Is Gray unsackable???

[divas]

People are citing a lack of depth in the squad but it wasnt really a factor last season when we had an even smaller pool of players. Just look at the bench this season compared to last.

We've not really lost anyone of real note yet we've brought in Portas and Mitchell (permanently) who have been star performers as well as Armstrong who scored a hatful of goals at a higher level plus Liam Hatch, then of course there's Noble & Reed on the periphery who are still to impose themselves.

I simply can't believe the squad man for man isn't stronger this season.

Injuries have mainly been up front where we have a number of players to cover. Unfortunately at this level no team can have 5/6 outstanding forwards, and I reckon you'd have to go some to find a forward line that's got more promise than ours.

Too many players underperforming/massively inconsistent at the moment I'm afraid rather than a lack of depth, and I'm not sure Gray is sure of his best team/formation/style is.

I'm sure we'll put a run together but looks like it might be another slow start.

[Darlo Fonz]

Why is everyone having a go for the lad asking a genuine question? I don't want Gray to go. But if it comes to that, who on earth decides?

I don't have a clue who decides!

Matin Jesper and the board are custodians of the club on behalf of the owners. Seriously is it that hard to grasp.

The board hired Gray, the board gave him a 5 year contract, the board can fire him if needs be.

It takes all of 3seconds to go on the club website. Click on the who we are section to establish who is on the board. Anyone suggesting they don't know who it, well frankly I am shocked they are still alive because concentrating on breathing and typing at the same time must have been a real nightmare.

It wouldn't happen lo.

The current board of 'custodians' would never do it.

[super_les_mcjannet]

Of course it could happen but granted it would take a lot worse form/results and situation than we are in currently.

Safe to say we are a million miles from it happening.

In regards to squad then we have 18 players, one Fisher who we want to go hence the transfer list and then last night we were missing a large spine of the team in White, Hunter, Scott, Amar and Dowson. We also didn't play Reid.

The lads coming in are not hitting the same level as those lads who are out. Gray clearly prioritised sat game, we will find out very soon if it was worthwhile.

[DarloDave40]

As above we are certainly not at that stage and any talk will drive some fans away.

[Bogratsteve]

It's a fair enough question that's been answered, I would like also to hear MG's reasons for reverting to the long ball game when things are not going our way, I can't understand why we suddenly implode at stages of a game, over the last 2 seasons we were much more consistent than this.

[Sidarlo]

I can't understand why the guy putting the original question has been told where to go by so many.

Surely at any club no matter what level no manager(apart from Ferguson) is unsackable.
He wasn't suggesting he be sacked just asking if it could happen down the line?


At the end of the day we have had two very good seasons under Gray.
This season we havent started well, yes we have only lost twice, but then again we have only won three and take out the Spenny game and a 45 minutes here and there and the performances havent been great.


I think it would take a lot for it to even be thought about by the board, but dont see anything wrong with the original post

[RUMPLESTILTSKIN]

I can't understand why the guy putting the original question has been told where to go by so many.

Surely at any club no matter what level no manager(apart from Ferguson) is unsackable.
He wasn't suggesting he be sacked just asking if it could happen down the line?


At the end of the day we have had two very good seasons under Gray.
This season we havent started well, yes we have only lost twice, but then again we have only won three and take out the Spenny game and a 45 minutes here and there and the performances havent been great.


I think it would take a lot for it to even be thought about by the board, but dont see anything wrong with the original post

As far as I am aware, Moyes is still looking for a club.

On second thoughts.

[Sidarlo]

nah we can let the geordies have have him once Pardew has gone

[Spyman]

Perhaps with this community owned and run, sustainable type set-up we're going for, moving away from the greedy, knee-jerk world of professional football as it is today, one of our big focuses could be around showing patience and appreciation of the bigger picture and the fact we're trying to get to where we want to get to in a sustainable way, financially and otherwise.

Of course the manager is sackable, if and when te situation calls for it and our position as a football club can be improved by doing so. I don't see how sacking Martin Gray at this moment in time can benefit the football club though.

