Fletcher and Brent's plan

I've seen some stupid things get written about Argyle lately, some people backing Fletcher and Brent, some thinking they are a combination of the devil and his son, but one of the silliest came while I was reading loads of posts on Pasoti about yesterday and our situation in general, where someone said they are excited about the future!

Now I know there are people on here who say that Brent's plan is for us to get relegated, which I don't give a second thought to, it's just ridiculous, but excited about the future? Now that is cloud cuckoo land.

Even the harshest critics know that after administration it was always going to be a difficult task to turn the club around and get us moving up again, but James Brent backed Fletcher to do this, calling him an exceptional person or words to that effect. Fletcher, according to Brent has been given a competetive budget, which should be enough to think about promotion, and we're languishing near the bottom of the bottom league again. One year on from Brent taking over and we are really no further forward at all.

Fletcher was given the vote of confidence by Brent and the funds to show what he could do, and what has he done? Yesterday we played with Nick Chadwick and Warren Feeney up front. Feeney has at least scored 3 goals this season, even if 2 were penalties, and Chadwick has scored 1 goal all season. 1 goal? From an experienced striker?

Fletcher had the chance to ship out these two before the season started, or after watching the pre-season shit that Argyle were producing. 5-0 defeat to Yeovil with Chadwick sent off should have been enough to start the alarm bells ringing surely?

Did Fletcher think that Warren Feeney was suddenly going to become a prolific striker ? Warren Feeney has more yellow cards in his Argyle career than goals!

So instead of trying to offload these two, Fletcher signs a 32 year old from non-league, where admittedly he was prolific, but with no experience of professional football at all. If we had a decent goalscorer and a couple of young prospects I can see that this would've been worth a go, but since signing Griffiths, he has started 4 games.

Since signing Griffiths Fletcher has signed two strikers on loan as well, and leaves them on the bench to play Chadwick and Feeney

I just don't understand Fletcher's logic at all. He has tried Feeney, Chadwick, Griffiths, Macdonald, Lecointe, Madjo, PCH and even Curtis Nelson up front! Jared Sims has had a run out as well and so far we have PCH with 4 goals, Griffiths and Feeney with 3 goals, both have 2 from penalties, Madjo with 3 and Chadwick and Macdonald with 1 each.

Chadwick hasn't scored since playing against Pompeys kids on 14th August, Lecointe has yet to score at all.

I can't be bothered looking at the different combinations Fletcher has used this season, but to me it looks like he tries things in desperation. There is no rhyme or reason behind his thinking. None of these strikers could feel confident about being on the team sheet for the next game, or know for sure that they definitely wouldn't be playing.

Maybe Fletcher studies astrology and chooses them depending on what their star sign says?

This isn't a new problem. Last season Walton was our top scorer with about 8 goals, and again most of these were penalties.

So what is the plan? You see the odd person sticking up for Fletcher saying he's got a young team building for the future. Really? Rhys Griffiths, Nick Chadwick and Warren Feeney are promising up and coming players are they? Or building for the future by borrowing Madjo and Macdonald from other clubs?

Purse, Blanchard, Lowry, Chadwick, Feeney, Williams, both Rhys and Scott Griffiths, Bhasera, Wotton, Cole and Gilmartin are not 18 year olds, so the kids argument is ludicrous, and anyway Fletcher had the chance to do something about this at the start of the season. From yesterday's startin XI only Gilmartin, Lowry and PCH were not at the club last season.

There has been no progress to me, nothing much has changed since last winter and Fletcher has run out of ideas so he relies on Chadwick and Feeney to fire the goals to turn our season around?

If we were told at the beginning of the season that Fletcher was going to be given a couple of years in charge and it would be a slow process but that the plan was to start from scratch and build a team around some promising players like Berry and Hourihane, with youngsters like Lecointe, Sims and Harvey being given the opportunity to play games or something then it would be fair enough and fans could have decided whether they wanted to purchase a season ticket knowing what the plan was.

This didn't happen at all. If Wotton was fit yesterday he would have played instead of Young or Hourihane.

James Brent specifically said that the budget given to Fletcher was enough to get us promoted, raising expectation, we even had the club president making his "If you want a new striker" speech again.

