The current situation

[nick_stags]

No one expected a win today, so not commenting on today's result specifically. However;

I genuinely cannot believe the position we find ourselves in this season, it is an absolute mess and nothing short of a disgrace. The decision making, both on and off the field, has been a total shambles.

This squad is the most expensively assembled in this club's history and they have bottled promotion twice. They lack bravery, balls and any resemblance of quality required to achieve what is being asked of them. The fact they are not even fit enough to carry about the manager's instructions is telling as to what a complete waste of a shirt and wage these hopeless, gutless 'footballers' are. Thank the lord they are all out contract.

There lies the main issue. Our recruitment policy has been pathetic. Spunk money like there's no tomorrow without any clear strategy in place, hoping a big wage will tempt the 'names of the division'. When our CEO is on Instagram bragging about her lavish lifestyle and flashing her fake baps every other post, what kind of impression does give? What do we expect to attract?

Maynard must be one of the most expensive strikers (in terms of wage) that this club has ever had and how many one v ones has he missed this season? Matt Preston plays week after week and he is a liability, pure and simple.

Our inability to address the midfield issue in pre-season is the most ridiculous error that I just cannot get my head around, that's now left our new manager scrapping frantically in January trying his best to rectify this woeful decision. Bishop and MacDonald in midfield is borderline embarrassing for a club claiming to have promotion ( ) aspirations.

Make no mistake, we are in a relegation battle. I think we may just be ok and I think GC is the right man for the job, but this season needs to be a really big lesson to our owners, otherwise we will never progress as a club, no matter how much money they throw at it.

[4dstag]

Bang on could not have put it better myself

[gazza1988]

This all started with the knee jerk reaction to replace the manager who got these players challenging for automatic promotion (let's not forget Evans got them challenging for play offs as well). I called it as a mistake but had no idea it would be as big a mistake as its turned out to be. I was expecting mid table also rans, not relegation contenders in January. We've stripped any professionalism we had, we've stripped the work Evans and Flitcroft did to get a squad together that could challenge.

We've fast tracked the youth manager to the top job and paid heavily for it. A thoroughly unprofessional approach to pre season meant we started on the back foot. This squad can compete in this league. However standards have been dropped and we've had a nice guy who enjoys a good belly tickle take the reigns. instead of building on from last season we've allowed each player to have their say in which direction we go and ended up pulling in different directions and it's ripped us apart.

My recommendation to the board is decisions like sacking the manager must be unanimous decisions from now on. We wouldn't be in this mess had that been the case. We would have let Flitcroft finish up removing players he doesn't want to free up funds for players he did and have a 2nd go at promotion with a squad full of players he actually wants, without having players taking a wage while on the transfer list. It had the added benefit that if Flitcroft failed his contract was up along with half the playing squad. Then the new manager has more budget available to bring in players.

Our current situation is both not ideal and self inflicted at board level and it sent shock waves through the entire club.

[bellwhiff]

Correct. The sacking of Flitcroft becomes more starkly a wrong decision with every passing game.
We would have kicked on this season and we would not be where we are now under Flitcroft.

Not a chance

[bobbystagsfan]

We need to survive until the summer and have a huge rebuild job, but it's a good club to do a rebuild job assuming GC will get a good budget in the summer. I don't think we can achieve anything with these no hopers, were past the point of no return.

[Maldon Stag]

All I'm saying is, "it's a mess."

[arsene wengers coat]

Don't underestimate the impact of living in Portugal has had on the club. Out of sight and out of mind and all that.

Sorry, but this shitstorm is entirely of the Radford's making.

[Captain Cunno]

Very well put Nick.

I dont think any of us could honestly envisage where we would be now through sacking Flitcroft.

It has been a very bizarre season so far.

I expect GC to bring in more players than he wanted to now next week to shuffle ourselves over the line like a dog wiping its behind on a carpet after a poo.

[bobbystagsfan]

Don't underestimate the impact of living in Portugal has had on the club. Out of sight and out of mind and all that.

Sorry, but this shitstorm is entirely of the Radford's making.

The blame cannot lie solely at the feet of the radfords. Some of it can, but the blame is on the rest of the board and the under performing players.

We missed out on promotion with the same players only needing something like 1 point from 4 games was it? And then to lose in a penalty shoot out in the play offs albeit with some rank bad refereeing. Somehow we couldn't manage that and it will have killed the players mindset. The players weren't picked up in the summer mentally and the board appointed a man who had little experience in these situations. It was a risk by the board and you can see why they tried it with other clubs appointing ex footballers as managers and getting results from it. It hasn't worked and has set us back a lot, and a lot of hard work is going to be needed to get us fighting again and a big investment of more money.

