Thanks Kev - but is a new manager needed?

[BedfordShrimper]

Apologies as I don't make every game living where I am so need to ask on KAF. His goal against Solihull was classy and I though he would have got more opportunities than he has as he looked dangerous in that game. Did he have quiet games after Solihull hence now regularly being on the bench?

 

[BoyWonder2]

He got it wrong, it backfired on him, we lost the game easily, and you think it`s a huge overreaction?
Everybody, bar Maher would have played the in form players that have done it in matches!?

A massive overreaction to one team selection that we lost one game that I’d have expected us to lose anyways, yes.

I think a bit of clarity is needed. Take the Charlton game out and focus on the league. We were unbeaten in four, then lost with 10 men (again, wrongly sent off as proved by the red card being overturned) then losing at the weekend.

We aren’t on a losing streak of 5/6/7 matches, we aren’t on a run of having not won in 5/6/7 matches.

Yes, with hindsight, Kev got it wrong at the weekend. Doesn’t help that no one could put a tackle in for the first, or that, as a collective, no one won their individual battles out there, and we failed to do the basics.

I think the team selection thing has been done to death now, and this will be my last post on it.

 

[Joolz]

Us fans constantly bang on about lack of loyalty in the game now, but are not so keen to afford it ourselves on occasions. There is no doubt things need to improve, but KM and team deserve the chance to turn it around.

We had similar rumblings after the 0-0 draw away to Oxford last season, and then went unbeaten until the last game - things can change very quickly in football.

And before anyone says "am I happy with the current situation" of course I'm not - but chopping and changing managers repeatedly doesn't always work.

 

[Fairport]

Apologies as I don't make every game living where I am so need to ask on KAF. His goal against Solihull was classy and I though he would have got more opportunities than he has as he looked dangerous in that game. Did he have quiet games after Solihull hence now regularly being on the bench?

KAF is quite a skilful player but again is yet another non goalscoring midfielder that we have signed. One goal in 27 for Daggers and just the one for us. He does at least try and get forward though.

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Us fans constantly bang on about lack of loyalty in the game now, but are not so keen to afford it ourselves on occasions. There is no doubt things need to improve, but KM and team deserve the chance to turn it around.

We had similar rumblings after the 0-0 draw away to Oxford last season, and then went unbeaten until the last game - things can change very quickly in football.

And before anyone says "am I happy with the current situation" of course I'm not - but chopping and changing managers repeatedly doesn't always work.

Couldn't agree with you more, after all COSU haven't been at the helm for 6 months yet. I would at a guess,that by this time next year, our team will look nothing like the one we have now.
Do think people seem to forget COSU will not want to stagnate in the National League for any longer than necessary. Getting back to the EFL, will allow the Club to get the Academy up and running again. A vital part of their vision of becoming sustainable.
Roots Hall can be a brilliant place to watch football when a match is going our way. However, it can become pretty toxic very quickly and people wonder why players struggle to perform at their best.
Wish people would focus more on what has been achieved in a short space of time. For example Fans Advisory Board interviews are today and tomorrow, as far as I can see not a mention on here. Another example of COSU delivering what they promised.
Can the dissenters just take a deep breath and get behind the Club and stop assuming you can do a better job than both the players and management.

 

[shrimperjon]

For me its sad how quickly the fan base is becoming split. After a few years of Unity and getting behind Kev and the lads due to 'backs against the wall' 'the whole world is against us' we seem to be fractured again. The fact the we have a poll for Kev in or Kev out is sad in itself. We know these players are good (most of them) and theyve proved that constantly under very difficult circumstances. Yet again our pre season was disrupted and transfer targets missed. For this reason alone Kev and co deserve some credit in the bank. im not a Kev out but i was furious Saturday on the way home from Alty. The selections of certain players and not others was odd and for that Kev has to carry a large chunk of blame. the atmosphere at RH apart from Charlton is so down on what it has been and Saturday hardly a song was muttered on the terrace. But we should rejoice in the fact that we have a club and as a fanbase surely we need to unite again. 3pts off the relegation zone is worrying but then only 8 pts off the play offs. Still plenty to play for and we need to play our part. The squad is what it is. Whether we lose some or get more in before the summer who knows but we as fans are the one constant and when we are fully behind the team we are a strong and loud fan base.

 

[Tommy2holes]

Apologies as I don't make every game living where I am so need to ask on KAF. His goal against Solihull was classy and I though he would have got more opportunities than he has as he looked dangerous in that game. Did he have quiet games after Solihull hence now regularly being on the bench?

