Curzon Aston v Darlington match thread

[jjljks]

We need to get shot of Beck, Cartman and Tommo and bring in a forward line that can find the net. This must be the most powder puff set of forwards in the league.

Can't see why you want rid of Cartman. He was only on for 30 minutes and in that time had the only shot on target, drew three fouls and more work than Gillies did

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[tdk1]

Well, i always expected us to plateau at this level given our available resources. It just feels disappointing now it's here. Last season was probably all about momentum. This time we really need Gray to earn his spurs as he has a totally different challenge on his hands not anything from the last 5 years.

I've got to say, we really could have done with a free weekend, given the had the opportunity.

[Mr_Tibbs]

In the cup South Shields knocked York out 3-2 today. Gavin Cogdon with the winner in stoppage time.

[QUAKERMAN2]

Can't see us making the play-offs unless our form changes very quickly.

Great post Pete.

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[QUAKERMAN2]

Hope to hell this new signing next week is a striker or our season will fall apart.Also why has Gray not included Mendes today, really cannot understand what is in Gray's head at times.

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[LoidLucan]

So embarrassingly poor that youd have to think all is not well behind the scenes. Its quite alarming how so many individual players' form has dropped.

[QUAKERMAN2]

So embarrassingly poor that youd have to think all is not well behind the scenes. Its quite alarming how so many individual players' form has dropped.

Listening to fans radio you just knew they would hit us with a sucker punch with Gray's substitutions, we were wide open and even Portas did not know his role when he came on.We completely lost our shape and threw away a point.Gray has to accept full responsibility and has to stop blaming everyone but himself.

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[LoidLucan]

I have only seen one team worse than curzon this season and that was n ferriby. I think i counted two efforts that were on target by us today. Shocking stuff even tho we had a lot of the possession. It looked like two relegation strugglers on view.

[Quakerlad]

Bottom line is that Gray is at fault for not improving the team AT ALL during the summer and giving new contracts to players not good enough.
Every single year he has brought in 2/3 players straight into the team better than what we had even though a great season last time. Right from N league through to last season.
Even Collins who arguably is the best pre season signing really isn't any better than Brown, Hunter etc.
He,s quick to blame the players and even the fans at times so for once please don't go in an interview and blame missed chances, injuries, travelling, confidence etc etc, Just for once say that you haven't done your job this year. How come Spennymoor and Blyth have done exactly what Gray hasn't and hey, no surprise are well ahead of us.

None of this means I want him to leave because he is also entitled to a blip, but please just be honest

[Darl-Zero]

From what I saw today, we played some good football but have lost belief up front. Need a greedy, hungry, selfish striker to snap up those chances. There were enough of them.

[LoidLucan]

They had just about as many chances as we did.

[Spyman]

Hope to hell this new signing next week is a striker or our season will fall apart.Also why has Gray not included Mendes today, really cannot understand what is in Gray's head at times.

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Beck was great last season and there must be a reason why his form has dropped so sharply.

Gray's limitations as a manager seem to be becoming brutally exposed. He's either lost the dressing room, lost the ability to motivate a perfectly capable set of players or he's just too reliant on being able to buy up the best talent to keep things moving forwards.

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[theoriginalfatcat]

Gray's limitations as a manager seem to be becoming brutally exposed. He's either lost the dressing room, lost the ability to motivate a perfectly capable set of players or he's just too reliant on being able to buy up the best talent to keep things moving forwards.

Strong words indeed!

[quakermass]

I think we're all overrating Beck (including Gray). He definitely wasn't "great" last season, he was an ok target man who chipped in with the odd goal, but personally I think he's a very poor mans Liam Hatch. Something's not right within the camp. Historically we could rely on Gray to bring in the right players to strengthen us at the right team, but this season his signings and tactics have been head scratching, as if he's losing the plot. I hope he turns things round but with average players on long contracts and a restricted budget this won't be easy. Another worry for me is that we've had "on paper" a relatively straight forward set of fixtures so things won't get any easier. Our forward line needs a complete overhaul and for me I'd get shot of both Beck and Cartman. Right...back to strictly


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[Vodka_Vic]

I've been considering the same points as you Spyman. Is Gray being exposed here, as in the past he's been able to buy the best talent and keep ahead that way, but now he can't any more.
What galls me is that we see teams week in week out who on paper look a lot weaker than us but do better than us. It just seems that this year other teams are managing their resources better than us. I also can't understand why our players are a shadow of themselves compared to last year.
My other concern is that apart from Salford away (York away looks like an OK result now in hindsight, nothing more) we've actually had a piss easy run of games. We've got a lot of the top teams to play home and away between now and the rest of the season. If anything our results will probably get worse, and if I'm honest I can really see us finishing 14/15th this season, and actually that's probably where we are as a squad right now performance wise.

