74 4 -3 Worky

[1874Craig]

Massive credit to all the lads for their performance & determination to secure us a much needed 3 points.
After the Easter Bank Holiday weekend performances it’s pleasing to see us take advantage & score the necessary goals when they presented themselves.
After going a goal down and conceding a silly penalty on the stroke of half time we’ve could’ve easily folded & allowed Workington to run riot but our second half performance was good & we didn’t allow them to play their game.
We can now plan/look forward to next season in the NPL Div 1 West where we need to learn from our recent bad form & plan accordingly.

Once again well done to 74 for stepping up when it mattered.

#WeAre74

 

[James Wood]

Massive credit to all the lads for their performance & determination to secure us a much needed 3 points.
After the Easter Bank Holiday weekend performances it’s pleasing to see us take advantage & score the necessary goals when they presented themselves.
After going a goal down and conceding a silly penalty on the stroke of half time we’ve could’ve easily folded & allowed Workington to run riot but our second half performance was good & we didn’t allow them to play their game.
We can now plan/look forward to next season in the NPL Div 1 West where we need to learn from our recent bad form & plan accordingly.

Once again well done to 74 for stepping up when it mattered.

#WeAre74

“where we need to learn from our recent bad form & plan accordingly”.

But what were the reasons for our “recent bad form”?

I missed the Mossley and Hanley games, but saw the Rammy, Clitheroe, Witton and Workington matches. In only one of these did we play badly.

The great thing is that IMHO we have a management team who are alive to where our weaknesses are work tirelessly to address these within the tight financial constraints that we know we have to operate within.

The emergence of the young lads like Liam Buckley, Matt Fenton, Issac Noble and Mark Jones () have been a real plus point, and Jack’s conversion to a centre forward has been a master stroke

 

[1874Craig]

“where we need to learn from our recent bad form & plan accordingly”.

But what were the reasons for our “recent bad form”?

I missed the Mossley and Hanley games, but saw the Rammy, Clitheroe, Witton and Workington matches. In only one of these did we play badly.

The great thing is that IMHO we have a management team who are alive to where our weaknesses are work tirelessly to address these within the tight financial constraints that we know we have to operate within.

The emergence of the young lads like Liam Buckley, Matt Fenton, Issac Noble and Mark Jones () have been a real plus point, and Jack’s conversion to a centre forward has been a master stroke

They’re many reasons for the bad run of form but these are just a few of my opinions which may of been a factor.

To begin with when your clubs only recognise striker leaves the club & your backup option which would’ve been MacKenzie O’Neil gets injured for the season (all happened within a week or so from each other) perhaps it would be a good idea to bring in some form of reinforcements (even an loan player) which is the management’s responsibility especially when it was blatantly obvious we were struggling in front of goal.
I’ve heard they did try however trying doesn’t get you result nor goals so when results started going downwards in my opinion & if I were the manager I would’ve made it happen by any means necessary.
Money talks at every level of football and a friend of mine suggested if costed a few £££ to bring in an recognise goal scorer why not ask the fans for financial help?

I appreciate all the efforts the players put in when representing our club and I’m by no means suggesting we need a mass overhaul of players especially when we have the likes of Matty Fenton/Mark Jones/Liam Buckley & the Woolley brothers for an example but I’m afraid the managers needs to sit down in the summer & have some hard reality checks to see which players are up to the standards of NPL football.
I know it won’t be easy but if you don’t have adaptability in football then you simply fail.

In my opinion I think the bad form started towards the end of last year & I counted back the amount of games 74 won during that period which before the Workington win stood at 6 wins out of 24 games 4 games were draws.
Now ask yourself do you think that’s acceptable? For me it’s not & if anyone can say to me it’s acceptable then I’m afraid we’re in serious trouble.

During the summer there has to be changes both on & off the pitch, we will be holding a fans meeting where everyone can express their opinions/ideas which can benefit the football club.

#WeAre74

 

[1874Craig]

Also just to make it clear I’m by no means criticising the work commitment and efforts Paul & Wayne puts into 74, that includes the players/board committee members/Volunteers.
I’m fully aware the amount of work that goes into running this football club especially on the footballing side, it’s a very hard business which can be a thankless job at times so I just wanted to make sure I do appreciate everything they do.

