McSheffrey has to be sacked

[bobbymax]

Maybe GM's hands are tied with the players he has at his disposal but I challenge anyone who thinks that Barlow was ever the answer as a wing back. He got taken apart at Fleetwood as he simply cannot defend and it took Charlton all of two minutes to figure out he was a weak link. Simply baffling selection to go with the non-tactics we've employed all season.

[roversdude]

Maybe GM's hands are tied with the players he has at his disposal but I challenge anyone who thinks that Barlow was ever the answer as a wing back. He got taken apart at Fleetwood as he simply cannot defend and it took Charlton all of two minutes to figure out he was a weak link. Simply baffling selection to go with the non-tactics we've employed all season.

He did ok at Fleetwood but I think some of that was the state of the pitch-Barlow is a number 10 type player not a defender

[Fal]

He needs to go.

All it takes is one look at the squad for these “must win” games and you already know we have lost because the attacking threat simply isn’t there.

The constant changing of the team week by week doesn’t help either. Honestly I was optimistic after the MK Dons and Sunderland games thinking we might make a good go at it to stay up but now that optimism is gone.

The board seriously need to do something as I think the current plight of the club especially if we have a poor start to league two next season is bordering on protests from supporters.

Also don’t get me started on the “if it happens, it happens” comment

[ravenrover]

As he said on Dee Dah he's on a rolling 12 month contract so he will be in charge next season. Regarding players contracts there will have to be some harsh decisions based on which League we are in
He aint going no where in his eyes but will the board think differently?

[ctay]

I will be honest, the contract stuff I think is a way of saying we wont renew Tom or Fej's contact. for me thats down to money, not injuries. They will be on higher than mosts I would think.

[EasyforDennis]

As he said on Dee Dah he's on a rolling 12 month contract so he will be in charge next season. Regarding players contracts there will have to be some harsh decisions based on which League we are in
He aint going no where in his eyes but will the board think differently?

Why does the fact he is on a 12 month rolling contract mean he will be in charge next season?

[roversdude]

This may have been an ideal job for GMc if we had been mid table. Unfortunately it is proving too big a job to find his feet and fight relegation simultaneously

[Chris Black come back]

This may have been an ideal job for GMc if we had been mid table. Unfortunately it is proving too big a job to find his feet and fight relegation simultaneously

I tend to agree with this. He is picking up the pieces of a few years of bad recruitment decisions, all while learning on the job. As a coach you are insulated from a lot of this but it must have hit him like a brick when he had all the other managerial baggage dropped on him, all in the midst of a relegation battle. Whatever happens longer term, that is some baptism he has had.

[ravenrover]

As he said on Dee Dah he's on a rolling 12 month contract so he will be in charge next season. Regarding players contracts there will have to be some harsh decisions based on which League we are in
He aint going no where in his eyes but will the board think differently?

Why does the fact he is on a 12 month rolling contract mean he will be in charge next season?

And my last sentence?

[Reg of the Rovers]

Maybe GM's hands are tied with the players he has at his disposal but I challenge anyone who thinks that Barlow was ever the answer as a wing back. He got taken apart at Fleetwood as he simply cannot defend and it took Charlton all of two minutes to figure out he was a weak link. Simply baffling selection to go with the non-tactics we've employed all season.

This was nail in the coffin decision for me. Putting Barlow, an attacking minded non-defender, up against the tall strong fast dangerous Blackett-Taylor and leaving it like that all that time. That and taking Smith off ahead of any one else on the pitch.

[roversdude]

Totally agree with your sentiments on selecting Barlow, however Smith apparently had got a dead leg and was struggling.
The line up and tactics were overall abysmal (again)

[Campsall rover]

Totally agree with your sentiments on selecting Barlow, however Smith apparently had got a dead leg and was struggling.
The line up and tactics were overall abysmal (again)

GM did say that Griffiths was not fit even though he was on the bench.
So he had no choice up front unless he just played one of them with Martin just behind.

Barlow marking Taylor-Blackett was a mis match. Younger should have started and Knoyle at wing back.

[selby]

  Paul, Younger got done for the goal getting turned again, not for the first time.

[Sammy Chung was King]

Some strange decisions made in picking teams, tactics. He has got it spot on in some games, some of those he won , others we’ve just missed out on points.
I don’t see a motivated determined team out there.

This season there are enough poor teams that we could be out of this, but we can’t get or maintain any sort of consistent performance.
We lack players who can cross a ball from wide, so are having to try and grind results out more centrally. The players need to produce more and the manager too.

[Campsall rover]

  Paul, Younger got done for the goal getting turned again, not for the first time.

He did Brian. But let’s face it Knoyle is not a centre back and should be playing wing back when we play 3 centre backs.
He changed it at half time but to start Barlow in that role was madness when you could see who he had against him.
Brian GM is tactically naive. It would seem Sinclair must be also or GM doesn’t take his advice.

