Aspirations tempered? (1 Viewer)

[Otis]

Lots of talk lats few weeks (worrying talk as far as I am concerned) of us certain for top 6 and even of automatic promotion etc.


Just think it all needs tempering.

To challenge this season we need to strengthen. Just bringing players in doesn't automatically equate to strengthening. Any club can bring a stack of players in. Unless they are of any sort of quality all you are doing is merely increasing numbers. In our case it isn't even that cos players have gone the other way.

Let's look at what we've got so far ....


Ins

Stephen Elliott -Played at high level but very injury prone. Jury still out if he is a good addition or not.

John Fleck - Really promising player 5 years ago.

Kevin Kilbane - Could be a great player for us. Could be his best years are behind him. Who knows.

Kevin Malaga - Player from the French 2nd division.

William Edjenguele - Player from Greek Superleague. Should be good enough. Who knows!

Reece Brown - Previously on loan at Oldham and Doncaster.

Callum Ball - Raw and unproven.

Bruno Cazarine - Player from the Australian A League.


There is no evidence whatsoever that we have strengthened.

 

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[Diehard Si]

We should get top 6.

But we need a winning mentality and for almost 50 years now havnt had one.

This team needs to settle and quickly. It's clear at the moment it's a total shambles. If it was Daggers or Yeovil that had just beaten us I'd be more concerned. I'm certainly getting very restless at the moment with these dire performances, but too many fans knee jerk both ways when we win or lose.

 

[Otis]

Don't see why we should get top 6.

We lost two of our best players in Keogh and Cranie and have brought in players to replace them where we have no idea if they are as good or not.

I predicted a lower table finish for us unless we strengthened. So far there is no evidence to suggest that we have done this.

 

[Otis]

And when you look at what we have left from last season that doesn't exactly fill me with great hope.

Clarke? Yes, should be an excellent player at this level, but Sheff who badly let us down last year? Bell who has consistently underperformed for a number of seasons? Deegan who looked well short of what is required to play at a decent level? Connor Thomas, who is still a kid and learning his trade?

Baker should do okay and Hussey and Cameron if he can stay fit, but I can't look at that squad and believe we are going to storm the league or be right up there in the top 6. Added to everything else is the 13 years of misery and no successes.

You are then going into the new season with a losing mentality already in place and we still have to a certain degree, a novice manager at the helm.

I find all the optimism unfounded.

 

[psgm1]

Surely losing to Wrexham is WORSE than Dag&Red / Yeovil! They are 2 divisions below us, yet they absolutely mauled the squad Thorn claimed was the first 11!

I just do not buy this "settling in" nonsense. ANY team that supposedly is pushing for promotion, should at this stage be able to roll over wrexham no matter what the formation.

Its obvious before the pre-season, Wrexham was intended as a further morale boosting match for the guys. (why else play it?) It has backfired spectacularly.

The warning signs have been there even before last season ended. There just isn't any fire in the bellies of Thorn's teams anymore. they just rolled over and died in the last 2 games of the last season. Thorn is in his job, only because the blinkered keep saying give him just a few more games.

There MUST be a point where you have to say enough is enough. He has had well over a full season to get his managerial abilities up to scratch and he is clearly struggling.

Sure he needs to improve, but we as fans cannot afford to allow him to learn his trade at the expense of our club!

This is why your learn your trade in the lower leagues or with academies. Thorn has had NO managerial experience - not even with kids!

NO MORE EXCUSES, THORN MUST GO NOW!!!

 

[Otis]

You do know that this was a friendly don't you? How can it be worse to losing to Dagenham and Redbridge and Yeovil in a league game?

 

[Diehard Si]

If you don't understand 'settling in' then you really don't understand football ( or any sport or business for that matter ).

Throw a group of people together and they will not perform their best to start with. Why do you think TeamGB struggle at the Olympics, the British and Irish Lions should storm their warm up games against club opposition on the rugby tours but often lose to poor opposition. The whole structure of the group of individuals needs to be established. Leaders need to come to the front, players need to learn how to interact with others, what foot they like their passes on, when they make runs etc. Man City assembled near a billion pounds worth of talent, yet it's taken them what 4 or 5 years to actually see a title for that investment.

Now hopefully following this, the best thing that can happen is a big sit down and a talk about what went wrong. A clear the air meeting, a plan of action to look ahead to the remaining friendlies. I'd much rather this 'crisis' be now with 3 friendlies to go, than 1/4 of the way into the season.

 

[dongonzalos]

Personally I think we are two decent signings away from getting in the top six.

However I want wood in the defence and hussey at left back and the edge as back up only behind Willis in the pecking order.

if killer is to be cm I want him competing with deegs for the defensive role. We need to sign another Norwood on loan.

I have a horrible feeling edge was at left back as hussey and wood are off. Hussey for the fee, wood to free up wages.

That worries me. As we could get the two attacking players we need, then our defence suddenly is weak!

The previous summary of what we have lost compared to gained explains why we are a bottom half squad.

However we are close no one else out two more in. Come on Ccfc.

 

[Otis]

At the very minimum we need two more in and two more of quality.

Just can't see top 6 myself otherwise. Can't see us doing anything if Bell and Sheff etc. just go on auto-pilot for games.

We need spirit, fight and focus. And this in tandem with a bit of quality. Not one signing has truly inspired me thus far.

 

[covcity4life]

could that be down to the manager?

 

[Otis]

Well you know as well as I that I am not his biggest fan.

Given all the constraints we have at this football club we need the best possible manager we can get to make a challenge in my opinion. Thorn has shown very little thus far for me and I remain unconvinced that he is the right man for the job.

This season is make or break for Andy Thorn.

 

[covcity4life]

make or break for the club possibly.

people act like thorns been hard done by,but look how many chances hes been given by the board compared to other managers.

im still willing him on but he doesnt fill me with confidence

 

[Otis]

To be honest, It's not the fact that we lost 4-1 that bothers me, it's the fact that the word coming back from the game is that we were 'woefully inept.'

That's not a label you ever want associated with your football club, friendly or no friendly. Think that added to Clarke maybe alluding to things maybe being wrong doesn't exactly instil and confidence in our prospects does it.