 

[James Wood]

Also just to make it clear I’m by no means criticising the work commitment and efforts Paul & Wayne puts into 74, that includes the players/board committee members/Volunteers.
I’m fully aware the amount of work that goes into running this football club especially on the footballing side, it’s a very hard business which can be a thankless job at times so I just wanted to make sure I do appreciate everything they do.

So you’re not criticising the work and efforts that Bo and Goody put in? Strange way of showing it I have to say.

Do you really think that they won’t be carrying out a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the squad during the close season? Of course they will! In fact they are constantly doing this, but it’s not just about signing any player - anyone can do that!

But not only do they have to be the ‘right’ type of player (i.e. they fit in with the ethos of 74) but affordable and importantly better than the players we already have.

Interested to understand a little more re what you mean with your comment “During the summer there has to be changes both on & off the pitch.”

 

[James Wood]

They’re many reasons for the bad run of form but these are just a few of my opinions which may of been a factor.

To begin with when your clubs only recognise striker leaves the club & your backup option which would’ve been MacKenzie O’Neil gets injured for the season (all happened within a week or so from each other) perhaps it would be a good idea to bring in some form of reinforcements (even an loan player) which is the management’s responsibility especially when it was blatantly obvious we were struggling in front of goal.
I’ve heard they did try however trying doesn’t get you result nor goals so when results started going downwards in my opinion & if I were the manager I would’ve made it happen by any means necessary.
Money talks at every level of football and a friend of mine suggested if costed a few £££ to bring in an recognise goal scorer why not ask the fans for financial help?

I appreciate all the efforts the players put in when representing our club and I’m by no means suggesting we need a mass overhaul of players especially when we have the likes of Matty Fenton/Mark Jones/Liam Buckley & the Woolley brothers for an example but I’m afraid the managers needs to sit down in the summer & have some hard reality checks to see which players are up to the standards of NPL football.
I know it won’t be easy but if you don’t have adaptability in football then you simply fail.

In my opinion I think the bad form started towards the end of last year & I counted back the amount of games 74 won during that period which before the Workington win stood at 6 wins out of 24 games 4 games were draws.
Now ask yourself do you think that’s acceptable? For me it’s not & if anyone can say to me it’s acceptable then I’m afraid we’re in serious trouble.

During the summer there has to be changes both on & off the pitch, we will be holding a fans meeting where everyone can express their opinions/ideas which can benefit the football club.

#WeAre74

“Money talks at every level of football and a friend of mine suggested if costed a few £££ to bring in an recognise goal scorer why not ask the fans for financial help?”

But where do we stop Craig? A whip round for a box-to-box midfielder too?

In addition, if you bring someone in like that then you’ll probably need to be paying top dollar to them. And more than established players like Jonah, the Woolleys. Next thing they could - quite understandably - go in and ask for the same deal. Quickest way to create disharmony in the dressing room and destroy the great unity we’ve got there - which would, I suggest, quickly affect the performances on the park.

Not that simple is it?

 

[danebanker]

Alas I can only judge from the videos but they are very effective at showing what is going on.
The rarest of commodities in football is an accomplished goal scorer and in my view 1874 have been very fortunate to get a successful run from Brandon and Beadle to McGowan, who was truly exceptional. But perhaps this has masked from some supporters just how special these people are and how difficult they are to replace.
My own view, for what it is worth, is that confidence is part of the mix- a good result against Macc was undone by the home defeat by Witton, after which there seems to have been an issue that was compounded by injuries, departures and suspensions.
There remains a sound nucleus to the squad that a couple of signings could easily remedy. I am sure management don't need me to tell them that but supporters must realise just how difficult it is and back their judgment.
Let's just be grateful that an amazing result was achieved last Saturday which gives breathing space to consider the way ahead.

 

[1874Craig]

So you’re not criticising the work and efforts that Bo and Goody put in? Strange way of showing it I have to say.

