sadoldgit

No we don't need to know every little detail, but I think big details like the sacking of a manager are quite important, don't you? As for brilliant football club. We are in the relegation zone in the Third Division. I don't think that is brilliant and I would like to know why that is and what is going to be done about it. Silence doesn't cut it.

So perhaps if we were to be given the facts, for example the truth about Cortese's relationship with Pardew, then maybe we wouldn't spend so much time on conjecture?

Everything is cyclical, including these forums. I have been on a number and they all go the same way in the end. Same old arguements, diffent names. What becomes tiresome is the constant negative slagging. Cortese, Pardew, the team - there are plenty of issues to be discussed but it always turns into schoolyard name calling session. You couldn't have a balanced discussion about Lowe, Wilde or Crouch and now it seems we can't have one about Cortese. People need to lighten up more too. These are only opnions at the end of the day so why get so upset? I can't think of one issue that has been discussed on this forum where people have agreed 100% - and wouldn't it be a boring place if they did?

I think you just need a good Communications office and better relations with the press both local and national. I don't hold with this they have no right to know our business attitude currently prevailing at the club. Football is big business in this country and people want news and gossip. So provide it. Of course thee will be critisism but these people should have tough enough hides to deal with it as part of their job. If you are going to make unpopulat decsions, explain why. You only hack people off even more if you don't. And it is not enough to invite a select few to a nosh up and press some flesh. Just communicate properly with people. It is not hard.

These things may seem a bit petty, but I see lots of police reports at work of accidents were people have been killed or maimed because a driver was texting and you can imagine how a bereaved family feel about it. It reminds me of the arguement about speeding too, better to be late here than early in the hereafter. If there any text worth sending that is worth more than someone's life?

You could look at most clubs and critisise their manager for a variety of failings Ron. I think the issue with those of us who were disappointed that the CEO didn't seem to fancy Pardew and were very disappointed at his sacking was that we feel that, after a slow start, he did a really good job for us last season and were looking forward to him building on that and taking us up this year. Hopefully Adkins will get it together and I appreciate he has only been here 5 minutes but I do findthis Pardew was rubbish and Adkins is a great manager stuff hard to understand. I appreciate that those for whom Cortese can do no wrong will back his decision and Adkins to the hilt. They will also have a go at Pardew because that supports their pro-Cortses agenda. But whilst he made mistaks, he also got a lot right and but for the -10 we would have made the play offs and more than likely gone up. He has left us with a decent squad that only needs a couple more players to be a real force and he deserves credit. If Adkins goes managed to get uspromoted this season it will be on the back of Pardew's work. All this stuff about poor close season preparation is also questionable. Lambert himself says he was in the best condition ever (ironic of course that he should then get injured!). Also let's get something straight. Cortese did not save this club from disappearing off the face of the planet. If they hadn't bought us someone else would have done. Like CEOs before him he needs to judged on his decisions and progress. After the way we played for most of last season the expectations this season have been huge. Instead, at the moment, we have gone backwards and it is not unreasonable to ask questions of Cortese as head honcho becuase they sure would have been asked of Lowe, Wilde and Crouch. If were are still in the bottom half of the table come Christmas will he still be fireproof to those who think he can do no wrong?

I hope he does read this forum. No matter what he thinks, he needs to improve his PR and his relationship with the fan base. In order to do that he needs to understand the fan base, something he seems keen to avoid. Ok, we have have the supper charm offensive, but more direct and honest communication would not hurt with more than just a select few.

You are right Panda. I too think fondly back to the "good old days" but in truth we did get beaten a lot even with the greats like Davies and Paine playing. I think the reason I wrote the thread was because I felt very optimistic about the club this time last year but as the season wore on and it looked like there was a problem between the CEO and the manager the gloss started to fade a little. Then when Markus passed away and we lost yet another manager it seemed like we were just slipping back into Groundhog Day. A few wins and things will look better of course, but after all of the hope that was generated by the new management set up last year it is still hard to understand what has happened over the summer to date. But as you say, things may look up next week. Here's hoping!

I thought I read in an OS piece that he said he was the fittest and most prepared he had ever been this season before the season started? Something isn't quite right.

How so?

" I Like Grils" "I Like Girls (Grils crossed out Girls added)" "Wot's wrong with us Grils?" {ok, it looked better on the loo wall}

Few and far between nowdays Gordon, but yes, I do have them!

I think if you had bother to read it properly there is very little mention of Lowe. The post is about the various people who have run the club, the expectations they brought with them and the fact that were are currently down the botom of the third division despite everything.

