I don't think you have mellowed at all sensible, in fact this season I have seen you take off your green tinted specs and face reality. Today's match wasn't bad on the grand scheme of things but we still took the lead only to let it slip away - something that had been prevalant this season. One half decent match doesn't make a season and the underlying trend doesn't make pleasant watching/listening. I still stand by my "Fletcher must go" comments of several weeks ago. The only thing that just might make Brent act is the continuation of "Fletcher out" chants at HP - surely he can't ignore that all season...can he? There will be those who say "I would have taken a point from Gillingham before KO" but that isn't good enough we could...no should have taken 3 but we can't hold on to a lead - WHY? I can't believe I am saying this but DS is like a breath of fresh air on these boards, he is saying what I have felt for some time.
I've never had greentinted specs Mrs lalala and I have always looked at reality. Previously though I have been prepared to give the benefit of any doubt but mostly in the hope of something good happening. It hasn't so for me now there is no benefit to be had. My only real criticism of DS previously was the manner in his postings rather than necessarily the underlying message. There is nothing more certain to raise the hackles than somebody being OTT when making a point. It begs argument when put in that way and sure enough the arguments went on. What I have never done is over state what is going on either way. I prefer to be or rather did prefer to be more reasoned. Not everything that Brent does is wrong. Not everything Fletcher does is wrong. Some posters on some sites can't see further than that in anything. That to me is absurd reasoning. Take each thing on it's own merits and then way up the whole. On balance the Brent reign is not looking like anything I want to see. Right now the manager is not performing how I want to see the team perform. Right now overall the football is not good enough for the money charged to watch it. There are glimpses of better things but nothing consistent. All in all it is simply not good enough for a professional setup. For me it's simple. If Fletcher isn't cutting the mustard then get rid. If Brent isn't going to manage the club as a whole in a professional manner with proper standards then go away. From where I sit he looks no better than Heaney would have been or how I imagined he would be. Like Gat's opinion, in some ways it might have been better if the club had been allowed to pass away peacefully than kept alive on a wing and a prayer and die slowly and painfully. Right now it looks like years of pain and if that proves to be the case then the Argyle family will find something else to visit in the end.
Reading match reports of yesterdays match suggests that it was one of Argyles better days........the question that that throws up is......was yesterday one of Gillinghams poorer days.......ok that could of been because of Argyle being more dominant. I have said a few times now that Argyles squad is on a par with the majority of squads in this 4th tier. I do despair at times regarding player selection,tactics and substitutions. Blanchard I believe was carrying an injury from being clattered last week,so can understand why he was only on the bench. He was probably on the bench in case of Purse maybe not lasting the game,having had a injection to help his toe injury settle, I don't think Fletcher wanted to play him this week but with Blanchard not fully fit he had to take the gamble. Playing with neither of them in the team is a disaster waiting to happen and I'm glad Fletcher didn't go down that road. It is becoming evident that we have a goalkeeper problem.neither of are keepers dominate in the air.....and teams are doing their homework and recognize that that is away of gaining an advantage. The last two games plus the Cup game have found Madjo sitting on his hands for the whole match.....seeing that he is a loan player and will not be here forever and has proved he is has good as anything we have got.....why. I do despair when Feeney or Chadwick are preferred before him and cannot understand Fletchers reasoning over this. So although Fletcher gained some comfort from yesterdays performance....I still don't think he can get the best out of this squad with the experience of a year in the job has given him.....he is not the right manager for PAFC.......if we get drawn into a dog fight at the bottom of the league, then what good shoots we have seen will become stifled because survival is more important. I have already said my piece regarding Conference football.....how hard it will be to return from it......and how most Conference promoted teams do well at level 4th tier...some moving on to the next level above. I know it sounds a bad thing to say....but a comprehensive defeat yesterday might have brought Fletchers reign a tad nearer its end....but it will go on and on under Brents approval....just have to keep our fingers crossed that disaster is not beckoning in Apr/May. PS......having since listened to Fletchers chat with Sparksy....it seems that Blanchard was dropped and over his injury.....maybe he should of played then....but that is only my view.
I know that we are a little off topic with my reply above....but you might want to read a very good match report by GillsConnect that is on Newsnow, very balanced and fair.
