4-0 down with 35 minutes left in a must win survival game at home. Unless we're playing our u15s or our ladies team (it would be understandable) cos our first xi although shite is not THAT bad. Our team is full of experienced reasonable semi-pro players. The manager should be getting better than 4-0 down out of these players. He should have them battling like a cup game at the very least.

Maybe Naismith isn't all that and won't be a manager? This score has alarm bells ringing as to our manager's ability. I know he had pedigree as a player but his football is piss poor and can't even fire up his players which is the most important thing now. Is there any evidence at all that he could get us out of the bottom league with any quality of players? Why is he immune to criticism. Nice guy or not, ex Scotland or not, what has he done to show he's not a clueless manager?

I've been happy to have him as manager, but after today, I'm not so sure. Anyone give any examples of what he's done on the park or tactics that would suggest he'll be good for us?

Naysmith needs time. The writing was on the wall long before he was appointed. We have some awful 'players' who can now spend their Saturday's at their beloved Ibrox.

No point in changing the manager. A massive rebuilding job required from League 2.

Why accept a rebuild in League 2. Staying up and rebuilding will be easier in League 1. We all know what players should be binned but kind of player are we going to attract in league 2!!
I can't see us staying up but if the board think that fans will accept relegation with the promise of whole sale changes they are sadly mistaken. It won't be so easy to lead them up the garden path again. The board seem to be getting a lot of praise for their openness but most of what seems to be coming out is hot air.

Sorry bud, I'm going to have to say it another way as you've not answered my question. Not having a go here. We read on hear loads that he needs time and that we should have faith in him etc etc. My question is, why. What has he specifically shown in any way with his tactics, motivation skills or football that he knows what he's doing and that he could do the business with new players. Can you give me examples of things he's done or shown with these shite players as opposed to saying we should have blind faith in the guy because he played for Everton and Scotland?

I agree change is not good. I want stability and to keep a manager for years but only if he's a manager. He's not been in the job long but we're plummeting to relegation faster now with him and his football and results is shocking.

Happily hear you putting me right and why he is the man and we shouldn't get stability for the coming years with someone else.

It's very difficult for a manager to show his motivational skills, tactics etc when the current players we have at East Fife are utter dross. The players Gary brought in were the only ones available over January and unfortunately haven't impressed all that much.

You can't make a silk purse out a pigs ear, expecting us to be playing decent football when we're almost definitely the worst team in this league is silly. Folk can say that under Aitchison we played decent stuff but most of the time it was in our own half!

I know what you are trying to say and it is hard to defend the manager with the way results have gone. But he did get the team playing well against Rangers recently and the last minute penalty was a cruel blow.

Nothing is going right at Bayview it seems, but one common thread has been prevalent the last few years since we got promoted and that is too much change. You obviously think change is still needed and are willing to try out yet another manager and a whole new bunch of players, although I agree we need to change some players out.

The fans have got to take some share of the blame, as even when the team were mid-table, some were still calling for heads from the board down to the players. It doesn't matter what happens on the pitch, some will always feel the need to complain about something, because they think they know better.

Watch this space after this post!

If garry had been in charge from start we wouldn't be in this mess.

Why ? because every player he has signed was better than the 35 we had signed earlier in season

hear, hear... damage was done on day one!

I personally dont blame the manager its down to players winning individual battles and thats just not happening. I believe his defensive tactics work well as shown against Rangers recently but your hardly gonna win games playing 4-5-1 with Stonie in the hole. Although I encouraged the team till the end it was absolute shite what I seen today.

Let's see it this way, when Gary took over, he inherited wullies team and then won his first two games.

So if you took those results out of the equation Gary's results have actually been worse than atchinsons as we'll as well as the quality of football.

Gary has shown absolutely nothing so far to indicate he has any managerial ability whatsoever.Sad to say ,but he looked like a beaten man on the touchline today,poor tactics,poor players,no fight,no motivation thoroughly depressing stuff.Relegation can be the only outcome from this pathetic bunch.

I have not got into the blame culture so far despite being gutted at the performances and results but today my heart sank when I saw one striker when goals are as rare as rocking horse s--t. The front three are the smallest in the division. Big joe although a bit unpredictable at times was not there to deal with Ayr,s Kevin Kyle.