Do you really think that they won’t be carrying out a review of the strengths and weaknesses of the squad during the close season? Of course they will! In fact they are constantly doing this, but it’s not just about signing any player - anyone can do that!

But not only do they have to be the ‘right’ type of player (i.e. they fit in with the ethos of 74) but affordable and importantly better than the players we already have.

Interested to understand a little more re what you mean with your comment “During the summer there has to be changes both on & off the pitch.”

Yes 100% the management team will be conducting a review of the squad during the summer as they should. In a recent newsletter the management said they wanted to keep the main core of the squad together for next season which is all good but that’s why I said they’ll need to have one to two hard reality checks to see which’s ones are up to the standards of the NPL & therefore perhaps they’ll need to move on one or two long term 74 players.


I fully understand bringing in a player to a football club is no straight forward task, they’re many factors which goes on including making sure the certain player fits the ethos whilst representing our football club, and what I meant by bringing in a striker by any means necessary was because in my opinion the way our performances/results were heading in the last couple of months we were seemingly sleepwalking towards relegation.
74 were mid table at the time although we were only a few points off from the bottom clubs, yet some supporters & even a quote
from a newsletter after the Glossop win suggested 74 were fine/we were never was in a relegation battle/we won’t be etc etc despite a alarming run of form which I put in my last post.
Well it very nearly made a complete mockery of us all because that run of bad form continued & we almost fell into the relegation play offs.
in some games our performances were alright yet we didn’t take our chances & we ended up coming away with nothing, we just needed a goalscorer.


As for the summer what I meant was we as supporters needs together & have a good think on how we can progress 1874 Northwich forward. Here’s a few of examples off the top of my head.

1 : Attracting new supporters (especially younger ones, perhaps we can target the local schools to encourage them to come)

2 : Making Townfield a better match day experience for everyone, this could mean helping improve the facilities, better match day atmosphere (chanting & singing) during games & so on etc .

3 : Improving the financial income to the football club & seeing what we as fans can do more.
I know I said about the possibility of the supporters helping cover the wage budget but that’s just a suggestion, as you stated we would need top dollar to bring in such a player & it may upset the long term players such as Mark Jones & the Woolley brothers which is understandable but at least it’s an option out there.

I could go on & on but I don’t want to drag this post on too much and I’m sure everyone will have their own opinions & ideas which will be most welcomed, at the end of the day there is no right or wrong answers, some ideas we can progress on, some we may not but we need forward/progressive thinking people to move forward.

Anyway let’s enjoy the last game of the season & let’s see what happens in the summer.

#WeAre74

 

[Greenman91]

“Money talks at every level of football and a friend of mine suggested if costed a few £££ to bring in an recognise goal scorer why not ask the fans for financial help?”

But where do we stop Craig? A whip round for a box-to-box midfielder too?

In addition, if you bring someone in like that then you’ll probably need to be paying top dollar to them. And more than established players like Jonah, the Woolleys. Next thing they could - quite understandably - go in and ask for the same deal. Quickest way to create disharmony in the dressing room and destroy the great unity we’ve got there - which would, I suggest, quickly affect the performances on the park.

Not that simple is it?

Can I just point out we had a box to box midfielder sat on our bench and couldn’t get a sniff for most of the season, who’s been one of our best players for the final 4/5 games of the season in Sam, who IMO has deserved much more game time than he’s been given this year.

 

[Tez]

Lots of ideas there Craig, perhaps you might consider standing for election to the Board next time or at least helping out with the fund raising for the new players

I get that you want the best for the club and the run of results has been frustrating and a little worrying, but the reality is we are where we are, working within the financial constraints we have. We could stretch the budget, but then where does it leave us ..... potentially back to pre- 2012 and rolling right back to the financial ups and downs of the late sixties (the troubles of the old club don’t just rest at the door of Connett and Rushe) ..... the main reason we walked away.

