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Viking Chat => Viking Chat => Topic started by: ncRover on January 25, 2026, 09:32:29 am

Title: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: ncRover on January 25, 2026, 09:32:29 am
McCann’s main take away from that.

I think it’s become clear that he isn’t capable of pragmatism for a team battling relegation.

The more reliable option is to see the game out with control or become more defensively solid and compact if you can’t do that.

He needs top players for the division to blow teams away.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: big fat yorkshire pudding on January 25, 2026, 09:44:57 am
Our best option was to keep the ball up the top end of the pitch. We didn't do that. Frustrating.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: StocksArmy on January 25, 2026, 09:49:21 am
Agree. Everything that has happened this season lands at his doorstep for me. Not saying winning the league wasn’t but, I remember his interview pre season saying he has cancelled his annual family holiday to focus on recruitment to kick on again and we are left needing to pull up trees to stay up. Whatever league we are in next season, we are highly likely to lose Bailey and Molyneux so the summer will be a monumental task to try and replace them and my faith in McCann is wearing thin.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: GazLaz on January 25, 2026, 09:52:11 am
If that game was simulated again 10,000 times we wouldn’t have scored 10.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Chris Black come back on January 25, 2026, 09:53:39 am
Ultimately not getting the players in is his responsibility but he will realise that we don’t have the players to control a game, so we attack in hope of out scoring or at least keeping ball up the top end of the pitch. Watching that defence and midfield trying to see a game out is like watching a monkey assembly IKEA furniture.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: mushRTID on January 25, 2026, 09:56:24 am
We really should have been out of sight, but repeatedly claiming we should have scored ten reeks of desperation and denial of his dreadful substitutions.

On a side note after Gotts picked up the soft yellow, it looked from the South stand like Grant and Cliff were turned and arguing with someone in the stand. Did anyone see anything there?
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: ChrisBx on January 25, 2026, 09:58:18 am
This line always irritates me. If we're scoring 3 and still not winning games and the focus somehow remains on us not taking enough of our chances, then I really do worry about whether we'll improve enough to stay up.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: ChrisBx on January 25, 2026, 09:59:24 am
We really should have been out of sight, but repeatedly claiming we should have scored ten reeks of desperation and denial of his dreadful substitutions.


Is a 3-0 lead not sufficient to be "out of sight"?
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Filo on January 25, 2026, 10:03:17 am
We really should have been out of sight, but repeatedly claiming we should have scored ten reeks of desperation and denial of his dreadful substitutions.

On a side note after Gotts picked up the soft yellow, it looked from the South stand like Grant and Cliff were turned and arguing with someone in the stand. Did anyone see anything there?
Gotts yellow was for kicking the ball away, it’s a shame the ref didn’t use the same logic in the first half when one of theirs kicked the ball away
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: mushRTID on January 25, 2026, 10:12:40 am
We really should have been out of sight, but repeatedly claiming we should have scored ten reeks of desperation and denial of his dreadful substitutions.


Is a 3-0 lead not sufficient to be "out of sight"?

With most teams yes.

Even at 3-0 with this team you think to yourself “if they get one back, this could get nervy”.

Put it this way, I’m not surprised by what happened.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: sedwardsdrfc on January 25, 2026, 10:20:27 am
Imagine been 3-0 up and needing to score more to have the best chance of winning the game. He’s finding the wrong answer. Yes we could and should have scored a couple more but let’s ask a bit more from our defence for a change
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Filo on January 25, 2026, 10:26:21 am
At 3-0 I said we need another
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Chris Black come back on January 25, 2026, 10:29:25 am
I know people are frustrated but we are performing far better than a month ago, are getting better results than a month ago, have a better squad than a month ago and other teams around us are performing no better than a month ago. We are heading in the right direction albeit slowly and with some bumps like yesterday. Our recent form is good enough to keep us safe. We just need to keep this going for the next few months.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: sedwardsdrfc on January 25, 2026, 10:39:27 am
If we sign a centre back and move Bailey into midfield and keep playing Senior and McGarth we’ll keep getting daft results despite generally playing well. Eventually heads will drop and we’ll start getting beat badly again.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Canadian Rover on January 25, 2026, 10:42:01 am
Whilst it’s true Grant did say that, you could see the hurt straight away. He owned it. Took responsibility. That defeat clearly weighed heavy on him.