With hindsight maybe Gary thom should have been at right back and Stevie Campbell, our best defender, in the middle.

Poor penalty decision gave them the initiative, then two howlers killed us off.

We can,t get any lower, can we?

No point of changing manager every few months or we'll always be in this position questioning whether it's his team or his signings etc...we need stability & with Gary we'll get that.

Nobody wants us to go down & I still don't think we will however it wouldn't be a disaster if we do, perhaps we need to cut our losses & admit we're not able to compete at this level at the present & 12months at a lower level will do a lot more for us than struggling at the bottom again next season! I'll go back to the point that many have made before, look what relegation has done for teams like Alloa, Cowdenbeath & Stranraer who are all smaller clubs than us. Regroup & come back strong might well be the way forward whether we like it or not.

Gary knows what is required & will no doubt have his own ideas on the squad going forward. We all know that there's 6/7 players who just don't cut it & Gary will see it too, if not more than us. If we stick with him then no matter what happens we'll be in a better place this time next year.

#monthefife

Ive honestly had about enough this season, Naismith may be the man for the job ,he certainly deserves a chance but he needs rid of the worst bunch of "players" ive ever seen at bayview. I reckon most are blue noses like our feckin chairman and just wanted to see them play.so so so close to not renewing season ticket seat ive held for ten years.bad times at bayview.

Considering last weekend the Ladies first team won 8-0 & the ladies reserve team won 7-0 and so far this weekend all 4 girls teams won with a combined score of 32-0 you need to rethink your statement.

Bearing in mind the result today time would probably be better spent going along to King George tomorrow to watch the Ladies take on Raith Rovers in a friendly.

As always you are defending the indefensible.

1. We are going down. This is one of the worst EF teams I've ever had the misfortune to watch. And that is saying something.
2. We cannot compete at this level? This is the third tier of Scottish football and the standard in this league is piss poor. We are talking about clubs like Stranraer, Forfar, Brechin, Stenny. Are you saying they are just too good for us and the bottom league is where we should be? Because that is what it reads like.
3. If you think we will be down for just 12 months you are deluded. When we go down it will be for a longer period than that for sure.
4. There are more than 6 or 7 seven players who can't cut it. 8 or 9 in that team today and about 14 in our squad.
5. I wish I had your confidence that we will be in a better place this time next year. Unless you think that Annan or Elgin are better places in which case you may have a point.

Never on the field of human conflict was so much owed by so few to so many.

What do you suggest we do? Keep sacking managers if they don't get it right after 3months?

In response to your questions...

1. I agree with you it hasn't be great, far from it & some of the results/performances have been horrible & Gary Naysmith will know that too, he's played at the highest level, I'm sure he can see better than any of us what needs to be done in the summer.

2. At present no we can't compete at this level, due to the same reason as point 1, our squad as a whole simply isn't good enough. Why do we have a right to think we are good enough to stay at this level?

3. Maybe it will be longer than 12 months, maybe it won't? Who knows? I think the latter you obviously disagree.

4. Again it comes down to opinions! I think there is a foundations of a good team somewhere in there. Guys like Campbell, Rutkiewicz, Hughes, Brown, Fisher, Buchanan, Austin are all good players.

5. I could be 100% completely wrong in what I'm saying but ever since we won the title in 2008 we've been making our way through managers like there's no tomorrow & we haven't improved whatsoever apart from a good cup run under Robbo, I just think it's time to do it the other way now & give this manager time, you can't build a successful team on and off the field in a few months, it's an on going process which at the moment starts all over again every 3/4months.

let me start by saying I don't think naysmith should go got to give him time or why appoint him ?

but believer I don't agree that the fans have to take there share of the blame . why ?

because they support a team that does not even average a goal a game and some even still go every week.

some fans are negative that's well known but that's not why we are where we are.

expectations were high maybe too high but this was the way the board came in and promised international players and full time training and coaching during pre season which did not materialise.

the argument that we can rebuild in div 3 is total pish imo people use alloa or cowden as examples but what about albion rovers , queens park , stirling albion and Peterhead all relegated and stayed in div 3 Peterhead with a much bigger budget than we have . that is the most likely option that we will stay there.

