joyno update on squad and form etc

[joyno1]

Thought I would come on here to explain some of the things going on with the squad the current form and state of play with injuries etc.

Yes this has been a difficult time and as I always do will not put that down to injuries as we have had them all season and you have to adapt like everyone else does.

However you did need to know some facts we have come through a period of having 14 approaches to our squad of which two players we didn't want to lose Gouldy and calum watts left but the majority have been loyal and could see what we were trying to achieve.

We also have put in place a testing policy for Covid which had meant several players prior to games have then not been available, you can argue the toss on those merits but as a club and team we believe we are following the right and professional way, which it is obvious to me other clubs are not doing this.

This has meant if we look at yesterday we had know Jimmy smith, lewis Clark, joe Bedford who has been poorly to say the least, on top of this we had no mitch and darky and had only just got back Melaugh, paxman and akins covid issues and not 100%.

We also had Ryan sammons with a fitness test due to tight hamstring Geoffrey with a sprained ankle and macca playing with a cracked rib which he has manged to do so for a few weeks all these aspects we have to deal with so when people say the boys do not give 100% they need to know the facts the players are going through the pain barrier for there teammates and the club to keep us up the top ends of the league. 

This is not excuses but the facts.

We still have the second best defensive record in the league so the boys at the back have been doing there jobs most weeks but when you lose clarky and the likes of jimmy Mitch etc its the spine of your team and difficult to replace.

we also had a good combination down the left with macca and gouldy both working well and the loss of gouldy has certainly made it more difficult with his hard work off the ball missed as well as creativity.

I still believe in the group and yes I know we are fighting above our weight but I also believe we still have a chance of putting things right when we get these players back.

The biggest priority is our attacking play and creativity which we have stopped doing the right things and simplifying our game and being calmer in the final third and that is what needs fixing most of all.

I do believe in the attacking players we have but getting jimmy, mitch and clarky back will help massively but that's not to say if I can get another striker or attacking player to help us I will do so, but only within our financial parameters.

Again I thank you the supporters the heart beat of the club for sticking with us this is the time we need to stick together as a team and bounce back as soon as we can.

I hope this gives some clarity of some of the stuff I and the team are dealing with thanks JOYNO     

[coops]

Joyno
I think that it was very important for you to let the fans know of the current situation. The frustrating thing from my point of view is that we have played Aveley, Canvey and then Brentwood who had their full side to chose from so either all three of those sides are very lucky not to have any covid cases OR as I would imagine, they are not testing in case of a positive test. I cannot believe that with the huge numbers Nationally, of people catching it and the figures Gray's players have suffered through COVID other clubs do not have one case !!. I know which team I would be more happy to be associated with.

It is difficult for me as a past manager to make comment on performances and I won't do that other than to say that when the squad is back together again and fully fit / or healthy, I am sure there will be an upsurge in results and performances because like many fans have said, we were at the top of the league for a while so why are we not doing better now. The simple fact is that the squad does not have the strength in depth as other teams do due to the budgets that they have, not what we have because the committee have really invested as much as was possible this term and we could see at the Start of the season that you don't necessarily need the big bucks to get a good side, but what it does provide is the strength in depth.

I left my role as manager because of other opportunities that I needed to explore and have only missed literally a handful of games since. Why ? because I am a supporter of Gray's and like you all, I want what is best for the club, so please let's continue to get behind the boy's like we have done, Look forward to seeing JC out from his hospital bed banging a drum or the in stands behind the goal and look forward to what I believe is a good opportunity to make the play offs. Joyno and Flinty are a bloody good combination and will get it right.

[flintstone]

THANK YOU JOYNO FOR TELLING US WHATS GOING ON SOM PEAPLE DO NOT UNDER STAND I NO IT IS HARD TO PLEASE PEAPLE AS THEY DIO NOT NO HOW THINGS AR BUT THAT IS FOOTBALL,BUT I AM SURE IT WILL TURN IT WILL COME BACK TO THE WINING WAYS

[gazza56]

Thanks for the update.As usual the fans see things and wonder why the management can't see it .We don't always know the full story and wonder what the hell is happening and get frustrated with substitutions.Football for spectators can be hair pulling at times but it must be worse for managers who know the full story.

[ForeverBlue]

How refreshing to get a manager's perspective without the usual whinging and whining we see on the TV or read in the press........

In fact, to get not just one manager's view, but two, with Jim chipping in with some pearls of wisdom from his vast experience, too!

We all share the disappointment, but we also all know that the club is trying to do things in the right fashion. Perhaps the pressure is a little different for us, because we know we have to work under a different financial regime to 17 of the other clubs in the division who have their own facilities from which to generate the money needed to pay for their running costs. Romford and ourselves have been homeless for more years than we wish to recall and we just do the best we can, while Hashtag are too new to even think about it with backing that allows them to compete, for the time being anyway.

Covid has impacted in many different ways, all of which pale into insignificance compared to the loss of family and friends to the dreadful disease. A sense of perspective is important as we look to build a new future.

The board of directors of your club want 2022 to be the year of action when the Council match their words of support with action to help us become a true community football club with a facility of which we can all be proud. Only time will tell if the desire is there to help, but the clock is ticking....

[midlandblue]

thanks for the update and insight to the squad, Having like many suffered with Covid i thinks that the stance we are taking to protect our guys as much as possible is the right way to go, after all they are human at the end of the day and have other jobs / commitments as we all know.

Results of late may have been disappointing but we all have blips like these no matter what club you play or support.
The budget that we have compared to others in the league may be miles apart but they dont have the spirit and heart (oh and me) that Grays do!

Only as good as ur last game as they say so lets go out and smash the next one!