Go

[steve@dcfd]

I've not seen anything this season that proves there's a big difference in quality between leagues 2 and1. That's not an excuse

So Why are Plymouth and Portsmouth getting beat aswell you may not have seen a difference but there is and we are finding hard at the moment, so not an excuse it's a fact results show that.

[Chris Black come back]

We have just got promoted, yes. But this is League One. We are not a small fish in this pond and nor should we accept playing Rochdale as being remotely a tough challenge.

No it should be a walk in the park, we should only have to turn up against a side that just missed out on the playoffs.

I think some people forget who they support

The team we were playing had not won a single league game this season and in the six previous league games had managed only three goals, with their last league goal being on 19 August.

[drfchound]

What's that now one win in eleven league games.

I don't think we won a game last six last season, so maybe 1 in 13??

Have we done this before.

[Bessie Red]

In case people haven't realised, we've gone up a league. That means it's harder than last year. Anybody that thought we were gonna to walk through teams every week needs a reality check

Blackpool went up and they appear to be doing well.

But by the same token Plymouth & Portsmouth are both struggling to adapt!!

Pompey are ok.

In case people haven't realised, we've gone up a league. That means it's harder than last year. Anybody that thought we were gonna to walk through teams every week needs a reality check

Blackpool went up and they appear to be doing well.

But by the same token Plymouth & Portsmouth are both struggling to adapt!!

Pompey are ok.

They're only two points better off than us!!

[drfchound]

Agreed, two points more than us.

[dickos1]

We have just got promoted, yes. But this is League One. We are not a small fish in this pond and nor should we accept playing Rochdale as being remotely a tough challenge.

No it should be a walk in the park, we should only have to turn up against a side that just missed out on the playoffs.

I think some people forget who they support

The team we were playing had not won a single league game this season and in the six previous league games had managed only three goals, with their last league goal being on 19 August.

You keep bringing up last season and our results last season. Seems strange how you can do that for us but not when looking at the great form last season of our opponents.

[Chris Black come back]

We have just got promoted, yes. But this is League One. We are not a small fish in this pond and nor should we accept playing Rochdale as being remotely a tough challenge.

No it should be a walk in the park, we should only have to turn up against a side that just missed out on the playoffs.

I think some people forget who they support

The team we were playing had not won a single league game this season and in the six previous league games had managed only three goals, with their last league goal being on 19 August.

You keep bringing up last season and our results last season. Seems strange how you can do that for us but not when looking at the great form last season of our opponents.

Our form at end of last season. Abysmal.
Our form this season so far. Poor.

Ferguson has averaged in his last three seasons managing first Peterborough and then Rovers in League One, consistently one point per game. With 15pc of the league season gone, we are again at that level (slightly less actually). Let us see how the next couple of weeks pan out.

[dickos1]

Yes let's

But I fear many won't

[ravenrover]

Just remind me how many games have we lost at home?

[Chris Black come back]

We have not won a home league game in the last five.

Five games. No win.

[dickos1]

What about he previous 25?

[ravenrover]

Sorry CBCB not the question I asked, just answer the question or is it a little too difficult?

[Chris Black come back]

We have lost two and drawn three of our last five home games in the league.

[dickos1]

So in other words we're unbeaten

[the vicar]

We've played 7 games. Idiot

Dickov had less.

Dickov had two seasons and 5 games and look what a mess he got us in to

[ravenrover]

We have lost two and drawn three of our last five home games in the league.

So we are undefeated at home THIS season is that correct CBCB?

[the vicar]

if our fans had there way we would be changing our manager every week

[since-1969]

Worked for Watford 

[Mike_F]

I have never been a fan of Ferguson.

- We shouldn't have been anywhere near relegation the season before last but we went down after a dreadful run in which to trot out a cliché, he "lost the dressing room".
- Anything but promotion last season would be a failure and we nearly threw that away at the death.
- This season was always likely to be one of consolidation but the last few games have been awful, losing to Wimbledon, Northampton and Rochdale all of whom were on bad runs and failing to hold on to a lead at home to Blackpool for more than a minute twice in one game.

I must want rid of him then?

Nope. Not yet. I'd give him to the middle of November to show improvement before even considering his position. Houghton is back but not playing 90 minutes yet and perhaps he's been very unlucky with Kiwomya. Maybe he would've torn League One a new arsehole.

There is however a long-running issue to be addressed. Since the Arsenal tie was drawn out it's clearly had an effect on the players' mentalities to a degree whether they like to admit it or not. The Blackpool equalisers, the last-minute collapse on Tuesday, the relegation and failure to win the title are all indicators of a lack of mental resilience. If I was Ferguson, I'd be looking at my man-management approach and perhaps drafting in a sports psychologist to work with the squad. If he doesn't fix that (and he's had a long time to do it) then we'll always have the same problems. In my opinion, of course.

[MrFrost]

I have never been a fan of Ferguson.

- We shouldn't have been anywhere near relegation the season before last but we went down after a dreadful run in which to trot out a cliché, he "lost the dressing room".
- Anything but promotion last season would be a failure and we nearly threw that away at the death.
- This season was always likely to be one of consolidation but the last few games have been awful, losing to Wimbledon, Northampton and Rochdale all of whom were on bad runs and failing to hold on to a lead at home to Blackpool for more than a minute twice in one game.

