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The state of play, or the lack of it?

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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby gazza1988 » Thu Feb 20, 2020 9:58 pm

Bradders wrote:
gazza1988 wrote:
Dan wrote:The buck stops with the manager. Losing players is part and parcel of it. You could argue that Dempster hardly ever had his strongest squad available but the point is the manager is the one in charge therefore if the team fails HE has failed. It’s not me that’s finding things hard to grasp Mr Mitty.


2 CBs in Diamond and Mirfin out injured didn't count? Problem is DF transfer listed players that he didn't want, guess what, neither did anyone else. Well, for the wages they were being paid here. Whose fault is that? Steve Evans, so Where's the hatred for him? He's cost us more than most care to acknowledge. Cost us, Swindon and arguably Peterborough the play offs first off. Signed loads of players on good wages. Right wingers MacDonald, Atkinson, OSJ, Anderson, Potter and I think baxendale played a bit out wide but was mainly an attacking midfielder. That's a lot of players.

Hard to bring players in on a budget when those are on the wage bill. That's just one position.one position DF didn't need in his preferred formation. Hence transfer listing Atkinson and Anderson. Hence we started the season with 3 CB and 1 RWB. No further funds were made available. He managed 4th, he was certainly worth another season to manage that on just 2 transfer windows. Your argument is a manager failed twice with 2 transfer windows, it not a rational argument.

Steve Evans sold us the dream and bailed. Its his fault nobody else's. The fact people are so entitled that they count 4th in league 2 as "failure", given our past 18 years is baffling.

The whole point of people being disappointed with 4th place isn't that it was a bad result, but that it was achieved from being in a strong, almost certain, position to get automatic promotion. It's like a F1 driver getting to the finishing straight on the last lap in a podium position, then missing a gear and accidentally braking. His team wouldn't be impressed.


Perhaps not. But considering the previous race they finished 8th its a improvement to miss out on 3rd by a bumper. It's called progress. Before the 8th place they finished 12th, then 12th the race before, 21st the race before that. Pretty decent turnaround in my book.
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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby Dan » Fri Feb 21, 2020 1:34 am

Or you could look at it like a gambler and say you started the season with £100 & by January you’ve got to £1,800 but come February you start losing it and end up with £75 come May. Do you say I’m happy to finish on £75 as I only started out with £100 or do you do a Bullseye & say look what you could’ve won? ;)
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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby Bradders » Fri Feb 21, 2020 7:49 am

gazza1988 wrote:
Bradders wrote:
gazza1988 wrote:
Dan wrote:The buck stops with the manager. Losing players is part and parcel of it. You could argue that Dempster hardly ever had his strongest squad available but the point is the manager is the one in charge therefore if the team fails HE has failed. It’s not me that’s finding things hard to grasp Mr Mitty.


2 CBs in Diamond and Mirfin out injured didn't count? Problem is DF transfer listed players that he didn't want, guess what, neither did anyone else. Well, for the wages they were being paid here. Whose fault is that? Steve Evans, so Where's the hatred for him? He's cost us more than most care to acknowledge. Cost us, Swindon and arguably Peterborough the play offs first off. Signed loads of players on good wages. Right wingers MacDonald, Atkinson, OSJ, Anderson, Potter and I think baxendale played a bit out wide but was mainly an attacking midfielder. That's a lot of players.

Hard to bring players in on a budget when those are on the wage bill. That's just one position.one position DF didn't need in his preferred formation. Hence transfer listing Atkinson and Anderson. Hence we started the season with 3 CB and 1 RWB. No further funds were made available. He managed 4th, he was certainly worth another season to manage that on just 2 transfer windows. Your argument is a manager failed twice with 2 transfer windows, it not a rational argument.

Steve Evans sold us the dream and bailed. Its his fault nobody else's. The fact people are so entitled that they count 4th in league 2 as "failure", given our past 18 years is baffling.

The whole point of people being disappointed with 4th place isn't that it was a bad result, but that it was achieved from being in a strong, almost certain, position to get automatic promotion. It's like a F1 driver getting to the finishing straight on the last lap in a podium position, then missing a gear and accidentally braking. His team wouldn't be impressed.


Perhaps not. But considering the previous race they finished 8th its a improvement to miss out on 3rd by a bumper. It's called progress. Before the 8th place they finished 12th, then 12th the race before, 21st the race before that. Pretty decent turnaround in my book.

