So, what happens now?

[rudolph_hucker]

Spend the rest of the season trying new tactics and hopefully we can surge next season with a heads up.

[AdamSRJFC]

This is far too over dramatic.

We lost a game, we will lose others, Mark is the best manager to take us forward, as are the management team.

We are second in the league, behind a team spending probably 3x our budget per week, and we've had a superb FA Cup run, and done well in the Vase, yes there's been some disappointing results, but when we're beating Cambridge, Spalding and having a great day out in Dover, the highs outweigh the lows.

P.s sorry for the defeatedness of Radio Diamonds yesterday, and sorry for starting 10 minutes late, we had some big big internet problems. Also new microphones coming soon *yay*

[rudolph_hucker]

I agree that Starms has done a fantastic job although some of his decisions are/were a bit abstract. Away at Peterborough we were ahead and threw two points away as we didn't shore up the defence when Jamal was knackered. Yesterday needing a goal from somewhere we bring on Faz who admittedly can run with the ball, but doesn't tackle or jump for a header and with the pitch how it was he was pretty much unable to run. Too lightweight in a cup game on a pitch like that. Maybe bringing Deaks on to bully the corners/free kicks may have been a better decision. Just my own opinion before I get slated.

[Three of Diamonds]

What happens is that we pick ourselves up, and try for second place just in case a promotion space comes up. Next we look at our budget for next season and see if we can attract some better quality players for next season should we need to win this league.
edit;- don't forget we've played a lot more games this season compared to last so although average attendances may be down overall attendances through the gate might be up, therefore generating more income.

[mike]

If we go back to the beginning of the season and remember the members forum, Starms said a top 4 finish was the plan, I think that is still the plan and we have had a good couple of cup runs, yes yesterday was very disappointing but seeing the disappointed looks on Starms and peaksys faces said it all they knew we weren't good enough and they will sort it out.

Alfie has apologized on twitter to the fans so the players are aware of the problem.

Lets get behind the team for the game against Spalding next week, the crowd were very quiet yesterday and the 12th man really made a difference against Cambridge and Dover. If nothing else ddoing the double over a team spending more money than is logical would be a great thing to say we have achieved this season.

Starms out? 2nd in the league in our first season in the Prem ... i don't think so, remember its only his 2nd season as a manager in mens football.

[Biggles]

What happens now, well that's easy we finish as high as possible hopefully 2nd.

This is Non League and anything can happen between now and May, Spalding may blow up, the manager could leave for better pastures, the money may disappear or the F.A dig up a wrongly registered player and deduct 30 Points, we would really look like planks if we let it slip and finished 4th or below, none of the above will likely happen but hey you buy a lottery ticket with the knowledge its a slim chance of winning millions, but there is still that chance however remote.

Anyhow in planet football not getting promoted every season and not winning silverware every year happens to the majority of football teams and yes come January the majority of teams have nothing to play for and yes they do not all turn round and say bugger it lets give up lets finish 12th,10th,16th.

[BartonRaz]

Anyhow in planet football not getting promoted every season and not winning silverware every year happens to the majority of football teams and yes come January the majority of teams have nothing to play for and yes they do not all turn round and say bugger it lets give up lets finish 12th,10th,16th.

I never said we should just give up and neither did anyone else. What I meant was we should persist with players that want to be here and are up for the fight and tell the others to look elsewhere, and if that results in a lower league position then so be it. I'd rather watch 11 players putting their bodies on the line than what was served up by half of our team yesterday. Sorry.

FWIW I don't think Starmer is the issue but in truth I think Rob was playing Devil's advocate. The team moreorless picked itself yesterday, it wasn't selection or formation that was the problem.

[Formic]

I think it would really make a difference if we understood what caused the lack-lustre performance from so many of the players who've been reliable performers for so many games.

I would have accepted the defeat if after we conceded the early goal we'd driven hard to equalise and perhaps been thwarted by heroic defending / goalkeeping - and whilst their number 5 had an excellent game, I'm not sure any of the others were really tested - the keeper certainly wasnt.

Was it that we were overawed by the occasion? Was it that we can't adjust to the difficult pitch conditions? Were several players carrying knocks? Did St Andrews raise their game so far it matched the levels Dover produced?

As I mentioned in the report we've battled back from going behind many times in the cup this season, so we shouldn't have panicked when we went behind - but something clearly went wrong, and without understanding what it was makes it difficult to know how to avoid a recurrence.

[Olly]

If we go back to the beginning of the season and remember the members forum, Starms said a top 4 finish was the plan, I think that is still the plan and we have had a good couple of cup runs, yes yesterday was very disappointing but seeing the disappointed looks on Starms and peaksys faces said it all they knew we weren't good enough and they will sort it out.

Alfie has apologized on twitter to the fans so the players are aware of the problem.

Lets get behind the team for the game against Spalding next week, the crowd were very quiet yesterday and the 12th man really made a difference against Cambridge and Dover. If nothing else ddoing the double over a team spending more money than is logical would be a great thing to say we have achieved this season.

Starms out? 2nd in the league in our first season in the Prem ... i don't think so, remember its only his 2nd season as a manager in mens football.

Yep I agree, sitting here reading the report in the NLP, I'm still extremely pissed off about yesterday and how we're not in tomorrow's draw, but it is still only one defeat, albeit a major one, and if you look at the season as a whole up to this point, you could say we've had a good one for sure and I've little doubt we'll achieve our aims of a top 4 position at the end of the season, so in my mind we shouldn't be even having this conversation over Starms. If we haven't made progress in terms of the Vase and the league by this time next year, then maybe we'll have this conversation.

[bozzer]

Well after 2 sleeps it still hurts massively.

But this is cup football they did to us what we did to Cambridge, I am convinced it must be human nature that sometimes no matter what you say to yourself the players must have been going in to the game saying we should win this, of course they would be wary that they willr wise their game but 9 times out of 10 we would have won that game, and cambridge would have beaten us 9 times out of 10.

The early goal gave them something to hold on to and had we equalised I think we would have gone on to win. The second goal killed us and we could still be playing and I don't think we would have scored.

I would hope that we will continue to get that 2nd place as you never know what happens whilst adding with the correct players to set up the team for next season.