The football may have been crap in L2 but at least we were winning a few games. Now it's just crap. I don't want us to go down but if we do I'm not going to lose too much sleep over it. Good opportunity to refocus some minds, regroup and build on what we have at NPL without the groundhog day distraction of a relegation battle.

Wu - seems I keep having that same conversation with various people. I say maybe waking up next season in L2 won’t be so bad and they all send me reminders of how shit L2 actually was when we were in it. I miss Jamie Stuart.

FWIW, I’d rather we had regular, Samuelson-style ‘What’s Happening at Plough Lane’ letters.

Not sure I follow your logic, Lurkio. A statement addressing fan concern, the transfer window situation and a call for unity (and please don’t cancel your NRST direct debits...!) = bad but a vid that covers the same but conveyed with the uneasiness of an ISIS hostage = good?

Well, I have to say that I am a fan of what JP is doing for us (we are the clkub after all). Yes, not his best effort but that's what can happen when you do something like that without a script. personally I applaud him for doing it. We are different from most clubs in what we do and how we do it (there are honourable exceptions). Remember that Joe isn't the decision maker as CEO, he takes his direction from the DTB (ie through the DT members). He isn't doing the same role as Erik at all as we are evolving as a club in many ways.

Last point, all those people who want Hodges to be slagging everyone off publicly. I work in a company where that has gone on (and not usually justified). They do those "engagement" surveys regularly about how happy the staff are. For some reason the people indulging in public slating, back stabbing and scapegoating were really surprised when that area got single digit motivation/engagement scores (out of 100). I guess because they have no more clue about how to motivate people than some of our fans.

I'd also say that message of we're not going to sign players just to fill out the squad is a good one to put out there - for everyone, including other clubs and agents.

I'm not really convinced that the CEO posting a message on the OS, that anyone could read, saying the squad is rubbish and we can't get better, would have been remotely helpful or professional. In fact I'd say anyone saying he should have done that possibly is showing their own weakness of understanding the appropriate message/platform balance. Would be different if was a DT members only one - but not all fans are owners and not all with access to the message are fans.

I wouldn’t bet on L2 being any more enjoyable. I remember everyone desperately hoping L1 would see an upgrade on the crap football we saw in L2.

Fair. I think we’ll be seeing more of that too. More regular DT updates, too. I think the more we engage, the more comms there are, the better. If people really do want it slick, we might lose a bit of timeliness and it may take extra resource, but that’s something we can do too.

Yep, fair points Doobs but I tend to agree that it would have been better as an OS 'Whats happening at Plough Lane' type update.

I guess we all see different things. My take is that it’s our CEO being brutally honest and communicating as directly and personally as possible with fans. We have a budget that probably puts us bottom-ish of the table but the fans have been superb to even get us that and have even given us a bit more for this window and while our plan - young players supplemented by experience - has been scuppered by key injuries to the experienced guys, we are up for the fight and working to improve the side. More communication the better imho and I’d take substance over slick every time.

Morning all. Appreciate the thought amd message from JP and the club, even if the execution of that thought was a bit shit.

Jamie carragher was coached out of constantly saying "Ermm" every other word. David Beckham was the king of y'knows. I'm a poor public speaker, have really struggled in my career :-(

JP interview - absolutely fucking woeful. Do not let that guy do another. Hope his other attributes as CEO are better than his oral communication. Look, the fans know this is a shite squad and we know why it is a shite squad. FFS cut out the crap - do not try to tell us we have a L1 squad etc etc. This lot aren't much better than L2 mid-table. It is so fucking obvious to the fans it is painful to read or listen to the crap being spouted by the club. Far better to couch it in terms that are simple and honest - and this does not have to be disrespectful of the players. We are a L2 standard side and will be until such time as we can generate more revenue. As importantly, in their hearts the players know it.

OTD - I was one of the few Wombles at that Frenford Senior game. I think we won 4-0 iirc. It was also at the same venue (The Cricklefield ?) where we lost 2-6 to Ilford in the London Senior Cup a season or two later, when the pitch had one or two potholes where one of our players injured himself.

Good morning Wombles.

Sammy Moore is Joe Palmers comms coach ya know....

Tokyo Olympics cancelled, that's carshalton holiday fucked😂

Just seen the liverpool score,lol.great that there are 6/7 teams in with a chance for a change.

Lol. Safer than writing something. You’ll be blaming Brexit next.

During this covid Era of course this video is good enough.

Agree Doobs for a decade or so the communication has been on a downward spiral at best. But this is not a step forward. This is basement scenario. Awful in design and execution. Really really not good enough. He’s our CEO. If he doesn’t have the ability to know better then he needs a PA to protect him from people who tell him that doing stuff like that is a good idea.

Have no fear, apparently any unemployed manager will take the job no matter what we pay or what level they’re used to managing at, cos don’t forget we’re special and anyway anyone would be better than Hodges

Is that a message to say prepare for relegation. Does anyone know when the IT equipment and catering fitouts will be completed for the stadium.