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Yes the first thing we have to do is stop conceding goals like they are going out of fashion. A back three of the players listed above for starters. Leaving out Pearce who is one of our best players is criminal. Poke is a better keeper than Rice - if Poke is now fit he should be back in the team.
But really I have given up all hope of staying up. We just seem completely clueless.

Brucie, i agree with the Pearce thing. O'Connor is a good player and was unfortunate today but Pearce is a good player to and he is OUR player. He should be forming a formidable partnership with Downes but instead he's on the bench for a lad who won't be here in a few weeks. Crazy stuff.

Disagree with Rice. Not at fault today and again made some great saves. I don't really think Pokey could have done much better this season.

We have 15 points from 19 games and we should really require another 30 to 35 to stay up with 27 games left. At the rate we're obtaining points we'll be in an impossible position come the end of January.

I would say if we are to avoid relegation we must achieve an additional 36 points minimum from the remaining 27 games. As things currently stand at Plainmoor, if they go on as they are, that's going to be Mission Impossible.

The only answer is to sack Knill and make Tom Cruise the manager..

brucie wrote:Yes the first thing we have to do is stop conceding goals like they are going out of fashion. A back three of the players listed above for starters. Leaving out Pearce who is one of our best players is criminal. Poke is a better keeper than Rice - if Poke is now fit he should be back in the team.
But really I have given up all hope of staying up. We just seem completely clueless.

i said this weeks ago.

EddUK12 wrote:To get on track the following is to done

sack the manager
get a replacement (not a former or current player(s))
Clear out any player that has been at the club to long and got comfortable
install Downes as captan
recall poke (no offence to Rice but player of the season needs some competion)
lower enterance fees to 7quid
take control of the catering in the ground
Offer more tickets to away teams
use the youth system to promote players
reduce programe prices

thats just off the top of my head

This is what I like, a sense of humour in a crisis.

Matt.

EddUK12 wrote:The players firing it at shoulder height are to blame

I was merely providing an example of how difficult it is as a forward when the balls is fired like a traser at him.

A couple of members now have stated that they would like to see Poke starting.

5 across the back is something that could be tried, however apart from lacking in confidence i see the midfield the biggest problem.

Anyway some good suggestions.

wodger of awabia wrote:Employ an experienced manager on a temp. contract until the end of the season. Pay him & reasonable wage with a huge bonus if he keeps us up.

Isn't that what we did last season?!

DevonYellow wrote: Isn't that what we did last season?!

I guess we did but for plenty of us - even at the time - Alan Knill wasn't the 'experienced' manager we were looking for. What Alan Knill is experienced in is managing losing teams, leading teams that just roll over and let mediocre opposition thrash them. His record prior to coming here was poor. This was always going to happen but the club failed by jumping on the bandwagon that mistakenly claimed Knill had saved us from relegation. He didn't. His record wasn't that good - it was just other teams were even worse.

Funny thing is, Knill's defenders excuse his record last season by saying it wasn't his team. He was having to manage what Martin Ling had left behind. The complete irony of this is that , even though Knill did not do especially well last season, he did better with Martin Ling's team, than he has with his own. His own team, with constant chopping and changing has only managed 3 wins. He got 4 win Ling's team in less games than he has had this season.

Alan Knill has to be one of our worst ever managers. His record compares unfavourably with almost all of them, even John Cornforth. It is not even Christmas and we are five points adrift of safety. People have been saying give Knill time since September, when it was obvious to most even back then. We cannot wait any longer or else we will be ten points adrift.

Knill needs to go. I feel sorry for the bloke and wish him no personal malice but I just want him to go as it is more important to me that my team are not playing non-league football next season.

It is because of the Bristows that we are back in the league and it just seems so sad to watch an incompetent manager let the legacy and progress made under the current board, just go to waste.

We are back to square one, so we had better do what we have done before in moments of peril:
1. Get in a 'firefighter' (on a short term basis, but pay him well)
2. If we survive, or if we begin to look that we might survive, make plans to bring in a new - and preferably young and enthusiastic - manager for the following season
3. At the same time, use the 'firefighter' to draw up a short list of prospective players for next season (if we are not relegated) and get them in
4. Start again (although no doubt within 5-6 years we'll be back at square one again
5. Act NOW!!! (and clear out the playing dead wood now)

SBP wrote:Would you go for an experienced manager or young manager? would you clear out all the coaching staff? Which players would you get rid of and why?
Why would you make Downes captain?
Rice has been one of our best players? why drop him?

He is a good line keeper but does not instill confidence to the defence, it's hard but he should have been left out when Poke was fully fit. A good manager would have done this there is no sentiment in football.

If the club has a problem with paying out for another manager why not have Ling back untill the end of the season at least you know he can do the job and we are paying him. If he's ok now it might be the best option.

Blimey, if Rice hadn't been on inspiration form since the start of the season, god knows what the goal difference would be. Poke isn't a Bobby O quality goalkeeper. Perhaps Alan should concentrate on looking at Aaron Downes technique, looks different player now that Saah has left his side. Hashed clearances and getting to tight to his man are errors which are becoming increasingly apparent in his game.

and he'll have another new partner when O'Connor goes back in Pearce. Take another few games to get some understanding going and some more points lost. Well done Alan. Another cracker.

why should rice be dropped he has done nothing wrong.

ROADRUNNER wrote:why should rice be dropped he has done nothing wrong.

If Knill drops Rice then I'm going tooled up with banners and 90 minutes worth of songs to get some pressure on the idiot because this would be the last straw.

(tooled up in the sense that I will have about my person lots of Knill out and pro Rice paraphernalia and not any weapons you'll understand incase anyone gets the wrong end of the stick)

Not even Knill could be so dense as to drop Ricey now?