Well here we are at the bottom of the football league. The revolving door that we have on the managers office (mind that you don't hit your ass on the way out) makes me often wonder where the real problem of our lack of progress lay. Wolverhampton Wanderers sacked their manager after they lost to Luton Town in the FA cup. Luton are doing pretty well at the moment albeit whilst in the Blue Square Premier. They have been down there for four seasons. It could be that we may pass them on the way down if they go up. It would be ironic as their manager is a Mr Paul Buckle. Another thread in this forum reports on the board not replying to Martin Allen, when he made an enquiry about the vacant managers position before the appointed MM. Seeing how MM was a late recruitment, if I recall the closing date had been reached. So given that we have had a plethora of managers that looked good on paper before they arrived and seeing how good PB is doing at Luton and the board have an arrogant attitude, I ask one question; is it the manager or the board?
I'll let you guess my answer! I would have crawled 100 miles over broken glass and carried Martin Allen back to the Mem to take the managers job.
is it the board? no. is it the manager? no. to me it started when lennie went.... i think getting rid of lennie was wrong: but on the OS forum many many fans wanted him out thinking he didnt do anything. the board listened. i think getting rid of trollope was wrong: i honestly dont think we would have gone down if we kept him but as above, on the OS forum many many fans wanted him gone. the board listened. penney came in and was given just 12 games: not enough time to get a sinking ship in order especially bringing in his own players who were good players. just didnt get a chance. but it was terrible under him. think the board was so worried that we may actually go down then re-acted too quick. and again the majority on the OS fans forum wanted penney gone. the board listened. campbell loved the club and never stood a chance really. no management experience and stuck with a team who didnt perform that whole season. a lot of fans on the OS forum wanted buckle (for the record i didnt). the board listened. things didnt work out with him. again the fans wanted him gone like myself and the board obviosuly didnt want to sack him after sacking the above managers and standing by buckle over campbell. however the fans were so vocal, the board listened. mcghee, no one saw that coming and majority of fans thought this was a great coup for us. had a good record apart from aberdeen. a lot of people thought we had the manager to take us up especially after saving us and being undefeated at home last season under him. the board obviously felt the same. mcghee talks a good talk. this season under him was shocking and although he was unlucky with injuries when the majority of these players came back he still played players out of position. fans again wanted him out and again the board listened. people wont like this but, is it the board? no. is it the managers? no. to me, its the fans. we went from a family club with a great fan base to a poisonous atmosphere and abusing our own players and not giving any player a chance to do well before even kicking a ball. a player makes a mistake and a someone shouts out to him "your a ****ing ****". well that will encourage the player wont it! how many time have you seen when a new player joins that on the OS forum they rip into the player already saying he aint good enough and he hasnt even kicked a ball yet. players getting abused on twitter by our own fans. we have become a joke of a club now and so many times have i seen and heard bad publicity over our fans when we are at home its unreal. opposition managers using us fans to motivate their own players saying 'score an early goal and their fans will turn on them'. we are to blame. yes managers been poor so the buck should be aimed to the board but they hired and fired who the fans wanted. managers and the board are to blame but to me we are the main ones to be blamed.
Captain Jack, I agree it all went to rat **** when Lennie left. I think though it was more a financial based decision than the fans. I liked Lennie I think he was doing a good job with trolls with the limited funds available. However, that said, maybe the board thought that trolls had developed enough to stand on his own two feet. We will never know what would have happened if Trolls had stayed and I am guilty of calling for him to go when he seemed to lose the way on player selection. Well we certainly could not be in a worse condition to as today. I really hope Wardy succeeds, the alternative does not bear thinking about. I just don't want us becoming Luton, Grimsby, Stockport, Lincoln or Mansfield. We beat Plymouth but they are as bad as us and the Gills beat us when looking ordinary. We cannot continue to have different managers we need a period of stability. We now have January to turn it around. If we don't we are gone. The board appointed all the managers, I believe that they should have ultimate responsibility and be accountable for their s decisions. Wardy has been reported as saying he wentt to bed quite happy. Strange that I went to bed down in the dumps. As they say, "the only way is up". Therefore, yes the fans made known their respective opinions known through the forums. But, they must carry the can.
Guys I think its a bit of all the above to blame, were a disfunctional mess at the moment or so it seems, the new ground could be fundamental to the club, if Sainsburys get the go ahead, were in wonderland long term, if it all falls through, then god knows what will happen with the club in the position its at now, I personally think things need changing from top to bottom (might only be small tweeking required) if we are serious about the club. There is another version and thats to just except our club for what it is, this might even mean playing non league football and get on with it.
