How many teams ...........

[Cramby10]

Or indeed where the players have failed.  Is it no coincidence that last season Wellens was out for the final batch of games, and this season it has been Keegan?  We have lost  a big part of our spine towards the end of both seasons..

but the f**king imbecile Dickov still played wellens on one leg. Not once, but twice!!!!!!! Which cost us big time.

I can only remember the Bolton game, what was the other?

the Bolton game as you say. He started and we under the cosh from the start. It was clear from the start he could barely move.
The second one was reading at home. We were really comfortable drawing 1-1 at the time wellens was introduced. Dickovs nativity kicked in again chasing the game unnecessarily. Again when he came on he was clearly lame. We were overrun from the moment he came on and capitulated to a 1-3 defeat!

[dickos1]

What I would say is if a player declares himself fit, then the manager can't really do much. Especially a player as important as he is

[The Red Baron]

Or indeed where the players have failed.  Is it no coincidence that last season Wellens was out for the final batch of games, and this season it has been Keegan?  We have lost  a big part of our spine towards the end of both seasons..

With regard to Keegan, when he got injured there was time to bring in a replacement on loan. Instead Dickov used up his funds to bring in another goal-shy striker.

Last season the loan window had closed so he couldn't replace Wellens but he could have played another body in midfield. Instead he stuck slavishly to 4-4-2- apart from at Millwall where we ground out a point despite having a man sent off. A few more ground out points would have made all the difference.

[Cramby10]

Well everyone in the ground could see he wasn't fit. What are his physios paid for? He didn't have to pick him!

[The Red Baron]

What I would say is if a player declares himself fit, then the manager can't really do much. Especially a player as important as he is

I would want to know the opinion of my medical staff as well as that of the player. A player might be desperate to play in a match, but by selecting him you could be damaging your team or worse, shortening his career.

[dickos1]

Well it was pretty obvious he aggrevated the injury early on in the game.
He wasn't struggling during the warm up etc,

[dickos1]

What I would say is if a player declares himself fit, then the manager can't really do much. Especially a player as important as he is

I would want to know the opinion of my medical staff as well as that of the player. A player might be desperate to play in a match, but by selecting him you could be damaging your team or worse, shortening his career.

Of course the manager would've spoken to the medical staff

[DearneValleyRover]

I think the point is being missed, I agree few teams will have a successful season and considering our start it was unlikely we would be one of them. Yet I do expect to be entertained to watch the team I support be competitive, react to pressure etc. (remember Swansea, outplayed yet I didn't leave thinking we hadn't bothered) that's all I ask and expect, if we get beat playing that way then bravo to the other team. Unfortunately that has not happened at home this season and the most of last. 

[dickos1]

I wouldn't say 7 games was "most of last"
Also we haven't lost every home game have we? We've had a few decent performances at home, and away from home we've had some excellent performances

[bobjimwilly]

Bristol City finished 12th last season on 58 points. That's something to think about.

[Cramby10]

Yes they did. They replaced their struggling manager, 2 wins in 18, with someone they thought could do a better job. After half a season settling in, he had them winning the league the next!

[bpoolrover]

If he is given a decent pre season and we fail I will agree with pd out but until then I don't think he has been given a fair chance

[Askern_reds]

can't believe the stick pd getting on here, why dose everyone on here think we should be in a top 6 possition , let's name our best players who some of you could take us there wellens copps Bennett Thurman keegan forrester tyson? name one club who approached us about these players during the transfer windows? not one, now that should tell you all something ,we're not good enough simples,if the players I've mentiond are as good as you think why does no other club want them. sorry but pd done the best he can with what he's got

[since-1969]

Same old ...

[idler]

If you had a bad meal in a restaurant would you blame the manager or the chef?
If the service was dire would you blame the waiter or the manager?
How many times would you eat there before thinking that the manager ought to change the staff if it kept recurring?
I'm not an expert but I'm not stupid.
Businesses that get it right succeed or at least don't fail, football is no different.

[DearneValleyRover]

I wouldn't say 7 games was "most of last"
Also we haven't lost every home game have we? We've had a few decent performances at home, and away from home we've had some excellent performances

I never said that we had lost all our home games or that there hasn't been the odd decent performance but that's the point they have been the exception.

[The Red Baron]

I wouldn't say 7 games was "most of last"
Also we haven't lost every home game have we? We've had a few decent performances at home, and away from home we've had some excellent performances

Dickos- your comment about home games reminded me of the original  "Curate's Egg" cartoon.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curate%27s_egg

[DearneValleyRover]

I wouldn't say 7 games was "most of last"
Also we haven't lost every home game have we? We've had a few decent performances at home, and away from home we've had some excellent performances

Dickos- your comment about home games reminded me of the original  "Curate's Egg" cartoon.

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curate%27s_egg

I would say that sums up PD to a tee, well done TRB.

[The Red Baron]

Our friend the curate would no doubt "take the positives" from the egg!

[Sammy Chung was King]

We have achieved far beyond our wildest dreams, but that doesn't mean we don't want more, it has to be earned, unfortunately we didn't earn the right to promotion, hopefully it's a stability season and we push on next year.
The squad we have is a good one, but there are determination issue's, how many of the players who drag you out of a defeat have we got?,
the technique is mostly there, but the 'There's no way we are losing' attitude that our promotion side's had is missing!.