Thanks Kev - but is a new manager needed?

[Avl1983]

But so many people on here who are Discussing about style of play and quality of performance, are also saying that it's a results business.

So which is it?

I can obviously only speak for myself, and me personally I can forgive losing to teams if were showing ambition and we attack teams, maybe it's my own impatience or me struggling to accept where we are now in the NL but I just feel that if were attacking and having a go, if we lose at least I have faith that if we bring the right players in, things will go in the right direction.

That's why I moved from on the fence to Yes he should go as I'm just not convinced that Maher will approach games that way. I'll be happy to be proved wrong though!

 

[Avl1983]

I can scroll through this thread, or any number of similar threads to this one and find plenty of anti-Maher posts using the phrase ‘football is a results business’ as to the reason why Maher should go.

What ambition do you think we lack?

Sturrock was a stubborn manager who played much worse football than Maher. One up front, at home, is never going to be a crowd pleaser. But he got results.

I struggled more with Brown and Maher than I did Sturrock funnily enough. I can only give across my opinion but for me I'd rather we attacked and then I'd be happy to build and improve.

 

[Cricko]

But so many people on here who are discussing about style of play and quality of performance, are also saying that it's a results business.

So which is it?

I haven't actually seen those two phrases together. Can you enlighten me?

 

[Fairport]

Most people of the opinion that KM must go have felt that in the medium to long term future he is not the man to take us forward. It hasn't been all bad, certainly not, but here we are with a full compliment of Maher signings scrapping around halfway in a non league competition. It will be extremely difficult to get out of this league and despite Kevin's strengths as a coach he also has weaknesses. No way should he be compared to the likes of Molesley, Wignall, Alvin Martin, Bond etc but on balance some of us feel we would do better under someone else.

 

[The Original Tribal Chief]

But so many people on here who are discussing about style of play and quality of performance, are also saying that it's a results business.

So which is it?

If you want entertainment, go to the circus. A dour 1-0 win with a deflected fluke of a goal will always trump a 4-4 draw.

 

[dusterman]

If we were higher up the table we wouldn’t care as much about how we were playing. Worse still, we’ve been better away from home so majority of fans aren’t seeing the better performances, Maidenheas aside. We’ve also been guilty of some away-like performances at home, sit back, control possession and aim to nick a goal which is not entertaining at home but expected away. All adds up to perfect storm of negativity.

 

[Che's Left Foot]

So to summarise people have been Discussing about kevs inflexibility, he changes things up over recent weeks and those calling for flexibility say things like...he better not change formation now....so you want him to be rigid in his choice......sums up you lot perfectly.
If on Saturday we are being swamped in the midfield due to a pure numbers game and kev didn't react shape wise you'd all moan about it.

I think you know that's not true.

Things weren't working, yet Kev stuck with the same formation. People were crying for change. He finally switched things up and miraculously, it worked.

If he sticks with the same starting XI on Saturday, it might work, it might not. And if doesnt, all we ask for him is to be flexible and to adapt.

But you knew that.

 

[Smiffy]

ICYMI and for context v last season...

In short we are now tracking pretty close to this time last season. The only real difference is the goals scored. Defensively we are actually 1 goal better off. But, we went on a very good run this time last season (8 wins, 7 draws, 1 defeat in last 16 games). If we match it, then we will likely nick the last play-off spot. Let's see if they have it in them...

After 30 games last season we were in 9th* position:

P30, W13, D5, L12. GF 44, GA 33. Pts 44*

So currently 2 places, 2 points and -7 GD (GF -8 & GA +1) worse off, compared to the same stage last season*.

*Not including 10 point deduction

 

[dusterman]

ICYMI and for context v last season...

After 30 games last season we were in 9th* position:

P30, W13, D5, L12. GF 44, GA 33. Pts 44*

So currently 2 places, 2 points and -7 GD (GF -8 & GA +1) worse off, compared to the same stage last season*.

*Not including 10 point deduction

So we’re 12 points worse off in reality?

 

[BILLERICAY BLUE]

So we’re 12 points worse off in reality?

