Hello Gasheads, I sent a letter to Darrell Clarke yesterday, which you can read below. I would welcome support for what I have suggested and would also welcome any comments - don't forget attack (if you want to ) the contents rather than the poster !! p.s. My intentions ? To find out about what Rovers are about and going to do next, and to help in any way to ensure that Rovers consolidate and have continued success ! Using the avenue of the Board ( i.e. requesting/asking for things like an Internal Review Publication have been fruitless) but as we know for genuine progression at the club we need the whole club pulling in the right direction, with good leadership, transparency in how and why the club is being run the way it is and real opportunities for the fans to feel that they are part of the club !!). UTG ! Dear Darrell, Many many congratulations to you, the coaching staff and the players on gaining promotion to League 2 this season just gone. I think what stuck out for me and I hope most Rovers supporters this season was the way the players REALLY played for the shirt whether they were winning, drawing or losing in any game during the season. There was also a notable togetherness about the team that was even evident from newer recruits to the team, such as Jermaine Easter and Chris Lines. No doubt these two ingredients should stand us in good stead for the forthcoming season in League 2. I would also like to comment on the team’s formation and the playing style that you have introduced with some questions to you incorporated into this. With the team’s formation, for most of the season, we saw the team play 4 - 4 - 2 and I’m sure in saying that most , if not all Gasheads, were relieved and happy that we moved away from (the defensive -looking approach) 4 - 5 - 1 that our previous manager favoured when we were last in league 2. So Darrell, can you guarantee that Rovers will adopt this same formation when we play in League 2 for the 2015 -16 season ? I obviously don’t know how many Rovers supporters I speak for but hearing your intent to play like this will probably persuade me to buy a season ticket for myself and my young son for next season. As regards playing style, I also think that many Rovers supporters were delighted to see that on many occasions we played football on the deck ( how I personally think it should always be played) from the backline, via the midfield and through to the forward line. However, we did also witness a number of games where we seemed to abandon this philosophy and play a long (high) ball approach, Eastleigh (H), Macclesfield (A) and even Grimsby at Wembley to name but a few. So I was wondering whether you could outline to the fans what your intention will be for the forthcoming season so that we will have a better understanding of what you and the team are trying to achieve ? - apart from 3 points in every game Finally, and again I think many fans would welcome this, rather than replying to a letter like mine in person, whether you could address the issues above (and also your’s / the club’s transfer policy) via the local media, the club’s website, BUT ALSO by way of a Question and Answer with all supporters before the season starts (perhaps in July when you have had a chance to add the recruits that you have already stated you wish to bring in). Having a Question and Answer after some success would be GREAT rather than the customary, as for Rovers in recent seasons, a get together after having a BAD season. Wishing you the best of health, confidence and of course continued success for the forthcoming season ( challenging for promotion out of League 2 ??). Mark Czekalski A massive Gashead (and all the family) since 1972.
Mark, I think ultimately it is up to DC weather he plays his football in the formation of 4-4-2 or 5-4-1 - I suggest DC uses common sense and picks tactics that are right for the occasion, rather than what he thinks you may want to see. I am sure DC will pick a formation that he believes will win a match and that should be enough for "A massive Gashead since 1972" to want to buy a season ticket for himself and his son? I also personally think playing a mixture of passing football with the occasional lump it in the air can be quite effective - make the opposition think about what is going to happen next. DC and the players have already mentioned several times in recent interviews that the intent is to look to challenge at the business end of the table this season, with the addition of a few new players if possible. Not really sure what else they can say on this front right now?
Personally I think that letter has a lot of positive comments which DC will welcome. Regarding his tactics though, I cant see him giving an explaination about that. If he does then I would take it with a pinch of salt as there is no way that he will stick to it. DC is the sort of manager who has a plan for each individual game. He takes just 1 game at a time and aims to win it. He looks at the oppositions weaknesses and strengths and sets up our best 11 to handle their strengths and to attack their weaknesses. So could be different formations, different starting 11 and different tactics depending on who the opposistion is. He really does his homework. During the game, if he feels he has got it wrong, he doesnt wait it out, he changes things very quickly and adapts his tactics. He can play his side in a 343, 352, 442, 433 and a 4312. He has worked hard on getting the players use to each of these formations so if he needs to make a tactical change, his players are ready for it. In some games last season, we have seen him use 3 or 4 different formations in a single game to get the job done. That is a great arsenal to have up your sleeve. He has a plan A, B,C, D - Z for each game. His intentions may be to play the ball along the ground pass and move and he could tell you that but we WILL come up against a team where route 1 would be the best form of attack. You and im sure a lot of people wont like that but if its the best way of getting 3 points in that game then so be it. As for a Q&A, I cant see this happening. When it goes tits up, a meeting is good for a Q&A to find out what is going on. When things are going good, there really isnt as much to talk about. It will be just carry on as you are. I understand your point that having a Q&A would be good but I cant see any point in having it though. Im sure DC will read your letter and see you mean well and will thank your for your praise and will ask you to continue putting your faith in him and the team but I doubt he will do a Q&A and tell you his tactical plans if you know what I mean
If in answering your question on tactics he gives the opposition information as well and I can't se him doing anything which would possibly help our opponents. I said last season in DC I trust and my position has not altered
Please tell me the "Business end of the table" is the top! Could be a clever use of words if it all goes tits up! Fair play Mark, i know you've got best interests at heart and have some sympathy for your points. some of the points raised by others on here are also good points though. Hope you're well.
