Has Andy lost the plot

[Roy gnfc]

This is the first time for several seasons that I have grave doubts about this coming season.The teams sent out in the friendlies seem soulless,lacking in cohession and passion.In past seasons we did have some entertaining friendlies i.e Charlton,where we showed we could play abit,whereas this year...well yesterday sums it up. It looks as if the bookies may have it right,favourites to go down.So has Andy lost it.Andy has been a fine Manager for the club, let's hope it continous,dispite my forebodings.

[Jeff]

I'm with you Roy.

Am not excited by the start of the new season, more worried.

Doubtless, people will post to this thread saying that we should be more confident etc but look at the facts.

We have lost most of our best players in the close season and the ones we have signed do not look to be replacements of the same calibre (Drury and Huggins look good though in fairness)

Has Andy lost the dressing room? (Pub rumour from Jimmy Jackson that I was told) Are the players up for it? Only time will tell.

By the way, I fully expect that Duku will be shown up time and again this season, an accident waiting to happen.

Am still behind the team but if it ain't there, it ain't there really.

Let's hope that we are wrong Roy.

[John@TheFleet]

Andy's done wonders for the club in the past 2 or 3 years and I too hope it continues. However, there seems to be a problem in attracting top-class players to the side. This could be down to finances, our position in the league and being favourites for the drop or may be due to the style of management. As good a football manager as he is, Andy is sometimes not renowned for his man-mangement skills (!) and this could put players off. When added together this means he has to sometimes make the best of a bad job and take what's given, as opposed to what he wants. There seems to be more & more interest in the club in the Gravesham area and there is talk of regeneration & investment but that's not going to happen if it doesn't go well on the pitch. I think he'll pull us through. I just hope we don't have a bad start to the season and lose too much ground. Keep the faith.

Up the Fleet!!

[Matt (GNFC)]

I can only hope that the team Andy started with yesterday will be alot different from the team that plays versus Burton as to be quite frank it looks [******]. Im still going to rant about the striker situation for as long as it takes as it has been a total sham how Andy has let it get to this situation...We have one week left till the season and we are very far from a settled team...

[Richard C]

Just picking up the point about Duku! He had a mare last night. Pulled out of a couple of normal looking tackles and couldnt volleye anything clear.... Watch closely for his tendency to volley with the side of his foot and not the laces!! very dodgy looking and half the time miss timed. Anyway i am going to keep optimistic and we will be alright just remember how bad some teams were last year and our home support. We can do it, but we must sign a qaulity striker and soon!!!!

[John@TheFleet]

Did you notice the defence totally change as soon as Adrian Pennock went on? The man's pure class. If only his knees weren't knackered.

 

Maybe we can get Che on loan!!! Oh, the irony of it.

[Richard C]

The thing with Pennock and Duku is time on the ball. Duk's looks rushed and hurried and generally runs into danger! Pennock is calm as anything and makes sure if in doubt, it goes a long way!!

[John@TheFleet]

It seems Francis has lost all his self-confidence and maybe even his self-belief. He was a rock during the championship season but now looks a total liability. Do you think he's still affected by his injury, if not physically, then mentally?

[Richard C]

More so mentally, top sportsman find it hard to get it out of the mind and when its the only thing you concentrate on, you become less committed subconsciously.... hopefully he'll get round it Because hes a top bloke too.....

[John@TheFleet]

Agreed. In fact, the same may be said of Che, never quite the same after his injury. I hope The Fridge sorts himself out.

[clarence]

Andy who!

[John@TheFleet]

I say!! Andy Ford, our manager,mate.

[new to the game]

Quote:

John@TheFleet said:
Did you notice the defence totally change as soon as Adrian Pennock went on? The man's pure class. If only his knees weren't knackered.

actually francis saved pennock on at least one occasion last night
one bad friendly does not make a season

[John@TheFleet]

Maybe so but there's no denying he's not the same player he was. Did you go to Thurrock? Sorry, mate, but it wasn't good. Look at the distribution, as well. Pennock's long balls were often perfectly flighted and accurate, not just hoofs up the field, but then he was a professional. Francis isn't at the top of his game and I reckon he'd be the first one to admit it. Yes, I reckon he's still got it and he will get back to his best but the problem is we want it, no, sorry, need it now and not in a few weeks or months.

[Hirsty]

I don't think Andy has lost the plot at all !!

 

What can the guy do if people want to go to Essex ( not my cup of tea !!...he says politely !) because they ( allegedly !) will get full time footie and a couple of hundred quid a week more ??

 

..and who can blame Liam for wanting to play full time ??

