A hard post to make...

[Mr Happy]

However, things need to be said.

 

As far as I am concerned, the reason we are where we are in the league is down to the quality of individual players and some good luck (Wingate & Finchley away for example). We are lacking decent tactics. Players keep getting dropped for no reason and there is little motivation coming from the bench. The heart of a good ESL Championship winning side has been ripped out. Yes, at a higher level it needed tweaking but not stripping back. Why the hell was Chopper dropped today. Yes, he has made a couple of mistakes recently but without him I am sure we would not be where we are now. The atmosphere today was awful. The players were not up for it. our manager got sent from the bench. All the suporters could do at the end was slag off the ref. In my opinion (and I am entitled one) this is what we need:

 

A management team that understands that to get the best out of players you have to motivate them, praise them and pick them up when they are down.

More consistency in team selection and tactics. Not dropping players for no reason.

More discipline from our bench, the players and the fans. The ref is in charge and if you slag him off you will not get 50:50 decisions going your way. Watching the way in which many of our fans berated the ref at the final whistle was TOTALLY EMBARRASSING!!! The reason we lost today was a poor performance, nothing else.

LOYALTY. When players have done good things for the club we must try and be loyal to them. It is all well and good to say that promotion is the be all and end all but loyalty has a way of coming back and biting you on the backside.

 

I am not saying that any personnel necessarily have to go although some players are not up to this level but people can make their own views known on this. However, attitudes need to change all around the club. It is not the happy club it was last season. We seem to be sacrificing this for perceived success and believe me, the bubble will burst unless we address these issues.

 

I am sure some points may p*ss others off whilst some may agree with me. Fottie is about opinions and these are mine.

 

Best wishes to all concerend with ETFC.

 

Mr H

[lovely stuff]

WAS CHOPPER DROPPED !!!!! <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />

 

I can't believe that.The bloke it goal today was KNOWHERE near a good a Chopper.If fact he looked to be total goalkeeping liabilty.

 

Maybe Jim dropped Chooper as a 'kick up the backside' to him. If so, it backfired spectaculally.

 

If Chopper was dropped, to be replace by a vastly inferior keeper.Then there needs to be a serious enquiry about it. Chandler needs to explain.

[lovely stuff]

Ps... The ref was a clown,and he has been everytime we ever get him.But yes, maybe some of our frustation at our performance is sometimes transfered to the man in black.

 

Regarding loyalty.We were always going to get to a point when our ESL players and clubmen were going to have to be discarded to make way for better players. I thought it was gioing to be hard for Jim to seperate personalities from the need for results (something that may be hard for some supporters to seperate ), BUT Jim has discarded some players before their time, and BEFORE better players have come to the club.New players have gone straight into the team without having to battle for a place.

 

Today showed how much we miss Rudi and Chopper.Why was Penn dropped. He's been our best player for months.Alright he had a poor game against Potters bar, but so did everybody else.

[Gazza]

Congratulations on an excellent post Happy, perfectly presented.

 

The biggest question for me is why do the management team continue with bizarre formations & change of personnel.

Surely if a team win 5-1 away from home on the Saturday there is no tinkering to be done for a Tuesday night game, you pick the same 11 in the same formation, however if you have a suspension you replace that player with another in his place, keeping the same formation!

We have had so many players playing in diffrent positions over the last half a dozen games or so totally unnecessarly that there is not a fan I know of that does not raise an eyebrow at kick off.

Im sorry to say that dropping Chopper today was nothing short of embarrasing, when there are other players that are persistantly played after average performances, I could understand it more if the replacement was of a higher or similar standard, no offence to the guy in question but from what I saw today he was quite clearly not.

We know on the playing field we will lose games but it is in the nature that we lose them that I question, Rothwell gave an excellent display today of fighting for each other & never giving up & deserved the win.

As Happy also said mine too is a personal view which I make because like all Town fans I care about OUR club & this is the only platform available to make it on.

[OldTowner]

As you say, it is all about opinions and mine is that you have not got it right this time.

Team selection has to be down to the Manager and not a Committee. We all have our views, but they have to stay there.

The team changed on Tuesday due to illness, outside problems for players and suspensions.

Today I heard that Russell Penn was ill, which is why he did not play.

I think this should ask another question - we think we have a large squad - if that is the case, why is a player who is ill on the bench ?

Regarding the Ref today - my opinion was that he was totally inadequate to run the game - even Rothwell were doing their nut - and the Lino doing the Town forwards was ....bias to say the least.

In my view the lino cost us the game with some very poor decisions which the Ref accepted.

Corby won today so next weekend will be a true "test" but we should have Rudi and Russ back and lets face it they have been the cornerstone of our success to date this season.

I would like to see a new STRONG goal-scoring-center forward who can lead the line rather than the "support players" we have now.