We’ve all known for a long time that we desperately need a centre half. That part isn’t new. What is becoming familiar, though, is the rush to blame and the modern habit of wanting someone sacked the moment results dip.

We’re allowed to moan. It’s football. But let’s also try to be a club together.

We’ve got a very good manager and a strong assistant alongside him. Are they perfect? Of course not. But they’re a bloody good duo, no question. And despite Terry’s backing, it doesn’t look like there’s much of a recruitment war chest to play with.

That said, it only takes one or two centre halves to completely change the feel of a team and, with it, the results. They are out there.

Players matter. Recruitment hasn’t been a write-off either. Haks, Gotts, and the lad who went back to Blackburn were all solid signings. Clarke looks a decent player too.

Let’s see who comes in at centre half next week and hope they make the difference we all know is needed. Fingers crossed. Football has a funny way of turning quickly when the right piece drops into place.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: BradwellRover on January 25, 2026, 10:44:17 am
I understand the point you are trying to make, but I respectfully disagree.  We are going down if the current trajectory continues, even though we look better on the eye.  Over the last five games our ppg is 1.09 and we are scoring 1.08 goals per game against 1.69 conceded.

Something drastic needs to change and I personally now believe that is the Manager. It’s been said before that no other club would have tolerated the recent sequence of results, and whilst I am glad we aren’t a knee-jerk sacking club, a point comes where a virtue is a weakness.

Just my two penneth worth.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Reg of the Rovers on January 25, 2026, 10:55:40 am
I understand the point you are trying to make, but I respectfully disagree.  We are going down if the current trajectory continues, even though we look better on the eye.  Over the last five games our ppg is 1.09 and we are scoring 1.08 goals per game against 1.69 conceded.

Something drastic needs to change and I personally now believe that is the Manager. It’s been said before that no other club would have tolerated the recent sequence of results, and whilst I am glad we aren’t a knee-jerk sacking club, a point comes where a virtue is a weakness.

Just my two penneth worth.
I agree Bradwell, times time now. We often talk about our Mansfield Moment, well unfortunately that was our Morcambe Moment, when we inexplicably crumbled due to terrible management decisions and a culture of panicking and bottling on the pitch.

There’s a decent team in there, Grant isn’t getting anything like the best out of the players we have. Time to go now, otherwise it’ll be Accrington Stanley instead of Sheffield Wednesday. We need dispassionate bravery from our Board now.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Cramby10 on January 25, 2026, 11:03:05 am
We really should have been out of sight, but repeatedly claiming we should have scored ten reeks of desperation and denial of his dreadful substitutions.

On a side note after Gotts picked up the soft yellow, it looked from the South stand like Grant and Cliff were turned and arguing with someone in the stand. Did anyone see anything there?
Gotts yellow was for kicking the ball away, it’s a shame the ref didn’t use the same logic in the first half when one of theirs kicked the ball away
ye I think that’s what riled everyone about Gotts yellow. It was ridiculous in the first half that the ref chose to ignore their player booting it away. A lot further than Gotts did n all. How do refs get away with such double standards. There was no debate about what their player did, he just chose not to apply the letter of the law on that occasion.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Draytonian III on January 25, 2026, 11:10:01 am
I understand the point you are trying to make, but I respectfully disagree.  We are going down if the current trajectory continues, even though we look better on the eye.  Over the last five games our ppg is 1.09 and we are scoring 1.08 goals per game against 1.69 conceded.

Something drastic needs to change and I personally now believe that is the Manager. It’s been said before that no other club would have tolerated the recent sequence of results, and whilst I am glad we aren’t a knee-jerk sacking club, a point comes where a virtue is a weakness.

Just my two penneth worth.



So the manager goes, who you replace him with and why
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Pliskin on January 25, 2026, 11:12:16 am
If a 3-0 lead with 30 minutes left to play, at home, against a team that looked terrible on the day, isn't enough for him then what hope do we have?
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: NickDRFC on January 25, 2026, 11:19:10 am
Whilst it’s true Grant did say that, you could see the hurt straight away. He owned it. Took responsibility. That defeat clearly weighed heavy on him.

We’ve all known for a long time that we desperately need a centre half. That part isn’t new. What is becoming familiar, though, is the rush to blame and the modern habit of wanting someone sacked the moment results dip.

