In Many Ways - Worse than 97/98

[belton rover]

Back then we had, among other things, a lottery card seller as manager and his fat neighbour in goal. We were a laughing stock on and off the pitch, and rightly so. We were crap. Beyond crap.

Now, we are are a ‘well run club’. We have a manager chosen from a long list of desirable applicants and we chose the best man for the job. We have a team of ‘professionals’ with excellent training facilities.

Yet we are crap. Beyond crap. And actually getting worse.

What a dreadful state of affairs. At least back then nobody expected anything other than embarrassing crap.

I need a drink.

[Chris Black come back]

This was an absolutely critical game that we needed to win. We didn’t have a single shot on goal until the 94th minute. Totally indefensible.

[ChrisBx]

McSheffrey simply can't be in charge next season.

[Scooter]

97/98 was better. Lee Warren put more effort in than these put together and at least we had Prince Moncrieffe

[Chris Black come back]

One shot on target all game. 94th minute.

[mpc123]

Charlton could have been in double figures.

For the first time ever in 43 years..... its embarrassing

[Chris Black come back]

I can see the arguments for stability this season and retaining McSheffrey, who has been dealt a very bad hand after all. There is just surely no precedent for anyone to have such an abysmal start as a manager and recover with the same club? I can’t see how the guy could ever be a success given the psychological black hole he and the team are in now.

[BillyStubbsTears]

We had a far more potent front line in 97/98.

Read that again, and tear your hair out.

[Canadian Rover]

I was very optimistic about him. But why set  up to play  with 5 at the back plus a holding midfielder at home in a must win game (again).

Time for Mcnugget & half the squad to go.

[Chris Black come back]

I think we all just want this to end. Take the relegation now and just stop the pain. This is an absolutely atrocious ‘team’ and we need to stop them inflicting such misery on everyone. There surely cannot have been a more joyless side in living memory? Absolutely nothing of any merit week in and week out. Nothing. No hope, no improvement, no goals. Totally bereft. Please make it end.

[Ldr]

I think it feels worse than 97/98 even though it’s not. In 97/98 the performances were so abject they became laughable but as a fan base we were united in fighting to rid the club of Richardson and had a genuine concern that it was the end of the club. Results on the pitch very much became secondary to that battle. This season feels worse because there are no such off field
Concerns, the club is secure so all focus is on the team. Don’t get me wrong the performances are abject and we will go down this year, horrendous but not the end of the world. It’s all about perspective.

[Chris Black come back]

I think it feels worse than 97/98 even though it’s not. In 97/98 the performances were so abject they became laughable but as a fan base we were united in fighting to rid the club of Richardson and had a genuine concern that it was the end of the club. Results on the pitch very much became secondary to that battle. This season feels worse because there are no such off field
Concerns, the club is secure so all focus is on the team. Don’t get me wrong the performances are abject and we will go down this year, horrendous but not the end of the world. It’s all about perspective.

That’s definitely true. We are a solid and pretty much sustainable club. What is so mystifying is that all the inputs are positive (budget, stability, infrastructure) but all the outputs are beyond risible. It’s the poorest return on investment imaginable.

[belton rover]

I think it feels worse than 97/98 even though it’s not. In 97/98 the performances were so abject they became laughable but as a fan base we were united in fighting to rid the club of Richardson and had a genuine concern that it was the end of the club. Results on the pitch very much became secondary to that battle. This season feels worse because there are no such off field
Concerns, the club is secure so all focus is on the team. Don’t get me wrong the performances are abject and we will go down this year, horrendous but not the end of the world. It’s all about perspective.

That’s definitely true. We are a solid and pretty much sustainable club. What is so mystifying is that all the inputs are positive (budget, stability, infrastructure) but all the outputs are beyond risible. It’s the poorest return on investment imaginable.

Two great points - LDR, Chris.

[Chris Black come back]

Terry is an old fella and I bet he thought by now we would be a sustainable success story and he could retire, with the club paying it’s own way. Instead it is in a quagmire of absolute shite that will take a couple of years to sort out again. Don’t forget that we have no saleable assets on the books. This is another cycle of rebuilding with the hope we can find another Whiteman to help balance the books medium term.

[Barmby Rover]

"Well run club", that is sounding a bit tired now isn't it? 21 badly run clubs sit above us at the moment, next season it may well be the same, because as every "well run club" knows you have to cut the playing budget for smaller, and dwindling, crowds and less away supporters travelling to us. So the squad becomes even worse.

