Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

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charlton837
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Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by charlton837 » Thu Jun 01, 2017 8:00 am

I sat through the play-off final yesterday, it wasn't enjoyable as one of the teams had basically set up to not get beat and as time went on the other looked as if they accepted that. Huddersfield winning was at least a victory for positive intent if nothing else.

It was also a victory for a board that had a plan. They have brought in a young manager who offered something different from regurgitating managers who've have mixed success elsewhere.

David Wagner insists on energetic, attacking football with the ball on the ground. He has pace, creativity and youth in his team and is not afraid to play them.

The board has spent money on player transfers, loan fees and wages but not excessive amounts. They have even managed to offer some great season ticket deals for fans of ALL ages. Leadership and vision shown at the top so many congratulations to all concerned.

It should be noted they didn't always follow this blueprint. Just a few years back they had a succession of managers and tried to spend above their means. Relegation followed but the point is they learnt and re-built to take the club forward.

So what of our club? We are at a crossroads in my view. The route to this junction was not the planned one but we can still choose the right direction.

Mr McCarthy in my view sets up not to lose. He doesn't play with flare and pace. He plays people out of form and in wrong positions for seasons on end - loyalty or stubbornness? - even when results decline.

The club has 15 years of stagnation to deal with. They have been down the route of spending money and now want to be frugal. Fair enough but we need a halfway house. Spending Huddersfield levels must be achievable? The ticket prices league is the only one we are near the top of. Why? If Huddersfield can achieve on a budget less than ours what does that tell us. Poor management and leadership from ITFC perhaps?

To carry on doing the same thing and expecting different results is madness. The statistics show a decline in points - 76,69 and 55 - over the last three seasons. They show declining crowds and definitely a consistently poor side in terms of entertainment.

We have some good young players but do we have a manager that will pick them? We have some experienced players but they have to justify selection not be guaranteed it. Do we have people at board level who will take the club down the positive road and not a cul-de-sac? I haven't noticed them so far.

In conclusion I'm worried. The club needs a lift and I can't see where it is coming from. I do not pretend like some on TWTD to have lots of inside information but I wish they would let us know how the situation is going to improve.

Five-point plans that look like they were written overnight don't help. I hope we can use Huddersfield as a blueprint but fear another club is more likely to be our example. Our owners are more trustworthy and good-intentioned agreed, but Blackburn Rovers looks the blueprint we are mirroring at the moment.Lets hope I'm wrong.

Congratulations to Huddersfield and happy holidays to all Town fans.
I know you get a lot of nonsense on TWTD at times but I thought the above was a well written piece and is also quite objective rather than raising a lot of their own opinions. Only bit im not sure about is the Blackburn comparison in this context as actually in terms of wages I think they spent/spend more than us!? Wasn't that why Feeny went there instead of Ipswich (I was glad we didn't sign him anyway). But the main point being doing something different, having a real plan, getting all onside this plan and making fans feel part of it. If Huddersfield lost the playoff final would their fans of been upset with the club? Of course not, they are buying into this journey, ITFC at the moment are stuck at a crossroads and seem happy enough to stay there.

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Bluemike
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Re: Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by Bluemike » Thu Jun 01, 2017 10:45 am

What it doesn't say is that we have the stigma of administration and a debt of 87 million, they don't so can do cheap tickets and spend what they like.

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bluejacko
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Re: Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by bluejacko » Thu Jun 01, 2017 6:01 pm

Did I read somewhere that Huddesfields approach was mentioned to the invisible one but he rejected it for being to risky!
Still his plan seems to be working though don't it :astroll:

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marko69
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Re: Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by marko69 » Fri Jun 02, 2017 6:16 am

If they are going to remain mediocre, just keep being mediocre in the Championship. At least there is a chance of "something" happening (new owner perhaps) if they stay in the Championship. Ipswich will become a team like Walsall if they fall into League one -----> no one new will give a sh!t about investing.

Very interesting summer ahead. Hopefully Mick finds some quality bargains to help ITFC remain in the league. Bin all this "2nd favourites for the drop" stuff. WAAAY too scary.

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Re: Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by Bluemike » Fri Jun 02, 2017 6:55 am

Ive gotta be honest, I get sick to death of reading these type of blogs, we all know the majority of town fans have had enough, what we don't know is just what is going to happen this summer, if there is going to be a change in approach with some spending etc but already it has been decided by the masses that nothing will change, already the decision has been made.

