LC1: West Ham Utd 1 Aldershot Town 2 (24/08/11)

[New Jersey]

Football management - it's a tough old game .

Got to put your faith in players - most of whom you haven't recruited if a club chops and changes Managers every 5 minutes .

Some of us have pointed out the pitfalls

RARS, Appreciate the comment in the post after Pinky's reply to my post. Pinky and I did go back and forth over Grant several times last season, and I unfortunately ended up being proved right. Not something I wanted.

Pinky, would you seriously prefer to have Avram in charge of our team now? Sam will sort it out, sure he's made a couple of mistakes, but he's a proven manager, Avram was a charade. Your little dig at my previous posts still don't explain a) your deluded hope that Avram would keep us up even with only three games to go, and now b) your prediction that we will piss this league getting 100 points. Is that last prediction based on our players or manager?

Either way, I can't make head nor tail of your predictions, thoughts or observations. And I respect that you actually go to watch the games, I don't. You still seem to be all over the place.

My comment was that even our fringe team should be able to beat Aldershot. Having lost doesn't bother me, and my thoughts on this season are that it's going to be a marathon, not a sprint. I believe we are capable of being involved in the promotion places, maybe automatic, if not play-offs. But I also understand that every game is a battle. To me, Sam is looking for players that are up for a battle. Not saying it's the right move, as I think we are certainly lacking some pace and flair. But I trust Sam to get it right. And again, I'll ask, would you really still want Avram in charge after how last season turned out? I'm pretty sure that 90% of the posters on here wouldn't want Grant anywhere us.

Anyway, after an earthquake on Tuesday, I now have Hurricane Irene heading this way for the weekend. And I thought New Jersey was one of the safest places to live. Hope I have power to get online and watch the Forest game on some dodgy stream on Sunday.

[the pink palermo]

New Jersey

Lighten up ! My post was a piss take - as you know Sam lives in reality whereas others live in perception , but if they were more perceptive they could see a leg pull for what it is.........

And I stand by my comments about the pitfalls of changing Manager every 5 minutes .

You and I didn't go back and forth over Grant a few times, you plagued me round the clock like a crazed serial killer .Everytime I wrote a comment it was micro anlaysed and your trademark remark concerning my predictions being all over the place being frequently made .

NJ - If I knew what was going to be the outcome I'd be retired in the Bahamas - and would already have been through the Hurricane that's about to clobber you .None of us know, but some of us make outrageous predictions for fun .....like me saying Carlton will get at least 16 goals this season .When he doesn't feel free to pop up and point out it's another one I got wrong ....

As for whether or not I was deluded , well, as you may find out this season , results hinge on pivotal moments - why our current Manager is already making that point : he seems to think the only reason we lost on Wednesday was McNaughtons dismissal .Now - that's deluded , but he is right to highlight outcomes can change in an instant - like Piquionnes dismissal at Everton .

As for us "pissing this league with 100 points" - you won't have read David Golds programme notes from Wednesday will you , or other posters extrapolating current perfromance to predict a future outcome .The range currently on offer from a few is in the 90-92 zone , making my 100 not too far out - and my prediction isn't based upon either our players or our Manager per se , it's in recognition we are in a crap division .

So far , we have surrendered 3 points against Cardiff when better finishing in the opening half would have seen us score 4 goals , draw with Leeds when a fullback allowed himself to be turned over, again, and picked up two decent away wins .It's not too fanciful to suggest we were within an ace of being sat on 12 points from 12 .Such are the fine margins - the threads upon which Managers careers hang : moments - seconds - split seconds - and there is nothing they can do about it , other than recruit players of proven character that they trust , which is why changing Managers every 5 minutes is daft .Every Manager trusts different players .

The game is all about players New Jersey - they are the ones playing the game - ask any Manager and I'm sure they'll tell you that .The bit they have real influence over is recruitment - and thats why a fair few of them insist contractually they have sole charge of who is signed .Managers are judged on their signings .Players are judged on what they do on the pitch .And that is where the results get determined - not on a chalkboard .

[New Jersey]

Good post Pinky. I'm sorry if I hounded you last season. I guess I couldn't believe that someone had faith in a manager who I thought was completely inept in every area of his job. Anyway, let's move on, but you didn't answer the question if you would still prefer that Grant was our manager now or not?