That's the point though. People aren't disappointed because we came 4th, it's that we had 3rd almost in the bag and it had become the minimum requirement. On top of which, in the previous season we looked to be in good shape and with a good chance of 3rd, then Flitcroft managed to get the team hitting relegation form just when we needed to pull out all the stops.
I know that it's almost impossible, but if we finished 9th this season Coughlan would be praised; even though by your reckoning we'd have gone backwards.
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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby gazza1988 » Fri Feb 21, 2020 9:26 am

Dan, as a gambler you would know the risks. Like gambling there's no absolute certainties. 3rd is never "in the bag" until you are mathematically certain of it.

Bradders, yes technically speaking we have gone backwards, that's what the history books will show. However just like I advocated more time for Flitcroft I will advocate more time for Coughlan. I look at the bigger picture Coughlan has been given a damp squib this season. He needs a full season with a proper pre season before we can judge.

Many managers have different approaches. When you swap managers the the approach changes. Had we appointed Coughlan after Evans left then I'd say we would be in the play offs that season, their styles are more similar than Flitcroft's style.

People are going on like I think Flitcroft should have been given a 10 year deal and a get out of criticism free card with unlimited uses.. No, he would have had this season to go one better, promotion or time to go. Whether that's automatics or via play offs but just had to happen. No excuses.
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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby BigGuy » Fri Feb 21, 2020 9:54 am

DF should have been given until Christmas and told 'top 7 or you are out', I could have accepted that quite easily.

Instead we have gone backwards by at least 3 years, with the churlish decisions in the summer, some of who on this board are happy with, personally I'd take 4th place failure every season.
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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby MutinyOnTheCounty » Fri Feb 21, 2020 12:27 pm

Dan wrote:Or you could look at it like a gambler and say you started the season with £100 & by January you’ve got to £1,800 but come February you start losing it and end up with £75 come May. Do you say I’m happy to finish on £75 as I only started out with £100 or do you do a Bullseye & say look what you could’ve won? ;)



I'd hate to go to your bookies Dan!! :P :lol:
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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby arsene wengers coat » Fri Feb 21, 2020 2:15 pm

Rockape Kev wrote:It was my intent to come on here and moan about the way the team had been playing of late. However, after Saturday's win against Bradford, I may have to eat my words?

I had overheard a conversation, from men of my age - 60+ - as to who should be blamed for the abysmal results the Stags had gained, or not gained, over the recent weeks? The consensus was, that the blame must lie at the feet of Mr Radford, for getting rid of Flitcroft? My thoughts on this, initially, was that he had made the wrong decision. So now we have a new manager in Coughlan, with the team giving us fans some misery, as they did not want to play, or they appeared not wanting to play, for the good of the Club?

The result on Saturday was a breath of fresh air? They dominated the match from start to finish. I did expect - given their past games - that the team would fall apart during the second half, but I was really chuffed to see them play convincingly, plus they got a standing ovation/relief from the crowd at Field Mill - I REFUSE to call it the ONE CALL STADIUM!

So well done lads. Lets hope this is now a turn around of fortune for the Stags and that we can move forward with a determined winning streak.



I think that the Radford's tenure has changed for ever now. I believe that they will like to run the club from afar. And if they get the right people in place to run the club properly in their absence, then there should be no problem. They have flirted with the limelight and failed to be successful yet, I think a modicum of dignity and quiet professionalism might be welcomed this summer after last year's posturing and flaunting of wealth. We need to get headlines for the right reasons, and I think that having come down to earth with a crash, they will have learned a lesson. I just hope that they haven't lost their appetite for a promotion, because I think that GC can do it!

In GC we have a respect commanding, hard working, drill-sergeant of a manager who will not allow standards to fall below his expected levels. I believe that in GC we have a great manager and I believe that given the opportunity to build a squad in his own image we will do well. Let's just give him at least until Winter 2021 before making a judgement on him.

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Re: The state of play, or the lack of it?

Postby cassellswasmagic » Fri Feb 21, 2020 4:51 pm

GC wouldn’t have come that cheap AWC, so you can rest assured the Radfords will still be targeting promotion. I think they will have watered down the talk of promotion now though, and rightly so imo. I’d much prefer a quieter rise to the top of the table in future and less talk of top three budgets.
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