Martin O'Connor do me a favour

redandwhitemike · Post by **redandwhitemike** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 5:32 pm

How disapponiting is that ???

SW's credibility has just dropped to an all time low (with me).

Total waste of space

Sounds like an old pals act

Bitterly disappointed Watkiss couldn't come up with a better option.

I despair of KHFC being a force for promotion if this SW can't do better than sign up all these has beens

Burgess/Evans/O'Connor................. It's DADS ARMY

Sheffield Harrier · Post by **Sheffield Harrier** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:03 pm

I am stilling willing to give him time Mike. We clearly still have a lot of space in the squad that needs to be filled. But yes, so far, I am also less than inspired (the list of trialists on the main site is also not that interesting). It would be interesting to know where we come in terms of resources and budget compared to other Conference clubs. Given our crowds etc, its not unrealistic to expect us to be able to compete with Stevenage, Aldershot, Hereford etc in terms of sqaud size and wages. But I just get the gut feeling that we're paupers again.

Mid-table this season I'm afraid. How will the crowds suffer?

brumkidd · Post by **brumkidd** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 6:25 pm

If they don't sign someone with a bit of charisma the gates will start off poorly and get worse. No-one is going to be inspired to buy a season ticket yet. I thought SW was hoping to have 8/9 players signed up for the start of pre-season training. Even with Wilson the average age of the 4 signed up so far is 31!!!!!!!! Without him it's nearly 35!!!!!!!!!

redandwhitemike · Post by **redandwhitemike** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 7:12 pm

I guess we are going to get a few sob stories out of SW, which of course may be true regarding the targets he's missed, but I would honestly have expected last season to have been a wake up call.
A lot was said about the manager's reliance on Tom Bennett and the over enthusiastic praise dised out by Watkiss at different times. I said at the time it showed the manager's lack of judgement in players to do a certain job/role in the team. And here we are again, an injury prone 37 year old layer who SW freely admits won't be able to cut it on a regular basis.
The club/directors/owner(previous) all go on about lessons have to be learnt, well I'm sorry to say it doesn't look like it from where I'm standing/sitting.

I don't blame Watkiss for the club getting relegated, the damage was done a long time before he arrived, but I have to say the standard of football Harriers played after his arrival was poor and certain players he relied on week in week out were consistently not up to it and yet he carried on regardless.

Initially I welcomed his appointment, lets face it anything was better than watching the feeble attempts of his predescessor/s. But I have to be honest and say his team rebuilding (so far) has been uninspiring (that's putting a gloss on it !!!!!!!) and anyone who thinks otherwise is I'm afraid not being realistic.

Lots of talk about getting KHFC back into League 2 of course, he has to keep on saying those sort of things, but who really believes it anymore.???? orry to say I don't and that's based on what I've seen as a manager last season and his(ideas??) of the players needed to achieve that target

redandwhitemike · Post by **redandwhitemike** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 7:16 pm

Sorry about the missing letters in that piece, editing mode on ???

Sheffield Harrier · Post by **Sheffield Harrier** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 7:28 pm

I think a lot of people are glad that we actually have a club to support and this seems to make them forget the fact that we've just been relegated (would have finished bottom if Camb hadn't had had points deducted) after enduring a season of crap football. Most of us who post comments on the internet love the club and will turn up no matter what. However, there are a lot of fans who also like to see wins and good football. I'm worried these people will stop bothering if we begin to struggle at Conference level. I too can envisage excuses along the lines of 'the summer disruption' hasn't helped our preparation etc etc. Well, I'm not sure it will wash with me. Pre-season training has only just started- he's free now to cast his net and get some quality in. He has a few weeks to knock them into shape and get them playing his way. As such, after 10 games he can be judged. I'm by no means expecting us to be runaway leaders, but I want a side trying to play football the right way and some COMMITTED players.

raged · Post by **raged** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:12 pm

Not a single game played, not even a friendly and we already have the worst manager/team ever.

Nice one. While you may not be happy with the individuals signed Mike, it is what the TEAM does on the pitch that matters.

Those individuals may not look charismatic and super skillful, (spot a player like that in the conference anyway!!) but if they meld into a team that gets us points on the board then I for one could not give a stuff if we do not have a Wayne Rooney that wows the crowd in our team.

I remember the swoons and praise last year because molby brought in Christie, Hazell Appleby and a couple of french wonderboys that would storm the league.

O Connor is proven at this level, getting on, yes I agree, if he can marshall the midfield and get others to work round him and put some bite that was severely lacking last year then I shall be singing his praises.

We really do have to start injecting a little realism into our expectations this season. Why would we be able to attract the sort of inspiring signing you would like to see?

A club that has been relegated to the conference, has just survived a very public takeover battle that has already persuaded one player to leave and left a very unsettled feeling.

I have to be honest and admit that I think these signings are BETTER than I expected us to be able to get. I seriously thought that we would be looking at players from leagues lower than us given our position just a few weeks ago.

