I was surprised and excited when McGhee was announced as our new manager. It seemed to be quite a coup, and he too looked like the sort of man who could take us back up through the league. So where are we now? Almost at the bottom of L2....although it's fair to say that it's still early days. McGhee's record so far (and there may be a mistake or two in these figures) P29 W10 D9 L10 F37 A38 I've included the Wycombe 'result'. He's also had the benefit of the honeymoon period most new managers enjoy, and he's had the summer to shape this season's squad. So not quite what we were hoping for! My concerns: -we're shipping goals, and 12 of our goals were scored in 2 games at the end of last season -we've got another loanee 'keeper -we haven't replaced Carayol with another striker -all the talk of learning from Crewe and their encouragement of youth hasn't materialised -we're overloaded with average midfielders -attendances are dropping -dodgy signings like the unfit and lumpy Graham -what to do about Virgo -an increasingly intolerant section of fans Unlike the situation with Buckle, I really want McGhee to succeed and be around for a while. He's on a two and a half year contract. However I can't see much evidence of progress.
Well I think we all hope he produces for us and quickly. We need stability more than anything but if our managers do not preform, we have to act or run the risk of losing our football league position. I actually think this runs deeper than the manager. I mean for **** sake, we have had some (on paper) decent managers come in as a godsend, and leave as among “the worst we have ever had” types. Penney had a decent record before he came here, brought in some great players IMO and just didn’t get the run of the green (players didn’t seem to play and didn’t get much support) Campbell was a great player who had the respect of our players but failed and left pretty sharp afterwards. Buckle was a fool for saying some of the things he did, but again he was a great up and coming manager and again he crashed and burned here. Same could happen here as well with MM and it doesn’t look good for him at the moment So what is causing this?? I have no idea, but I think it could run deeper than the managers ability. Perhaps the board cause disruption to the managers and limit them too much or something? All I know is we have had some decent managers on paper come in to manage us and they just don’t seem to be able to do it here. Same with some of the players we have signed, some just don’t make it here despite the quality stats they had before they came here. Something is wrong behind the scenes, I just don’t know what it is!
You make a really good point there Chris...managers and players who have either done well elsewhere, or go on to do well at another club. Wright and Hughes have gone on to do well, and both Penney and Buckle looked like good appointments. I don't think our fans are that very different from most..in fact we put up with a lot and the away support is always excellent. If the fault is in the boardroom I'm not informed enough to put my finger on it. I don't think that our chairmen have interfered in team affairs, and have usually backed their managers. We're not a rich club, and the directors have dipped into their pockets. I sometimes wonder if we pay our players too much. Perhaps we need to have younger, hungrier players.
In fairness to MM the team of players is very different to the ones he finished last season with. I assume that we have spent and continue to spend a fair amount of cash on the proposed new stadium,which no doubt never mind what we acheived for Caryol and Lambo limits the amount of cash Mcghee has to spend in the transfer market. MM has also been hampered by the contracts thrown around by his predecesor Chuckle who signed was it 18 new faces leaving MM with players that would not have made his team.This has left him scrabbling around for loanees youngsters or unfit players on the fringes of there previous team given potential cash restraints. I would also suggest that he has been seriously unlucky with injuries leaving us with crisis management in defence and the midfield. Our centre midfield in my opinion is woeful both Gil (works hard) and Wayne Brown appear not strong in the tackle or good enough to break up play and provide the neccesary support and link between defence and attack.Richards is played out of position and offers limited cover for defence and Lee Brown is also a shadow of his former self and lightweight in supporting the defence when required leaving Paterson whose legs are showing age vunerable to attacks down the flanks. Whilst I am not a fan of Virgo its a good job we have him as we have lost Kenneth,Woodards and now Bolger so he will resume his cenral defensive duties as we are not replacing Bolger assume we dont have the cash for another Loanee? Parkes will come good as long as he plays with a regular centre half so he is able to build up an understanding. MM has brought some reasonable players into the club who have yet to make an impact due to injuries match fitness and playing with a settled side.I am however dissapointed by the goalkeeper....was he the cheap option as he had a torrid time at Yeovil.....maybe I am being unfair as the players in front of him are not providing him with much support.We should have ditched Bevan and brought in Poke ar a similar experienced goalkeeper suggest cash contracts may have been a root cause to this not happening. It does not make him a bad manager just limited by resources,I he could only change the midfield ,play a settled side and we should stop shipping in to many goals. No rose tinted glasses here,iIts going to be a long ardous and painful season,suggest we get behind the chosen 11 players, wait until at least 10 games in before we start worrying about what lies ahead. Its definately not the start we all wished for COR
as highlighted above.... mcghee has made several mistakes, most crucial for me is chasing constable since may to august and then gave up and said we wont bother getting any striker. but i still think mcghee is the right guy for the job. he needs time and to find a settled side.
My concern for you lot with McGee is what the Aberdeen fans said. Started of OK but then become to stubborn for his own good. Chasing Constable all summer has left you without much attack now he has failed in his capture, for then to turn round and say he is ok with what he already has. I'm going to stick my cock on the block and say that you won't go down, but do worry as Chris says something is not right maybe it's the board or maybe it's managment I have no idea if he changed the backroom staff but something is not ticking the boxes for you.
magoo is saving gas money not employing a goal keeper, but even aj is beginning to think you need one. gills 5 gas 0
hes been great for you so far, and i hope your current form continues To be fair ever thought the managers that have come in arent actually that good? as well as the players? You wouldn't be 2nd bottom of league 2 if you had a good managers and good players, in fact it would be the opposite reason, but still don't think you'll be going down, far from it, mid table for you
Cast your minds back Gasheads in the 2006/7 season we had an awful start and had only won 1 from 4 games (that year we lost to Wycombe and this year we had the game in the bag you know the rest) and were in a similar league position to where we are now.!By the 5th game we were 19th and had lost 4 outta 5. As CJ said the fruitless chase for Constable has left us short in the striking dept and to give the current boys confidence Mcghee has issued a statement that we are not looking for another striker.In the 2006/7 we picked up Lambert for £200k,I would suggest that we are still looking and will go for one when the transfer window opens next in the meantime we have to go with with what we have! Other parallels maybe that as with Hunt our capt early on in 2006/7 left under a cloud,whats the odds on losing Gill and Kenneth stepping up as our new capt when he returns to fitness etc and we get in a new midfielder to replace W Brown.Well at least W Brown going anyway! So all to play for Gillingham up next, not expecting much but a draw would be a massive bonus a win (LOL) would help the team regain a footing in the league. The Gills will be expecting to win at home but footballs a funny game COR
Very interesting points. All I know is that something wierd goes on. Ever since we went to the Mem our overall record is crap. Some highs but many lows. It is early in the season and maybe things will pick up. All I know is that we dont want to be scrabbling for points at the end of the season. One point, I dont believe Bevan should be our Goalie. Poke was the better bet. Our defense needs to have confidence in the Keeper and I dont think Bevan does the job. Plus we need a nippy little forward; someone who could feed off Harrold and allow Richards to play support just behind.
