Enfield Town v Ebbsfleet Utd

[Wildlife rescue]

Guys.

There is an AGM in January where all these questions can be put to the Chairman and Directors or even Andy if your brave enough.?

I know some people dont like asking questions in front of an audience but if you all feel that strongly then it has to be done.

Normally when the agenda reaches question time the room goes pretty quite.

COYT ⚽️⚽️⚽️

[Barney]

2 hours ago, 4wembleyfinals said:

Exactly what I expected Barney!!!  Although you put your argument in a more measured way and your opinion quite succinctly it is still the same as those put forward by others over the past few seasons. But much more scathingly .

The questions have been asked. I acknowledge that the Board responded to some extent by making more money available for better quality players to be acquired. However, the team manager still stuck to his playing dogma, which to many nullified any progress made by the aforementioned action. 

For my part I will still being going through my same old superstitions before each match, as in my own playing days, hoping they will bring a win. 

Regarding our differences we will have to wait and see what the outcome is at the end of the season. Actually secretly hoping that your views will prove me wrong.

I'm still confused (I'm obviously missing something here)... other than my willingness to give the management the benefit of the doubt for the moment (given a good start to the season and in my opinion steady yet unspectacular progress over the last 3 years), what exactly are these counter arguments / views that other forum members scathingly put forward? More to the point, what exactly are our differences? - I honestly believe that there isn't a single contributor to the forum (or indeed fan of ETFC) that isn't worried about our present form, playing style and recent results, I know I definitely am. Things certainly need to change, and fast - hopefully that's the present management turning things around, but if they aren't able to, then it's time for a change!

I'm certainly no fan of arguing with random strangers on the Internet, but in this case I'm genuinely struggling to see what the difference in views actually is ?

[Barney]

38 minutes ago, The Crowing Cockerel said:

It kind of feels as if we've plateaued. Barring a significant influx of cash (from reaching R3 of the FA Cup, some wealthy members of the fanbase dying off and leaving us everything) or the acquisition of a talented new manager who can work miracles (in the style of Brad Quinton), we seem destined to loiter around mid-table in the Isthmian Premier League for the foreseeable future. There is, of course, no shame in this given the fact that we came into existence just over 18 years ago. But I would like to think that as a club we should aim high. Afterall, many of us came to associate Enfield with being at the very pinnacle of the non-league game. I would like to see ETFC locking horns with the likes of Barnet on a regular basis, and reaching FA Trophy finals. I want an ambitious club with an ambitious board, and an ambitious manager. Have we reached as far as a fans-owned club of our size can go?

Have to agree with you on this point - there's clearly a limit to how far a fans owned club can progress without significant increases in revenue (be that through increased gates, sponsorship, outside income etc). It is frustrating that it seems like progress is so slow, but as I've said before, progressing in a sustainable way, with organic growth is the way to long term success. I'd rather we invested extra income into improving facilities and growing all aspects of the club, rather than just focusing on the first team squad. There are plenty of examples of clubs that have chased quick success, climbed the leagues only to crash and burn - some don't even exist anymore. With our present structure, this isn't going to happen, although we do have to live with the reality that we may hit a ceiling that takes some time to break through. As you mentioned, looking back at the early ESL days at Brimsdown, we've come a long way in a relatively short space of time: we're an established Isthmian Premier side, and that's not to be sniffed at. I'd certainly love to be competing with Barnet et al sooner rather than later, but accept that we might not hit those levels again in my lifetime (although we can certainly dream).

[Richard Katemon]

Just to put the discussion in perspective we have had our best ever start to a season at this level, beat national league south opposition for the first time in the fa cup and reached the first round of the trophy for the first time. 
Anyway look forward to an interesting discussion at the AGM on 23 January. 

[72wembleyfinal]

1 hour ago, Wildlife rescue said:

Guys.

There is an AGM in January where all these questions can be put to the Chairman and Directors or even Andy if your brave enough.?

I know some people dont like asking questions in front of an audience but if you all feel that strongly then it has to be done.

Normally when the agenda reaches question time the room goes pretty quite.

COYT ⚽️⚽️⚽️

Well on here we enjoy a bit of anonymity,that is not the case at the AGM.

There is a solution.

Maybe it would help at the AGM if the club handed out bags which those who wanted to remain anonymous could wear over there heads when asking questions?.

ROTFLMAO

COYT.

 

 

[behind-the-goal]

Desire for anonymity at the AGM (due to concern at expressing unpopular views, feeling peer pressure to conform, embarrassment at speaking in public etc.) can be catered for by giving members an alternative way to ask  questions: by allowing them to write them on paper and placing them in a box prior to the start of the meeting. These would then be read out by a Board member and answered by the appropriate person.

[4wembleyfinals]

Barney, most of what you write I willing to accept. We both want the best for the club.

 Our one difference, which is crucial to my view, is that I feel that AL term of office has run it's course and he shows no sign of altering his philosophy. So many of the players he retains are usually those with a long list of previous clubs. Something that an outsider has even commented on in the adjoining post  " Town sign central defender" regarding his recent acquisition.

No disrespect to the player in question but again AL has for a gone for a young player with so many clubs already behind him one has to question ,why so many clubs. Whereas he lets many young players, with a shorter CV, come into the club and then leave with out even giving them a chance.  I would have thought that some one on the Board would have seen the need to question this .

In answer to WR. and 72W quips, as I have stated before from past history, I see no point in questioning AL on this , either personally or incognito. Not, as suggested, through a lack of bravery as I have questioned sterner stuff in a more public place. But because I feel sure that he believes in what he is doing is the right way and therefore will never admit to change therefore discussion would be pointless.

