Nigel Clough; Harrogate Town post match & match highlights

[Son Of Sherwood]

[lancer]

Honest reply
Not tried to hide his frustration and knows what needs doing

[Spiritater]

He knows his task which is survival. I remember one season Lincoln went down and were about our position and failed to win any of their remaining games. It can happen, not saying it will but if the run of early season is replicated from now on we could find ourselves sweating. It maybe nowhere near 50 points is needed but if Barrow/Cods have 5 game winning run things'll change dramatically.

GC has signed some tosh.

[Amber Andy]

Honest reply
Not tried to hide his frustration and knows what needs doing

I agree. You can feel his disappointment.

[victor A block]

Not watching that again thanks

[oldweststander]

We were always going to struggle with such a small squad.

GC signed too many players on two year deals, only Maris and Clarke have proved worthy.

It may be that Benning has refused a deal extention hence Nigel not starting him, what has a player got to do to displace McLaughlin?

Rawson is Conference standard, too many fouls and misplaced headers, Sweeney has proved very inconsistant this season, maybe his time is up too and a new challenge awaits him somewhere else?

[arsene wengers coat]

Nigel has to work incredibly hard to get anything out of them. In this instance the phrase is 'the juice isn't worth the squeeze.'


The run was a fluke. What we're seeing at the moment is the natural level of performance for the majority of these wasters.

Nigel can't trust them to self manage their performance. Sad fact, but true.

[bobbystagsfan]

We were always going to struggle with such a small squad.

GC signed too many players on two year deals, only Maris and Clarke have proved worthy.

It may be that Benning has refused a deal extention hence Nigel not starting him, what has a player got to do to displace McLaughlin?

Rawson is Conference standard, too many fouls and misplaced headers, Sweeney has proved very inconsistant this season, maybe his time is up too and a new challenge awaits him somewhere else?

Don't agree Rawson is conference standard, he was part of FGR that were always challenging for promotion/play offs. He hasn't become a bad player over night. I think it's a confidence think again. Rawson looked great on that 5 game winning run, but has looked shaky on the past few games.

Sweeney has been disappointing since Flitcroft left, he looked a good signing that would take us into league one, or at least a sellable assett but he's not improved much whilst he's been here.

[MTFCMusings]

Nigel has to work incredibly hard to get anything out of them. In this instance the phrase is 'the juice isn't worth the squeeze.'


The run was a fluke. What we're seeing at the moment is the natural level of performance for the majority of these wasters.

Nigel can't trust them to self manage their performance. Sad fact, but true.

I don’t agree that the run was a fluke. The numbers back that up.

The fact is for most of the season, goalkeepers or defenders have made silly errors leading to goals, and attackers have consistently failed to convert good chances. Once we got in the run, confidence grew and for a sustained run of games we took our chances and made fewer errors.

Last night was the first time in a long time we have looked really poor for large spells of a game. In the previous four games we have either created good chances and not taken them or been hamstrung by defensive errors.

The starting line up needs freshening up, particularly the back five and the front three. There are options within the squad to allow this to happen. Clough should ensure this happens on Saturday.

[Amber Andy]

I don't think the run was a fluke either. I think the only fluke was the first Bolton goal. Sometimes incidents like that change the mindset. The break clearly hasn't helped or the two games where we shipped six goals. Nigel has a big job on his hands to get us back to winning ways. I'm confident he will do it. However I can see us finishing in the bottom four.

[oldweststander]

We were always going to struggle with such a small squad.

GC signed too many players on two year deals, only Maris and Clarke have proved worthy.

It may be that Benning has refused a deal extention hence Nigel not starting him, what has a player got to do to displace McLaughlin?

Rawson is Conference standard, too many fouls and misplaced headers, Sweeney has proved very inconsistant this season, maybe his time is up too and a new challenge awaits him somewhere else?

Don't agree Rawson is conference standard, he was part of FGR that were always challenging for promotion/play offs. He hasn't become a bad player over night. I think it's a confidence think again. Rawson looked great on that 5 game winning run, but has looked shaky on the past few games.

Sweeney has been disappointing since Flitcroft left, he looked a good signing that would take us into league one, or at least a sellable assett but he's not improved much whilst he's been here.

