Mid-Season Review

[Thundersley Blue]

Even if we were under threat of going down?

Kevin and the management team are yet to have a fair crack of the whip, they have been fire fighting since being appointed. They at least deserve the opportunity to use the transfer Markets at the right time. Goes without saying we lost the chance to sign preferred choices thanks to the Embargo in the Summer.

People want different things, no longer seems okay to just win a football match, it has to be done with style. We have made enough gilt edged chances to have won more games, but no one able to finish them. Can only speak for Home games as away matches are beyond me, unless I can guarantee a seat.

Hopefully, next month will see the start of building the team to get back to the EFL.

Just as an aside, we do have Football Department Structure that is completely different to other Clubs. Doesn't make changing managers a quick fix. The Club would have to find a replacement from within for example Darren Currie or persuade a new candidate that he has to work with the existing Department.

Let's hope that day doesn't happen anytime soon

 

[Shrimper]

As a footballer Bonne is better than Powell, at least on past performances

At least Powell has scored for us though. Still waiting for Bonne

 

[Tampa Blue]

Mid season review - officially this is the least successful set of players and the least successful management team in our history.

It’s just so awful to watch………..therefore I’ve stopped watching.

 

[Liam AAS]

I totally agree with the conclusion in @Smiffy 's OP and his diagnosis of the issue is also .

My two penneth is that the stats show how much we miss Cardwell. His only really purple patch in front of goal was in the autumn last year. We've drawn 9 games this season. If we had turned 5 of those games into wins with extra goals we'd be in 6th.

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

Many people talking about our style of play. Imo we have changed to be more attacking. Forest Green was a brave switch that ended up as a draw and a point saved franky as it looked as we'd get battered. Yeovil went down to 10 men and Woking away went to 10 men early in 2nd half after being on top in the first, you have to salvage a point firstly. Hartlepool defended for their lives and it was an awful watch and match, just as it was in the away match. Brentwood a training sesh and yesterday at York, we still created good chances despite being ripped apart down the wing as York cut our lines like they were ribbons, to top that off we stopped defending corners.

But just looking at our style of play, we do try and be more cutting, by god the strikers have missed untold chances to score. Not pretending that everything is rosy in the Shrimper garden but goals change games. I think pre Forest Green we had also had missed chances to change the game, they stuck them away v Charlton though. Aldershot away should have been another 3 points to back up the Rochdale win, damn ball just wouldnt fly in the net.
Going down to 10 men twice recently really doesnt help obviously.
Whilst watching us against York, i didnt see too much of the famed "Maherball" just a midfield that struggled like hell against a great York side, but there were more chances for us created than the "highlights".

ITs certainly not great watching half those games i've listed, personally i hate going down to 10 men knowing we'll go with 1 man upfront and i get frustrated like us all when our Canadian friend gets hauled off at times, i hate seeing no movement from our midfield or them not shooting. There's the goalkeeper dramas and all sorts going wrong it seems.
But our actual play isnt constantly that boring as oft is written on here.
We are in transition, please keep supporting.
Respect to our away fans yesterday that sung Walking in a Maher Wonderland (ok yes, before we went a goal down lol )
Don't let the frustrations boil over, keep encouraging and lets get some points on the table. What i'd REALLY like to see is us go a goal up early, like Tamworth, and watch one way traffic again.

If you only watch homes games i do feel sorry for you, that has been awful too many times this season, a combination of other drab teams, the referee, even Maher's tactics and substitutions (yes i do agree at times!) and players returning from injury combined with the Morton's and Crowther's having to step up to the plate.

Lets hope for a great round off to this year and start 2025 with a good win. Reading SZ after a game can be a tad depressing, like waiting for a Southend goal !

 

[Paddypel]

If we’re going for a rating out of 10 it’s probably a 4 at a push. No one expected a genuine title challenge given the circumstances and the delay in takeover happening but the on the pitch product has been utterly appalling all season bar 3/4 games. Would accept a mid table finish as a 5. 12-9 a 6 and anything above a 7. Dreadful season that I want over already.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

After 23 games last season we were in 7th* position:

P23, W11, D5, L7. GF 40, GA 25. Pts 38*

So currently 9 places, 11 points and -18 GD (GF -16 & GA +2) worse off, compared to the same stage last season*.

*Not including 10 point deduction.


So, where do you think it has gone wrong?

According to the above, we have only let in 2 more goals compared to this time last year. So is the defence really that bad?

The biggest worry is we have scored 16 goals less than this time last season. Only four teams have scored less than us and three of those are in the relegation zone. That for me is the biggest issue we face. That's 32 less goals over a season if current form remains. That is a gargantuan hole that needs sorting. Until it is, we are nowhere near challenging for anything.

Is it the tactics, is it the players, is it both?...

Hand on heart I would probably keep about 6-8 of the current crop of players, tops. Their efforts in a time of need are hugely appreciated by us all, but for a lot of them, IMO, it is time to move on if we are ever to get out of this division. Perhaps without that siege mentality which is now missing, we are now seeing that some of these players aren't quite as good as we all thought they were?

A pretty big rebuild is needed in January and more importantly the summer. COSU need to find a way to provide a top end competitive budget, which needs to be spent better and also keep the fans engaged and excited. Crowds and revenue will drop sharply next season if current form continues and exciting signings are not made early in the summer. Starting with a proper goalscorer.

But for now, Kev needs to find a way. We must finish the season in better fashion than what has been served up thus far. Or fans will vote with their feet...

Spot on.

