Simon Weaver's Selection Policies

Well, after months of research, and some help from Wikileaks, I am now in a position to reveal our esteemed manager's method of team selection:

1) Pick Mark Cook
2) Write the names of all other fit players on little bits of paper
3) Fold the little bits of paper up really small so no-one can see them (Simon has a UEFA 'B' certificate in this)
4) put them into a Worlds Greatest Manager souvenir mug (present from his dad)
5) Pull out 10 names at random
6) repeat 42 times until relegated.

He can't get away from long ball football. Looking at our squad how would you play it? I know for one Turl would be on the bench, we would not be looking to hoof at every opportunity. Now is not the time for playing unproven players, its so frustrating, we have a lot of quality in the side at the minute, but its just not working. Case in point, yesterday, once we brought the wide players on we were far and beyond the better team, but how many times were our wide players isolated with no support? We need to work together. Watching the defence being warmed up by simon pre match, all their play involved long balls hoofed across the pitch to eachother. We need a centermid to link the play, but quite often we just bypass them completely.

Cookie is quality we know that so he gets in.
Pell is vital, as he goes up for everything.
The rest its difficult to fit together.

I'd hope to see something a bit for focused on our strengths, we have a very good footballer in Chib, but our football is poor and he is very unsuported. Elam/Bolland/Dean/Platt are all confident on the ball, so any of those in the middle should improve things, Dean and Platt appear to have the energy to get up and down. As much as I hate to say it but we need Brayson's experience, and if we stop hoofing the ball up to him and play the ball to feet/space we might have a chance.

Cookie
Bloomer Pell White Craig
Platt
Bolland Dean
Youhill Elam
Chib/Brayson

SOmething like that appears our best lineup at present.

He is just tactically inept. He could pick the BSN best XI, and be in the BSN Relegation Zone, or lower half of the table.

Anyone remember the midfield that was going to help us get into the play-offs? Turnbull, Ross, Wilson and Tait!

What about Baldry and Toner who are playing on a regular basis at Guiseley!

Phillips, Armstrong, Scooby?

Simon Weaver has not got a clue on how to manage a football team, it's time for Mr Weaver senior to grow some balls and get rid of his incompetent son and save our club whilst we still can! Enough said!

Listening to the non league podcast, the darlo? manager admitted he couldn't do anything else, and has asked for someone more experienced to come in and work along side him to save them. Weaver take note.

I have always given Weaver the benefit of doubt thinking he will grow in the role and perhaps one day deliver the goods, but this won't happen whilst I am alive and I'm 31!

What was learnt in the Corby match should have been built on, for me I would have Meechan sat behind the front two of Brayson and Chibs. When he has been allowed some freedom he has shone (I can count on one hand how many times he has started) and really linked up well with Brayson. I would cancel the loan of the young lad at right back as he seems to lack what is required at this level and play Bloomer there (I certainly wouldn't play Bloomer in midfield). I also think Pell is really lacking pace so Weaver needs to stick with Picton to play alongside or we are screwed for pace.

Youhill for me has to start every game, other than the Vauxhall game he has looked dangerous. Allan and Turl would never even make the reserves for me and I'm sure with the money Allan is on they could have probably got 2 decent young guys with pace, power and composure.

Lastly - If I was a youngster I wouldn't dream of learning my trade with Harrogate Town and applying for the new youth scheme, as they will be encouraged to play in a similar fashion as the first team, going by when I grew up playing for Scarborough FC. Perhaps this is why the application dates have been extended.

To summarise Weaver is destroying this club and as a Guisely fan shouted " Weaver you are the laughing stock of the BSN".

Good observations, and I agree with a lot of you said. We do need pell though, without him we are very weak in the air (see the motors game). I know its not fair to pick on the young rightback, but I tend to agree with everything you have said. Meechan did pretty well vs eastwood, but he missed an absolute sitter and it seems weaver has had it in for him since. I'd forgotten all about him so that shows how much game time he's getting. I'm finding it hard to accept that our squad isn't good enough to compete, and looking at weaver post match in the bar he looked gutted. I don't doubt that he genuinely cares for the club, but we are only going 1 way under him. I think his age is playing against him too, a lot of the players are older than him! Also is so silent on matchdays, doesn't make a sound. I don't dislike him as a person, but he's showing not up to the job. Perhaps the lack of disiplie on field is giving us indications into problems off it.