It is frustrating not seeing us challenge at the top as we have been used to for three years and the board are trying to fix this mistake they have made imo. Don't think we will get anywhere with the current squad though, they're obviously hurt by the play off loss/sacking of flitcroft and it doesn't look like they're gonna get over it. Need to crawl to mid table now and go again next year.

[The One]

Sacking Flitcroft was right, appointing Dempster was a massive error.

[Tippy Tappy Football]

The players signed by David Flitcroft would not have come cheap. They were apparently more expensive than Steve Evans' signings. He also paid hefty transfer fees for Craig Davies and Otis Khan. You could argue that only one of the players he signed was a success - Tyler Walker

Tyler Walker (£5,000 per week)
Craig Davies
Otis Khan
Matt Preston
Jorge Grant
Nicky Ajose
Ben Turner
Timi Elsnik

David Flitcroft might have wasted a lot more money this season. He has only won promotion once and that was with a massive playing budget at Bury when he steered Bury to 3rd place in League 2 in 2014-2015. Bury made a loss of nearly £3 million that season and a loss of £2.5 million the following season. He had a massive playing budget last season for the Stags and finished 4th. However the form from the Newport game onwards on 9th Feb 2019 was W5 D5 L7 (including the two drawn play off games). 20 out of 51 points. That was nowhere near promotion form.

[Sweden Stag]

Don't underestimate the impact of living in Portugal has had on the club. Out of sight and out of mind and all that.

Sorry, but this shitstorm is entirely of the Radford's making.

The blame cannot lie solely at the feet of the radfords. Some of it can, but the blame is on the rest of the board and the under performing players.

We missed out on promotion with the same players only needing something like 1 point from 4 games was it? And then to lose in a penalty shoot out in the play offs albeit with some rank bad refereeing. Somehow we couldn't manage that and it will have killed the players mindset. The players weren't picked up in the summer mentally and the board appointed a man who had little experience in these situations. It was a risk by the board and you can see why they tried it with other clubs appointing ex footballers as managers and getting results from it. It hasn't worked and has set us back a lot, and a lot of hard work is going to be needed to get us fighting again and a big investment of more money.

It is frustrating not seeing us challenge at the top as we have been used to for three years and the board are trying to fix this mistake they have made imo. Don't think we will get anywhere with the current squad though, they're obviously hurt by the play off loss/sacking of flitcroft and it doesn't look like they're gonna get over it. Need to crawl to mid table now and go again next year.

Three games, not four. We beat Morecambe 4-0 on Good Friday, then had three games left. Rank bad refereeing, definitely true. The refereeing antics of a certain Charles Breakspear at Newport was easily the worst I've seen for decades anywhere and I've seen in any Stags either live or on telly.. Why I can comment on that is the fact that I was able to watch that particular game over here in Sweden. By the way, sometimes it seems that the officials have TWO rule books, one for the Stags, one for the opposition.

Thankfully, we have so far this season avoided the officiating from above mentioned Breakspear and from Darren Drysdale (who in fact reffed our home game against Stevenage last April). And in case you didn't know, a certain Eddie Ilderton hung up his whistle at the end of last season.

In almost every season since I started posting and previewing games, we have had officials against us. Need just to print TOO MUCH added time last weekend (as also was the case against Bristol City in November 2002, enough said!) Other instances are York away in the playoffs 2012, MK Dons at home in 2007, Stevenage at home in September 2009, Northampton at home around Easter 2016 to name but a few.

There is also a huge difference between poor officials and poor games played by the Stags. To mention just one: Crewe at home in August 2002.

[Conker]

Correct. The sacking of Flitcroft becomes more starkly a wrong decision with every passing game.
We would have kicked on this season and we would not be where we are now under Flitcroft.

Not a chance

Like I’ve said before some always point towards the sacking and not the appointment - the truth is somewhere down the middle, although I slightly steer the blame towards the appointment.

[yorkshire stag]

Sacking Flitcroft was right, appointing Dempster was a massive error.

100% correct, Please don’t combine the two

should have taken our time and appointed experience

[Amber Andy]

Sacking Flitcroft was right, appointing Dempster was a massive error.

100% correct, Please don’t combine the two

should have taken our time and appointed experience

Are you referring to John Dempster or Graham Coughlan Yorkshire stag ( or both as inexperienced) ?

