New Manager

They only seem to train 2 hours a day for 4 days

 

And then all that walking about on a saturday ....

 

True of a lot of managers that. Remember watching Parky at training just supervised others. Players at forest used to say they only saw Clough on Matchdays

 

Our playing style can’t need much training. Get the ball, pass it sideways or backwards, wait for Cook to do something.

 

I am actually a fan of possession based football, but it's painful watching us play it. No one making the right runs off the ball to create space, we get pressed back and Lewis kicks it out for a throw.

 

Shows how weak Sparks is by not insisting on minimum hours for players and managers to keep the squad at its fittest to compete. We have good facilties and should be used to its fullest

 

I kid you not, they had the first choice back four on the edge of the penalty box, passing the ball across the line as they made their way to the half way line. Repeated that four or five times. Then they made way for the second string back four to do exactly the same thing! If anyone wonders "what on earth do they do in traing?", there's your answer.

 

Standing Still as a plan financially is a recipe for disaster. Here is why, I imagine every single ST wants to get out if this league and would be grateful for some entertainment on the road out of here. 5 years we have been promised promotion and failed. How long will this continue? If ST holders decide enough is enough then sustainable football is not attainable any more. Suddenly debts are rising, we become a non attractive club and sponsors decide to leave as well. Rupp has no chance of a return on his investment in fact he will have to start propping the club up. It is madness to risk losing the confidence and trust of fans, and just by standing still you will be grasping thin air.
Trying to get support back once it has gone will be a nightmare.

 

Good to see they are able to bring to match day what they practice in training

 

Imagine if Salford since arriving in league two had borrowed all the money they have spent they would be over their heads in debt.
In this league we earn enough of our own money to produce a competitive side we just need to find a manager to use it wisely and do their job well.

 

I think we can build a competitive side on our self sustaining budget if as you say the manager (or recruitment team) use it wisely. Does competitive mean promotion though? I don't think so and promotion has to be our end goal.

I do think though it would be nice and in Rupp's interests to pump in a small bit of cash and allow us to really push the boat out on 2 or 3 players that would be real difference makers in this league. Again this requires a manager and recruitment team that can utilise them wisely.

 

Yes I think we can we had a squad last season well capable of promotion

 

“The point of a football club is to succeed, and grow, not demonstrate the avoidance of a loss on your P&L each year.”

If that was true, we would be in debt.

the actual point of our club, is to succeed, and grow, whilst demonstrating the avoidance of a loss on our P&L each year.”



some clubs can do exactly what you say. Pretty much all the clubs in League Two bar maybe three are in the same boat as us.

 

We are still in League 2 though and whether or not that was the squad or the manager we will never really know. Although I do see where you're coming from, I think last year's squad did lack that final piece of the jigsaw to make us a genuine promotion side.

 

How much sustainable debt and what happens when it’s no longer “sustainable”?

 

Why isn't Sparks down there everyday supervising and telling him what to do?......Oh, wait a minute......

 

If people have no confidence in Sparks as a CEO and Hughes as a manager, what good would it do for Rupp to pump in additional millions only to risk that’s it’s wasted in a couple of transfer windows. I think it doesn’t need a massive amount of money to make it work. Sparks needs to find a “Barry Fry” equivalent, entice them with a decent salary, over and above what they’re currently on and get them into the club. It was hoped Gent was that man, but it looks like he doesn’t have the contacts or the experience to deliver what’s needed. It’s all in the recruitment for me and currently we have too many average players onboard.

 

Rupp could help fund a decent budget but in all honesty would you trust that lot down there to use it right????? Look at Oliver for starters he signed a 3 year deal to play for a club that doesn't suit his style of play ???? He's a businessman and they tend not to pee money up against the wall and let's be right for the good players he has brought in they've brought in equally worse one's................I ain't defending Rupp at all he should be involved a lot more but he simply ain't gonna throw millions into a system when them controlling the money are simply getting it wrong.

 

Ok, so they return to training today after everyones had chance to 'clear their heads ' and think about what happened last Saturday. Of course as usual Hughes comments showed no sense of taking the blame or holding his hands up!

But my hope after this reflection period is old Brillo Pad will address the players this morning and tell them he is stepping down alongside the dynamic Hodges and master of recruitment Gent! He will acknowledge that he isn't up to it, his formations have been all over the place, he has not only squashed the players into round and square holes but confused them even more by introducing rectangular ones, signings have been all over the place and playing style has been negative and unattractive. Thats enough for starters!

In my opinion he just doesn't get league 2 but there's a bloody good reason this job is all thats come his way in recent years. But most of all it just doesn't matter enough to him - great player he was he's totally made for life.

The players, particularly the experienced ones, should have been embarrassed by their pathetic efforts at Morecombe and they are far from blameless but I think they need a more focused, passionate and tactically aware boss - and perhaps just a new voice.

Sparks will then indicate we have the man we really want lined up, that he can't wait to get started and has plans to use the last week of the transfer window most effectively

So when I log on at lunchtime I will really be hoping the above has come true......damn, the alarm has just gone and it was all a dream!!

Then again..........

 

I don't know how much is sustainable, as the club isn't really open book on its finances, nor do I have a view of our forecasts and unexplored areas of revenue, or the options for where to secure any capital or the terms for doing so. If it becomes no longer sustainable then you either refinance, amend your plans, or you're in trouble. But again, thar latter part is down to competence. The vast majority of clubs in the league are loss making but few are on the verge of doom.