[Ferrite]

cassidystash wrote:

I think it’s cost us less than the number of points he’s gained us with crucial saves, but that’s just my view. An experienced ‘keeper is a must, if it’s not Howard fair enough but “better the devil you know” comes to mind. No doubt our chief scout has the position covered already.

Not sure about that, I can’t think of many saves Howard has made which I wouldn’t have expected him to make. Happy to be corrected on that point though.

DarrynStampGoalMachine wrote:

The number of goals he’s cost us is a huge amount less than of what his predecessor cost us which I imagine is why it doesn’t get mentioned as much.

It’s not every week and it’s not always the same mistake.

I don’t think that’s a particularly high bar, surely we should aim a bit higher than that?

[Ferrite]

Bucksiron wrote:

I completely agree, Deerey, but so too is anyone who thinks that gates will improve without promotion. All football fans are known to be fickle but the moaning and groaning on this board — even when we were pushing for promotion from L1 — was unbelievable.

I don’t agree with this. You’ve said yourself that the “moaning and groaning” was “unbelievable” at the top of League One, yet you say that gates will only improve with promotion. This doesn’t seem to make sense. In our last promotion season, 13/14, we averaged close to 4,000 at home. In the two seasons we reached the League One play-offs, the average attendance was between 4,300 & 4,500. It’s not a huge increase, is it? Especially when you factor in the bigger away followings in League One of clubs like Sunderland or Sheffield United.

Personally, I don’t really care which division we’re in, I’d just like us to be entertaining & winning more games than we lose. If that sees us finish 8th in League Two, I’d definitely take that over finishing, say, 19th in League One.

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Northumbiron

[Ferrite]

Northumbiron wrote:

If we’re splashing out on a new keeper I think we can do better than Howard.

Completely agree. I don’t understand why people seem to happy to overlook the number of goals he’s cost us with bad mistakes this season.

Karacan, on the other hand, would be my player of the season. He’s made a huge impact on our season.

[Ferrite]

cassidystash wrote:

If a family of 4 are watching a match for a tenner and don’t think they’re getting value for money then what chance that they will return to GP, when allowed, if there’s little entertainment on offer.

This is a crucial point. Everyone who used to attend games will have now found other ways to spend their time & money. Many will return but plenty won’t. Things ain’t going to be the same as in the past.

[Ferrite]

Bucksiron wrote:

How many times have we heard complaints from supporters about the style of football we’ve played over the past few years. Yet how many would happily swap where we were under Alexander with where we are now — a lot, I suspect. Yet exactly the same complaints were every bit as loud and clear then as they are now.

Remind me, what happened to Alexander?

Bucksiron wrote:

Frankly, while we’d all love to see the team playing attractive football all the time, I’ll take results over entertainment if that means we can get back to challenging for the play-offs in League One. At the moment that still feels some way off.

Doesn’t seem a particularly realistic dream, I’d rather we were fun & competitive in this division.

[Ferrite]

Completely agree with you Cliffy and I am happy to give Cox plenty of credit. I understand that performances recently have been a means to an end, that’s fine, I just hope it doesn’t continue like this next season because I think we could and should be able to do better than that.

[Ferrite]

cassidystash wrote:

Does anybody (Cox aside) really believe we have set up or set out, from the start, to win games

Yes, I do. There’s more than one way to skin a cat and the results this year show that it’s been working. But that doesn’t mean it’s been much fun at times (rope-a-dope at Cambridge, sitting back against Colchester, etc.). The ends justify the means for now but that won’t be the case forever….

[Ferrite]

alcazar wrote:

Prem champions and European and World club champions?
I’d take that.

You definitely wouldn’t, you would find all sorts of faults to pick.

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BobbyGmeister

[Ferrite]

He’s doing a good job Mick, let’s show him a bit more trust.

[Ferrite]

mistertonmick wrote:

I would sooner see us safe before tinkering too much, a couple of changes each game, YES, more NO, also start with the same system every game whoever it is against and not to accommodate who we play against, no wonder we get inconsistent displays and results.

