So, the fans are split...

[RobertT]

after the first 7 last season, we then proceeded to win 4, draw 1 and lose 7 out of the next 12  I hope we sacked the fucker in charge of that shambles.

If we end up sacking Malpas, I'm going to start an <insert name here> OUT campaign as soon as they get the job I think.  Fitton should appoint whoever I want as Manager and I have decided Bart should get the job with JCB as his Assistant.

[michael]

That's not very loyal RobertT...

[Don Rogers Shop]

Annoyingly you make a good point ben. Btw your eyepatch is lame

[flammableBen]

Annoyingly you make a good point ben. Btw your eyepatch is lame

Only because Yeovil broke it.

[Don Rogers Shop]

Why? Jealous twat

[pauld]

Fitton needs to realise that if he wants to acomp[lish his 3 year plan on a shoestring

Hmm, let's see - c £6m just to dig the club out the shite when they first took over, £200k+ on Cox, whatever it was on Macca, making up the difference on a £750k-£1m annual operating loss, investing in the ground, facilities and the pitch, I'd hate to see the size of your shoes, if that's a shoestring. Fitton hasn't said he's going to accomplish the 3-year plan on a shoestring, but he's made it damn clear that he wants to build sustainable success for the long-term, rather than to buy short-term popularity and store up long-term problems by throwing money in willy-nilly.

Clearly, he's wrong and should be just chucking money around like a City banker with a quota of duff mortgage debt to shift, rather than trying to build sustainable long-term progress. I know who's judgment I'd rather trust on this.

[Don Rogers Shop]

Trust me paul

[axs]

Well you have got one!!

Under Malpas, we will not match last years 13th place finish, and will struggle to stay out of the bottom four.

I will bet you ten English Pounds that we will better last year's position. Do you accept?

[Samdy Gray]

I will bet you ten English Pounds that we will better last year's position. Do you accept?

Sorry, Cypriot pounds only.

[Sippo]

Willy-Nilly....Ha ha. Ace.

[Rich Pullen]

Hmm, let's see - c £6m just to dig the club out the shite when they first took over, £200k+ on Cox, whatever it was on Macca, making up the difference on a £750k-£1m annual operating loss, investing in the ground, facilities and the pitch, I'd hate to see the size of your shoes, if that's a shoestring. Fitton hasn't said he's going to accomplish the 3-year plan on a shoestring, but he's made it damn clear that he wants to build sustainable success for the long-term, rather than to buy short-term popularity and store up long-term problems by throwing money in willy-nilly.

Clearly, he's wrong and should be just chucking money around like a City banker with a quota of duff mortgage debt to shift, rather than trying to build sustainable long-term progress. I know who's judgment I'd rather trust on this.

I quite literally love Andrew Fitton & co.

[juddie]

difficult one this...

I must admit, I'm with those who think Fitton and co. missed a trick by appointing Malpas - nothing against him personally -but he didn't gird my loins as much as the thought of a former Red in charge, and that isn't a guarantee for success either. I do think someone a tad more proven would have seen the board build on the enthusiasm of the takeover, though. They would have smashed 6,000 if we'd got a ling or someone IMO.

In saying that...

Having appointed Malpas I think it's important he's given at least half a season. I don't think we'll get dragged into trouble, similarly I don't think we'll go up.. but mid-table isn't bad for a club that doesn't have a great deal to spend on players (Cox aside) and - until Fitton took us over - was staring down the barrel of closure. There are so many teams with more spending power than us... but a few seasons with an increased season ticket fan base and we're gradually building the club on and off the field so that we can join that band of clubs.

We need patience, and sadly that's something a lot of Town fans don't have. Fact.

Fitton has done a lot of things right so far and in saving the club financially so he must have really impressed - and Fitton earned the right to make that decision as soon as he took the club over.

It's one thing expressing an opinion on here - that's what the forum is for and it's understandable, when we're not winning games, that people will look for scapegoats - it's another to boo players and coaching staff at games. If we were bottom without a win maybe, but look what happened when people booed kingy - ultimately it's the team that suffers.

FWIW I think Malpas could be a good manager, and I hope he is. I think he talks sense and while there are things I don't agree with - JPM in centre mid, for example - I think we've shown glimpses of being a superb side.

I do agree with those questioning Byrne and AW. Byrne seems old school to me, a shouter with little to say of any consequence. I could shout at the players from the touchline, in fact I do!, but it's the ability to turn things around, not simply shout, that makes a good coach.

As for what JCP82 or whatever his name is has been saying, I've heard the players actually have a lot of respect for Malpas. But even if they do mouth off about him, it means chuff all. I wouldn't say I got on paticularly well with my boss, but I think he's very good at what he does... It's not a popularity contest. Malpas is learning things about his team every week and he has to make decisions that will piss some off. If players can;t handle being dropped then they can jog on. No one's bigger than the team.

A win Sunday and all this talk will die down anyway!

[Simon Pieman]

I don't think it's the losing, it's the nature of the losses and the failure to improve on the errors. Personally speaking, I didn't know enough about Malpas at the time of his appointment to be pleased or disappointed. I thought I'd give the bloke a chance and I feel I am doing that.

I don't mind if we finish in mid-table, I'd just like to see a bit of progress. I think we've made excellent progress up front, but we've totally lost it at the back. What would happen if our key attacking players got badly injured? I don't think we have a different game plan. We'd be lacking goals and conceding them an awful lot. I think that's why I'm so concerned with the way the defence is performing.

Dead chuffed with the result against Stockport, we seem to be doing ok away from home. Certainly not terrible like we had been. We've sucked at home though, I hope to see an improved performance on Sunday and that is what will make me feel a bit better. I somehow feel if we can grind a result out at home it'll be a pyschological boost and we can build on it from there.

As for passing blame on to Byrne and Williams, if the management team as a whole are not performing you cannot point blame at two of the backroom staff and not Malpas. I'm not saying blame Malpas only, but he is ultimately responsible for their employment and man management. I thought listening from interviews that Byrne and Malpas are working together and offer similar explanations for 4-3.5-2.5 formations. That suggests the logic is shared between them and they probably bounce ideas off each other anyway.

[Rustle]

The way i see it malpas is trying to please everybody by playing nice football,maybe its time to rethink and play ugly as malpas calls it.It's pretty evident that he wants his side to be a pretty passing side,but some of our players are having trouble in adapting to this style.Let's not forget we havent been a pretty passing side for years now,yet people expect some sort of transformation over night.

I fully believe patience is the key to this problem.

[wheretherealredsare]

...Dead chuffed with the result against Stockport, we seem to be doing ok away from home. Certainly not terrible like we had been. We've sucked at home though, ...

I wonder if the difference between home and away form is something to do with the fact that there are a lot more moaning booers in home crowds of 6-7000 as opposed to the obviously lower numbers at away games. The negativity created by them certainly won't inspire or motivate players to try harder. People say that as pro's they should be able to rise above it. Nonetheless, when it happens week after week, and they still hear some at away games, it must get very wearing.

And management bawling instead of firing up from the touchline will only exacerbate the situation. Particularly if they are not held in high regard by players.