 

Whether you like it, I like it, or Mrs Miggins at the Pie Shop likes it.....life it like a sh#t sandwich....the more bread you got, the less sh~t you eat ( or something like that !!)........it's all about money !!

 

...and, if I was Francis, I wouldn't want a repetition of last season, where he b*llocksed his ankle in a "friendly" and missed most of the season !!!

 

Don't take much notice of friendlies.....as the Lord Chris Turner said....if you won them all then there would be nothing to work on ( although you know there is !!)

 

Didn't Morecambe beat Wolves 6-1...ok bit embarrassing for Wolves ...but would you rather be in the premiership or the conference ?? I am sure Dave Jones threw a wobbly vis a vis embarrasment and Dean Sturridge...but so what ? It's the league that counts

 

If we lose our first 6 games then we have a problem...but friendlies ?

kiss my *rse !! Don't matter a jot !! Even QPR beat Aylesbury !!

 

So, all you Rupert Murdochs, Jack Walkers ( and the Russian guy !!)

...get yer cash out !!

 

Cheers,

 

 

 

 

[John@TheFleet]

Not quite the way the I would have put it but, hell, yeah, I'll go with that! Are you personally confident, though?

<img src="/images/graemlins/bigshock.gif" alt="" />

[Alan W (GNFC)]

All I can say is .... If players of other Conference clubs read this board, we'll win the league by miles !!!

 

Why ???

 

Well, the way we're all going on, every other club will approach a game with us, thinking we're going to be a soft touch, and they may all be in for a shock !! ( And so, come to that, will be some of our supporters, given their levels of pessimism !)

 

Yes, we have lost players in the summer, but you cant blame several of them, can you?? Loyalty is all well and good, but lets face it, if like Jacko and Benno, you were offered a substantial pay rise by a rival firm, would you turn it down? I suspect not!

 

The same applies to Liam.

 

Yes, we have released other players, for which Andy has been criticised - players such as Che, but again, lets be honest here - many of us were saying Che wasnt up to it last year, and were saying he should go, so just because we things have conspired against us now, is that justification for suggesting that we should have kept him? I think not - unless he was going to revive again this season, there was little point in retaining him on our books.

 

Perhaps, knowing what he does now, Andy would have had different thoughts about Craig, but even then, his defensive abilities were excellent, and he didnt perform outstandingly up front when he was played there.

 

Again, its easy to criticise the players we've added to the squad, but Drury certainly has the potential to be a star, as does Pinnock - potentially, they will be not far short of Jacko and Benno, albeit that they have to prove they can do it consistently.

 

We have brought an extra centre back with a wealth of experience, and who is well respected at his former clubs(Robin Trott) so the defence should be stronger.

 

Eddie McClements may not have reached the heights first hoped for by Fulham, but was still called "an under 17 star" a couple of years ago, so he should be perfectly capable at our level

 

No, overall, the squad should be quite capable of acxhieving a reasonable finishing position this season, if we, the supporters, just give them a chance.

 

Lets not start the season by looking to find reasons to moan and criticise - lets start as we mean to go on by backing the team to the full, and being positive.

 

Yes, we do still need a big, strong forward, but we're not the only club around who has this problem - at whatever level you play, clubs can struggle to find decent forwards - Charlton have already been mentioned, and I see in tonights Standard that Millwall are "desperate to buy a striker" as well.

 

We looked good for much of the Millwall game, but thats soon been forgotten.

 

Equally,, in past seasons, we have had excellent pre-season results, being unbeaten on occasions, even against more senior clubs, yet we have then performed badly in the season proper.

 

Lets just see what happens tomorrow week, and in the following weeks and months - we will do ok, I'm sure, and we can confound the bookmakers once again.

 

Lets ensure we all turn out in force next Saturday and cheer the lads to 3 points.

 

Up the Fleet !!

[John@TheFleet]

In fairness, many different views have been made on this subject on a number of threads. No-one is 'slagging off' anyone that's gone ( well, generally!) and the new signings are also not being criticed but the general lack of teamwork and bonding that is so critical in making a side successful is and I'm sorry, with a lot of justification as well. We kick off next week. Confident? I personally think Andy will do the business, Duke will get player of the year, Abbey will be top scorer and we will be upper mid-table come next May. But don't hide your head in the sand, mate. It's gonna be bloody hard.

[gazza701]

Lets get right behind the lads, and give the opposition hell!! <img src="/images/graemlins/flame.gif" alt="" />

[John@TheFleet]

Sod the forum!!Let's do it!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

Come on you Reddddddddddddsssssss!!!!!!