Or he can keep playing players when they’re really tired, resulting in more injuries and worse results overall?

Big J wrote:

If McAtee is not interested and unhappy it’s his job to motivate himself. These days there are too many woke snowflakes trying to mollycoddle players, instead of giving them a bollocking that they deserve. He has a job to do and he is not doing it. He needs to man up!

I’m sure you’re a troll so I shouldn’t reply but getting the best out of a team is literally the manager’s job.

[Ferrite]

What Cass said. Ridiculous over-reaction on this thread to a sole, single defeat. If Cox feels he has to make changes, then he’s best placed to know why. Is that the first game Gilliead has missed this season? Feels like it. Wonder why Eisa “doesn’t bring anything to the team”? Wonder why Kev “looks like he’s sulking”? Maybe, just maybe, they aren’t as fit as they need to be. Remember they’re having to play a 46-game season in 2 months fewer than normal, it’s not surprising that something has to give at some point.

My only criticism of Cox is his apparent refusal to play McAtee at the moment. Fine, maybe McAtee isn’t interested, but it’s the manager’s job to get the best out of his squad and he’s not doing that, for whatever reason, at the moment.

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Cliff Byrne's Right Peg

[Ferrite]

I think those are good points Cass, a big difference from the huge number of new players last summer. That said, would we expect some of the more established players to be sold or to leave for free? I really can’t see Eisa staying, Jordan Clarke might call it a day, KVV could go, Loft might attract some offers, same with McGahey.

[Ferrite]

It’ll be really interesting in the summer. With the salary cap no longer in effect, we can spend a bit more, if we want to. Or will Austerity Iron continue? To be honest, given the way the whole league has had to struggle through this year, it will be tough to see much investment in playing squads for the foreseeable future.

For me, the biggest barometer for next season will be whether KVV is offered a new deal.

[Ferrite]

lesgeo wrote:

My complaints about reffing standards have clearly been reported back to The Referees’ Association and acted upon as we have had great back-to-back performances from the last two refs.

We got away with one as Green was pretty clearly offside in the build-up to Beestin’s goal. That said, Beestin had plenty to do and did it brilliantly.

[Ferrite]

DarrynStampGoalMachine wrote:

Think Clarke might need a permanent move to CB his distribution has been poor and his inclination to burst forward is all but gone. Thought he did better at CB last night than he’s done at RB.

Whenever I’ve seen him at centre back, he’s always impressed me far more than at full back.

[Ferrite]

Lawsihateyou wrote:

But in 99% of cases, what would actually happen if an employee left a company to join another one and declined to work their notice period? I imagine nothing?

Probably depends on your level. Some contracts have clauses saying you can’t work for a competitor for X weeks/months after leaving your current job, so if you walked out on one company and went straight to a competitor, I reckon your old employer could take you to court.

But in most cases, you’re probably right.

[Ferrite]

alcazar wrote:

I worked with a contract and could only leave after due notice.
My employer had to give me due notice to end my contract.
That’s how contracts work, Ferrite.
It’s not feudal, it’s employment law, giving both employee and employer stability and protection.
So….I repeat, do football contracts not work

Well, it depends what you mean by “work”. If you mean “people abide by their terms”, then I imagine they do “work” and, as Iron-awe points out, many managers (and players) will have clauses negotiated as part of their contract allowing them to leave under certain circumstances.

If, however, you mean “work” by “clubs have all the power”, then the answer is no.

[Ferrite]

Ever resigned from a job Alcy? If so, you’ll have “walked out on your contract”.

We still have a real feudal attitude to footballers in some respects, don’t we? In the same way we talk about players getting a weekly wage rather than an annual salary.

[Ferrite]

Very surprised to see Darren Moore walk out of Donny, seemingly a well-run club performing well on the pitch, for Sheffield Wednesday, which is also a football club.