Your opinion, fair do's.

[yorkshire stag]

but how many of these superstars are sitting pretty on two year deals ?

not as easy to bin with 12 mths still to run

[Amber Andy]

but how many of these superstars are sitting pretty on two year deals ?

not as easy to bin with 12 mths still to run

That's why a manager needs at least four transfer windows to create his own team.

[James]

We've got the best manager we've had for 30 odd years. He can get as many transfer windows as he wants for me.

[bear 73]

I feel in defence our goalkeepers do not dominate their area, we had Stech who was flapping everywhere, and Stone a young lad perhaps lacking in confidence, Defenders can lose confidence if unsure about the goalkeeper, a call for their goal would have seen a harmless ball to safety,

[yorkshire stag]

We've got the best manager we've had for 30 odd years. He can get as many transfer windows as he wants for me.

time is not a thing gifted to many football managers at league two level youth, i fear even young Cloughie won’t get that many windows

[harryboy]

The thing is you can’t make a silk purse out of a sow’s ear.I think keeping us up is the main objective and even that will be hard.
Every year I have such high hopes for the Stags and every year my bubble bursts.I have been having a lot of trouble seeing matches via I follow so I am really glad I did not watch last night.

[Amber Andy]

We've got the best manager we've had for 30 odd years. He can get as many transfer windows as he wants for me.

time is not a thing gifted to many football managers at league two level youth, i fear even young Cloughie won’t get that many windows

It's a false economy keep replacing managers. Not just in terms of settling their contracts. Also in terms in turnover of players. Sometimes you have to as you get a really bad one. Unfortunately we have had two really bad ones in succession. Whatever happens we need to stick with Nigel.

[part time pete]

That game last night had 0-0 written all over it at half time.

Windy with a bobbly pitch, just one moment of stupidity from the defence after nine seconds and goals change matches.

Harrogate just played the conditions better than us.

[Birminghamstag10]

I too agree that the 5 game winning run wasn't a fluke, nor do I agree that Rawson is not up to league football. As with most jobs in life, it's about keeping things simple. Before Xmas we made so many errors, mis-placed passes, poor dead balls. After Xmas we cut most of those out. Rawson turned into the no-nonsense defender he's badged as.

Just lately, we've started doing daft things again, not dealing with simple balls, etc.

We need to get back to that simple way of playing League 2 football, it's a cliche but if you do the basics right, the rest happens. If there's a high ball in your half, just head it as far to the half way line as you can and win the 2nd ball... Last night and to a lesser extent over the last few games, we've not done it - sloppy balls, overplaying in midfield or in the final 3rd.

Discipline is key and maybe the team, like us, got carried away with just how far we appeared to have come in Jan.

There's 51 points left to play for - we need 16. It feel more than achievable based on the fact we won 5 games on the trot last month.

[MTFCMusings]

On average over the last ten years, 41pts has been the total hit by the 23rd place team. So 8pts more would be enough in an average season.
Grimsby are currently on track for 39pts based on ppg.

[arsene wengers coat]

Nigel has to work incredibly hard to get anything out of them. In this instance the phrase is 'the juice isn't worth the squeeze.'


The run was a fluke. What we're seeing at the moment is the natural level of performance for the majority of these wasters.

Nigel can't trust them to self manage their performance. Sad fact, but true.

I don’t agree that the run was a fluke. The numbers back that up.

The fact is for most of the season, goalkeepers or defenders have made silly errors leading to goals, and attackers have consistently failed to convert good chances. Once we got in the run, confidence grew and for a sustained run of games we took our chances and made fewer errors.

Last night was the first time in a long time we have looked really poor for large spells of a game. In the previous four games we have either created good chances and not taken them or been hamstrung by defensive errors.

The starting line up needs freshening up, particularly the back five and the front three. There are options within the squad to allow this to happen. Clough should ensure this happens on Saturday.

Ok, Mr 'numbers back that up', maybe fluke wasn't the right word but it certainly bucked the trend. the 5 game winning run that was curtailed accounts for almost 50% of our points this season. We have played 29 games.

We may not have fluked the victories in the games, but the fact we pulled off 5 wins from 5 games when we had previously only won 2 out of our first 20 games shows it was an anomaly, and maybe we have reverted to type, as Clough says.