Do you really believe that the team has progressed Nick? We seem to have completely lost the knack of putting the ball in the back of the net which could come back next week, but may not come back for ages. The players we needed to progress have not (for whatever reason) arrived yet. Without them I don't think we will achieve what we achieved last season, which would of course be regression. It could all come right starting against SW but even if we win we still need at least two more quality players to keep any kind of momentum going I think.

Would it be down to him though Duncan or Markus's family? Cortese may have the stomache for it but without the family jewels what can he do? If there was any substance in that rumour you heard earlier about ML/NC thinking of selling then perhaps we will have yet another new devil soon? Still, at least we are in a better position now for a potential buyer should it come to that. Both ML and NC are businessmen at the end of the day and they weren't blind to the fact that getting to the Prem would give them access to a lot of money (and prestige of course). It is one thing having a 5 year plan, but what if we are still languishing in Div 1 next season and, God forbid, the season after?

Yes, are you a panda?

A few years ago the perception was that Lowe had to go if the club was to progress. He did go and enter the Wilde Bunch to even wilder acclaim. Wilde was a fan so that was good apparently. He then spent a lot of money on what was perceived as a sh*t or bust exercise and guess what, he busted. He went but his acoloytes stayed on, got rid of our 3 best players and stated publically that we were no longer going for promotion, which was quite plainly obvious as Dodd/Gorman/Pearson between them saw as in the relegation zone. So no new dawn there. Depending on who you believe, Lowe and Crouch were brought back by the money people to steady the ship. To be fair I don't think that anyone thought that was a new dawn, false or otherwise. No money, no aspiration, administration and relegation followed. Finally, a new dawn with the A Team. Markus with money, Nicola with huge busness acumen and a Premiership standard manager. Yay! Just over a year in, the owner has passed away (and it seems his money is all tied up following his sad passing), Nicola is said to be "delusional" and the Premiership manager standard manager departed. We sit in the relegation zone of the 3rd tier of English football after 7 games. Lowe was seen to be the reason for our fall from grace but several people have come in a tried their hands at turning things round and, to date, they have all failed. I'd like to believe that the Cortese/Adkins combination, once the money comes through again, will finall get it right, but I am not holding my breath. How much time will Adkins have to get it right before he is out of the door? It is hard to see him seeing out his contract if we are not promoted this season. You do have to wonder though why so many people have not managed to make the impact on this club that we all wish for. It seems that for all the money ploughed into campaigns, for all the planning, there is no winning formula. It happens or it doesn't and that is dependant on all of the people at a club galvanising themselves and a ceratin chemistry kicking in and taking over. We haven't had that in years and when we did have it it didn't happen overnight, it took years of hard work. That is the club I think we are. We do things the hard way, no overnight successes for us, not in the past, not in the future. If we are to grow and flourish then Cortese needs to change and needs to find patience. He might have digestive problems becuase of the stress of matchdays and the overwhelming ambition to see this club in the Champions League, but if he doesn't reign himself in a bit I fear that we will be facing futher disappointments and yet another false dawn.

Although things are far from great right now there is no reason why we can't get promoted. Whether we will or not is another matter. Something was obviously wrong between Cortese and Pardew last season and went futher downhill in the summer. Not a great time to sack a decent manager and perhaps, if Cortese, was having doubts last season perhaps he should have bitten the bullet earlier. I still wonder what on earth went on between the 2 of them but the death of the owner and the broekn relationship between the CEO and ex manager means that the new guy has a hill to climb and apparently littel money to spend right now. It is all very disappointing given how well we did last year (after the slow start of course!). If we don't go up this year and there is no obvious improvement on what Pardew acheived last year, where does that leave Adkins?

Money could well be he problem. The untimely passing of our owner has all kinds of implications re probate and wills as has been mentioned on anothet thread. Then there is the matter of the dismissale of 3 employees. It could well be that we are just not flush right now.

It is one thing saying it, another to achieve it. Good luck mate, you will need it!

I don't think that Redknapp ever got used to it!

Unfortunate name but it goes where is says on the tin!

Alan Pardew was a big name for a 3rd Div club. By all accounts Kevin Keegan was interested and 2 managers from the Premiership. Apparently we are seen as a good job. Probably because you won't be staying long and will walk away with a nice big wedge

Why not? I would like to see some stability at the club. It would have been nice if he had been right behind his other man, Pardew too, but obviously they didn't get on.

I agree that he should get two seasons and as you say Duncan, he comes with no baggage (but high expectations). However, with NCs hurry to get to the Premiership I think we might be looking for yet another manager if we don't go up this year.