I think of Brian Clough at times like this and partially agree. Words to the effect of when you sack a manager, the chairman that employed him should also be sacked. I only partially agree with that, but these owners have had two strikes* on their last two choices. * More strikes than an entire team
I don't think we have improved defensively personally, despite him saying that was his starting point. And he didn't give Sibbick a chance to see how he could play in a game.
I do think he got it more or less right tonight. After months of playing with a weak midfield he finally played Styles, Gomes, Benson, Quina and Vita in the middle and it showed. He's not a lucky manager though. A sucker punch goal to concede, some poor finishing and a perfectly good goal ruled out. I've been giving Poya some slack due to the cards he has been dealt, a midfield that gave the ball away every single time (how do you prepare for professionals doing that?) and the players that have been unavailable. We can see what he's like now. The new lads look promising. Can he change things around?
Was going to be 7th but one of the owners had to pull out so now the window has closed they'll sort out a new date.
No point sacking him now. But maybe switch him to assistant or u23s coach and put Devaney in charge. Most important thing now is to manage the development of marsh, ackroyd, Wolfe and any others that might come through. Never known a season like it. Has the club got a single thing right?
Genuine question Gally - do you think they are attaching the importance to this that they should be if a date hasn't even been agreed yet?
I'd like to know the total cost of the payment to Hartberg to release Schopp, Schopp's salary, Schopp's pay-off, the payment to the Swedish FA to release Poya, Poya's salary and the inevitable Poya pay-off whether it be now or at the end of the season (I'd leave it until then just through resigned apathy at our fate this season and no faith in the owners to make the right choice next time). I'm pretty darned sure that when you add all that little lot up it would dwarf the cost of bringing in a Ryan Lowe or Neil Critchley type of manager who knows the English game. I'm too tired and angry to go into the detail that I'd like to on the player analogy but suffice it to say that this false economy is BFC under this lot of owners in a microcosm. The dogmatic spreadsheet approach that results in multiple Patrick Schmidt 'punts' is at least as costly and probably much more so than a couple of decent experienced players who can cut it at this level - and infinitely less effective. We have to get back to a blend of our own youngsters (the Watson, Eaden, Liddell, Jones and Moses of the promotion team for example), some determined lower division talent (the Davis, Sheridan, Bullock, Appleby group), combined with a few players at or near the peak of their talents (the De Zeeuw, Redfearn, Marcelle and Bozancics) and some still hungry experienced campaigners to glue it all together (Thompson, Wilkinson, Hendrie). It makes me sick to think that even if we were offered the modern-day equivalent of Tommo, Wilko and Super John on frees and with affordable salaries we'd turn them down due to the owners' idiotic metrics. Bottom line for me is that we have to get back to building a team and not a Poundland trading post.
What worried me was our previous coaches(except Schopp) were up and down encouraging the lads whilst Ashbagi stood there impassive in complete contrast to Stendel and Ishmael who kicked every ball and showed passion. It isn't inspiring to fans and players I suspect. FFS man show us some passion and desire to win!!
We probably need a minimum of 10 wins in 18 games. We've won one in the last 26. Can we stay up? Surely nobody believes we can.
I said this watching the game. You could be the most intelligent football manager on Earth, but if you can't inspire the players it's an uphill battle.