140 Characters is not much when you want to have a moan is it? However my tweet from New Years Day evening summed it up quite succinctly for once I felt:
[Excuse the lack of punctuation] "Dismal times at Gigg Lane Sick of excuses from manager blaming everyone but himself & hoping for a leader to inspire my club"
As those of you who were present for the game v Tranmere on New Years Day there was much to give credit for from the inexperienced Shakers, who inevitably conceded just once and slid to another dispiriting defeat, however the growing mood of gloom and disenchantment seems to be taking over the entire club and one wonders what can be done to stop a slide back to the basement and a return to the misery of the real 4th division.
In my eyes there are several reasons for the situation.
On the playing front Richie Barker had had a decent first full season in charge and had added to the squad with development and nurturing in mind to coax some above potential performances from the kids he'd brought in. Loans have become the way forward for teams at all levels and I'm sure would have supplemented the squad as the early months progressed. We all know what happened in early August and RB's decision was inevitable, even if his timing as bad as his predecessor's.
The impact on the players was more marked this time around. When Knill left they banded together to ride out the crisis to a glorious conclusion, the 8 games remaining had a clear purpose - to end what we started, all for one and one for all etc. However the departure of Barker must have left them with a horrible feeling of deja vu just 15 months on and a full season of uncertainty to aim at.
In the boardroom there was a dual problem, the loss of Mark Catlin was a big blow. He spoke the fans language, knew what needed saying and how to say it. Shakers supporters liked and trusted him and he felt like a big part of the previous 2 year progression. Without him the conduit of information disappeared just when we needed it most. Secondly the decision to give Peter Shirtliff an extended run in charge backfired spectacularly as the team licked it's wounds and retreated, leaderless to the bottom of the table.
On the pitch, as I mentioned above, the team was flat and unable to raise itself. Several players went missing and some have yet to return to anything like the displays they are capable of. Young lads with 2 or 3 seasons experience were now to be leading the side. Recruitment of new players caused occasional sparks of life but little more, returning players raised more questions about wages than contribution, loanees were sometimes inspired, more often shots in the dark.
The appointment of Kevin Blackwell appeared to have steadied the listing ship. A first victory, a run of results to raise us from last place to the dizzy heights of 3rd bottom indicated progress before the PFA loan/ transfer embargo ripped morale to pieces once again. The weather and poor crowds had brought about short term financial problems yet the manager has chosen to use this as a reason to create a them v us mentality within the club, his constant whining about 'you'd better ask them', 'nobody told me' (as if the board can plan the weather) and cursing through post match interviews sounds too much like a man preparing his exit strategy with reputation intact than a motivational tool.
Speaking of motivation, the players brought in by RB needing an arm around and a bit of gentle persuasion were dealt the iron blow of 'mistakes were made preseason', 'I can't even fill a bench' and the latest gem 'what you'd get for their wage wouldn't buy a hat'. Any chance of the young lads getting a game and progressing were torn to pieces as he made clear his views that they wouldn't play under him and it's all someone elses fault.
So where does my hoped for 'New Years Revolution' come from?
Ideally it will come from within. The team need to develop a siege mentality and a few seniors step up, just like they did during the final throws of promotion. They need to become a unit (which is tough when half the team is made of loanees). I would love to see Steve Schumacher, Andy Bishop & Efe Sodje take the lead in this, just like Ryan Lowe did.
I'd love to see the manager backing this action and supporting it, and recognising that sometimes motivation can happen in positive ways rather than simply telling someone they're crap. Moaning through press conferences isn't inspirational for supporters who deserve better. Hopefully the 'them v us' message being portrayed is just a clever way of trying to stimulate some dressing room cohesion, who knows?
The fans have done their bit, dipping into pockets once again to buy into the emergency funding offers, so keep us in the loop. Let us know how it's going, are we close to paying it off and getting back to normal or are we lurching into another financial crisis?
We are going to have to pull together once again. A revolution in thinking at Gigg Lane means getting off the backs of the young kids who have carried the team to where it currently lies. I know that frustration is at simmering point and the expectation of disappointment seems to have replaced the anticipation of hope, however crucifying every mistake will not save the season, no matter how regularly they happen or damaging it is.
Generating some atmosphere in the ground also needs a revolution in thinking, can we please put out own feelings aside and shut the Manchester road end, put visitors in the Cemmy and get closer to the away fans. The recent match v PNE had good banter and increased volume levels to way above the recent norm despite the smaller crowd. Surely this would help the players (both established and loanee) and may encourage the occasional visitor to return to the ground?
Any or all of these requires some leadership. It may salvage the season, it may not. But as even the most committed begin to question their sanity once again it must be time for something to happen? Come on Bury, let's not end the season wishing someone had tried something.
Please Bury FC - Make our new year resolution be to start the revolution. Up the Shakers.