Now we are 18 games into the season, have won 4 times, and are already looking nervously at the few teams below us, watching for Aldershot and Barnet's results again. Our disciplinary record is slipping back to like last seasons where red and yellow cards are handed out like confetti and the manager insists that he has no problem with this

James Brent must realise that Fletcher has not got a clue. He is throwing so many darts that every now and again he will get lucky, but it will be that, luck.

There are 28 games left this season. Under Fletcher at this rate we will probably win 6 more games and will be involved in a relegation battle right to the end of the season.

If Brent acts now then a new manager and team of coaching staff have enough time to sort out the mess and get us out of trouble this season, and all along have next season in mind. And it has to be a new manager with a team, not Paul Wotton or Darren Purse as a cheap option, but an experienced manager with a backroom team.

If James Brent is unwilling to fund this then he should say so now, because nobody believes him anymore when he says Carl Fletcher is exceptional. He should be preparing a statement either sacking Fletcher or giving details of why he can't afford to sack him, then fans can make their minds up about paying to watch the shit.

If we lose on Tuesday, and we are big favourites to lose, then I cannot see how there will be any more than 5000 fans there to watch the Chesterfield game on Saturday. They can count season ticket holders who don't bother showing up all they like but it will not mask the large areas of empty seats.

If 6300 is around 2k below what has been budgeted for, then try 5300 or even 4800 because that's what will happen unless major changes are made.

Great post , i have nothing to add as i agree with every word.

I don't think it's Brent's plan to get us relegated, but neither do I think he would be bothered if we were as it would be very easy to find a new owner for the club once he loses interest and his developments have been built in Plymouth.

That is about a perfect summary as to where we are Jock. By all accounts Fleetwood's centre back was slow. To take advantage of this he plays Chadwick and Feeney. Bizarre.

I feel sorry for Fletch in a way. It's not pleasant seeing someone so out of their depth. Unfortunately he's going to take a club legend down with him too. Nevertheless they should not be allowed to drag the club any further downwards.

A big defeat Tuesday may force Brent's hand. I have some sympathy with Brent's view on sacking managers but you have to have the right manager in place to be loyal to.

GOB wrote:

I don't think it's Brent's plan to get us relegated, but neither do I think he would be bothered if we were as it would be very easy to find a new owner for the club once he loses interest and his developments have been built in Plymouth.

Just over a year ago, Peter Ridsdale was planning to buy the football club from heaney/BIL for £1. Heaney/BIL were going to concentrate on the land and development opportunities, leaving Ridsdale free to own and run the club.

Fast forward 12 months and what we see is the owner concentrating on the development opportunities, yet the club is directionless, with an owner that seems not to care. What's to stop Brent from deciding to emulate the BIL/Heaney/Ridsdale plan and selling off the club for £1. Now I know that the offer to the Trust values the club at £2 million, but can anyone seriously see where that valuation can possibly have come from.

I can't be the only one who can see a scenario where the football side of things is sold off to a group of interested fans - the sort who'd revel in sitting in the Directors Box rather than mixing it with us ordinary mortals - who, with the backing of, let's say, a Prominent And Wealthy Local Businessman, can assume control, leaving Brent to concentrate on his real interest (Hotels and Property) while these, let's call them 'superfans' , get what they desired in the first place.

Just as well there's no sign of such a scenario developing, eh?

Andy_Symons wrote:

GOB wrote:

I don't think it's Brent's plan to get us relegated, but neither do I think he would be bothered if we were as it would be very easy to find a new owner for the club once he loses interest and his developments have been built in Plymouth.

Just over a year ago, Peter Ridsdale was planning to buy the football club from heaney/BIL for £1. Heaney/BIL were going to concentrate on the land and development opportunities, leaving Ridsdale free to own and run the club.

Fast forward 12 months and what we see is the owner concentrating on the development opportunities, yet the club is directionless, with an owner that seems not to care. What's to stop Brent from deciding to emulate the BIL/Heaney/Ridsdale plan and selling off the club for £1. Now I know that the offer to the Trust values the club at £2 million, but can anyone seriously see where that valuation can possibly have come from.