I cannot help but think that no matter what we do now it won'y be good enough, every target will be demed crap or not what was required, most will probably be deemed as cheap options if they are free or only cost a few grand, I suppose it is ok for Norwich to sign Watkins for nothing though ? Are they scraping the same barrell we are looking in ? Did we not offer a Million + for him back in January and even then some were saying crap player etc, because we have missed out on getting him I suspect he is the dogs bollocks in those same Town fans eyes now though cus it fits in with their dull, boring, negative and f**king repetitive agendas of beating the club with every stick they can find. As I keep saying if they really dont like it this much, please please please just go away and find something else to do, it amazes me that those who have had enough spend more f**king time on social media than anyone else, they hate it that much, pathetic really but then again they probably have sod all else to do all day.

Tangfastic
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Re: Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by Tangfastic » Fri Jun 02, 2017 8:01 am

I've given up on any more investment - whether its the right thing or financial suicide.

Just want a different approach from management - as Charlton says - a plan.

McCarthy is far too comfortable in working on a shoestring. He can do more without additional money - integrate youth, modernise his tactics, stop picking favourites all the time, build better relations with the fans ... try and win games.

League position last season wouldn't seem so bad if we had got more younger, improving players into the team - an eye to the future. His short-sighted approach means this team of mainly 30 somethings, short contract players and loanees means we need to re-build again.

Would love to have serious investment - but its not going to happen. Just want the focus to be on McCarthy trying something more positive and getting more out of the players. His focus seems to be more in putting out fires for ME and squabbling with the fans - more than improving players on the training pitch.

charlton837
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Re: Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by charlton837 » Fri Jun 02, 2017 8:46 am

bluemike wrote:Ive gotta be honest, I get sick to death of reading these type of blogs, we all know the majority of town fans have had enough, what we don't know is just what is going to happen this summer, if there is going to be a change in approach with some spending etc but already it has been decided by the masses that nothing will change, already the decision has been made.

I cannot help but think that no matter what we do now it won'y be good enough, every target will be demed crap or not what was required, most will probably be deemed as cheap options if they are free or only cost a few grand, I suppose it is ok for Norwich to sign Watkins for nothing though ? Are they scraping the same barrell we are looking in ? Did we not offer a Million + for him back in January and even then some were saying crap player etc, because we have missed out on getting him I suspect he is the dogs bollocks in those same Town fans eyes now though cus it fits in with their dull, boring, negative and f**king repetitive agendas of beating the club with every stick they can find. As I keep saying if they really dont like it this much, please please please just go away and find something else to do, it amazes me that those who have had enough spend more f**king time on social media than anyone else, they hate it that much, pathetic really but then again they probably have sod all else to do all day.
Whilst you are of course right this is a self made problem by the club. Its their lack of communication/action causing this. If in the shorter term they wanted a more optimistic summer they should have changed the manager, fresh ideas, fresh way of playing, just freshen the club up. We will not "freshen" the club up with MM, it will just be a different group of players doing the same thing, I really wouldn't be surprised if we end up with Karl Henry to replace Douglas, it would be typical.

Also we all heard about this big "shake up" meeting that Evans and Mick were going to have, well wouldn't it be a good thing to update fans on the highlights? Of course you don't need to tell everyone everything, but given the state the of club it would be nice to hear something, what is going to change, how are they going to do it. What is the plan for us to buy into? The 5 point plan was just an overnight brainstorm to keep fans appeased, what we want to know now is how are we going to meet this plan. I think we all agree if put in practice the plan sounds reasonably given limited funds, but there is absolutely no evidence of anyone sticking to this plan!

Watkins would have been an OK signing, I think there are better out there though (not Garner!)

Huddersfield's debts - I have no idea on their level of debt, id imagine they do have some to deal with but I don't pretend to know the ins and outs, I still don't believe our debt is an excuse for our owner to run the club the way he is. We have lost over £1m in revenue from loss of ST holders this season, and probably the same last season (maybe a bit less). If all ST were £175 then if we got a much bigger take up the losses seen in revenue may have been similar, but with a lot more people in the stadium. We need to get some kind of feel good factor going again, its all very depressing!

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marko69
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Re: Blog that sums up my feelings on the club

Post by marko69 » Fri Jun 02, 2017 4:29 pm

bluemike wrote:I cannot help but think that no matter what we do now it won't be good enough.....
Yes, this will definitely be the case over the summer.

After reading many threads on the Twtd thing, there really are some passionate Mick haters on there. Any potentially good business will be overshadowed by the fact that Mick is still in the job.

I suppose it's a case of -----> over to you Mick, let's see what he can muster up with the few pence he receives in the budget. Hopefully he stumbles upon something good...... but if he doesn't, I hope he's got enough self respect to step down.

My only analogy would be people giving me peanuts to spend, but expecting top of the range Worcester Bosch boilers. I'd eventually tell them to shove it.

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