As you said.....it's all about opinions and that's mine. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/boxing.gif" alt="" />

[Mr Happy]

I disagree. We were not good enough today. You cannot blame the ref. He may not be that good but he did not cost us the game. The first goal was down to the new keeper. I agree re a goal scoring forward. A midfielder is our top scorer and wa last season.

 

However, most importantly, attitudes must change throughout the club.

[Steph]

People talk about loyalty but that is a 2 way street. Our management have not let us down and deserve our loyalty.

 

There were a number of rumours about Chopper. I dont know if he was dropped or not however his performance against Potters Bar left a lot to be desired.

 

We do badly miss Rudi and Russell. I also think we miss Bradley Brotherton, but I have said that before, of the other players who have left ... so it goes. Move on. They are not likely to be back.

 

I have to agree with old towner we need a "new STRONG goal-scoring-center forward who can lead the line rather than the "support players" we have now."

 

Brian Hammet is now performing at his best for the club but he does not strike me as a goal scorer. Trevor Paul appears to have lost confidence and the team's tactics are now well known.

 

It is not the end of the world and we will see next week whether we can recover or not.

[OldTowner]

Steph...

You are right on the mark. <img src="/forum/images/graemlins/boxing.gif" alt="" />

[lovely stuff]

Hammett is working hard and makes good runs, but his performances continue to frustrate and annoy me,and most of the other supporters.

[Gazza]

Steph I thought Andy had a bad 45 mins against PBTFC & was at fault with the Wingate goal at home but other than that he may have been giving 6/10 performances but nothing drastic.

I agree with you I would love to have had Brad in our side at times like today.

I also agree with you on the Striker front, however I think our management team are maybe shall we say a little too loyal there!

[Mr Happy]

Quote:

Steph said:
People talk about loyalty but that is a 2 way street. Our management have not let us down and deserve our loyalty.

There were a number of rumours about Chopper. I dont know if he was dropped or not however his performance against Potters Bar left a lot to be desired.

We do badly miss Rudi and Russell. I also think we miss Bradley Brotherton, but I have said that before, of the other players who have left ... so it goes. Move on. They are not likely to be back.

I have to agree with old towner we need a "new STRONG goal-scoring-center forward who can lead the line rather than the "support players" we have now."

Brian Hammet is now performing at his best for the club but he does not strike me as a goal scorer. Trevor Paul appears to have lost confidence and the team's tactics are now well known.

It is not the end of the world and we will see next week whether we can recover or not.

You are wrong. Our management have let us down. Most supporters cannot understand why so many of last year's grat squad have been left bt the wayside whilst others have been brought in and have not performed yet have not been dropped. Baldwin should have been a regular starter but has not. Smithy hasn't been given a fair run out.

Yes, we need to recover for next week. However, unless the levels of MOTIVATION are improved then I can see another lose for Town. I was trained in management years ago and learned early on that you don't just critcize your staff. If they are performing you praise them. If they are going through a rough time you give them the sh*t sandwich. Praise then criicize then praise. From what I can see, those who do well just get on with it and those that f*ck up get a boll*cking. that is not good management.

[Hawkeye Pierce]

Quote:

Steph said:
People talk about loyalty but that is a 2 way street. Our management have not let us down and deserve our loyalty.

I agree with Steph on the quote above.

Happy and Gazza - You talk like you have all the answers. It must be great to be perfect, let's be honest you aren't and nor am I. Yes you may be intelligent but there is always many ways of looking at things. Turn a Rubiks cube and the colours change to give a new picture. To get the right colours on the right side the moves may well be complicated and more than one possible solution. And so is team selection with availability due to injury, suspensions, personal commitments, work, weather, pitch conditions, officials and opponents strengths.

Jim, Pete, Phil and Roy get my total backing. We are top of the pile for now it is natural we will feel the pressure from the others at the lower levels of the greasy pole that is the Southern League East Division 1. The management try things to meet the needs of the above requirements and they work, they try other things and they don't. That is part of the beauty of the game and keep every game we watch different and fresh.

We might progress upwards this year, we might implode like on this thread. Keep going like this and we really will crash and burn. By all means express a view but respect the management team.

PS as Someone who is thought of as a mad professor I have never succeeded in doing the Rubiks Cube. But give it to a child and they will do it in a few moves. Intelligence has many shapes and forms not just the academic ones. Keep the faith.

[lovely stuff]

Jim and his staff have the backing of most of us.Thats doesn't mean we can't criticise,discect performances and question tactics.

[Jim Cunneen]

To Mr H, Gazza etc

 

Question 1 - are you sure Chopper was dropped. I have heard he was unavailable today.

