Sort it out because it's getting increasingly difficult defending you and I don't relish the prospect of having to feight everyone in the Ponty end. I know it's not your fault when four experienced defenders **** up so badly, but it is your fault that we played central defenders at full back and asked them to do the attacking down the flanks. I'm fine with that defence, it looked solid as a rock before tonight and they shouldn't be conceding the goals they did, I don't blame you for selecting them or the goals they conceded, but you can't expect them to be your attacking outlet. They need wide players in front of them. I also know it's not your fault that Jennings is pretty much a waste of space, but you played Lalkovic and Hourihane in the wide areas against Oldham and they both did a very good job. I have no idea where either were supposed to be playing yesterday, but it rendered them both impotent. Credit to Fleetwood, they worked hard and deserved their victory. I don't expect us to win every week. I know we've got young players, I know we'll be inconsistent. I've seen us lose a number of times this season and had no complaints at all, we've just been beaten by better teams on the day who are a few years ahead of us in terms of recruitment. I don't expect us to beat 'the likes of' Fleetwood. They've every right to be in this division and shouldn't be thought of as an inferior club. But with the best will in the world, they're not the greatest side in this league and if they're going to leave Oakwell with all three points it should be because they've defended like Trojans and put a shift in that would make a work horse proud. The fact of the matter is they could pretty much go through the motions in that second half because we didn't put them under any pressure at all and I'm struggling to recall an effort on goal. That's not good enough Danny. We've no divine right to beat teams. It's not a case of 'we should be beating Fleetwood'. But we should be making it a hell of a lot more difficult for the opposition than we did last night. To be fair, in most games I've seen this season, we have, but last night fell a long way short. I don't like seeing us lose, but I understand the situation as it stands and know we're not yet in a position to put together a squad that will win every week. I don't like seeing us play badly, but I know that if by some miracle we had recruited a squad of players who could perform every week, they would have all been nicked from us in January. Inconsistency at this level should be taken as read. I do, however, have a problem when the team looks completely devoid of ideas. We have players in the squad and on the field who, if utilised differently, wouldn't necessarily have beaten Fleetwood, but would have given them a much tougher game. Sort it out Danny lad. I shouldn't have to say this, but for those who see the world in black and white, offering criticism after a poor performance doesn't mean I now want the manager out.
He's not going to sort it out, we are on a downward spiral with this clown in charge. Time for a change.
Agree entirely. My biggest concern was the lack of any f.cking obvious structure or way of doing things yesterday - we just seemed clueless. He'll sort it because he's got to.
Re: What did I tell you ? Why the **** you'd change a system that worked v Oldham I don't know. Oldham's left back had to be taken off cos Lalkovic had pillocked him so much, last night their wide men just ambled about without any of ours near them. Why he feels the need to overcomplicate things or try formations that don't suit the personnel **** knows. Donny did Crawley 5-0 last night, whilst Crawley will be keen to avoid that on Saturday it'll be interesting to see how we set up.
Yup. I'm not sure I could ever defend the system we played last night, I don't know what it was so I'd be hard pressed, but it wasn't the only problem. There were a significant number of players who just didn't want the ball and didn't help out their team mates. I don't know why that should be, our away form has been crap, but we've barely conceded a goal at home recently and haven't come close to losing, so their confidence should have been sky high. It was anything but.
We've got what must be the highest paid back four in the division and they looked like they'd never played a game of football before. Absolutely embarrassing. At one point last night I was absolutely convinced Danny was making subs just to take the piss out of every single one of us in the ground. But, like you, it doesn't mean I want him sacked. I want him to sort it out.
Re: What did I tell you ? This week BetVictor were running a promotion where if you bet £1 on a football game they gave you a £10 free bet. I put a quid on us to win and just looked for some good odds in our division to put the tenner on. Crawley were almost 4-1 to win at home. I know Crawley are ****, but so are Donny and I thought those were ridiculous odds for a home team, so that's where my tenner went. That's how good at predicting results I am. Dunno why Wilson changed the Oldham set-up. I can sort of understand it for the away game, without necessarily agreeing with it, but last night he went back to the exact same team but had them all playing in different positions. Baffling.
Seemed weird not to sub Hemmings has he hadn't touvhed the ball for about 75 minutes. Needs sorting and quick. The way we played last night reminded me of the last days of Flicker, disjointed, passionless and without a plan or a clue.