They may be good coaches but the set up of the team is down to managerial ability and homework on the opposition.
GM has made a mistake taking this job. He should have stuck with the youth team where he was doing a brilliant job.

I know he hasn’t been in the job very long Brian but it is glaringly obvious he out of his depth and his last interviews suggest he is really struggling.
Think we missed a trick not appointing Simpson.  Look how he has turned Carlisle round. 
Harris done the same at Gillingham.
Wimbledon have now decided enough is enough and they are going to throw the dice while they still have a chance of escape.

I do think it is probably too late for us but no way should this group of players be so poor.
Yes we have some who are not good enough but we have enough that should be good enough to stay in this league. The striker situation is our main problem. We need a 100% fit Griffiths up front. He is our only hope as a striker.

[Frankie Rennie]

Like Tyke, as an outsider it’s sad to see Donny where you are but there are still enough points to play for to survive, (hopefully not against Wanderers next week obviously) so best of luck for the rest of the season.

[EasyforDennis]

Like Tyke, as an outsider it’s sad to see Donny where you are but there are still enough points to play for to survive, (hopefully not against Wanderers next week obviously) so best of luck for the rest of the season.

I wish I could share your optimism Frankie but in truth we are dreadful and I cannot see us winning a game before the end of the season.
The club is in a mess from top to bottom.

[belton rover]

Like Tyke, as an outsider it’s sad to see Donny where you are but there are still enough points to play for to survive, (hopefully not against Wanderers next week obviously) so best of luck for the rest of the season.

Frankie. You are making the mistake of looking at the table rather than watching us play.

[anton123]

We will be lucky to score a goal before end of the season never mind win , and this is by no means been sarcastic we truly are that bad , I don’t think I can say this quote so strongly about any other team in England

[TommyC]

  Paul, Younger got done for the goal getting turned again, not for the first time.

He did Brian. But let’s face it Knoyle is not a centre back and should be playing wing back when we play 3 centre backs.
He changed it at half time but to start Barlow in that role was madness when you could see who he had against him.
Brian GM is tactically naive. It would seem Sinclair must be also or GM doesn’t take his advice.

They may be good coaches but the set up of the team is down to managerial ability and homework on the opposition.
GM has made a mistake taking this job. He should have stuck with the youth team where he was doing a brilliant job.

I know he hasn’t been in the job very long Brian but it is glaringly obvious he out of his depth and his last interviews suggest he is really struggling.
Think we missed a trick not appointing Simpson.  Look how he has turned Carlisle round. 
Harris done the same at Gillingham.
Wimbledon have now decided enough is enough and they are going to throw the dice while they still have a chance of escape.

I do think it is probably too late for us but no way should this group of players be so poor.
Yes we have some who are not good enough but we have enough that should be good enough to stay in this league. The striker situation is our main problem. We need a 100% fit Griffiths up front. He is our only hope as a striker.

At the point when McSheffrey was appointed a number of us had disagreements about whether he was or was not the "cheap option". I wouldn't propose revisiting that particular question as I believe we've done that to death. What I will repeat however is what I said at the time in that it was and remains an utterly "bizarre" appointment at that particular moment in time. At that time and in the position we were in with plenty of games left to play and a board that on the face of it appeared willing to invest in new playing staff and a continuing chance of survival you do not undertake a lengthy recruitment process, solicit allegedly high class applicants with experience at the highest level, to then hand the job to a rookie manager with zero league experience on the back of a distinctly unimpressive spell as caretaker. It was a batshit decision without any rational justification for it to an outside observer. No I wasn't party to the interviews and no i didn't hear how well he came across and no I don't run the football club. But surely to goodness it was obvious to all that at that time we needed a short term appointment of an experienced manager to give us a fighting chance of dragging us out of this mess. The old chestnut that nobody could have done anything with these players doesn't really ring true does it when we look at the league table today. Even a modicum of improvement or a little bit of a "new manager bounce" like the examples you mention could have saved our League 1 status. In the end we got neither. What a wasted opportunity.

 

[ravenrover]

Since when do clubs at our level appoint short term managers? Ridiculous

[TommyC]

Since when do clubs at our level appoint short term managers? Ridiculous

Like a caretaker manager until the end of the season? Pretty sure we've got recent history in that regard.

Paul Simpson....appointed Carlisle manager on 23rd February until the end of the season. But yes as you say, unprecedented for a club at our level   

[ravenrover]

The word he used was experienced, that doesn't apply to us, yes you are right there is an odd exception I'll give you that one but how many more in recent times can you come up with that have been sucessfull in the short term

[TommyC]

The word he used was experienced, that doesn't apply to us, yes you are right there is an odd exception I'll give you that one but how many more in recent times can you come up with that have been sucessfull in the short term

They wouldnt have had to be "successful" though would they. A very low bar has been set and it would have taken very little indeed to do better than what we have ultimately done.

[Frankie Rennie]

Like Tyke, as an outsider it’s sad to see Donny where you are but there are still enough points to play for to survive, (hopefully not against Wanderers next week obviously) so best of luck for the rest of the season.

