I think he is doing OK. Squad is far weaker that 2 seasons ago under Duff and wasnt improved in the summer. McAtee and Cole not adequately replaced. Arguably DKD for McAtee but no one for Cole. Its hard to make direct comparisons with MLH given the fact that the defence and attack were significantly better 2 years ago. Id still prefer Duff but not by a huge margin He is most definitely better than Collins in my view, The football is far better to watch most weeks than the stuff we had to watch last season He needs to figure out how we play at home though - if he can do that and if we can sign at least one striker this window Id say we should still make top 6. I dont think top 2 is realistic with this squad even if we had Duff in charge
I think 7 out of 10’s pretty fair. I think he’s done OK. I think he was shafted by the board in not getting Humphrys & DKD in until really late in the window. The left wing back situation was ridiculous too. There’s no way a young lad in Gent should be the only left wing back at the club when we’re set up to play with wing backs. I do feel like 5th is the highest we’ll be this season. I feel like we’re much more likely to drop places than gain places. Several teams below us have games in hand & we wouldn’t have to do much worse to find ourselves down around 10th in the table. Duff finished 4th. Collins finished 6th with a slightly weaker squad. I think been realistic Clarke will probably have us finish between 7th & 10th with a slightly weaker squad again. Obviously I hope I’m wrong & we can scrape into the play offs but if I was a betting man I’d back us to finish just outside them. I think the lack of a quality striker & the lack of wingers to be able to have a plan B will cost us like it did last season.
Didn't Yoganathan earn his place at Old Trafford after playing well in the victories over Wigan and Sheffield Utd in the previous rounds?
Doing a decent job overall. If he can pick the right XI more often than not, and the club remove Cosgrove and give him someone who looks like a footballer, I reckon we’ll get a playoff place which will have been a good season all considered. Then it’s a lottery.
Done a decent job under very testing financial constraints. I think our true position is 8/9/10th so that's credit to DC for getting us into the mix so far. I've asked myself would Duff and Collins have us 5th with that same squad and in all honesty I don't think they would. The constant chopping and changing within the first 2 months wasn't pleasent but he was searching for a system other than 3 at the back, inevitably we had to settle on a back 3 system due to a lack of options. If we fall away and end up around 9th/10th I won't be too downbeat or surprised and start calling for the manager to be sacked. We can't spend our way out of the division and let's be fair we've competed against Birmingham, Wrexham, Huddersfield, Ipswich, Derby and Sheffield Wednesday in recent seasons who've all had more to spend. Patience is key I don't think we'll start seeing the fruits of our labour until after the summer window, in what might be then an easier division looking at the current potential teams to join it next season. 7 out of 10 work in progress needs time and further transfer windows.
I can certainly see that argument but it’s not one I agree with. Teams regularly blood youngsters in the early stages of cup games but then play their strongest sides against better opposition. Tough away games aren’t the place for fielding youngsters. For me, you stay in the game as long as possible & then if you’re still in it you can use your fresh legs off the bench in the 2nd half to try & get a goal. After rushing to get there for kick off my heart sank when I saw the team news & I don’t think I was the only one.
"Several teams below us have games in hand & we wouldn’t have to do much worse to find ourselves down around 10th in the table." Reading have one game in hand and Mansfield in 11th place have two...they're the only ones who would overtake us by winning those games. Everyone else either doesn't have games in hand or wouldn't overtake us by winning whatever they have.
7/10 from me. Doing alright with the bad hand he's been dealt by our board. The Football is better on the eye than under Collins. Still putting Cosgrove in our squad he cannot have faith in what attackers our academy staff are trying to produce. Old Trafford cost a fair whack to go to and we embarrassed ourselves. Has his favourites defensively who play no matter what when available, at the expense of others who haven't deserves to be dropped.
No. In all likelihood we would still get beat. I think we’ll get beat at Birmingham away too. It’s not an excuse to go & play a couple of youngsters for experience there either.
I didn’t just reference the games in hand. I mentioned about doing a bit worse too. There’s a group of teams just below where as there’s a decent gap to the sides above so I think it’s much more likely that we drop a few places than gain any.
I agree with you jalo and vimal I don't think had league game all season. Your playing some of the best players in the country not a time to blood youngsters. 6k fans were let down by that selection and tactics
I'm happy, if he gets us in the playoffs job done, we could do with off loading some deadwood, i reckon at least 5 and gerrin in a decent striker with the money.
Most have said it all. Positive 7/10 from me. A little bit of luck on the transfer front and field. Can only get better hopefully.
I don’t like him or dislike him and in a couple of years I will have completely forgotten he was ever our manager.