Points Tally & Season Appraisal

[Cookham Rebel]

Cookham.

 

I refer you back to my original post on perspective. 90% of teams who have gone up are bigger clubs than us as we do not have the revenue streams to compete with the likes of at Neots and hitchin

 

So what's the excuse this season then???

[readingrebel]

CliveT

As for names - Eddie Denton, Francis Vines, Keith Scott:- Keith Scott bankrupt Windsor, Eddie Denton ( I really like him but ) last season with Slough I think we were relegated. Sorry can coment on Francis Vines apart from as far as I know he's at Didcot and they finished 7th from bottom of South & West. GOOD NAMES

 

 

Pure speculation and conjecture as regards Keith Scott, but fits your argument I suppose.

[Nathan]

I'd counter your question Nathan with one regarding our stadium when Bateman took over.

 

A big part of it is our lack of revenue income streams due to ground sharing. Did Bateman just over achieve in his first 3 seasons??

 

Mark 44, I think he overachieved in his first full season with us (2009/10), as that was supposed to be a season of rebuilding and consolidation (like the one which saw Sweetman get the sack!) but his contacts and past experience at a higher level resulted in getting better players than Sweetman, hence why we finished in the play-offs.

 

Over the 3 years since that however, we have most definitely underachieved. I include last season in that statement:

• 2010/11 - supposedly we would build on the 2009/10 season and maybe go one better? But again we finished 5th, some way off the leaders. This season resulted in a lower points tally and humiliation in the play-offs, as we were shown up by a vastly superior team.
  
• 2011/12 - A season that promised so much, but at the end delivered so little. We fizzled out when we beat St. Neots only to then bottle it against Bedworth and the might of North Greenford and Leighton. The less said about the play-offs, the better.
  
• This season - During our last season fixture pile-up, we managed to beat 3rd placed Godalming and second placed Rugby, yet failed to beat Barton Rovers and Northwood. Says it all really.
  

A recurring habit of ours is to have no plan B, particularly after a half where we have been dominant and the opposition then fight back. An example that sticks out in my mind is our away game at Daventry this season. First half we were so dominant it wouldn't have flattered us if we had been 5-0 up. Second half, Daventry took the game by the scruff of the neck, fought back and won 3-1 easily. No leadership or management from our management, No encouragement. No direction. No substitutions. No nothing. This has happened far too often with us, and yet again it looks like it's cost us.

 

Bateman's tactics of signing good players and hoping they will see us through seems to have worked for him at Chesham and Hemel Hempstead, but we've tried it for 3 years now and it's got us nowhere.

[Mark44]

I agree with a lot you are saying Nathan and you have worded it well.

 

However, I trust both our manager and chairman and think they will know what is best for this club going forward. Perhaps we have underachieved or over achieved. Only they really know the budget.

 

As for this season, it's a case of money for the title again. Bringing players like Leon archer in doesn't come cheap

[Nathan]

Whilst I'll admit I have no insider knowledge of any team's budget, I would be astounded if the budget of Biggleswade (for example) is comparable to ours. I'd say that the only budgets that should compare would be Rugby's, and (supposedly) Burnham's. It's no coincidence that those 2 teams make up the top 2.

 

Money for the title is one thing. Money for 4 failed attempts at promotion despite our squad on paper is quite another!

Edited April 25, 2013 by Nathan

[readingrebel]

Pure speculation and conjecture as regards Keith Scott, but fits your argument I suppose.

 

 

Besides, a Manager only spends what a Chairman lets him spend so with Windsor the buck stops with their Chairman at the time.

[epicrebel]

Besides, a Manager only spends what a Chairman lets him spend so with Windsor the buck stops with their Chairman at the time.

Exactly that's why I trust Steve E and Steve B to look after our club and not bankrupt it, or send us back down.

[Irishadrian]

Imo the only thing likely to bankrupt us is paying unrealistically high wages to moderate players who cant deliver.

[Rebel yell]

Having only returned to STFC as a supporter this season, after a long absence (pre and early conference days). I don't feel I have the right or inside knowledge, some of you guys have, to comment on this post. I would however like to say myself and my son (his first season and he loves it) have really enjoyed the ups and downs of this season, and would like to thank the team and management for their efforts. Roll on next year (after Saturday of course).

[Don Juan DeMarcus]

Time for my tuppence. This league is far weaker than when we got into the play offs. Are there any teams that would rival st Neots, Bedworth, chesham, Hitchin? No. The reason why so many top teams got so many points is mainly cos tre bottom teams woodford, Leighton were gimme wins for everyone. This is what makes this season gutting IMHO. Burnham sycob have improved. We haven't. (For whatever reason) not calling for managers head or ritual hanging but for some reason we had an awful run when we needed a decent one. Losing twice to uxbridge when on top at ht also nailed us. 8 months ago if someone said would you consider a fa cup 1st round penalty loss and 6th positions success. The answer would be an absolute no.

[Graham C]

I was also going to wait until the season was actually over before posting but as our season effectively finished during this week...........

