If they are intent on staying, great. Tshimanga is far from perfect, but he's way clear of both Mullin and Madden in the scoring charts and how much did they cost? His great virtues are - he tries and he has got better every season since I first recommended him - back when he was playing for Oxford City. He isn't the biggest, he sometimes make the wrong decision, I do hope everyone is put off, because he top scores for his club every season.
Since I moved to Cheltenham thirty years ago I've taken note of their local rivals Gloucester too. It has been downhill almost all the way. The only time it wasn't was when they came up with James Rowe managing them. He got them to top National League North. In my eyes that's achieving. Equally Chesterfield have been in a downward spiral that even experienced managers have not been able to arrest. Now, of course, the change of ownership was necessary to facilitate the change of fortunes, but James Rowe has taken us from what, third bottom to winter champions. There is no trophy for that, so in the eyes of the harshest judges that doesn't count as an achievement (and perhaps Mr Rowe might agree with them) but in the circumstances, in what everyone agrees is the toughest National League ever, to climb to the top despite a phenomenal injury list registers on my radar.
The stupidity of football clubs will hopefully prevent any decent club bidding for Mr Rowe until he has put a trophy in our cabinet. Seems it won't be the FA Trophy. But come on, do you really think Ryan Lowe, now a Championship manager is better than James Rowe? Certainly Lowe has achieved something tangible, but then so did a manager who got Wigan back into the Championship before giving us a firm shove out of the EFL.
If we did reach EFL2 with the same manager I'm pretty sure that unless some big clubs fall from grace in EFL1 this season we'd be up top again and every club with a bit of cash and a need for promotion would be casting flirtatious glances in James Rowe's direction.
Since I moved to Cheltenham thirty years ago I've taken note of their local rivals Gloucester too. It has been downhill almost all the way. The only time it wasn't was when they came up with James Rowe managing them. He got them to top National League North. In my eyes that's achieving. Equally Chesterfield have been in a downward spiral that even experienced managers have not been able to arrest. Now, of course, the change of ownership was necessary to facilitate the change of fortunes, but James Rowe has taken us from what, third bottom to winter champions. There is no trophy for that, so in the eyes of the harshest judges that doesn't count as an achievement (and perhaps Mr Rowe might agree with them) but in the circumstances, in what everyone agrees is the toughest National League ever, to climb to the top despite a phenomenal injury list registers on my radar.
The stupidity of football clubs will hopefully prevent any decent club bidding for Mr Rowe until he has put a trophy in our cabinet. Seems it won't be the FA Trophy. But come on, do you really think Ryan Lowe, now a Championship manager is better than James Rowe? Certainly Lowe has achieved something tangible, but then so did a manager who got Wigan back into the Championship before giving us a firm shove out of the EFL.
If we did reach EFL2 with the same manager I'm pretty sure that unless some big clubs fall from grace in EFL1 this season we'd be up top again and every club with a bit of cash and a need for promotion would be casting flirtatious glances in James Rowe's direction.