Perspective

[Redash]

I agree with many on here, that, John Coleman has taken us as far as he can. I do not agree, however, that he should be replaced. John Coleman has taken us to exactly where we need to be. We need Coleman to stay and keep us here, until the Club can catch up to the team. The ground still needs work and improvements, the backroom staff from chairman to janitor need to learn a professional attitude, we need more people through the gates.

All these things will take time, time we have as long as Coleman is left in charge of the team. Coleman, himself, will learn tactics, media handling and team selections, the players will learn a bit too, improvisation would be great sometimes.

I am not knocking anybody who calls for his head or criticises him for his mistakes, indeed I have done it myself. Hopefully he can take onboard the criticism and learn from it.

[lancsdave]

And you are 11 points off the relegation places which are currently occupied by 2 teams who seem to be very bad. That has to be good news

Mind you I can understand the frustration that people feel they need to go to away matches to see better performances although that seems to be the 'in' thing for many clubs in the football league this season.

[maccawozzagod]

for me the main thing about Coley is that nobody can work out what the hell he is playing at sometimes.

Left back playing at right back, a never played at left back utility man playing at left back, badly, and then being replaced by a right back, an aggressive ball winning central midfielder playing at right wing, a right footed lame duck playing left wing, and players like McGivern, Boco, Edwards chomping at the bit to get a run. Decisions like these will cost Coley his job in the end.

And imposing a media blackout???????????

[Revived Red]

Originally Posted by Redash

I agree with many on here, that, John Coleman has taken us as far as he can. I do not agree, however, that he should be replaced. John Coleman has taken us to exactly where we need to be. We need Coleman to stay and keep us here, until the Club can catch up to the team. The ground still needs work and improvements, the backroom staff from chairman to janitor need to learn a professional attitude, we need more people through the gates.

All these things will take time, time we have as long as Coleman is left in charge of the team. Coleman, himself, will learn tactics, media handling and team selections, the players will learn a bit too, improvisation would be great sometimes.

I am not knocking anybody who calls for his head or criticises him for his mistakes, indeed I have done it myself. Hopefully he can take onboard the criticism and learn from it.

I agree with 99% of this. I think that the words "professional attitude" sum up the problem which afflicts the club at the moment. I am worried, though, by the length of time all this is taking. It should have been a steep learning curve when we returned to the Football League but it is taking far too long. The player registration fiasco seemed to typify it, and many other examples have been raised in various threads. And all the time, attendances remain a worry, as does the disillusionment felt by some fans.

Maybe the manager will learn tactics, media handling and team selection. How long will all this take? Macca is spot on in what he says.

[Haggis316]

Read Macca's 10.20 post (re your signature congratulations by the way).

A comfortable midtable position in League 2 affording the luxury of all these intriguing and exotic permutations of players.

Stanley haven't had it this good for fifty years

[Chimer]

I too agree with Redash, and I'll give him the extra 1%. JC is one bloke who can keep a non-league club in the Football League. Being honest, who wouldn't have settled in August for 13th in the table at Christmas ?

I reckon people are frustrated, and saying so on here, because if we hadn't so often lost a lead, we'd be right up with the play-off hunt. But at least we've been good enough at times to be in the lead ....

Still keeping the faith, from a distance which I accept may lend enchantment

[Stanleymad]

Think its more a problem that the frustration is with home matches & coleys confusing & wft is he doing when it comes to decisions on the pitch, more than league position TBH. Paying to watch a half hearted stanley performance every time with exception to last week is rather dis-heartening & is effecting the gates which is essential income for the club, we know stanley can play better but why isnt JC using that to effect rather than the dismal displays we've seen so far.

[Wynonie Harris]

Originally Posted by Redash

I agree with many on here, that, John Coleman has taken us as far as he can.

Maybe Eric Whalley has taken the club as far as he can? Maybe it's time he put the club up for sale at a reasonable price, in the hope that someone with new ideas for taking the club forward will step in.

