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Post by Deleted on May 14, 2016 5:54:48 GMT
Our retained list is as daft as someone trying to paint the sky green!!!!! What has our three strikers got in common? No body wants them at this level, not good enough....but good enough for us!!!! Dan Harding will be missed next season mark my words, he never let us down, it was rare for anyone to get round him and did his job very professionally even if he did not get forward as much as people liked, he knew his game and strenghts. We're all over the place CT is clueless about his best team and formation, players not in their best positions, Jai in particular, and players not on the same wavelenght with Tubbs movements, a talented player we totally wasted because the tactics crippled him. For me this should have been a massive clear out of 14/15 players, a new Manager, and getting this club back on the right lines, we've taken a left turn and are riding over the hills lost. I don't see getting better players in changing our style of football from CT very much. If the last three months bored you, be prepared to be bored again next season, though I doubt he'll last beyond Sept if things go belly up early. That's why I see little point in letting him build this new side in the summer, if he persists with that type of football..much of it long ball....we won't progress very far. Long ball is dead, it used to be about the percentage of getting the second ball when it first reared its ugly head in the middle 70's but defences have by and large worked it out now, its no longer the threat it can be and even defenders in this league love a side that plays long ball against them, its a comfortable afternoon's work generally speaking. Do we have any scouts?? I ask because we should have been preparing a list of players we want to sign from February and checking them out. I'll lay a bet we only knew about Caulson because of the Oxford lads, SD and Jeweller live up there, and maybe RH even gave a nudge in their direction? I'm told, though cannot prove it, that in the main EFC wait for the phone to ring from agents who suggest players and it starts from there. All the players coming in this summer are unlikely to have been watched, they will be here because they are a big name at our level and have a reputation of being a good player...but that means nothing if the style we play is wrong, Matt Tubbs is a prime example of that, a very talented striker who with the right guy up front with him would certainly hit 25+ for us. I'd have loved Danny Cowley here, the write up on him last week in The NLP was marvellous, I loved the comment regarding the two brothers (his assistant manager Nicky) 'their meticulous preparation and maximising the fine margins' for every game shows a dedication to get every last drop from the bottle to help his team and Lincoln will be a much improved side next season be in no doubt about that. I think he is an exceptional manager because of that dedication. The mandate next season is to win the title...we're a long way from that at the moment with CT and his mates failing last season and they're all still here!!!!
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Post by michaelefc on May 14, 2016 8:21:16 GMT
See your really looking forward to the start of the season Keith! I have already said on this forum that I would like to see Chris Todd replaced. I don't think he did a bad job as a manager, but if we are seriously looking to win the league next season, we need to move up several gears. That said if we do reappoint CT he will have my 100% backing. It is very very early in post/pre season to be talking about the strength of squad we have/don't have. Some of those still with us will be gone within a few weeks, and soon enough we will know who we will be running with next season. Lets just let SD and staff get on with it, and lets not give them constant grief. Okay I know its what football fans do, but we are in such a transistional phase it seems to me to be completely pointless to be ranting on here about the make up of the squad for next season. We are after all folks still in mid May!
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Post by hantslondoner on May 14, 2016 8:41:21 GMT
It sounded as if CT felt pretty secure with his 'rolling contract' from the Echo interview.
As I've said before, if we were considering a change of manager then apart from Danny Cowley, Graham Westley is the man with the track record, like him or not.
Talking of Cowley's old team,if we want a left-back, Sam Habergham is pretty useful. I expect he'll go to Lincoln if Cowley goes there. Someone called Matt Fry also did well at Braintree last season. Pity he fell out with RH. I remeber his debut of us, he looked pretty goood then. But it all went downhill very quickly....