I agree that we could easily be sitting on top of the table with 12 points, but we aren't. As you so rightly point out, it's a game of inches at times, or split second moments that can go with you, or against you. 7 points out of 12 roughly translates to 80-81 points, which will probably have us close to the play-off spots. So I think we do need to improve on that a little for us to contend. Yes, it is a weak division, and we should be better than most other teams, but weren't we saying that last season? I know you admitted that you under-estimated the opposition last season, maybe we are doing the same this year?

I also agree that it's the players that are playing on the pitch that decide the results, but a good manager can get those players playing in a system that works for their ability, he can see where changes need to be made, he can motivate the players. Paul Lambert was a good example last season, maybe it'll be Southampton this season. Liverpool had better players than Blackpool, so how did Blackpool beat them twice last season? We had better players than many of the teams down the bottom of the table, but we still went down.

So far, I think Sam has us set up as a team that's hard to beat. He seems to have sacrificed flair for "battle ready" players. It's a long season, maybe that's the way to go, we'll see. I think Picq for Noble against Leeds was the wrong move, but he's not going to get it right all the time. I won't be calling for Sam to go if we fail to gain promotion this season, as long as I see that he's doing his job. That wasn't the case with Grant.

This weekend will be interesting, both the Forest game, and the Hurricane!

[Cuenca 'ammer]

NJ

Wimp !!!!!!!

My mate and his missus were/are headed off to the Cancun area for a few weeks hols until returning to blighty from here. (She's preggers). I told her that it was hurricane season and she said "I'll get a brolly." Pissing myself laughing I said "Do you know that the winds get up to at least 55 mph and upwards ?" She said fairly straightfaced "Then we'll wear a mac."

This is the same woman who when they were in Columbia and a police station was bombed about 100 yards (could have been more) up the road when questioned "Weren't you worried that you hubby could have been killed ?" "Oh it wasn't that bad."

Yorkshire lass. Understated with British aplomb.

[Major]

You know Major you are a complete twat.

And that about sums you up. I explained that you can't get much from the two buffoons on the radio or didn't you read that bit. I also qualified my "opinion" not analysis and said you can draw only so much from listening. And you start off by saying we were sh*t. So which part did I actually cockup then ? The part that we were sh*t (which I don't think I said) or the part where we were sh*t ? And you are the one quoting the fact. Not me. I think that I said I was really interested in a game report because you can get nothing from the radio. Or did you miss that bit in your endeavours to dig me out ?

You really are a prat of the highest order. I was going to ignore you like I normally do, and I will again in future.

That reaction has made my day!!!


Im off to the boozer for a beer, let the bankholiday begin!!!! Bwahahahahahahahahahaha...........

[cockney farmer]

Look at what you could have had ........................Home to Rochdale.

[RM6]

NJ

Wimp !!!!!!!

My mate and his missus were/are headed off to the Cancun area for a few weeks hols until returning to blighty from here. (She's preggers). I told her that it was hurricane season and she said "I'll get a brolly." Pissing myself laughing I said "Do you know that the winds get up to at least 55 mph and upwards ?" She said fairly straightfaced "Then we'll wear a mac."

This is the same woman who when they were in Columbia and a police station was bombed about 100 yards (could have been more) up the road when questioned "Weren't you worried that you hubby could have been killed ?" "Oh it wasn't that bad."

Yorkshire lass. Understated with British aplomb.

I was in New Orleans the year before Katrina when they were going nuts over which ever one it was that year, I forget the name.

Why all the panic over some wind and rain I asked? 12 months later I felt fairly stupid!

[BeastieBoy]

Should we have beaten Aldershot in the 1st Round (which we should have).....

2nd Round: Carlisle United (H)
3rd Round: Rochdale (H)

Both of whom we should arguably beat. Then into the last 16.

[Denbighammer]

Should we have beaten Aldershot in the 1st Round (which we should have).....

2nd Round: Carlisle United (H)
3rd Round: Rochdale (H)

Both of whom we should arguably beat. Then into the last 16.

Look on the bright side, we've got enough matches this season. In all seriousness it might prove a blessing in disguise.

[chalks]

Whilst I dont agree with a lot of Puffs comments, you can be such a bellend at times. .

Hmmmm.......i reckon today is evidence that the bellend is the knee jerker...........

[Yea Why Not]

Follow up the victory at the weekend with a win against Pompy and losing this match will have been a blessing in disguise. One less distraction to deal with

[Bobby Orangeboom]

Follow up the victory at the weekend with a win against Pompy and losing this match will have been a blessing in disguise. One less distraction to deal with

I agree 100%.