Breaking the bank for a player would have been better than this.

[CHAPPERS]

No I didn't - that's a mischeivous misquote. Have a good look through that stuff Bucky has copied and pasted and see if you can see where I said defeats weren't important.

What I did was make a comparision between a defeat like, say, Reading second game up early season, and the kind of defeats we have suffered in the past few weeks against Southampton and the Wendsy. These defeats were more important because back at the beginning of the season we had the opportunity to turn things round - as a host of other teams this season did with similar early season records to us. With our recent defeats, we had no such opportunity, so these defeats were more terminal, and hence more crucial.

Still bollocks though innit.

 

[Easy 10]

This is a good point, pre-season allows you to settle in your best side so you can at least plan you team, tactics etc.. to some extent before the season starts. However injuries, poor form and which players will tire more easily during the season is less easy to legislate for.

However, the pre-seasons we've had in recent years have been pretty piss-poor in terms of the opposition we've arranged to play. Obviously they're never going to be hugely competative games anyway, but when you're preparing for a season in the Championship and the best team you play is Bournemouth, with the rest of the pre-season made up of games against the likes of Crawley and Lewes, its not all that surprising that we don't really hit the ground running. How can you make a decent judgement of a striker on trial when all he's up against is an electrician from Bexhill ?

 

[Les Biehn]

No I didn't - that's a mischeivous misquote. Have a good look through that stuff Bucky has copied and pasted and see if you can see where I said defeats weren't important.

Mischievous misquote. Bit difficult when it isn't even a quote and it has a question mark at the end, immediately denoting that I am double checking with you rather than putting words in your mouth.

Your still not really answering the question. I will make it more succinct for you.

Do you feel that in OUR position, given all the arguments above that points lost at the beginning of the season are less important than ones lost at the end?

 

[Uncle Buck]

So McGhee levels with the fans about our realistic prospects of signing GNW. And you deduce from that he is "burnt out"? What chance does McGhee have of a fair shake from fans like you who are so jaundiced towards him?

What would you have McGhee do when the Argus ask him about the likelihood of signing GNW? Lie? Say we do have the money to sign him? How long would you have him lie for, until GNW put pen to paper for another club? I guess McGhee could get away with it for a couple of months

Cannot blame people for being a tad down on McGhee, he has just guided the club to relegation and with that relegation with a bit of a whimper.

(cue new argument, so getting Steve out of answering previous questions from people).

 

[Tony Meolas Loan Spell]

Thank you Easy. There is no point denying the truth, we have struggled all season, this being a mere continuation of last season.

Key players like Hammond, Carpenter and Butters ran out of gas long before Saturday, and who can blame them?

I'd argue that the players brought in to freshen things up have not contributed sufficiently to the cause. McGhee cannot attract quality and so is gambling, and the big gambles he's taken like Turi and CKR have failed.

I'm slightly worried about McGhee's negative comments re the money and not being able to afford GN-W. I'd prefer comments along the lines of "pressure now off the players, they can go out and play last 2 matches, get a good summer's rest and I'm really optimistic we can challenge for the League One title."

My feeling is that McGhee has burnt himself out and is not the man to take us up again. It's pointless talking about the financial situation or Falmer because it's not in his control, he needs to do what Mickey Adams did and just get on with it.

We need new energy and belief, the sort of Phil Parkinson-type figure that can lift a no-mark club into a promotion position.

Yep absolutely. Magoo's time has been and gone.

Now we need some good old fashioned 'sabre' rattling. Not literally of course but along those lines.

I remember Mickey saying something like " we will match them player for player then beat them because I have the fittest bunch of players in this division".

 

[Barnet Seagull]

My feeling is that McGhee has burnt himself out and is not the man to take us up again. It's pointless talking about the financial situation or Falmer because it's not in his control, he needs to do what Mickey Adams did and just get on with it.

We need new energy and belief, the sort of Phil Parkinson-type figure that can lift a no-mark club into a promotion position.

I don't agree with that at all. If there's one thing I've seen from McGhee it's determination despite the limitations.

In my opinion, all that's needed is a couple of players and a decent start to next season. Some confidence will come back and I can really see us challenging to come back up again.

I think he's got till October.

 

[Parson Henry]

To an extent you are correct, but by not doing enough in those early season games, it meant that the ones latter on were more pressurised than they needed to be and ultimately we cracked under that pressure (well amongst other factors).

(I see it is Bucky now, more smileys please).

When did you start being known as Bucky?

 

[Uncle Buck]

When did you start being known as Bucky?

I think it is Mr Smith's pet name for me.

 

[Pavilionaire]

What is it with all this quibbling about early points being worth more than late points etc etc?

The fact is we did an awful lot better in 2005 than we did in 2006 and there are 2 reasons for that - losing oatway on Boxing Day and not bringing in new players until it was too late.

There is not a cat in hell's chance we would could have avoided relegation without bringing in G N-W or someone like him an awful lot earlier.

