10:03 PM, said:

At the end of the day Chris the manager is a coach, he needs to look at grimes inefficiencies and concentrate at what he is good at , no good trying to make him like John stones ( who is ****) because he has not got it in the locker

Widely reported that Grimes felt he'd improved as a player under Cook.

Again, that partnership was second or third choice last season - and for good reason. But now it's all we're left with...

[jack bauer]

early in the season we were held to home draws with swindon, colchester and cheltenham, all games we should have won, we have then gone to each and lost 1-0, salford next tuesday are another who stole a point from our place, time to kill that trend.

[Mr Mercury]

CFC91, on 04 March 2025 - 10:02 PM, said:

I can?t believe I?ve travelled all the way down here to watch that. Absolutely pathetic from start to finish

Owners, management, players, none of them are exempt from criticism at all, and all responsible for the absolute shower we?ve turned out since mid December.

The recruitment has been truly shambolic, that 11 tonight, I really struggle to find many o think are good enough, despite our player turnover. The ?we get more right than we get wrong? mantra is all well and good but we?re sleep walking into an absolute car crash of a second half of the season, and we?re in danger of losing all the momentum and feel good we?ve had around the club and town.

Cook clearly doesn?t know who to play anymore, Mandy LW, Hobson in after not even being registered, Drummond registered then bombed, DH starting then completely bombed out the team. Feels so scatter gun and all over the place, like we are just hoping something comes together more out of luck than judgement. Shocking all round from everyone involved, pretty much since Carlisle away.

Coming from someone who travels all over, and is more than entitled to his opinion, that?s pretty condemning, and there?s nothing there I disagree with tbh.

[Misnomer]

The Earl of Chesterfield, on 04 March 2025 - 10:06 PM, said:

Promotion's the target at every club.

But then circumstances dictate otherwise in most cases.

In ours' the kinda injuries which make you question if the Club's cursed, the recall of one of our best players and being offered a daft deal we just couldn't turn down.

We were favourites because of Paul Cook. It's now as ridiculous to see folk calling him out as it is to expect him to get every signing and decision right...

Differences aside, promotion isn't the target at every club, it depends on the club's circumstances. The target for the smaller budget clubs will always be survival; anything achieved above that is a bonus. Of course, you can dream but, the likelihood of Harrogate, Morecambe or Bromley gaining promotion was never going to be a realistic target for their respective boards. Bromley are doing brilliant and credited to them. However, Harrogate had that first season bounce; now they're finding their natural position, I expect Bromley to go the same way next season, as their better players get picked off and recruitment becomes all the more difficult.

[Fact Checker]

So people are honestly saying consolidation is a failure this season?

Sorry lads and lasses, but I strongly disagree. Cook will have been set targets by the board at the start of the season, just as I set my teams. A budget target (consolidation/top 10 finish) and a stretch target (promotion).

Consolidation isn?t failure.

However, I would like to add that I do really feel for those who travelled tonight. It wasn?t an acceptable performance at all - but calling for Cook?s head is farcical.

[warfey is a spireite]

The happy clappers aren't even clapping anymore,,urine poor loans apart from sparkles,urine poor defence,urine poor attack,my cat can attack better

[azul]

CFC91, on 04 March 2025 - 10:02 PM, said:

I can?t believe I?ve travelled all the way down here to watch that. Absolutely pathetic from start to finish

Owners, management, players, none of them are exempt from criticism at all, and all responsible for the absolute shower we?ve turned out since mid December.

The recruitment has been truly shambolic, that 11 tonight, I really struggle to find many o think are good enough, despite our player turnover. The ?we get more right than we get wrong? mantra is all well and good but we?re sleep walking into an absolute car crash of a second half of the season, and we?re in danger of losing all the momentum and feel good we?ve had around the club and town.

Cook clearly doesn?t know who to play anymore, Mandy LW, Hobson in after not even being registered, Drummond registered then bombed, DH starting then completely bombed out the team. Feels so scatter gun and all over the place, like we are just hoping something comes together more out of luck than judgement. Shocking all round from everyone involved, pretty much since Carlisle away.

The defence can't be helped, it is what it is, but...

We have completely lost our way in all departments.

[Blue5]

CFC91, on 04 March 2025 - 10:07 PM, said:

There?s a few who know the writings on the wall with regards to their future, which probably isn?t helping things either

Safe journey back.

[Misnomer]

Fact Checker, on 04 March 2025 - 10:14 PM, said:

So people are honestly saying consolidation is a failure this season?

Sorry lads and lasses, but I strongly disagree. Cook will have been set targets by the board at the start of the season, just as I set my teams. A budget target (consolidation/top 10 finish) and a stretch target (promotion).

Consolidation isn?t failure.

However, I would like to add that I do really feel for those who travelled tonight. It wasn?t an acceptable performance at all - but calling for Cook?s head is farcical.

No, mate; not one person wrote that, you've literally just changed the narrative. Nobody has said consolidation is viewed as failure.

[spireitetoo]

Fact Checker, on 04 March 2025 - 10:14 PM, said:

So people are honestly saying consolidation is a failure this season?

Sorry lads and lasses, but I strongly disagree. Cook will have been set targets by the board at the start of the season, just as I set my teams. A budget target (consolidation/top 10 finish) and a stretch target (promotion).

Consolidation isn?t failure.

However, I would like to add that I do really feel for those who travelled tonight. It wasn?t an acceptable performance at all - but calling for Cook?s head is farcical.