 

Question 2 - the management have let us down. WHAT? How many trophies have we won in our short history. What league are now playing in. Where are we in that league. If teams win there games in hand where will we be.

 

Question 3 - our aim at the start of the season was a play off place or top half. Again are you sure? I remember conversations that went along the lines of our first aim is to survive at this level. Anything else is a bonus!

 

Question 4. - Would you be any better off with a new management team. Hardly at this stage. You complain about discarding players before their sell by dates. It happens. No one is ever going to be happy with the decisions managers make and their selections. Bloody hell the discussions I had with Eddie McClusky. The rows I had with FJ about Martin Duffield.

 

Question 5 - have you actually tried talking to Jim about his selections. In the bar, after training possibly. He was always incredibly accommodating. If i was him i would not come on this forum and discuss problems players may have, or the reasons for selections. This is an open forum and other clubs read it. Can you imagine the fun others would have.

 

Question 6 - If you were offered this position in the league at the beginning of the season would you have taken it. Of course you would. This season was going to be one of finding our feet.

 

It is natural for people to be disappointed but let us not over react gentlemen.

 

It may well be that because i am not watching them week in week out that I can take a more detached view but all my years watching the Es taught me to step back. (Having said that you should have heard me after Leonard Stanley lost yesterday!)

 

Jim

<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/icon_smokin.gif" alt="" />

[Gazza]

Quote:

Softie said:......
Happy and Gazza - You talk like you have all the answers. It must be great to be perfect, let's be honest you aren't and nor am I. Yes you may be intelligent but there is always many ways of looking at things. Turn a Rubiks cube and the colours change to give a new picture. To get the right colours on the right side the moves may well be complicated and more than one possible solution. And so is team selection with availability due to injury, suspensions, personal commitments, work, weather, pitch conditions, officials and opponents strengths......

Softie personaly I dont claim to have any answers & certainly dont claim to be intelligent or perfect.
What I do ask is for you to take your rose tinted glasses off & read Happys original thread again, you will see he makes obsevations, valid ones at that, & poses questions that have arisen through watching & observing from the terraces, no more no less.
Here is a question for you, take away the Chopper scenario, was the guy in goal yesterday the best we could find with a seven day approach?
We are all managers behind the goal & see things diffrently, but deny it if you can that your jaw has not dropped & eyebrow raised on more than one occassion at team selection & team formation of course it has & that is all I am doing.
If im honest I thought we were lucky to win the ESL last year & think we are lucky to be where we are at the moment, we have a great squad with players like Ritchie, Valandia, Gant, Penn, Greene, Campbell, Woodward & yes Chopper that could easily in my eyes play at a level or two higher, so lets make the most of them & stop tinkering with formations & positions.

As for your Rubiks cube scenario, what management training seminar did you get that piffle from???
Talk English man, for goodness sake, you sound like an extract from "An audience with Graham Westley"!!!

[Gazza]

Quote:

Jim Cunneen said:
To Mr H, Gazza etc

Question 1 - are you sure Chopper was dropped. I have heard he was unavailable today.

Question 2 - the management have let us down. WHAT? How many trophies have we won in our short history. What league are now playing in. Where are we in that league. If teams win there games in hand where will we be.

Question 3 - our aim at the start of the season was a play off place or top half. Again are you sure? I remember conversations that went along the lines of our first aim is to survive at this level. Anything else is a bonus!

Question 4. - Would you be any better off with a new management team. Hardly at this stage. You complain about discarding players before their sell by dates. It happens. No one is ever going to be happy with the decisions managers make and their selections. Bloody hell the discussions I had with Eddie McClusky. The rows I had with FJ about Martin Duffield.

Question 5 - have you actually tried talking to Jim about his selections. In the bar, after training possibly. He was always incredibly accommodating. If i was him i would not come on this forum and discuss problems players may have, or the reasons for selections. This is an open forum and other clubs read it. Can you imagine the fun others would have.

Question 6 - If you were offered this position in the league at the beginning of the season would you have taken it. Of course you would. This season was going to be one of finding our feet.

It is natural for people to be disappointed but let us not over react gentlemen.

It may well be that because i am not watching them week in week out that I can take a more detached view but all my years watching the Es taught me to step back. (Having said that you should have heard me after Leonard Stanley lost yesterday!)

Jim
<img src="/forum/images/graemlins/icon_smokin.gif" alt="" />

Hi Jim,

Answer 1.
No I dont know, as I answered Ponders Ender earlier I dont know the official reason just the mutterings behind the goal (that varied).
However Chopper & the family were at the game yesterday.