I hope we can do it and stay up but when you look at this current team too many don't look up for the fight we concede soft goal after soft goal nothing to do with tactics just too many individual errors.

it hurts to say but I think we will be lucky to make the play offs


and I don't recall us being mid table but I could be wrong and it must have been briefly

Despite the insane Aitchison appointment, the season was salvageable at the time Gary took over.
Look at Sheffield United, who ditched Davie Weir after only 13 games, and now find themselves on a ten game winning streak and in the FA cup semi final. They decided to replace the rookie with the experienced Nigel Clough.
At the time of the change there were options available, Calderwood, Nichol, Cameron, Bollan, Moore were all quoted on here.
Unfortunately the Naysmith appointment hasn't worked out. A bit like Stevie Crawford, maybe too much Mr Nice Guy, who has struggled to move from team mate to manager.
My fear about going down is that the trapdoor opens, and there is no guarantee that East Five won't be the first team to fall through it.

Any thoughts that the team played well against Rangers is an utter delusion. A junior team could have played those tactics and got the same result. Rangers were drab and unmotivated. A 'go at them' attitude would have shaken them badly. What exactly is there to lose by being more adventurous? Goals scored give confidence. And it doesnt half lift the supporters. These not to lose tactics are utter nonsense. Sorry Gary, i gave you praise at the start and really thought there was a big change in the air. Theres a lot of shite going on, but i dont know who exactly is responsible.

He will struggle to attract players to the 3G astroturf in the coming seasons. If Naysmith is not unable to obtain 4G, he must consider leaving.

^^^^^^^^
this is good

IF we go down,theres no way weel come straight back up.It might take years for us to get premotion again,un with this pyrimid systum kickin in next season,teams like us,canny reley on bringing in youngsters,ti build a team,like what Davie Clark done a way back.Its just been a fuckin mess fi start ti finnish un a just hope lessons have been learned,un Gary learns from his mistakes this season.

Some fans have been slagging off all things East Fife for years, irrespective of league position. Baikie was hounded out after gaining promotion the previous season is a prime example, which we ended up finishing mid-table. Several players have also been hounded out in that time as well purely down to those fans.

FYI -
2008/9 = 6th
2009/10 = 7th
2010/11 = 5th
2011/12 = 9th

Felt a bit sorry for the manager yesterday ,although not as sorry as I felt for myself and other fans.He really had to play with more than 1 up front with the wind but no manager can legislate for individual errors.All 5 goals came from comical blunders.I know confidence is low but it's quite beyond me how experienced players can be so feeble.Can't understand why subs weren't made at halftime. We're now in the hands of the players,least they can do is make a fight of it.

It was last season we finished 9th...

Thanks for the correction. I missed out a line so it should be -

2008/9 = 6th
2009/10 = 7th
2010/11 = 5th
2011/12 = 6th
2012/13 = 9th

I think?

sorry but I have to disagree with you on that baikie left after falling out with the board don't think craw wanted to be manager as is shown by his reluctance to go back into management.

robbo was punted by the board and made to look like they were doing him a favour durie left because of health issues that leaves broon who some fans rightly gave pelters but the old board still kept him on so I don't see one manager that the fans have hounded out.

if youre brutally honest 3 quarters of the team have drastically underperformed and that is why we are where we are.

I do agree that some fans are constantly negative and maybe there is no pleasing them but they are in the minority most fife fans will support them no matter what. the fact we still get higher attandences than we got last year proves this.

as the saying goes the league table does not lie you cant be unlucky all season.

lets hope we can improve or its division 3 for us which would be a disaster imo .

Got to say - the East Fife support didnae get on anyone's backs yesterday, even the usual suspects seemed to have listened to Gary. Saying that what other fans of any other club would put up with paying decent money to watch that?

Would say fans took the option of just putting head down and walking out, that wont be happening if they play like that against stranraer or stenny. Last 3 home games must be treated as play-off finals and I wont accept anything less from the players

Whats Div upto the noo ??