We’re allowed to moan. It’s football. But let’s also try to be a club together.

We’ve got a very good manager and a strong assistant alongside him. Are they perfect? Of course not. But they’re a bloody good duo, no question. And despite Terry’s backing, it doesn’t look like there’s much of a recruitment war chest to play with.

That said, it only takes one or two centre halves to completely change the feel of a team and, with it, the results. They are out there.

Players matter. Recruitment hasn’t been a write-off either. Haks, Gotts, and the lad who went back to Blackburn were all solid signings. Clarke looks a decent player too.

Let’s see who comes in at centre half next week and hope they make the difference we all know is needed. Fingers crossed. Football has a funny way of turning quickly when the right piece drops into place.

Did he? Looks like he blamed the players to me.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Spud on January 25, 2026, 12:01:51 pm
I understand the point you are trying to make, but I respectfully disagree.  We are going down if the current trajectory continues, even though we look better on the eye.  Over the last five games our ppg is 1.09 and we are scoring 1.08 goals per game against 1.69 conceded.

Something drastic needs to change and I personally now believe that is the Manager. It’s been said before that no other club would have tolerated the recent sequence of results, and whilst I am glad we aren’t a knee-jerk sacking club, a point comes where a virtue is a weakness.

Just my two penneth worth.
I agree Bradwell, times time now. We often talk about our Mansfield Moment, well unfortunately that was our Morcambe Moment, when we inexplicably crumbled due to terrible management decisions and a culture of panicking and bottling on the pitch.

There’s a decent team in there, Grant isn’t getting anything like the best out of the players we have. Time to go now, otherwise it’ll be Accrington Stanley instead of Sheffield Wednesday. We need dispassionate bravery from our Board now.

Amazing to compare a 3-3 draw with a 0-5 home defeat to Morecambe. Yes, it's sore but had we won 4-3 I wonder how different the tone would be on here.

The guy, Jack, on praise or grumble, about sums most of our fans up. At half time we were going for the play offs, by full time relegation & sack the manager. Hilarious.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Cramby10 on January 25, 2026, 12:06:23 pm
We probably should have scored ten yesterday. At 3-0 it looked inconceivable that we wouldn’t win that. We were majestic. They were horrid. Like a team that weren’t playing for their manager and their fans had turned on them. Yet the moment they scored it felt inevitable that they would get something from the game. In the same manner as against Plymouth. I’m only surprised Wigan didn’t win. These capitulations really are concerning. They’re nearly always triggered by individual errors.
 More often than not by a certain CH, who then loses his head and goes on to make more and more as the game goes on. If we don’t sort this and get more level headed experienced characters in there then we’re toast. Tuesday is now a must win. It’s a worry how we will recover from this set back.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Reg of the Rovers on January 25, 2026, 12:06:31 pm
I understand the point you are trying to make, but I respectfully disagree.  We are going down if the current trajectory continues, even though we look better on the eye.  Over the last five games our ppg is 1.09 and we are scoring 1.08 goals per game against 1.69 conceded.

Something drastic needs to change and I personally now believe that is the Manager. It’s been said before that no other club would have tolerated the recent sequence of results, and whilst I am glad we aren’t a knee-jerk sacking club, a point comes where a virtue is a weakness.

Just my two penneth worth.
I agree Bradwell, times time now. We often talk about our Mansfield Moment, well unfortunately that was our Morcambe Moment, when we inexplicably crumbled due to terrible management decisions and a culture of panicking and bottling on the pitch.

There’s a decent team in there, Grant isn’t getting anything like the best out of the players we have. Time to go now, otherwise it’ll be Accrington Stanley instead of Sheffield Wednesday. We need dispassionate bravery from our Board now.

Amazing to compare a 3-3 draw with a 0-5 home defeat to Morecambe. Yes, it's sore but had we won 4-3 I wonder how different the tone would be on here.

The guy, Jack, on praise or grumble, about sums most of our fans up. At half time we were going for the play offs, by full time relegation & sack the manager. Hilarious.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59792534
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: mpc123 on January 25, 2026, 01:44:08 pm
Its funny actually, I was out with friends last night and the first thing they asked me was about 3 nil up as threw it away, without watching the mccann video, I said we could have scored 10. Their keeper had a worldie 2nd half especially.

As we can all see we have a defensive problem of which Mccann knows as he is bringing in an experienced defender.

