Taxi for Shaun Yes Or No

[swipey]

Good post lutley, although if you are questioning my poser as to whether we want MM back or not, it was a non sequitur to try and show a contrast of the situation, I don't want to be misunderstood.

Although I'd like to defend myself, I did have to Google at least two of your words in that post alone as I am originally from Netherton

[not50sur3]

I think it should be time to just look around at a up and coming manager for next season. I am not saying that get shuan a taxi now but give him pre season and the first 5 to 10 games. If you look at his previous record at other clubs its not impressive at all! I honestly think he's not the man to rebuild the name of halesowen town as he does not have many contacts in non league football.

I do understand that shaun performed all that hard work in keeping the club up last season and I do believe he was and is rewarded by having a go managing whether its a 200 pound budget or 800 pound this season. He seems to have lost players and played players at times where he should have given the youth a chance. I will say that him and his sidekick have done the best they can do and its time to look for someone new who has contacts and can bring in players who will play for him and the name of the club regardless of how much they get paid!

[lutleyyeltz]

Good post lutley, although if you are questioning my poser as to whether we want MM back or not, it was a non sequitur to try and show a contrast of the situation, I don't want to be misunderstood.

Although I'd like to defend myself, I did have to Google at least two of your words in that post alone as I am originally from Netherton

No need to excuse yourself, dear boy - I'm sure that emanating from Netherton(oh dear!) hasn't had too much of a drastic effect on your life prospects.

PS Only two words Googled? Excellent!

[swipey]

Good post lutley, although if you are questioning my poser as to whether we want MM back or not, it was a non sequitur to try and show a contrast of the situation, I don't want to be misunderstood.

Although I'd like to defend myself, I did have to Google at least two of your words in that post alone as I am originally from Netherton

No need to excuse yourself, dear boy - I'm sure that emanating from Netherton(oh dear!) hasn't had too much of a drastic effect on your life prospects.

PS Only two words Googled? Excellent!

Totally off-thread...

we moved out from Netherton to Halesowen because me mammy didn't want me to get a job in a factory in Netherton when I left school... guess what happened
Coincidentally, I had to go back to said factory in Netherton 2 days ago for a reference and slipped back into that area's dialect so quickly ar d'ay understond meself loike!


Where were we?

Oh yeah!

Shaun Cunnington: IN

[CRH Yeltz]

No for me.

We need to consolidate before we can move forward again. A mid-table finish this season is a fair achievement considering where we were 12 months back. Yes the gates are lower and the consistency is not there yet but give it time, we've got a youth side who've as good as won their league. If three or four of that side make the step up then brilliant, we build a feed for good players and that enhances our reputation. Remember, these lads are movng up a level and their hunger to prove themselves will be a big plus. If we had been in the top 5 all season I believe that we would have been getting 300+ as I have stated in the past. I also still think that we suffer more when the Albion play at home on the same day as us.

However, back to the point. Lets compare to the other lot up the road. In 2003 when Gary Hackett arrived they were in the Midland Alliance, it took them 3 years to get out. Another 2 years at the level we are now to get out of it and then 2 more years to consolidate in the Premier. So that's 7 years to get to where they are now. Look at their team, a hell of a lot of the players have been there for some time. The key here is continuity.

We cannot make changes on a whim and I for one agree that Shaun needs a quieter close season to push us on further. I'm not expecting promotion next season either but if we finish closer to it and accrue more points, then surely that's progression.

I've only seen the last few years and not the Vase and FA Cup runs so maybe I don't have a lot to gauge in comparison to others. I just think it would be the wrong thing to do at the moment.

[swipey]

Think it's fair to point out too that less than 3 weeks ago the Play-offs were a mathematical possibility - if we can hover underneath that dotted line (play-off not relegation ) next season and are in for a shout of surprising everyone (including ourselves), I'll take that!

[andy]

Many fair points put over from both camps. When i'm thinking rationally i think Shaun should stay, after days like yesterday i think he should go. I say that not because we have lost a game and played poorly and therefore i feel all's bad with the world, more because i know many are not so hardened. Those of us that will always be there, accept that we will have to do this on a tight budget, and what we get is what we get. Many others, whether long term fans or recent recruits ARE turning their backs, and will not return. A lot of people do not give two hoots for what is happening off the pitch, the politics, the money or even if the club will still be around in 5 years time, ALL they want is a worthwhile, entertaing saturday afternoon. Quite clearly for a long time now they have not been getting it. Without improvement on the pitch the crowds will continue to fall, the budget will get smaller and the spiral will continue. For all the hard work that many put in, people are not just going to be grateful and turn up no matter what, they will want to see a team that may be able to achieve something and give them a decent return on their 8 quid. Quite honestly a lot of what we see is no better than you can see for free on a sunday morning. I have no idea what the answer is, but i do know that to make everybodys hard work worthwhile, the FOOTBALL has to improve.

[swipey]

Fantastic post andy, I enjoyed reading that... until the end

Indeed, the football has to improve, it's that obvious it doesn't need saying.

I know it seems sycophantic (see what I did there lutleyyeltz? ) but for Steve Lynch (defo), Shaun Cunnington (perhaps) and the players (who knows?) to look at this thread and see that we're being compared to Sunday morning pub footy must be insulting, surely?

I disagree with you andy, they look a decent team from what I've seen?

[andy]

Fantastic post andy, I enjoyed reading that... until the end

Indeed, the football has to improve, it's that obvious it doesn't need saying.

I know it seems sycophantic (see what I did there lutleyyeltz? ) but for Steve Lynch (defo), Shaun Cunnington (perhaps) and the players (who knows?) to look at this thread and see that we're being compared to Sunday morning pub footy must be insulting, surely?

I disagree with you andy, they look a decent team from what I've seen?

A couple of decent players admittidley, but a decent team? Sorry, undoubtedly the lowest standard in 30 years. Others of a longer association with the club may say more. Ken?, Chas?

[Laurel Lane Lamper]

A couple of decent players admittidley, but a decent team? Sorry, undoubtedly the lowest standard in 30 years. Others of a longer association with the club may say more. Ken?, Chas?

We are playing in a league which is at a lower level/standard than we have played at for 25 years. When a 2nd Conference level was introduced, which was made up of the higher clubs in the Southern, Premier, Ryman, this had the effect of downgrading the Southern Leagues. So our current South West Division is a lower level than the mid 80's when we we first entered the Southern League Midland Division, where there were clubs of the quality of Merthyr, Gloucester, Tamworth etc.
So we are now back to a similar, although not exact, level that we were in the West Midlands League in the early 80's. Our standard of play then was outstanding because of the one-off team that Paddy Page was able to get together. A major difference is the geographical make-up, instead of Brereton, Rushall, Oldswinford etc we have treks to Poole, Bideford, Gosport and this has an impact on players we can attract.
The situation the club finds itself in, after the decline and neglect on and off the pitch over a 3-year period, means players of the quality of Dean Brennan, Mark Osborne, Stuart Pierpoint are way out of reach and offering a Stefan Moore-type contract will not be possible for a very long time.
We do have the basis of a decent team. Particularly away from home this season we've matched sides but indiscipline has let us down badly. I wouldn't persevere with such persistent offenders.
There's no guarantee that Youth team players can make the step up to the first team but given the level we are at, it's not such a big step as to the Southern Premier in previous years. Free from relegation, out of the play-off places is an ideal situation to see what they can do.
This season was never going to be easy and moving the Club forward is a daunting task.