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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2017 9:37:47 GMT
He's too old...will be 63 in July. Come on people, the new manager has to be in the 47/55 age range so that possibly he is with us for at least 5 years, this is the next five year project so a man of 63 is not the right way to go is it.
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Post by hantslondoner on Mar 14, 2017 10:03:19 GMT
I also think that John Gregory may have left the Crawley job due to health reasons. Didn't we just have a manager who came to Eastleigh, from a league club, with a potential health problem, expecting an easier job, and didn't get it? I have no idea as to when RH will make a decision about whether he wants to be manager or not, but since I'd expect him to be first choice, speculation on other names is probably a little futile at the moment. As I've said before, after what's gone on at the club already this season, there will be a few potential managerial candidates who, rightly or wrongly, will not consider coming to Eastleigh. I'd be surprised if any of the names mentioned so far will be in the running.
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Post by Bryan on Mar 14, 2017 11:16:36 GMT
could JG & RH work as a double act in some capacity - one doing more strategic, one doing more day to day - would that work ? they obviously get on well together.....
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Post by westendspitfire on Mar 14, 2017 12:59:02 GMT
Personally I hope we are changing our focus after the experience this season has given us, we should not be setting ourselves 5 year targets to go up 3 divisions or anything so daft, our only ambition should be to do the best we can in the division we are in. Our league position will never ever just be a matter of what we do, there are too many external factors in sport to even think you can run it on the same basis as a business, we need to build a team in the same way we are building the fixtures and fittings around the outside (although they are probably happening too quickly to hold up as a good example of what I am trying to say). Success should be measured on a gradient of improvement over a number of years and not just finishing x places higher every season that way a new manager could come in and work with the club instead of worrying about their job when they lose 3 in a row. Appreciate that Stewart's money has set expectations differently but sometimes a bit of perspective is required and that is sorely missing from some of the comments on here.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 14, 2017 14:17:17 GMT
In the words of SD himself...we can reach league one and be in the top half comfortably within our business strategy that is laid out....but we all know it will only bear fruit once we get out of this league, this league is the hardest to move from. It is a five year plan going forward, this club is ambitious and we have an owner willing to finance it if necessary, by that I mean he hopes the business grows on its own two feet with all the various revenue streams and not from his own pocket. SD has a dream.....he won't stop until he delivers...and I honestly believe he will never walk away...why would anyone build a football team and stadium to be proud of and leave?
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Post by hantslondoner on Mar 14, 2017 14:40:58 GMT
In the words of SD himself...we can reach league one and be in the top half comfortably within our business strategy that is laid out....but we all know it will only bear fruit once we get out of this league, this league is the hardest to move from. I agree with this, only two promotion places out of this league - but Pompey seem to be finding it hard to get out of the league above, too. I think most people would be happy to see us back on the right track next season - which, to be honest, probably means play-offs. At the moment, looks quite a challenge.
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Post by westendspitfire on Mar 14, 2017 14:42:57 GMT
We are talking about football and it's not a normal business. You can have all the strategy you want it ain't going to come true because one man says so, you also need a lot of luck to go with the hard work.
If there are 20 plus teams at our level or above that all have a sound business strategy laid out that they can reach league one and be in the top half comfortably they are not all going to do it, as there can only be 8 or 10 teams max that can be in that position. There will also be teams falling down from above that have to alter their strategies to maintain at that level when they drop into it.
Loads of examples of moneyed clubs not meeting their expectations. Doesn't mean we can't, but think realistic goals need to be set for a Manager and the number one realistic goal at this stage is consolidate ourselves as a National League team that is challenging for the play offs every year. That means if we have all the ingredients we will then be able to challenge for the title if/when the opportunity arrives.
Talk of League One is cloud cuckoo land and helps to raise the expectations of the fans beyond anything realistic because the minute you start talking league one the next step is the championship etc etc etc, lets enjoy what we have which in my view is bloody good.