I think DC will be delighted with the positive comments. As far as the tactics and style are concerned I'm sure he'll do whatever it takes to take us forward. He got the hang of things very quickly last season and I reckon it will probably take him a similar time to get things going next season. At least he's already got a good nucleus of players who he can trust. He's his own man and I trust him to get the players, tactics and style of play just right.
One thing that's emerged for me over this season is that, above all else, Darrell is a pragmatist. He'll try and play the right way when he can, but if he thinks he can get a result by playing it long, he will. He's focussed on getting results and so far he's proved highly successful. If he carries this into next season we'll be in for another excellent, positive campaign which will help to make up for all the utter ****e we've had to endure since Trollope left. I had my doubts about DC 8 months ago but he has delivered in spades, so for the first time in years I think we have a manager who can get us out of the basement and up the leagues!
My only issue with DC and its not really an issue but DC did well in non league with us as he knew the league inside out. He knew all the teams and the players. He knew how to deal with threats of other clubs and knew how to punish their weaknesses. Thats why we lost just 5 in 46. But he now goes into league 2 with no management history apart from the 8 games that he was in charge in the relegated season. Is his knowledge of the teams and players in league 2 as good as the conference teams and players? He is a very percise person and I am fully prepared ahead that he will make many mistakes in the coming season. But if we stay on his side, I believe he will get it right. But if we panic and get on his back then it will all go tits up!
Agreed CJ, in my opinion Dc's possible weakness is when things aren't going his way, still have a question mark over his strength of character in difficult positions, but please don't anyone think i'm taking anything away from what he's achieved so far
Although I can't warm to DC there's no denying that his success in getting us back to L2 at the first time of asking is a considerable achievement. He seems to have the respect of the players and their commitment under him cannot be doubted. However much of our football this season has been dour and dire; and I think that generally we were just a little bit better than a load of average teams. His belittling of John Ward at the beginning of the season still rankles...and he seems to have forgotten that it was JW who took him from the 'obscurity' of Salisbury City. I don't expect him to have one way of playing throughout the coming season. Whilst I want us to focus on our own strengths and not worry too much about the opposition, it would still be foolish not to change things around when the situation demands. As an aside I do wonder about the working relationship between him and MS. Steve Yates seems to be the favoured right-hand man. Might we see Mikey Harris at the Mem?
Well, this is what success looks like, and let's face it we haven't had much of it over the years. At one point we were THE form team. We did enough to get promoted at the first attempt and very few teams have come anywhere near that. DC has had to rebuild the side after being dropped right in it at the end of the relegation season. The experience probably would have broken lesser men. But DC has come back strongly, he's learnt quickly and he'll only get better. The best thing John Ward did was to bring a decent successor to the club. But it does sound as though Ward was set in his ways. It's a results business and Ward left us in a really bad position, so I think DC was entitled to have a swipe, even though an older more experienced manager would probably have kept their mouth shut.
Yo John still ticking along and hope you and Pirate 49 are too !? My main reason for writing the letter is to get DC to reassure supporters that we aren't going to get defensive now we've gone up a division. When he and JW were together in L2 the football was SOOOOOO defensive - I would almost give up thinking we would score in a game, let alone win it !! With our 6000/ 7000 crowds and all that money brings we are a BIG FISH in L2 and so we should be, as Pirate said , playing our own game, and we should be building a team that can take the game to the opposition. The last two seasons despite promotion now we HAVEN"T really had much to get ourselves excited about during the 90 minutes. One way to reassure fans is to emphasise that we will play predominantly with TWO up front and no this isn't giving away tactics to the opposition ( That is Laughable) Most clubs play the same formations in game 1 and Game 46 of a season so there is no giving away of tactics. Basically, I want to hear DC's intent for next season. I hope Rovers supporters like me want him to go for it even if we get a few home defeats along the way. I'm sure we all want to see the players develop and the team LOOK LIKE they are promotion material from day one of the season even if we don't quite make it ! UTG !