So I dont get it, one thing I dont want to watch is premiership type football, just slow knocking around the back and a boring 2nd half.

Entertainment yesterday, proof to me we can score now and well capable of it. Now this new centre back fingers crossed will solve that.

Mccann has already said the team are a bit quiet and need an experienced organiser in there.

So lets see. We are improving, all sounds positive.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: ncRover on January 25, 2026, 01:50:29 pm
Its funny actually, I was out with friends last night and the first thing they asked me was about 3 nil up as threw it away, without watching the mccann video, I said we could have scored 10. Their keeper had a worldie 2nd half especially.

As we can all see we have a defensive problem of which Mccann knows as he is bringing in an experienced defender.

So I dont get it, one thing I dont want to watch is premiership type football, just slow knocking around the back and a boring 2nd half.

Entertainment yesterday, proof to me we can score now and well capable of it. Now this new centre back fingers crossed will solve that.

Mccann has already said the team are a bit quiet and need an experienced organiser in there.

So lets see. We are improving, all sounds positive.

Half an hour of boredom or a one full season (at best) of watching League Two football again?
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: mpc123 on January 25, 2026, 02:05:29 pm
Still happy to watch my team in league 2, thank you.

But things are getting better and a new cb and very much doubt we will be in league 2 if we carry on improving as we are
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Draytonian III on January 25, 2026, 02:24:18 pm
I understand the point you are trying to make, but I respectfully disagree.  We are going down if the current trajectory continues, even though we look better on the eye.  Over the last five games our ppg is 1.09 and we are scoring 1.08 goals per game against 1.69 conceded.

Something drastic needs to change and I personally now believe that is the Manager. It’s been said before that no other club would have tolerated the recent sequence of results, and whilst I am glad we aren’t a knee-jerk sacking club, a point comes where a virtue is a weakness.

Just my two penneth worth.
I agree Bradwell, times time now. We often talk about our Mansfield Moment, well unfortunately that was our Morcambe Moment, when we inexplicably crumbled due to terrible management decisions and a culture of panicking and bottling on the pitch.

There’s a decent team in there, Grant isn’t getting anything like the best out of the players we have. Time to go now, otherwise it’ll be Accrington Stanley instead of Sheffield Wednesday. We need dispassionate bravery from our Board now.

Amazing to compare a 3-3 draw with a 0-5 home defeat to Morecambe. Yes, it's sore but had we won 4-3 I wonder how different the tone would be on here.

The guy, Jack, on praise or grumble, about sums most of our fans up. At half time we were going for the play offs, by full time relegation & sack the manager. Hilarious.




Your totally right, if their hadn’t of made a really good save from Senior in injury time we would have got 3 points, and I would have won £50
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: BillyStubbsTears on January 25, 2026, 02:36:55 pm
We've conceded 20 goals in the last 8 league matches.

I've been saying for weeks that a policy that says "you score 3, we'll score 4" is romantic fun, along the pub team theme. And it'd be great if it worked.

But it's not going to do.

The need absence of steel in that final 30 mins was awful to watch. I'm just astonished that he's not strengthened the defence this month.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Spud on January 25, 2026, 02:43:33 pm
I understand the point you are trying to make, but I respectfully disagree.  We are going down if the current trajectory continues, even though we look better on the eye.  Over the last five games our ppg is 1.09 and we are scoring 1.08 goals per game against 1.69 conceded.

Something drastic needs to change and I personally now believe that is the Manager. It’s been said before that no other club would have tolerated the recent sequence of results, and whilst I am glad we aren’t a knee-jerk sacking club, a point comes where a virtue is a weakness.

Just my two penneth worth.
I agree Bradwell, times time now. We often talk about our Mansfield Moment, well unfortunately that was our Morcambe Moment, when we inexplicably crumbled due to terrible management decisions and a culture of panicking and bottling on the pitch.

There’s a decent team in there, Grant isn’t getting anything like the best out of the players we have. Time to go now, otherwise it’ll be Accrington Stanley instead of Sheffield Wednesday. We need dispassionate bravery from our Board now.

Amazing to compare a 3-3 draw with a 0-5 home defeat to Morecambe. Yes, it's sore but had we won 4-3 I wonder how different the tone would be on here.

