Flitcroft

[adamstag]

1-0 wins are still 3 points though!, i'd take many more of them

[mousemousemouse]

The thing is, if he carried on the “Evans style” and got us up, we would be the whipping boys if we didn’t have a clear out. Look at our fitness at the end of last season, it took us a little while to get into shape this seasons

League 1 wouldn’t have allowed us do that without losing those 17 we have drawn.

We are building for life in the next league, not just to get up and hope and pray

Agree we would have been whipping boys if we had gone up and if he continued the 'Evans style' with those players... but there is no reason he couldn't have cleared house and got them fit and doing his thing his way in the summer after we had actually got up... He messed up last season, no two ways about it, he should of done whatever it took to get that team promoted. He changed too much, too soon, mid-season and blew an excellent chance to go up or at least get in the play-offs.

I think the stick he got last season was fully justified. This is a results business and we saw our team go from top of the form table, looking good for top 3 (with the game we had in hand) to not even being in the shout for the play-offs . It was a failure and people (myself included) were rightly very worried about what he was doing and if it would work this year.

I'm sure we all agree a manager needs a bit of time to stamp his authority and get the squad fire and singing to his tune. This season has shown that, but fans were always going to be very nervous about him and his approach this year after he messed up last season... This year he's taken the side from being hard to beat but not winning enough games, to now winning games and moving in the right directly. All credit to him, Futch and his coaching staff.

He's won me over already, but it is a results based business and if he loses 4 of the next 5 you can guarantee a lot of fans will start to wobble.

Absolutely agree he should’ve taken us up but I think now it’s nice to have the hindsight we have to know that we are in a much better position than we were last season

[Amber Andy]

We were not properly equipped to go up last season, for the reasons already stated by others in this thread.

[Vice President]

We were not properly equipped to go up last season, for the reasons already stated by others in this thread.

I agree with this.

Admittedly, taking a snapshot and looking at the last results before SE left, we had a good chance of promotion. However, the reality was that under Evans, we were rarely in the 'top 3', we drew too many games and often conceded late on. Questions were asked about our fitness and the manager then walked out at a critical time. I don't think that we were dead certs for promotion with SE.

Also, we need to appreciate that Steve Evans was a larger than life character (some might say a 'bully'). He had assembled players who could offer more to his style of management. Imagine the sense of relief among the players when he left. Any manager that had followed SE would have walked into a squad that would have taken their foot off the accelerator, (not too mention other issues that DF had pointed out in the changing room).

That's not to say that DF couldn't have done some things differently, ...... but i believe that the 'Steve Evans' factor meant that we were greatly hindered, whoever walked in. And in the final analysis, I don't think that the team that SE had assembled was quite good enough anyway. DF's additions have certainly improved the team since SE was here, as has his fitness regime.

[geoffhill]

There is a u-tube clip of some of the Crawley players singing a song that the fat mans gone.Bishop wouldn't sign for us when evans was manager.I don't blame him for going to Peterborough as he lives there and they are in a higher league.I just hope we get promoted and play them next season.

[garlic]

I was very critical of Flitcroft last season. Do I think I was wrong ? No . He made a pig's ear of it but I never wanted him sacked . I have fully backed him this season. Players like Hamilton and Mellis have improved . He has brought in some very good players.
The style and quality of play is up there with the teams under Curle and Deaden. The club as while is the best it's ever been . It's professional run and that has filtered down to the manager and players . Afrer the preseason and a few games in the league , I haven't attended one game where I thought we couldnt win . I haven't feltike that for years . Flitcroft is slowly becoming one of my favourite managers of all time .
Saying that . We have a long way to go and if we do fail to get promotion with the players he has inherited, players he's signed and the backing of Radford , then it will be the biggest ba##'s up since Curle failed to gets us promotion . So far , I've enjoyed the ride and im very hopeful.

Just for the record Curle inherited his team from Deardon/Watkiss, Curle gradually messed it up

Well said that man.

[arsene wengers coat]

We were not properly equipped to go up last season, for the reasons already stated by others in this thread.

I agree with this.

Admittedly, taking a snapshot and looking at the last results before SE left, we had a good chance of promotion. However, the reality was that under Evans, we were rarely in the 'top 3', we drew too many games and often conceded late on. Questions were asked about our fitness and the manager then walked out at a critical time. I don't think that we were dead certs for promotion with SE.

Also, we need to appreciate that Steve Evans was a larger than life character (some might say a 'bully'). He had assembled players who could offer more to his style of management. Imagine the sense of relief among the players when he left. Any manager that had followed SE would have walked into a squad that would have taken their foot off the accelerator, (not too mention other issues that DF had pointed out in the changing room).

That's not to say that DF couldn't have done some things differently, ...... but i believe that the 'Steve Evans' factor meant that we were greatly hindered, whoever walked in. And in the final analysis, I don't think that the team that SE had assembled was quite good enough anyway. DF's additions have certainly improved the team since SE was here, as has his fitness regime.

It was a shame we were denied the playoffs but we weren't ready for L1. Despite all thinking it at the time. I was gutted when Evans walked out. As for Flitcroft, I was elated when he was named our Manager. I had always wanted him as our manager ever since his Bury team played us off the park 4-1 at Field Mill. That was probably the best L2 performance I'd ever seen from a team. Since then I'd always fancied a bit of that football.