Sorry dont really agree with everything written here! Yep we got some "moron" fans who won't be happy until we are like "manure utd" and winnin everything - something that will never (in my lifetime) happen ... and you don't think that every club has fans like these?? Back in the Gerry Francis days we all stood together and got the club through what is (up until now!!) our most precarious situation - nearly going out of buisness! And so it has come around again that we are in REAL danger of dropping out of the football league - and somehow CJS - it is the fans fault? If you chat to anyone with insider knowledge of how the club has been run over the last decade or so you will know that it has been run a bit like the big empire over in Florida - a MM operation - everything about this club is amatuer to say the least! People not gettin paid properly, go out and say to other people - don't work with them they are C$!P ... and so it goes on, and like breeds like! Sure the board has dug into their own pockets and put their own money into the club ..... but also many questions have been asked about where the money went from the couple of "good" seasons we had? Nothing is transparent, and lots of questions go unanswered. And we have heard from many a person who what to come in and change the club for the good of everybody only to be rejected from this board. True that the "fan power" has influenced the board into making decisions, but in my eyes this present board also have a lot of questions to answer for .... I have been a gashead for over 40 odd years and seen the good, the bad and the ugly - players come and players go, but this season has got to be down there with the lowest. So is it the board - in my opinion the majority of the blame must lie at their feet - they are the ones who started the rot with bad management of the club - everything else has changed numerous times but we are still in the same predicament, so the one common factor is the people at the top! Start running the club in a proffessional manner from the top and everything else will fall into place! (If its not to late that is!!!) UTG
Rhinestone If you look at my comment again and your comment, you will see we agree on a lot of things. This thread is about the board and managers. I wanted to chuck in the fans as well into the discussion. Obviously not all fans. Of course the board and managers are not blameless. I can only comment on what I see and hear. I know no one on the board and I know no one who is in the know on things. I have no idea on the politics side of the board and how they run things. I can only see things from the terraces. Obviously there are things going on behind closed doors that is not good for our club. But I dont have the answers. All I can see is the board spending money to right the wrongs on the pitch and the new stadium (pending sainsburys decision) and when things dont work out on the pitch, the board backs down and sacks the manager due to the fans. We know the board reads the OS forum as they said so on many ocassions. I know it aint this rosy in the board of course but im not privileged to know the things that I would like to know. Only thing I get to see are things like this from the fans... [video=youtube;gGtB52MPR_0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gGtB52MPR_0[/video] Like I said before. we went from a family club with a great fan base like the twerton days then to a poisonous atmosphere. I been ashamed of some of our support in recent years. A new player joins and the fans moan saying not good enough before he has kicked a ball. Remember the abuse Chris Zebroski got last season? I cant remember the last time that this didnt happen - during a game if our player makes a mistake, someone always shouts out to him "your a ****ing ****". Well that will encourage the player wont it! Seen players getting abused on twitter by our own fans. The thing that hurts me the most is that the opposition uses our fans as motivation for their players to score an early goal and the rovers fans will turn on them and their heads will drop. Im sure many players have rejected joining us due to our fans. Im just being honest on what I can see. Thats all the info I have. Our fans must take part of the blame. Gone are the days where no matter the score or position we were in or what player we have signed, our fans stuck together in being 100% right behind out club. You said "Start running the club in a proffessional manner from the top and everything else will fall into place! (If its not to late that is!!!)"... Amen to that Rhinestone
If you took that clip cjs you were standing about 5m from me! That group of 'fans' is notorous on that terrace. I've heard them (particularly the 'lady') criticise Trollope, Campbell, Buckle, McGhee etc and almost every player in the blue and white...they're not typical though. Have you heard the git at the other end of that open terrace, one step down, who gives EVERY linesman and referee constant abuse.....thinks he's funny but most there just shrug!
not my clip my friend. im in the blackthorn which might expain why i hear so much abuse! that clip was just an example how bad our fans have become and poisonous compared to the twerton days i miss twerton
I know CJS - just me lettin off steam ... rather on here than on the terraces!!! I know where your comin from - lots of negatives from all over the place, but you do have to say it has been dire and all one way since Saints away (wot a glorious night that was!!! ... and I didn't hear any moaning then!!) I will still keep on going (making the long trip up to Fletwood on Sat - weather permitting!) and I will still keep on cheering the Gas - for it is in my BLOOD! I NEVER boo (only when in my opinion the opposition cheats!) and I will ALWAYS be Blue & White, as long as we are in existance! IF we go down and Salisbury go up then at least I will only have a bout a 10 mile trip to see that one!!
here here have a pint for me at fleetwood and sing the boys on for me hope the long trip is worth it as you fans who travel the distance deserves better.
