Id be very worried if i thought Johnson wanted us to perform like that today, but the obvious question is what is he expecting from 1 up front ?
Course he knows what he's doing. As the performances against Chesterfield, Burton and Bradford will testify.
1 sam up front is better than 1 Wilkinson that's for sure. Problem is we haven't many front man attacking options. Could put Marley up top with Winnall which I do think would work better.
What Do I Expect ? Much more than what was on offer today seeing as I made the Trip over the Pennines. Today was Woeful
Yes, your right, we should sack him because those 3 games and 4 points proved it all. Shortermism is the saviours of our club as our recent history will testify. I back the team and LJ just for the record. I will reluctantly live with the current entertainment and performances and will back the club to progress.
I dont blame Johnson when hes forced to make a few changes because of a few cup knocks, it would be a lot worse of course if he actually thought that starting line up was his best one. but i still cant get my head around the 1 up front idea. i tried to stick up for us and look for the positives after last weeks 0-0 with bradford, but another 1 up front line up today with wilkinson as the 1 man, is taking the mick.
So will I but if it continues to persist as like today into the next year, frequently, then Lee Jay will start skating on thin ice.
I don't rate him at all on what I've seen so far. He's built an unbalanced squad, he seems unwilling to play academy lads, he's filled half the team with loanees, his signings are suspect to say the least, we've had 5 league games & in only one have we carried any real goal threat, we don't have any midfielders willing to run beyond the forward even though Hourihane was doing this regularly last year (been coached out of him?), we don't play exciting football, he's built a squad with virtually no experience in it, he's given the captain's armband to a new signing who's about 21 & never played at this level before. I find it all a bit confusing. I've actually met Lee & really liked him as a bloke so would hope he does a great job but I'm yet to be convinced by either his signings or his football. I do really worry about him getting the Stones money if that transfer does happen this summer. I can't help thinking he'd end up over paying for the loanees we've currently got.
A few suggesting that Johnson deserves time & of course I'd agree but when you fill half the team with loanees & stop playing academy lads you'll rightly not get as much time as a manager who's trying to develop a team rather than going for a short term fix.
I'm not fully into the fascination with the loanee issue other than the fact that we have only typically played two at time in the team. In addition I wouldn't be too pleased if we had signed some of them permenantly right now which we could easily have done. Wilkinson for example in my mind hasn't earned a perm contract but we could have been stuck with him on a 3 year deal if people got what they want in perms instead of loans. I think we are using the system wisely right now.
I'm 100% behind him, no doubt about it. However if we keep churning out crap like today, then i will criticise, because it quite frankly wasn't good enough, tired or not. In fact, the 3 players who came in today were woeful, yet they didn't play 120 minutes on Wednesday, so whats their excuse!? Today proved one thing, that we are in desperate need of new recruits. And as for the criticism about loan players, at least we can send them back if they are ****, Wilkinson i'm looking at you.
theres good and bad of course in the loan system. the good thing is you can send back what you dont like. but the bad thing is you could get somebody who looks good during the loan because hes desperate for a move, but ends up being garbage as soon as he puts pen to paper (chris lumsdon springs to mind there).
Regardless of it been a loan or permanent signing we shouldn't be signing a player with the attitude of Wilkinson. He attitude reminds me of Balotelli
The issue for me is why did he sign Wilkinson in the first place? He managed him at Oldham & a lot of us saw him sulking & been an all round bell end when we won away at Oldham a few months back. I want Johnson to show some balls & send him back a bit like Danny did with Kiwomya last season
we weren't world beaters on Wednesday and we aren't hopeless after today. The truth is somewhere in between. We are the same average team that we were last season. We haven't progressed but then again that's hardly surprising given the change of manager which has put us 12 months behind schedule. We have to stick with Johnson at the same time we have to acknowledge he is inexperienced and will make mistakes. Today's team selection was one of those mistakes. I think the negative tactics and formation is winning few friends. we might as well play me up front rather than Wilkinson. A very poor mans Rory Fallon.
I spoke to a number of Oldham fans who I know when we signed Wilkinson. They rated him highly. I don't know what it is with him, but he looks out of his depth from what I have seen so far.