I think he has looked very good when he has come on and deserves more minutes. As to whether he is the answer is debatable.

 

[Liam AAS]

Nothing to do with being fickle. The current regime's shortcomings, always there but previously glossed over because of the overall situation, are now glaringly obvious. Maher and co cannot survive merely on past successes in the face of adversity, thry have taken us as far as they could but we will only get out of this league in the worst possible way if they are allowed to continue.

Please do enlighten me as to what our shortcomings were last season when our win percentage was 45.6% often with only one player on the bench on non-contract or dual-contract terms and the best defensive record in the division.

I'm all for justified criticism, but you cannot just re-write history like that.

 

[BEERMONSTER]

Couldn't agree with you more, after all COSU haven't been at the helm for 6 months yet. I would at a guess,that by this time next year, our team will look nothing like the one we have now.
Do think people seem to forget COSU will not want to stagnate in the National League for any longer than necessary. Getting back to the EFL, will allow the Club to get the Academy up and running again. A vital part of their vision of becoming sustainable.
Roots Hall can be a brilliant place to watch football when a match is going our way. However, it can become pretty toxic very quickly and people wonder why players struggle to perform at their best.
Wish people would focus more on what has been achieved in a short space of time. For example Fans Advisory Board interviews are today and tomorrow, as far as I can see not a mention on here. Another example of COSU delivering what they promised.
Can the dissenters just take a deep breath and get behind the Club and stop assuming you can do a better job than both the players and management.

Completely comprehend what you say and share your thoughts, but as I observed in my post of yesterday, for some it's just about what happens on the pitch, value for money and entertainment.
All the other Club stuff is a supporting act to the main event.
If you hold the Club as your main reason for being a Shrimper, then given the road we have walked under the previous regime, then it could be argued it's easier to have more patience in dealing with the on pitch disappointment.
As for the debate about Kev's tenure, well what ever your view is I think that is worth considering the following quote:-

"Loyalty is rare. If you find it, keep it"

 

[blues exile]

Please do enlighten me as to what our shortcomings were last season when our win percentage was 45.6% often with only one player on the bench on non-contract or dual-contract terms and the best defensive record in the division.

I'm all for justified criticism, but you cannot just re-write history like that.

Quite simply the failure to turn so many draws into wins. You will be aware of results like the Oxford, Wealdstone and Ebbsfleet games which should have been victories and had they been would have cemented a play off place. Having watched every game on television in recent years there is a recurring pattern of over cautious, pedestrian and predictable football in the DNA of Maher's teams. That won't change.

 

[* ORM *]

Looking forward to the vote after we turn FGR over.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Looking forward to the vote after we turn FGR over.

Maher should be pinning some of these quotes to the dressing room door .... Sat is exactly the type of game to get the juices flowing and boost confidence. I'll expect a full on attacking onslaught.

 

[Cricko]

Maher should be pinning some of these quotes to the dressing room door .... Sat is exactly the type of game to get the juices flowing and boost confidence. I'll expect a full on attacking onslaught.

From which team?

 

[Benfleet Blue]

Yeah, of course.

Everyone has to share a portion of the blame, just like if everything was going well, everyone takes the credit. We win as a team and lose as a team.

A couple of wins and everyone is happy, a couple of defeats and everyone is upset. Kev needs a win, but don’t forget before the Charlton game we were four unbeaten. We’ve then lost with 10 men (wrongly sent off too with the decision overturned) and away at Alty, and the reaction has been over the top in my opinion.

We need to go back to basics, like we did in the four unbeaten. Make us difficult to score against, make us more solid. We are a team in transition, and whilst that’s the case, we will be inconsistent. We will lose games and we will win some, may even draw a couple too.

You are spot on but football is an entertainment. In the past everything was against us, Management and team were superb and fought every battle they came up against. With a bare squad we were entertaining and the togetherness shone out.
Now the pressure seems to be off, everyone has taken their foot off the gas. Quite a few players seem to be going through the motions and clearly, in my opinion, we have seen that they are all good players but underperforming horribly and letting both management and fans down.
It does seem that KM sets up not to lose rather than to win, my opinion, I know he wants the wins, but the set up seems very negative. He gets very ruffled when criticised and I hate the way he bites back at fans who have paid money to watch. For Gods sake everyone has an opinion.
I was quite disgusted at his treatment of Colin at the end of the Charlton game. He's a young lad suffering with a confidence issue who hardly needs that treatment.
He has a squad capable of winning games and like it or not unless we start winning the pressure will only get worse and his position may become untenable.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

From which team?