[eddie-rowles]

I believe MG will explain (Ray or Kevin will ask questions) shortly why the long ball tactics were tried and now clearly shown not to work and how he can take the club forward. We are making alot of chances in front of goal and just need to take them(but that is why we are in this leaque) to start moving up. Salford game is not the be all and end all, but would give the team, great confidence with a win. Mitchell and Portas as showing real class and I enjoy their best endeavours.

[quaker4life]

Gray's tactics are clearly straight out of the Tommy Taylor guide to hoofball.

Not even Taylor himself reached such an extreme level of utter ineptitude that he played his target man at centre back, bloody centre back?! What is the clueless twat playing at putting Hatch in defence?! We need sombody to lump the ball at other than the opposition keeper.

I don't care if we won the Northern League and finished second last season, these tinpot leagues are piss easy, even Steve Staunton could have done it blindfolded. We should be flattening these irrelevant "teams" week in week out , no bother.

Even George Reynolds, yes bloody George Reynolds was able to see that hoofing the ball at Barry Conlon all afternoon wasn't working. It wasn't until he sacked Taylor and replaced him with Mick Tait that we started to play some football.

Surely Martin Jesper can't be that thick? It doesn't matter if we hit the woodwork and had a penalty saved and also that their keeper had a blinder on Sunday. It also doesn't matter that we played well in the first half last night. It's unacceptable, Gray has got us knocked out of the cup and left us out of pocket we needed the prize money.

He couldn't orangise a piss up in a brewery, injuries to key players my arse.

Get rid while the season is still salvageable.

[The Big Dawg]

Gray's tactics are clearly straight out of the Tommy Taylor guide to hoofball.

Not even Taylor himself reached such an extreme level of utter ineptitude that he played his target man at centre back, bloody centre back?! What is the clueless twat playing at putting Hatch in defence?! We need sombody to lump the ball at other than the opposition keeper.

I don't care if we won the Northern League and finished second last season, these tinpot leagues are piss easy, even Steve Staunton could have done it blindfolded. We should be flattening these irrelevant "teams" week in week out , no bother.

Even George Reynolds, yes bloody George Reynolds was able to see that hoofing the ball at Barry Conlon all afternoon wasn't working. It wasn't until he sacked Taylor and replaced him with Mick Tait that we started to play some football.

Surely Martin Jesper can't be that thick? It doesn't matter if we hit the woodwork and had a penalty saved and also that their keeper had a blinder on Sunday. It also doesn't matter that we played well in the first half last night. It's unacceptable, Gray has got us knocked out of the cup and left us out of pocket we needed the prize money.

He couldn't orangise a piss up in a brewery, injuries to key players my arse.

Get rid while the season is still salvageable.

If that was a cack handed attempt at humorous sarcasm (In which case it wasn't very funny), I apologise for the following:

It's a good job you're a well known know-nothing, claptrap spewing bell end on here or someone might take that shite seriously.

Fuck off and moan about the arena somewhere cock face.

[AndyPark]

Not even Taylor himself reached such an extreme level of utter ineptitude that he played his target man at centre back, bloody centre back?! What is the clueless twat playing at putting Hatch in defence?! We need sombody to lump the ball at other than the opposition keeper.

Didn't Hatch play centre half at Wembley 3 years ago, didn't see anyone complaining then? When Cooper had to revert to putting Hatch there.

I'm assuming the reasons why he put Hatch in the back four was because of injuries to Hunter and White. I'm sure if either was fit, then they'd of been there with Brown pushed back out to Right Back.

Target-man issue, Armstrong's a target man! Hence why we had Noble playing up top, so he can chase the flick one etc. What use would it be to have both Hatch and Armstrong up top with nobody to play off of them?


Of course Gray is still the man for the job, but I do agree. The long ball tactics need to be dropped, anyone who's seen us play this season will tell you we play better football when it's on the floor.

[super_les_mcjannet]

I am assuming quaker4life was being sarcastic, although maybe I am wrong.

[AnthonyP]

Whilst the original poster may have worded his initial question slightly wrong it has highlighted a trend I have noticed over recent weeks of lambasting the team, and Martin Gray, for apparent 'long ball' tactics.

Whilst I would prefer to see the ball on the ground, utilising Portas, Mitchell and Thommo, I don't think the assertion of constant long ball can be raised at the team at all.