I wish I could share your optimism Frankie but in truth we are dreadful and I cannot see us winning a game before the end of the season.
The club is in a mess from top to bottom.

That’s sad to hear easy but you never know in football, things can change quickly. Just look at us in January last season. Absolute pants and fourth bottom of L2 yet a few signings in the window changed everything and we ended up promoted. I know things look grim and GM is getting pelters but do you think maybe some of his player selections and positional decisions are based around trying to find out who can perform and change things for the better? Maybe just sticking with the same eleven didn’t work and he’s forced to try something. Keep changing managers rarely works, many were calling for Evatt’s head last season but management stuck with him and it’s worked well. I hope you stay up I really do and since we’ve effectively nothing to play for but pride now, I’d give you the points next Tuesday if it kept you up. Sadly I can’t so you’ll just have to win them instead and if you do, we could do you another favour by stuffing Fleetwood in our last game!! ☺️

[Campsall rover]

Like Tyke, as an outsider it’s sad to see Donny where you are but there are still enough points to play for to survive, (hopefully not against Wanderers next week obviously) so best of luck for the rest of the season.

I wish I could share your optimism Frankie but in truth we are dreadful and I cannot see us winning a game before the end of the season.
The club is in a mess from top to bottom.

That’s sad to hear easy but you never know in football, things can change quickly. Just look at us in January last season. Absolute pants and fourth bottom of L2 yet a few signings in the window changed everything and we ended up promoted. I know things look grim and GM is getting pelters but do you think maybe some of his player selections and positional decisions are based around trying to find out who can perform and change things for the better? Maybe just sticking with the same eleven didn’t work and he’s forced to try something. Keep changing managers rarely works, many were calling for Evatt’s head last season but management stuck with him and it’s worked well. I hope you stay up I really do and since we’ve effectively nothing to play for but pride now, I’d give you the points next Tuesday if it kept you up. Sadly I can’t so you’ll just have to win them instead and if you do, we could do you another favour by stuffing Fleetwood in our last game!! ☺️

We don’t play you until Friday 15th April. 

[ravenrover]

The word he used was experienced, that doesn't apply to us, yes you are right there is an odd exception I'll give you that one but how many more in recent times can you come up with that have been sucessfull in the short term

They wouldnt have had to be "successful" though would they. A very low bar has been set and it would have taken very little indeed to do better than what we have ultimately done.

If they are in to avoid the drop they have been sucessful, which I thought what was being alluded to, as in our current situation

[drfchound]

Like Tyke, as an outsider it’s sad to see Donny where you are but there are still enough points to play for to survive, (hopefully not against Wanderers next week obviously) so best of luck for the rest of the season.

I wish I could share your optimism Frankie but in truth we are dreadful and I cannot see us winning a game before the end of the season.
The club is in a mess from top to bottom.

That’s sad to hear easy but you never know in football, things can change quickly. Just look at us in January last season. Absolute pants and fourth bottom of L2 yet a few signings in the window changed everything and we ended up promoted. I know things look grim and GM is getting pelters but do you think maybe some of his player selections and positional decisions are based around trying to find out who can perform and change things for the better? Maybe just sticking with the same eleven didn’t work and he’s forced to try something. Keep changing managers rarely works, many were calling for Evatt’s head last season but management stuck with him and it’s worked well. I hope you stay up I really do and since we’ve effectively nothing to play for but pride now, I’d give you the points next Tuesday if it kept you up. Sadly I can’t so you’ll just have to win them instead and if you do, we could do you another favour by stuffing Fleetwood in our last game!! ☺️

If you go to the game against us you will see what the fuss is about.
We are truly awful matey.

[roversdude]

It’s fair to say if Bolton score they will win

[Frankie Rennie]

Like Tyke, as an outsider it’s sad to see Donny where you are but there are still enough points to play for to survive, (hopefully not against Wanderers next week obviously) so best of luck for the rest of the season.

I wish I could share your optimism Frankie but in truth we are dreadful and I cannot see us winning a game before the end of the season.
The club is in a mess from top to bottom.

That’s sad to hear easy but you never know in football, things can change quickly. Just look at us in January last season. Absolute pants and fourth bottom of L2 yet a few signings in the window changed everything and we ended up promoted. I know things look grim and GM is getting pelters but do you think maybe some of his player selections and positional decisions are based around trying to find out who can perform and change things for the better? Maybe just sticking with the same eleven didn’t work and he’s forced to try something. Keep changing managers rarely works, many were calling for Evatt’s head last season but management stuck with him and it’s worked well. I hope you stay up I really do and since we’ve effectively nothing to play for but pride now, I’d give you the points next Tuesday if it kept you up. Sadly I can’t so you’ll just have to win them instead and if you do, we could do you another favour by stuffing Fleetwood in our last game!! ☺️

We don’t play you until Friday 15th April. 

Apologies Campsall, where did I get Tuesday from! I’d have been a bit lonely wouldn’t I?