Okay I will start with woeful from front to back with the exception of Cole who did well behind some hapless defending and Branston who gave his all as usual. Nothing else much to say, no passion, short on ability and abysmal officiating from a poor referee and incompetent linesmen. Could have played all day and we wouldn't have scored. Berry had a shocker and absolutely no idea why Branton was given MOTM as he was unimpressive and threatened little. Only plus point was that Sheridan had the decency to agree we were rubbish. Best part of the day was the reception for Akos B at half time.
Hello lyndhurst. Having been spared the last home match I had the misfortune to attend this one. There is nothing much to argue with in your short but accurate statement. The only consolation, and it is a very very small one, is that we were only rubbish in the second half instead of completely woeful as in the first. Cole, who I have had a go at in the past, was indeed our MOM. Says it all really when it is the keeper at home. First half I don't recall us having a shot either on or off target. I hardly remember a pass being completed either. Berry was shocking and followed closely by most of the others. Second half I thought we did give it a go and did improve but I also agree that we could still be out there and still would not have scored. At least we had efforts though. How it ended only 1 - 0 I don't know. Berry conspired to pass a through ball for them only for Cole to save the day and then a while later Charles did exactly the same with fortunately the same outcome. Oxford's second which was eventually ruled out was a farce which summed up the officials. I almost wish it had been given as it would have put Argyle on the football map for a day when it was discussed in all circles. We should have been up for this one. It was a very winnable match on form and being at home. If this is how this squad performs from here on in then we have had it. Sods law that the other games went the wrong way which was bound to happen wasn't it. There is now a league of 5 which could be 6 if Torquay continue to fall. All we can hope for is to come no less than 3rd or 4th depending if Torquay join in that league. I cannot see us climbing up the table.
Talking to my son and in his opinion we finally got what the last few performances deserved. So transfer window is closed and new manager in . Feedback I am getting is that either we are going to have to bring in a couple of serious loans or pray to all the Gods going, cross everything we have and then just scrape through by the skin of our teeth. I saw a few games over the Christmas period and personally thought that if we permanently added Moseley, Macca, replaced Purse(finance) and got in another forward we would be OK, plus a genuine left back as a bonus. Reid is the kind of forward Sheridan likes... not great scoring ratio, discipline issues (I am old enuff to remember Rochdale loan)....but Griffiths is not? So compare Griffs goal scoring record to Reuben, then I must be missing something. Possibly there where more injury issues, which we do not know about, but surely he was worth a spot on the bench. As for Lennox WTF are we better without him (other than financially)? I never thought I would say this but perhaps we would have been better just going under.. it just seems to me Brent is prolonging the agony, death by 1000 cuts. IMHO there is one reason Fletcher is no longer in charge and that had nothing to do with results, at least in Mr Brents eyes. Look at the timing of the sacking, he should have gone in November, but no just as the transfer window opened. Pre de-Fletcherising general reporting was saying Macca was a done deal, a friend who works at HP told me Moseley was coming in, Purse was out but we already had a replacement lined up (probably Pickle but he did not name him) and there was a deal pending with Baz going and a forward coming in. So now we have another puppy for Brent to pat until it gets teeth, lets be honest Sheridan was not the best option available at the time. The more I look at this my head is telling me Brent is just an asset stripper, maybe not tangible assets but a loss leader for future development, I hope to all things Green I am wrong. So as I said earlier I think this is the squad that will take us out the league unless we fork out for a few top quality loan players. With luck we will have an away game with Newport or Wrexham next Christmas, I have a house in Wales so if anyone fancies we can have a not606 meet up. So a genuine, bearing in mind I also said I thought Fletcher should go, to the poor souls who suffer this every other week do you think we are a better team after the manager change and transfer window or not?????
It's hard to see why Brent should be blamed in that way, although he's not immune from criticism in other areas. The fans [including those here] were baying for Fletcher's blood with a probable detrimental impact on player confidence in home games. After a bit of a run when we had a few decent results and I think most agreed the quality of football had improved, we went into a run of consecutive defeats and undid the minor improvement there had been. With the transfer window looming, Brent either had to act right then or stick with Fletcher for the rest of the season. That's the argument why I think you're being unfair Mexijan. Where Brent can be criticised, at least if you're me, is oddly enough because he seems to have acted just like a football chairman: sacking the manager because the fans were on the case. IF he thought Fletcher WAS the man for the job and only sacked him due to fan pressure [and obviously we don't know what his real opinion of Fletcher was], then I'm disappointed in him, I expected more. Secondly, having sacked Fletcher, Brent has to stand & fall by whether Sheridan turns out to be a good choice or a bad one. It's too early to tell and I passionately hope he's a good choice and I have to eat humble pie and accept Fletcher had to go. I'm not so sure that admitting disappointment in the players is a good thing. Yes, it may make some fans feel that at least the manager is being honest with them, feeling like one of them, but that isn't his job. His job is to make them play better in the next game. Does slagging them off publicly do that or does it make them worse? I suspect it makes them worse but we'll see.
What a bloody shambles...the whole team needs a good rollocking and extra training on demand! The home form is a joke and beyond anyone's belief. Bring back those Red Indian tribe that showed up 10yrs or more to break the curse again as we need them back like there's no tomorrow now..anything worth a shot!