The guy, Jack, on praise or grumble, about sums most of our fans up. At half time we were going for the play offs, by full time relegation & sack the manager. Hilarious.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/59792534

Ah, that one. Fair enough, I'd deleted that one from my brain.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: i_ateallthepies on January 25, 2026, 04:04:31 pm
I think Grant would love to put out 11 strikers and probably grinds his teeth every time he has to write a defensive player's name on the team sheet
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Donnywolf on January 26, 2026, 04:22:15 pm
We really should have been out of sight, but repeatedly claiming we should have scored ten reeks of desperation and denial of his dreadful substitutions.

On a side note after Gotts picked up the soft yellow, it looked from the South stand like Grant and Cliff were turned and arguing with someone in the stand. Did anyone see anything there?
Gotts yellow was for kicking the ball away, it’s a shame the ref didn’t use the same logic in the first half when one of theirs kicked the ball away

Yes because A) the Ref could have done him for " delaying the restart " or

B ) and this is what I as Ref would have done would be to Yellow Card him for ( what was ) CLEAR Dissent.

He did neither of course and then Gotts who I agree should not have done what he did "tapped" the ball at about a mile an hour and D Ross , sorry D Rock nearly dislocated his elbow in flashing a Yellow

Inconsistency yet again
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Donnywolf on January 26, 2026, 04:50:00 pm
And don't forget after McGraths  missed header after 2 minutes or so Wigan could have scored TWO straight away

First McGrath had the presence to get back and kick that one off the line ( making amends ) maybe cancelling his missed header out but then ...

their bloke got through and virtually passed it to Zander. The replays from behind showed anywhere , almost anywhere , on target and he would have scored

What a great chance , similar to that kid becoming Preston's 1000 th player ever at their place. In an almost carbon copy he ran into the area and no idea what he thought.

Place it , blast it , keep going but no he rolled it straight to Sully and the hordes behind the nets hit him with the Du du du du f****** useless

That was the first time I'd ever heard that chant and pmsl
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Donnywolf on January 26, 2026, 04:52:41 pm
We should have scored 10 just as the first mascot predicted. " 10-1" he said proudly and he'll be gutted
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Lesonthewest on January 26, 2026, 05:55:00 pm
Whilst it’s true Grant did say that, you could see the hurt straight away. He owned it. Took responsibility. That defeat clearly weighed heavy on him.

We’ve all known for a long time that we desperately need a centre half. That part isn’t new. What is becoming familiar, though, is the rush to blame and the modern habit of wanting someone sacked the moment results dip.

We’re allowed to moan. It’s football. But let’s also try to be a club together.

We’ve got a very good manager and a strong assistant alongside him. Are they perfect? Of course not. But they’re a bloody good duo, no question. And despite Terry’s backing, it doesn’t look like there’s much of a recruitment war chest to play with.

That said, it only takes one or two centre halves to completely change the feel of a team and, with it, the results. They are out there.

Players matter. Recruitment hasn’t been a write-off either. Haks, Gotts, and the lad who went back to Blackburn were all solid signings. Clarke looks a decent player too.

Let’s see who comes in at centre half next week and hope they make the difference we all know is needed. Fingers crossed. Football has a funny way of turning quickly when the right piece drops into place.

Great Post, we have to hold our nerve. A lot of good things are being done, need to stick together, club & supporters.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: dickos1 on January 26, 2026, 07:28:35 pm
If that game was simulated again 10,000 times we wouldn’t have scored 10.

We would’ve won 9900 times though and probably scored 6 or 7 in some of them
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: GazLaz on January 26, 2026, 07:55:42 pm
If that game was simulated again 10,000 times we wouldn’t have scored 10.

We would’ve won 9900 times though and probably scored 6 or 7 in some of them

Over what happened in the 90 mins 6800 give or take. Just done the maths.

Have to remember they had some very good chances to score more.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: Chris Black come back on January 26, 2026, 08:11:33 pm
Nobody will want to hear this but in their last 40 league away games Wigan have only conceded more than 2 goals on two occasions - and Saturday was one of those.
Title: Re: “We should have scored ten”
Post by: ncRover on January 26, 2026, 08:23:16 pm
Nobody will want to hear this but in their last 40 league away games Wigan have only conceded more than 2 goals on two occasions - and Saturday was one of those.

That was the first time in 40 away games (all comps) that they’ve scored more than 2 away from home.