If Collins had approached games the way he did last night, getting the ball forward quicker, then I'd be more prepared to cut him some slack. Most games though have been a painful watch and the slow tippy tappy approach, especially at home, has cost us dearly. We'll most likely be going into the Northampton game needing to win to get 6th. From where we were a few short weeks ago that's some collapse. Devon Loch esque.....
Well, looking at the results since, you would have to say yes. Our form since that point has been relegation form. The cracks were there for some to see, papered over by heroics from the likes of Roberts and Cole, that disappeared, so all the frailties began to severely cost us. If we'd have changed HC, the worst thing that could've happened was nothing at all. Or we could've actually kicked on and changed our approach and become the side that we're more than capable of being. The entire side looks shot to pieces confidence-wise, timid and wary. The opposition senses it and presses us relentlessly, increasing the panic throughout the defence and midfield, so we get the tippy tap stuff around the back, followed by a huge lump to nobody. Bottom line for me is that Collins simply isn't good enough. I take no pleasure in it whatsoever, and saying "I told you so" is crass, but I have made these same points for months.
We have conceded goals this season as we sold or failed to hang onto our entire backline and goalkeeper only for them to be replaced by inferior players who are struggling to get game time at the clubs they are loaned out to. Roberts set off well but has been unimpressive in recent matches after returning from injury( and now appears glued to his goal line). I felt we were not good enough for the top 2 with our home results,much earlier in the season, but never expected this catastrophic fall in form which means we are struggling even to stay in the top six.
I agree with you as we stand now, but that's not the same scenario. Someone said he should have been sacked 11 games ago, when 11 games ago, no one in their right mind would have sacked him given where we were in the league. It's like saying Sheffield United should have sacked Paul Heckingbottom when they got promoted, on the basis that 3 months later they were at the bottom of the PL.
I fully get that our defenders are a lot worse than last season but a good coach would get the best out of them and find a set up that works. Someone on here pointed out how Gary Monk set up a poor Cambridge side to make life difficult for us and they didn’t just sit back either. He’s stuck rigidly to the same system all season and opposition coaches know our weaknesses and target them. Pretty unforgivable really….
At the risk of expressing an opinion as ignorant as most I read on this forum (yours excepted of course ), I’m in very little doubt that Devaney is not up to it .
I think what will determine NC’ fate is what happens next week. Blackpool away? Nope. season ticket sales my guess is that will be down significantly and whilst I think there is cogency to the argument that he’s done well with a poorly dealt hand, there is also validity to the argument that the football is one dimensional, slow and predictable. that creates a big problem for him. It’s palatable when we are winning but you don’t get cut a great deal of slack when the results don’t come. He would also be an easy scapegoat to cover up erratic recruitment so whilst capitulations against Blackpool and Northampton and 7th would be failure, I doubt they would be sackable offences if there was a buzz and tickets were selling well. However, I very much doubt they will be, which could be his undoing. Money talks, and that’s our main source of income. Whilst I found Portsmouth hugely frustrating, on reflection I saw enough to tell me that two performances like that, and we will have enough to qualify for the play offs. Then, I would then be pleasantly surprised if we win them, but as last season showed…..it’s a total lottery and one that is not beyond us. COYR
As others have said Collins isn’t to blame for every element of our current malaise. Average recruitment, some ill injury luck with Connell and Pines certainly played their part. When you play one dimensional attritional football the only thing that can save you is results. Once they are gone you are sat there in the emperors new clothes and that’s where Collins finds himself. Vulnerable and exposed so I’d go with promotion as the only thing that can save him at least in part because season ticket sales are likely to fall off a cliff faced with another season of this or worse.
Yeah I never fancied us v Bolton to be honest. I knew we wouldn't beat Wednesday but thought we might have beaten Peterborough. My heart sank when Wednesday made the final. As for this season. I still wouldn't want to meet Bolton or Derby in the Play-Offs. So that leaves Peterborough. What will be, will be.