You're beginning to sound like me mexijan if you can bear the thought. I can blame Brent and will. He set himself up as a saviour of the club. Not going to invest fortunes but saviour none the less. Bit like the Speaker in the Commons. Is dragged to the chair protesting but really fancied the job all along. Motive for fancying the job is what he gets out and nothing to do with wanting to save the football side. Ergo everything built on a lie in the first place. Because there was little options left he was greeted with open arms. Seems a bit like opening your front door to the grim reaper and inviting him in for tea before he performs his real task. I still think Sheridan is an improvement on Fletcher. I absolutely think Fletcher was clueless when it came to being a Manager. I don't think things play wise have improved though even if we still got more points out of the last 15 than we would have under clueless. This must be the worst bunch of players as a squad I've ever seen gathered together. I have seen individual pooor players before but never so many at the same time. If we survive, and it is a huge if, then it will be more to do with a miracle than anything else.
We've had the discussion about fans reacting on the basis of their emotions & not the facts Sensible, but I do have trouble reconciling your statements. 1) I still think Sheridan is an improvement on Fletcher 2) This must be the worst bunch of players as a squad I've ever seen gathered together Seven of the twelve out there on Saturday were recruited by Sheridan, were they not?
Don't dispute that notdistant but I'd still take Sheridan over Fletcher anytime. My opinion of Fletcher is well documented. I think he is a complete waste of space as a manager whereas I think that Sheridan at least has a clue even if he doesn't have the players. As for the ones brought in, I'm not convinced that Sheridan had a lot of choice. He had to do something and probably it was within huge financial constraints. I have a small thought that we might make it even now this season but with Fletcher I would have had no hope whatsoever. Can't change the way I feel about it however irrational it might seem.
NDGwhere do you think I am being unfair on blaming Brent.... for not reacting to the management issues earlier, for changing the manager right on the opening of transfer window thus screwing up existing plans and giving the new guy no real chance to assess what we had, what we needed and what was available or not providing a budget that is competitive. You noticed as well as me the differing comments made in regards to funds from hin amd Fletcher. Up to now i have given him the benifit of the doubt but with the comings and goings over the January transfer window then I think it is quiet clear he does not give 2 flying f*2"s what league we are playing in next season. The only thing achieved was a reduction in wages I would bet and IMHO the squad is no stronger and in all honesty probably weaker for it. He is a successfulk business man and whilst I am not saying buckets of money should be throown at the club all businesses, especially those that have been in trouble, require investment at some point to develop and grow well that point for PAFC is now. Personally I think Mr Brent has zero interest in PAFC as a footballing concern and maybe the hardest part for him will be hiding the smirk when we go out the league. Sensible we were starting to agree but back to normal now...as much as it grieves me to say it I think we will go down this year unless 2-3 real loan signings are made and not kids will zero experience. Will be relying on your match reports as eldest is still adamant that is the last time he going this season, normally he relents by Sunday but not so sure he will change his mind this time.
The one thing I will always give is an honest opinion whether praise or otherwise. I added the "praise" bit in there just in case as if this continues it will be "otherwise". I don't blame your lad. The stuff on offer is pathetic currently. How we got nearly 7200 last Saturday is a mystery to me but suspect there was some ticket offer on as there seemed to be a lot in the family end. If I wasn't a grown man I'd weep at all of this.
The 7200 was probably achieved by a few wanting to see how a certain goalkeeper called Luke coped with the situation.....very well by the result.
I think that the Brent dilemma over Fletcher's going or staying....should have been two months earlier than when it finally happened, but it should never have got to that. My opinion is that Ridsdale should have sacked Reid after being relegated the previous summer and then brought in a recognized manager to fight the administration mess that we where in. It needed experience to deal with such a disaster....not a whole new leadership team that had no experience in anything....it was unfair on Fletcher & Larrieu to throw them in the deep end....and with no support from a board of directors.....Reid had no stomach for lower league survival fights.
I think the one thing we do agree on, albeit coming at it from different directions, is that we remain in the mire... What concerns me is what I said before: out of only 14 left to play, we're in a spell of 4 or 5 mainly "easier" games and need to take advantage of that because after that there are 4 or 5 "harder" games. I see no signs of that either in home results or in performances.
Hourihane's statements in the Herald made me piss as if thats the way it is now at home but next week it will be totally different...and he's the captain!
On the plus side with current loan agreements our strike force could be Chadwick, Feeney, Murray and the kids in a couple of weeks that should strike fear into the opposition!!!!! At least we have got the issue if inconsistancy during the game sorted now we are crap for a full 90 minutes.
Amen to that mexijan although we were marginally better in the second half last time. You may have needed a slide rule to detect it though.
Now in the bottom two after tonight's results elsewhere. Mr Brent was obviously damned if he did (change the manager) or damned if he didn't. I still maintain he has the best interests of the club at heart but it looks at the moment like his timing of key decisions has been wide of the mark. It is curious that we played better under Fletch but couldn't win matches and under Sheridan we have put in some of the worst performances I have seen at HP and picked up a few points. With the number of (unforced) signings he has made it is too late to keep blaming Fletch's team. The only one that had to go to reduce wages was Purse and Branston is a very adequate replacement but TBH the rest have failed to impress for more than the occasional half a match. The only positive that I can see is that now we are actually in the relegation zone the team might show a bit more spirit and get stuck in and show some urgency-games in hand for other clubs are now more or less out of the equation so it is straight race to 47/48 points but not sure where the 5 or 6 wins are going to come from-unlikely to be at home park judging from the last 3 efforts. I think we might just do it (still as green tinted as ever) but it is going to go down to the wire and will need to beat some of the better clubs in the league as well as Barnet and Wimbledon in the next couple of weeks.
The only consolation, and it is scant at that, is the other clubs in the mire have to win the same number of games as we do and none of them have shown much in the way of doing that. A couple of clubs will manage to improve and there is also Torquay fast falling into the mix as well. It is cross everything that we are one of the couple. At the moment I can't see it though.