I can't be the only one who can see a scenario where the football side of things is sold off to a group of interested fans - the sort who'd revel in sitting in the Directors Box rather than mixing it with us ordinary mortals - who, with the backing of, let's say, a Prominent And Wealthy Local Businessman, can assume control, leaving Brent to concentrate on his real interest (Hotels and Property) while these, let's call them 'superfans' , get what they desired in the first place.

Just as well there's no sign of such a scenario developing, eh?

A year ago, or even 6 months ago I would have said you were scaremongering with a post like that, but now I have to admit I have had similar thoughts myself. In my thoughts I have the impression that a club legend centre-back, close to these superfans, would be the messiah chosen to manage the team.

I think I'm going to be sick

I don't think JB and the board are bothered about results and performances- shown by the desire to keep the "exceptional" fletcher. Fletcher's pre and post match comments are the same for every game. Pre-match "we're looking for a performance to bounce back from defeat to xxxxxxx yer know". Post match "the lads put in lots of effort. I blame the ref/ ball/ global warming for the defeat yer know".

It very much seems that the interest is on property and hotel building and little else.

I don't think these are "thoughts", I think it's almost a certainty and something that the Trust and the fans should prepare to fight head on, even if that means a mass protest against all of Brent's planning ambitions.

Greenjock wrote:

Andy_Symons wrote:

GOB wrote:

I don't think it's Brent's plan to get us relegated, but neither do I think he would be bothered if we were as it would be very easy to find a new owner for the club once he loses interest and his developments have been built in Plymouth.

Just over a year ago, Peter Ridsdale was planning to buy the football club from heaney/BIL for £1. Heaney/BIL were going to concentrate on the land and development opportunities, leaving Ridsdale free to own and run the club.

Fast forward 12 months and what we see is the owner concentrating on the development opportunities, yet the club is directionless, with an owner that seems not to care. What's to stop Brent from deciding to emulate the BIL/Heaney/Ridsdale plan and selling off the club for £1. Now I know that the offer to the Trust values the club at £2 million, but can anyone seriously see where that valuation can possibly have come from.

I can't be the only one who can see a scenario where the football side of things is sold off to a group of interested fans - the sort who'd revel in sitting in the Directors Box rather than mixing it with us ordinary mortals - who, with the backing of, let's say, a Prominent And Wealthy Local Businessman, can assume control, leaving Brent to concentrate on his real interest (Hotels and Property) while these, let's call them 'superfans' , get what they desired in the first place.

Just as well there's no sign of such a scenario developing, eh?

A year ago, or even 6 months ago I would have said you were scaremongering with a post like that, but now I have to admit I have had similar thoughts myself. In my thoughts I have the impression that a club legend centre-back, close to these superfans, would be the messiah chosen to manage the team.

I think I'm going to be sick

At the risk of repeating myself.............................
Penz is another who has seen what has been going on at HP for years, only this time, the self promoting superfans hit the jackpot with Brent.

Don't worry though guys. The Nool is telling everyone that the good times will return, eventually. He is quite correct, for once.
When he and others like him are no longer involved !!!!!
Apart from nauseatingly fixed auctions, his contribution has been to deviously divide fans, lapsed or addicted and along with the other Windsor Boy , a turncoat ex director and his Pasoti groupies, persuaded 'James Brent' that they are capable of running the club on the cheap.
It is all so village. Same old faces in the tent and on the GT coach. These dimwits really do believe they've become somebody and Brent is either totally naive about football and/or couldn't care less either way.

Spot on GJ I can't argue with any of that.

I think your post should be sent to Mr Brent for his comments

The questions should have been asked over 12 months ago, bit late now, I can see Fletch bumbling on all season myself.

Thats a pretty fair assesment of whats happened up to now, but until this club has a serious owner we wont get a credible manager just chancers like fletcher purse wotton etc, the remaining die hard fans will just be Gratefull to stay in the fourth division while the club dies slowly.

What James Brent said two weeks ago.

"But I get many more people writing to me saying 'don't blink and give in to others who are hankering for a change in the management team, we have a great manager who will go far and please support him'.

Anyone else not sure that Mr Brent is being totally truthful? If this is honestly the case then I reckon either someone from royal mail or his Secretary is intercepting his post so he doesn't worry too much.