[HughesyStag89]

We don’t know the reasons behind Flitcrofts sacking, none of us can truly understand it but this is bog standard, seems as though the radfords are bored of it now..
I’m a lifelong fan of the club and always will be, myself and my Mrs have 3 children so we can only afford to take the kids when kids go free (unless we go alone, which is not often at all) they aren’t even trying to bump crowd attendance up by doing that anymore ? I don’t get it, I genuinely think JR must be regretting his decisions with the management of the club.. I fear for us, I think they have gave up hope for what they aimed for us, though they are the only people who I think have themselves to blame and would not be surprised if they sell up at the end of the season because “expectations haven’t been met”

[Rob]

Correct. The sacking of Flitcroft becomes more starkly a wrong decision with every passing game.
We would have kicked on this season and we would not be where we are now under Flitcroft.

Not a chance

Like I’ve said before some always point towards the sacking and not the appointment - the truth is somewhere down the middle, although I slightly steer the blame towards the appointment.

Which as someone who advocated his sacking, you would do wouldn't you

[Jamie]

Keeping DF was a 50/50, many were for, many against. Moving on from his 2 failures to get us over the line, with the resources he had was justifiable.

What wasnt, was appointing a youth team coach who hadn't coached a mens side, let alone a professional one with expectations of promotion and on the back of such disappointment. I personally wanted DF out but would have preferred to stick with him rather than appoint JD.

The board dropped a huge clanger with JD and we're still paying for it now and will till the summer unfortunately. He left us devoid of confidence and fitness.

But, it is what is. Gazza, Rob etc continually crying and finger pointing about DF going wont help anyone. We need to forget whats happened, hope the board learns from it and hope GC can build a strong side for next season.

[ParisStag]

Flitcroft's time is regularly regarded on here as a failure. Has anyone considered that he may have been getting the maximum out of what are actually a very poor bunch of players?

[Jamie]

Flitcroft's time is regularly regarded on here as a failure. Has anyone considered that he may have been getting the maximum out of what are actually a very poor bunch of players?

A bunch of players he assembled / kept in his squad.

That may be the case but hes still to blame. The manager always is.

[Sandy Pate Best Stag]

Flitcroft's side was crumbling since February and I'm not convinced we would have been much if any better off if he'd stayed. The players are more or less the same bunch and we may not have had Maynard and Cooke.

I don't think Flitcroft would have changed the defence and wouldn't have been able to do anything about it until January.

Don't underestimate the impact losing Donohue has had on this side and to a lesser extent undermining the confidence and commitment of Mellis.

At the end of the day and for whatever reason, we are where we are and all must pull together to help the club keep its league status.

Playing the blame game inevitably turns nasty and helps no-one.

[1966Stag]

Agree with Sandy, it’s time to get behind the team and the individuals who are selected to play. The ongoing criticism of individuals on here won’t help (people do read and are affected by what is posted on social media about them) and regardless of how much they praise our support it is generally poor at home with every misplaced or backward pass getting a groan from the crowd, mom announcements laughed at etc etc. Let GC deal with the players and the dressing room, we have got to play our small part in supporting them to get us out of the mess they have got into this season.

[WVStag]

Agree with Sandy, it’s time to get behind the team and the individuals who are selected to play. The ongoing criticism of individuals on here won’t help (people do read and are affected by what is posted on social media about them) and regardless of how much they praise our support it is generally poor at home with every misplaced or backward pass getting a groan from the crowd, mom announcements laughed at etc etc. Let GC deal with the players and the dressing room, we have got to play our small part in supporting them to get us out of the mess they have got into this season.

I agree with the sentiment here, but a lot of people are incredibly frustrated at this pathetic excuse for a league campaign and rightly so in my book. I am a big believer in the club inspiring the fans, not the other way around. It's been an absolute disaster and the people at the top are accountable for that. Whilst I'm grateful to still have a club at any rate, I am desperate to see us thrive and improve year on year, not just exist.

This project is a massive one. Provided we get to the end of the season not exiting via the trap door, this summer the dealings to be done in it will be monumental to the direction we go in.

[lifestags]

I'm surprisingly feeling quite confident at the moment, yesterday's performance was much improved and if we play like that against most teams we will win. What is worrying is that defence, a centre back and right back is needed.

[cassellswasmagic]

I'm surprisingly feeling quite confident at the moment, yesterday's performance was much improved and if we play like that against most teams we will win. What is worrying is that defence, a centre back and right back is needed.

I get some of your optimism mate but we don’t look like winning anymore matches, even when we play well. Nothing is going our way. Hopefully we win against Bradford. Just can’t see it atm.