Answer 2.
Personaly Ive never stated they have let us down, indeed JC has been very loyal, however I do question the team selections & formations and believe we are a lucky team with some, as Happy put it, quality individuals.
An old EFC legend once said JC was a "lucky manager" & after the last couple of seasons I can see what he meant, but long may it continue.
If teams do win their games in hand we will be in a play off position, not the end of the world but we should be clear at the top, we have lost six points to the bottom two clubs because of in my eyes choice of formation & tactics.

Answer 3.
Never wanted & have never personaly stated any more than stability this season & to build on what we have.

Answer 4.
Dont know, but I do know the last EFC championship winning side near this level I saw, apart from suspensions & injurys, picked itself you did not turn up & see Jimmy Carstairs playing in 3 diffrent positions in 3 games when there was no need for change, you would not find Gary Blackford (the right back) starting on the left side of midfield either!

Answer 5.
Have chatted with him on several occasions & will again no doubt but that doesnt alter either of our opinions on certain things.

Answer 6.
Dead right I would of but after seeing all the teams this season barring 2, with the squad we have we are where we should be certainly no lower.

Cant speak for Mr Happy Jim but I dont think its over reaction, just long standing observations from more than a few supporters, not everybodys, that is now being aired.

[Gazza]

Quote:

lovely stuff said:
Jim and his staff have the backing of most of us.Thats doesn't mean we can't criticise,discect performances and question tactics.

EXACTLY!!

[Duke of York]

I did not think the atmosphere at yesterday’s game was awful. Rothwell Town was the better side but it was a poor game - the referee did not in control the game well. Of course the atmosphere was going to have changed around Goldsdown Road after Potters Bar brought our first defeat in ten games and an end to our magnificent away record. Pre-match conversations focussed on Chopper issue so there was an air of controversy but the general pre-match mood was positive and upbeat.

 

I am fully supportive of Jim and the management team. I am highly impressed that they manage to keep us up at the top of this division and on course for promotion either directly or via the play-offs. Jim has brought in some excellent players this season although I was disappointed to see Bradley Brotherton leave. I think Woodward, Ritchie and Valandia are all great players who really put the effort in.

 

The atmosphere around the club is great. I am really impressed with how new supporters are welcomed by management, helpers and fans alike. Before I moved to Enfield I lived in south London so I used to watch Dulwich Hamlet if I wasn’t watching my main team. Champion Hill is not a happy place at the moment. The contrast with Enfield Town could not have been greater! The club does not offer a warm welcome to their ‘new’ supporters. Standing behind the goal at Dulwich games is not a place for the feint hearted - visiting goalkeepers’ face a barrage of verbal abuse from the kick off to final whistle with some very colourful language thrown in. Referee’s and linemen have it easy at our place in comparison. Having said this full credit to the fans of Dulwich Hamlet as I never heard any racist comments in the three years I spent watching them. Sadly I cannot say the same for Enfield Town. On a few occasions, this season and last, I have heard racist comments from Enfield Town supporters! This racism has not come from the main vocal support of Town – it came from middle-aged blokes who should know better in this day and age!

 

Things are looking good at the club from this new supporter’s point of view. This is a great club - Let’s get behind Jim and the boys and hope we can continue the push for promotion.

 

‘Keep the Faith!’

[lovely stuff]

Racist comments???

 

I can honestly say that i have never heard a racist comment by a town fan since our formation.I don't think you could get a set of supporters that were less threatening and less racist, that us lot at the Town.

[Anfield Towner]

I've not posted for a while but, as a regular supporter, want to add my opinions here. There are some good points above and I don't think any management team should be immune to criticism from time to time and, especially, helpful contributions from others who see the game in a different way. Sometimes it is easier for those of us not close to the players to have a different view - but there's also a lot that goes on in the dressing room to which we're not privy.

 

BUT I do want to record my total backing for Jim and his management team. They've got us out of difficult situations in the past and will do again, given the chance. What Jim's done for this club is nothing short of miraculous. I agree that there always comes a time when players, and even managers, are looking to the past for their best performances but I don't think we're near that time as far as Jim is concerned.

 

That doesn't mean we can't have opinions and mine certainly don't always accord with Jim's. If Chopper was dropped then I think that was a mistake - for me, the only keeper that comes anywhere near Chopper for either EFC or ETFC is Andy Pape and in my book that's high praise indeed. Yes, Chopper had an uncharacteristically bad game on Tuesday - so did others. He's still the best keeper we're going to find at this level of football. We've known for some time that our defence doesn't perform as the defence of a top three side - until you put Chopper in there, that is, because he saves us time and time again.

 

But then Jim's played Chopper 226 times for ETFC so far, and more for EFC I guess, so I suspect he's worked that out by now....

 

Keep going lads - 2 defeats in a row is almost unheard of for our club but it's hardly a crisis. I have every confidence that Jim and his team, with this current crop of players, will get us back to winning ways. It was only a week ago that we put in a magnificent performance!