I see it as an alternative to passing through the midfield, being direct ball into the channels, and other danger areas, utilising the strength and height of Amstrong, Purewal and Hatch. Without doubt I would prefer more pass and move, but the way we play cannot remotely be compared to the long ball game of the old Wimbledon. Some games you get more of one, other games more of the other and Martin Gray is asking the team to target our opponents weaknesses.

On occasions in games players will make the wrong choice ..... Remember , these days we have part time footballers playing for the club, not full time professionals who train five days a week. If they could pick the right pass all the time they would be at a much much higher level thank ours.

The criticism is much ado about nothing and I suspect born through frustration primarily, but tbh 'constant long tactics' is a ridiculous assertion to make.

Just watch the extended highlights of the Blythe home game - direct ball, mixed with pass and move in the middle of the park.

[Darlogramps]

I am assuming quaker4life was being sarcastic, although maybe I am wrong.

That's how I read it too.

[Darlogramps]

Didn't Hatch play centre half at Wembley 3 years ago, didn't see anyone complaining then? When Cooper had to revert to putting Hatch there.

People never complain when the side is doing well. It's only when we're doing badly (or not as well as people think we should be) that the moaners and whingers come out of the woodwork.

[Daidy]

Perhaps a more pertinent question would be 'Is Gray harder to sack?'

Exiled in London I can only watch highlights and therefore cannot comment on styles of play, new players etc, with as much confidence as some on here. Nor do I think Gray is anywhere near looking at getting sacked (which I genuinely believe the original poster was not implying).

However, Gray has been inextricably linked with 'Darlington 1883' (ergh) since the start, and as someone mentioned earlier, has many of the staff of his own Academy involved with the running of the club at lower levels. That is not to mention his own involvement with the ground move and thus, tighter links with Martin Jesper and the board.

At this level does a manager have to be more involved with the operations of a club than a traditional football league manager and those that we have seen at Darlo in the past? Or should he be judged purely on the on-pitch performances and results as opposed to the added value perhaps he brings to the club as a whole?

I personally believe Gray is not as tactically adept as many would like but has done a great job over the last two seasons and we shall see how this season goes. Having said that, I believe a lack of promotion this year is a failure on the pitch but even more so, a greater failure off the pitch. Attendances are dropping and we need to get back in to Darlo with momentum and positive energy that may be drained if we are in the Evostik 1DN for a third consecutive season. Would his closer ties save him then when another manager may go?

[onewayup]

Martin Gray,is the best manager at this level of football,its not his fault we don't have loads of money to spend on a bigger pool of quality players,we all know who to blame, raj strings and co,so for me martin and his coaching staff are doing well
give them the tools and they will do the job,he will get it sorted his reputation is at stake here,the tools being the money ,don't ever forget we are fan owned .

[divas]

I raise you Jim Gannon.

When we played down at Northwich last season you could see their players were of a much poorer standard than ours but he had them drilled and set up very well. You could see the difference between them and another club with similarly talented players and a not so competent manager. It's no co-incidence they've started well and he'll have them right up there in May.

I'm not saying Gray isn't a good manager at this level, he is. I've always been a Gray fan and would have had him come in when we were in the BSP instead of Liddle.

As for budget if we're not in the top 4 budgets I'd be amazed, let's not play the poor cousins here.

[Fibonacci0112358]

I raise you Jim Gannon.

When we played down at Northwich last season you could see their players were of a much poorer standard than ours but he had them drilled and set up very well. You could see the difference between them and another club with similarly talented players and a not so competent manager. It's no co-incidence they've started well and he'll have them right up there in May.

I'm not saying Gray isn't a good manager at this level, he is. I've always been a Gray fan and would have had him come in when we were in the BSP instead of Liddle.

As for budget if we're not in the top 4 budgets I'd be amazed, let's not play the poor cousins here.

Then prepare to be amazed!

[Ingleby]

I raise you Jim Gannon.

When we played down at Northwich last season you could see their players were of a much poorer standard than ours but he had them drilled and set up very well. You could see the difference between them and another club with similarly talented players and a not so competent manager. It's no co-incidence they've started well and he'll have them right up there in May.

I'm not saying Gray isn't a good manager at this level, he is. I've always been a Gray fan and would have had him come in when we were in the BSP instead of Liddle.