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Post by stewartdonald on May 14, 2016 16:10:38 GMT
Our retained list is as daft as someone trying to paint the sky green!!!!! What has our three strikers got in common? No body wants them at this level, not good enough....but good enough for us!!!! Dan Harding will be missed next season mark my words, he never let us down, it was rare for anyone to get round him and did his job very professionally even if he did not get forward as much as people liked, he knew his game and strenghts. We're all over the place CT is clueless about his best team and formation, players not in their best positions, Jai in particular, and players not on the same wavelenght with Tubbs movements, a talented player we totally wasted because the tactics crippled him. For me this should have been a massive clear out of 14/15 players, a new Manager, and getting this club back on the right lines, we've taken a left turn and are riding over the hills lost. I don't see getting better players in changing our style of football from CT very much. If the last three months bored you, be prepared to be bored again next season, though I doubt he'll last beyond Sept if things go belly up early. That's why I see little point in letting him build this new side in the summer, if he persists with that type of football..much of it long ball....we won't progress very far. Long ball is dead, it used to be about the percentage of getting the second ball when it first reared its ugly head in the middle 70's but defences have by and large worked it out now, its no longer the threat it can be and even defenders in this league love a side that plays long ball against them, its a comfortable afternoon's work generally speaking. Do we have any scouts?? I ask because we should have been preparing a list of players we want to sign from February and checking them out. I'll lay a bet we only knew about Caulson because of the Oxford lads, SD and Jeweller live up there, and maybe RH even gave a nudge in their direction? I'm told, though cannot prove it, that in the main EFC wait for the phone to ring from agents who suggest players and it starts from there. All the players coming in this summer are unlikely to have been watched, they will be here because they are a big name at our level and have a reputation of being a good player...but that means nothing if the style we play is wrong, Matt Tubbs is a prime example of that, a very talented striker who with the right guy up front with him would certainly hit 25+ for us. I'd have loved Danny Cowley here, the write up on him last week in The NLP was marvellous, I loved the comment regarding the two brothers (his assistant manager Nicky) 'their meticulous preparation and maximising the fine margins' for every game shows a dedication to get every last drop from the bottle to help his team and Lincoln will be a much improved side next season be in no doubt about that. I think he is an exceptional manager because of that dedication. The mandate next season is to win the title...we're a long way from that at the moment with CT and his mates failing last season and they're all still here!!!! With the greatest respect you are just guessing all of that. You do not know who we are looking at how much we are prepared to pay - who wants to stay and who wants to leave. Just for reference Coulson was completely CT signing - even though he lived only 3 miles form me I have never watched Oxford City it came about from one of CT's new scouts. If you had any idea who we were looking at I think you may be pleased. Having said that CT inherited a squad and of those 7 players had contracts for next season. 1 of those Dan Harding has been tranfer listed. We have offered 3 or 4 including Strevens contracts. Yemi and Drury accepted and Strevs is likely to be more of a squad player. So if you discount him we have 8 outfield players at the moment. So we are clearly in the market for a centre forward or two, a couple of wingers, centre backs and central midfielders along with a left back. Last season we did not have a budget to compete with the top three I would not think who were Grimsby, Tranmere and FGR clearly ahead. So we finished in the group that spent rougly the same. Wrexham, Barrow, Lincoln, Bromley and us. Dover I do not know but Braintree over achieved - lets see how Lincoln do next season before getting carried away with Danny Cowley. Braintree did superbly but managing a club with money is not the same as managing one without. The skill set is completely different. Handling different types of players, coping with expectation and pressure etc etc. Just analyse for a second our season for CT. He inherited a team that was not his, he was throwing at the deep end and has been a loyal servant of the club for 3 years. He gave us a great cup run, two good runs in the league, one shocking run which cost us and the football at the end was poor albeit everyone was purring at the start. He signed some players that did not work and tried to save us money - I had a chat with him and said we need quality rather than coming and telling me we have an affordable team. That conversation was not had soon enough and was an error which won't happen again.He then asked to sign Coulson and Tubbs and missed a few others but leftist a little late. Both his signings and I think funnily enough everyone would have signed Tubbs but that wasnt the catalyst we hoped for and so in hindsight didn't work as well as hoped and then Luke is someone who looks like he will be a great signing for us. So if Toddy's is backed with his own team he may just deliver what you want. However I do not see how you can make a judgement this early. What we have done Keith since I came is sign better players almost every season. We have invested more and by and large done pretty well. Finishing 4th,1st,4th and 7th. So give us a chance we are competing with some pretty tough clubs to try and get the signatures we are trying to get and I think you will be much happier once you give us that chance and see what we deliver. There is a big difference and again mentality needed to