I'm hedging my bets.

 

[Sherif H]

Couldn't agree with you more, after all COSU haven't been at the helm for 6 months yet. I would at a guess,that by this time next year, our team will look nothing like the one we have now.
Do think people seem to forget COSU will not want to stagnate in the National League for any longer than necessary. Getting back to the EFL, will allow the Club to get the Academy up and running again. A vital part of their vision of becoming sustainable.
Roots Hall can be a brilliant place to watch football when a match is going our way. However, it can become pretty toxic very quickly and people wonder why players struggle to perform at their best.
Wish people would focus more on what has been achieved in a short space of time. For example Fans Advisory Board interviews are today and tomorrow, as far as I can see not a mention on here. Another example of COSU delivering what they promised.
Can the dissenters just take a deep breath and get behind the Club and stop assuming you can do a better job than both the players and management.

I don't get this toxic atmosphere thing. It is no better or worse than any other ground when things aren't going well.
I'd suggest that the Roots Hall crowd is one of the most forgiving in the Country - regardless of how bad we are and/or how many goals we have shipped in a defeat, the majority of the crowd still appears to applaud the players and management off the pitch.

 

[Sherif H]

Maher should be pinning some of these quotes to the dressing room door .... Sat is exactly the type of game to get the juices flowing and boost confidence. I'll expect a full on attacking onslaught.

From FGR yes...

 

[gatecrasher]

Two or three games aside, we have been horrendous all season.

Almost all our goals have come from a wing back, we create virtually nothing and have a one dimensional side to side, try to walk the ball in mentality. If there had been any semblance of the manager looking to try different personnel or a change of style ( balls through the middle/ running at teams/ shooting outside of the area) I would be satisfied that they are capable of turning things round - this has not happened. Its like ground hog day every single game.

It is so frustrating to look at the squad we have and to see if languishing near the foot of the table, should we be top with this side, probably not, should we be where we are with this team - absolutely not.

Something has to change, whether that be the manager trying something new, allowing the handbrake to go down or indeed a managerial change to be made - something has to happen, and soon, as we are sleep walking towards relegation.

 

[ColinMorrisWalksOnWater]

Two or three games aside, we have been horrendous all season.

Almost all our goals have come from a wing back, we create virtually nothing and have a one dimensional side to side, try to walk the ball in mentality. If there had been any semblance of the manager looking to try different personnel or a change of style ( balls through the middle/ running at teams/ shooting outside of the area) I would be satisfied that they are capable of turning things round - this has not happened. Its like ground hog day every single game.

It is so frustrating to look at the squad we have and to see if languishing near the foot of the table, should we be top with this side, probably not, should we be where we are with this team - absolutely not.

Something has to change, whether that be the manager trying something new, allowing the handbrake to go down or indeed a managerial change to be made - something has to happen, and soon, as we are sleep walking towards relegation.

Totally agree.

If we are within three points of the relegation zone with 5 to 8 games to go and then the kind of questions and post were made that are being made now appeared, you can just imagine the posts saying, something along the lines of "why didn't you speak up earlier in the season?"

I would rather have these discussions now amongst the fanbase and on the whole as cordially as we have been having them, discussing points raised in posts and not the posters themselves, as is our way...mostly, when there is time to do something about our position and performances, than when it is too late.

We are never going to be too good to go down, no team is, let's remember that.

Hopefully there will be a turning point this season and we can all agree, from whatever side of this debate we have come from, that things are looking much better and Kev is still in charge and we are heading to brighter things.

We don't want the lookout shouting "iceberg!" when it is too late to avoid.

 

[Liam AAS]

Quite simply the failure to turn so many draws into wins. You will be aware of results like the Oxford, Wealdstone and Ebbsfleet games which should have been victories and had they been would have cemented a play off place. Having watched every game on television in recent years there is a recurring pattern of over cautious, pedestrian and predictable football in the DNA of Maher's teams. That won't change.

We are not entitled to win any game of football. We had 12 draws last season, though I'll admit that the 3 you cite would have seen us sneak into the playoffs, I do not think that they are representative of our season last year at all.

@ShrimperStats will probably be able to tell us how many points were earned from losing positions last season.

I think that there is some reasonably valid on-field criticism to be had of this season so far but I'm happy to call out anyone that thinks that Maher's overall time in charge has been anything other than above average.