As for budget if we're not in the top 4 budgets I'd be amazed, let's not play the poor cousins here.

Then prepare to be amazed!

Doubt that.

[TSQuaker]

Perhaps with this community owned and run, sustainable type set-up we're going for, moving away from the greedy, knee-jerk world of professional football as it is today, one of our big focuses could be around showing patience and appreciation of the bigger picture and the fact we're trying to get to where we want to get to in a sustainable way, financially and otherwise.

Of course the manager is sackable, if and when te situation calls for it and our position as a football club can be improved by doing so. I don't see how sacking Martin Gray at this moment in time can benefit the football club though.

^ This

[Fibonacci0112358]

I raise you Jim Gannon.

When we played down at Northwich last season you could see their players were of a much poorer standard than ours but he had them drilled and set up very well. You could see the difference between them and another club with similarly talented players and a not so competent manager. It's no co-incidence they've started well and he'll have them right up there in May.

I'm not saying Gray isn't a good manager at this level, he is. I've always been a Gray fan and would have had him come in when we were in the BSP instead of Liddle.

As for budget if we're not in the top 4 budgets I'd be amazed, let's not play the poor cousins here.

Then prepare to be amazed!

Doubt that.

That's your prerogative.

[Ingleby]

I raise you Jim Gannon.

When we played down at Northwich last season you could see their players were of a much poorer standard than ours but he had them drilled and set up very well. You could see the difference between them and another club with similarly talented players and a not so competent manager. It's no co-incidence they've started well and he'll have them right up there in May.

I'm not saying Gray isn't a good manager at this level, he is. I've always been a Gray fan and would have had him come in when we were in the BSP instead of Liddle.

As for budget if we're not in the top 4 budgets I'd be amazed, let's not play the poor cousins here.

Then prepare to be amazed!

Doubt that.

That's your prerogative.

It is. But like you I'm guessing.

[quaker4life]

If that was a cack handed attempt at humorous sarcasm (In which case it wasn't very funny), I apologise for the following:

It's a good job you're a well known know-nothing, claptrap spewing bell end on here or someone might take that shite seriously.

Fuck off and moan about the arena somewhere cock face.

Always first in line ey Jazz? Good to see you're still kicking on here.

As for sarcasm I don't know how SLJ and darlogramps could accuse me of such a thing!

[The Big Dawg]

I raise you Jim Gannon.

When we played down at Northwich last season you could see their players were of a much poorer standard than ours but he had them drilled and set up very well. You could see the difference between them and another club with similarly talented players and a not so competent manager. It's no co-incidence they've started well and he'll have them right up there in May.

I'm not saying Gray isn't a good manager at this level, he is. I've always been a Gray fan and would have had him come in when we were in the BSP instead of Liddle.

As for budget if we're not in the top 4 budgets I'd be amazed, let's not play the poor cousins here.

Then prepare to be amazed!

Doubt that.

That's your prerogative.

It is. But like you I'm guessing.

Unlike him though, you're a soiled pants window licking bib wearing mongo, and as such your guesses and opinions are worth the sum total of a Zimbabwean dollar and a bucket of smashed twats.

[Ingleby]

The Big Dog is soo funny. I'm creasing. What a fucking prick.

What a whoosh btw you plank.

[DarloDave40]

The thing is MG is not just the manager he has his academy and is involved in many aspects of the club. If and a big IF i can imagine it would be extremely hard for the current 1883 board to ever sack him as they work so closely with each other. It's great all working together in a smaller club but the downside I suppose it's harder to make difficult decisions.
It's all to early for talk of sackings anyway.

[theoriginalfatcat]

No. is the answer to the question, he is not unsackable, and I think it's a fair question to ask, although not applicable now. I would imagine that Martin Gray himself would be his own strongest critic,and would consider stepping down if, in years to come, suitable progress hadn't been achieved.

When Gray was stupidly sent off during the Ramsbottom game I wondered who, if anyone, would have the authority to give him a talking to, as we don't appear to have a high profile authority figure, someone who can kick ass!

I think Gray's ban has hindered the team so far this season - and it mustn't happen again.

On the same theme I've been impressed by the players discipline since our move to Heritage Park, they've nearly always had a good professional attitude and most sending's off in our games happen in the opposing team.