where did it all go wrong?

ok have your say, i think it was not replacing Platt and Knowles,

Your s**t.

Did it really go so wrong? It seems to me that a lot of people identified our run-in as too busy to be favourites for play-offs. Now that has come to pass, sure it is disappointing, but it is not surprising. Progression has been there from last season, this has been our best season in years in fact. Finishing outside the top 5 is not failure after the early part of the season when we were playing one league game a month at one point and the pitch was comparable to a peat bog. We have even had the sprinklers in action of late!

I think what I'm really trying to say though is everyone should cheer the up.

Where did it all go wrong is perhaps a bit extreme. I imagine its something our friend BTTF asks himself on a regular basis or at least he should do. The problem has been consistency or lack of it. At times we have been very good but not often enough. I'd also like to see us move the ball quicker too. Just watch how quickly Guiseley break when they regain possession - we appear a million miles of achieving that at the moment. Pass and move, it's not rocket science. There's other reasons too of course but i'll leave it there for now.

BTTF wrote:Your s**t.

Yeah, we know this by the way. We will still hand your arse to you on a plate on Thursday.

OK, failing to replace Knowles and Platt is obvious. Without them we are a VERY ordinary side. Since they left we have (I think) scored THREE goals in SEVEN matches, 2 of them by Dean when the game was already over and the ref (bless him!) felt sorry for us. So basically, ONE goal in a competitive situation in SEVEN matches: this would be crap for a team fighting relegation, for a team going for the play offs (pause for weak laughter), its beyond a joke.

What worries me is people telling themselves its been a great season (and yes up until recently it HAS been), without thinking through the implications of this dreadful collapse. i.e.if we start next season wuth the same sort of squad we will be in dead trouble.

Everyone likes Chib, but he has barely scored the second half of the season, likewise Beesley. I think we all share a common view about Jonny Allan. We have a decent defence, but we can't score goals...its kind of important.

If it did go wrong then it's Mother Nature's fault.

I've posted ad infinitum my opinion that anything above mid table will be a positive this season. Given the fixture congestion we've had due to the weather, there is no way we were going to make much of the run in. Peoples expectations after a good run were (again in my opinion) too high.

We have a part time squad of players who (for the most part) work during the week. Unfortunately they are not supermen and as such they will and do get tired. It's showing and I don't blame them one iota. We do still have a mathematical chance of a playoff place but I don't think it's reasonable to expect us to fill one this season.

Next season is another matter though. With the core of our team kept (I hope) and the pitch like a bowling green, I'd say a top 3 finish was a must.

As town supporter says, I'd be more concerned if I were a Haliflaxative supporter. I doubt they'll go up this season and I too would expect them to come down straight after if they did.

paulstreet wrote:OK, failing to replace Knowles and Platt is obvious. Without them we are a VERY ordinary side. Since they left we have (I think) scored THREE goals in SEVEN matches, 2 of them by Dean when the game was already over and the ref (bless him!) felt sorry for us. So basically, ONE goal in a competitive situation in SEVEN matches: this would be crap for a team fighting relegation, for a team going for the play offs (pause for weak laughter), its beyond a joke.

What worries me is people telling themselves its been a great season (and yes up until recently it HAS been), without thinking through the implications of this dreadful collapse. i.e.if we start next season wuth the same sort of squad we will be in dead trouble.

Everyone likes Chib, but he has barely scored the second half of the season, likewise Beesley. I think we all share a common view about Jonny Allan. We have a decent defence, but we can't score goals...its kind of important.

just what i have been saying Paul, i am really peed off the way the season has ended i just hope Altrincham get promoted they deserve it they have goalscorers one who is the top league scorer (yet again) and when he isn't scoring they have others who are, sadly we do not have that luxury

Fair enough Dan, but all teams in this league are part time (even Chester), and Halifax, for example, have had a tougher run in than us and are still winning, and scoring goals. I don't want to be too critical, but lets not make excuses for what has been a depressing series of results/performances.

Good point Paul.

I'd suggest that the 2 teams you've mentioned have bigger budgets than ours though - and let's face it, money buys quality or at least a larger squad.

Haven't kept an eye on Chester but I think they've been able to have a "paced" season (ie few postponements) which goes for most of the teams around us I believe, but I stand to be corrected. Halifax are a different matter as they've had their pitch problems too. But again I'd point to the playing budget. While Irvine may be generous, I don't expect that his generosity is the same as the Haflilax if reports are to be believed.

looks like we are stuffed then unless there is considerable investment in the team next season we will be a mid to low table team, we had luck with a couple of signings this year which led us to believe we where better than we are, our form the last 6 games is no better than the teams fighting relegation,

it would be good if we could get an update on the youth teams progress....anyone know if we have any young exciting prospects on the fringe of first team? This is obviously the way forward but I don't know how far along we are to picking out the fruit

Guys I think we will attract a slightly higher calabre of players pre-season, but I do hope we target earlier before the good crop are snapped up by other clubs...I did read somewhere that Weaver will be using the rest of the season to weigh up who to keep and who goes which i think is a wise move...For that reason we may see some fringe players playing.

We could already tell him who should stay and who should go. It's common sense, and has been even more obvious in the second half of the season.

If he wants my opinion, I will quite gladly give him it.

well he obviously wants to go against what we thnk so expect Bolder and Merris to be released and replaced by some shoddy players

Lets switch the who should stay and who should go around then!! That would make perfect, common sense......

Well it worked with nowakowski - i said he was great, low and behold he was dropped against Solihull ( I don't buy the bug thing, probably more like a hangover)

trevdee wrote:Well it worked with nowakowski - i said he was great, low and behold he was dropped against Solihull ( I don't buy the bug thing, probably more like a hangover)

well on that premiss i think Simon is doing a great job

trevdee wrote:Well it worked with nowakowski - i said he was great, low and behold he was dropped against Solihull ( I don't buy the bug thing, probably more like a hangover)

A little dicky bird tells me that he was in the Hospital on Thursday having an X-Ray

Oh that doesn't sound good...He may not be a favourite player but don't wish injuries on anyone so hope he recovers soon.

i always thought he gives 100% when he plays, i think with a bit of good coaching he could become a good player for us just not sure which is his best position but i would still try him upfront and see how he goes not convinced about Larkin tho just what is his role in the team? not seen anything to rave about yet was expecting a bit more from someone whose been playing in a higher league

Taking a somewhat positive note things could be worse - we could have had a historic FA Cup run and then ended up bottom of the Ryman Premier league and facing the drop. Now there is a good reason to moan

gedmaloney wrote:Taking a somewhat positive note things could be worse - we could have had a historic FA Cup run and then ended up bottom of the Ryman Premier league and facing the drop. Now there is a good reason to moan

Talking of which I had a look on their fans forum expecting to see plenty of flak given their situation heading towards Board, Manager and players - criticism yes, loads of personal abuse, not that I could see mm!!

gedmaloney wrote:Taking a somewhat positive note things could be worse - we could have had a historic FA Cup run and then ended up bottom of the Ryman Premier league and facing the drop. Now there is a good reason to moan

yes but we played them twice and still couldn't beat them what does it say about us?

rangerider wrote:

gedmaloney wrote:Taking a somewhat positive note things could be worse - we could have had a historic FA Cup run and then ended up bottom of the Ryman Premier league and facing the drop. Now there is a good reason to moan

yes but we played them twice and still couldn't beat them what does it say about us?

that we got lucky against Torquay which makes us a League 2 side and were unlucky against Hastings whicj makes us a lower table Ryman league side - wasn't the point I was making however