Four subs. We've only got four subs

Last updated : 25 February 2008 By Michael Morris
The manager explained that the looming court case means his hands are tied and there's no chance of extra recruitments. Jones would not name a youngster in the squad but instead just named four instead of five substitutes.

"I could only name four subs because that is all we have got. I can't put a 15-year-old or 16-year-old out there who is not ready," said Jones.

"We still had 11 fit players on the pitch and those 11 fit players should have done better than they did.

"It is the situation we are in until they sort out the court case. We can only get on with it and that is what we are doing.

"Four subs on the bench did not cost me the result today."

It's difficult to know exactly what's going on but the dramatic arrest in City's league fortune during February makes you wonder if the brakes have been applied and we are already settling for a mid table finish with the resources we have rather than making an effort for the play offs.

Ridsdale with his "It'll be a miracle if we make the plays off"s" comments, and Jones with his "Ninian Park is an embarrassment" comments added to just one point collected from the last 12 available just about sums up a miserable month of league football for City supporters to stomach and just about declares that we are not interested in a promotion push at the moment.

The FA Cup run is great and realistically the season will be a good one of we finish top half and look back at a last 16 League Cup run and a last 8 (or better) FA Cup run. But we have a first team that have proved they can compete with any team in this division and it's disappointing to see other sides improve their squads (even just with loan players) and are making serious efforts at getting promoted.

Is there any wonder we can only attract 15,000 for an FA Cup 5th round tie and approx 12 or 13,000 for league games when we see a threadbare squad / club that lacks ambition.

Over the last 12 months the club have brought in a lot of money from player sales and lately the cup runs but none of it has gone back into improving the squad. To the point now of not having enough players for a matchday 16. That can't be right.

The stadium is coming on, the court case is causing problems. Yes we know but when do we get some sort of future plan or positive comments that we actually want to progress as a football club?

It begs the question "Where has the money gone?" Are we having to overspend on the ground? Are we actually paying off some of the Langston debt? Do we bank in a black hole?

Extra revenue coming in, nothing being spent on players and continual comments that we haven't got two pennies to rub together. Unless we are making a significant effort to clear our debts it doesn't add up.