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How very tough this division is

BALDY

Striker
Joined
Oct 23, 2019
Messages
1,822
Pre season I read quite a few messages and some thought The National League was a tough division---The odd person thought that it would be a cake walk for the club.

Of course only a handful of games have been played but the reality is that it is very difficult to get promoted straight back.
Leyton Orient took just two seasons to return but for most clubs they may well describe as a graveyard for ex league clubs.....I bet most Notts County fans thought "we will storm this league"

How wrong they were.

History means nothing......The bigger the club the more determined opposing teams are to beat you.
Not one single club is too big for The N L.
 
No matter what league you are in without the proper management you will not progress.
This is very true, and it helps to have a manager that understands the league and strengths and weaknesses of those teams within the league.
 
Dagenham F C (way before the merger machine of D and R) had a manager called Ted Hardy (sadly he has passed away). He came across from Leyton F C.....Ted was legendary in the world of non league football.

That is the type of manager (of course one who knows about the modern non league game) that could well help the club rise (but Rome wasn't built in a day).

Every football fan wants instant success but for many sadly that can only be a dream.

Do you guys think at times that the manager can be an easy target?
If you could bring in an experienced non league manager who would he be?
 
Dagenham F C (way before the merger machine of D and R) had a manager called Ted Hardy (sadly he has passed away). He came across from Leyton F C.....Ted was legendary in the world of non league football.

That is the type of manager (of course one who knows about the modern non league game) that could well help the club rise (but Rome wasn't built in a day).

Every football fan wants instant success but for many sadly that can only be a dream.

Do you guys think at times that the manager can be an easy target?
If you could bring in an experienced non league manager who would he be?
I guess that you could look at all of the other 22 clubs in the NL and decide on a personal choice but from experienced NL managers available, I’d go for Neil Smith.
The former Bromley manager was released from his job in March with Bromley sitting in a playoff position (7th) . In his five plus years at the club he’s seen them promoted from the south division and taken them to Wembley in the FA Trophy. He’s very much aware players in and around the NL league and is well respected by other managers and players.
 
If it does not work out with Phil Brown...Can you see the club attempting to bring Neil Smith in?
 
I actually don’t think it is that tough there’s absolutely no reason a club of our support couldn’t easily finish in play offs… it’s only tough because we have undercooked it in the transfer market and been cut short by Ron Martin yet again… take Ricky Holmes what you would give for someone who actually knows how to play football right now ?? What ever the spin is RM didn’t support phil brown 5 games in the conference and only 1 win? That’s ****ing pathetic … this league is only tough because we are being cut adrift by our chairman
 
The fact its only 1 automatic spot and the lottery of the play offs tells you its own story. Probably why I spent last season moaning on here after games how important it is to stay in the efl!
 
It's competitive. That is all.

Lots of evenly balanced teams who are all capable of beating each other.

We should have beaten Wealdstone and had chances which were missed.

Should have got a point against Stockport but couldn't find the net.

Maybe even took all 3 against a champions elect Wrexham.

Halifax is a massive dissapointment that serves to highlight what we all know.

We need more players in. We are still short maybe 2 or 3 and players like Kargbo are not what we need as he simply won't get on the pitch.

I still think PB has made a massive mistake with Sim and ANG who I genuinely believe could improve what we have. Two solid players getting paid good money for nothing, highlights to me all that is wrong with the hierarchy.
 
I guess that you could look at all of the other 22 clubs in the NL and decide on a personal choice but from experienced NL managers available, I’d go for Neil Smith.
The former Bromley manager was released from his job in March with Bromley sitting in a playoff position (7th) . In his five plus years at the club he’s seen them promoted from the south division and taken them to Wembley in the FA Trophy. He’s very much aware players in and around the NL league and is well respected by other managers and players.
Neil Smith sounds like a pretty good shout if it does not work out for PB - and I am hoping it will - but my preference would be Darren Currie. I was genuinely surprised after Currie's fine record at Barnet that he lost out to MM for the Southend job in August 2020. Currie knows the non-league scene and could, I think, do a good job at Southend.
 
