Planning for the Future

[Alonzo Drake]

We are down. It's inevitable. Nevertheless, I can but not admire the optimism in recent threads. Equally, the club naturally has to make Churchillian noises -- we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight in the fields, streets and hills and we'll never surrender!

Well, we did surrender -- in the Hull-Millwall home games. Maybe the plan is to go down, and to restructure and rebuild.

But what is there a plan?  The noise from the club, and our representatives, the VSC is deafening.

The club is in crisis mode, but no one is speaking.

Will the McKay experiment continue in D3? Is there any new investment planned for the club? What's the larger plan regarding the stadium? Will there be a reserve team? A youth team?

We are relegated, and as Karl once said, history repeats -- first time as farce, second time as tragedy. I've heard so much about the awful 57/58 period, when the club attempted to purge its Catholic players, and Doherty walked taking the mercurial Bert Tindill with him.

Fifty years in the wilderness followed!

I personally recall the awful seasons of relegation of 66/67, 70/71, 82/83 and 87/88. One felt that we'd bounce back to D3 in the late 60s, and in 1983, but there was desperation about the club in 1971, and also in 1988 when resources were scarce, and the drfc looked no further than D4 survival. Moreover, 97/98 is awful to recall and contemplate, when we nearly lost our club.

John Ryan saved us, and has performed miracles in the past decade -- of course he's made mistakes. Everyone makes them, but in John's position they are magnified out of proportion. I applaud the McKay experiment -- something had to be done, and at times over the past few months things looked promising.

But now we must rebuild, and develop a youth team. That's all a club our size can do. Crewe did it this way in D2 for a decade, and we could go on to do it. But we need to plan.

We must prepare for life in D3, so at least we do not plunge down the leagues like we did in 58/59 and 59/60.

Please, please, John, or the VSC -- tell us what the future plans are for consolidation and rebuilding next season in D3.  I’ve had enough of the ‘we can win our last six games and stay up’ talk.

[timdrfc]

Maybe the future isn't decided yet, let's get this one out of the way then move forward.

[Chris Black come back]

If I was to guess now what would happen in the next 12 months:

1. We get relegated, probably finishing bottom
2. Saunders stays as manager all next season
3. We take up running of KMS
4. McKay stays involved by passing on decent, young foreign players looking to make a name in England but the existing 'shop window' model for established players is firmly shut
5. Some of our estbalished SOD-era players are paid off this summer

[Florida Rover]

Now is the time to see what we have on the books and blood some of the youth team. I see no sense in waiting for the end of this season as we have to open the door to any talent waiting in the wings before they move elsewhere.

[Chris Black come back]

Both players and manager will have pride and sending the kids out to get hammered in the final half dozen games isn't going to do either them or the rest of the squad much good. However, we should be looking now at cutting our losses on some of the short term deals asap (Diatta, Bamogo etc) and getting Baxendale, Radford, Ball etc on the bench if at all possible. Similarly, anyone hobbling on with an injury and either worth a few quid or likely to stay next season, get them away from Dr Death and in for surgery asap.

Also, can we please have some decent away friendlies this summer? York, Rotherham, Harrogate etc?

[pubteam]

We might find out more in tomorrow's DFP. Apparently JR has something to say about the likelihood of relegation, so might offer some details as to what'll happen next year.

[Colin C No.3]

A good post Alonzo, but as timdrfc says, the fat lady may be gathering up her skirts in the wings, but she's not at the microphone yet.

[Florida Rover]

I remember Alick at 16 years of age and the Snodins etc... If as kids they had not been given a chance where would they have been. If we have no-one coming through we are in real trouble and it begs the question what youth policy have we got if any.