Even a decent Step 6 forward these days would be looking to cash in on our interest. It’s eye watering what some players are expecting. Then they need to produce goals, turn up for training regularly and be committed to the ‘74 cause one hundred percent. One of the reasons we appear to struggle signing players is that they need to be of the right fit, playing for ‘74 for the right reasons. If £ is their first consideration then the likelihood is that we are merely a stepping stone to wealth and not commitment and self improvement. Loan players, well they don’t come without a cost and if you’re banging in the goals why would your parent club loan you out in the first place?
I have absolute confidence this Management team will leave no stone unturned in endeavouring to strengthen this squad, in the right places, but they need to be the right players. How many potentially decent prospects do you think they’ve had and still have under the radar? How many players have given verbal assurances of their interest only to then to go elsewhere? Finding the right players at this level, on our budget isn’t easy. Staying in this Division is not easy. I think our duo do a fantastic job. They’ll be the first to admit they don’t get everything right, but look at some of the gems they have unearthed.
It’s been a close one, but we’re over the line. Chance to regroup and go again now. And finally just ponder this thought, you don’t need to look too far down the road to see what you could have had. Count your blessings I say

 

[Stanm17]

One of the main changes that would benefit us on the field would be a higher press rather than playing basketball rules with a low line of engagement (seemingly zobally marking the edge of our own box). We would be far more dangerous if we were winning the ball back high up the field and would already have players in support (which seems to be one of our main issues as we end up with the ball carrier and maybe one other player up there on any given counter).

 

[James Wood]

Can I just point out we had a box to box midfielder sat on our bench and couldn’t get a sniff for most of the season, who’s been one of our best players for the final 4/5 games of the season in Sam, who IMO has deserved much more game time than he’s been given this year.

Agree 100%. He’s been excellent since returning

 

[James Wood]

Lots of ideas there Craig, perhaps you might consider standing for election to the Board next time or at least helping out with the fund raising for the new players

I get that you want the best for the club and the run of results has been frustrating and a little worrying, but the reality is we are where we are, working within the financial constraints we have. We could stretch the budget, but then where does it leave us ..... potentially back to pre- 2012 and rolling right back to the financial ups and downs of the late sixties (the troubles of the old club don’t just rest at the door of Connett and Rushe) ..... the main reason we walked away.

Even a decent Step 6 forward these days would be looking to cash in on our interest. It’s eye watering what some players are expecting. Then they need to produce goals, turn up for training regularly and be committed to the ‘74 cause one hundred percent. One of the reasons we appear to struggle signing players is that they need to be of the right fit, playing for ‘74 for the right reasons. If £ is their first consideration then the likelihood is that we are merely a stepping stone to wealth and not commitment and self improvement. Loan players, well they don’t come without a cost and if you’re banging in the goals why would your parent club loan you out in the first place?
I have absolute confidence this Management team will leave no stone unturned in endeavouring to strengthen this squad, in the right places, but they need to be the right players. How many potentially decent prospects do you think they’ve had and still have under the radar? How many players have given verbal assurances of their interest only to then to go elsewhere? Finding the right players at this level, on our budget isn’t easy. Staying in this Division is not easy. I think our duo do a fantastic job. They’ll be the first to admit they don’t get everything right, but look at some of the gems they have unearthed.
It’s been a close one, but we’re over the line. Chance to regroup and go again now. And finally just ponder this thought, you don’t need to look too far down the road to see what you could have had. Count your blessings I say

Hear! Hear!

Bo and Goody aren’t arrogant enough to believe that everything is fine and dandy and changes aren’t needed in some areas - but they need to be convinced that any new players are better than our existing squad, ‘fit’ the ethos of the club (and as importantly the dressing room) and are affordable.

Not an easy task!

 

[Stephen Allen-Gurr]

Can I just point out we had a box to box midfielder sat on our bench and couldn’t get a sniff for most of the season, who’s been one of our best players for the final 4/5 games of the season in Sam, who IMO has deserved much more game time than he’s been given this year.

Saw him at Kidsgrove, 2nd match in and was greatly impressed. Then what happened?

 

[Edge]

Saw him at Kidsgrove, 2nd match in and was greatly impressed. Then what happened?

He signed for Ashton Town, who were managed by his old Widnes boss.
I guess he wanted to be playing more regularly at that time.