Joe Stalin · Post by **Joe Stalin** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:44 pm

But have we survived the takeover battle yet? There are some not-very-nice rumours abound, and the silence from the club is worrying on this. I don't think its all over yet.

Sheffield Harrier · Post by **Sheffield Harrier** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:45 pm

We haven't got a team yet. Thats why I'm still worried. We're miles behind other clubs in terms of personnel and that worries me. Its clear that we are missing out on 'targets' left, right and centre. We will have to throw a side together again which is what happened last season. And that season resulted in relegation. I understand what you are saying regarding how bleak the situation could have been, but whatever has just occurred over the last few weeks, we have just been relegated- we're no longer a league club. That hurt and it'll hurt a lot more if we lose as many games next season. And the crowds will suffer accordingly.

I'm not slating SW at all. He deserves time and I can't wait for him to pull it out the bag. But I am not going to accept crap next season just because of the takeover troubles that have just happened. Why should we? We apparently have a competitive budget so I want a competitive team. Lets see.

redandwhitemike · Post by **redandwhitemike** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:46 pm

I have to admit when I wrote my piece (earlier) I thought to myself, "one person that will bite and slate me for this, will be 'ol Raged" !!!!

Who said he was the worst manager ever ???

My opinions are based on some comments that actually came from the manager not so long ago and last seasons abject performances!!!

I think (from memory) some of the adjectives used not long ago , were:- free flowing/ fast passing/football on the ground or words to that effect !!!

Stuart Watkiss will have absolutely NO excuses (not even the earlier disruptions) if his team don't fulfil the criteria expressed above and start playing some decent football.

I have to say that on all known form the players brought in are not exactly what comes to mind in his vision of the future, O'Connor for me sums it up, slow/tired/injury prone (deja vu last season)
Some fans as earlier mentioned are just glad to have a club to support , but you can't expect the average Joe to pay fairly exhorbitant entrance money each week and see the dross we suffered last season, repeated again this time around, by clones of last season.

As has been said before this is 'HIS' team and the way they play and the results produced will either vindicate SW's judgement or hang him out to dry.

All I'm saying is, impressed I'm not and if Harriers play the way they did under Watkiss last season, with the same old tired apathetic commitment from old stagers in the twilight of their careers, we had better watch out.

raged · Post by **raged** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 8:59 pm

Sheffield Harrier wrote: We apparently have a competitive budget so I want a competitive team. Lets see.

So we are told. It is very late to start building a team. The point is, do players want to come here? Can we attract the type of players we want and need.

I have to admit that I am very doubtful that we can given all that has gone on for the past 2 seasons.

If SW can attract one player with the wow factor I will be astonished. I just can not see what attraction we hold for a player right this minute, apart from a regular wage.

I see a season of consolidation ahead I am afraid.

Redandwhitemike. wrote:one person that will bite and slate me for this, will be 'ol Raged" !!!!

Not exactly slating Mike, I am just not too keen on pre-judging people before we have had chance to see any form of action yet.

You may well be right, who knows until the first ball has been kicked. I know there were a lot of people pre-judging Yatesy before he came back and shut them up. Lets hope O Connor can do the same.

redandwhitemike · Post by **redandwhitemike** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 9:37 pm

Yes ! Hand up I was wrong about Yates.

BUT he had apoint to prove I think (ex Harrier)

O'Connor has no such affinity to the club

Perhaps SW will bring in the next Mike Marsh ???

son of sumsum · Post by **son of sumsum** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:15 pm

Some people will moan regardless. He's bought in some good experience. Last year we were bereft. O'Connor is to help with the younger players too.

Im glad SW is in charge and not red and whirte mike.

Good signings considering the agro over the last few months.

If we get Chambers, Beardsley, we have Russell and Chrisie, wiv 1/2 other midfielders not bad really.

We cant be choosy but things could be worse. By going for experience SW is trying to get a team that will play from day 1. To build a new team in a few weeks for promotion is a tall order but SW is going for it. Good for him and Im behind him.

Please give the poor bugger a chance!

Sheffield Harrier · Post by **Sheffield Harrier** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 10:33 pm

I am giving him a chance! I just don't want to see rubbish football and a struggle at the wrong of the table.

Consolidation is fine with a few tasty results thrown in.

redandwhitemike · Post by **redandwhitemike** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 11:34 pm

What the hell does ".......can't be choosy" suppoosed to mean??

The guy has a clean slate.

He IS choosing HIS players for Christ's sake !!

The BBC's sports web site has a quote from O'Connor saying basically, "Stuart Watkiss is a friend of mine", (so I'm helping him out)

says it all

Contrary to popular (?) opinion I thought O'Connor was poor against us last season.

Watkiss may still have some wow factor signings up his sleeve yet, but I'm not holding my breath.

I questioned his tactical naievety at the back end of last season (deployment of Hatswell and the reliance on Bennett) and his apparent option of going for ageing defenders at the sunset of their careers just because they USED to be good players is destined for disaster.

Even in the Conference the assett of speed and pace throught the team is an absolute must, who have Harriers got that can outpace a lawnmower????

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Martin O'Connor do me a favour

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