I don’t know what’s been more embarrassing. The hysteria on this thread in the first half, or the absolute silence in the second.
They don't even wait till we've lost or drawn these days. As soon as we go behind they start with the abuse, then if we turn it around like today, the silence is deafening.
The board should buy Clarke some of those big, red oversized shoes, buy him one of those lapel flowers that squirts water at you then they should give him an electric shock handshaker for when he thanks the opposition manager after the game. Then, they need to back him in January and try and help him build the team. He shouldn't be sacked. He should be supported. His team is playing better football than Collins' team even though its arguably weaker and Collins had 40 games!
I don't think he is doing a bad job, but it seems ridiculous to me that it has taken so long for him to give Nwakali a start.
Stand by what I say Clarke is nothing special and will be lucky to finish the season considering the home form,I hope for his sake he proves me wrong but doubt he will
Had we lost today there’d be clamour for his head - and I’ll caveat here that I don’t necessarily think he is that good as a manager - but the issues in the team and at the club don’t lie at his feet and never did. He doesn’t deserve to lose his job - it isn’t his fault he was brought here and he’s done a fair job, if not spectacular, with the tools he has been given. Pun intended. We need to tip-toe to new year, get as many points as we can, and address the squad as early in January as possible. The issue being, we know for a fact that we won’t do it early in January - if we even bring in what we need at all, it’ll be last minute.com and cheap. We have better players in a lot of positions than most of the rest of the division. The problem is we don’t have them everywhere, lacking quality and even numbers in some positions - and are oversubscribed in others. The imbalance, the failure to bring in a further left sided player and a couple of centre forwards - even one - it’s so poor and that is not the fault of the head coach. The fact we have a keeper and centre mid on loan from the premier league, neither of which good enough to usurp the players we already had here (in Slonina’s case he shouldn’t have been played as long as he was and the injury if anything a blessing), why did we do that business? Why was the summer budget blown at the last minute on a player we’d chased all summer who doesn’t fit into the system we play (and on most viewings isn’t all that great anyway)? I don’t want them to risk the club, I don’t want them to spend what we can’t - but there are players in the squad we are paying a wage to for little gain. If some of these players can be found alternate homes they should go. I even advocate cashing in an ‘asset’ - by which I mean Connell or Phillips - next month if it generates funds to balance the squad. They are the two that seem most likely to attract interest from buyers. I’d like to keep both but if one has to be sacrificed to strengthen up top, so be it. One of the right wing backs needs to go as we have three - I’m led to believe Barry is in talks elsewhere already. If he stays, Kyran Lofthouse maybe. A left sided player needs to come into the club in return. Craig and Slonina need to go back to their clubs. I’m sure both clubs will look to do that if only to get them elsewhere for the second half of the season. Pointless them being here. I’d cancel Shepherd’s loan to Bradford on 1 January - he can go out again at the end of the month (if the club see fit) once Earl is back from injury, assuming he’s back before the end of the window. There’s also plenty of other fat we can trim. Marsh isn’t going to make it. Benson should be let go as well. The problem being who wants them? There’s a lot needs doing. It’s a big ask to do so in one month. It won’t be. But a start needs to be made.
Nwakali is a richer man's Connell, or Craig, or Benson, or Russell. And given his finish today , probably a richer man's Phillips too. None of them can run at a man and beat him though. That's our big problem when it comes to being a proper force in this league. Plus both wing backs of course.
He's made starts since October. Huddersfield and Doncaster from memory, I'm sure there's been others (Bristol Rovers in the cup?). I imagine his lack of a preseason has meant he's had to be introduced slowly.