 

[E for B and Billy Best]

While for most of us our love for SUFC is unconditional, our patience with what we are seeing on the pitch is now being stretched to breaking point.
Once the floating fans starting voting with their feet and, historically with SUFC, attendances can drop very quickly, COSU will find their plan for sustainability very hard to achieve.

 

[blues exile]

While for most of us our love for SUFC is unconditional, our patience with what we are seeing on the pitch is now being stretched to breaking point.
Once the floating fans starting voting with their feet and, historically with SUFC, attendances can drop very quickly, COSU will find their plan for sustainability very hard to achieve.

Which is why surely they must realise by now that there is no future in sticking with Maher and Co. and that it would be folly to give them more time so that things get even worse.

 

[Holy Joe]

While for most of us our love for SUFC is unconditional, our patience with what we are seeing on the pitch is now being stretched to breaking point.
Once the floating fans starting voting with their feet and, historically with SUFC, attendances can drop very quickly, COSU will find their plan for sustainability very hard to achieve.

Which is why the plan for sustainability is not dependent on match day attendance

 

[blues exile]

Which is why the plan for sustainability is not dependent on match day attendance

Then the plan is deeply flawed if that is the case. Gates could easily drop to 80s level if this rubbish continues to be on offer in which case the myth of sustainability will be revealed as based on false premises. Success on the field is the key to sustainability, not trying to waste money turning Roots Hall into an all purpose entertainment venue.

 

[overseas shrimper]

Then the plan is deeply flawed if that is the case. Gates could easily drop to 80s level if this rubbish continues to be on offer in which case the myth of sustainability will be revealed as based on false premises. Success on the field is the key to sustainability, not trying to waste money turning Roots Hall into an all purpose entertainment venue.

It's all about opinions, but without seeing your expert credentials, I'd trust the members of COSU over your claims that their plan is deeply flawed. I do believe that, for football clubs to become sustainable businesses, they need to create non-match day revenue streams. Of course, success on the pitch will also have a benefit, but no club can depend on that.

I also disagree that gates could drop to levels seen in the 80s if this 'rubbish' continues. No way we'll see numbers in the 2,000s. The conditions that resulted in those figures are no longer a factor and gates back then dipped across the game. Will attendance figures decline if things don't improve? Of course they will, but not to that level.

 

[AlfaShrimper]

Mid season review - officially this is the least successful set of players and the least successful management team in our history.

It’s just so awful to watch………..therefore I’ve stopped watching.

In history?! I think sol Campbell. Kevin bond and Mark Moseley would disagree

 

[Ayrshire Blue]

As a footballer Bonne is better than Powell, at least on past performances

At least Powell has scored for us though. Still waiting for Bonne

Can see both sides of the argument here. Bonne technically the far better footballer but your number 9 needs a goal threat. Powell was a dog off a lead.

 

[Chris Powell's mate]

This is such a naive viewpoint.

Cardwell has achieved some mythical status now he's gone. A player who looked impreious in the air when defending and never looked like winning a header in the box.

In the pantheon of great strikers I've seen (Freddy, Stan) good strikers (Barnard, Constantine) Cardwell doesn't get close. I think if Forrest Green go up, he'll end up at another club at this level.

Kensdale was pretty good. But how good?

The answer to our plight isn't these 2 leaving (though it would be a bit better if they stayed) the concern is the dramatic drop of form across the rest of the squad. Yeah 2 have gone, but why has our midfield fallen off a cliff? Why aren't our strikers getting chances? Where is the improvement in the rest of the squad?

Attempted to answer the last paragraph on a different thread.
NL players are nothing if not inconsistent: that's why they play at this level.
There was an us-against-them mentality last season absent this.
Always thought this season would be doubly tough, and said so in August.
Frankly, a fair few need a new incentive - like a different club.
Sell-by date is clearly apparent.

 

[gatecrasher]

Dross, inability to have a plan b or even have a go at teams has killed us.

I don't think any of us thought we would be running away with the league, but my God, this season has been dire

 

[Cricko]

In history?! I think sol Campbell. Kevin bond and Mark Moseley would disagree

I think he means by the position we now sit in this League, which is hard to disagree with.

 

[Tampa Blue]

In history?! I think sol Campbell. Kevin bond and Mark Moseley would disagree

We are in the lowest League position in our history, playing in the lowest standard we have ever played which is why I use the word “successful”.

Agree those managers were awful but based on our League position I stand by that comment …………trust me, I so wish this wasn’t the case but the table doesn’t lie.

 

[Tangled up in Blue]

It's all about opinions, but without seeing your expert credentials, I'd trust the members of COSU over your claims that their plan is deeply flawed. I do believe that, for football clubs to become sustainable businesses, they need to create non-match day revenue streams. Of course, success on the pitch will also have a benefit, but no club can depend on that.

I also disagree that gates could drop to levels seen in the 80s if this 'rubbish' continues. No way we'll see numbers in the 2,000s. The conditions that resulted in those figures are no longer a factor and gates back then dipped across the game. Will attendance figures decline if things don't improve? Of course they will, but not to that level.

Not so sure about that and I've actually met one of them,GL.this was 2 seasons agoI'm sure he'll remember my comment that I hope the Rat died of a hear attack over the summer" To which he replied " I wouldn't go that far" :From what I've seen they're fans as well as biznessmen but on current evidence I'd say their plan was flawed.

 

[Roger The Alien]

They have a billionaire owner, who replaced another billionaire owner.

Unless that happens to us, there is no way we are comparable clubs anymore

They ripped Man Utd apart who was playing Maher formation and style of football.