 

[Les Biehn]

However, the pre-seasons we've had in recent years have been pretty piss-poor in terms of the opposition we've arranged to play. Obviously they're never going to be hugely competative games anyway, but when you're preparing for a season in the Championship and the best team you play is Bournemouth, with the rest of the pre-season made up of games against the likes of Crawley and Lewes, its not all that surprising that we don't really hit the ground running. How can you make a decent judgement of a striker on trial when all he's up against is an electrician from Bexhill ?

Do get me wrong Easy, thats why I said to a certain extent.

 

[Parson Henry]

I think it is Mr Smith's pet name for me.

Ok, its just that I felt a bit to blame.

 

[Easy 10]

Do get me wrong Easy, thats why I said to a certain extent.

Perhaps I should've commenced my reply with "in addition", rather than "however". I was in no way contesting or disputing the succinct points you were making.

I wouldn't dare.

 

[London Irish]

We were never going to do much pre-season because the spine of the team had completely changed. It's more important what happens on the training ground once the new signings have arrived than a match against Bognor or Lewes.

My big hope for this summer is that we don't fanny around until the end of July to bring players in (as usually happens) - let's get it sorted by mid-July when all the players are back to pre-season and build the team spirit straight away so that we get some good early results to create momentum.

Yes, your first paragraph I agree 100 per cent with, total commonsense.

Your second. Well, dare I disagree with it otherwise the likes of Bucky and Les will say I'm not in favour of bringing in players early in pre-season?

I just think once again we have to be realistic. Player recruitment is murder for a club like us with our little money, a game of poker where if you commit yourself too early to a Molango you may miss out on a Currie becoming available the following week.

 

[Les Biehn]

Perhaps I should've commenced my reply with "in addition", rather than "however". I was in no way contesting or disputing the succinct points you were making.

I wouldn't dare.

I should hope not

 

[Pavilionaire]

When Albion managers start talking more about the money than on-field performances it usually means they're not long for the job.

LI, I believe McGhee IS burnt out, and not just because of one comment. I believe this latest story, coupled with his verbal jousting with fans, shows his frustration at the limitations imposed on him.

I believe that his failure to bring in players of sufficient quality and to get the best from the key players at the club are more signs of burnt-out.

In his defence it is a bloody hard job and he's done well to stick with it for so long, but he needs to hand the baton over to somebody else.

 

[Easy 10]

In his defence it is a bloody hard job and he's done well to stick with it for so long, but he needs to hand the baton over to somebody else.

Not Henderson though. He'll only fumble it.

 

[London Irish]

Mischievous misquote. Bit difficult when it isn't even a quote and it has a question mark at the end, immediately denoting that I am double checking with you rather than putting words in your mouth.

Your still not really answering the question. I will make it more succinct for you.

Do you feel that in OUR position, given all the arguments above that points lost at the beginning of the season are less important than ones lost at the end?

What are you blathering on about? How many f***ing times have I answered this question on this thread! 12 times, 13 times?

Yes, I do feel the defeat against Reading second game up in the season was less important than the ones against Southampton a couple of weeks ago and the Wendys on Monday! IS THAT PLAIN ENOUGH FOR YOU! The first one was an early season result, the second ones SENT US DOWN!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Publius Ovidius]

What is this Daily Mail rant in aid of?

You know full well that it we don't abide by the parking restrictions, we will be in breach of our planning permisssion at Withdean. What then? Back to Priestfield? (remember that Dave?)

Yes Steve, I only mnissed one game there. Did you get a chance to mosey along down to Priestfield?

 

[Pavilionaire]

In terms of next season we know that promotion IS a realistic prospect for this club because we've gone up twice from that division in recent years.

This summer the manager needs to be far more decisive about cutting deadwood and identifying his big players early. A week before the start of this season we were still fannying around with Blayney, McShane wasn't yet on the scene, Chaigneau was a panic buy etc etc.

The best teams always signal their intent early in the summer by bringing in a decent signing. Other players then tend to follow on the back of that. Look at the effect on Spurs that signing Davids had, a real sense of belief was created.

We need a lift that only signing a quality "spine" player can give.

 

[Les Biehn]

What are you blathering on about? How many f***ing times have I answered this question on this thread! 12 times, 13 times?

Yes, I do feel the defeat against Reading second game up in the season was less important than the ones against Southampton a couple of weeks agao and the Wendys on Monday! IS THAT PLAIN ENOUGH FOR YOU!

Simple question not sure it needed the abusive post. If you read the question you would see I said after the arguments, so was looking for a new answer from you. I guess you are sticking with your original point and good on ya for it. You still haven't addressed the complexities of the argument which was basically are we a club that can afford to think like this.

Your second. Well, dare I disagree with it otherwise the likes of Bucky and Les will say I'm not in favour of bringing in players early in pre-season?

Nice bit of presumption there, aimed at discrediting what me and Bucky are trying to say.