[HaslandBlue58]

Listening over the past few weeks to the drivel spouted by opposition managers had me thinking.
Much has been said regarding PC'S previous successes,and rightly so,which has also seen comments regarding wether he has been wasting his time with us in the NL.
I just wonder if this season could actually be one of his biggest successes? With there only being two promotion places, surely that adds a further test.Fielding a good footballing side alone in the NL does not guarentee anything with the twisted ethics shown by a number of teams in this league,the self serving nature of the NL board (as clearly depicted with the covid payment scandal),the allowing of plastic pitches which no matter what CPS keeps saying,must be of big advantage to those clubs.If reports are correct that we are at most the third best funded team and have cut the wage bill,therefore not buying our way out like others have tried or done,yet being so far in front on points and using one of the smallest squad numbers (some luck in that bit I know).
I am sure a lot will be straight in with the 'What,how can you compare..........', but if I was PC it would be crossing my mind as to how high up the success list this one should be.

[Osborne again]

Some, have made out that we've bought success, while others have stated that we haven't been tested and the league is somehow weaker since County and Wrexham have left to join the EFL, but you can only beat what's put in front of you, and we have, on a regular basis. According to some, we were only here to make the numbers up while others gained promotion. Sorry to p**s on your parade but it ain't happened. If Oldham had been in our position we would have been fed an endless diet of their games throughout the season, but little old Chesterfield FC have stunned a lot of people and dead centre is Paul Cook. Great bloke, great club, great squad and supported by the best fans.

[Brookie]

Most telling comment has been that we don’t have the highest budget

[Blue5]

HaslandBlue58, on 17 March 2024 - 12:05 PM, said:

Much has been said regarding PC'S previous successes,and rightly so,which has also seen comments regarding wether he has been wasting his time with us in the NL.

Paul Cook's decision to come back to our club must have had 99.9% of football wondering what the hell he was doing. Instead of thinking about what damage it might do to the value of his stock and what some of his footballing peers might think, he put our club's needs before his own. I'm not sure many (if any) would have done the same, it takes a special person.

To answer your question, you only have to look at how many former league clubs have failed to get out of this division and how long it's taken others to appreciate the size of the achievement.

For all the Trust's faults, bringing back Paul Cook wasn't one of them, it was a masterstroke.

[tomjoad]

Excellent post.

[stainlessstephen]

If we can keep PC there will be more to come...

Stay tuned...

[jack bauer]

his no.1 i'd say because this league is a beast of a thing. when he did his legends interview just before the chelsea cup game, he talked about being a supporter and said every supporter has an idea of where their team should be, as a liverpool fan of the 70s and 80s he was made aware of the idea that 1st is 1st and 2nd is nowhere... that is this league, to be succesful in this league you have to win it, he set his sights firmly on that this season and he has not blinked, top man.

[Siberian Spireite]

Which two teams have a bigger budget than us? Oldham? I thought ours had been the biggest by some distance.

[jack bauer]

Siberian Spireite, on 23 March 2024 - 11:29 PM, said:

Which two teams have a bigger budget than us? Oldham? I thought ours had been the biggest by some distance.

york?

[Waller is my hero]

Oldham & surprisingly York’s is huge

[azul]

jack bauer, on 23 March 2024 - 11:31 PM, said:

york?

You obviously missed the hype from certain individuals on this message board. They signed player after player, each one better than ours.

York would be an obvious choice to me

[Paragon of Virtue]

Definitely York, they paid six figures for Akinyemi

[Wooden Spoon]

Blue5, on 17 March 2024 - 07:49 PM, said:

Paul Cook's decision to come back to our club must have had 99.9% of football wondering what the hell he was doing. Instead of thinking about what damage it might do to the value of his stock and what some of his footballing peers might think, he put our club's needs before his own. I'm not sure many (if any) would have done the same, it takes a special person.

To answer your question, you only have to look at how many former league clubs have failed to get out of this division and how long it's taken others to appreciate the size of the achievement.

For all the Trust's faults, bringing back Paul Cook wasn't one of them, it was a masterstroke.

I’m not sure he put our needs ahead of his own.


We needed a lift- but so did cookie. Professionals and personaly- it’s been the right move at the right time for the fans, the club AND the manager.

[LondonBlue]

Paul Cook. Our greatest ever.

[metallilad]

Siberian Spireite, on 23 March 2024 - 11:29 PM, said:

Which two teams have a bigger budget than us? Oldham? I thought ours had been the biggest by some distance.

Eastleigh chucked some big money around. Them or York, but Oldham wasted money this season.

[Zytok]

https://www.transfer...wettbewerb/CNAT
shows how many players have been used by each team. York is top with 40 which is not far off double our 24

[Trigger]

Zytok, on 24 March 2024 - 07:54 AM, said:

https://www.transfer...wettbewerb/CNAT
shows how many players have been used by each team. York is top with 40 which is not far off double our 24

Not signing anybody for over 200 days has certainly helped keep our spending down whereas everyone else has been bringing players in. The initial recruitment was superb.

[Jud]

A couple of posters missing from this thread, I've noticed...

[Siberian Spireite]

Perhaps York’s budget is bigger if you include transfer fees and not just wages, but I can’t see any side in this league having a bigger wage budget than a squad which includes Naylor, Grigg, Jacobs etc. I suppose Oldham are including Norwood’s pie budget in their figures, which inflates them significantly.

[Goku]

Oldham and York both have bigger budgets than us