So...............

[Southampton Gull]

Written by brucie after the Southend game

The winless run of eight isn't that big a deal. The only problem with your arguement is that we don't have the players who will win three of the next ten games.

.............did we sign some new players or are the ones we already have good enough to see us to mid-table security?


Classic traits of a side needing time to gel after a summer of upheaval and a new Manager, like some of us have said all along.

Feel free to add any other gems like this one from the database

[AustrianAndyGull]

I've got to admit i wasn't that far off agreeing with Brucie based on our away performances i've seen recently. My doubts were purely based on the overall ambition and ability of the players i had seen in those games which were non-existent. Mitigating factors may have been that Shrewsbury and Southend are strong sides expected to challenge at the top; however, it was the Bradford game that really upset me as we looked bloody awful v 10 men. Maybe Martins tactics were all wrong in these games and today at Crewe with a different mindset and a new found confidence, the players have proved what they are capable of. So i hold my hands up and say sorry for lacking belief in Martin in the players, don't forget that we could get another league hammering at some point and then go on another bad run ( which is the pattern one cambridge fan said happened during Lings time at the Abbey) but the last three games has pacified me into now thinking that if we just play positively and work hard then we will be absolutely fine with the players we have. I couldn't have said that with any confidence 2 weeks ago.

[tktufc91]

I must admit I was starting to lose patience with Ling but fair play to him for turning it around. Happy to have him aboard than a certain someone on the way back from Accers with nothing to shout about.....again!!!

[AustrianAndyGull]

I don't want to jump on the 'i hate Buckle and think he is shite' bandwagon but i believe that his arrogance, stubborness and self-importance have had a negative effect on Rovers fortunes this season despite one of the strongest squads in the league. In addition i am also coming round to thinking that maybe Buckle is an Eriksson. A manager s**t hot at assembling a fledgling team from nothing and exceeding expectation but give him a few quid and it all goes tits up. People say Mourinho is a great manager but could he take over at the helm at Wolves for example and win the league? No, so IMO he is a shite manager. I believe Alex Ferguson could take over Wolves and with little cash propel them way up the table. Bucks is probably best at doing what he did with us and he will have to do it again soon with another lowly club because he has had his 15 minutes of fame and failed. For the gut wrenching feeling you gave me at Old Trafford in May Mr Buckle, i am so happy now. Egocentric arse.

[usagullmichigan]

I take no notice of what Brucie says though I read what he says because I find it highly amusing cheers me up on those cold snowy winter days. Brucie is as positive as Victor Meldrew and Alf Garnett combined living Hiroshima. Though I actually reckon deep down he is a charming guy and a right LARF. I would love to meet him. Has anyone met him?

That said he has been humble in the past hence Brucies comments after the Brizzle Rovers game.

[Dutchgull]

Not to put a dampener on proceedings BUT we do not possess any strength in depth and it is that which really worries me. What have we got to back up O'kane Mansell Howe ?? Macklin McPhee & Atieno !! Not good enough . I just hope we can remain relatively injury free and beat the Gargs and gain mid table solidity but it wont be easy ......

[Modgull]

Agree that three swallows does not a summer make but it has been an encouraging sign!

I wasn't a Ling out guy but I could not see what the manager and coach were doing about some alarmingly poor defensive performances. Finally they found the answer in the 433/451 formation with Damon Lathrope as the holding midfielder.

But I also agree that we are vulnerable to injury and suspension because the cover is not good enough in some key positions - but what can we expect with our budget limitations?

However, the forum is better for Brucie's contributions so please, Brucie, come back and give us the benefit of your views - and get down to Plainmoor to watch some more games.

[yellow]

Is Mark Ellis getting the credit he deserves?

Dave Thomas was full of praise for him yesterday.

[Southampton Gull]

...........................I also agree that we are vulnerable to injury and suspension because the cover is not good enough in some key positions - but what can we expect with our budget limitations?

This has always been my view and is the most important reason not to be calling for the managers head when we are just 14 games into a season. To do so is just plain daft and shows little or no understanding of the situation. (Not attributing that to you though, Phil )

[Plymouth Gull]

Not to put a dampener on proceedings BUT we do not possess any strength in depth and it is that which really worries me. What have we got to back up O'kane Mansell Howe ?? Macklin McPhee & Atieno !! Not good enough . I just hope we can remain relatively injury free and beat the Gargs and gain mid table solidity but it wont be easy ......

Yes, agree.

Granted, the last three games have been great, but it's still only 3 games. If we can beat Argyle in two weeks then I'll be delighted. I know most of us expect mid-table consolidation this season, but another run like the one we have seemingly just finished must be avoided - some of the performances in that were incredibly bad.

