clutching at straws

[WhiteJC]

last night's result might be a "blessing in disguise" as if we had kept up the winning run "the powers that be" could have argued that the "team" didn't need improving as we'd "turned the corner"

I know, I'm just trying to cheer myself up  fp.gif

[Patrick]

last night's result might be a "blessing in disguise" as if we had kept up the winning run "the powers that be" could have argued that the "team" didn't need improving as we'd "turned the corner"

I know, I'm just trying to cheer myself up  fp.gif

No...actually I agree...the kicking we got was well deserved...and all parties are fully aware that we just need to bite the bullet and remove/sell the ENTIRE defence personnel..and start afresh...

[Wearethewhites]

I wouldn't beat yourself up about last nights result, for me, it was appalling, but a true reflection of what this team, this club, this set of players, really are.

We can stand here all day and blame the ref for this, that, but at the end of the day, we showed zero guts yet again, and proved that this squad is really poor.

Can't believe people are blaming Jokanovic, but in my eyes, he's an absolute genius, being able to get anything out of that load of clap-trap, and even reverting back to ugly football to grid out results.

Don't care what anyone else says, but if he wasn't appointed this season, then I'm 100% convinced we'd all be making the trip back to the Prestfield stadium next term.

Like you say, last night was a blessing in disguise, a true reflection of what we're like against a good team, or how poor we are without 2-3 key players.

Either way, the Club are MAD if they've already not started building for next season, started to clear the decks, or identify targets.

I'm convinced that if Jokanovic is backed, we'll do well.

[domprague]

Good point. We don't want to end up 12th and have Khan's people say 'We're doing OK'.

[Rhys Lightning 63]

This is more or less the point I made a few weeks ago about 'not wanting to finish too high'

[SouthIslandWhite]

Nothing will really change I am afraid until a new and committed ownership model comes in and that could be years away.  Absentee ownership and powerless and non-influential Directors of Football and other senior club officials do nothing to solve the bigger problems at the club.  In fact with the owner away constantly, they just make things worse.

But to end on a good note:    Jokanovic is the best Gaffer we have had since Roy bar none.

[Mince n Tatties]

It is a good point.
Think the Boss might have an idea already who he
wants to keep,and who to shove out the door.

[Slaphead in Qatar]

Nothing will really change I am afraid until a new and committed ownership model comes in and that could be years away.  Absentee ownership and powerless and non-influential Directors of Football and other senior club officials do nothing to solve the bigger problems at the club.  In fact with the owner away constantly, they just make things worse.

But to end on a good note:    Jokanovic is the best Gaffer we have had since Roy bar none.

Sadly you are right. We have a hands off owner. One wonders why he bought the club in the first place.

[Oakeshott]

Obviously hugely disappointing, but a sense of perspective needed, surely.

1) on this season's form Brighton away is one of the three most difficult fixtures any club has;

2) we had three of the players who have performed well lately missing - Ince, Madel and Cairney;

3) a stupid personal mistake (probably very harshly punished) and a defensive error (from a known weak back four) and the game is probably beyond us against the opposition we faced. Once the third goal went in, substitutions hopefully for "rest" rather than "injury" reasons, especially Parker, given another game mid week;

4) the resulting, rather second choice in many respects eleven were fairly gutless, but we know some of our players are (and we can be fairly sure will not be seen next season).

I think it was just one of those things that happen in football, and provided we have Parker, Amorebietta, Ince and hopefully Cairney and Madel back on Tuesday I'm fairly confident we will see a performance more like the last several than Friday's.

And after today's results we are virtually assured of survival, and with J knowing our squad inside out and hopefully the ability to buy in the summer, the prospects for next season look pretty good to me.

[davew]

I really cannot understand how much faith people have in SJ? Have I not been interpreting the results and many inept performances since his arrival, or have I missed something? Things haven't changed at all, player power rules at FFC these days, the only thing they seem to be good at winning at! Roll on a complete clear out of our squad with a couple or few exceptions, we will all then look forward to next season, but if we are in the same position this time next year, well FFC has become a hopeless cause!   

[Oakeshott]

Dave

What we've surely seen is a manager with a brain who has gradually come to find the best way for the squad at his disposal to play to secure points.

Whatever the disagreements about how this season has been managed by Khan, we can all surely agree that we don't have a decent full back at the Club (I exclude Grimmer, who is unavailable to us at present and may well prove good enough); we almost certainly need a decent centre back (to augment Madel and Amorebietta) and, some would argue, a commanding keeper.

Given those deficiencies, J has found a reasonably strong midfield, to sit behind an excellent front pairing, and when the best 11 are on the pitch results have been achieved. The approach, to my eyes, has been very much more purposeful than under Kit, and with some augmentation at the back I think we'd look a fairly strong side.

Obviously if Dembele goes, that creates another problem, as does Parker's age. But in Madel, Amorebietta, Cairney, Tunnicliffe and Ross, hopefully augmented by a fit Christiensen and a signed up Ince, we have I think got the nucleus of a promotion challenging side for next season.

[hovewhite]

Dave

What we've surely seen is a manager with a brain who has gradually come to find the best way for the squad at his disposal to play to secure points.

Whatever the disagreements about how this season has been managed by Khan, we can all surely agree that we don't have a decent full back at the Club (I exclude Grimmer, who is unavailable to us at present and may well prove good enough); we almost certainly need a decent centre back (to augment Madel and Amorebietta) and, some would argue, a commanding keeper.

Given those deficiencies, J has found a reasonably strong midfield, to sit behind an excellent front pairing, and when the best 11 are on the pitch results have been achieved. The approach, to my eyes, has been very much more purposeful than under Kit, and with some augmentation at the back I think we'd look a fairly strong side.

Obviously if Dembele goes, that creates another problem, as does Parker's age. But in Madel, Amorebietta, Cairney, Tunnicliffe and Ross, hopefully augmented by a fit Christiensen and a signed up Ince, we have I think got the nucleus of a promotion challenging side for next season.
[/quote
Good points made and a better choice of players with some moral fibre added next season with SJ running the team we are going to be in with a shout top half of the table!

[davew]

Boys I hope you are right, I don't agree though sorry, the 3 wins on the trot were a little fortunate! The players perhaps tried a little bit harder than usual and we got some invaluable points, I hope SJ is the Messiah for us?? Time will tell and then we can continue to debate such!

[davew]

Oakeshott, he didn't get it right last night, we lost 5 nil didn't we??  I will agree with the 7 players that you have named who we need next season, does it make a nucleus, that's 7 out of 22 (or more), we are still way short!!

[Andy S]

Yes we are way short but squad players coming in to a good team occasional you can be absorbed Seamlemssly. It is totally different bringing them in to a struggling team which is what is happening now. It is important in the summer to bring in some quality. We could have an advantage this year in the transfer market as most of our high earners have moved on so the final parachute payment may help and the fact that we were unable to spend in January gives us more cash to spend in the summer