[60s 70s Spireite]

Fact Checker, on 04 March 2025 - 10:32 PM, said:

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.

You havent given your definition of consolation.
I will offer one. A decent finishing position (top 10) and, where we have a major fail, a core of cracking players ready to go next season.

[Spireiteboy155]

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?d say being 10 points behind a team who we finished about 15 points in front of last season, with a bigger budget than them, if more than disappointing.

Yes, it?s not a disaster, but this has turned from a promising season into a hugely disappointing one.

I?m not advocating for Cook to go, but his position must surely be stating to be considered.
Any decent board should start to look at any manager who has the stats and performances that we?ve had over the past 12 games.

[Exharboroughspireite]

I sound like a broken record but recruitment January has been absolutely appalling. The quality of squad is absolutely shocking and it worries me greatly about the new ?scouts? that have recently emerged?.

The Kirk?s certainly need to rein in the fixation of giving players one last chance in the injury saloon.

This post has been edited by Exharboroughspireite: 04 March 2025 - 10:39 PM

[Westbars 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.

It doesn't really matter what you think. Finishing outside the play-offs will rightly be treated as failure by the board and management of the team.

[Blue5]

Exharboroughspireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:37 PM, said:

I sound like a broken record but recruitment January has been absolutely appalling. The quality of squad is absolutely shocking and it worries me greatly about the new ?scouts? that have recently emerged?.

Which new scouts?

[azul]

Exharboroughspireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:37 PM, said:

I sound like a broken record but recruitment January has been absolutely appalling. The quality of squad is absolutely shocking and it worries me greatly about the new ?scouts? that have recently emerged?.

But some people love our Jan signings? The ones that are still playing that is?

[Fact Checker]

60s 70s Spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:35 PM, said:

You havent given your definition of consolation.
I will offer one. A decent finishing position (top 10) and, where we have a major fail, a core of cracking players ready to go next season.

I?d say mid-table is consolidation. I agree about the core of key players being a concern, however I?m also excited by the fact that we have a fresh start for next season without carrying any NL standard players in the squad. That is a great position to be in.

[Tha Knows...]

Westbars Spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:39 PM, said:

It doesn't really matter what you think. Finishing outside the play-offs will rightly be treated as failure by the board and management of the team.

And by fans including me!

[Misnomer]

Westbars Spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:39 PM, said:

It doesn't really matter what you think. Finishing outside the play-offs will rightly be treated as failure by the board and management of the team.

Exactly, and that's why I asked him, who'd told him that the club's target was consolidation this season - no response.

[Fact Checker]

Spireiteboy155, on 04 March 2025 - 10:36 PM, said:

I?d say being 10 points behind a team who we finished about 15 points in front of last season, with a bigger budget than them, if more than disappointing.

Yes, it?s not a disaster, but this has turned from a promising season into a hugely disappointing one.

I?m not advocating for Cook to go, but his position must surely be stating to be considered.
Any decent board should start to look at any manager who has the stats and performances that we?ve had over the past 12 games.

That same manager who romped us to NL victory last season? You believe his position should be considered?

It?s insane guys, listen to yourselves.

[HaslandBlue58]

SpireRam, on 04 March 2025 - 09:06 PM, said:

Without going full Gordon, I am genuinely worried about where we could end up this season. Can?t see where the next goal is coming from Nevermind a chuffing win.

With how we are performing I doubt you are alone in that thinking.

[CFC91]

Westbars Spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:39 PM, said:

It doesn't really matter what you think. Finishing outside the play-offs will rightly be treated as failure by the board and management of the team.

I?d have probably taken finishing 10th-15th but I don?t even see that happening now, and with the levels of investment we?ve had and the turnover in players, people will rightly be wanting to know why it?s gone so sterile

[The Earl of Chesterfield]

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

Funny, in't it.

Folk complained when players were rewarded with the stability of new deals last season.

Yet now the Club adopt a more guarded approach it contributes to poor form.

We're clearly undergoing a transitory phase. As said Cook offered the non league lads an opportunity to prove themselves at a higher level, an opportunity too far for most. And unlike Wrexham and Stockport we couldn't spend big in January, largely relying on loans instead. So it'll be a busy summer, with probably two thirds of the squad being turned over.

I'd go for it Sat'di. A four-one-four-one high press with attack the best form of defence. There'll still be seven-plus thousand in the spring sunshine and that elusive win I keep on about will put these last few weeks into perspective...

[Cartman]

What a terrible game of football that was, 0-0 would have been fair, sadly we switched off again and conceded

However, Grimes was probably not supposed to play much this year, same for a few others

Obviously a decent finish towards the play offs would have been the aim this season, but I?m with the injuries we have had and the need to panic buy in January and then more injuries then consolidation and staying in the division is a positive with a view to being towards the top next season

[DPCFC]

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

Is it possible there?s some ill feeling behind the scenes? Just speculating but Cook has said (I?m 99% sure) about the importance of having good people at the club. Could it be, those who know their days are numbered are pulling the others down? Just a theory.

[60s 70s Spireite]

60s 70s Spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:35 PM, said:

You havent given your definition of consolation.
I will offer one. A decent finishing position (top 10) and, where we have a major fail, a core of cracking players ready to go next season.

Edit
Consolidation . Predictive text fail

[Cartman]

60s 70s Spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:46 PM, said:

Edit
Consolidation . Predictive text fail

To me, consolidation means not going back down to that hell hole of a division we?ve been in for the past 6 seasons!

[azul]

Westbars Spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 10:39 PM, said:

It doesn't really matter what you think. Finishing outside the play-offs will rightly be treated as failure by the board and management of the team.

This rewriting of history is painful.

Just look at the stuff on here preseason and in the first 12 games. Then look at all the pronouncements by the Kirks which they definitely backed up by their actions in the jan window. You wouldn't be ploughing money into loans if all you were after was consolidation.

Expect 'consolidation is what we were always after' to 'avoiding relegation was always the aim' by some if this run continues.

What is so wrong with admitting we have underachieved, especially when it is against a backdrop of injury upon injury .

[Bluekent]

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

How do you avoid it tho if management genuinely don?t see those players as part of their future plans? Who are these influential players btw? This season is clearly not going the way some supporters wanted , I?d have loved a crack at the playoffs/automatics but would have been happy with staying in touch with them , giving us something to shout about right until the end of the season but it?s clear that?s not going to happen now but I?ve had a feeling for a while now it?s been accepted at management level that it?s just not doable and we were just going to ride it out , take some stick and have a massive rebuild in the summer. I?m not saying it?s acceptable btw ,fans are losing patience , I don?t agree with calls for changes in the backroom , I don?t think it?s that extreme but you do need some momentum ,crowds have been fantastic but it doesn?t take much for those extra fans to stop coming , we even lost some of that good feeling/momentum at the end of last season when players seemed to be on the beach before the trophy was even lifted. It?s a weird time at the minute , injuries have killed us no doubt but we?ve never really got going at all , we?ve never put any sort of run together even before the injury crisis. It sort of feels like the Club weren?t too keen on going up this season. Maybe there was something in what ash said on here about contract extensions for players if we went up. 🤷🏽‍♂️

This post has been edited by Bluekent: 04 March 2025 - 11:06 PM

[calvin plummers socks]

warfey is a spireite, on 04 March 2025 - 09:47 PM, said:

Every fan who went to Colchester won't get home 2am,ought to be reimbursed ,this side is garbage ,and why is Roberts taking team ,how longs he been assistant manager,?

Just in