[Ferrite]

Nice slice of funk & soul there NI!

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Northumbiron

[Ferrite]

I’m not saying Gilliead is terrible, I just don’t think he’s been anywhere near as good this season as he showed at times last season. I don’t think he has down enough to be a guaranteed starter.

[Ferrite]

I’m baffled how Gilliead gets picked every week, I’ve seen virtually nothing form him all season.

[Ferrite]

Still think it’s odd that he still gets described as a target man, when his hold-up play is the weakest part of his game. All his best work has come with the ball at his feet, running in behind defences.

[Ferrite]

The other thing I’d add DSGM is that situations like the Taft one are similar to the daft handball penalties you are seeing at all levels of the game where a defender may have no chance to get out of the way of a shot but is still penalised for the ball hitting their hand. I think it’s crazy but it’s the way the laws are.

All that said, I still think the penalty against Bolton was a penalty no matter what the latest interpretation.

[Ferrite]

bartonscorpion wrote:

This used to be common in the Italian League years ago, then it spread into our Premier League due to so many foreigb players coming here, now it is the done thing in our lower leagues, its a bit like Covid-19, it has spread very quickly, the big problem is that Refs are tht crap nowadays, they all fall for this divibg, and are only too pleased to go along with it. That player last Saturday continued to dive and fall down throughout the match, but was still on the pitch at the end of the game.

You’re going to be shocked when you hear about a player called Francis Lee!

[Ferrite]

DarrynStampGoalMachine wrote:

Watching the Taft one again I’m at a loss as to what he could have done? he made no move towards the player, didn’t stick out his leg and wasn’t the one who instigated contact. The player deliberatly made contact with Taft and not the ball which should be our free kick no? But he flung himself to the ground and the ref ate it up.

I can definitely see where you’re coming from on that one. The alternative is it’s up to Taft to get out of the way – it’s like obstruction, sometimes doing nothing/standing still is not good enough.

Like I mentioned earlier, I don’t think the current strict liability interpretation of the laws is good for the game BUT the players should know what’s what & deal with it. Everyone else has to.

[Ferrite]

Northumbiron wrote:

When did you last see an indirect free-kick given?

No such thing in the penalty area anymore, apart from backpasses I think.

[Ferrite]

From the camera view available, I didn’t think it was outrageous but it wasn’t the best view of it.

I can certainly see your point of view but as someone who used to stand in that corner of GP, I spent many seasons watching Andy Butler who was a master at winning free kicks in exactly the same way – getting between the ball & the attacker and just stopping for half a second. The attacker would bundle him over & he would get a defensive free kick. No one ever debated those.

Rightly or wrongly, the interpretation of the laws is pretty tough on defenders at the moment with strict liability, so I think the ref had to give it. Personally, I’d like to see that change because a penalty is too big a reward for a minor foul, even if it’s in the box. And giving so many penalties will only encourage more diving & make life much harder for referees.

[Ferrite]

Where do you keep your waist? It was at least chest height. Just because Bedeau kicked the ball, doesn’t mean you can follow through and hit someone in the face. You might not like it but them’s the rules.

Bartoniron66 wrote:

So what do you do allow an attacker a clear site at goal and get a bollocking from his team mates and manager or defend the box as Jacob did.

Probably try to play the game within the laws like you’re supposed to? He could have headed it. I’d rather he tried that than gave away a daft penalty.

What would you say if Bedeau had shoved him in the back as he was going for the header?

[Ferrite]

Can you offer any concrete examples of a decline in refereeing standards? I can’t recall any particularly outrageous decisions for/against us this season.

Your suggestion of neutrality is a bit undermined by saying we’ve had “seven highly dubious penalty awards” against us. Granted there have been some soft penalties but none of them were particularly bad decisions. The one at Bolton was absolutely clear-cut as far as I could see. Correct me if I’m wrong but kicking someone in the face is not permitted under the laws of the game?

[Author]

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