[swintonrover]

Don’t forget that we have no saleable assets on the books.

With the right fire lit under them, Olowu, Younger and Griffiths could be.

At the moment though, the entire club has given up. On everything. Can't even peddle the "good match day experience" line any more.

[silent majority]

"Well run club", that is sounding a bit tired now isn't it? 21 badly run clubs sit above us at the moment, next season it may well be the same, because as every "well run club" knows you have to cut the playing budget for smaller, and dwindling, crowds and less away supporters travelling to us. So the squad becomes even worse.

We generate more revenue from other sources than football clubs in leagues 1 & 2. This means we are not as reliant on away fan revenue than other clubs so it will hardly affect us.

[Chris Black come back]

Don’t forget that we have no saleable assets on the books.

With the right fire lit under them, Olowu, Younger and Griffiths could be.

At the moment though, the entire club has given up. On everything. Can't even peddle the "good match day experience" line any more.

That could be true but I am mindful two of those are shortly into the final 12 months of their contracts with us. If they do well next season in League Two and other sides come calling, they will be leaving without a second thought and for free. Griffiths must be absolutely mad to have signed on such a long deal for a side even in January was clearly heading very fast in the wrong direction.

[bpoolrover]

Don’t forget that we have no saleable assets on the books.

With the right fire lit under them, Olowu, Younger and Griffiths could be.

At the moment though, the entire club has given up. On everything. Can't even peddle the "good match day experience" line any more.

can't agree on younger apart from the first game he played he has been poor, far to weak very slow but hope I'm wrong

[drfchound]

Don’t forget that we have no saleable assets on the books.

With the right fire lit under them, Olowu, Younger and Griffiths could be.

At the moment though, the entire club has given up. On everything. Can't even peddle the "good match day experience" line any more.

And yet two of the, couldn’t get in the team today.

[belton rover]

I think ‘club’ and ‘business’ are two words that get confused in the football ownership world.

Having said that, we are neither a well run club OR  business at the moment.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Don’t forget that we have no saleable assets on the books.

With the right fire lit under them, Olowu, Younger and Griffiths could be.

At the moment though, the entire club has given up. On everything. Can't even peddle the "good match day experience" line any more.

And yet two of the, couldn’t get in the team today.

Ay but GM was picking the team so doesn’t mean anything.

[i_ateallthepies]

"Well run club", that is sounding a bit tired now isn't it? 21 badly run clubs sit above us at the moment, next season it may well be the same, because as every "well run club" knows you have to cut the playing budget for smaller, and dwindling, crowds and less away supporters travelling to us. So the squad becomes even worse.

We generate more revenue from other sources than football clubs in leagues 1 & 2. This means we are not as reliant on away fan revenue than other clubs so it will hardly affect us.

SM, your refusal to acknowledge on here any criticism of the club is admirable but given the decisions made this season and the position those decisions have left us in what you have posted here amounts to a flat refusal to see the elephant in the room.  In what world does it make sense to put years of effort into building revenue from other sources only to assume that losses in fan revenue caused by a failure to compete on the pitch and relegation to league 2 will 'hardly affect us'?

[steve@dcfd]

Generating the right revenue is good but looking at the players we have brought in this season especially in January have shown the level of players we can attract is not good enough for the revenue we are told we have.
From the selection of the manager assistant goal keeping coach has shown we have taken them all from the academy again the level of staff we required in the situation we were and are in shows they were are not good enough.

[Move DRFC]

"Well run club", that is sounding a bit tired now isn't it? 21 badly run clubs sit above us at the moment, next season it may well be the same, because as every "well run club" knows you have to cut the playing budget for smaller, and dwindling, crowds and less away supporters travelling to us. So the squad becomes even worse.

We generate more revenue from other sources than football clubs in leagues 1 & 2. This means we are not as reliant on away fan revenue than other clubs so it will hardly affect us.

That’s great. So why aren’t they putting in some proper funding to get us out of this mess.

Carsley ‘mentor’ hahahaha. Get a director of football in. Coaches working part time. What??Manager, assistant manager and keeper coach all promoted from youth set up to the first team. When has that ever happened?

Doncaster Rovers is one big cost cutting exercise at the moment.