I have just read this great blog from someone over on TWTD and I think it offers the best analysis that I have seen as to our current woes. I have found it to be balanced and fair and brilliantly sums up how many of us Townies are feeling right now. It makes for a cracking read. http://www.twtd.co.uk/news.php?storyid=19660
Very good read, certainly highlights what a down turn we have had since ME has put his money in. I really liked the bit about how the down turn in academy players progressing into the first team, this needs to be addressed urgently!
The Guardian article which it links to about Bruce is also very interesting-heaven forbid we consider him as a replacement.To quote from it, it particularly draws attention to "his apparent inability to tweak formations or tactics during matches. Whenever a rival manager re-configured his system mid-game, Bruce invariably failed to come up with a countermeasure." Could equally have been written about Jewell.I felt following our brief successful period we were found out by Portsmouth and even though we won their closing down of Bullard etc has sown the seeds of our present failings .Jewell seems clueless about how to resolve the issues.
Amazingly something worth reading on TWTD - Im amazed!! He makes some good points and some rather impossible ones. For example I dont know how you can get 25000 through the gate and make us a sustainable club whilst also making year on year improvements. its an aspiration we would all like but the first part the club can do nothing about, although exciting football may help, and year on year improvements normally means financial outlay. Whilst ME is happy to bankroll us then I dont thinks its a problem if we spend but its how we spend it. I dont want us to be a chequebook club but its pointless being a pauper when you can live as a prince. We must invest in youth, potential and the odd rough gem aswell as the odd 'must have' signing I also dont agree that Jewell is yesterdays man when it comes to tactics. Whether it is 442, 4141, 41212 or 433 they can all do a job for us but its who is used not what formation and this is where we really do need to become a little wiser. In relation to signing youngsters then yes, I want us to aswell but currently there is something called a transfer window that limits what we can do as a club. I think we were all fairly happy with what we got in the summer as a short term fix. The odd noise may have been made about certain players but in general we were all happy and nobody moaned about Dads army before the season or when we were winning. However we can give some of our fringe players the chance to step up and this is what I would like to see until the transfer window if Jewell stays. In relation to the loss of Lavery, for example, I agree with Jewell who said he wouldnt offer him stupid money when he had yet to do anything for us. Jewell believes in regular pay rises based on what a player has contributed and I 100% agree with him. I believe Cresswell has already signed at least 1 new contract since the start of the season because he has proved that he deserves one. I agree with the blog that we have signed too many players for no reason and all 3 of the ME era managers have been guilty of this. Some have been bad players and some have been good players for which we have had no need. A clearer idea of what is need is a major requirement for us and if we can sort this problem out it may go along way to sorting our mess out. I would ideally like a squad with 2 players and 2 players only for each position, other than goalkeeper where I think 3 is important. This does not need to mean a 23 man squad as some players are highly adaptable but it means a close knit squad with several options and a team unity. We have players that are nowhere near our first team squad and they know this, If they are training with the first team then it cant be good for either the club or the individuals concerned. Whether it is with Jewell or a new manager a long term plan, a scouting network and a TEAM rather than individuals are a must going forward. I think we all need to learn something. Us fans need a bit of patience, although passion does turn us all. 6 games without a point is not acceptable but it is also not possible to go and buy a new team outside of the window and not all fixes come along automatically. We could call for a new manager every month but every story is sensationalised these days when on many occasions it is not required. Players and coaches go from superstar to zero in the space of a game. New players are automatically **** unless they control a game in the first match and we never have a happy medium. The players need to show some passion. I dont care what level you play at the least we expect is 100% effort and if we are outplayed and out thought then I have no problems in losing but alot of our performances have been gutless and this is never acceptable. If you cant put in the commitment, desire and concentation to perform then bugger off - Our club doesnt need you The manager and coaching staff need to firmly get their ideas across and if the players dont listen then dont play them, it really is that simple. I think a better bench is needed. We seem to want to be able to bring on game changing players in an attacking sense, with 4 wide or attacking players along side the keeper on the bench, but a Hyam/ Kennedy type player is equally a match winner but in a different style. Our defence scares me and the whole defensive set up is something that needs to be looked at but from an outside point of view it seems obvious that we have to forget about players names and reputations and start to think about what actually fits into an 11. For me Andrews and Bullard have both been poor the last couple of matches, Leadbitter has never been great and Bowyer is yet to show any of the bite that he is renown for. I have sympathy with Jewell in the fact that all 4 are off form but if they arent performing drop them. We have the likes of Carson and Martin/ Edwards who can play in a four or as widemen in a 5. We have Hyam and Kennedy what can take 1 of the central places which leaves 1 or 2 positions for these other 4 to take. The upper management needs to be communitive and actually tells fans what is happening. If Jewells job is safe for a minimum of 2 years because they feel it is a long term job and we need to give him time to sort things out then tell us. We may not be happy but at least we would know that there is a feeling of building something permanent. Talk about premiership asap is pointless as we have always looked a millions miles away from a class side and anybody that says otherwise is quite frankly mad. I think we are nothing more and nothing less than an average team. We will go on the odd good run and the odd poor run. I dont think our current run is acceptable but winning 4 in a row wouldnt make us brilliant either. The overall picture just doesnt seem to be an easy fit and these concerns definately have some foundations. I just hope those who are paid to do so think long and hard about what this club needs. If it is Jewell and time so be it but if its something new then make sure you get the appointments right.
Indeed a good read with far more substance than the one you put up here a couple of weeks ago. I particularly like or dislike(i can't decide) the one sentence about Roy Keane in the whole article, its probably could have been summed up in a shorter way; Roy Keane = disaster. I like the fact they they just put this conciseness on it but at the same time, I feel this is a major reason as to why we are in our current plight. Completely agree with everything you say tractorbhoy in your last post.
What tractorbhoy said says it all for me. It is definitely time to at least make a plan and tell the fans.
