Yeah switching allegiance hasn't really happened for me either.
I lived in Cheltenham for 14 years, no more than 600 yards from the ground, but hardly went. I've been to the Devon clubs. I have some affection for them, but it's nothing like Chesterfield. I suppose if I started going regularly it would grow on me and become second nature .......? But people's lives are much bigger these days. At one time if you were born in Chesterfield the furthest you'd get was Dronny. There must be thousands of exiles like me. How do they feel? If I were left on my own down here I'd come back to Derbyshire like a shot, if only to take advantage of the difference in property prices.
I have to say I'm slightly amazed that Pooch still thinks there is a right team available from this squad to be comfortable in this division. I even struggle to pick it if I get Binnom-Williams fit, Jules and Joe Rowley AND Ricky German available and as good as he was last season when he got 11 goals in three weeks. But sometimes managers do find a new player inside a terminally unsuccessful one. For instance Bob's Board seems keen to condemn Matthew Briggs as a non-player, but he was the youngest player ever to appear in the Premier League and made an England squad in his teens. They say he can't play. Now he might be playing shit, but you're not a no-hoper if people were lining you up for a full England cap in your teens. Similarly Diego was a waste of time on Saturday, but top Italian clubs were queueing up to buy him, he played for Italy at every age group. Even after a cruciate there has to be something there. BUT when you look at our squad Jack has to find something similar inside virtually every player. With Louis Reed, he has to find that player chasing representative honours; Binnom-Williams, that's where he was too once, when he could get on a pitch; Reece Mitchell wasn't kicked out of Chelsea; Bradley Barry was player of the year at Swindon; O'Grady has been cheered for his work-rate, Gozie's goals stabilised Woking last season, Tommy is a top keeper in the EFL if he is fit, well and confident, Kristian Dennis scored a goal a game for over 60 games in the National League .............. It's just they don't fit together into a team, they don't spark each other off, and along with all the youngsters and the players I haven't mentioned they ALL seem NEEDY. There's nobody who is just ready-made, who we can say he'll got out there and just do it. He knows what the manager wants and needs from him.
Even in a poor Chesterfield side you could look at Albert Holmes and know that no winger would give him the run-around, that he'd always slide in and block a shot and that he'd always bring his heart and soul to the party. The only player vaguely like that now is Ian Evatt and he is in decline. If I could take a couple of players from Dover Athletic and stick them in front of him, for sure he'd get us through the season but we haven't got anyone like them.
Jack Lester is an intelligent man. Whether that means he is good football manager I don't know.
I know it would have been controversial but I think the point at which we should have sacked GC was after that opening league defeat. It showed exactly what the friendlies had also proved, that we hadn't built a team at all ..... BUT we were misled by the Doncaster result. So we've stumbled on through false hope and blind decency to the edge of ruin. I hope that Jack can find the best that all these players can be, but it is odds against in every individual player's case. If it were an accumulator it would make monster odds. But the hope is when some players start to perform they might drag the best out of their mates.
I lived in Cheltenham for 14 years, no more than 600 yards from the ground, but hardly went. I've been to the Devon clubs. I have some affection for them, but it's nothing like Chesterfield. I suppose if I started going regularly it would grow on me and become second nature .......? But people's lives are much bigger these days. At one time if you were born in Chesterfield the furthest you'd get was Dronny. There must be thousands of exiles like me. How do they feel? If I were left on my own down here I'd come back to Derbyshire like a shot, if only to take advantage of the difference in property prices.
I have to say I'm slightly amazed that Pooch still thinks there is a right team available from this squad to be comfortable in this division. I even struggle to pick it if I get Binnom-Williams fit, Jules and Joe Rowley AND Ricky German available and as good as he was last season when he got 11 goals in three weeks. But sometimes managers do find a new player inside a terminally unsuccessful one. For instance Bob's Board seems keen to condemn Matthew Briggs as a non-player, but he was the youngest player ever to appear in the Premier League and made an England squad in his teens. They say he can't play. Now he might be playing shit, but you're not a no-hoper if people were lining you up for a full England cap in your teens. Similarly Diego was a waste of time on Saturday, but top Italian clubs were queueing up to buy him, he played for Italy at every age group. Even after a cruciate there has to be something there. BUT when you look at our squad Jack has to find something similar inside virtually every player. With Louis Reed, he has to find that player chasing representative honours; Binnom-Williams, that's where he was too once, when he could get on a pitch; Reece Mitchell wasn't kicked out of Chelsea; Bradley Barry was player of the year at Swindon; O'Grady has been cheered for his work-rate, Gozie's goals stabilised Woking last season, Tommy is a top keeper in the EFL if he is fit, well and confident, Kristian Dennis scored a goal a game for over 60 games in the National League .............. It's just they don't fit together into a team, they don't spark each other off, and along with all the youngsters and the players I haven't mentioned they ALL seem NEEDY. There's nobody who is just ready-made, who we can say he'll got out there and just do it. He knows what the manager wants and needs from him.
Even in a poor Chesterfield side you could look at Albert Holmes and know that no winger would give him the run-around, that he'd always slide in and block a shot and that he'd always bring his heart and soul to the party. The only player vaguely like that now is Ian Evatt and he is in decline. If I could take a couple of players from Dover Athletic and stick them in front of him, for sure he'd get us through the season but we haven't got anyone like them.
Jack Lester is an intelligent man. Whether that means he is good football manager I don't know.
I know it would have been controversial but I think the point at which we should have sacked GC was after that opening league defeat. It showed exactly what the friendlies had also proved, that we hadn't built a team at all ..... BUT we were misled by the Doncaster result. So we've stumbled on through false hope and blind decency to the edge of ruin. I hope that Jack can find the best that all these players can be, but it is odds against in every individual player's case. If it were an accumulator it would make monster odds. But the hope is when some players start to perform they might drag the best out of their mates.