Really not looking forward to Saturday

I agree.

My main problem is that it doesn't feel as though we're planning for the long term. I thought the whole strategy of the board was to invest in our young players, reduce the reliance on loan players and give us some foundations for future growth when other clubs were losing it in FFP etc. However, both Flitcroft & Hill have felt the need to go cap in hand and ask for short term loan players who will have cost a few bob because results weren't going great.

Maybe if our board had turned round and said 'Ayup lads, don't worry. We know that this isn't the easy way we're asking you to do things so there's no need to panic and loan some lads in. We know this strategy might end up in a relegation but we're confident that even if it does the time our young lads have had in the Championship will stand them in good stead and will help us get promoted again'.

It's like we're making the same mistakes year in, year out and wondering why we're not seeing any improvement. It's f.cking stupid.

 

Oh I am.

Footy then happy Mondays.

Be a rivet day art lad.

 

Turning into a self fulfilling prophecy - we got knocked back by Butch and O'Driscoll cos we fire a manager every 12 months, but then we fire a manager every 12 months so can't attract any other types than those that are untested at Champ level.

At the moment your point of view depends if you see Flitcroft developing and coming to terms with this league etc.

I think he's getting worse.

He needs to stop trying to be this great thinker of the game and keep it simple as per.

 

This new brand with premier aspirations that we're building will attract managers in League One.

 

I don't hold that we can't concentrate on more than one thing (on and off field) at a time. And to a person on here, we've all called into question how we present ourselves - if 'rebranding' is one stage of a overhaul of our corporate and commercial activities then they should push on. The new badge designs are all ******* ***** though and I'd have that design co. in for a stern chat. But that's just me.

Flitcroft (imho) has got the off field management set up he wanted. But this new 'professionalism' works both ways, he should think on.

 

Completely agree with that. It's not fiddling while Rome burns as some would have it, it's doing two things at once. It's not even that, it's two different sets of people doing two different things. A manager has been employed to look after the football side of things while a new chairman and chief exec look after the off the field activities. Admittedly, Flicker isn't doing a great job of his side of things at the moment, but it's not 'cos he's busy designing a new club crest and putting up videos on Youtube.

 

I know we needed to make changes in the background and we are. I've had emails from the club publicising ticket offers. I'm going to this Reds on Tour thing on Wednesday. We've got the additional YouTube videos that's knocking about. Ticket reductions for the Derby game. Etc etc.

We needed all these things. We need to attract other local businesses to get involved. But we didn't need to publicise it as a brand refresh and we didn't need to design a piss poor new badge to do it. All the first things I've mentioned will start to bring businesses in.

Flitcroft needs results. He's had everything he's asked for. But still, is sacking another manager less than 12 months since the last the right thing to do for our 'brand'? I don't think so. Yet.

 

Kev, at least we can have a laugh....

...hopefully it will be at Brum's expense.

Neil Redfearn on Wednesday. I'll text you later about it.

 

Can you see him changing ? Can you see him not relying on CoG or Paddy ? To not **** about with the future development of RNL, Digby etc ?

Last season looks more and more like his hand being forced and we are seeing his true philosophy this year.

Sack him ? Dunno, depends if he has it within him to actually match his words with deeds, because how he describes games and what I actually witness are 2 very different things.

 

We've relied on much worse players even while I've been watching us.

I think he's a young manager. He was always going to make mistakes. However, he needs to get back to the workrate and style we had at the end of last season. Not particularly arsed about the formation but having our central midfielders get beyond the half way line would be a start.

My main worry is the young players. Digby is the next best thing and then he's forgotten how to play football. Lazarus needs 40 games and is then left out completely. Jennings is in and out. Rose nowhere to be seen. That's not the type of manager we need.

 

When Keith was in charge I happened to get chance to talk to him & Flicker, and it wasn't long after we'd beat Derby 3-2 (after being 3-0 up)

I asked why we'd apparently just stopped playing and almost allowed Derby to get a point - I'm not daft enough to think we should have done them 6-0 but I'd expect us to be a bit more professional and not concede territory and possession like we did (and do now)

Flicker said "we just don't have those sort of players" - what's happening this season seems to bear that out. It all stems from the top. It seems to me these are our tactics, irrespective of what's said in interviews.

 

I'm looking forward to it, I always do, otherwise there'd be no point in going.

We not very good, we've got a rubbish record so far and we're in dire danger. However, there are other teams equally as poor as we are. There are others who could be in financial mire as the season goes on. We've got some good entertaining players and we've shown we can outplay even some of the better teams in the league. Lots of time left to sort it out with or without a new manager.

We lost by a single own goal in the last few minutes at Millwall, the second time that's happened this season. Whatever else we may think about performances we've had a lot of bad luck too, and yes, I know you make your own luck.

Looking forward to Saturday and seeing an entertaining attacking game.

 

For me his first foray into the Summer transfer market got the better of him, with him wanting a squad ready for the start of training which didn`t come about, he signed players and then later found there were better players to bring in. So we ended up with a larger squad and more to choose from which seemed to confuse things. We seemed to have picked a few points up with him trying a settled side but that could also be down to quality of the opposition as well.

 

Flitcroft was the manager when we pulled off an absolute miracle. I'm not giving him all the credit. I'd say Mellon and Scott had an impact, too. As did we, the supporters, who backed him to the hilt. I also tend to think the performances of our players were just as key. A lot of those performers aren't here now. Or aren't playing. Or, aren't being played in their correct positions.

He made (and Ben did) a big song and dance of retaining those 'heroes'. Yet Hassell, McNulty, Steele, Etuhu and Cywka have hardly featured. Can't imagine they're impressed by that, morale wise. And in my opinion, McNulty would be good competition for Kennedy. Etuhu is better than Fox. Cywka should always be used as an impact sub when chasing a game before bloody Dawson. And when we were shipping goals all over the shop Hassell should have been selected, instead of loaning another expensive Premier League reject who then ends up injured after 5 games and 1 point gained with him playing. Steele is injured, so I've nowt to moan at there, but Butland isn't staying beyond January. Pollitt will be fit, though..

He talked up Digby and RNL. And then his actions talked them back down. Morale boost right there.

We've got Cofie, Scotland and Dagnall to choose from, yet he goes with one up front after training all week playing 4-4-2. He can't have much faith in them. Morale boost.

He's shipping out youngsters left and right.



If it's right/fair that he's allowed to 'build' something, then I'm all for it, so long as someone can give me evidence of what it is that he's building. Because I saw plenty of signs last season of him doing that. Since then, he's knocked down any structure that was beginning to take shape, with a big ******* hammer.


Personally, I think we've some decent enough players to play a system that will keep us up this season. Do I think he's the man to oversee it? I'd like to, but evidence suggests not. And if we're relegated with the biggest squad we've ever had (that's fact), in record time by the looks of it, do you seriously believe he'll be in charge next season?

We've just gone through a run of very winnable games. Millwall, Ipswich, Donny and Wednesday. We've beaten none of them. We didn't beat the side in 21st either, Charlton, at home. We beat Huddersfield in a tight game (playing 3-5-2) and defeated a Boro side with a lot of luck on our side.

I'm not inspired, I've got to be honest.

I will always appreciate what Flicker masterminded last season. But for me, I can't see him being our manager for much longer.

 

That.

 

Spot on mucker

 

Okay, mate

I'm looking forward to it having missed last year's due to illness.

 

quite right mate, unfortunately that david flitcroft was different to the one that turned up at oakwell after his summer hols