What kind of performance do you expect??

[tomogull]

Get exactly what SBP is saying here, fair thread. For a start some of our transfer listed players are not on the list because CH doesn't like them, or think they're not up to the standard, they're on the list because of their wages being to high, to simply dismiss these players as being sh*t is wide of the mark, and anyone can do that. Why did Torquay lose Saturday, cause we we're sh*t, see.

In answer to SBP, I've used the word mentality a few times over the weekend, and it's true, mentality plays a massive part in team/individual sports, and from listening to the game, watching those brief highlights and reading match reports (agreed there is a time for an extra midfielder and Saturday was probably it) but it also seems if the team has allowed Gateshead to beat on them some what as well.

Just because we've gone down a league, doesn't mean I/we should expect to steamroller teams, win all our games, and dominate possession in our games, that isn't going to happen, we have to pay due respect to all the teams in this league, none will give us an easy ride.

What sort of performance do I want to see. with out the ball I want to see the team competing and working to get it back, with the ball I want to see us constantly asking questions of the opposition team, and looking like we've got a goal or two in us, if we're doing that, come win, draw or defeat they'll get a round of applause from me, and due credit.

Agree - usual reasoned post from Forever. I'm not sure that I agree with the bit about the listed players being up to standard although mentality and confidence could have a lot to do with consistently poor performances (Chappell & Downes excepted). Listening to the radio commentary on Saturday, I picked up on three comments made by Dave Thomas - lack of tempo, too predictable and need to be much more physical. If DT a sports reporter can see this, I'm sure Hargreaves & Hodges can see it. We should win tomorrow night but there were several games we lost but should've won in the Conference last time around. I will be a little concerned if we don't win but to say it is a must win game when it's only the second game of the season is, frankly, ridiculous.

[SuperNickyWroe]

You're apportioning credit (or blame) where none is due. We were relegated in spite of Jesus, not because of him.

no im stating fact.

i said we would be relegated with him as manager.

and we were.

[SBP]

Forever has mentioned " Mentality". I totally agree with those comments.
I dont agree with some comments regarding that we have new players in and they need to gell etc etc and CH needs time. I bet Gatehead fielded more new players than we did on Saturday.
I understand that we are not going to steamroller through every side. At this moment in time i truly believe that if we don't change our mentality regarding performances we are going to struggle this season.CH really needs to think about his team selection and preparation for a game.
Tony Pullis went into a Crystal Palace side that was leaking goals, lacking in confidence and at the bottom of the league. Everyone knows what happened next. He worked on his defensive shape and became extremely hard to break down. He managed this with the squad he inherited. What a fantastic job he did.

[royalgull]

To answer the original question

At this level I expect us to compete with everyone, beat all of the dross teams home and away as a bare minimum. As a professional club with over 90 years of Football League (albeit modest) history this should be absolutely the minimum requirement from everyone at the club, if we fall short of that game by game then it's failure.

That isn't being big headed or arrogant, we have no right to be that way but historically this level is below where we've competed so we should be one of the better sides at it. When I see us get slaughtered by Gateshead it doesn't sit well with me, not saying they are a bad team they are a decent team at this level and they are expected to go well, we expect to go well so we should and need to be competing with them, if we lose and we've done ourselves justice fair do's that happens in sport but getting comprehensively whalloped is not acceptable.

[SBP]

To answer the original question

At this level I expect us to compete with everyone, beat all of the dross teams home and away as a bare minimum. As a professional club with over 90 years of Football League (albeit modest) history this should be absolutely the minimum requirement from everyone at the club, if we fall short of that game by game then it's failure.

That isn't being big headed or arrogant, we have no right to be that way but historically this level is below where we've competed so we should be one of the better sides at it. When I see us get slaughtered by Gateshead it doesn't sit well with me, not saying they are a bad team they are a decent team at this level and they are expected to go well, we expect to go well so we should and need to be competing with them, if we lose and we've done ourselves justice fair do's that happens in sport but getting comprehensively whalloped is not acceptable.

Totally agree with this Royal , I just cannot get my head around others that post, lets give em 10 games, it was a long trip, Gateshead have spent alot of money. Didnt expect to get anything from that game.
When are we going to learn from the lessons of last season.

[ferrarilover]

Totally agree with this Royal , I just cannot get my head around others that post, lets give em 10 games, it was a long trip, Gateshead have spent alot of money. Didnt expect to get anything from that game.
When are we going to learn from the lessons of last season.

So, we disregard all of the real world considerations and base our expectations on each match on the basis that we played in the FL in 1973?

Without checking, I'd guess that they've won more games since Christmas then we have in the last two years. They're at home, which comes with its own advantages, but especially so when the opposition have to spend 12 hours on a coach to get there. There is a reason that the top sides fly from London to Norwich, and that reason is that coach travel, even over short distances, is just about the worst preparation possible for playing football. How do you feel on the first day of your holiday, when you've spent 12 hours on a jet the day before? Much like playing 90 minutes professional level sport? No, thought not.

But for one match, we wouldn't even have been playing Gateshead, they'd now be in the FL and we'd have been away to Cambridge instead. They're very clearly a good side in themselves. We play them again in November. It's a shame it isn't sometime after Feb. 1st, when they won't have that Morrison anymore. Bowman finds his shooting boots, we play a little better all round and that Morrison is suspended or injured for the return fixture and it's a totally different game.

Quite how you can be opposed to giving the side 10 games before judging where they are is being me. If we'd have beaten Gateshead and I'd come here saying we're gonna win the league based on that one result, you'd be pretty close to the front of the queue to tell me how stupid I am and that nothing is decided in early August. Turn that around and tell me that one match is a fine enough time to start telling us all how crap our squad is and people lap it up.

The truth, as always, is somewhere in between. Yes, it was a long way, Gateshead are a good side and they had the outstanding performer on the day. Equally, some of our players are suspect and others had a bad day at the office. Was it an ideal start? Of course not. Is it a situation which can be rectified by not playing Gateshead every week? Probably.

Let's get stuck into Welling, the polar opposite of Gateshead tonight. If we come away with a victory there, it sets us up nicely for the Southport game. Win that also and we're laughing.

Matt.

[PhilGull]

Well said Pea

[SBP]

As i keep stating, my thoughts and comments are not just based on Saturdays away defeat, its about last season also. Nothing has changed.
They are professional sportsman who spend alot of the time on the road, long away trips are not rare. Harrogate travelled along way to visit us in the FACUP not so long ago, they still turned us over.

[Gullscorer]

Give all the players a big Phall curry the day before a game and I would expect a red-hot-chillie performance with flames coming out of their backsides. Come to think of it, that's the kind of performance I'd like to see even without the curries..

[tomogull]

As i keep stating, my thoughts and comments are not just based on Saturdays away defeat, its about last season also. Nothing has changed.

But things ARE changing, SBP. Chris Hargreaves has brought in several promising young players and although I didn't go to any of the friendlies, most postings on the Forum were positive. Yes - there are glaring weaknesses in the team but it will take time to re-build the side to how Chris and Lee wants it. And in reply to Royal - history counts for nothing. Gateshead are on the up after many years in the wilderness and we are in the same league as Welling - it's a level playing field ('scuse the pun). I'm sure we will bounce back but we've got to show some patience and give our full support to Hargreaves and the team.

[SBP]

Lets hope you are right Tomogull, from my perspective our last away performance was the same as last season. Very poor and predictable
I dont think that pre season games do very much apart from game fitness. Some supporters may go home full of optimism after we have beaten lower league outfits.