I actually don’t think it is that tough there’s absolutely no reason a club of our support couldn’t easily finish in play offs… it’s only tough because we have undercooked it in the transfer market and been cut short by Ron Martin yet again… take Ricky Holmes what you would give for someone who actually knows how to play football right now ?? What ever the spin is RM didn’t support phil brown 5 games in the conference and only 1 win? That’s ****ing pathetic … this league is only tough because we are being cut adrift by our chairman

PB has made 10 new signings (8 perm, 2 loan). You can hardly say he's not been supported by the chairman.

I think the team we could put out when/if all fit is a solid team for the NL. Not spectacular, not top 5 but also not bottom 5 either. But when will we be able to field that team?

And, if that is what the budget allows us, that is where we will be for some considerable time. If the FF plans are agreed by the council and Secretary of State doesn't dither for a year to agree the plans, like last time, we may be in a position to increase the budget and, therefore, get in better recruits. until then, we are where we are.
 
Not an easy league by all means but we are certainly underachieving in it.

I must admit i'm very deflated and not hopeful for the immediate future. I was a fan of Phil first time around but am very much of the opinion that he is the wrong man this time around, the dynamic of the club is very different to when he was last here and I think with our current resources and position we needed a manager from a different mould.

The one positive I saw in Ron up until the last few years is that he wasn't too reactionary and we gave successive managers time to build something. We haven't done that since Phil was last in charge and the revolving door and constant rebuilds have been a disaster.

So from my perspective we either have a man I don't think is ideal for the job in charge, or he doesn't last and we have another rebuild. I'll never give up on this club but I do feel like i'm waiting in the wings at the moment, waiting for a major change of direction at the very top.

Hats off to those who go week in week out regardless, you are better than me. I'm getting very little pleasure from the football at Southend these days and it's not the only thing to do on a Saturday.
 
I actually don’t think it is that tough there’s absolutely no reason a club of our support couldn’t easily finish in play offs… it’s only tough because we have undercooked it in the transfer market and been cut short by Ron Martin yet again… take Ricky Holmes what you would give for someone who actually knows how to play football right now ?? What ever the spin is RM didn’t support phil brown 5 games in the conference and only 1 win? That’s ****ing pathetic … this league is only tough because we are being cut adrift by our chairman
It seems strange that any chairman would turn up to watch a team struggle and enjoy it.
 
. If the FF plans are agreed by the council and Secretary of State doesn't dither for a year to agree the plans, like last time, we may be in a position to increase the budget and, therefore, get in better recruits. until then, we are where we are.
Have the 'revised' plans even been submitted to the Council yet?
 
Hats off to those who go week in week out regardless, you are better than me. I'm getting very little pleasure from the football at Southend these days and it's not the only thing to do on a Saturday.
Blackpool had massive problems and many fans simply stayed away in large numbers....Would that be a good idea?........Unlike the old days there are so many things away from football that fans can do.
 
The one positive I saw in Ron up until the last few years is that he wasn't too reactionary and we gave successive managers time to build something.
With hindsight this seems to be more because these managers enjoyed relative success almost straight away. With Tilly he dragged his feet over appointing him as he wanted Ian Atkins. He didn’t display patience with Little (under Main but I assume he was involved in the decision) or Wignall (famously not seeing it on his eyes) pre-Tilly and I’d suggest he didn’t display patience with Sturrock who he sacked in the midst of a historic injury crisis, having only been denied promotion the previous year by the floodlights failing at Aldershot and having guided the team to Wembley.
 
The club has excellent support but look at The Merger Kings Dagenham & Redbridge who somehow reached division but with so little support.

Of course they came crashing back down but who knows if they will go back up or simply run out of money.
 
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