Perhaps I am in the minority but only time will tell who is right or wrong. Even if nothing changes the strange thing is what ever happens ,as creatures of habit, I am sure we will still follow ETFC.

[Barney]

12 hours ago, 4wembleyfinals said:

Barney, most of what you write I willing to accept. We both want the best for the club.

I'd say that's a given - I'd like to think that all fans want this ?

12 hours ago, 4wembleyfinals said:

Our one difference, which is crucial to my view, is that I feel that AL term of office has run it's course and he shows no sign of altering his philosophy.

I think it's fair to say that you thought Andy's term in office had run its course as soon as he was appointed - you certainly stated your doubts at the time, and haven't been shy in reiterating them whenever results aren't going well. For my part, I have an open mind on the matter - I'll always back the person in charge, and back the board to do the right thing for the club (taking into account all aspects, not just the first team squad). I want Andy to succeed, just like I've wanted every other Town manager to succeed and will generally look for positives and try to support the person in charge as much as possible with my posts (which I'm sure you've noticed). Having said that, my opinion is fluid and I'm willing to accept that there might be a point when the club need to call time on Andy's tenure - I don't think that's right now, and I don't think we have been at that point at any time since he's been in charge, but we certainly have been close.

12 hours ago, 4wembleyfinals said:

No disrespect to the player in question but again AL has for a gone for a young player with so many clubs already behind him one has to question ,why so many clubs.

I suspect the answer is that we need urgent defensive cover with Weatherstone nursing an Ankle injury and at this point in the season, there are very limited options in terms of players that we can bring in. We needed someone who is available right now, is willing to play for the club and that we can afford. It might prove a shrewd signing, he might never play a game, leave and not be heard of again...

12 hours ago, 4wembleyfinals said:

In answer to WR. and 72W quips, as I have stated before from past history, I see no point in questioning AL on this , either personally or incognito. Not, as suggested, through a lack of bravery as I have questioned sterner stuff in a more public place. But because I feel sure that he believes in what he is doing is the right way and therefore will never admit to change therefore discussion would be pointless.

I would agree that Andy is highly unlikely to change his approach off the back of a conversation with a fan, irrespective of how qualified they are to give advice. What you might gain from speaking with him is an insight into what the management team are trying to do tactically, the challenges they're facing in terms of recruitment, their thoughts on player retention, squad balance etc. - you might find that you have more common ground than you realise, but you'll never know unless you have the conversation. Clearly Andy isn't going to come on here to answer your points (it's been stated that he doesn't read this forum), so what do you have to lose?

12 hours ago, 4wembleyfinals said:

Perhaps I am in the minority but only time will tell who is right or wrong.

But this is the point I'm trying to make, there's no right or wrong, the situation is fluid - whilst at the moment I think that Andy deserves more time to turn the recent poor run around given how well we started, I'm perfectly willing to change that view if results continue to be as bad as the last month. I think it's fair to say that that you had made your mind up about Andy near enough as soon as he joined the club, and haven't budged from that viewpoint - we have a run of poor results, and you are quick to highlight Andy's shortcomings (and the Board's for persisting with him), we have a run of good results and you generally don't post. If Andy was to leave the club now, would I think his time in charge had been a success or a failure? In reality, the answer is 'somewhere in between' - he arrived when we had two players, built a squad that kept us in the division, and has added to this in successive seasons. He's given us our best ever runs in the two main cup competitions, and has a squad that at times this season has played some really nice stuff. On the reverse of that, I do worry about the squad balance, lack of creativity at times, a lack of tactical nous in terms of adapting to what opponents are doing and the fact that we revert to going long as the default option far too quickly.

Taking an extreme example, Spurs recently sacked their manager. I doubt any Spurs fan would say that his time in charge wasn't a success, but many agreed that the time had come to part ways and that it was the right decision to let him go. If someone had been saying from the start of his tenure that he wasn't the right person to manage the club, would the decision to let him go have made that person 'right all along'? I would argue not - football is a rapidly changing business, and there's a degree of fluidity in every situation. This is my position: I've never been in an 'Andy must stay' camp (as my profile says, I'm firmly on the fence)- I'm willing to accept that there may well come a time to change, but I naturally find myself backing whoever the current management team are as much as possible, and trying to find positives, as their success means success for the club.

This really is going to be the last post from me on this thread - as I stated previously, I'm no fan of arguing with random strangers on the Internet, it's a complete energy sink.

[Richard Katemon]

16 hours ago, 72wembleyfinal said:

Well on here we enjoy a bit of anonymity,that is not the case at the AGM.

There is a solution.

Maybe it would help at the AGM if the club handed out bags which those who wanted to remain anonymous could wear over there heads when asking questions?.

ROTFLMAO

COYT.

 

 

The best post I’ve seen for a while ?

[4wembleyfinals]

I agree Barney our discourse has run it's course, but I do appreciate the manner in which it has been conducted.

May I wish you and all other supporters a very Happy Christmas.

 

 

[lovely stuff]

I think the consensus was before the start of the season that our manager (after a poor season previously) would have to get top 5 in the league this year to stop the increased talk of a management change.Especially as there are no big (spending) clubs in the league this year.And the board have back Andy with the increase in player wages and contracts.

We could still finish top 3 or 18th again..No need to panic yet.I'm sure by the end of the season we will know for sure either way.

 

[andyetfc]

Well I’m sure we will know something by the end of the season.