Good blog piece

[mattym]

I'd agree with all of the above's comments accept " I am not worried about relegation", I wish I had your confidence I am not so sure, Aldershot although behind us at the moment are picking up points so are Oxford, Wycombe have improved greatly since bringing in a new manager. Only Barnet and Wimbledon and Bristol Rovers seem more fragile than PAFC, and one of those already beat Argyle at HP.

 

[chester]

http://www.wearegoingup.co.uk/2012/11/22/too-many-bad-days-at-the-office-for-fletch/

From the seven games I've seen, there's nothing that worries me about relegation, and nothing that inspires me about promotion.

It's just going to be another rubbish season with little to raise the blood. That's all fine in the short term - but it doesn't bode well for 2013-2014 season ticket sales.

It's looking like an ever decreasing circle at the moment. Smaller crowds, smaller budgets, smaller ambitions.

On the field, that is.

Where are you getting this optimism from? Our last 8 league games have us 2nd from bottom only on goal diff above Bristol Rovers & the official bottom 2 based on all season are currently above us on that format. We are going no where & at the moment there aren't 2 worse sides than us. The stats show this. Plus we lost to the mighty Dorchester in the Cup. Plus we had Feeney & Chadwick our mighty goal machine duo on the pitch at the end at Bradford. We are looking at mid table mediocrity in the BSP next season. Just seen Akos is now at Barnsley on loan from debt ridden Portsmoth. I know his wages are probably steep but he could have given the fans a lift for a spell.

 

[chester]

Can I have anything that you are on please?

 

[monkeywrench]

Look at how this forum responded after the Rochdale win and in the games up to Cheltenham.

There were plenty of positive responses. People were looking up the table, as much as downwards.

There's too much short-term thinking and not enough collective memory.

Yes, it looks grim at the moment, but I'd say there is enough to hang your hat on that we'll be fine.

Free from relegation fears, that is.

But that's just another short term goal.

I'm more concerned with the medium-to-long term perspective.

As things stand, with a very cynical hat on, you could make a case that we've simply swapped one lot of owners who are more interested in property development for another lot, even though the ones we have now appear to be fluffier and friendlier than the last lot.

James Brent has made it clear that he is an ingenue in football terms, and maybe that is a good thing. His business experience will tell him that making radical changes too frequently makes for a chaotic business model.

He's hung his hopes on Carl Fletcher being as talented a manager as he apparently was at a comparative age.

We have to hope his ability to spot a good manager (in general terms) is better than the collective thoughts expressed on here, and elsewhere.

I'm still in the "give him longer" camp, but I am running out of reasons to remain so.

That's a good balanced sensible post John.

 

[Quintrell Green]

A very interesting blog but I am just a little stumped by the pigeon analogy. With a good mate, who in his teens kept racing pigeons with his father, I learned that the bird always came back to the pigeon loft, often late and winded. I am sure we are not looking for a manager like that?

 

[Plastic Janner]

OK, I'll accept that this is not going to be a popular theory, but it makes a sort of sense from the perspective of someone who has a little insight into football club management, but a reasonable grasp of business strategy.

So, you stake your ambitions on an untried manager, with a reasonable budget framework - what are your contingencies when things go wrong? You are aware that a "restart" will cost money you are not willing to gamble in terms of contract settlements and hiring a successor with their personnel requirements - In Argyle's case this could be several hundred thousand pounds that you would rather not "lose". Of course you know that sticking with that manager could lead to relegation, but what relegation gives you is an optimum "restart opportunity", less expensive players, a hardcore of die hard fans and a real opportunity to restructure the business model just in time for off field development and new revenue streams.

But what about attendances?

Well despite the doom mongers, there will still be a 2-3000 core willing to accept the lower status and enough to build upon for a conference club, lets look at our Grecian friends at the other end of the Devon Parkway - their shot of non-league realism sees them in a better position than us. The other bonus of relegation is that it once and for all manages the unrealistic expectations and gives the club an enema of realism. That is a base you can build from, and building from that base costs you much less than firefighting a fall from grace. I can see that for many, the Argyle experience will cease, but the club will still exist and any financial stabilization is easier. In this position, without an unrealistic cost base, the club is much easier to sell also.

This theory came from a discussion I had with The Hartley O'Hare yesterday. We were basically saying what John has said that there was not a lot of long term hope in the current set-up and changing it was difficult within our current financial envelope. Perhaps the long term future is best served by relegation. There, I've said it.

 

[Pafcintheplace]

Great article, really well written analysis of the current situation.

 

[Ave IT]

Look at how this forum responded after the Rochdale win and in the games up to Cheltenham.

There were plenty of positive responses. People were looking up the table, as much as downwards.

There's too much short-term thinking and not enough collective memory.

Yes, it looks grim at the moment, but I'd say there is enough to hang your hat on that we'll be fine.

Free from relegation fears, that is.

But that's just another short term goal.