 

Dont envy either of the Steves their positions at present but still have the same thoughts as many others at present and would add just a couple of points.

 

What is the role of a manager especially at our level ?I would suggest it is firstly to put together a squad he believes can win the league -then on a regular basis to choose a team to do a particular job having regard to the match in question- then to decide during that match what changes are necessary to affect the outcome positively- and during all these activities to motivate and encourage the group collectively and individually.I would suggest that our manager has succeeded in the first of these and maybe partially in the second, but has failed in the other aspects.I actually firmly believe he will leave of his own volition as he will know that this seasons league position represents failure by his own definition earlier.

 

Regarding the FA Cup run, those that know me will remember that I always said that we should not care about this too much as there is never of chance of winning it and it becomes an interference to other endeavours that truly have more importance- so far as the money is concerned, feelings may have been better had we seen the use of it result in acquisitions that may have changed our season.

 

So as to next year......the support will clearly remain, at least initially the ground issues will remain and we assume that the chairman will remain.I also hope most of the players will stay also. The chairman may have the tough job of choosing a new manager to fulfil the hopes that always come with the start of a new season and a few names have been mentioned so whoever gets the job knows he will have a group of passionate supporters that will give him every chance as they hav.e with the current boss

[epicrebel]

This is what I know as FACT Steve Easterbrook and Steve Bateman have Slough Town in there hearts. So can I ask how many of the people that post on here go up to any of the Steve's and talk to them?

Sometimes I come on here and read some comments ( I'm talking about the whole season ) When if asked they'd both chat about it.

 

IE why was Adam Logie on the sidelines at the game and only had 3 subs. I know the answer to both of these Q because I asked.

 

Get the facts before having a go.

[Windsor Rebel]

Epicrebel: thats exactly the point I have been making for years. Plenty of the posters on here are happy to sit behind a

keyboard and moan, but very few actually have a chat with Steve E and Steve B after the game. Maybe if they did they

would see how detrimental to the club some of their comments are.

Edited April 26, 2013 by Windsor Rebel

[Martin]

I may have nailed my colours to the mast awhile ago, in a fit of pique during the abysmal run that ruined our season I did say that time may be up for Steve Bateman.

 

However, I can see both sides of the argument.

 

Winning this league is tough but I think the minimum expectation has to be a play-off spot based on the comments of the manager, the reputed budget and the demands of the supporters.

 

We’ve fallen short and there are lots of reasons for this. Many of which are beyond the manager’s control. Oddly I think the game that did for us was the 1-1 draw against Daventry.

 

Personally I was baffled that we didn’t remove ourselves earlier from the league cup and that may have eased the pressure during that awful run at the start of April as some of those games could have been played earlier on.

 

I don’t think however comparisons to Derek Sweetman or Steve Browne are apt. Whilst Derek is a good guy; both he and Browne were going to get us relegated.

 

Steve Bateman has come in, prevented that in his first season and since then we’ve won the vast majority of our games and been involved in the promotion shake up in all four seasons.

 

He has built a squad which has proven itself time and again to be able beat the best teams in the division - we’ve comprehensively beaten both Burnham and Rugby this season, we beat St Newts home and away last year, beat Hitchin in the play-offs but have also shown ourselves to be inconsistent with some of the subsequent loses.

 

Of his four seasons, this in my opinion is the only one in which we have underachieved. In the first season, Hitchin, Bury and Chesham were all better, more experienced teams with comparable or bigger budgets.

 

In the second season Arlesey splashed the cash and we had Hitchin who deserved to go up.

 

Third season our best crack at it, but St Neots had the biggest budget by miles and signed players after the blips against us and just became unstoppable.

 

This season we have underachieved but to criticize the previous seasons is wrong. The difference between us and Burnham and Rugby is that this season we have not been able to put a long unbeaten run together. I think the best we have managed in the league is 6 or 7 when it really needed to be 16, 17 or 18.

 

If we are going to start next season with the stated aim of pushing for promotion should we stick with Steve Bateman? We have a settled squad, capable of achieving the aim and we are guaranteed a good crack at it.

 

A change could go disastrously wrong..

 

If a new guy comes in there would be player turnover, rebuilding would be required, we could start badly and he would find himself under a lot of pressure. Beware also that Steve Bateman could turn up at another club and come back to haunt us.

 

To be honest it is a difficult decision and I am glad it is one I don’t have to make.

 

But whatever happens, the highs and lows of this season are now already behind us. We need to thank the boys for their efforts on Saturday and come August whatever decision has been made we need to do our job as supporters. That is SUPPORT the team and the manager, get behind them from the off and throughout and try and be the 12^th man that makes a positive difference rather than being a burden of pressure and sniping. I am guilty of that at times but only because I am desperate for us to win and get promoted and looking round the squad and management in recent weeks it has shown that they are determined to as well.

 

COYR

[Irishadrian]

There is a statement on non league daily today by Steve Bateman certainly sounds like he wants yet another go at achieving something.

