I'm still finding it hard to understand the decision to sack Reidy and put Fletcher in charge, he's very young and totally inexperienced in the role of manager. It's a gamble for sure and I don't feel that now is the time for gambling with our club. Not only this but I feel Fletch is needed on the field - and Larriou, we need the older players out there guiding the youngsters. I know this won't rest well with the green tints but I can't help the way I feel - and that is "uneasy".
Somehow we need a goalscorer from somewhere.........I know that is stating the obvious............but no strikes on target is only ever going to give you a 0-0 draw.........and we aren't in the business of keeping clean sheets. When the take-over is complete the priority is to get a striker in at all costs.
Depends what you call cheap doesn't it. Expensive doesn't always cut it as some of our signings over the last 3 years have proved. Cheap doesn't always cut it either. It is expensive to be relegated having failed however much it has cost you to achieve it.
Think that is done deliberately by Dickdale, he sacked Reid and the only other two who stood up for the players and staff were Fletcher and Larrieu, and I reckon the pair will be gone within 6 months ..... plan completed !
By cheap I mean cheaper than getting another manager in and having to pay compo to another club. Also wasn't he being paid as coach and he was never made manager in name, so he did the top job for the price of the number 2.
Don't know the finances of it all but knowing this club it would have been the cheepest option that won the day. I don't understand the conspiracy theory of Ridsdale having a future plan by bringing in Fletcher and Le Keeper. Ridsdale would have known he was going so what future planning would be to his advantage? Whilst I have every respect for Reid and abhore the manner of his leaving, it is plain that it is a results driven business and he wasn't getting any.
Am I right or wrong,.......did Carl Fletcher get the job of Manager ................or Player/manager..........I thought it was Player/Manager. The reason I ask the question is that..........Fletcher is starting to say there isn't enough time to oversee the players training and fully train himself, and he his saying that he might not continue playing. I have never been a Fletcher fan and although he has been player of the year twice I just am not convinced that he is the bees knees. I grant you he scored a good goal at Shrewsbury......lucky for us. Although saying that in this present team he should be playing regularly because there is no one with his experience and he was the captain, and I think he is worth more as a player than a manager. Is he saying he isn't up to the job of player/manager,..........if that is the case he should step down, and PAFC can get on with the job of finding an experienced guy to do the job.
If he can't cope now, how will he manage to fit in getting his coaching badges ? When hopefully this nightmare is over and we get new players into the side will they be willing to respect someone who only has the experience of being a player ?
Don't worry Gat-po.............,On PAFC's official web-site under an article called "Turning the tables". It's suggested that Carl Fletcher is not losing any sleep about the Pilgrims perilous league position. Carl says that ........"I have not looked at the league table all season". That leaves me Gat-po totally shocked...........and my first thought would be, who the hell are you trying to kid. A brand new stand-in manager and he is suggesting that the league table doesn't bother him.......because he hasn't bothered to look at them......come on Carl pull the other one. With comments like that Gat-po he is making your buddy Ridsdale look a positve saint........and I would suggest that Ridsdale would have him in the office quicker than you Gat-po could say..."I hate the Riddler" and he would be justified in doing so. Does that mean Fletcher doesn't bother to look at the fixture list either and see who we're giving three points to next game, I feel he's slipped into that smart suit to quickly and if as I think he is a player/manager I think he should be in a track-suit.........because he is still one of the playing staff.
Surely Fletcher's appointment is just as it says on the tin: a caretaker position with a chance of becoming permanent if he does well - they all say that don't they? I can't see there's much possibility of making a permanent appointment until the take-over is complete, so we just have to wait and see as in other areas. I do hope when the time comes there is a proper recruitment process with various candidates considered fairly. It would be wrong to appoint Fletcher unopposed on the basis of a couple of good results which may have more to do a sudden & unsustainable burst of morale when proper wage slips drop through the players' doors.
I believe that if Fletcher is unable to turn the tide before xmas then he will step down to allow the (hopefully) new board to choose someone else. Besides did anyone really believe we would beat Crawley? Their owner is buying them up the football leagues - a win was very unlikely. Give him a few more games before judging...
It's good to see new blood,so to speak breaking into league football, and that's what Crawley are. Looking at it from another point of view it can also be a worry, is Crawley Town a sustainable set-up. Yes if their sugar daddy keeps paying the bills and doesn't lose interest in his pet project one day. Enticing good players to a small club,in this case Crawley Town can only be done because you pay the going rate for the talent that you have brought into the club. Crawley as a Town is expanding and developing at a quick rate and has a population at present of 100000 +. With soccer success over the last few years competing with their fellow DIV 2 new comers AFC Wimbledon things should be buzzing in the town. So why are they only having crowds on a good day of only 3000 ? Surely the locals are not all off down the road to rejuvenated Brighton. We see big money slushing around in the Premiership (not all clubs) to a level that is totally obscene and disgusting, in some cases with prima-donna players throwing tantrums because they are only subs, and not keen to come on for only 10 or 15 minutes......nice work if you can get it for £100/150 thousand a week. I digress sorry.......Crawley are different but could be part of the same problem........living beyond their means and unable to pay the bills without outside help...........in Crawley's case a rich owner and no Sky support like in the Premiership. If I was a local person and Crawley was my home.......I would be chuffed at what is happening to my team and I would be crossing my fingers wishing that it aint going to end soon. You can never be sure in football at what's around the corner,so enjoy it whilst it's happening,best of luck to them...........but only 3000 locals interested in a growing town.........oh dear.
