Please log in or register. Registered visitors get fewer ads.
News
Comment
McKenna: First Half Well Below the Acceptable Standard
at 21:24:08

Lots of talk, not a lot of improvement at either end of the pitch. All the talk of going on runs, being more ruthless and learning lessons is just that- talk. Until the players are able to grasp moments in games, the form will continue to flounder. Today was a huge opportunity missed- to gain on the top two and to win back to back games since October. They look like they don't have the minerals for a promotion push- this is a dire league, the third tier- and we all seem intent on talking it up to be something it's not. Cambridge were basic and had very little threat, our own lack of intensity immediately ceded any momentum. This is not good enough for the money spent and the faith invested in the club- we can all kid ourselves and say “it's better than last year” and “we should be grateful for McKenna” but the bottom line is, this is a club with all the odds in its favour and we are chucking it away in a self inflicted blur. Wycombe, Lincoln, Oxford and now this- this is not a short term issue but a full on melt-down.
Blog
Comment
Lambert's Cat
at 10:39:31

Totally agree. It's all part of the sadness of the club. There have been so many moments (aside from the self inflicted ones) that have set us on the wrong path. The collapse of ITV digital off the back of a disastrous second season in the Prem (for me selling Scowcroft was THE sliding doors moment, given how important he was to our play) caused an administration from which we would never recover. All I want is for the club to have expectations higher than we currently have, and to be a well run club with good intentions- not the garbage, reactionary and cheapened outfit we currently are. Here's hoping eh?!
Blog
Comment
Lambert's Cat
at 08:08:00

Sheffieldtractor, Thanks- I can't take the credit for the stats- they are from the @itftcanalytics twitter feed, which is excellent- they were stats for the first half of the season. Re Evans, I am not sure his investment is necessarily the debate, more what he does with it in the club. As last night demonstrated, when the going gets tough he will spend money (Thomas, Harrop, Matheson and Parrot are higher end loans at this level), but the argument should be more about whether he has the motivation to make the club successful with the funds he is willing to put in. The club is bereft of an appropriate and modern structure, a qualified DoF, we have a rancid injury record (co-incidence?), recruitment is poor (squad is misbalanced and bloated in certain areas), and whilst we are 1 of 2 clubs with a Cat 2 Academy, we seem intent on bringing other clubs players in on loan (although this is perhaps due to the restrictions of the salary cap). I guess the emotion is a secondary factor- many clubs operate successfully with dispassionate owners. I think we can agree, however, that this manager is a busted flush and a change is needed to revive the season and reengage some enthusiasm with the fans as a bare minimum.
Blog
Comment
The Way Back From Here Will Be Long, But There is a Way
at 21:08:12

Fantastic blog. Feels really important, and should be in the minds of every town fan. We are not fit for purpose, and now is the time for fundamental, structural change. COYB
Blog
Comment
Stick With It
at 21:21:36

I’m not sure it’s a fair assessment that younger fans don’t care about what the club once was. Personally, my relationship with the club is entirely built on family ties since the late 50s. I am immensely proud of what the club once was. I grew up marvelling at the Boys of 81’- that my club could have achieved such greatness (and ultimately not quite delivered that elusive league title again) and played such bold, attractive football. I am lucky to have grown up with Lyall, Burley and then Royle- I hope that kids today are able to enjoy and feel connected to the club now as I have. Lord knows the last 10 years have been tedious and full of frustration- all we can hope for is that the club might start on an upward trajectory!
Blog
Comment
Where Might This Lead?
at 11:49:39

That's a really fair point on giving younger players chances to learn (I think all-round patience is key). My point is really that the manager should be part of a functioning structure without the autonomy that previous incumbents have enjoyed. It is a concern that many players leave ITFC and flourish. Perhaps it is purely circumstantial- i.e. Marriot may have had more game time if he had been around the season following the playoffs. Similarly Matt Clarke would have been behind Berra and Smith as LF CB, and was a make-weight in the Webster deal. Totally agree with the Kieffer Moore observation. Didn't look like a functioning athlete when I watched him and it is easy to have 20:20 vision with hindsight now he is banging in the goals. Let's hope that Lambert can spot a player too, and hope that these types of players will now flourish with us, rather than elsewhere as they will have to be given opportunities in lieu of any investment from Evans.
Blog
Comment
Where Might This Lead?
at 21:52:01

Perhaps. I can’t dispute the timing being right, and I was certainly in the camp for change. I guess it is pointless wondering, but I am not sure he would have tolerated all of the departures- however the point really is that until we apply a more effective structure to the management of the club and become less reliant on an individual at the top of it, any success will always be limited and short lived due to the lack of funds Evans is willing to commit (compared to similar sized clubs in the championship). Lambert could well have enough, which would be fantastic in the short term but You cannot be one bad appointment away from relegation and a complete rebuild, and have a chance to compete at the level we want to. The gap financially between L1 & champ is large enough, and will surely get greater with the disparity of TV revenue and general income.
Please log in to use all the site's facilities

Moggasknockdown


Site Scores

Forum Votes: 14
Comment Votes: 8
Prediction League: 0
TOTAL: 22
About Us Contact Us Terms & Conditions Privacy Cookies Advertising
© TWTD 1995-2024