Guitar Ray

Exactly. We’ve appointed a new manager, the fans have to back the team. What will be will be. Our league position will ultimately decide.

Much of what you say is true but you could easily argue part of DC’s failure was down to the players recruited, or not recruited, under Flitcroft in the January window that season, a trend that’s continued, resulting in the departure of another manager. The recruitment team have had 3 transfer windows to address our lack of goals and have failed. That’s a bit longer than you and your flat, which I hope works out by the way. We can appoint the very best manager but then also have a duty to give him the tools to do the job. We failed to do that for DC, failed again for Crosby and failed Moore by appointing him immediately after the window has shut. It’s gross mismanagement, reactive rather than proactive which shows a lack of planning. When you start churning managers plus all their staff it costs significant money. That money could, and should, have been spent on players, which would improve the team and help keep the manager in a job, not to mention drive revenues in the obvious ways any successful team would see. It’s a fundamental failing, we shouldn’t be depending on the allure of Moore, although I like the sound of that, to attract free agents. It’s desperation. Gayle is linked to Derby I believe? Plus I’ll just point out that Gore isn’t a replacement for Massey. Gore and Wier are stepping into the roles vacated by Arblaster and Devine.

What are you on about you drongo. The light is bright, and has been for a good while.

It’s already too toxic, the appointment of Moore had just made it an undercurrent. I think League 1 survival would save him, such would be the relief, but relegation, certainly if it was confirmed before the end of the season, would be a bridge too far and the pressure too great for Carol to ignore. Either way the club need to have an inquest at the end of the season.

There can be no other option. Her letter was a plea, which in fairness to Carol we should answer. We desperately need to stay up and personally I will back the team 100% until we’re down, at which point Carol can’t blame anyone else other than terrible recruitment over 3 transfer windows which has actually cost 2 managers their jobs and lands squarely at the door of the DoF. Even if we stay up, financially it’s cost us as we’ve paid off 2 managers and all their staff balanced against the cost of a good striker or two. Changing the manager has bought time buts results on the pitch will decide how much time that is.

Not if we get relegated.

It’s very clear that transfer dealings over 3 windows have totally shafted us and barring a miracle will result in our relegation, with all the financial implications. There’s no escaping who is responsible. If and when we’re mathematically down then Carol will have to take action. It’s quite obvious what that will entail. It won’t be a new manager.

It wasn’t “placid” at Fleetwood. You obviously weren’t there.

Just listened to the pod. Flitcroft isn’t short of words that’s a fact. If we missed out on all those strikers he cites it’s still really poor in my view. 2 or 3, 4 or 5 even, but it just sounded like excuses after a while, chances are too many we’ve been looking at were unrealistic targets. Moore will obviously be a bigger draw than Crosby ever was on that score so that should help. Not sure if I interpreted it right but it sounded to me like Crosbys time was up weeks ago if it took a couple of weeks of talking to get Moore signed up. Maybe I just misinterpreted what was said.

Maybe that reliance wasn’t so much down to AC as club policy is well known, to go out and get top young players in on loan as well as promoting our own youth wherever possible. Also, there have been times where we’ve had no choice but to rely on youth players due to injuries. Not suggesting AC was totally faultless by the way. He was new to management but so was even the most successful manager at some point, they all have to start somewhere. I can’t get my head round the idea the a good coach can’t become a good manager, which was one of the things thrown at Crosby from day one. It may not have worked out for him but plenty of others have made the transition from coach or assistant manager.

Haven’t listened to it but agree with what you say regarding abuse. Part and parcel of the job unfortunately, although there is a limit to what could be seen as reasonable. There will always be boo boys that’s a fact.

I don’t have any great wisdom. It isn’t a requirement in this instance. I’m only commenting on what’s in front of my nose as a fan sitting in the stands every week. For balance, as I’ve stated elsewhere, Flitcroft has done plenty of good. Not all of the recruitment has been bad, the appointment of Clarke was down to him as is the appointment of Moore, although any manager also needs to be given the tools to do the job.

He’s Director of Football so he’s responsible for overseeing player recruitment and has a team that he’s in charge of to help in that task. He has a budget to work within like everyone else, less than some clubs, more than others, but he has to make it work. To watch rivals recruit whilst failing to recruit anybody up front in January, leaving us with out of form Loft, injury prone Wilson and unproven Dipepa, given we’re already shot shy, just lost our top scorer, in a perilous league position and should’ve learned the lesson last season is negligence in my view. It’s fairly obvious to me but how hard is it for you to see?