Lot of good posts here, hard to disagree with any of them. As Chris says the tragedy in a way is that Simon does seem like a genuinly decent guy, and I am also sure that he is desperate to succeed (the endless tinkering with the team selection probably reflects this). But it also plainly is not working for him or the team (two years with a decent budget to work with surely proves this). We have the 'unsolveable' dilemma of his father's ownership of the club, and the combination is dragging us down to (potential) relegation.

Regarding the team: yes Brayson should start with Chilaka: he has been disappointing of late but is always likely to get you a goal and he needs to justify his wages. I like the idea of Meechan behind these two. Youhill is frustrating, but does look dangerous. Bloomer, Pell, Picton, Radcliffe should be on the team sheet each week. Platt should be persevered with and then Brough and White, if fit. Adam might be in contention soon. Certainly Turl, Allen, the two young loanees are not the answer.

Gonna be interesting to see the selection on Saturday.

I hope a joint-manager is appointed in pre-season.

Adam said to me he'd be back this saturday.

Not even Adam could save us from this predicament. We are either going down, or we will be saved by Eastwood or Histon going out of business.

Just a few thoughts:

We might win on Saturday, and end up surviving, but what happens next year? If we do go full time, most of the current squad won’t be here.

I seem to remember that at the open evening we were told that the budget will be about the same. That obviously means that we have to get cheaper, pro rata, players, who therefore won’t be ‘as good’ as the current squad.

Simon talked about younger players, but who would be working part time? What is the definition of full time players? Is it having a part time job, but being available to train every day?

It may make sense to bring in younger players, who don’t have as much experience of managers, and who therefore won’t be able to compare Simon with their previous managers.

All players want to play football, and all would like to win, but I cant help thinking that if I’d been told that I’m going to be sacked in a few months, then not only would my heart not be in it, but I’d be thinking “b***ocks to you then”, and my priority would be looking up all my old contacts to make sure I’d got a job to go to.

If they’ve any sense they’ve probably already got agreements in place…as long as they don’t get injured!...how committed will that make them to going in for that tackle….or chasing down that loose ball.

Is it going to make that much difference to a player’s employability if they are part of a team which gets relegated or which just survives? Either way, they’ve got a ready made excuse where to point the finger and they can say “Look, I’m not the only player who was good before they went to Harrogate, we can’t all have suddenly turned in to bad players at the same time”

If we’re struggling this season, but manage to survive, and the players aren’t as good next season, with tougher teams coming in to our league,where are we going to end up?

If we get relegated, are we still going to go full time?

Its all gone terribly quiet on the official site, nothing all week basically. Even they are finding it hard to stay cheerful!

Everyone involved with club needs to pull their heads out of the sand and just have a go at it! All the players/staff looked gutted on Saturday, but Saturday is a new game. Interesting post BB, we won't really know much until something is announced. You could also be right with regards to the players and the likelihoods of them leaving, but then again in non league it seems the done thing is short term contracts and lots of movement!

Fair point ChrisM, a player’s contract may be up at the end of the season anyway.

But in a normal situation the players would be playing their hearts out with a view to being offered another contract, which they could accept or not..it would be their choice. Or they’d be trying to impress other managers hoping to get an offer.

As it is now, our players know that they’ll be going however well they play.

I don't want to sound unduly critical,I know the players do try, but last week was terrible.

When was the last time we came away thinking that any of our players had run themselves in to the ground?

The last players I seen who gave their all....3 names spring into mind, and that is Picton, Nowakowski and Radcliffe.

Weaver rallies supporters in todays paper, he should spend more time rallying his players.

He could have rallied us 3 months ago, but he chose not to, and he never has done in the 3 years he has been in charge.

Desperate times call for desperate measures eh?