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Post by michaelefc on Mar 14, 2017 16:59:27 GMT
Well said westendspitfire. My thoughts entirely.
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Post by thelake on Mar 14, 2017 21:09:32 GMT
Top 5 next season I hope
Deffo not thinking about anything beyond that. Not sure who is the best man for the efc job!
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2017 6:45:16 GMT
Shame you don't share the vision of SD....he's living in cloud cuckoo land then 'Westendspitfire and Michaelefc'? When he says this club can be comfortable as a top half league one club I believe him and the reason for that is pretty obvious, he is a man who delivers....and he will.
Like everybody else I've wondered where we have gone wrong, how was it possible for Cheltenham to get rid of their entire squad that was relegated and go back up immediately as Champions, to build a team in 3 months!! The astonishing turn around of Lincoln City, 90% of which is down to the Cowley brothers and their work ethics, but they have still gone out and got the players they wanted to build what is likely to be a championship winning side.
We're not the only ones of course, Forest Green have started well in both the last two seasons but cannot maintain it, though they should earn a PO spot again. I am sure we are currently carrying out an internal investigation into where we have gone wrong and how to find the right role model for next season. That work has begun with the announcement of a DoF appointment, and even if RH takes the manager role, we must still have a DoF going forward, if that is dropped because RH does not want one, its a backward step in my opinion.....same old same old.....with the same results!!
What's happened this season has without doubt been a massive learning curve in how not to run a club, but the blessing is we learn from it and ensure such mistakes do not happen again, it won't...we can be absolutely certain about that.
I am very optimistic about next season, the mandate will be top five, lets work it from there without mentioning the 'T' word. I hope Lincoln and Tranmere go up, the two that come down won't be top five next season whoever they may be. Of those coming up, AFC Fylde look certain, they could be dark horses, likewise Salford with their 5 owners!!!! From the South I think Dartford will win the PO so the championship decider on April 22nd Maidenhead v Ebbsfleet decides the other because whoever loses I don't think they will recover from it.
They are guesses of course but that's the dream line up next season from our point of view surely. Dagenham, Forest Green, Gateshead, Aldershot, Barrow and ourselves should be the main front runners, AFC Flyde and Macclesfield dark horses. It would not surprise me if the club has made similar guesses as they prepare for the new season, as to hit the ground running in starting the clear out and rebuilding but clearly, depending on the final outcome of who goes up and comes into our league those ideas may need tweaking somewhat. This is not nonsense, it is simply early forward planning, if those guesses turn out to be 85/90% right (or higher :-) then that's a good head start. For those of you who cannot see the woods for the trees, such planning might mean we are identifying players from those that go down, or indeed going up, ready to strike early with offers for their services.
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Post by michaelefc on Mar 15, 2017 8:29:08 GMT
Don't think there will be anything "dark" about Fylde. With their budget I think they will be major players. As for us, I won't be thinking of next season before we have guaranteed our place in the National league. Hopefully we can do that over the next 2 games.
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Post by westendspitfire on Mar 15, 2017 8:29:21 GMT
Morning Spirit, not sure I said SD was living in cloud cuckoo land, more I made the point that at this stage talk of league one for a team in the bottom half of the NL was exactly that and the points you make about the opposition back up my point. You can have as much strategy as you like but you cannot take into account what might happen at other clubs, Cheltenham being the prime example, how could SD factor that into his strategy and what could he do to stop it happening? Lincoln, mid table mediocrity then bang they are playing Arsenal, yet they still might not go up, a couple of injuries now after they have played so many games is not impossible and that may keep them in this league next season. Same for Tranmere no guarantee of promotion yet they were the best team I've seen this season. We have seen how difficult it is to get good players/managers based in the North of England to come down South and that is another factor that affects any strategy.
