Thanks Kev - but is a new manager needed?

[GBJ]

Off the field issues are not necessarily of interest to the players as long as they are being paid,

If I went into work today and told my employees that the company is struggling to stay in business, but it needn’t concern them as they were still being paid at that moment, what kind of reaction do you think I’d get?

 

[BoyWonder2]

If I went into work today and told my employees that the company is struggling to stay in business, but it needn’t concern them as they were still being paid at that moment, what kind of reaction do you think I’d get?

Laugh it off?

 

[Thundersley Blue]

Missing out on our top targets only suggests we could have been better than we are. Very few would disagree although the top targets may not have succeeded. It's all hypothetical. The issue is that many, myself included, do not believe we are as bad as we are showing and for whatever reason the failure is not getting the best from the team. I don't think we ever had a prayer of the autos with our squad but might have had an outside chance of the play-offs. To be honest I'm not upset by the prospect of another season in this league if we look like we have forward momentum. But we don't. If we don't or can't sign anyone else, well, that's football but, the fans deserve better from the side we have than we are getting.

Would suggest that January will mark the start of the rebuild. Patience is needed. The days of a scatter gun approach to transfers are over thank goodness.

 

[GBJ]

Laugh it off?

Of course, afterall, it shouldn’t necessarily be of interest to them.

 

[Jay_SUFC]

100% it is a fact, and I’ve listed names of players we have missed out on previously.

You keep going on about targets missed, but how many of them would we have actually signed?

We signed Walker, Gubbins (and Wind a it later) so how many other gaps were there that needed filling - possibly a centre midfielder, maybe a forward, and maybe a goalkeeper.

Therefore, would that have made too much difference to the squad we currently have and the way we have played this season?

It's not like we would have had a completely different starting 11.

Appreciate the loss of Kensdale and Cardwell have hit us the most, but both of these happened when we could still make signings, and I thought our white board also had a number of replacements named for everyone.

BTW I'm not pinning this all on Maher, but he does have to take some responsibility and he doesn't seem to.

 

[Fairport]

I agree with Stans model on how to run a modern day football club. Sounds like the Brentford way of doing things and look where they are although they do have a wealthy owner.

 

[BoyWonder2]

You keep going on about targets missed, but how many of them would we have actually signed?

We signed Walker, Gubbins (and Wind a it later) so how many other gaps were there that needed filling - possibly a centre midfielder, maybe a forward, and maybe a goalkeeper.

Therefore, would that have made too much difference to the squad we currently have and the way we have played this season?

It's not like we would have had a completely different starting 11.

Appreciate the loss of Kensdale and Cardwell have hit us the most, but both of these happened when we could still make signings, and I thought our white board also had a number of replacements named for everyone.

BTW I'm not pinning this all on Maher, but he does have to take some responsibility and he doesn't seem to.

Had we signed some of our top targets, we wouldn’t have signed some of the players we did.

Ollie Pearce had agreed to sign for us. If he signs, do we sign Walker? I think so still, but we don’t bring in Bonne.

Gubbins was a priority target, so that’s good.

Not sure Wind would have been signed if we’d signed our top target, which was the RWB that signed for York with Pearce, his name escapes me.

Never got a name for our top target as a creative midfielder, but we wouldn’t have Moncur here if we’d signed him.

Going back to previous summers, Justham was a top target and had agreed to sign for us. Jeacock wouldn’t be here now.

Andy Dallas agreed to sign for us TWICE, Josh Kelly was desperate to sign here too.

We don’t know how they’d have all got on, but surely it would have been better signing our top targets, as opposed to getting 4/5th choice. We wouldn’t have been making “calculated risks” with Bonne & Moncur.

As I say, we don’t know how it would have all panned out, but the embargo and delayed takeover has affected things despite what some people think.

As you’ve said, and I’ve said numerous times, Kev and the amigos are not immune from criticism, of course they aren’t, but they aren’t the only ones who should be getting criticism.

 

[Shrimper]

Had we signed some of our top targets, we wouldn’t have signed some of the players we did.

Ollie Pearce had agreed to sign for us. If he signs, do we sign Walker? I think so still, but we don’t bring in Bonne.

Gubbins was a priority target, so that’s good.

Not sure Wind would have been signed if we’d signed our top target, which was the RWB that signed for York with Pearce, his name escapes me.

Never got a name for our top target as a creative midfielder, but we wouldn’t have Moncur here if we’d signed him.

Going back to previous summers, Justham was a top target and had agreed to sign for us. Jeacock wouldn’t be here now.

Andy Dallas agreed to sign for us TWICE, Josh Kelly was desperate to sign here too.

We don’t know how they’d have all got on, but surely it would have been better signing our top targets, as opposed to getting 4/5th choice. We wouldn’t have been making “calculated risks” with Bonne & Moncur.

