EagerExile
Vital Squad Member
Why has everything gone so badly wrong? Everyone has their own opinions, so let's have a grown-up debate on here. Here's my take:
Cause number 1. Scally worked his rocks off to keep the club afloat. He deserves massive credit for that. Yes, we have a small playing budget, but it's not that small. However - his communication is dreadful. I'm sure that's played a big part in the growth of the Scally Out brigade, which has in turn created division, a toxic atmosphere and dwindling crowds.
Cause number 2. Evans knew the budget at the start of the season. He deliberately chose to go for quality, not quantity. It was a gamble which has now back-fired spectacularly. I have always said our squad is too small, I don't like being proved so right. I do however rate Evans as a manager. He's simply got nothing to work with at present.
Cause number 3. The pre-season Covid outbreak has had a serious knock-on effect. We went into the campaign half-cooked, which meant we had a slow start. Many players weren't properly fit.
Cause number 4 - due diligence. For many years we have gambled on signing players with dodgy fitness records. We should have learned by now. Sometimes it comes off (eg Jordan Graham), but too often it doesn't. If because of injury a player has played fewer than half the games available in the last 2 seasons, we shouldn't touch them. Yes, the low budget is an issue, but both Scally and Evans have to take responsibility for this.
Cause number 5. We have been incredibly unlucky. Most of the injuries are impact-related, which doesn't suggest there's much wrong with our fitness regime. But the current injury crisis is the worst I can remember in 50 years as a GFC fan. Luck is a factor on the pitch too. On Saturday we weren't very good, but we still hit the woodwork twice. When you're down, things go against you.
So it's been the perfect horrible storm. Divisions, low budget, poor signings, a bad pre-season and endless injuries. If it continues, we'll be relegated and we can consign this season to the bin.
Cause number 1. Scally worked his rocks off to keep the club afloat. He deserves massive credit for that. Yes, we have a small playing budget, but it's not that small. However - his communication is dreadful. I'm sure that's played a big part in the growth of the Scally Out brigade, which has in turn created division, a toxic atmosphere and dwindling crowds.
Cause number 2. Evans knew the budget at the start of the season. He deliberately chose to go for quality, not quantity. It was a gamble which has now back-fired spectacularly. I have always said our squad is too small, I don't like being proved so right. I do however rate Evans as a manager. He's simply got nothing to work with at present.
Cause number 3. The pre-season Covid outbreak has had a serious knock-on effect. We went into the campaign half-cooked, which meant we had a slow start. Many players weren't properly fit.
Cause number 4 - due diligence. For many years we have gambled on signing players with dodgy fitness records. We should have learned by now. Sometimes it comes off (eg Jordan Graham), but too often it doesn't. If because of injury a player has played fewer than half the games available in the last 2 seasons, we shouldn't touch them. Yes, the low budget is an issue, but both Scally and Evans have to take responsibility for this.
Cause number 5. We have been incredibly unlucky. Most of the injuries are impact-related, which doesn't suggest there's much wrong with our fitness regime. But the current injury crisis is the worst I can remember in 50 years as a GFC fan. Luck is a factor on the pitch too. On Saturday we weren't very good, but we still hit the woodwork twice. When you're down, things go against you.
So it's been the perfect horrible storm. Divisions, low budget, poor signings, a bad pre-season and endless injuries. If it continues, we'll be relegated and we can consign this season to the bin.
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