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He's beaten me to it with these comments. I've been reading the reports (thanks Nige)and comments from fellow posters thinking, "Oh no, not again".
These variations in results and in game management are becoming ridiculously inconsistent.
How can we go from last week against Blackheath where we gave what sounds like probably our best performance all season, to last weekend where we let an "also ran" team like Maccelesfield (no disrespect to them) come back to win against an inability to close out our winning position?
I agree with those who feel that this is not about money. Surely the Blackheath perfpormance proved that?
I equally agree with those who feel that this is about motivation, will to win, commitment, desire. Some of the comments from those at the Macc game clearly identify that Macc wanted it more than Cov. That's shameful.
Cov's future is clearly going to be in NL1 for as long as this complacent attitude prevails. As someone else on this board said, maybe the Chairman needs to re-plan the future for Cov, because any ambition that the board may have is obviously not shared by the players.

The money the club has generated and invested should be sufficient to enable us to escape from NL1, but it is patently not enough to ensure further promotion, even with the money available in the Championship. We need someone with very deep pockets to gain promotion to the Premiership [u]and stay there[u].

we just dont learn from our mistakes and what happens when x or y happens. Macc was a team that offerred nothing to worry us at all.Thats why as a supporter watching the 2nd half was just mind numbing and just left you scaratching your head.The game was so there for killing off it, glaring everyone in the face...but we didnt.

You're right, Roger, promotion to the Premiership will demand a very large injection of cash and a benefactor who will make a long term commitment to Cov. But having said that, it's a scenario which is in the future by at least five years, so it's not something which should be causing a great deal of heart searching at the moment.
Much more importantly our concerns should be relative to our present situation. We clearly have no hope of promotion this season. What about next season? Who knows. The worrying thing is that the tedious inconsistency of our play means that we have little hope of getting out of NL1 next season either.
In an earlier post I described Macclesfield as an "also ran" team. I regret to say that we would have to classify Cov in a similar vein. We are nowhere near the Ealing Tf's of this world in terms of consistency and therefore of results. It would be fearfully embarrasing for us to get promoted back into the Championship as things stand.
Yes, we would need money to back up any prospects of promotion and then of retaining a place in the Championship and then the Premiership.But without commitment, motivation, will to win, desire to succeed, etc, we'll never stand a chance of getting out of NL1.

Sorry to be quite so 'vocal' but last weekend really got to me.

Any talk of premiership rugby in 5/10/15 years is laughable if last weekend is to go by.

By contrast, if the Blackheath display could be replicated, week on week, then a realistic promotion challenge is very possible next season. THE TEAM WAS ESSENTIALLY THE SAME PLAYERS!

This is all in the players heads, it is not about money, it is about them and their own pride and self worth.

There is also the issue of the size of the squad. Too big and alienation will inevitably occur. My inclination would be for a small, tight, well paid squad and if injuries mount go after the local clubs best.

If money really motivates then small basic plus win bonus?

Macclesfield were desperate to win, Coventry were not. That was the dfference and that difference needs to be eliminated. I would now be thinking about next seasons personnel and building around them?

5 years would be a conservative estimate in my view. The whole structure of the club, including the stadium, would need to be put on a hugely different financial footing.

Why wait till the closed season for change - nothing is to be won this season so change now and prepare for next season! We have not moved forward in 2 years on the pitch but players wages and squad expenditure has increased this season. Enough excuses. We have a progressive Academy, and the best ground in this league to cater for Championship rugby, but won't get there on current performance, so whom must take that responsibility?

Unfortunately a lot of the players are young and inexperienced. They are not mature enough to have a plan B or just to keep it in the pack and hold out for a win which has been seen time and time again throughout the season. With so many young players there is often a lack of leadership - Matt P has been one of the most consistent and vocal players of the season, he came off and things went to pot.

I wasn't at the game but surely taking off Price and Herrington (ex Captain) wasn't the best managerial move?

when you have pulled a guy back from london irish..the pressure is on to play him...similiar with the captain on the bench..certainly very difficult not to put them on.At the end of the gam have to say once maynard had spoken to the players he returned to the dugout and never moved or spoke/acknowledged anyone for a very ,very long time and looked as miserable as sin.

