This may upset!

[Guest]

Headlines in the Reporter, "Jacko goes", "Bentley goes". Why back in November was it not "Ford goes"? That was when the season had been falling apart for a month and Andy was on the injured player spiel. He did nothing but get second rate players. I agree that he has a eye for young footballing talent, but they are not for this division. We will succeed with experienced players. This is a tough league and needs tough management skills which I do not believe Andy has. We have heard that Andy does not posses "Man Management", skills and has upset a few players,(is this the reason for the departure of Jacko and Benno?). The club has to look at the team management and not sentiment for past times if we want to continue in the Conference. I know the money aspect always comes into play with the Fleet. This is the Boards job. Get out and recruit new members to the Board with MONEY and dump the ones who do not contribute anything. Lets have a change before it's to late please!

 

[Matt (GNFC)]

Cant agree Dipper..Andy and the board got us in the conference. Something no other board could do. Also, how many money bags people live in Gravesend?? The present set up that we have is fine... The problem in running a non-league club and pretty much all clubs other than Man Utd is that if u invest your own money, u only lose it as there's no return on your investment.

[John FW]

Sadly, there are very few John Ryans about who are willing to pour millions of pounds of their own money into a football club to achieve success. Therefore, any club that wishes to survive and progress must be run on sound business principles and live within its financial means. To think otherwise is, frankly, living in cloud cuckoo land. When last season started, most people, including contributors to this forum, expressed the aim was to survive. That was achieved, albeit only just. Expectations were raised in the early part of the season and then reduced as injuries (not "spiel")and suspensions began to bite. This coming season is the one on which Andy and the Board should be judged. Steady progess up the league is preferable to a meteoric rise followed by a rapid fall brought about by a lack of resources.

[Matt (GNFC)]

Think we'd all agree that Margate are our benchmark in that they had/have a decent team built on limited cash (apart from Sigeres transfer)

[chris blanc]

All this doom and gloom is starting to get stale and boring. Can't we just see how things develop over the summer before we start freaking out or calling for sackings?

If I was a player (or manager) at the Fleet and I read all these prophecies of doom months before the season had even started, maybe I'd think about leaving too

 

Cheer up and wait to see how it all works out, Mr Ford has done us proud so far, let's see what else he has up his sleeve

[matrix]

Whatever happens lets get behind our team. Northfleet forever.

 

PS don't forget to spare a few coppers for the players pledge

[ifa]

Reasonably enough, all we've been talking about is those players who have left. Other than the three that Andy has signed there's been no other news, so thats what we talk about. OK we'll miss those that have gone, but some people are relegating us before a ball is kicked. According to todays Reporter Andy is talking to a bunch of players, so lets see what comes from that. Remember Pompey who started last season with a whole different team than that which finished the season before and still got promotion.

The only thing that does worry me is that a couple of players that left...or were left...cited 'lack of motivation'. Surely that's up to the Manager?

I agree.this is Andy's crunch season!!

[StuThompson]

Renember early in the season when Benno was injured i seem to recall it was a time when we were still flying high.

[Wobbly Wayne rides again]

last years mid season slump, coincided with Steve McKimms illness -

 

With a fully fit Macca playing week in week out , we will be OK.

 

 

[Guest]

I agree, the players who we have lost will not make us total religation fodder, but we need to try and replace like for like not players from lower divisons.

Question, do the players contribute to the players fund?

[kmj]

I am sorry but I cannot agree with you Dipper. Your reference to Andy only signing second rate replacements is totally untrue. You must have a short memory if you have forgotten the string of on loan players who proved so able in defence and certainly played their part in keeping us up.OK so there were some gambles (Abbott ) and disapointments (White ) which didn't pay off, but overall Andy Ford's prowess in finding players succeeds well under any objective analysis. This club has too often in the past shot itself in the foot by dispensing with the services of managers at inexplicable times. He manages within the obvious constraints he is under with no little skill and should be congratulated for his industry and not criticised unreasonably. I would imagine that you are well and truly in the minority.

[chris blanc]

I have to agree with kmj. Surely it doesn't matter what division the players we get come from as long as they can do the job?

All players are a gamble when they are bought, at any level. You only have to look at some of the "star" players that have been bought by top league clubs that have done nothing for thier team.

[gazza701]

Surely my point earlier in the season has been proved!!

BUDGE has not and will not make the grade.

I agree with DIPPER'S post, what a breath of fresh air to hear someone actually speak some sense and not find ways of falling over themselves to agree with the likes of david holden.

For the first time in ages this actually feels like a forum!

[Alan W (GNFC)]

Quote:

BUDGE has not and will not make the grade

Why pick on Budgie ?? He had very little opportunity last season. He MUST be given a chance. If, after a good run in the team, he(or any other player for that matter)is still not doing what we hoped for, then we need to be replacing them.