I think his treatment of Hemmings is admirable. He obviously rates him & thinks he'll do well but last night it almost got poisonous. Starting to remind me of Hill with Wiseman. And we had Leroy f.cking Lita on the bench.
Im honestly amazed he's last this long and that there's still a modicum of goodwill left towards him. His record is truly woeful, we went down with a wimper, one of the longest run of defeats in memory, he set his stall out to play our way out of League 1 which hasnt worked then completely changed tact from bringing in promising lower league players to panicing in the loan market, he's had more scope to bring players in than any manager in the last god knows how long and we have no discernable formation, playing style or consistent tactic. Its a complete mess and the cold hard facts are the dream is over, he's on borrowed time and the sooner Patrick bites the bullet and starts the search again the better. The argument about sacking too many managers simply isnt worth risking throwing any more time and money at, he's had more than enough opportunity and the dream is now over. At least we can look back and say we tried to relive the past and it hasnt worked.
Hemmings might come good, might not. I've seen players who have looked worse than him in their first season who have gone on to be great. But right now he isn't doing it. We still need points on the board before we start picking players to get them up to speed for next season.
I enjoyed reading your post, as per, old mate. I especially like the aggressive you I saw last night! But I especially back this final sentence of yours.
I can't explain my feelings on the situation right now I want Danny to work things out. I want him to be in this for the long haul. I want there to be a plan. We've sacked too many managers in recent years, but Danny is right up there with some of them at the minute with his baffling team selections, tactics, and substitutions. But after the last two games I'm not sure I can defend him any longer. It's fair to say that the majority on the BBS didn't go to Swindon away (we only took 250+ so not a dig at anyone), but that was just as bad if not worse than last night. At least last night we had the ball, the issue was not knowing what to do with it, not wanting it, or just not being very good with it. The Swindon set up and performance actually still annoys me more. What do we do in training every week, because what ever it is it definitely isn't working. Are the players refusing to follow his instructions? We don't move for the ball, only Pearson, Scowen and Waring seem to actually want the ball, and when a wide player gets the ball we do our upmost to run as far away from said player as possible. Poor George Smith last night, not only covering two positions, but having zero support. He persists with a striker who simply isn't good enough in Hemmings. I can only assume last night he wasn't taken off to save him from the chorus of boos that would have echoed around the ground? I know people say they see something in him, but I honestly don't know what that is. He's powderpuff, doesn't have a striker's instinct, and generally doesn't work hard enough for someone who doesn't appear to have natural ability. More moves break down because he's involved than any other player, including our defenders. I also can't work out the formation last night, but Pearson for the first 70 minutes was the best player on the pich by a country mile, until Kiwomya came on and Pearson started playing a wide right role. He then vanished for the rest of the game. That was Wilson's doing. He alone changed the system to make the best player on the pitch disappear. We say we've got a long term strategy, but I can't see one forming anymore. A strategy usually involves working hard at getting something right that will benefit you in the long term. We chop and change so often, I don't see what we're getting from each performance that will help in the long term. If Hemmings' performances are anything to go by, then there is no long term stategy as for the third home game in a row he wasn't good enough. I love Danny, not just for the mid 90's era, but because I've seen some of the other teams he's managed play exciting, attractive, winning football (Bristol, Sheff Utd, MK Dons). But this version doesn't seem the same. I'm a bit calmer this morning than last night, but I still struggle to see how we can keep defending him. As a side note on Hourihane. He's got a talented left foot, and granted he's out of form, but just generally as a footballer how poor does he look when playing alongside Pearson and Scowen? And I'm not talking about his position, just general ability on the ball, ability on the ball, his speed when trying to pass and move. Pearson and Scowen could be the best central midfield pairing in this division.
Sorry but Wilson is leading the club into the Wilderness. People have their right still to support him although it will become extremely difficult as things spiral from one crisis to another.
I see things differently to you with regards to the manager. Nothing wrong with that. Just because someone holds an alternative viewpoint to me doesn't mean that either are right or wrong. It doesn't mean either is more passionate or care more about the club. It doesn't mean either is a 'better' fan. It doesn't justify personal abuse being levelled at someone with an opposing opinion. It doesn't mean one side is more knowledgeable about the game. It simply means some interpret the situation, and how to move the club forward, differently to others.
When discussing the many who disagree with me on a great variety of subjects, I like you more than anyone else. Sorry.