I'm delighted Lingy's turned it around - fair play for the tactical tweak to bring Damon back in, but lets not get too carried away. Eunan and Lathrope (unsure on him) are on 4 bookings each and if we lose those two for a game then we have practically no midfield! Manse can't do it on his own and I don't really trust our backups to do a job. I know we have a small budget but surely theres better players out there than Atieno and Mcphee? Or even get some loanees in, as we keep saying, just to bolster the squad a bit more, as it's very thin.

[AustrianAndyGull]

Yes i completely agree too. If we lose Bodin on international duty or when his loan expires plus if Howe gets injured we don't have enough quality attack wise. I think if this were to happen then it is only fair to give McPhee and Tai a run to see if they can improve themselves. I doubt this however therefore Ling should be eyeing up a few loanees on the quiet to bring in for when this eventuality occurs. Maybe McPhee and Tai can knock in the goals but there is no evidence to suggest this thus far but give them a few games anyway and see what happens.

[Dave]

I like Brucie's posting style, and wish he and certain others would post through the good times, aswell as bad.

I know ive said this before and it is stating the obvious, but you can spin Martin Ling mangerial record which ever way you want to suit, we can listen to Orient and Cambridge fan's and they will tell you two different stories.

I fully believe that martin ling is a better manager than Buckle and in time will prove it, my own thoughts are the current squad is no where near the squad that martin Ling wants , he came late into the job in terms of the close season transfer buinsness, with no real money to spend, i think we will probaly see Lingy slowly but surely make changes to the squad, with 1 out 1 in, untill the squad is want he wants it to be.

I, along with others said we had seen glimpses during games of what this team was capable of, and the picture could change very quickly with a couple of wins , i allways thought the team has enough quailty to get a comfortable mid table finish, i do not think our team is any better than that however.

Yes i do think we have an issue with strengh in depth, injuries and suspenions could leave the team short, however our club was in same position last season, Zebroski, Jakey, Tomlin, Stanley, if any of those where missing , who could have come in from last seasons sqaud and done the same job? Would craig Stanley have let that Stevenage player run so far and whack the ball into the back of our net unchallenged if he had played in the P/O final?, my answer to that ..no, i think a club of our size and budget will allways have an issue with strenght in depth.

I think the last 3 wins were very important, however whats more important is the team continue this run while confidence is high, as said be toehrs our team can not afford another winless run now.

[brucie]

I'm happy to be proved completely wrong. No doubt Southampton Gull could have foreseen us scoring 9 goals and conceding none in the last three games.
On the subject of us not conceding I also think that Southampton Gull kept saying what a liability Mark Ellis was, but I don't see any snapshots of his posts about that.
Whoever was right and who was wrong doesn't change the fact that these three wins have dug us out of what was becoming a perilous situation.
We have got a pencil thin squad and its imperative that we didn't get anywhere near the bottom.
Still have dozen games to go to the half way point and we almost have half the number of points needed for survival.
On that basis I will admit that Ling has done a good job.
Its clear that we are not going to compete with many of the half decent sides in this division but the key is beating the dross and another three points against Plymouth will be a huge result.

[ferrarilover]

I'm happy to be proved completely wrong. No doubt Southampton Gull could have foreseen us scoring 9 goals and conceding none in the last three games.
On the subject of us not conceding I also think that Southampton Gull kept saying what a liability Mark Ellis was, but I don't see any snapshots of his posts about that.
Whoever was right and who was wrong doesn't change the fact that these three wins have dug us out of what was becoming a perilous situation.
We have got a pencil thin squad and its imperative that we didn't get anywhere near the bottom.
Still have dozen games to go to the half way point and we almost have half the number of points needed for survival.
On that basis I will admit that Ling has done a good job.
Its clear that we are not going to compete with many of the half decent sides in this division but the key is beating the dross and another three points against Plymouth will be a huge result.

A bit like a mid table side, you mean?

Matt.

[Wubble U]

It has been painfully clear all season that each sub made was of a significantly lower standard than the player they replaced.
Against Crewe this was much the case as it sticks out more when the team performance is better..

Whilst the ball stuck to Howe all day, and most attacks started from him, Tai lost possession every time he received it and pressure was straight back up the other end.
McFree for Danny can't be compared like for like, but he did nothing of note when he came on.
Our attacking flair was stifled, Crewe got more possession and threatened more, and the performance fizzled out.

They tried hard to be fair, but it is obvious we have no Plan B, and no quality to come off the bench. But as others have mentioned earlier, this is a reasonable situation given our financial constraints.

Keeping the first 11 fit and suspension free could easily be the difference between a play off challenge or a relegation scrap!