I’m so sorry Neil Collins…

I have great sympathy with this view. Quite why the club totally refuses to sign a genuine wide player is utterly mystifying. The head coach is left to plait fog with little or nothing to give him a chance of changing a game. It’s been like this for several seasons now and is becoming extremely irritating.

 

So not signing the wrong players then!?

 

I always think its appropriate to give a new coach a decent run of league games so we can tell if he has the nous to get even the weaker players playing well and to get the team showing up as a unit. Therefore I'm still reserving judgement for 2/3 more games. Doesn't look good at the moment but as I say Ill wait before slagging the coach off.
Also as an aside I dont agree with the constant managerial merry-go-round. There's no consistency. Unless a manager wants to leave (like MLH) the board need to stick with their choice, back him, listen to him on transfers and tactics and give him more than one season. So, although I may be partly contradicting myself I think we probably need to stick with Clarke now even if this season's football is kak most of the time. Might change my mind if they start continually losing and end up being relegated but we do need some long-termism.

 

Is the problem not that you’re talking about long termism and then also saying you’ll give him 2-3 more games before you judge him? Surely a manager needs longer? Especially when he has us in the top 6?

 

I do sound a bit contradictory I know. I think we need some stability and should stick with Clarke now even if some of the football is poor. As long as we dont get relegated keep him for next year and back him to improve things. I'll still call him out in a few games mind if I think the team is kak.
I suppose what Im really saying is I'm really fed up and am desperate for things to get better. So much so that Im talking bollux.

 

There's a reason only time he got out of this division was with Cheltenham.

 

I said before the campaign started Clark screams David Brent. I hope I am wrong.

 

Best way to apologise to Collins is to show you've learnt from it and give Clarke time to establish himself. Or just carry on being the exact same **** you were before, up to you.

 

I have an idea which way it’ll go

 

Some of the possession stats given out in the second half were embarrassing. Stockport at times had 70 or 80 % possession most of it in our defensive half of the field. There Could be one of three reason for that, the players have been told to play like that or they have decided off their own backs to play like that or we are that poor that Stockport were able to control the game and keep us penned in our own half. Whatever the reason it doesn't bode well for the rest of the season given that even our wins this season have been very lucky.

 

It’s way too early to make calls for him to go without sounding anything other than ridiculous.

however I do find the following things a bit worrying:-

1. very disjointed and lack of cohesion
2. Lack of identity and game plan
3. Poor use of substitutions
4. Appears a bit rash at times
5. No movement in midfield
6. Defensively we look very frail and vulnerable
7. Passing is shambolic and which is a consequence of 1,2,5 above

I had hopes that after 3 months or so in charge we would start to see changes to some of the above and positive signs, but I can’t. It might just be me, but it does look a bit worrying.

I think this was illuminating tonight as Stockport were the antithesis of a lot of 1 to 7. Well drilled with a good identity. Arguably the result of a manager been given time, arguably the result of a competent manager (which he is). Perhaps both.

We have a lot of games going up between now and Xmas. I am all one for stability but if nothing has changed by 1st January then perhaps it’s time to ask some questions and start looking around elsewhere so there is a proper contingency plan in place for 1st June 2025

if nothing has changed by 1st June, then that contingency plan should be executed because we should not be on the back foot in this league.

we have had a pretty easy start and should have more points on the board than we have imho. Could easily see us lower mid table by 1st Jan if nothing improves

 

Let's not start this again - we sacked a bloke last season when he got us to the playoffs.

This year, we're 8 games in or whatever it is and we've had a decent start. No more, no less.

We've got to stop this conveyor belt of managers - it doesn't work.

If we've decided to appoint Clarke, back him, and give him 3 seasons at least.

 

Different bloke same outcome.

 

Clarke has to take responsibility of course but like Collins.. do you think they've been helped our hindered by the club recruitment wise..?

 

Definitely hindered. Same weak defence, still no natural left wing back (not one that plays anyway), a shed load of midfielders and no natural goalscorer. Clarke’s tactics and substitutions are definitely questionable though.

 

3 seasons? Maybe 3 transfer windows. Footballs a fickle game if Collins or Clarke turned into prime sir Alex and were poached by a bigger club we wouldn't see them for dust. When it's the other way round I don't see why much loyalty should be shown.

 

On that post it sums my feelings up 100%.
I am still trying to figure out our game plan/ formation .

 

Exactly.

 

But then you get exactly what we have now.. a lottery. Through the peices in the air and see where they land..
Our very foundation is flawed.. our poor recruitment.. I know I bang on about this all the time. But it's fundamental to a club our size.. not to waste our money and resources. Plus being able to pick up talent we can make a few quid on, with others already here to step in and fill any void after the sale (better planning).It can be done look at Brentford Brighton Coventry Luton.. plus others..
The old chestnut is recruitment. Head coaches will come and go so will players football is a transient industry. But you need good recruitment.. that's why Brighton Newcastle Chelsea even Man U now. The head's of recruitment are moving around for a hell of a lot of money.
Recruitment is key.. I'd say that you need to be getting it right 80% of the time.. We for that last few windows have been around 20% at best.. Our recruitment as been dreadful. We don't have one player that would get a start at a average championship side.. We don't have one player who would demand anything like a decent fee.
Sorry to harpe on but.. we ain't going anywhere as a club until our recruitment gets a hell of a lot smarter..

 

Barnsley Fans: I've seen x club have sacked their manager after just 8 games! Football is crazy, madness!

Also Barnsley fans after 8 games: SaCK tHE MAnaGEr!

Some folk on here need to get out more.