I very much doubt a bottom 10 finish was even thought of, season ticket sales could be seriously impacted unless we find a run of form soon, yes a midtable finish would be acceptable. Anything lower than we are now isn't...

[MrTall]

.

This post has been edited by MrTall: 04 March 2025 - 10:21 PM

[CFC91]

Mr Mercury, on 04 March 2025 - 10:13 PM, said:

Coming from someone who travels all over, and is more than entitled to his opinion, that?s pretty condemning, and there?s nothing there I disagree with tbh.

I just think we?ve clocked out too early this season, written it off, and started to look towards next season, which is all well and good in some sense but 3/4 months of this can do more harm than good.
They can?t underestimate how easy it is to lose the momentum and feel good we have, and it would be a massive shame to not capitalise on this once in a generation bounce in support we?ve had.
If we are looking towards next season, we can do that with one eye on this one (we still probably need to win 1/2 more games atleast anyway).
Off the field we definitely need a reshuffle, I expect some of our backroom staff to depart, and feel we need a shake up in the recruitment department to follow the one we have started to do on the medical side of things.

[MrTall]

Misnomer, on 04 March 2025 - 10:19 PM, said:

No, mate; not one person wrote that, you've literally just changed the narrative. Nobody has said consolidation is viewed as failure.

And only one person has suggested Cook 'move upstairs'.

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

CFC91, on 04 March 2025 - 10:07 PM, said:

There?s a few who know the writings on the wall with regards to their future, which probably isn?t helping things either

Said as much as HT.

Folk can talk about being professional and earning contracts but motivation's a key part of the game.

We're for the most part populated by loanees and lads who know they'd be nowhere near the team under normal circumstances.

Again, we're in a deep rut. For reasons we're all aware. It happens. We need a win from somewhere, somehow, to restore spirit on and off the field...

[OneDecentLester]

We are looking a very poor team right now aren?t we. So, so one dimensional it?s untrue. It?s all so passive & slow, I feel like we rarely ever put opposition teams under any kind of pressure to defend their box.

We can sit here and blame the injuries all day long, but unfortunately, the manager has to take a fair amount of criticism for seemingly not having the ability to adapt our play style and get the best out of what is available to us. We are still trying to play the same we would be with all our best players available, but those available are unfortunately not good enough to do it. We have to adapt ffs, just seem so far off it tactically atm. 1 corner & 0 shots on target all game is criminal.

This post has been edited by OneDecentLester: 04 March 2025 - 10:26 PM

[CFC91]

The Earl of Chesterfield, on 04 March 2025 - 10:23 PM, said:

Said as much as HT.

Folk can talk about being professional and earning contracts but motivation's a key part of the game.

We're for the most part populated by loanees and lads who know they'd be nowhere near the team under normal circumstances.

Again, we're in a deep rut. For reasons we're all aware. It happens. We need a win from somewhere, somehow, to restore spirit on and off the field...

I?ve heard of these conversations already happening, then players involved then being chucked into the starting eleven the week after. You?d like to think they?d remain professional but can also see how they might clock out.

Definitely know one or two influential players enquiring about additional years to their contract to be told it?s not on the table at the moment. Another one of which has his agent touting around interest in his client already as well. Just feels like a mess we could have avoided alongside everything else

This post has been edited by CFC91: 04 March 2025 - 10:26 PM

[60s 70s Spireite]

Fact Checker, on 04 March 2025 - 10:14 PM, said:

So people are honestly saying consolidation is a failure this season?

Sorry lads and lasses, but I strongly disagree. Cook will have been set targets by the board at the start of the season, just as I set my teams. A budget target (consolidation/top 10 finish) and a stretch target (promotion).

Consolidation isn?t failure.

However, I would like to add that I do really feel for those who travelled tonight. It wasn?t an acceptable performance at all - but calling for Cook?s head is farcical.

Define consolidation. Top 20 finish?

[Misnomer]

CFC91, on 04 March 2025 - 10:25 PM, said:

I?ve heard of these conversations already happening, then players involved then being chucked into the starting eleven the week after. You?d like to think they?d remain professional but can also see how they might clock out.

Definitely know one or two influential players enquiring about additional years to their contract to be told it?s not on the table at the moment. Another one of which has his agent touting around interest in his client already as well. Just feels like a mess we could have avoided alongside everything else

With 13 games left to go. It's a very messy situation.

[Fact Checker]

Misnomer, on 04 March 2025 - 10:19 PM, said:

No, mate; not one person wrote that, you've literally just changed the narrative. Nobody has said consolidation is viewed as failure.

I disagree. Perhaps I?m thinking too corporately, but if any division of mine misses their target then it?s a failure. I do not see consolidation as failure at all.

[azul]

CFC91, on 04 March 2025 - 10:25 PM, said:

I?ve heard of these conversations already happening, then players involved then being chucked into the starting eleven the week after. You?d like to think they?d remain professional but can also see how they might clock out.

Definitely know one or two influential players enquiring about additional years to their contract to be told it?s not on the table at the moment. Another one of which has his agent touting around interest in his client already as well. Just feels like a mess we could have avoided alongside everything else

I'd have thought they would be desperate to earn a contract elsewhere and not end up back in the National League but perhaps I'm old fashioned

Your second para. I have no idea how true that is but it makes me queasy. What is the alternative? Divvy out extensions to players who are letting you down week in week out. If I was his prospective employer that attitude would worry me.