Just Rugby. That was Cov in their heyday in the Fifties. Take it into the forwards, grind em down, and then let the threes go. And that was after some of them worked on Saturday morning and had a liquid lunch.

Indeed it was essentially the same group of players who performed so poorly and lost against Macclesfield as those who performed so well and with such authority and game management at Blackheath.
So where's the problem? It clearly isn't money. Equally clearly it's the players' attitude.
My concern is that, despite all the familiar pre-season hype, hope, and optimism, we haven't actually moved forward at all. It isn't rocket science to look back over recent seasons and realise that we are stuck in the same position of "also-rans" with no progress being made and of us doing little more than going through the motions.
Is it acceptable that with the financial stability which our Chairman and his board have been able to achieve, the team should perform so erratically and inconsistently, to the point of not actually achieving anything and of making no progress?

as i stated on the macc.game thread we signed players from a higher level at a cost to push for promotion,why have they come to cov for the money or were they not good enough to stay in the higher level.we have a large squad but the team seems to stay the same,as we have had 1 win in the last 5 games it would be nice to see some of the players who kept cov in national 1 last year given a chance instead of being out on loan.or maybe the coaching staff dont have the ability to get the best out of the players available

Lets not be too hard on them, I have been guilty of it but I have come to realise that at this level, the only constant is inconsistent play from all but the top team.

I have been impatient and critical, but it doesn't help. I think we will be at this level unless a rich benefactor turns up with pockets full of money.

We might be lucky and have a season which gains the momentum to take us up, but look at Jersey, with all their clout, they are having a real fight to stay up there.

Its a tough world and rugby is no different.

My goodness, ck53, you're going really soft in your old age.
I have to say though, I like your more rational arguements which are thought out rather than being vitriolic.
You know what they say - "strengthen your arguement, not your voice".

well done to everyone for their well thought out arguments and discussions to at least to get to the bottom of the problems on the field this season.I think everyone has been frustrated by the lack of consistency and as others have pointed out a consistent winning run can propel teams up the league even if not vying for promotion.

tom little

I think if you look at the teams that have been promoted in this league since we arrived, they have all been "big money" teams.London Scottish seem to be holding their own in the Championship, Jersey on the other hand are nothing special. Money has a big part to play in any level of sport, just look back to Rugby Lions last season and OK they have now gone bust but they attracted players and coaches based on promises of money? I think the fact that teams have been together for a couple of seasons also helps, and next season will be the first where Cov have a number of players coming back to play? This years leaders Ealing have had a consistent side for the last two seasons and that must aid them in both selection and confidence. Cov need that confidence but not complacency to give every team respect and play out 80 mins.Inetersting to see how we get on against Esher this week and then the closing weeks of the season, some hard games to come for sure!
COME ON COV

I think you might be a bit premature about next season Yozza. To my knowledge only three players have signed on for next season and experience shows that a contract is not worth the paper it's wrimtten on. If a player in his second year is offered a job elsewhere, he will just up sticks and go, and believe it or not the Club will wish him the best. I'll believe the next season's squad on the first day of next season, not before. This is not a criticism of the Club Management, more an expression of sympathy, for what they have to manage. It's the modern game and modern principles.

It is going to be an interesting league next season with currently Stourbridge coming back up, Worthing in prime position in the south division or Henley who have a game in hand,plus the result of a play off for the third place.Currently it looks like cambridge and Sedgley park for the drop wand then between Maccesfield and Wharfedale for the third spot.
Promoted should be ealing to be replaced by either jersey or Doncaster.
Either way the expected additions to this league are expected to have more means than the three teams relegated.

Isn't there a number of players on two year contracts as well? I remember Luke Myring is, and am sure a few others are as well. So they will be back for the second year (hopefully).

Horrible to say, but I kind of hope Jersey come down as its a much nicer place to visit than Doncaster!

no cow pie in jersey