Clitheroe v 74

[Mark Riding]

Sorry but it's crap to watch right now. I've never seen people leave our games at half time before - Saturday was a first and we're not talking about a handful of people either...

There's nothing entertaining about averaging a shot per hour. We'll be playing in front of an empty ground if this carries on.

 

[JAS94]

Sorry but it's crap to watch right now. I've never seen people leave our games at half time before - Saturday was a first and we're not talking about a handful of people either...

There's nothing entertaining about averaging a shot per hour. We'll be playing in front of an empty ground if this carries on.

Exactly the point, the shockingly bad performances and negative tactics are really ruining the club at present, let’s be honest. People keep harping on about our “low budget” - but the lower our gates, the lower any current and future budgets, it really is that simple!!!!!!! And as for boost the budget, are people confident that the management are actually going to be using these extra funds? As the larger their budget, that’s one less excuse for them to hide behind.

This big drop in attendances over recent years is no coincidence, people have had to start voting with their feet and have had enough.

If we had a change in management, and a fresh impetus, would we see an increase in fans coming back that are staying away??? - my personal feelings are a strong yes, yes we would.

 

[Greenman91]

This big drop in attendances over recent years is no coincidence, people have had to start voting with their feet and have had enough.

Completely agree with this, people are now having to vote with their feet because the board seem so reluctant to see the issue.

In response to Mark Davies comment about who we’ve played and our points. We’ve laboured to them wins, we haven’t looked like we deserve them and that’s the problem. The tactics are negative, it’s already been pointed out in this thread it’s a “scared to concede” tactic we play. I for one would like to see us having some attacking intent for once, instead of paying to come and watch attack Vs defence every week. It’s awful to watch and it’s what’s going to end up with us back in the counties. I said this a few months back that we were in a position that will see us involved in a relegation scrap this year and look where we are now. 2 points off the relegation zone, regressed every season we’ve been in this league. To all who don’t agree with it’s time to change, how long do we give the management to turn things around? We’ve had almost a year of the same shit tactics, nothing has changed. How long until the fans who want to keep the managers realise that they may well be a huge contributing factor to the decline of the club? The squad as a whole we have now, couldn’t even touch the team that got promoted from the counties in my opinion. Yes we have had key players leave, but then the management have replaced them with the same calibre of players.

If we don’t change soon, it’s back to the counties or possibly the midlands league and we will struggle to get out of there again.

 

[Edge]

If you want to watch then here are the goals

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[Greenman91]

As said above and on other threads the last 3 away games have been poor, the worrying thing is the effect it is having on the home crowds with us only averaging 241, wittons crowds on the other hand are over 400 and over 500 on saturday and they are not much better than us, anybody know how they are pulling almost double what we are.
considering recent performances our away following was good saturday and more than most teams take away which is a positive.

Probably because they don’t sit back and defend for whole game

 

[Stanm17]

So who are these teams then Stan?

But I will agree with you on one point and that is the style we play. I’m a stuck record on this one but the supposed 4-3-3 the management team adopt just doesn’t work. Simply because on most occasions the 2 of the top 3 never get anywhere near the main ‘striker’ to support him on the odd occasion when he does get a decent ball and tries to hold it up and lay it off to supporting players.

Likewise, there never seems to be any midfielders who are willing to burst through the ranks of the opposition to support the wide players or the isolated front man.

As others have said, when we did change the formation a few weeks ago we did seem to be more threatening up top and tougher to beat.

IMHO Bow and Goody must realise that the current system just isn’t working and we need to adopt a far more positive approach so that we can start to ask questions of opposing sides and change our current overly negative way of playing.

Just maybe, for once, be radical and play 4-4-2. It worked for Alf Ramsey in ‘66!

I couldn’t name specific teams unfortunately I just know how many times I’ve been stood in the stand thinking “these are shite” yet they still get something from us due to energy, attitude, togetherness, pressing, set pieces, organised defending and us showing the exact opposite - for me these are basic things that can be implemented on the training ground that clearly are not. As a team “with a low budget and inexperience young squad” this is what we should be focussing on imo

 

[MarkDavies89]

In response to Mark Davies comment about who we’ve played and our points. We’ve laboured to them wins, we haven’t looked like we deserve them and that’s the problem

3 points are 3 points, regardless of how they're gained. To turn around and pretty much say 'Those points don't count because I don't like the way we won them' isn't really fair.

No team has a divine right to play attractive football. If we have to scrap and battle our way to points, then so be it. Do I wish it was easier and we could kill a game off when we're 1-0 up? Of course I do. But we are where we are and we just need to trust the process.
We've finished in pretty much the same spot in the first two seasons at the highest level we've been at.

Hypothetically, we win the next two games and we're closer to the top 6 than relegation...what then? What gets the crowd back? Wins...or losses playing better football?

 

[Mark t]

Hypothetically, we win the next two games and we're closer to the top 6 than relegation...what then? What gets the crowd back? Wins...or losses playing better football?