My point is lets not set unrealistic expectations, I'm sure SD will challenge his team to achieve, but if in 3 years time we have established ourselves as a strong NL team that will be a massive achievement and one we should be proud of and not disappointed because we are not in the FL. If SD finds that extra 20% either in a manager or players that will carry us to the next level then great but he has a lot of competitors looking for exactly the same thing.
Your comment about guessing sums my thoughts up perfectly, as long as we are guessing there is a massive amount outside our direct control and that is why you can talk League One but it doesn't mean it is going to happen.
It doesn't mean I don't support the team/SD or want them to be successful though.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2017 10:40:42 GMT
Morning Westendspitfire, regarding my comments about Cheltenham and Lincoln it's about can we learn anything from their planning? We are doing something wrong despite having the biggest budget. Everything is going well off the pitch, but not on it. In one word....players.....why do we pick the wrong ones? How are we picking the wrong ones? We have to move away from the last big contract mercenaries who count ££££ and no concern for the badge on the shirt. We need 20 Greeners who care, who give their all when they play. I've this before but do we have a set wage regardless of the weeks result? Are we allowed to have the wage structure in bonus form....a flat rate for everyone, so much for a draw, even more for a win, would it encourage them? I guess it would.....but would players want to come here on those terms, that's the problem. So it's about learning how other clubs have found the answers....as Danny Cowley put it last week "There is no magic wand, it's about learning and good work ethics, do the little things right and the big things will bear fruit"
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Post by back4more on Mar 15, 2017 11:25:37 GMT
Keith, it's curious that you talk about looking at how Lincoln and Cheltenham do things and then, on the other hand, you state that we will need to have a Director of Football next season. I hope you won't mind me saying, but that seems like you are contradicting yourself. Neither of those clubs, which you are holding up as examples we should learn from, have a Director of Football. So how do you get from saying they've got it right to pronouncing that we should do something totally different? While we do have a Director of Football now, I believe that is a title of convenience to allow RH to have full control of all football matters, which he needs to be able to sort out the mess left by his predecessor. If he does continue as the club manager next season - and hopefully he will - I can't imagine what would be gained from having a separate "Director of Football". I don't believe that there would be a "Director of Football" role to fill. The last thing a club like Eastleigh needs is anyone on the football management wage bill who is not part of the mainstream fully accountable management team. If RH opts not to continue next season in his present role then there are probably various options as to how the management team would be set up and no doubt the format will evolve between Richard and Stewart between now and the end of the season. In the meantime, personally I prefer to stick with supporting the recovery process which they now have underway and which is already starting to dispel the unpleasant atmosphere which had descended on the club. Just going back to how other clubs do it, here's what the Lincoln city management hierarchy looks like, with not a Director of Football in sight.
Manager: Danny Cowley
Assistant Manager: Nicky Cowley
Head of Sports Science and Medicine: Mike Hine
Sport Therapist: Steve Rands
Goalkeeper Coach: Jimmy Walker
Lead Sports Scientist: Luke Jelly
Assistant Sports Scientist: Kieran Walker
Performance Analyst: Glenn Skingsley
Statisticians: Matt Page & Toby Ellis
I wouldn't for a minute suggest that this is what the Eastleigh football department should look like but it does make interesting reading. My hope is that this time next year, other clubs will be talking about how Eastleigh are doing it.
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Post by Deleted on Mar 15, 2017 11:58:21 GMT
John, I state we need DoF because SD admits to making mistakes....he was in reality a DoF but did not have the experience for it. I don't know this for a fact, but there are stories that agents kept phoning him up with recommendations and he was swept along with it. So I think a DoF is important from his point of view. If RH does take the managers chair he won't want one.....will SD's phone stop ringing though? We end up going back to square one surely.
Rabbit out of the hat....could Jeweller be a DoF? Would he even want it? The whole point is SD has stated we will have a DoF so he can contentrate on other areas of club business in which he has business acumen. It will be interesting to see how it all pans out as the club makes changes.
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