4wembleyfinals

I think is more attitude CC than form. We can maintain our position if everyone puts in an effort. I mean "everyone" including all the playing staff!!!! on and off the pitch. Even the league's news correspondent refers to our current plight in to days comments about tomorrows game. Amongst his observations he includes the following phrase " but Town will surely be determined to pick up three points" Perhaps his whole paragraph should be read to the players before the match!!!!

Thanks LS for your explanation. Yes my interpretation was way off. Although I anticipate not being able to attend any matches I renewed my season ticket and Club Society membership. Basically to support the club and to continue my 50+ yrs support of EFC and ETFC. However, I have been happy to read and watch videos of matches on the clubs internet and this forum. Up to now I have been waiting to hear that we at least attain anther play-off position by the end of the season. It sounds that my hopes are being put on hold and I am finding it hard to believe what has been happening in recent games and the way the team is imploding. What is going on????>

Sorry LS for once I am not quite sure what point you are trying to make. Normally I am usually in agreement with your comments. For me achievement is the level at which you are currently demonstrating your skills not going back to the what happened at a lower level. However I apologise if I am misinterpreting you observation.

I do hope you are wrong CC. But I have the same feeling. May I refer you to my earlier post under the title " Cup Defeat".........AS there is certainly "something rotten in the State of Donkey Lane"* at the moment. What ever it is it needs fixing quickly, by the Board, as it could not only affect our league position, but club plans for the future. * With apologies to Shakespeare.

Another late capitulation!!!! What's happening, has everybody taken their eye off the ball??? If so something has to be done quickly or our up and coming opponents will be rubbing their hands for some easy points.

RG I think you will find we have only 8 games to play. Of which we need to win five to get to 75pts. However, what is immediately crucial to us is to win the next two away games. This is essential for everyone. Because this should keep most of the teams below us at bay until the end of the month. Certainly points off Hornchurch would be a welcome bonus. The reasoning behind my above observation is that several of those clubs nearest to us have to play one another during that period and only one can win. Although draws would be more acceptable to. Especially in the case of Canvey Island. That leaves us to contend with April which if we go into it with at least 66pts and should give us a chance to at least gain the rest required to at least get a further 9pts . On paper not an easy one for us but yet again those around us are will be playing each other. Also we play 3 of our last games at home which will be up to us to win. Each one will be like cup finals. It's certainly achievable but is the hands of the playing management and players. We can only support them and will them to give it their best shot!!!!! This could go all the way. Let's hope for a good outcome. pts

I agree with you CC that AL will have to come up with something. But then you know my view which is that he is reluctant to contemplate changes. We can only hope that somehow the coaching staff can rekindle the winning mentality amongst the squad, which at the moment appears to be missing. As you say it going to be a tough run in but if the team is as strong as people have said then their pride should make them go that extra mile. I will be the first to applaud if that takes them into the play-offs.

Amen to that CC.

No probs WX, I was just out my frustration as to what the club's ambitions currently are?? From someone who actually attended my first Enfield FC match in 1947!!!!!! Although did not really start watching regularly until the late 60s. Doesn't time fly!!!!

Then if that's the case WX we might as well go ahead with the plans, per the proposed scheme, and forget the football!!!! NO WAY!!!! If we don't get promotion or even get into the play-offs we should get back to basics and priorities attention to the playing side of the club. Back when we obtained our 99yrs lease on the QE11 I said that to sustain the running of the Stadium the club had to ensure that we had a team good enough to maintain it and meet our ambitions. Not for the want of trying that has yet to be done. But I some times feel we have taken our eye of the ball by focusing a lot of on other initiatives, as worthy as they may be. Having said that let us all hope that the current situation is soon corrected and we finally get the result we all wish for.

Doesn't make good reading CC and I sympathise with your sentiments. But it was always on the cards it would happen. Having got together a squad that appeared to want to play the game on the ground, as soon as the going gets tough, AL always reverts back to his long ball game. But I said this when he first arrived . Only he knows why he keeps playing only half his attacking force at the start of each games only he knows. I would recommend CC and LS' comments near the end of the posts on the Folkestone game which summarises what has happened over the past few years perfectly. Perhaps certain people who consider us doomsters will have their say on this but it won't change what one see put in front of you. That is unless someone is willing to change. I wonder what the players think???

Have very much enjoyed the recent posts by LS and CC. Between them they have summarised exactly how I have felt over the past few years. I completely concur with CC's last sentence whole heartedly and have expressed the same thoughts a number of times. Although I am proud of what the club have given to the local society I feel we should not be too side tract from acknowledging we are primarily a football club. If that goes down then so will the other cards fall.

As I have said ad infinitum I have been unable to attend games for nearly a year now. Consequently I have formed my observations on what I have read on this forum and ETFC official reports. Which may not be the best way of doing things Like Barney, I too have waited news on how Spencer is getting on. Is there any news about him. As to when he is lightly to be back. If this is going to be a while then I hope we are seeking another defender as back up. This may mean increasing the budget in order to push us nearer to promotion. Which, if you get it, will be of great incentive for the club to go forward with it's future. Unlike others I I see promotion as a challenge. It's like buying a house. Until you get one foot on the ladder you don't know what you can achieve

True "Rebel" !! We now need the coaching staff to come up with a system that ensures we take at least 3 points points from the games we still have in hand over the several teams around us. Even 2 draws ( 2pts ) would suffice to stop the rot !! It must be obvious that something has gone wrong with the defence which needs fixing. Otherwise we will fall away from any hope of a play-off place. Sorry to see Coker left out of the starting line up again.