As I say, we don’t know how it would have all panned out, but the embargo and delayed takeover has affected things despite what some people think.

As you’ve said, and I’ve said numerous times, Kev and the amigos are not immune from criticism, of course they aren’t, but they aren’t the only ones who should be getting criticism.

Joe Felix?

 

[BoyWonder2]

Joe Felix?

That’s the fella.

 

[SeldomSeenShrimper]

Stans comments confirm exactly what I've been saying and fearing

The recruitment process has gone back to the old way of signing injured has beens from the EFL and not Hungry under 25's from the lower divisions

Yes it didn't help that embargo meant that some targets couldn't be brought in (Ollie Pearce) for example, but we've massively weakened the squad.

Obviously, Financial substantiality is crucial to the clubs growth, but eventually we will NEED to invest in the squad otherwise results will continue to drop and so will the attendances which will lower the clubs income

More money to be made if we are at the top end of the table / EFL ... Facts

So why not back a manager who is clearly one of the best in the league, instead of giving him scraps and making him look like an idiot

 

[blues exile]

Okay then, they are emotionless robots who aren’t affected by anything.

Ask any of the players from last season if they were affected? I bet they all say no, of course not, once we were paid, everything was sorted. The countless court cases, and literally being minutes away from the club ceasing to exist didn’t affect them. Us not getting a safety certificate for Roots Hall until the last minute didn’t affect the players. The water being cut off at the training ground didn’t affect them. I tell you what definitely didn’t affect them, the games that almost didn’t go ahead because others weren’t being paid (security) and refused to work (thankfully TL and the amigos put their hand in their pocket). But everything is wrong because of the amigos and it’s al their fault and nothing affects the players.

Of course, it’s 100% the coaching staffs fault for everything. Collin having some shockers is Kev’s fault, defenders and midfielders missing tackles and losing battles is Benno’s fault, and our strikers missing chances is Currie’s fault.

It is fallacious to blame last season's problems for this season's failures. It is the here and now that needs addressing before it's too late.

 

[BoyWonder2]

It is fallacious to blame last season's problems for this season's failures. It is the here and now that needs addressing before it's too late.

I see the goalposts are being moved again.

I’m out now. I’m banging my head against a brick wall. Enjoy the rest of the week, and here’s to 3 points on Saturday.

 

[LennySUFC]

Stans comments confirm exactly what I've been saying and fearing

The recruitment process has gone back to the old way of signing injured has beens from the EFL and not Hungry under 25's from the lower divisions

Yes it didn't help that embargo meant that some targets couldn't be brought in (Ollie Pearce) for example, but we've massively weakened the squad.

Obviously, Financial substantiality is crucial to the clubs growth, but eventually we will NEED to invest in the squad otherwise results will continue to drop and so will the attendances which will lower the clubs income

More money to be made if we are at the top end of the table / EFL ... Facts

So why not back a manager who is clearly one of the best in the league, instead of giving him scraps and making him look like an idiot

I guess by the time we were ready to go in the summer the majority of these players had moved elsewhere or signed new contracts. There isn't an infinite number of these players, only a handful every season worth taking a punt on. With those riskier players not available I guess the the recruitment team had no choice but to go for more ex-EFL players on the 'way down'.

Hopefully January provides us with the opportunity to strengthen. I imagine we will and that this season will mimic very closely Maher's first season when we bought in the likes of Husin, Cardwell, Kensdale and Powell in January(ish).

 

[kentblues]

Good evening all, hope you're well.

I'm posting purely as an interested pundit.

I can't and won't comment about COSU, I'm not privvy to what their plans are.

What I do know is what the plan was and in my opinion ( as proven at other clubs, proven) was bearing fruit, even under the previous ownership which in my opinion hampered every green shoot that grew due to owner delusion on a level I've never seen in my life.

The aim was simple so I'll put it in bullet points.

1. Owner bankrolls the club at a competive budget for the league.
2. A recruitment department that finds the best available ( ideally under 25) talent who can be developed, are hungry and have resale value.
3. Checks and balances amongst the football department to ensure the best players play for the club. No pals of agents, mates of mates, football nepotism, favours, etc. Cold, hard analysis, watching and recruiting. The CEO and owner then know that the players have been seen by several, a simple majority agrees and CEO/ owner sign off.
4. The Head coach is responsible for coaching and bettering the talent he has. That's it. He has zero business being involved in finance, stadium, nothing other than coaching, leading and having the final say as part of the recruitment department on whether he wants a player.
5. An assistant head coach and or first team coach who share broadly similar principles so when the head coach goes to Manchester United or is sacked after realistic KPI's aren't met over an agreed timescale, continuity reigns. Players get consistency, boom and bust cycle of 5 managers with 5 different ways of playing( = cash oozing from the club) is avoided.
6. B team rather than 21's or 23's. Right squad of quality youth who learn from senior pros coming from injury, on trial or who need minutes. Coached by First team coach alongside a senior pro taking first steps to coaching pathway.