Fans have every right to whinge when results and performances have been so consistently dire in recent months to the point where we’ve slipped from virtual table toppers to relegation fodder. If you look at the recruitment situation clearly we needed to strengthen our striking options in the last 3 windows. This last window we’ve watched all our rivals add forwards to their squads whilst we’ve gone backwards, not reacting to losing a recent recruit, Uche, plus our top scorer, Garrity, to injury. Why shouldn’t fans whinge about this?

To be fair we’ve not been “tippy tappy” lately, although we are soft centred as you say.

The only thing horrendous about the windows is our continued inability to sign proven forwards. There has been some good recruitment, albeit this time we’re short at LWB. The likes of Ripley, Chislett, Arblaster, Devine aren’t bad recruits. We played good football, with wingbacks early in the season. Injuries have had a major impact although we have been too rigidly fixed to a system. The plan all along is to get our own young players into the team. Sadly the best of these, James Plant, is another on the injury list. They’re not simply building an “office”, it’s a facility for the players, including moving the gym to allow Lorne St stand to be fully opened. We NEEDED to appoint a coach/manager and Crosby, for whatever reason, got the gig. It didn’t work out. You’re right it’s not a gameshow, it’s life, and things don’t always go to script.

Flitcroft, fair enough on the player recruitment side and clearly, for whatever reason, the Crosby appointment didn’t work out. On the flip side, you have to give him credit for the appointment of Clarke, and with it promotion, or are you ignoring that? I’m not a fan of Flickers but I’ll back Carol’s judgement for a while longer. If we’re relegated then the inquest can be held at that point. Up ‘til then the team need support from the stands. You seem to have an agenda against the owners. I think you’re way out of touch with the vast majority of our fans on that score. It’s easy to come on here spouting drivel so why not make your point, stand outside the main entrance at the next home game and protest away to your hearts content.

Flitcroft is involved in the whole football side not just the first team. The first team recruitment has left us short, simple as that.

That’s what you should be said in the first place then there would’ve been no reply from me, wordy or otherwise. The only thing I’d add is that even you can’t see the future so name whoever you want as manager it’s only ever best guess, so Crosby, Clarke or anyone else could succeed or fail, we’d never know unless they’re given the chance, and more importantly, the tools to do the job, that last bit is down to the DoF and his recruitment team. Oh, and a slice of luck. Crosby wasn’t blessed with that either.

Your first sentence is patently wrong. If I give someone a job it’s in the belief that they’ve earned their chance, usually, in this case, by having a proven good track record in football, as was the case with DC. But it’s not simply an individuals CV, there are also many other factors which come into play. In Crosbys case the club knew the character of the man and already had trust in him. They obviously thought his coaching and man management skills were good, having observed them first hand. He knew the workings of the club and the blue print. He knew the players and they seemingly had a lot of respect for him. You only have to listen to Ojo in his latest interview. The club decided to offer Crosby the role based on these factors. It was less of a risk than employing a manager based on his CV, an interview and a few recommendations, which is where we are right now. Whoever gets the job will have “earned their chance” in the eyes of the club. There’s a lot of pressure to get it right but one look at them lot down the road will tell you all you need to know about how easy it is to recruit a successful manager in football.

Flitcroft’s overall record isn’t mixed, it’s good. All the off field stuff is heading in the right direction. He got 1 managerial appointment right, and without an unforeseen tragedy we wouldn’t have needed to appoint Crosby, who in my view had earned his chance. The elephant in the room is the striker saga.

Nobody said wages weren’t the main driver. Someone suggested training facilities don’t matter, which is a load of bo77ocks.

Exactly this.

I’ll have a guess here but that’s because you aren’t a professional footballer, and likely never played footballer at all. Meanwhile, back here on planet earth, training facilities matter whatever the sport. That’s why you don’t see many professional golfers training down their local crazy golf course. Even pub teams will get on the astroturf, 3G or go indoors in winter to be able to train. Think about that for a second then feel free to go back to your ramblings.

Better footballers want decent training facilities, be a good chap and pass it on to the other dim wits.