Craig Elliott

[steve m]

Just listened to his post Blyth interview (twice!)

As always refreshingly honest and to the point.

BUT......

Why has he signed players who he is clearly saying are not good enough for this league?

I do like him and his blunt honesty, but must confess am very concerned about next season. I took solace in the fact that he was let down badly by some big names at the start of the season (and you could see none of them were prepared to get stuck in!) but why is he signing players who are patently not good enough at this level.

Of course there are exceptions, but you get my point......

[Bodge]

I always find it strange the comment that the ex Lincoln big names let us down. We won 4 of our 5 games with them in the team and you could see they were real quality. Memory’s awful but the quality of pass from Marriott/Margets through to Johnson for the goal against Guisely is what we have lacked from anyone and Arnold’s goal at Stockport again was real quality. The question has to be what was the issue, the players or the manager.

[steve m]

It's a fair point.......

My view of them was based upon the lack of challenge, avoiding tackles and a conversation with one of them when he said "this is too physical for me" or words to that effect.

I do concede that they were quality players, but it seemed to me they were not up for the fight....

[joshb]

We were already losing games with them on the side and weren't much better off with them in the team
Maybe he could've given them longer played to their strengths better but at the time we still had hopes of winning it and he wanted to stamp his authority on the team.
Sadly he signed lads who just aren't good enough in their places

[steve m]

I guess he would have been struggling to find decent players once the season was well underway. My concern is that he is signing players who he seems to confirm are not good enough.

The first half dozen games of next season will be the determining factor.

[Old boy thin]

I always find it strange the comment that the ex Lincoln big names let us down. We won 4 of our 5 games with them in the team and you could see they were real quality. Memory’s awful but the quality of pass from Marriott/Margets through to Johnson for the goal against Guisely is what we have lacked from anyone and Arnold’s goal at Stockport again was real quality. The question has to be what was the issue, the players or the manager.

A very good question to ask at the forum.

[Pete Brooksbank]

I always find it strange the comment that the ex Lincoln big names let us down. We won 4 of our 5 games with them in the team and you could see they were real quality. Memory’s awful but the quality of pass from Marriott/Margets through to Johnson for the goal against Guisely is what we have lacked from anyone and Arnold’s goal at Stockport again was real quality. The question has to be what was the issue, the players or the manager.

Arnold - clearly a talented player, but for large parts of those early games he was a complete passenger, stuck out wide waiting for balls that either never arrived or were pumped over his head for a goal kick. I don't think he really wanted to be here after the first few games.

Marriott - I actually really liked him and can only assume Elliott wasn't impressed enough in training, or felt he could get more bang for his buck if he moved him on and reinvested his wages elsewhere in the side. A gamble that has failed.

Margetts - disastrous, pointless signing, Elliott clearly didn't rate him from the off.

[SMorgs]

There are only so many times a manager can admit to making mistakes before he has to face to consequences. CE signs these players and then moans that they aren't good enough, I get the feeling its CE that's not good enough.

[noughtyforties]

But we employ a scout to run the rule over these players too.

Are we looking at a systemic failure?

[Pete Brooksbank]

But we employ a scout to run the rule over these players too.

Are we looking at a systemic failure?

And yet that scout was very successful under Dennis Greene and found us some real gems.

I do think that pretty much everything has gone wrong for us this season. It's been crap.

[miele]

theres better managers and players in the local ucl clubs

[Fishtoft Crew]

Agree but look at where we have been beaten or conceded in the last minutes of some games this year. Those points would have put us there or there abouts, not excusing the facts that we are where we are this year but Craigs a young ambitious manager who is a very honest guy.  Some bigger teams than us wont go up this year and will be having the same debate. I think he will have learnt a lot hopefully in preparation for next year.

[Tipps End Pilgrim]

Agree with that Fishtoft. York, Darlington, Hereford, Kidderminster, Chester to name a few.

Big learning curve for CE this season. Hopefully he's learnt what sort of player you need in this league (even if he hasn't been able to sign many of them). Also, that a lot of the lower league players are at that level for good reason - there aren't many that make the step up and some of his ex Shaw lane players have proven that. But it's his first full season at this level and there probably aren't many managers who achieve in these circumstances. If he can build on what he has learnt this season and use it as a springboard for next then great. After having so many managers in recent years that haven't been popular for one reason or another - Greene, Drury, Lee, Murray, Taylor, Welsh, Evans! then I'm not in favour of more change - unless someone can name a manager that will bring us guaranteed success

TEP

[Old boy thin]

Agree with that Fishtoft. York, Darlington, Hereford, Kidderminster, Chester to name a few.

Big learning curve for CE this season. Hopefully he's learnt what sort of player you need in this league (even if he hasn't been able to sign many of them). Also, that a lot of the lower league players are at that level for good reason - there aren't many that make the step up and some of his ex Shaw lane players have proven that. But it's his first full season at this level and there probably aren't many managers who achieve in these circumstances. If he can build on what he has learnt this season and use it as a springboard for next then great. After having so many managers in recent years that haven't been popular for one reason or another - Greene, Drury, Lee, Murray, Taylor, Welsh, Evans! then I'm not in favour of more change - unless someone can name a manager that will bring us guaranteed success

TEP

Paul Hurst

[Tipps End Pilgrim]

Likely to drop from managing a Championship side to National League North?