Exactly a year ago……

[PhilD]

Exactly a year ago we went top of the National League North - a position we flirted around into the new tear. And then……

[don'tbuythesun]

Crying into my cornflakes.

[Wiseacre]

Worth remembering when fans criticise Armstrong - he got us there and it was always about more than Beck and one or two others.

[banktopp]

Worth remembering when fans criticise Armstrong - he got us there and it was always about more than Beck and one or two others.

There is a lot of trashing of Armstrong on this forum which I strongly disagree with.
Last year same as most years he was in charge, he was tasked with getting us into the play-offs. He exceeded his brief and had us
top a year ago, only to have the most influential players sold or in Lambert's case injured. Beck would never have signed for us in the first place if a release clause wasn't in his contract. You cannot underestimate the psychological effect having to rebuild the team again would have had on Armstrong and the rest of the remaining team.

[Yarblockos]

Worth remembering when fans criticise Armstrong - he got us there and it was always about more than Beck and one or two others.

There is a lot of trashing of Armstrong on this forum which I strongly disagree with.
Last year same as most years he was in charge, he was tasked with getting us into the play-offs. He exceeded his brief and had us
top a year ago, only to have the most influential players sold or in Lambert's case injured. Beck would never have signed for us in the first place if a release clause wasn't in his contract. You cannot underestimate the psychological effect having to rebuild the team again would have had on Armstrong and the rest of the remaining team.

The lesson to be learnt from that appears to be that signing players with releases clauses is a bad long-term strategy. The disruption caused by losing Beck mid-season has had bigger ngeative consequences than the postives of having him in the team. We might not have been top without signing Beck, but would we have fallen apart?

[theoriginalfatcat]

We shouldn't have fallen apart though. Not because of one player leaving/not because of Mark Beck leaving.

[beatroute66]

I had a fair bit of sympathy with Alun at the start of this calendar year.

At this level, having just three players like Beck, Lambert and Dodds all at the same time - all more than capable at being comfortable levels above - makes a massive, massive difference. They made other 'good' players at this level 'very good' players at this level and, sometimes, single-handedly won us games we'd have drawn (or lost) in 21/22.

By the end of Jan, Beck had left, Dodds returned to Boro/signed for Pools and Lambert was on his way to injury/out for the season. Form massively dipped, didn't it.

Replacing these players, when the budget had been running hot for a number of months previously, was always going to be really hard (especially in Beck's case - a tall, skilful CF who is good in the air, on the ground and who can bag you 15/20 goals-a-season).

Lots point out, quite rightly, that many of the squad now were in the squad then, which tells you the huge impact that those three players alone had on the entire side.

[Heaton out]

I had a fair bit of sympathy with Alun at the start of this calendar year.

At this level, having just three players like Beck, Lambert and Dodds all at the same time - all more than capable at being comfortable levels above - makes a massive, massive difference. They made other 'good' players at this level 'very good' players at this level and, sometimes, single-handedly won us games we'd have drawn (or lost) in 21/22.

By the end of Jan, Beck had left, Dodds returned to Boro/signed for Pools and Lambert was on his way to injury/out for the season. Form massively dipped, didn't it.

Replacing these players, when the budget had been running hot for a number of months previously, was always going to be really hard (especially in Beck's case - a tall, skilful CF who is good in the air, on the ground and who can bag you 15/20 goals-a-season).

Lots point out, quite rightly, that many of the squad now were in the squad then, which tells you the huge impact that those three players alone had on the entire side.

I agree with the above, Dodds was outstanding, Beck also and in Lambert we had a gem for this level, we have never been able to replace any and are devoid of attacking options, its worth mentioning how good Hazel played at that time as he is coming in for serious stick now and its not as if he is missing lots of chances, IMO the players AA brought in after the above left are seriously lacking pace and our build up play and creativity is a massive worry.

I wanted AA to do well as was fully behind him but, the drop off in form was massive and the replacements AA brought in were very poor, so ultimately he had to go.

Have we got the right replacement, possibly not but, he has come in at a very very difficult time, so I will continue to support him and lads and live in hope that we can get a few wins on the board etc.

[Spyman]

We always seemed to get fairly lucky (maybe not the right word) with Armstrong being able to bring in players who would have a big impact fast before moving up the leagues. Donawa, Sousa, Charman, Lambert and Beck.

As one of them left, we always seemed to bring another straight in who would have a similar impact - this didn't happen after Beck and Lambert moved on and clearly thats had a big impact.

[Ghost_Of_1883]

I had a fair bit of sympathy with Alun at the start of this calendar year.

At this level, having just three players like Beck, Lambert and Dodds all at the same time - all more than capable at being comfortable levels above - makes a massive, massive difference.

And Leesley. I thought he was absolute quality in the 6 or so matches for us, and made us even better.

Didn't we lose him at a similar time to Beck and Dodds and Lambert's injury?

[theoriginalfatcat]

Leesley was brilliant! What a player he was.

[LoidLucan]

I recall the game at Kidderminster last November when Dodds, Leesley, Beck and Lambert all featured and we were excellent and completely outplayed them to take the points. The Kiddy fans were saying we were the best team they had seen. Sukar, Felix and Hazel were also very good that day in a very impressive performance.

[The_Natural]

Managers need to be resilient, as soon as we lost a few players
Armstrong threw in the towel and also talked the team down for the best part of 6 months and here are the results…

Should have went at the end of season as his heart clearly not in it

Also worth noting he’s still picking up a pay-packet/payoff which is hamstringing us further budget wise

[Emdubya]

Managers need to be resilient, as soon as we lost a few players
Armstrong threw in the towel and also talked the team down for the best part of 6 months and here are the results…

Should have went at the end of season as his heart clearly not in it

Also worth noting he’s still picking up a pay-packet/payoff which is hamstringing us further budget wise

Your obsession with Armstrongs failures is becoming unhealthy.He’s gone so either let it go or seek help.

[The_Natural]

he may have gone but we are still paying for his tenure, literally as well as with the state of the club

[Darlobill]

Let’s concentrate on the now, AA has gone and the focus should be keeping us up, personally JG nice guy but imo not what we need at present we need someone who can instil discipline provide leadership as results don’t lie. Financially apparently it’s the best it’s been since moving from Bishop but the club seems a bit soulless at present whether a few wins would change that I’m not so sure. I’ll be there tomorrow but my enthusiasm is very low.