That was the plan. Simple, effective and managed to get that mythical "80% right" of recruitment decisions which in turn had the team go through 2 long unbeaten runs during a disgraceful stewardship by the then owner. 2 long unbeaten runs, consistency building, most of the players contributing significantly, one or two always aren't going to work but by and large, forward momentum was building.

Owner(s) gives the budget.
CEO runs day to day and signs off.
Head coach coaches team.
Assistants provide continuity.
B team provides youngsters with a tailored football environment of games, potential coaches get an in house pathway.

When a club deviates from this, and haven't got the money to blow others out of the water, and the "we NEED to get 80% of decisions right" mantra gives way to little accountability or oversight.

Things unravel.

Stay well, and genuine good luck moving forward.

PS, for what it's worth, I believe Kev is 100% the right man to be head coach to coach the team, Daz Assistant Head Coach and Benno First team coach. Likewise Tom Lawrence as CEO, proved his worth during the Ron period and recent good and progressive information and ideas.


Stan.

Thanks for the reminder- much gets forgotten.

One key challenge re finding the best available ( ideally under 25) talent who can be developed, are hungry and have resale value (especially from p/t lower leagues) is that there is no B team?

So you get talented young players from lower leagues (Wood, Wind) and they play no football..

Of course in the long run both financially and on the pitch the approach you describe is absolutely right, in the short term it requires investment (and fixing the finances, the stadium has arguably been more of a priority than playing matters)

 

[blues exile]

If I went into work today and told my employees that the company is struggling to stay in business, but it needn’t concern them as they were still being paid at that moment, what kind of reaction do you think I’d get?

But the company, COSU is not 'struggling to stay in business' is it, unless we are being misinformed.

 

[damien]

The thing with football now is that it’s over analysed to death and everybody has bought into it regardless of what level you play/watch.

Tactics this, high press that, shape this, shape that.

Ultimately it comes down to crossing that white line on a match day. Is there a team who does their basics well, who wants it more than their opposition (first headers, second balls, making runs, not cheating tracking runners, closing your man quick enough) no matter what level youre at you’ll get no where without these basic basic things in a game of football.

Kev can’t be blamed for that once they cross that line as we’ve seen these players put in performances.

In the fifth tier, I don’t buy into all this talk of tactics really. The team should be sharp enough to adapt to an opposition in the game. Is the winger ****ting all over bridge? Someone offer support from the back three and let gus tuck in more defensively etc etc.

But if you haven’t got your recruitment right. Because you’ve been under an embargo at key times for three years, that’s going to be really bloody difficult to put an 11 out you can trust to give you that along with the ability to play with skill and conviction on the attack.

I personally, don’t think Kevin Maher will get us promoted out of this division regardless of how much I admire the man. However I equally don’t think it’s quite the time to discard everything he has done for the club and his squad because simply put, it would be a massive **** you to him as he hasn’t had the tools to give him a fair evaluation.

Let’s see what comes in the new year personnel wise I say.

 

[kentblues]

I see the goalposts are being moved again.

I’m out now. I’m banging my head against a brick wall. Enjoy the rest of the week, and here’s to 3 points on Saturday.

BW on goalposts being moved do you think the B team is such a set of goalposts? Is it happening? From Stan seemed fundamental to the model of recruiting and developing young players? Seems to me to moan about the lack of doing the latter if the club forgets the former is another challenge?

 

[blues exile]

I see the goalposts are being moved again.

I’m out now. I’m banging my head against a brick wall. Enjoy the rest of the week, and here’s to 3 points on Saturday.

My goalposts are unmoved. History is history, it's the present that needs addressing, which is a point I have tried to make repeatedly only to be anwered by a succession of excuses from past seasons.

 

[Leigh_Seasider]

Joe Felix?

Didn't he end up at Chelsea? No wonder we missed out.

 

[BoyWonder2]

BW on goalposts being moved do you think the B team is such a set of goalposts? Is it happening? From Stan seemed fundamental to the model of recruiting and developing young players? Seems to me to moan about the lack of doing the latter if the club forgets the former is another challenge?

I meant the goalposts from the poster.

However, I’d still like to think we’ll implement a “B” team at some stage. Whether that is IF we get promoted to the EFL like with the academy, I don’t know.

We now have a bigger squad than last season, and players need minutes. Wind & Wood are prime examples, Waldron, Gubbins & Miley too whilst on the comeback from injury. If Collin is a number 2 now, he still needs game time.

Also, if we sign “projects” like we did with Kensdale & Brooklyn, they need to be exposed to Mens football. Crowther was a project too, but has played more than expected due to Kensdale.