It was interesting reading the Official report on Saturday game and the number of times Andre Coker's name was mentioned. Once I heard he was back in the starting line-up I was enthusiastic for a good result. I am sure that DJW and my old friend Andy felt much the same. Unless he has had an injury, that no one knew about, it has been a puzzle to me why he hasn't played more. Since his ratio of goals to playing games must be amongst the highest in the squad. That is if you don't include the number of times he has been brought on for the last few minutes of a game as a substitute.

Thanks to Barney and BJ for such thorough appraisals of Saturday's game. Hopefully this was just a blip and a wakeup call to get back to winning ways. I agree that an average of 2pts from the remaining games should see us well placed in the top five at the end of the season. This being the yard stick for success at the beginning of any season.

That makes interesting reading 'REB'. Unfortunately, I have not seen one game this season. For the same reason as last year. However I look forward to reading reports on this forum. One thing which occurs to me is the way they the team can go from high achievers to very poor in an instant. On analysis it seems it usually follows when several players go missing. This time it was been because of suspensions and are then brought straight back in. Invariably after a run of good play by those who have to replace them. To day is an example of this. For example, with Cass away why was our other highest scorer Coker not given a chance and Wordsworth played in his stead. Perhaps AL will explain his thinking on his next screen appearance. We obviously missed Hill but that was bound to happen. Ok it may be a one off but we can't afford too many of them. Our games in hand could well be frittered away. I look forward to reading more posts.

When, Oh when is Coker going to come on???? It seems that no one has told AL that he is still one of our top scorers!!!!

Well that's another of our esteemed management team's skills put in perspective. Under the reign of the current regime I wonder how many good players have been frozen out because of someone's preferences. Funnily unintentionally some have benefited from it. First name which comes to mind is young Parcell. But then it did him no harm as he was able to obtain a FA Trophy Winners Medal and a TV Wembley Man of the Match award. Another one is Kirby who also was a FA Cup TV Man of the Match. I am sure there are many others. But I must add I do hope that Josh Hill's stay with us helps him find a successful way back to fitness which proves beneficial to him as well as us.

Well I never, who would have thought we would get another Loan Player, although it seems more mainly for his rehabilitation. Mind you he does appear to have the longest CV yet. But then 10 Teams in about say 14 years isn't very many I suppose. From what I read it would seem that a one team guy like Bobby Charlton would not have enough experience for these days.

True Andy, but as I said it is up to the club. Either way the club stands to lose out. Three players suspended could cost us several points and the failure to qualify for a top place in the league or Play-off position come the end of the season. All involving the loss in "cash".

If your comment, Sym, on Wordsworth's remark to the Ref is correct then he is certainly living up to the heading announcing his arrival at the club, quote " A WAY WITH WORDS"!!!! By the way did we sign him as a Footballer or Journalist. Since AL has taken to the airwaves a lot more lately perhaps he wanted to employ a new script writer. Like you RG I agree that we need Coker's involvement again in the team which would add some more pace and cutting edge up front. Which we need at this time. But again no doubt another player with a long CV of teams behind him will be signed up and then shortly afterwards shown the door. C'est la vie!!!!

Reading the previous few posts it seems that if the club have any video which includes the "debacle" should carefully scrutinised it find out who initiate it. Especially, as reported, attention should be drawn to the player who was boasting about how he punch someone. Perhaps this person would have stopped showing off if he new that his actions had been witnessed and that, even if it was perpetrated during a football match, it still can can be regarded as a Criminal Assault under the Criminal Justice Act. If found guilty it could give rise to a minimum sentence of six months jail. Perhaps this will take the smile off his face and for him to own up instead of making his team mate take the rap. From what I have read I would think there is enough evidence to give good cause to appeal to delay the mandatory suspensions until the facts are established as to who actually caused the melee. Also that the sending offs were disproportionate to the number of players involved. Whether or not the club take this view is up to the board. But it might be worth them taking legal advice on the matter. After all it is the club and fee paying supporters who stand to lose out by being penalised by all all the suspensions hanging over the club and their ability to maintain a play off position. Finally I see that Coker seems to be out of favour again. What is the news on him. I still see him as one to enhance our goal tally and would like to see him back.

Thanks 55 for throwing some light on the affair. Regarding CC's I agree it sounds that the sending offs has decimated the centre of our defence. But looking at it again I think that their still is away out. Consider another scenario in that, instead of the two sending offs both sustained injuries, one would hope that AL and his staff have contingency plans for such an event. It is times like these that both Staff and players have to dig deep. I would like to hear from others who were at the match as to how we coped with 9 players. It could not have been that bad since we kept them at 0-1 for at least 30minutes. Some must have played in central defence. Also I wonder what AL said to the Ref for him to be sent off. I bet it did not help in the decision taken by the Ref to disallow the goal from Payne's free kick. Finally I too will be interested to see what, if their is one, the video shows of the incident.

I tend to agree CC with your view entirely. But after I saw his interview I had to change my original post in order to include his observations. Consequently if, as AL said and I have no reason to doubt him, the management tried in vein to get the team to comply to their plan then even I do not think the manager should take the can on his own for todays fiasco. As you know I have been very critical of AL's appointment from the very start but today the team must also be held accountable as I have stated in my amended post. But if they have not got the ability to play to a plan or decide to go their own way then no manager can change them. I also agree that sooner or later changes will have to be made but I am prepared on this occasion to see how the team react in the next couple of games. There are more other considerations to consider in addition to the manager's situation and that concludes the future plan for the club as a whole. Especially the financial aspect.