Not saying it's easy, but can any of us time-served fans understand why anyone (let alone a multi-millionaire fanatic with supposed business acumen) would put up with the way our club is bumping along? I don't think Danny is the problem - I wouldn't change him. But something deep down is wrong. Vacillating between a bit of (limited) investment and going for an austerity drive (see Hill, Flitcroft) just suggests our owner is unsure of what he wants to do, or where he wants us to be. There's still a shell of a very good club and fanbase out there, but at the moment, it's an endangered species. Do I know what the answer is? Do I buggery. But I'm damned sure we need a clearer direction. Right now we're looking at another relegation, and crowds of 2-3,000 next season. We are sleepwalking.
As an afterthought, I think I'd look to get someone else (with money) to take at least a 50% stake. And I'd get Neil Redfearn involved pretty soon, whether at a coaching or a managerial level. Because we need someone with some passion for this great little club. (See Neil's auto-bio: "You should never fall in love with a football club..........").
It used to be at times like this that John Dennis would agree to go in to the studios for a phone in with the fans. While, on the one hand Patrick Cryne has been a saviour for the Club his low profile means he's not a talisman at the helm.
I've thought and said the same since Ritchie was dumped there is something very wrong at the heart of the club and it's lost its fight because of it. It is at the moment dying on its feet.
Me and friends have discussed this. We've had experienced managers and inexperienced managers. Hands-on managers (Flicker) and seemingly stand-off ish ones (Davey). We've had an influx of foreign players (Anderson, Colace, leon et al), younger lads, lower league lads under Hill and Flicker, Premiership loanees by the dozen. We've seemingly tried just about everything, started over a million times. We've even got a new Board (or at least a new chairman and Chief Exec). But still, even now in a different division, there still seems to be an ingrained problem that appears to prevent any kind of positive progress. I always put that down to lack of money and not being able to be savvy with transfers. But now, in a league where our current squad should be doing a lot better, with a popular manager and a positive, upbeat Mansford, I honestly cant figure out why we still seem devoid of any kind of direction or progression. Answers on a postcard.
I have a friend who is an accountant and has been involved in football with some quite high profile people, he tells me the way to become a millionaire, is to be a billionaire and buy a football club!!