go from finishing 4th or 7th to 1st. We need winners week in week out - people who turn up every game and really really want to win it - we did not have enough of those this season. We failed this season because when we went to Gateshead and Barrow we didn't compete and at home against the smaller teams sometimes we didn't turn up. So we need characters who want to win every week and drag the rest of the squad along with them. Men and winners, with some flair and style. I have told Chris I want to be entertained and I want us to play with style and win. I have also told him I will do my part in making that happen so it is over to him to deliver. Also If you think we wait for the phone to ring you must be mad. We have watched over 80 games since January between us all scouting players and have been working on targets all the time. We have a list of targets continually. We are not lazy and are one of the hardest working group of people in our efforts to bring success here. As for your 3 striker comment. 3 League two clubs would take Beano tomorrow - albeit I know you don't rate him but other clubs and scouts and managers do. Its a game of opinions but that is a fact.I would say look at our last 3 games and we missed him hugely. Also He might do better if our second striker can score 20 goals and play along with him. Perhaps Yemi loves the clubs much he just wanted to stay no matter what and again there is interest in him. Ross did not work out well last season and hopefully that will be different this year. He is the natural foil for Beano but it did not work - he wants to stay and prove he is what we need and he has a contract and every right to do so. Also if we find a different striker who scores 20-25 and Beano get 20 lets say that would be good enough I think. So our signing/s here could be key. However just like the rest of the squad you do not know how much they earn and whether they are value for money or easy to move on if not and how hungry they are to succeed etc etc. Just the same as with Dan Harding. You do not know why he is transfer listed so you may find it strange but you would not if you knew. We have numerous scouts so you know. Did none of the play offs team play long ball this season??? One team i think did who are notorious in the league for that style so it isn't dead just yet - not that I want to play that way! As for CT's mates being here - he offered 4 people new contracts and got rid of double that - how can you say that? I think we would all have offered Drury a new contract and again he was in high demand but we managed to convince him to sign. Most would sign Turley. Yemi seems a 50/50 split fine and Strevens is really number 2. A very intelligent, well connected, popular, forward thinking man who I think has the potential to be a great manager in his own right. Chopper is experienced and well connected who along with Cooky adds balance. Give us a chance Keith we have not done too bad so far and I will try and prove you wrong - I love a challenge!!! It is clear it will all be about the quality of our new signings to give us a chance then it is over to CT to manage them.
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Post by Bruce Forbes on May 14, 2016 16:19:44 GMT
In Stewart I trust! Keep up the good work.
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Post by michaelefc on May 14, 2016 17:00:37 GMT
As is normal on this site, a reasoned intelligent post from SD.
"3 League two clubs would take Beano tomorrow" Don't want to say I told you so - but I TOLD YOU SO.
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Post by nobadspitfire on May 14, 2016 17:22:11 GMT
Thank you for your comprehensive response to SOE's post, Stewart. One wonders if he was nursing a Saturday morning hangover when posting it. As already stated, in SD we trust.
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Post by loudnproud on May 14, 2016 17:30:41 GMT
Top post Stewart looking forward with everyone else to being entertained next season. Good luck to Toddy next season. Now when's the Bob cat coming
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Post by dave on May 14, 2016 20:46:10 GMT
Great post Stewart!
There are players who I don't particularly like at the club & that is mostly down to my perception of their work rate and my opinion that in some games the effort didn't seem to be there. I think I only got to 10 away games last season and some of those were very disappointing (Gateshead & Braintree the worst) but I'm not paying their wages & if CT &SD think they are doing their bit & earning whatever they are being paid that is none of my business. There are also players who may not be the best but put 100% in and earn every penny they get.
CT has only had a few months & when the team went on their early run when he took over he was a genius, that cant have changed too much, he can only put out the best 11 players he feels he has on the day and rely on them to do the business on the pitch. He was trusted to take over and most fans were calling for that from his caretaker spell, give the bloke a chance & stop eyeing up replacements.
As I have said before its very easy to spend someone elses money & none of us have any idea how much is being spent on this team, but if you can't have faith that SD is spending his money wisely and CT is doing the best to achieve the aims of SD & the club maybe you and/or the club have outgrown each other.
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Post by tenacres on May 14, 2016 20:56:44 GMT
I can see the argument that we'd be better appointing an experienced "been there done it" manager for next season.
On the other hand CT has taken us from 11th to 7th with a brilliant cup run to boot. That's not exactly a big failure.
It seems like the decision has been made to "stick" rather than to "twist". In August we will start to learn if that was good decision. I very much hope so.
For now, our recruitment is absolutely vital, obviously the final decision (presumably) rests with CT but there are many involved in player recruitment from SD & MJ to coaches & scouts, lets hope we get it right!