The problem here is they need continued micromanaging because all that was good before has evaporated because they can't be trusted to do their basic jobs without being relentlessly reminded and mollycoddled - in my opinion.

We don't go to work and get reminded and trained on how to read and type. There is an expectation that simple jobs will be undertaken to fulfill a greater objective. Seems these lot need the basics hammering home endlessly. And that is why I think he sounded exasperated in the interview.

He also says we came in off the back of 2 decent away games. Draws at Walsall and Colchester, personally I thought we should have won both those games.

[oldweststander]

but how many of these superstars are sitting pretty on two year deals ?

not as easy to bin with 12 mths still to run

From memory:- On two year deals.
Rawson,
Menayese,
Ollie Clarke,
Maris,
Bowery,
Stech
no idea re Reid.

Of that bunch I would keep Clarke, Maris, Bowery and Reid as back up, the others would be free to leave of go out on loan.

I understand Knowles and Sinclair are tied for another season and I am grateful for that.

George Lapslie, Gordon and Charsley have recently signed new contracts.

The rest, unless someone knows different, are all free to leave at season's end.

[smulls]

but how many of these superstars are sitting pretty on two year deals ?

not as easy to bin with 12 mths still to run

From memory:- On two year deals.
Rawson,
Menayese,
Ollie Clarke,
Maris,
Bowery,
Stech
no idea re Reid.



Of that bunch I would keep Clarke, Maris, Bowery and Reid as back up, the others would be free to leave of go out on loan.

I understand Knowles and Sinclair are tied for another season and I am grateful for that.

George Lapslie, Gordon and Charsley have recently signed new contracts.

The rest, unless someone knows different, are all free to leave at season's end.

Yay, it is likely that Clough would not offer Sweeney a new contract as his time is up after 3 or so years.

[Birminghamstag10]

Nigel has to work incredibly hard to get anything out of them. In this instance the phrase is 'the juice isn't worth the squeeze.'


The run was a fluke. What we're seeing at the moment is the natural level of performance for the majority of these wasters.

Nigel can't trust them to self manage their performance. Sad fact, but true.

I don’t agree that the run was a fluke. The numbers back that up.

The fact is for most of the season, goalkeepers or defenders have made silly errors leading to goals, and attackers have consistently failed to convert good chances. Once we got in the run, confidence grew and for a sustained run of games we took our chances and made fewer errors.

Last night was the first time in a long time we have looked really poor for large spells of a game. In the previous four games we have either created good chances and not taken them or been hamstrung by defensive errors.

The starting line up needs freshening up, particularly the back five and the front three. There are options within the squad to allow this to happen. Clough should ensure this happens on Saturday.

Ok, Mr 'numbers back that up', maybe fluke wasn't the right word but it certainly bucked the trend. the 5 game winning run that was curtailed accounts for almost 50% of our points this season. We have played 29 games.

We may not have fluked the victories in the games, but the fact we pulled off 5 wins from 5 games when we had previously only won 2 out of our first 20 games shows it was an anomaly, and maybe we have reverted to type, as Clough says.

The problem here is they need continued micromanaging because all that was good before has evaporated because they can't be trusted to do their basic jobs without being relentlessly reminded and mollycoddled - in my opinion.

We don't go to work and get reminded and trained on how to read and type. There is an expectation that simple jobs will be undertaken to fulfill a greater objective. Seems these lot need the basics hammering home endlessly. And that is why I think he sounded exasperated in the interview.

He also says we came in off the back of 2 decent away games. Draws at Walsall and Colchester, personally I thought we should have won both those games.

Yes, an anomaly is a better way to describe it rather than a fluke. That said, I'd argue 5 games won and then 2 draws (that should have been wins as you say) and even the Bolton loss, suggest it less of an anomaly however, and more it shows that Nigel has finally been able to begin to turn the ship around. The last 2 games, and last night especially, suggests the ship hasn't turned as fully as we thought it had!

I think we've enough in Clough's ability and the ability across the collective squad to make it over the line this season. Saturday will be tough however as they are having an excellent season and we need to brace ourselves for another loss in my opinion.