Fletcher certainly deserves to be judged over more than 2 matches - and Crawley away was a tough one. However, assuming the deal does go through soon, ideally a permanent manager will be in place: 1) in time to be acclimatised before the January transfer window 2) before any large numbers of the current loans have to be continued or terminated 3) before it's too late to influence the outcome of the season. Those may put pressure on for an early decision.
Hang on are we all trying to make sense of this situation. I stoppped trying to do that a long time ago in this farce. In summary, the appointment of Fletcher as manager does not make sense. I accfepted that when it happened, why waste brain cells trying to think about it? It's like trying to understand why anybody buys Hello! magazine. I do agree that fletch should be playing. After watching/ listening to his interviews he's a far better player than he is an orator.. 'um ye, you know, like'. 'Go on lads get out there and.. er come on lads!' here is an idea, I don't think it's particularly far fetched having observed the last year. Lets not even have a mangager? Just play Fletch. Still cheap and at least he is playing. Surely if he gave a toss he would understand that his footballing abilities (on the pitch) will benefit the club far greater than him sat on the sidelines shouting 'come on lads!'
What was it you said again Fletcher after Reidy went ...... Oh yeah ..... its all about whose in charge and the tactics used ..... beware those words aimed as someone else don't turn around and bite you on the bum !
Tactically inexperienced is my summary up to now. Today is the biggest illistration on that statement so far. We are winning 2 - 0 at half time and they are down to 10 men. What do they do? Do they go defensive and try to shore up for the onslaught that is bound to come or do they just simply play 3 at the back and continue as before. Now normal thinking would be the former and you would expect the opposition to bung on another forward and get ready to charge. What happens in the second half. They go to 3 at the back and we do nothing whatsoever. Did they need to change their line up. Nope because we did absolutely nothing in half 2 is why. Todays result was in my book the biggest disappointment in a very long time. We were lucky to end up with one point never mind going on to take an easy victory. We changed nothing is why in my view. Their manager must be cursing his luck in not getting all 3 today. If it wasnt for the current round of love being poured towards our team I think they would normally have been booed off the park and for the manager's head to be delivered at the gates. Today was nothing short of shocking. Cole our supposed keeper should never be let loose in a keeper's jersey ever again. He is terrible although he did stop us losing it has to be said. Larrieu must pick himself. Walton is a joke as captain and he was aweful as well. Nobody on the pitch today covered themselves in glory. Fletcher must take to the pitch again where he is more effective than in the dugout. I know he was still banned today but I mean for future matches. All we did all afternoon from 4pm onwards was kick the ball anywhere. We never looked like scoring again and never picked up one second ball from anything. It is the worst half of supposed football I have seen at Home Park in years and that is saying something. How they expect to get the people back after today is beyond me.
I could of sworn that they had a player sent off...............and that we had the killer moment of doubling our lead in first half injury time. How do you lose from that situation...............cos thats what it seemed like...............even thou we still got a point. Surely our friends the Football League will investigate it as possibly match fixing. Someone must have made a killing on the Bookies............it can be the only answer. Fletcher and Roo must have learnt some football savvy in all their years in the game.............shouldn't have they? A foul count of one every five minutes..........18 in all.........they weren't trying to get someone sent off.....as part of the master plan. The Ref surely counted how many Accrington players were on the pitch.........could that be the reason we were overrun.......it's got to be the answer,did they have 12 or even 13. Can we hang on long enough for Brent to buy the club............and Fletcher to take his suit off.........and get back with Roo on the pitch where they do slightly a better job. Then get a proper manager and proper coaches and start playing.............proper football, and start using their brains accordingly. If they had lost 3-0 against 11 men it would have felt a better result and certainly less humiliating. Must check the video (or what ever they call it,this day and age) and try and count how many they had on the pitch............or could it be that we had some players who had to catch an early train to London........that might be the answer !!! A proper captain would also help on the field.........now it's been a few years since we had one of them............and also a defence as well............we shall not start talking about an attack as well............and we scored twice today as well. It's a damn good job James Brent isn't a football supporter............he might of changed his mind after that debacle. It aint very relaxing having got all that off my chest.........and now it's bed time........how do I get to sleep after that lot. PS...............where did that nasty little virus come from that was posting all over this site earlier...........did seem to be gloating a touch.......I had great pleasure in Zappppppppping it.