[Vodka_Vic]

I think we're all overrating Beck (including Gray). He definitely wasn't "great" last season, he was an ok target man who chipped in with the odd goal, but personally I think he's a very poor mans Liam Hatch. Something's not right within the camp. Historically we could rely on Gray to bring in the right players to strengthen us at the right team, but this season his signings and tactics have been head scratching, as if he's losing the plot. I hope he turns things round but with average players on long contracts and a restricted budget this won't be easy. Another worry for me is that we've had "on paper" a relatively straight forward set of fixtures so things won't get any easier. Our forward line needs a complete overhaul and for me I'd get shot of both Beck and Cartman. Right...back to strictly


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Paul, I know we're not doing very well at the moment but watching Strictly? I'm worried for you. You need to get the Conference video out or our 2 promotion DVDs instead.

[Yarblockos]

Who's mad idea was it to rearrange a match we did not have to play, when we had a crop of injuries. Those lads could have had an extra week to get back to full fitness & not compromise themselves by playing when they really shouldn't.

This absolutely. Why arrange a game when we are so badly out of form and lacking key players? There is no financial incentive as we were away from home. We needed a week of rest and to work on the team, to arrange a game makes no sense. Everything about the club seems to be based on short-term thinking.

[QUAKERMAN2]

Bottom line is that Gray is at fault for not improving the team AT ALL during the summer and giving new contracts to players not good enough.
Every single year he has brought in 2/3 players straight into the team better than what we had even though a great season last time. Right from N league through to last season.
Even Collins who arguably is the best pre season signing really isn't any better than Brown, Hunter etc.
He,s quick to blame the players and even the fans at times so for once please don't go in an interview and blame missed chances, injuries, travelling, confidence etc etc, Just for once say that you haven't done your job this year. How come Spennymoor and Blyth have done exactly what Gray hasn't and hey, no surprise are well ahead of us.

None of this means I want him to leave because he is also entitled to a blip, but please just be honest

Spot on, he has recruited very poorly close season and given contracts to some players not good enough, far too much tinkering with team selections particularly up front and for some strange reason (and only he knows), he plays Beck week in week out, never sub's him yet he has scored 1 goal and god knows how many easy headers he has missed which is supposedly the reason he is in the team in the first place.Ainsley.Alan Armstrong and Fenton at South Shields have assembled better forward lines than us this season which is difficult to accept.Beck,Caton and Thommo IMO are not good enough.and Gray has big decisions to make or this season will end up in a relegation fight.

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[dfc4me]

Who's mad idea was it to rearrange a match we did not have to play, when we had a crop of injuries. Those lads could have had an extra week to get back to full fitness & not compromise themselves by playing when they really shouldn't.

This absolutely. Why arrange a game when we are so badly out of form and lacking key players? There is no financial incentive as we were away from home. We needed a week of rest and to work on the team, to arrange a game makes no sense. Everything about the club seems to be based on short-term thinking.

It was the league that arranged the match, we didn't get a say in it.

As for Beck he has been carrying a knee injury since pre season which may well be affecting his form. That said, he needs a few weeks rest otherwise his knee wil only get worse.

[QUAKERMAN2]

I've been considering the same points as you Spyman. Is Gray being exposed here, as in the past he's been able to buy the best talent and keep ahead that way, but now he can't any more.
What galls me is that we see teams week in week out who on paper look a lot weaker than us but do better than us. It just seems that this year other teams are managing their resources better than us. I also can't understand why our players are a shadow of themselves compared to last year.
My other concern is that apart from Salford away (York away looks like an OK result now in hindsight, nothing more) we've actually had a piss easy run of games. We've got a lot of the top teams to play home and away between now and the rest of the season. If anything our results will probably get worse, and if I'm honest I can really see us finishing 14/15th this season, and actually that's probably where we are as a squad right now performance wise.

Excellent post Adam, agree 100%.

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[HarrytheQuaker]

I've been considering the same points as you Spyman. Is Gray being exposed here, as in the past he's been able to buy the best talent and keep ahead that way, but now he can't any more.
What galls me is that we see teams week in week out who on paper look a lot weaker than us but do better than us. It just seems that this year other teams are managing their resources better than us. I also can't understand why our players are a shadow of themselves compared to last year.
My other concern is that apart from Salford away (York away looks like an OK result now in hindsight, nothing more) we've actually had a piss easy run of games. We've got a lot of the top teams to play home and away between now and the rest of the season. If anything our results will probably get worse, and if I'm honest I can really see us finishing 14/15th this season, and actually that's probably where we are as a squad right now performance wise.

Why do people continue to say we have piss easy games, no games are piss easy good god man.. Just because we were in the playoffs last season doesn't give us the automatic right to be there again this season with relatively the same squad, we have been found out other teams have strengthened and progressed.. Down to gray yes maybe but not helped with the budget.. But that's where we are we have to deal with it..