I know you're going to say that it will then be too late, as you really seem to be on something of a personal crusade here, Gazza701.

Get real though, Gazza - whilst we are playing in the top Non League competition in the country, it is still only that - its not the Premiership, and we dont have millions to throw around - unless of course, theres something that you havent told us and you're about to become a mystery benefactor for the club having just won the National Lottery ???

As I said in a previous thread - I'd far rather we ensured we kept to a realistic budget and kept our club in existence, than break the bank and leave us with no club to watch at all - even if this means watching the side returning to the next level of the Pyramid again.

I still believe that the players we have are good enough to do a job, and that Andy will get results from them. I also feel sure that we will be able to attract other players over the course of the summer/ pre season.

Yes, a few players have left - whilst we all took it for granted that Jacko would be with us forever and a day, that simply isnt an option in the real world & lets face in, how many people stay with their employer for 8 or 9 years these days (indeed, footballers have a "working" life of roughly 20 years (if that), so on comparative terms, its equivalent to a normal working person staying 20 years plus with the same employer). Whilst you hope loyalty counts for a great deal, I can quite understand his feeling that he needed a new challenge - equally, the alleged increase in pay would have been very difficult, if not impossible, to match without breaking our bank.

Again, as has been said elsewhere, you would have hoped that Benno might have stayed, but assuming he too has received a significant pay increase, its not unreasonable that hes accepted this.

The club MUST continue to run on a financially sound basis & you cant break the budgets just to keep players - unfortunately within a football club, it isnt possible to offer your better players a promotion - once they are in the side, they are in the side - unlike other businesses where you could always justify higher wages, etc, by giving your better staff, Directorships or the like.

We must alo remember that Andy is still very much learning the trade - alright its easy to say that he's been in the job for 4 seasons now, but this was his first season at the top level of the non league game, and I'm sure that even he will acknowledge that there are things he could have done better. I was somewhat unsure of his managerial skills after the first season with us, but he has steadily moved the club forward & he, at least, has taken us back to this level of the game.

Whilst some of the gambles that Andy has taken have not truly worked, many others have(wasnt even Benno a litrtle bit of a gamble when we took him, as he had something of a history of injury problems as well as the fact that he had not played Conference footie before ??)

Again, as mentioned before, perhaps we will become one of the stronger non league clubs (or even lower level league clubs) by following a financially sound basis for going forward - if TV money, etc gets reduced over the years, then I cant see how clubs at our level or at lower league level, will be able to continue to maintain full time squads - if that happens, the whole playing field levels out and suddenly the club has far more opportunity to move upwards.

Despite what you may think, I'm not one of Dave Holden's henchmen or his sidekick (or even Dave himself in another guise !!) - I have my own views and opinions and certainly dont fall into line with Dave's (or anyone elses for that matter) views for the sake of doing it. This will be equally true of the vast majority (if not all) the other contributors to this board.

[FleetFanatic]

Quote:

Surely my point earlier in the season has been proved!!
BUDGE has not and will not make the grade.
I agree with DIPPER'S post, what a breath of fresh air to hear someone actually speak some sense and not find ways of falling over themselves to agree with the likes of david holden.
For the first time in ages this actually feels like a forum!

Gazza.....you obviously have some sort of obsession.
Debate the point without getting personal?

[chris blanc]

Again with the David Holden stuff. I haven't been coming on here that long, did something go on before, is he the Anti-Christ??? Do we need a priest?

 

Good Lord!

[Gordon T]

Along with other posters, I cant agree with you Dipper. Andy, since becoming manager at the club as practically made the team himself. He spotted out the talent that got us into the conference and kept us up, we need him. Besides who would take his place? Who would want to take on the challenge of "Relegation favourites" that everyone thinks we are? Not many, and certainly few better than Andy. Keep Andy, we need him!

 

Also about Budge he didn't get much play last season and I seem to remember him going away on LOAN (this means he couldn't play for us for a while Gazza). Anyhow I remeber his fantastic vision and touch. He just needs confidence and he will be a goal mine.

[kmj]

I agree with Gordon T that Budge is developing into a very good player. Technically his first touch is excellent. If he can start to find the back of the net then he will have relieved some considerable anxiety about our being able to find and afford a proven goalscorer. And if Liam can continue his fine end of season form then it need not be all doom and gloom.

[Stu B]

Is liam staying then,last i heard he was on trial at qpr?

[chris blanc]

OK if you really wanna get rid of Andy, we should replace him with me. I'm damn sweet at CM4! I could do it! It can't be any harder than sitting on my ass waiting for the pc to load in the current spanish league stats.

 

Blanc for Manager!!

 

And prime minister!

 

And secretary general of the UN (I would call myself Blancy Blancy Gali)