Does Preecey Want to win the league ?

[phot0man]

I have just read todays evening news and AP's quote quite disturbs me. I've followed City for over 20 years and have never once made my views public about any manager in that time, but no longer.

Quote...
"To get the win takes a little bit of pressure off the Hucknall game"
"Obviously we are going there to try and win the game but if we had lost or drawn today we would have to win at Hucknall"

Surely we want to win at Hucknall regardless of what we did on Saturday. If his team talks are in the same vain as his interviews with WEN then is he the right man ?

[andy]

Personally, I think Preecey is pretty wise in what he says to the press, generally.

On this one in particular ...

Well, I'm sure he/we/they would want to win every game remaining. But that isnt going to happen. After an excellent result againt Southport, he is taking the pressure off the players were they not to win a game that everyone is expecting them to (except the Hucknall players). There seemed to be a lot of pressure on the players to convert the Boston result/character into a performance against Southport. Better still, they delivered the result.

Preece is wise enough to know that if, as a manager, you demand a win every game, there will be a lot of disappointed people.

I dont think the question 'Does Preecey want to win the league' is fair. Of course he does. But, could City overcome a 10+ deficit against 4+ Clubs with 29 games remaining? Unlikely, in my book. Going as an in-form side as 5th place would do for me.

[phot0man]

andy,

I think there are already a lot of disappointed people so demanding a win every game and making people disappointed is really neither here nor there.

I think it is a fair question, why shouldn't a manager demand a win every game, surely we are in this league to win it not just to make up the numbers.

I want to be proud of my team, and I cant't honestly say that I have been proud of them since Nobby departed. Yes I know we've had our good cup runs, yes I know we have no money but having good runs in the cup won't win us the league. Consistency is what we need.

I want to see players on that pitch who want to play for City, who play with passion and not just to earn a quick pound.

At the end of it the buck stops with Preecey...
who insists playing 3-5-2 or when we go behind a desperate 3-3-4, who doesn't fish locally and prefers to get players from further afield and now tops it all off by saying that if we had lost on saturday we would have had to win on Tuesday - NO, we have to win on Tuesday regardless of the previous match.

As you've guessed i'm passionate about my team and as long as AP is manager I will support him and the team even if he doesn't win the league for us.

[andy]

phot0man

Absolutely the last thing I would do is to come on to this MB saying someone's opinion is wrong. How you see it is how you see it, and that is as entirely justified as anyone else's view. Including my own. I'm like yourself, having been around for many a year.

Just on the issue of demanding a win every game - the emphasis is on the word demanding. I think AP said 'of course we will try and win the game'. If Nobby had demanded a win every game the year we won the Southern League, he would have had to lambast those players after nearly half the games.

This year, we had a very tough opening set of fixtures. Going into those games without a recognised set of centre-halves cost us dear. We might have got by against different opposition. But well placed crosses into the box found us out. Action has been taken (undoubtedly stretching the budget despite falling gates). OK, one might ask, wasnt the squad a bit thin at the outset anyway. Probably, yes.

I havent seen a game since the win at Tamworth as I've been working in North Africa for six weeks. But I've been tuning in to H&W every Saturday. There certainly seemed to be one, possibly two or three poor performances in there. The players seem to have taken messages on board, and I hope they can carry it through tonight.

I think AP is aiming to use this set of players to build for the future. A group of players, many in their early 20s, who - if they can be kept together - will form the nucleus of the post-ground move strengthened squad. I take a lot of heart that a young squad like that can show the character needed to come back from 2-0 down at Boston and turn around a deficit against full-time Southport. If, they can push for a play-off place as well this season, then for me that is a big bonus.

I expect them to lose at least another 4 or 5 games this year, and to draw at least a similar number. Even if they play well. One of those could turn out to be tonight. Football is a fickle mistress.

The challenge AP has is that the Club have to be seen to be challenging if the gates are going to pick up. Three points tonight could go as far as lifting us up to four points off the 5th place side, with a game in hand.

To keep the squad together (unless we do well in the FAT), we have to be getting close to 1,000 to make up for the budget shortfall already accumulated. I guess we'll only have any chance of doing that if we are 'seen' to be challenging. For that reason alone, a win tonight would be excellent. But even so, I dont find myself 'demanding' it.

[gobby cow]

I think we should focus on a win every game, it isnt too much pressure it is what they are paid to do any way.

This seems to be a common theme, the Walsall manager is telling fans to stop taking it so seriously. They do because they love the game and the team. If the managers and players played with that same thought they would give 100 per cent every match.

[B*ue dragonstander]

I was very pleased to see City produce 2 consecutive good performances - firstly at Boston then Southport.

I watched the warm up before Southport and the mood amongst most of the players was pretty relaxed and there appeared to be good camaraderie and spirit and I was expecting us to come out fresh and determined after a fortnight off (for most except for those who had a run in the reserve fixture 10 days before). We clearly set about the game in the right manner and we had the appetite for the match and for victory. It was a game we could have lost or drawn. Neither result would have detracted from the effort and character shown.

I hope that the players wil be able to produce a third good performance on the trot. If they do they give themselves a decent chance at Hucknall but football is rather capricious and you dont always get what you deserve. If taking the pressure off the players is the right thing to do then thats fine.

I dont think they are under any pressure - other than that caused by a fully fit suqad and some competition for places- other than that they put on themselves to play the best they can (and that is not the same as palying brilliantly every game - not even Gerrard does that) on the day. If the whole team tries we have enough good players that somone will produce that little extra something to grab a point or win a match.

Under AP we have not been the most thrilling side to watch but what there has been has been 9 times out of 10 good honest effort (yes there are one or two games where the performance has been very sub par but they are few and far between and this happens in semi pro sport) and a number of guys playing with injuries for the sake of the team and club.