We have more of a chance of building are own ground Then we have of winning the next two games and that's the problem the Majority of the fans have lost faith in Management team

 

[Ben]

The fact is that things have been bad for at least a year now results wise and in terms of performance and boring style of play/tactics. You can actually probably go back a couple of seasons and it’s the same story.

The managers have had plenty of opportunity to change things and they have failed to do so. Things have not improved and have in fact got worse. The latest run of away games that have seen us ship 12 goals in just three matches really is the final straw.

My worry is if we do by some miracle win on Saturday that it will only serve to paper the cracks and no change is made.

I strongly believe a change is needed now for the future of the club in this league and in general before crowds continue to plummet and finances suffer as a result due to inaction.

 

[JAS94]

My worry is if we do by some miracle win on Saturday that it will only serve to paper the cracks and no change is made.

Think this is the issue with some fans - we scrape a 1-0 say and it’s seen as “oh well, poor but points are points” and the 8 games prior of dire form and performances are forgotten about….. until the poor run that follows that win that is, it’s a vicious cycle that just seems to go on and on atm.

 

[MarkDavies89]

Think this is the issue with some fans - we scrape a 1-0 say and it’s seen as “oh well, poor but points are points” and the 8 games prior of dire form and performances are forgotten about…..

2 weeks ago we were 6th in the form table (based on previous 6 games).
Now, based on the last 8 games played we are are 11th. Won 4, lost 4.
We've won our last 2 at home.

As has previously been stated, the AGM is on 7/12. Pay £20 for the year, show up and be heard.

 

[Stephen Allen-Gurr]

If you want to watch then here are the goals

What an absolutely depressing watch.

 

[JAS94]

2 weeks ago we were 6th in the form table (based on previous 6 games).
Now, based on the last 8 games played we are are 11th. Won 4, lost 4.
We've won our last 2 at home.

As has previously been stated, the AGM is on 7/12. Pay £20 for the year, show up and be heard.

Kinda proving my point here ^

So let’s look at the following stats from the back end of August that Mark Riding put on, following the Nantwich game;

“We've not scored in 8 of our last 13 games.”

Let’s totally ignore the previous form before scraping the wins recently, against some of the lower teams in the league this year so far who are also in dire form.

 

[JAS94]

Just saying, we can’t continue looking past the glaringly obvious on the basis we may get points against the lower end teams. If we lose the return fixtures the back end of the season, we’re going down.

 

[Nik_s]

As said above and on other threads the last 3 away games have been poor, the worrying thing is the effect it is having on the home crowds with us only averaging 241, wittons crowds on the other hand are over 400 and over 500 on saturday and they are not much better than us, anybody know how they are pulling almost double what we are.

Jon Macken's been going out and about in the community, visiting all the local primary schools, handing out free tickets for the kids and is actively involved in the junior section/academy section helping out at some sessions. Witton's average gate this season vs last is 436 vs 462, so down slightly. Ours by comparison 241 vs 347 which is very much more alarming.

 

[Tony Fallows]

Is Jon Macken a paid employee of the club or does he have a living to earn and a family to support? After all, there is nothing to stop 1874 owners from doing the same kind of promotional activities, in fact, the present 1874 Board have been asking for additional help with exactly that kind of thing in mind for many months.

 

[pdw]

The schools approach works, i got a ticket for Vics from school and then went to game for 35 years or so, question is who has the contacts or time to do it.

 

[MarkDavies89]

Kinda proving my point here ^

So let’s look at the following stats from the back end of August that Mark Riding put on, following the Nantwich game;

“We've not scored in 8 of our last 13 games.”

Let’s totally ignore the previous form before scraping the wins recently, against some of the lower teams in the league this year so far who are also in dire form.

It doesn't prove your point at all. It shows that our recent form is mid table.
We had a rough start to the season when we played a lot of teams who will be in or around the playoffs.

Your point only works if you ignore the games we've won...A win is a win. You don't get additional points for style.

 

[Nik_s]

Is Jon Macken a paid employee of the club or does he have a living to earn and a family to support? After all, there is nothing to stop 1874 owners from doing the same kind of promotional activities, in fact, the present 1874 Board have been asking for additional help with exactly that kind of thing in mind for many months.

Sorry Tony, I don't know Macken's personal circumstances or his contract with Witton and I doubt many people will.
I know from my lad doing some Academy training that he helps there and that he's been in most, if not all of the local primary schools last term promoting Witton.

The main point was highlighting the drop in average attendance by 106 people (or -30%), which is likely to be anywhere between £500-1000 less in gate receipts for each of our 6 home games this season so far, which will no doubt have a negative consequence on next season's playing budget if it continues.

 

[BDavies211]

The difference in average attendances isn't strictly fair at this point in the season. We are yet to host Witton and Linnets and we won’t be hosting Macc this season. Without those three gates last season our average drops from 347 to 277. That’s much less off a decrease to this seasons average of 241. Factoring in that Widnes and Vauxhall bring less away fans than most in the league then we aren’t too far behind what I’d expect