Because, in my view, we cannot carry on forever as we are. Clubs that "punch above their weight" cannot do so indefinitely. You cannot run a football league club on 1,400-1,500 gates. And don't forget, the last two home matches were against well-supported northern clubs. If our home form continues as it is, will we suffer the humiliation of the first three-figure football league gate of the 21st century when the Daggers come? And supposing the scales finally drop from Coley's eyes and he realises that Branch and Miles are bone-idle timeservers and Williams is never going to be a football league standard defender? Will our gates rise sufficiently to stave off the inevitable? Don't forget that in the wake of our greatest ever triumph - the restoration of league football to the town - our second ever home match drew around 1,500 souls to the FES. Supposing we go on a winning run and gates rise to 2,000? Will that be enough to pay for the permanent police control room that we will have to build next year and the 1,000-seater stand that has to be in place by the end of next season and a football league playing budget too?

No, Eric has kept his promise to take us into the league. Now's the time for him to retire gracefully and let someone with a new approach take over.

[fettler]

I listened to JC who gave a question and answer session in the lounge pre match. He made some sense when asked about Roberts coming back to Stanley (quote "we can't afford his wages but we would like him on loan")and when asked about Craney's future he said that another club (Peterboro??) are interested but Craney would like to stay here. I'm not sure about Coleman, is he the man to motivate the players. Has he lost the respect of some players and why oh why does he insist on playing Williams (who has had a bad season so far) and the so called professional, Branch who cost us a goal yet again being caught in possession. One thing about Coleman, most fans at Stanley can't understand a word he says so we will never know!! Happy Christmas all, and lets hope for a better New Year.

[Tin Monkey]

Wynonie has it spot on. The club is slowly stagnating and it's only a matter of time before we find our level again. The only hope is for Eric to put the club up for sale at a reasonable price and see what happens.

All that stuff about selling last year was pure tripe! And let's face it, nobody is going to invest money in the club while Eric is still there.

[Stanleymad]

£3 million is what he wants for it

[Redash]

Originally Posted by Stanleymad

£3 million is what he wants for it

That's just ridiculous

[Tin Monkey]

Originally Posted by Stanleymad

£3 million is what he wants for it

Like I said, Eric needs to sell the club for a reasonable, proper price, instead of all the silly games.

[yerself]

Originally Posted by maccawozzagod

for me the main thing about Coley is that nobody can work out what the hell he is playing at sometimes.

The players included, judging by the way they've been playing recently.

Overheard in the Main Stand yesterday,
"Coleman says he'll get Stanley in to Europe....................even if he has to sing the bloody song himself."

[Give us the old gree]

Originally Posted by Wynonie Harris

Maybe Eric Whalley has taken the club as far as he can? Maybe it's time he put the club up for sale at a reasonable price, in the hope that someone with new ideas for taking the club forward will step in.

Because, in my view, we cannot carry on forever as we are. Clubs that "punch above their weight" cannot do so indefinitely. You cannot run a football league club on 1,400-1,500 gates. And don't forget, the last two home matches were against well-supported northern clubs. If our home form continues as it is, will we suffer the humiliation of the first three-figure football league gate of the 21st century when the Daggers come? And supposing the scales finally drop from Coley's eyes and he realises that Branch and Miles are bone-idle timeservers and Williams is never going to be a football league standard defender? Will our gates rise sufficiently to stave off the inevitable? Don't forget that in the wake of our greatest ever triumph - the restoration of league football to the town - our second ever home match drew around 1,500 souls to the FES. Supposing we go on a winning run and gates rise to 2,000? Will that be enough to pay for the permanent police control room that we will have to build next year and the 1,000-seater stand that has to be in place by the end of next season and a football league playing budget too?

No, Eric has kept his promise to take us into the league. Now's the time for him to retire gracefully and let someone with a new approach take over.

What an excellent and well written post this is.

To add my twopeneth to the debate... the communication from the club is shocking that aside we dont measure on the the communication scale. When was the last accounts published and when was the last AGM recorded ???