I think this present group is as passionate for the shirt as any I have seen in 35 years and that includes the manager and support staff. I think to suggest otherwise is not on.Sure we might gripe that this player or that has a bad game and we hope it isnt because they had 6 pints and a late night on Friday (that would be inexcusable) but we dont believe it is becasue they are not trying or dont want to win. Its just like that sometimes.

Supporters expect us to win tonight. I imagine th eworst thing the players could do is to expect an easy win. They should expect a difficult game from a side who will be desperate to win or at least draw. You have to play what is in front of you on the day and do a professional job. It may be that a draw on the night is a good result on the play, the ref, the weather etc.

If we play well we should get a result. If we dont we will be Hucknalls second win.

[DrAgony]

To answer the question, I think it shows that AP is definitely targeting our league position - as he should be - though not necessarily thinking we will win it.

The league campaign is a season-long marathon - not a series of sprints. AP has to judge the pace of the campaign against his resources and the opposition being faced. An early burn-out would not be wise, especially when we are realistically going for the play-offs and not automatic promotion, which means we must have something left in the tank for the end of the season.

It might also help to remember that most of our players will have been at work today - in what almost certainly is their more important earning employment. A mid-week match for a semi-pro team must be a tricky thing to manage.

[phot0man]

After that result - draft in goalkeeper or not - do you get my drift now Andy.

Questions must be asked, surely.

[wakefield]

Does Preecey want to win the league?

Yes of course he does!!

Perhaps, not the Blue Square North though....

[wakefield]

andy said:

phot0man

Absolutely the last thing I would do is to come on to this MB saying someone's opinion is wrong. How you see it is how you see it, and that is as entirely justified as anyone else's view. Including my own. I'm like yourself, having been around for many a year.

Just on the issue of demanding a win every game - the emphasis is on the word demanding. I think AP said 'of course we will try and win the game'. If Nobby had demanded a win every game the year we won the Southern League, he would have had to lambast those players after nearly half the games.

This year, we had a very tough opening set of fixtures. Going into those games without a recognised set of centre-halves cost us dear. We might have got by against different opposition. But well placed crosses into the box found us out. Action has been taken (undoubtedly stretching the budget despite falling gates). OK, one might ask, wasnt the squad a bit thin at the outset anyway. Probably, yes.

I havent seen a game since the win at Tamworth as I've been working in North Africa for six weeks. But I've been tuning in to H&W every Saturday. There certainly seemed to be one, possibly two or three poor performances in there. The players seem to have taken messages on board, and I hope they can carry it through tonight.

I think AP is aiming to use this set of players to build for the future. A group of players, many in their early 20s, who - if they can be kept together - will form the nucleus of the post-ground move strengthened squad. I take a lot of heart that a young squad like that can show the character needed to come back from 2-0 down at Boston and turn around a deficit against full-time Southport. If, they can push for a play-off place as well this season, then for me that is a big bonus.

I expect them to lose at least another 4 or 5 games this year, and to draw at least a similar number. Even if they play well. One of those could turn out to be tonight. Football is a fickle mistress.

The challenge AP has is that the Club have to be seen to be challenging if the gates are going to pick up. Three points tonight could go as far as lifting us up to four points off the 5th place side, with a game in hand.

To keep the squad together (unless we do well in the FAT), we have to be getting close to 1,000 to make up for the budget shortfall already accumulated. I guess we'll only have any chance of doing that if we are 'seen' to be challenging. For that reason alone, a win tonight would be excellent. But even so, I dont find myself 'demanding' it.

Andy, however you rationalise the season, it was total garbage tonight mate.
Even your praiseworthy optimism would have been dented severely.

A positive? It can only, surely, get better. It must!!

[longsuffering78]

I agree totally brilliant result saturday ideal opportunity tonight to get the 6 points and get into top 10 not taken WHY?.Not just beaten but thrashed by a team with 1 win all season don't understand can someone explain, getting very frustrated !

[darrellbutler]

[alwaysnextyear]

In answer to the thread, of course he does. Sadly realism then kicks in. The vast majority of the players were not good enough last season in a poorer division. The signings have made little difference to a mid table side going nowhere other than towards the relegation zone. Virtually the whole side has been signed by AP, with significant fees paid and signing on amounts found by the board. It appears that the manager cannot motivate the players to perform to a consistently high standard judging by the results, and the players appear unable to motivate themselves. How many of our players would command a fee ? Judging by the massive losses incurred on Jai Stanley (10k), Leon Kelly (5k), selling clubs must rub their hands together when Worcester ring up.
F A Cup exit, no chance of promotion based on the season so far, these are grim times. Looking on the bright side, at least we surely can't hear the " bigger playing budget " excuse after tonight's disaster of losing 5-0 to a team bottom of the table watched by a crowd of 246!
Time for a change ?

[andy]

No, sorry, phot0man. I still didnt get your drift after the game. Less so now after the unfurling events of last week.

Not a problem that I dont - everyone sees life differently, and I respect that.

[wh]

from what preecey said I took it that he had been given short term targets and was not talking about is overall outlook on the season.

[theoffy]

I believe Andy did want to win the league, but it is not a quick thing to do on a shoestring, plus when a team does not play there is little you can do.

[phot0man]

Pretty academic now .. but
1. win the league is not a quick thing - 3 seasons - how much longer do you want (at least you could expect signs of improvement)
2. Shoestring - teams doing better than us and they have smaller budgets and lower attandances
3. Team does not play - he chose the team !

[alwaysnextyear]

Agree totally with phot0man. He tried his best, but AP had run out of excuses and his time was up. He'd taken the team as far as he could.