Post by Dave on Feb 6, 2009 19:59:50 GMT
Well another week I have really enjoyed on the forum and I hope you have all also enjoyed reading the great posts and have enjoyed all the great pictures put up this week.
We have seen a return of the Dave R and merse battles of words, you would think these two silly old buggers should know better, but it really is all done with real respect for each other.
Really good to see so many members receive votes this week, so I thank all those who have made such good contributions to the forum, but also all those who have taken the time to vote, as getting votes cast is important.
BudleighGull,timbo,barton downs, romfordkev,ohtobeatplainmoor, are just some who recieved votes and all could have won this week.
This weeks winner has been with the forum from its start and is best known as the stats man, he produces great charts for the forum and is coinsided as a first class member on the forum and I'm so pleased he joined.
This weeks winner is
andygulls well done Andy fully deserved.
One of Andy's posts containing his great charts.
As ever when there are differences of view about our manager the tone of post deteriorates. Anything posted is just opinion and as such opposing views are equally valid.
The main point of contention is the way one views the club and its existence and whether that very existence is sufficient to console one as a supporter or whether it is about winning, or perhaps most importantly, winning promotion back to the football league.
It does sometimes amuse me that there are those who now profess that being in the conference is no bad thing and may well be the same people who might have criticised Mike Bateson for exactly the same sentiments. Of course those sentiments (MB’s) were expressed when we were a league club, but not of course run along the same lines as we are now.
There are many positive things to be both pleased and proud about off the pitch. But at the end of the day attendance at the gate and thus the ability to sustain those advances will rest upon performances on the pitch. Whilst the economic downturn will have some degree of responsibility for falling attendance levels, the gut wrenching end to last season and its significance in the ability to attract the “less committed” fan is key.
No one on this forum would, I think, disagree that the board have backed PB very well. We are one of the better funded clubs in this league. It is not unsurprising that attached to that funding should come some expectation of performance from fans.
The debate then turns to the fans and if they have confidence in our current manager to get the job done. I received regular reports on the Tuesday night game at Lewes from 2 people at the game (both are members of this forum but neither posts). Both as it happens were sat in the stand taking the advantage of the appropriate elevation to view the game from the “Merse” angle (although I understand Merse may not have joined them in the gods!). Neither thought the performance was any good. Neither could understand the switch in tactics against a very poor Lewes side struggling with form. Both have advised me that they have lost confidence in the ability of our manager to get the club promoted, despite the result!
I think what I might expect to see is some measure of progress. There are those who are prone to making great statements about how the squad has more depth and even offer opinions that the standard of the league has improved from one season to another. I am not sure where the evidence is for such statements, particularly bearing in mind the marked reluctance of PB to play or experiment with certain players in the first team. But they are opinions of people who are watching and have the same validity as anyone else observing.
I like to look at progress. If we are moving positively forward then I can have patience and take a longer term view. With that in mind I set out below 3 tables. The first shows comparisons between this season and last after the same number of BSP games. The second is the same comparison covering all competitions. The 3rd, a table showing our form in the last 15 competitive games. I am starting to feel that my observers at Lewes may be right and perhaps I am wrong!
We have seen a return of the Dave R and merse battles of words, you would think these two silly old buggers should know better, but it really is all done with real respect for each other.
Really good to see so many members receive votes this week, so I thank all those who have made such good contributions to the forum, but also all those who have taken the time to vote, as getting votes cast is important.
BudleighGull,timbo,barton downs, romfordkev,ohtobeatplainmoor, are just some who recieved votes and all could have won this week.
This weeks winner has been with the forum from its start and is best known as the stats man, he produces great charts for the forum and is coinsided as a first class member on the forum and I'm so pleased he joined.
This weeks winner is
andygulls well done Andy fully deserved.
One of Andy's posts containing his great charts.
As ever when there are differences of view about our manager the tone of post deteriorates. Anything posted is just opinion and as such opposing views are equally valid.
The main point of contention is the way one views the club and its existence and whether that very existence is sufficient to console one as a supporter or whether it is about winning, or perhaps most importantly, winning promotion back to the football league.
It does sometimes amuse me that there are those who now profess that being in the conference is no bad thing and may well be the same people who might have criticised Mike Bateson for exactly the same sentiments. Of course those sentiments (MB’s) were expressed when we were a league club, but not of course run along the same lines as we are now.
There are many positive things to be both pleased and proud about off the pitch. But at the end of the day attendance at the gate and thus the ability to sustain those advances will rest upon performances on the pitch. Whilst the economic downturn will have some degree of responsibility for falling attendance levels, the gut wrenching end to last season and its significance in the ability to attract the “less committed” fan is key.
No one on this forum would, I think, disagree that the board have backed PB very well. We are one of the better funded clubs in this league. It is not unsurprising that attached to that funding should come some expectation of performance from fans.
The debate then turns to the fans and if they have confidence in our current manager to get the job done. I received regular reports on the Tuesday night game at Lewes from 2 people at the game (both are members of this forum but neither posts). Both as it happens were sat in the stand taking the advantage of the appropriate elevation to view the game from the “Merse” angle (although I understand Merse may not have joined them in the gods!). Neither thought the performance was any good. Neither could understand the switch in tactics against a very poor Lewes side struggling with form. Both have advised me that they have lost confidence in the ability of our manager to get the club promoted, despite the result!
I think what I might expect to see is some measure of progress. There are those who are prone to making great statements about how the squad has more depth and even offer opinions that the standard of the league has improved from one season to another. I am not sure where the evidence is for such statements, particularly bearing in mind the marked reluctance of PB to play or experiment with certain players in the first team. But they are opinions of people who are watching and have the same validity as anyone else observing.
I like to look at progress. If we are moving positively forward then I can have patience and take a longer term view. With that in mind I set out below 3 tables. The first shows comparisons between this season and last after the same number of BSP games. The second is the same comparison covering all competitions. The 3rd, a table showing our form in the last 15 competitive games. I am starting to feel that my observers at Lewes may be right and perhaps I am wrong!