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2016 5:38:19 GMT
It is indeed a great post Stewart and thanks very much for enlightening myself and everyone else who has read it. I do hope you prove me wrong and win the 'challenge' as you put it. I'm not alone with the thoughts I put up but I would never speak on others behalf, they have to do it themselves if they so wish, but I'm sure your comments will please most of them, I certainly am. You have the ability to restore the confidence factor with such posts, from being somewhat down about where we seemed to be heading, I am more energized, my spirits lifted. I won't change my views on the strikers but they are welcome to prove the doubters wrong aren't they, we all know its goals that win games and titles so they get criticised more than most when missing goals as that's what they're paid to do. My views on CT is based on the rubbish that was dished up over the last three months so from that point of view it has to improve a great deal, he seems confident he can do that and you're giving him the backing financially to build a new team, I hope it works, we all share that view but the jury is still out on that one, he's going to be under a lot of pressure come August, the expectations on his shoulders and a good start is vital. If we play to win and be entertained then everybody is happy, I won't even mind the odd scrappy game so long as we win it!!!!! I know us fans can be fickle at times, it wouldn't be normal if we didn't, however we all share the passion, hopes and dreams that is EFC. Go find those WINNERS!!
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Post by badger on May 15, 2016 7:21:16 GMT
Great post Stewart. It's amazing how short people's memories are. Toddy came in, won a couple of games and this place became a love-in with everyone giving it the #intoddwetrust.
A few months later, things don't quite go to plan and people jump straight on his back and it's all his fault....Everyone must remember that last years squad was not his team, it was a team that took a couple of big beatings that led to Richard Hill leaving, and a team that frankly wasn't good enough. I am delighted that Todd is now going to be given an opportunity to build his own team, and it is on this team that he should be judged. From then on there are no excuses....the fans were desperate for Todd to come in, so give him a fair chance.
There will always be the concern about being a former player that has his mates out on the park, Toddy has to put this to bed by getting the team to win football matches. One area of concern for me is discipline, the second half of last season saw us receive so many red cards, and this cannot be accepted next season.
As for the retention list, Will Evans had a good season last year, BUT if we want to win the league he isn't good enough. I felt that he performed better with Reid, and that his partnership with JT was not as strong for whatever reason. I do not understand why people seem so irate about Evans going, I am certain we will get a better replacement(s).
I am disappointed it didn't work out with Payne, who I'm sure is capable of playing in a side that wins the league, if the style is right for him, bur accept that some players have to go for other players / better players to come in.
Harding is no loss to me, yes he could defend but he didn't get forward and this just made the pitch so narrow for the opposition to defend if Cook didn't play in front of him. I suspect it also comes down to value for money, I suspect he was very expensive so for me Id much rather his wages were spent elsewhere.
I hope the players all get a good break now and come back for pre-season fresh and hungry for success. Todd was the manager everyone seemwd to want last year, now is the time to give him that chance to deliver.
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Post by Deleted on May 15, 2016 8:59:11 GMT
Some good posts here. Toddy deserves a chance to start the campaign. although if we had changed managers, i wouldn't ave been surprised. However, its Toddys recruitment, Coulsen aside, that is the black mark against him that he needs to improve. Its all well and good saying well last season it wasn't Toddys side, but he had the Jan transfer window to make adjustments and failed bigtime. With SD throwing more money at recruitment this year, i feel it makes Toddys recruiting job harder, as its easy to go sign someone from the same or lower levels, they will of course jump at the chance to join Eastleigh in the National League, but its not so easy trying to convince players from L1 & L2 to drop down. Why would they? So i watch with great interest to see how the summer recruiting goes. It sounds like SD is going for some big names, let's hope they can convince these players to join the Eastleigh journey.
p.s. if 3 x L2 clubs wants Beano, i suggest we sell him. At his age, a fee would be a good move. In truth i suspect the 3 L2 clubs will all be lower table teams, which you could probably argue that we are going to be a stronger side than any lower L2 club next season. I also doubt whether any of them would be able to match what we are paying him.
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Post by spitfiresteve on May 16, 2016 14:52:18 GMT
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Post by 18yardbox on May 16, 2016 15:14:12 GMT
Seemed to have a very bright future with Everton at one point then ended up leaving Goodison, and never really got going at WBA....
Like the idea of it but can't see it happening at all! Not a premier player at this moment in time but could certainly do a job in the Football league! Although rivals, Wolves could do a lot worse! Maybe Burton would suit?
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