Three days to save the season

Centre forward, centre back and replace the Gilet Genius. Anything else is failure.

 

* 2 CF’s - Cosgrove is on the way out. A CB, a midfielder & GK.

 

Desperately crying out (imo) for one or two out and out wingers. We need to have the option to play with width, without the downside of doing that with poor quality (not their fault, just true) wingbacks - which leaves us exposed defensively.

I know the RB/LB roles are unfamiliar to Gent/O'Keefee - but we have got to try something different. We're far too easy to play against at present.

 

I like to add some latin spice. Va Gilet.

 

I've genuinely got no desire to see Clarke replaced. I think the fact he's got such an imbalanced squad and one that is so reliant on DKD & Phillips for any sort of goal threat that he deserves more time.

He's had 6 months - and I don't think things are as bad as folk here like to make it out to be.

 

I don’t want him sacked either to be honest. He’s not helped himself at times with team selections and subs but the squad depth is woeful. High on numbers but low on quality and unforgivably unbalanced.

 

Morais - 4 months
Stendel - 16 months
Struber - 11 months
Ismael - 8 months
Schopp - 5 months
Asbaghi - 8 months
Duff - 12 months
Collins - 9 months

"What does that say about changing managers?"

"It doesn't work and we need stability?"

"Well that's one way of looking at it. Or, people like doing it, let's do it again"

I'd give Clarke a second series.

 

There has been some peculiar tactics/subs/general decisions from Clarke this season but we need some stability.

 

Fair enough. By your logic then I assume you think we should have persisted with Asbaghi? Or Schopp?

 

We should have persisted with Schopp. I said it at the time, I've said it consistently since then. He wasn't given long enough to implement his ideas and was sacked in November (I think). Yes we were poor, but we let him down with signings (or lack of), which again is a familiar story. Obviously that is all an opinion, but I've tried to give the reasoning behind this.

The only sackings I've agreed with are Asbaghi and Morais. They both failed in their remit. We got relegated with them in charge and I could see the reasoning behind that.

I just think that the constant revolving door of managers doesn't help. It means a tactical and financial overhaul of managers mid season, which takes time and money. Both things we don't really have.

The worse of the lot was probably Collins last year. His aim was promotion. We were in the playoffs with one game to go. Who knows where we would have ended up. Chances are, and the evidence of the playoffs showed that we would probably have failed. But he wasn't given the chance to see it through.

 

Ismael and Duff leaving were their choices though.

 

Absolutely. I was highlighting the change of managers, rather than sacking them. I'm aware they left of their own accord. But again it meant an overhaul of staff and approach - which we didn't get right.

 

And then in six months when it's just as bad you'll be calling for the next HC to go, rinse and repeat. Let's waste more money in dismissal pay outs. Darrell Clarke needs to start doing better but the problems at this football club go much higher than him. Without addressing those fundamental issues then the club will continue on it's current path. Sadly, a number of the players are nowhere near good enough, the squad is bloated and lacking options in key areas and IMO it could take until summer 2026 to sort the squad out. Hopefully by that point we wlll have new owners who actually have some competence to run a football club because the current lot are making a real mess of it.

 

What's an out and out winger?

Last one I can remember is Stewart Barrowclough.

 

He will get while the end of season and rightfully so. Then there should be an assessment of how he’s done and a decision made on future to suit. We can’t just say give 3 or more transfer windows to sort stuff, I am not asking to get rid at all but I don’t see much organisation in our team, defensively who is actually coaching them ??....because although they not the greatest defenders we have ever had surely someone needs to get them better drilled.

 

Only if the next appointment is someone equally incompetent.

 

By save the season do you mean get a side capable of promotion. I think that's highly unlikely to say the least there's far more needs doing than can be achieved in January. I know some will see this as negative but save the money and spend it wisely in the summer. We need a clear out Clarkes said as much Cosgrove and Benson go in the summer frees up good wages I would imagine. Sell Phillips I would think hopefully get good money got go anyway he's our only saleable asset,hopefully move a few more on. It's not the position I want us to be in but for me it's the one we are in don't throw good money after bad.

 

Where's all the money coming from for this? I presume you think we have a bottomless pit.

 

It’s time to be patient regardless of what happens the rest of the season , look at L Orient and Richie Wellens for example i doubt they’ve had bucket loads of money to spend but he’s been given time to build his own team ( think it’s his third year) and it seems to be paying off.

 

I'd get big Val back in a heartbeat.