[Irishadrian]

Martin Some reasoned arguments but what reason do you have for believing that this seasons squad will stay in the main Lots of activity on the social media recently suggests otherwise and the last thing we need is another season of Steve Batemans management without some of the best players

[RebelsAndBlues]

Personally I was baffled that we didn’t remove ourselves earlier from the league cup and that may have eased the pressure during that awful run at the start of April as some of those games could have been played earlier on.

 

 

I totally agree with you, I think the league cup is a waste of time (espeically when we set our targets for promotion).

 

However, by having this stupid rule where you have to play (what is it 7) players who played in your previous league game doesnt help.

 

So are we saying, send out a team to purposely go out in the first round is the answer.

 

Not trying to be controversial, but that would be the only way we could 'remove oursevles' from the unwanted league cup.

[Nathan]

I don’t think however comparisons to Derek Sweetman or Steve Browne are apt. Whilst Derek is a good guy; both he and Browne were going to get us relegated.

 

Martin, I think these are the perfect comparisons. Steve Browne left us after a "good" 2002/03 season, with a 4th place finish and a good FA Cup run. Was anybody in the least bit upset to see him go? No, because we thought we should be doing better.

 

And we also don't know what would have happened under Sweetman, because we never gave him the chances we seem determined to give Bateman!

 

He has built a squad which has proven itself time and again to be able beat the best teams in the division - we’ve comprehensively beaten both Burnham and Rugby this season, we beat St Newts home and away last year, beat Hitchin in the play-offs but have also shown ourselves to be inconsistent with some of the subsequent loses.

 

Agree with this, and it's something that IMO desperately needs overcoming, but we've been doing this for 2 years now, and it's cost us just as it did last season.

 

Of his four seasons, this in my opinion is the only one in which we have underachieved. In the first season, Hitchin, Bury and Chesham were all better, more experienced teams with comparable or bigger budgets.

 

In the second season Arlesey splashed the cash and we had Hitchin who deserved to go up.

 

I do hope we don't slip into the "lets blame division's moneybags" (there always appears to be at least one every year!) routine, because if we do, we'll never get out of this division!

 

Third season our best crack at it, but St Neots had the biggest budget by miles and signed players after the blips against us and just became unstoppable.

 

What you say about St Neots is perfectly true, but we were neck and neck with them until we beat them in March. I fail to see how St Neots budget made us totally bottle it against Bedworth, North Greenford, Leighton and Beaconsfield! Those were our own failings!

 

If we are going to start next season with the stated aim of pushing for promotion should we stick with Steve Bateman? We have a settled squad, capable of achieving the aim and we are guaranteed a good crack at it.

 

A change could go disastrously wrong..

 

If a new guy comes in there would be player turnover, rebuilding would be required, we could start badly and he would find himself under a lot of pressure. Beware also that Steve Bateman could turn up at another club and come back to haunt us.

 

This is exactly what happened under Derek Sweetman, but nobody on here made any allowances for that! It didn't seem to matter to most people when we got rid of him, because these points apply just he same. We got rid of him after just under a year. Bateman has had 4 times as long as that now.

 

A change of manager doesn't by default spell instant disaster. Look at what happened after Steve Browne left (you said this wasn't an apt comparison!). An indifferent first half to the 2003/04 season, but we then romped home and were (in some ways) unlucky not to win the title that year. Not bad for a first season in charge.

[michaelSTFC]

Love how we are so deluded about our current manager, yet Hotspur wants to bring in Terry Brown.

[hotspur]

Martin, I think these are the perfect comparisons. Steve Browne left us after a "good" 2002/03 season, with a 4th place finish and a good FA Cup run. Was anybody in the least bit upset to see him go? No, because we thought we should be doing better.

 

And we also don't know what would have happened under Sweetman, because we never gave him the chances we seem determined to give Bateman!

 

 

 

Agree with this, and it's something that IMO desperately needs overcoming, but we've been doing this for 2 years now, and it's cost us just as it did last season.

 

 

 

I do hope we don't slip into the "lets blame division's moneybags" (there always appears to be at least one every year!) routine, because if we do, we'll never get out of this division!

 

 

 

What you say about St Neots is perfectly true, but we were neck and neck with them until we beat them in March. I fail to see how St Neots budget made us totally bottle it against Bedworth, North Greenford, Leighton and Beaconsfield! Those were our own failings!

 

 

 

This is exactly what happened under Derek Sweetman, but nobody on here made any allowances for that! It didn't seem to matter to most people when we got rid of him, because these points apply just he same. We got rid of him after just under a year. Bateman has had 4 times as long as that now.

 

A change of manager doesn't by default spell instant disaster. Look at what happened after Steve Browne left (you said this wasn't an apt comparison!). An indifferent first half to the 2003/04 season, but we then romped home and were (in some ways) unlucky not to win the title that year. Not bad for a first season in charge.

Nathan - Derek Sweetman was ( is ) a sunday morning level manager.You could have given him untold wealth to spent and we would still be in this league.It seems that to get out of these type of " minor " leagues requires a good motivator-Bateman while pretty experienced at this level does not seem to be one! Also while he was a fair center back he was more run of the mill than great! And that seems to be governing his managerial ways.