I must want rid of him then?

Nope. Not yet. I'd give him to the middle of November to show improvement before even considering his position. Houghton is back but not playing 90 minutes yet and perhaps he's been very unlucky with Kiwomya. Maybe he would've torn League One a new arsehole.

There is however a long-running issue to be addressed. Since the Arsenal tie was drawn out it's clearly had an effect on the players' mentalities to a degree whether they like to admit it or not. The Blackpool equalisers, the last-minute collapse on Tuesday, the relegation and failure to win the title are all indicators of a lack of mental resilience. If I was Ferguson, I'd be looking at my man-management approach and perhaps drafting in a sports psychologist to work with the squad. If he doesn't fix that (and he's had a long time to do it) then we'll always have the same problems. In my opinion, of course.

This.

[since-1969]

Arsenal has had NO effect on a team that's is just not functioning . Players build there own expectations of what they think of the new season and it would naturally effect Marquis as he had an outstanding one before and hasn't hit the same hights YET ! New players come then get injured or fall ill . This team is the one the got promoted and stuttered over the line . So it's more about repercussions and the hang over from last season and what looks like a basic  preseason build up .DF did not do his team any favours also  when announcing his player to leave 5 games before the end of the campaign  . Williams in particular must feel agreeved and it  shows by the way he has only started once . Every game now will build the pressure on DF and the team if results don't change . Reasons or excuses it is DF responsibility to gather everyone under on thought and mind set or fall on his sword .

[drfchound]

Mike-F's post sums up my feeling too.

On the post by Since1969, did DF announce his release list five games from the end of the season?
I dont remeber it that way.
He started pratting about with the team at that time, telling us that certain players were out for the last five games and then bringing some of them back after we lost a couple of matches.
I seem to recall he announced who he wanted to be rid of after the Hartlepool game.
I may be wrong but no doubt there will be someone letting me know if that is the case.

I do agree with the point that the Arsenal game will have no effect on players attitude to matches.
Very obviously they will be keen to play at the Emirates but they will also all be keen to be in the team against Scunny so they have to try and do their jobs in the games leading up to that one too.


Things in football have a habit of evening out so maybe we will see those 25 yarders going over the bar in the next few games rather than into the top corner.

I am very concerned about where we are right now because DF has been found wanting in the last two seasons when he needed to stop a bad run of results.
I hope he can dig his way out of this one.

In the relegation season he was excused by some supporters because "it was Dickovs team" even though he had control for 35 games.
Last season with his own team he was excused blowing an almost certain league title because "we won promotion".
This season the same people are telling us that it is a much tougher league and that last year L2 was poor.
If it was so poor how come we didn't win it?
One person alone has decided which players to bring in so the buck has to stop at DF if the squad is perceived to be not good enough.
Yes, we have picked up injuries but that is always going to happen so he has to put together a squad to cover that.

I am afraid i will never forgive him for that relegation because it was very avoidable.
Ok, we got promoted and i am glad about that of course but he puzzles me with some of his decisions and he has much to do to convince me that he is our long term manager.

I accept that he knows much more than i do about what his job entails but as a fan i am allowed to have reservations about him.

[i_ateallthepies]

Spot on there Hound.
My additional concern is that despite post-match platitudes there is rarely if ever "a reaction" or lesson learned.
I'm not going to complain that he's "stubborn" because the job of a football manager is to have a firm belief (conviction?) in his methods, but it is a concern that he has repeated the same mistakes over and over.

[since-1969]

Mike-F's post sums up my feeling too.

On the post by Since1969, did DF announce his release list five games from the end of the season?
I dont remeber it that way.
quote]
Though it was not officially announced apparently he had told those effected once promotion was assured about 5 games from the end and there on , form dropped . 

[Chris Black come back]

Mike F makes a number of powerful and insightful points. Lots there for people to chew over.

It is not convincing and has not been convincing in two years. Maybe it will change but there is an overriding fear that his methods cannot deliver a team with a consistent winning mentality or that his preferred structure detracts, rather than adds, to the sum of the squad.

[drfchound]

Mike-F's post sums up my feeling too.

On the post by Since1969, did DF announce his release list five games from the end of the season?
I dont remeber it that way.
quote]
Though it was not officially announced apparently he had told those effected once promotion was assured about 5 games from the end and there on , form dropped .

Apparently.
That is the key word here.
However, if that really happened it would be very poor management skills.

[Mike_F]

He does have a bit of panic in him and I think that rubs off on the players hence the "bottler" mentality.

Telling players they'll never play for him again then bringing them back in to the squad a fortnight later. Constantly changing the line-up. Trying to change too much at once with unfamiliar players in complicated systems (back three versus flat back four). There's sometimes a whiff of desperation about it.

Like he's living in the shadow of greatness...

[dickos1]

I'm not sure where this "we nearly threw away promotion" nonsense comes from.
We got promoted with 5 games to go

[Mike_F]

One more thing; I've said this many a time about players and managers who I don't rate. I would love nothing more than to be completely wrong and have everyone calling me a f**kwit for ever more because that would mean the Rovers had exceeded my expectations.

[Mike_F]

I'm not sure where this "we nearly threw away promotion" nonsense comes from.
We got promoted with 5 games to go

Yes, I'll hold my hands up to being a little over-zealous on that but we certainly threw away the league title from a commanding position.