No, we actually only had 34 points as we'd had 10 deducted.

 

[Smiffy]

So we’re 12 points worse off in reality?

No. We have 2 points less now than we would of had this time last season, if we hadn't of been deducted 10 points.

We actually had 34 points this time last season, with the deduction.

 

[Che's Left Foot]

But so many people on here who are discussing about style of play and quality of performance, are also saying that it's a results business.

So which is it?

They're not mutually exclusive

 

[Tampa Blue]

Listening to Paul Clark last night when a long clearance from Hayes put Halifax under huge pressure he laughed when he said that whilst it worked it wasn’t how KM instructs us to play - perhaps it’s the variety of playing styles that we need?

 

[NZamba Legend]

They're not mutually exclusive

It's a blend, yes and for me the perfect recipe is 80% results, 15% style, 5% ****housery

 

[Blue Yonder]

ICYMI and for context v last season...

In short we are now tracking pretty close to this time last season. The only real difference is the goals scored. Defensively we are actually 1 goal better off. But, we went on a very good run this time last season (8 wins, 7 draws, 1 defeat in last 16 games). If we match it, then we will likely nick the last play-off spot. Let's see if they have it in them...

After 30 games last season we were in 9th* position:

P30, W13, D5, L12. GF 44, GA 33. Pts 44*

So currently 2 places, 2 points and -7 GD (GF -8 & GA +1) worse off, compared to the same stage last season*.

*Not including 10 point deduction

When other teams catch up on games in hand we may well be 6 or 7 points short of the play offs. If those teams carry on getting the same PPG they have to date to make up the difference we will need 32 points plus from the last 16 games which would be better even than last years run in. Given that we've managed to nearly achieve that PPG in the last 10 (19 points), including some dire performances, remarkably it's doable. As you say lets see if players and coaches have it in them.

 

[Dawg]

Recent teams promoted out of this league generally show you have to be really good to make it out, what this comes down to is do we believe Kev is building something ‘really good’ right now or will there always be inconsistency under him

 

[Shrimp and two veg]

The thing about the other teams having games in hand, is that they have to play twice a week and there are some very strange results that often come in midweek. When the legs and minds tire, points are dropped. There are some whack results that come in, not least us as we stuttered on a heavy pitch on Saturday. Boston 0-0 with Barnet. Then there's the Tamworths, with the plastic pitch and they get some odd results come in. If Spurs can struggle over there, anyone can in this div.
If there is a team putting a run together, they'll be in a rich vein of form to do that and quality through the squad.
Our squad now looks pretty good. Backup keeper needed, back up to Jack Bridge needed, probably about it other than a Freddy Eastwood/Stanley Collymore goal machine.
I had quite a bit of faith pre-Maidenhead, now Bridge has returned so has my faith in that team.

 

[thenobster]

We’d have scored 7 with a different manager ;)

 

[Medway Blue]

I haven't actually seen those two phrases together. Can you enlighten me?

In the same post? Or even on the same day? Maybe not.

But I have seen people using the style of play as a reason to boot Maher, refuting claims that they're just annoyed we're not challenging for the title with responses of "I don't care if we lose playing good football".....and then calling for his head again after Sittingbourne because "it's a results business".

Then when it's pointed out that we've lost 4 games in 3 months and have been in playoff form for the last 10-12 games, it seems to be back to "but it's not entertaining" or "the performances haven't been good".

If you want entertainment, go to the circus. A dour 1-0 win with a deflected fluke of a goal will always trump a 4-4 draw.

To be fair, I remember a cracking 4-4 home draw with York sometime around Christmas 1997. What a game.

They're not mutually exclusive

In an ideal world, of course they're not. But it's not an ideal world, and we're playing fifth tier football. So unfortunately, although not by design, they sometimes are mutually exclusive, leading many on here to call for the manager to be sacked whilst the team is in the below form:

 

[Tampa Blue]

Funny old place SZ - we win and certain posters suddenly appear, we lose and other posters suddenly appear.

Unfortunately I cannot take either seriously.