Down! Down! Down!

By: Bill Osborne
Date: 09/05/2004

"If we were to tell the truth, we were not even good enough to beat 10 men" said John Tondeur today after Town crashed into the third Division.

But as his colleague David Burns said; "We have seen it coming all season."

14 years since we were in the third division but we will have to get used to it. On this season's showing, we will be there for a long time. If we are lucky.

Three relegations is not impossible unless someone sorts the club out.

There needs now to be changes. From top to bottom. The directors have certainly done their best in keeping the club afloat. Despite the criticism of them from all quarters, they at least, have held their ground. Pettiness is rank throughout the club and there is no person there who either understands it or cares.

There appears to be no control or supervision. Customer service is not something everyone understands. Customer service goes further than the commercial and PR department. It must be a culture in the club not someone's job.

That complacency has shown itself in the dressing room, on the field and even in the managers office. We saw that when Groves got the sack and Rodger was allowed to stay.

Very rarely has any manager in the last three years taken action against players by dropping them when they have failed to perform. No discipline (I know it is is easy to say that when the manager has little to replace them with.)

But I suppose we have to expect that, with the financial situation as it is. But now is a good opportunity to get it right.

No tears. We have been relegated. Accept it and get on with ensuring that the trend does not continue and we finish up playing Dartmoor Rangers in the Conference after next season.

Those 2,000 fans who went to Tranmere deserve that much.

They played their part today, the rest is up to the club.

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