I'm more concerned with the medium-to-long term perspective.

As things stand, with a very cynical hat on, you could make a case that we've simply swapped one lot of owners who are more interested in property development for another lot, even though the ones we have now appear to be fluffier and friendlier than the last lot.

James Brent has made it clear that he is an ingenue in football terms, and maybe that is a good thing. His business experience will tell him that making radical changes too frequently makes for a chaotic business model.

He's hung his hopes on Carl Fletcher being as talented a manager as he apparently was at a comparative age.

We have to hope his ability to spot a good manager (in general terms) is better than the collective thoughts expressed on here, and elsewhere.

I'm still in the "give him longer" camp, but I am running out of reasons to remain so.

That's a good balanced sensible post John.

Completely agree - a refreshing blast of calm-headed sense not ignoring the problems but not exagerrating them either.

 

[Metal Green Mickey]

I would of agreed about one month ago. Simply because teams below us were worse.

However, Barnet brought in Edgar Davids and Wycombe had Gareth Ainsworth.There results have dramatically changed! I dont see how anyone cant be concerned about relegation with the fact we have lost the last 6 and are only 2 points off bottom spot.

We dont keep clean sheets and we dont score enough goals. When we do play well (e.g. Cheltenham away or Gillingham home) we dont pick up the wins. Its a myth to think we will be safe on this type of form and with other teams around us doing much better. Its the same mentality of leaving Fletcher in charge saying we will be OK. We see the same mistakes (e.g team selection starting Chadwick or coaching weaknesses like the lack of set piece defending). This happens so many times it making us seem amateurish.

Listen to Fletcher. Listen to his attitude. Then listen to someone like Martin Allen of Gillingham and you will see the diference in motivation and positivity. It was John Deehan arrival where the results picked up last season. Since his depature we have been as poor as we were before his arrival last season. Sure we had some luck but we didnt repeat the same mistakes.

Its embrassing and unless Mr Brent appoints a proper Manager with proper coaching staff at this level then really we are just a club making up the numbers and just will always be at the wrong end of this league.

All I want after these last 5 years, is a team that plays as a unit and can go onto a football field and conduct themselves with displince and have some sort of attacking game play that hurts the opposition with goal chances/scoring a regular thing. What we see is no displince and a side who often get to the final third and whos final ball is often terrible.

 

[Bermudian Green]

A very interesting blog but I am just a little stumped by the pigeon analogy. With a good mate, who in his teens kept racing pigeons with his father, I learned that the bird always came back to the pigeon loft, often late and winded. I am sure we are not looking for a manager like that?

But anyway, that's enough about Williamson.

 

[Greenblooded1]

The thing is, in Augusts "The Plymouth Magazine" (page 10/11) & as others have stated, JB & the Argyle Board think the budget was sufficient for promotion.

"The Argyle Board of Directors had given argyle Manager Carl Fletcher a budget that provided the club with a fair chance of promotion from League 2 this season"
Article Link

It is abundantly clear that this is not happening, yet there is no communication from our Board (what's changed - Peter Jones?) that they firstly recognise there is a problem and secondly have ideas to address it. All we hear is more schemes to get money out of the ever suffering fans pockets. If your/our manager was given a promotion chance budget, why are we now just 2 points off a relegation place? SOMETHINGS WRONG!

It would be reasurring to know that all aspects of the footballing side would be under review, manager, coaches, scouts, etc, rather than the continuing diatribe of happy clappy nonsense, which leads us to think we're a rudderless ship heading for the relegation rocks, once more.

It would also make sense that this review would occur once planning for the development was approved & a clearer financial picture was available. If that was communicated as a plan, it would make far more sense, otherwise it's the pidgeon/statue nonsense rather than "we're in this together" currently sold. If we're not in it together, stop grovelling for our money & invest in your club because it's crumbling away fast.

 

[cheshiregreen]

The thing is, in Augusts "The Plymouth Magazine" (page 10/11) & as others have stated, JB & the Argyle Board think the budget was sufficient for promotion.

"The Argyle Board of Directors had given argyle Manager Carl Fletcher a budget that provided the club with a fair chance of promotion from League 2 this season"

Article Link

It is abundantly clear that this is not happening, yet there is no communication from our Board (what's changed - Peter Jones?) that they firstly recognise there is a problem and secondly have ideas to address it. All we hear is more schemes to get money out of the ever suffering fans pockets. If your/our manager was given a promotion chance budget, why are we now just 2 points off a relegation place? SOMETHINGS WRONG! .

The highlighted section represents the biggest disappointment since we exited administration.

There may have been a marginal improvement in some area of marketing the club, but, I think the communication from the top is no better. Maybe its a club policy but only James Brent seems to comment in the media.

Certainly, the match reports issued on the OS seem to not reflect the views of the fans who witnessed the games. The worse example being the Dorchester report where the report claimed the defeat was unjust when many had witnessed a really poor showing against a non-League side.