[divas]

Not helped with the budget?! What are you going on about man?! Just because he's always bleating on about wanting more doesn't mean it's not a great budget for this level. Other clubs are doing more on much less.

[theoriginalfatcat]

I've been considering the same points as you Spyman. Is Gray being exposed here, as in the past he's been able to buy the best talent and keep ahead that way, but now he can't any more.
What galls me is that we see teams week in week out who on paper look a lot weaker than us but do better than us. It just seems that this year other teams are managing their resources better than us. I also can't understand why our players are a shadow of themselves compared to last year.
My other concern is that apart from Salford away (York away looks like an OK result now in hindsight, nothing more) we've actually had a piss easy run of games. We've got a lot of the top teams to play home and away between now and the rest of the season. If anything our results will probably get worse, and if I'm honest I can really see us finishing 14/15th this season, and actually that's probably where we are as a squad right now performance wise.

Your first two paragraphs possibly tie together.

Gray feels he's unable to obtain the talent he thinks he needs to compete, and is losing momentum/facing criticism for the first time since he came in. As to the players .... well they are used to things going their way and having their ranks topped up as and when necessary, thus allowing them to stay in a strong position.

It's a vicious circle.

I can't comment on todays match, but my view is that the players aren't as bad as our form in the last ten games suggests, and M.G and his management team should be doing better.

We're 19th in the form table with one win in ten games

[Spyman]

Not helped with the budget?! What are you going on about man?! Just because he's always bleating on about wanting more doesn't mean it's not a great budget for this level. Other clubs are doing more on much less.

In a way, I'm glad you're no longer on the inside!

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[quakermass]

I think we're all overrating Beck (including Gray). He definitely wasn't "great" last season, he was an ok target man who chipped in with the odd goal, but personally I think he's a very poor mans Liam Hatch. Something's not right within the camp. Historically we could rely on Gray to bring in the right players to strengthen us at the right team, but this season his signings and tactics have been head scratching, as if he's losing the plot. I hope he turns things round but with average players on long contracts and a restricted budget this won't be easy. Another worry for me is that we've had "on paper" a relatively straight forward set of fixtures so things won't get any easier. Our forward line needs a complete overhaul and for me I'd get shot of both Beck and Cartman. Right...back to strictly


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Paul, I know we're not doing very well at the moment but watching Strictly? I'm worried for you. You need to get the Conference video out or our 2 promotion DVDs instead.

Adam I've taken this result quite badly. If I wasn't in Penrith I'd drive to Victoria Road for a chicken madras, rice and chips and then head back home to watch a re run of David Geddis's injury time winner against Welling at the Polam Lane end!



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[Spyman]

Gray's limitations as a manager seem to be becoming brutally exposed. He's either lost the dressing room, lost the ability to motivate a perfectly capable set of players or he's just too reliant on being able to buy up the best talent to keep things moving forwards.

Strong words indeed!

Strong words perhaps, but I believe this to be the case.

Something isn't right. This is the first time Gray hasn't been given free reign to improve his squad as soon as results turn and in my opinion he's being shown up as being a bit of a one trick pony.

He's constantly talked about budgets and having enough money to compete. How about doing the best you can with what you've got, Martin?

I accept injuries have disrupted things more than in previous seasons and Beck is seemingly playing with an injury through necessity - but again we had seem to have had chances to bring in suitable cover but instead spent money on positions that were already well covered (Caton, Wheatley).

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[Vodka_Vic]

Some very interesting posts on here, especially by Divas. For me I feel that things changed after MGs little speech at the fans' forum in April. Before then the team spirit had been amazing. The seats fiasco even seemed to galvanise the players more. Since then MG has kept going on about investment, which can't be easy for the players, as effectively MG has said that the squad isn't good enough and needs investment. I just think that all this stuff in the background must have affected our team spirit. In terms of MGs position, it's stronger in some ways since then and weaker in others. As Divas says, the guy in charge is MGs former business partner, so his position at the club is stronger in this regard, and he is also an ally in that he champions investment too. However, his regard and standing in general with regard to the fans is certainly not what it was. When Spyman says 'Something isn't right' I agree with this, and I think partly it's what I've just explained.

[LoidLucan]

Talking to people at Curzon, money is extremely tight there and they had a fair number of youngsters in their squad. In fact the lad who got the winner is 18 years old. The impression they gave is that they are scraping by on fairly meagre resources and a tiny fan base.

[super_les_mcjannet]

MG basically said he can't do it without money in April and he is again saying he doesn't have enough money.

We have no more money and our reasonable budget means we are currently hitting below the levels that should be expected.

So MG has put the ball in his own court really and his summer antics has knocked his own support.

[DL5]

It's quite clear, we kick on with Martin and investment or we part company and rattle around in league 6 or 7 as we are