Opinions, I am interested in what others think in relation to where we go & what we do.

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18/19 Season:
LDWDLDLWDLLW

And what do you think Andy?

I think we stick with TW & AW, it's obvious that we have the right players as shown against Brackley/Blyth & Telford. We can beat anyone on our day.

We've just been unfortunate in some games, I still think it will come good & we would be rash to get rid of them.

If they did go, who else comes in? Don't forget TW was 3rd choice when he was appointed. We even got turned down by Hyde's Assistant Manager...

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18/19 Season:
LDWDLDLWDLLW

Agree with most of the above but am not entirely convinced we have the right players. October is clearly going to be a crunch month.

I've voted stick with the current manager...for now.

Always been a big supporter of TW and want him to do well, however I'm losing patience now.

The next 5 matches look "winnable" if we are as good as we think we really are - probably BPA away being the most difficult - but let's face it, even they are nowt spesh.

We need 10 points from the next 5 matches (this will allow us a defeat and a draw) which will drag us to comfortable mid table and closer proximity to the play offs.

If this poor run continues through this next 5 matches then I'm sorry but we aren't going to get anything from the more difficult matches, and we're then in a relegation battle.

So 10 from 5 Tommy, or do one.

So you'd not be happy with 3 wins from 5 and 9 points?

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The chances of us picking up 10 points from the next 5 matches are virtually zilch when you consider that we have collected the mighty total of 10 from 11 so far (and that included games against Southport, Blyth, Curzon, Ashton United and Altrincham, the last of which we made look like Barcelona). I suspect the poll result would take on a very different look in a few weeks time. TW has a poor long-term record and from that I've seen this season it has all the hallmarks of continuing that way.

But every club in the division can say that. That's not a demonstration we have the right players, just that on occasion, when the stars align, we can play very well. But again, that happens at every club. Looking at individual games in isolation, particularly early in a season when every club's new signings are bedding in, isn't a great approach. We have to look at the wider trend, which at the moment is a downward spiral. More often this season though, we've under-performed and got poor results.

That's what we need to judge him on, not a handful of cherry-picked performances and results.

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If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY

I voted to stick with them-at the end of the day we are not in a position to get promoted and we may have to endure a few seasons in this league before we are ready on and off the pitch.
For me the stadium is and will always be the elephant in the room, we need to get our own home, where we can generate our own income stream so that things can be ran successfully - I don't see this being resolved any time soon.

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“If you can't hit a driver, don't.”
Greg Norman

Gramps, did you really mean to say "stars"?!! What we need is consistency, a settled team playing for each other. Looking forward to FC United now and hoping the rest has done some good.

We are a fan owned club with a much reduced budget, and are operating within our financial constraints, the management are committed to providing us with the best possible scenario come the end of season,
I believe that it will work out for a midd table finish, we must build for the future steadily one step at a time, we have been through the get there as quickly as you can with monies you don't have, and been in administration several times through it, so I will be happy midd table this season anything better would be great, all the posturing and bad vibes on this and other forums is detrimental to what the club is about.
Support the club and management bring positivity to the club and make yourself heard at Blackwell when the team are home. It's helps to be noisy.

Should create another poll for those who want out, where do we find the money to pay the management off, compensation for the incoming manager (unless you pick one whos been sacked again elsewhere) and then for the players the new manager will want to bring in.

1. Go back into debt
2. Look down the back of the sofa
3. Spend £1k on lottery tickets and hope for the best
4. Find a magic money tree

No because it would mean that we'd actually been beaten by 2 pap teams. Again.

You're right in saying that it'll be an issue, but I really don't think it will be as major an issue as you're making out. We managed to afford compensation and half a dozen new players (including a five figure fee + decent wages for Styche) last season when our financial position was more precarious. If getting rid of TW was in the best interests of the club, you tend to find a way.

So if TW is failing, it'd be just as much a risk to keep him, given that'll lead to dwindling attendances, lower revenues etc. Apathy is a bad enough problem for us already. A relegation battle would only entrench that further.

And something else to ponder - if we did go down, given there are now four divisions at Step 3, it's much harder to get back up (given you've got six promotion spots spread across four divisions). Only the champions at Step Three are guaranteed promotion. The NPL play-off winners have to then have an additional play-off against the Central League play-off winners.

I'm not calling for TW to go just yet. But if he continues failing (and his managerial record provides little suggestion he can change it) then not doing anything may be more disastrous.

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If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY

If we have the right players, who have shown they can mix it with the best, that's even more damning on the management in my opinion.

Why can't they get those performances out of them consistantly? An off day here or there is fair enough, it happens - but the cohesive performances have been the exception not the rule, so that indicates the management don't know what went right on those occaisions.

I'm wsith TAFKAQ on this one. Give them five games and if there's no signs of consistent improvement then we have to accept the cost of looking elsewhere.

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Gramps has gone all Brian Cox on us! There is nothing that he has said that you can't disagree with though

Good points well made Gramps. Relegation would be very hard to cone back from.

Missed one off there.
5. Ask the owners to stump up.

People often call me a Cox. At least, I think that's what they're saying.....

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If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY

Suggest you take advantage of the Boots free hearing checks!

Possibly the funniest thing you've ever posted here, Gramps

We did get decent fees for Beck and Ferguson last season, and lost about 720 backroom staff. Maybe we could sell a couple of the current squad if there was a managerial change. I presume the Heaton money and MarthonBet money went on paying off debt.

I don't dispute that we could find a way if it truly was the desire of those making the decisions, and of course falling crowds would make a difference to that desire.

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https://fundraising.darlingtonfcsupportersgroup.org/

http://buytickets.at/dfcsg

Getting shot of the manager is not the answer.

As I have said fan owned so monies must come from the few fans that can actually afford to subsidise the club.
The club cannot spend money it does not have, better we stick with it than overspend getting new manager and player's who a new man would want and payoff for the existing crew. I don't think that is a viable option, get behind Tommy, Alan and the team let us be the twelve man and make the difference at Blackwell, hopefully we can go onto a winning run which will lift the gloom and change the way the season pans out.

Good point made about the fees coming in for Beck & Ferguson plus the backroom staff savings. These are income and savings we cant make this time round. Plus Gray walking away is different to sacking Wright and having to pay his contract up too, and White as well.
As far as I'm concerned its in the best interests of the club to sit tight and not panic like a few fans seem to be doing.

Also a new manager might just have new tactics and gel the existing squad so may not have to bring in other players

No one is panicking. Using that word is a deliberate attempt to make out anyone who criticises Wright is doing so based on emotion, which is nonsense.

It's simply a growing number of people have looked at the situation and are coming around to the conclusion that he's underperforming and not the man for us. And there's a lot of justification for that.

Nor would we necessarily have to reshape the squad in the way we had to last year, as darloreborn rightly points out. Selling the likes of Beck etc was essential as we would have imploded otherwise. There's no such pressure now and our finances are stronger.

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If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY

Plenty panicking, especially on the Facebook group.
One is particularly determined to see the back of Wright he even claims he didn't get Corby promoted even though their official site says otherwise as he achieved that in is first full season as sole manager.
Would all the players welcome a new manager? I could imagine a few of the midlands lads becoming disillusioned. Styche turned down the chance to sign for Gray but signs straight away when Wright comes asking.
Finances may be stronger than a year ago but that doesnt mean we are swimming around with funds to blow on a sacking and collateral costs incurred.

The Styche thing could say more about Gray than Wright.

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The players thing is overdone. What are they going to do - refuse to play for a new manager because they're so wedded to Saint Tommy? Give over. They're clearly not that fussed about him, given how badly they're playing.

If they're that bothered, why not put in a half decent performance on the pitch?

Is there anyone right now who we would genuinely miss, or couldn't replace if they decided to go? Styche probably. Beyond that, on current form we wouldn't be missing much.

Genuine question - what is it that makes you think he can turn it around? And what would it take for you to think he's got to go?

Because if your issue is finances and Midlands players, that won't ever change, meaning TW can perpetually perform badly and you'll give him a free pass.

And do we need to be "swimming in funds"? I'm pretty sure we'd be able to do stretch to a mutual agreement with TW and possibly AW, who may not even leave anyway. Particularly if the prospect of a relegation battle is enough to see attendances drop further.

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If ever you're bored or miserable:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZlZohZoadGY