A (very) tentative defence of McSheffrey

[Reg of the Rovers]

What a negative view point. Don't change because it can always get worse is essentially the argument. Anyone doing anything in life like running a business, football club etc has to be optimistic and look at how things can get better.

The probability now is that we would be better under a new manager. Yes not guaranteed but we've seen enough of GM to know he isn't going to turn it around.

If anything i think this attitude shows how little faith supporters have in the club to get the right manager in. Over recent years it's justified but if you go back a few more we've appointed much better.

Don't confuse people saying sack the board with everyone else who wants GM out. Insulting to be lumped in with them. Of course the summer was on the face of it a good window where majority were happy with the business. Thats just more reason to get GM gone. Only way to shut the board out people is to win games. I think deep down even they know GM is to blame at the moment.

Completely agree with this. The Board and their approach to sustainability has my backing - but they are also being tested here - not about investment or cheapness (which is nonsense in my opinion), but about decisiveness and taking responsibility to make change when it is required. So they are getting dragged into the ill-feeling, the majority of us can see the issue is McSheffrey but only the Board can change that.

The mood has definitely shifted re McSheffrey though, this isn't a few kids messing about, everyone I've spoken to (admittedly a small sample!) wants McSheffrey gone. I take Campsall as the barometer for how people are feeling on here - a poster who is passionately positive and supportive of the club now clearly articulating the view it's time for a change of manager, and I consider myself in that same group - still supporting the 'club' but desperate now for something to change.

Sorry if I'm speaking out of turn Campsall.

[pib]

What happens when we get a new manager and everyone wants him out too? They don’t come waving magic wands as people seem to hope.

People were happy with the recruitment in the summer and on Saturday it was back to chants of “sack the board” and “Gavin Baldwin (not that it’s anything to do with him but anyway) shops at Netto.” Selby is right, the opinions blow in the wind. Is it the manager, is it the investment, is it both? Who cares as long as there’s someone to shout at.

Right now it’s in fashion to slate the current manager and pick at every single word he says. There’s probably no winning the fanbase back now, and it has been hard to watch at times. But when we get a new manager we’ll have more difficult spells as that’s football. We’re Doncaster Rovers not Manchester City. The delusion is now rife and the demands detached from reality. I’ll get a boatload of criticism for this from people saying “we just want to see good football and we have a right to say our piece.” But it’s just not true is it, we’ll be back here again in months under the next manager. If we play well and lose then the football is irrelevant. If we win without playing well then we demand expansive football. The loud mouths on Twitter will regroup when we have a new manager and start the next campaign to get someone sacked.

Jonathan, I understand your points regarding general anger, and I know you're an advocate of McSheffrey, but surely you can see that at least some of the criticism of him is valid and there's more to it than "demanding expansive football"?

The style of football we are playing is pretty irrelevant. It would be nice to have style alongside substance, but I think it's the lack of substance that is bothering people. We go into the vast majority of our games looking devoid of any sort of plan. We look absolutely aimless, rudderless, disorganised, and frequently find ourselves being sussed out with incredible ease by sides that have a game plan and are relatively well coached and well drilled. If we looked organised and like we knew what we were doing but played a direct style, I think most people would accept that. Personally I wouldn't be too worried by us being in the position we're in outside the play-offs if I could see any semblance of a plan developing, but sadly I can't.

People being happy with the summer recruitment is precisely why this situation is so frustrating, and why it also reflects on Blunt and the board, because they decided, and sold us all the idea that Gary McSheffrey was the best man to take the club forward, despite him objectively not hitting quite a number of the criteria in the job description and by continuing to look like a man who is out of his depth.

Some people might be shouting for more money to be spent, but in my case, and in many others', I think it's more a matter of concern that the board really don't seem to be acting in the best interests of the football team being the best it can be by appointing and persisting with a rookie manager who is clearly struggling to get anything approaching the best out of a set of players that he signed.

Regarding GM's comments in the press, I agree that some of the reaction has been overly picky, but part of the job as a manager is to communicate well, and despite it being blown out of proportion, I don't think criticising players publicly, appearing to criticise sections of the fanbase and blaming others when the team doesn't perform is a good look. Especially when you are starting to lose people's support already. He could've handled those questions much better.

FWIW I feel sorry for GM. He's getting a lot of heat and a lot of unnecessary nastiness and abuse, which must be absolutely unbearable. I know I wouldn't like to be in his position right now. But, the truth of the matter in my opinion (and clearly many others) is that he is hindering our club's progress, and it's not unreasonable to question his position at this point. How long does our club's decline have to go on before folk are allowed to say anything? Despite being told we have a promotion budget, do we have to shrug our shoulders and say "meh" when we continue to be outplayed by almost every opponent we face in the fourth tier?

[Redroy]

What happens when we get a new manager and everyone wants him out too? They don’t come waving magic wands as people seem to hope.

People were happy with the recruitment in the summer and on Saturday it was back to chants of “sack the board” and “Gavin Baldwin (not that it’s anything to do with him but anyway) shops at Netto.” Selby is right, the opinions blow in the wind. Is it the manager, is it the investment, is it both? Who cares as long as there’s someone to shout at.

Right now it’s in fashion to slate the current manager and pick at every single word he says. There’s probably no winning the fanbase back now, and it has been hard to watch at times. But when we get a new manager we’ll have more difficult spells as that’s football. We’re Doncaster Rovers not Manchester City. The delusion is now rife and the demands detached from reality. I’ll get a boatload of criticism for this from people saying “we just want to see good football and we have a right to say our piece.” But it’s just not true is it, we’ll be back here again in months under the next manager. If we play well and lose then the football is irrelevant. If we win without playing well then we demand expansive football. The loud mouths on Twitter will regroup when we have a new manager and start the next campaign to get someone sacked.

Jonathan, I understand your points regarding general anger, and I know you're an advocate of McSheffrey, but surely you can see that at least some of the criticism of him is valid and there's more to it than "demanding expansive football"?

The style of football we are playing is pretty irrelevant. It would be nice to have style alongside substance, but I think it's the lack of substance that is bothering people. We go into the vast majority of our games looking devoid of any sort of plan. We look absolutely aimless, rudderless, disorganised, and frequently find ourselves being sussed out with incredible ease by sides that have a game plan and are relatively well coached and well drilled. If we looked organised and like we knew what we were doing but played a direct style, I think most people would accept that. Personally I wouldn't be too worried by us being in the position we're in outside the play-offs if I could see any semblance of a plan developing, but sadly I can't.

People being happy with the summer recruitment is precisely why this situation is so frustrating, and why it also reflects on Blunt and the board, because they decided, and sold us all the idea that Gary McSheffrey was the best man to take the club forward, despite him objectively not hitting quite a number of the criteria in the job description and by continuing to look like a man who is out of his depth.

Some people might be shouting for more money to be spent, but in my case, and in many others', I think it's more a matter of concern that the board really don't seem to be acting in the best interests of the football team being the best it can be by appointing and persisting with a rookie manager who is clearly struggling to get anything approaching the best out of a set of players that he signed.

Regarding GM's comments in the press, I agree that some of the reaction has been overly picky, but part of the job as a manager is to communicate well, and despite it being blown out of proportion, I don't think criticising players publicly, appearing to criticise sections of the fanbase and blaming others when the team doesn't perform is a good look. Especially when you are starting to lose people's support already. He could've handled those questions much better.

FWIW I feel sorry for GM. He's getting a lot of heat and a lot of unnecessary nastiness and abuse, which must be absolutely unbearable. I know I wouldn't like to be in his position right now. But, the truth of the matter in my opinion (and clearly many others) is that he is hindering our club's progress, and it's not unreasonable to question his position at this point. How long does our club's decline have to go on before folk are allowed to say anything? Despite being told we have a promotion budget, do we have to shrug our shoulders and say "meh" when we continue to be outplayed by almost every opponent we face in the fourth tier?

Spot on.

[Jonathan]

What happens when we get a new manager and everyone wants him out too? They don’t come waving magic wands as people seem to hope.

People were happy with the recruitment in the summer and on Saturday it was back to chants of “sack the board” and “Gavin Baldwin (not that it’s anything to do with him but anyway) shops at Netto.” Selby is right, the opinions blow in the wind. Is it the manager, is it the investment, is it both? Who cares as long as there’s someone to shout at.

Right now it’s in fashion to slate the current manager and pick at every single word he says. There’s probably no winning the fanbase back now, and it has been hard to watch at times. But when we get a new manager we’ll have more difficult spells as that’s football. We’re Doncaster Rovers not Manchester City. The delusion is now rife and the demands detached from reality. I’ll get a boatload of criticism for this from people saying “we just want to see good football and we have a right to say our piece.” But it’s just not true is it, we’ll be back here again in months under the next manager. If we play well and lose then the football is irrelevant. If we win without playing well then we demand expansive football. The loud mouths on Twitter will regroup when we have a new manager and start the next campaign to get someone sacked.

Jonathan, I understand your points regarding general anger, and I know you're an advocate of McSheffrey, but surely you can see that at least some of the criticism of him is valid and there's more to it than "demanding expansive football"?

The style of football we are playing is pretty irrelevant. It would be nice to have style alongside substance, but I think it's the lack of substance that is bothering people. We go into the vast majority of our games looking devoid of any sort of plan. We look absolutely aimless, rudderless, disorganised, and frequently find ourselves being sussed out with incredible ease by sides that have a game plan and are relatively well coached and well drilled. If we looked organised and like we knew what we were doing but played a direct style, I think most people would accept that. Personally I wouldn't be too worried by us being in the position we're in outside the play-offs if I could see any semblance of a plan developing, but sadly I can't.

People being happy with the summer recruitment is precisely why this situation is so frustrating, and why it also reflects on Blunt and the board, because they decided, and sold us all the idea that Gary McSheffrey was the best man to take the club forward, despite him objectively not hitting quite a number of the criteria in the job description and by continuing to look like a man who is out of his depth.

Some people might be shouting for more money to be spent, but in my case, and in many others', I think it's more a matter of concern that the board really don't seem to be acting in the best interests of the football team being the best it can be by appointing and persisting with a rookie manager who is clearly struggling to get anything approaching the best out of a set of players that he signed.

Regarding GM's comments in the press, I agree that some of the reaction has been overly picky, but part of the job as a manager is to communicate well, and despite it being blown out of proportion, I don't think criticising players publicly, appearing to criticise sections of the fanbase and blaming others when the team doesn't perform is a good look. Especially when you are starting to lose people's support already. He could've handled those questions much better.

FWIW I feel sorry for GM. He's getting a lot of heat and a lot of unnecessary nastiness and abuse, which must be absolutely unbearable. I know I wouldn't like to be in his position right now. But, the truth of the matter in my opinion (and clearly many others) is that he is hindering our club's progress, and it's not unreasonable to question his position at this point. How long does our club's decline have to go on before folk are allowed to say anything? Despite being told we have a promotion budget, do we have to shrug our shoulders and say "meh" when we continue to be outplayed by almost every opponent we face in the fourth tier?

I wouldn’t necessarily say I’m an advocate of McSheffrey, I’m not wedded to any manager in that respect and if he left the club today I’d be straight behind the new manager. I am perhaps (well actually in the context of what we read undoubtedly) more sympathetic to McSheffrey than many other people are. Knowing some of his family I know he’s a good guy, that he’s desperate to succeed and that he’s proud to be in the position he’s in, and I respect that. Is that enough to gloss over failure? Definitely not. But I’m also a bit more open minded when it comes to attributing the blame for so-called failure.

I’m not blind to our weaknesses, I don’t watch the Barrow and Hartlepool games, or the first half on Saturday, and think this is scintillating football aren’t we brilliant. We’ve been very poor on these occasions and some of the buck has to stop with the manager for that. But it’s not as clean cut as others would have it. Last night, for example, there were glaring individual errors that directly contributed to that hideous first half performance / scoreline. The view of “McSheffrey (or whoever else) make them do better and make them stop making errors!” is very narrow minded in my view, but that’s where we’re at. You can see it everywhere, he’s now blamed for everything. And the more nasty and toxic it gets, the more inclined I feel to at least offer some balance and defence. It’s really awful at the moment but my problem is that it’s not isolated to McSheffrey and him leaving won’t rid us of a deeply entrenched issue with our fanbase - that many of them are thick, toxic and will move onto calling out the next incumbent no sooner than he’s in place.

That frustration probably doesn’t apply to many of the people on here, so nobody reading this need take this as some kind of aloof personal attack. But it does apply to a not insignificant number wider than this, and if we’re all honest we surely know and recognise that. The contributions of yourself (pib) and BFYP appear very fair and balances to me. Nobody is hiding from the need for us to improve. But we’ve reached a point where our own supporters are destructive in this in my honest opinion.

[Plumbster]

I share Jonathan’s worry that a manager change will cause more disruption but equally I am alarmed about how low our standards have dropped- they don’t need to drop much further for relegation to start becoming a possibility.  Difficult decision for the Board though- for me it would depend on what GMC  told them when the recruitment budget was agreed and players signed- if the message for this season was that we would be not have a strong group, we would therefore have to rely on long balls to a single striker (with risk of supporter unrest) but that we can aspire to hover around the playoffs, then at least he is delivering the plan.  Even if that is the case they then have the same dilemma they had with RW- does he have a credible plan for the second half of the season and do we trust him with another transfer window

[ForsolongaRover]

The quality and pertinence of the adverse comments is such that even a relatively insensitive person would feel damaged by them and I suspect that McSheffery does not have a super-thick skin. So as well as facing the almost impossible task of getting his players on track, he is now having to steel himself through this massive barrier of well-reasoned criticism. And of course the players will be aware of what is being written and although some will be sympathetic towards him, this will probably not be true of all of them.

The point is that it is not a climate in which it will be easy to operate. If he tries to opt for radical change will he have the credibility in the eyes of the players to carry it through? If he persists with whatever his current strategy is (difficult as it is, for us to perceive) a lot of rational arguments have been mounted against it, so how feasible will it be in the eyes of those who are expected to execute it.

His position is verging on “impossible”.

[Donnybax]

How many times have we been the better team under Mcsheffrey?

[Lesonthewest]

What happens when we get a new manager and everyone wants him out too? They don’t come waving magic wands as people seem to hope.

People were happy with the recruitment in the summer and on Saturday it was back to chants of “sack the board” and “Gavin Baldwin (not that it’s anything to do with him but anyway) shops at Netto.” Selby is right, the opinions blow in the wind. Is it the manager, is it the investment, is it both? Who cares as long as there’s someone to shout at.

Right now it’s in fashion to slate the current manager and pick at every single word he says. There’s probably no winning the fanbase back now, and it has been hard to watch at times. But when we get a new manager we’ll have more difficult spells as that’s football. We’re Doncaster Rovers not Manchester City. The delusion is now rife and the demands detached from reality. I’ll get a boatload of criticism for this from people saying “we just want to see good football and we have a right to say our piece.” But it’s just not true is it, we’ll be back here again in months under the next manager. If we play well and lose then the football is irrelevant. If we win without playing well then we demand expansive football. The loud mouths on Twitter will regroup when we have a new manager and start the next campaign to get someone sacked.

Jonathan, I understand your points regarding general anger, and I know you're an advocate of McSheffrey, but surely you can see that at least some of the criticism of him is valid and there's more to it than "demanding expansive football"?

The style of football we are playing is pretty irrelevant. It would be nice to have style alongside substance, but I think it's the lack of substance that is bothering people. We go into the vast majority of our games looking devoid of any sort of plan. We look absolutely aimless, rudderless, disorganised, and frequently find ourselves being sussed out with incredible ease by sides that have a game plan and are relatively well coached and well drilled. If we looked organised and like we knew what we were doing but played a direct style, I think most people would accept that. Personally I wouldn't be too worried by us being in the position we're in outside the play-offs if I could see any semblance of a plan developing, but sadly I can't.

People being happy with the summer recruitment is precisely why this situation is so frustrating, and why it also reflects on Blunt and the board, because they decided, and sold us all the idea that Gary McSheffrey was the best man to take the club forward, despite him objectively not hitting quite a number of the criteria in the job description and by continuing to look like a man who is out of his depth.

Some people might be shouting for more money to be spent, but in my case, and in many others', I think it's more a matter of concern that the board really don't seem to be acting in the best interests of the football team being the best it can be by appointing and persisting with a rookie manager who is clearly struggling to get anything approaching the best out of a set of players that he signed.

Regarding GM's comments in the press, I agree that some of the reaction has been overly picky, but part of the job as a manager is to communicate well, and despite it being blown out of proportion, I don't think criticising players publicly, appearing to criticise sections of the fanbase and blaming others when the team doesn't perform is a good look. Especially when you are starting to lose people's support already. He could've handled those questions much better.

FWIW I feel sorry for GM. He's getting a lot of heat and a lot of unnecessary nastiness and abuse, which must be absolutely unbearable. I know I wouldn't like to be in his position right now. But, the truth of the matter in my opinion (and clearly many others) is that he is hindering our club's progress, and it's not unreasonable to question his position at this point. How long does our club's decline have to go on before folk are allowed to say anything? Despite being told we have a promotion budget, do we have to shrug our shoulders and say "meh" when we continue to be outplayed by almost every opponent we face in the fourth tier?

Spot on.

Yep, bang on.

[danumdon]

Some very strong and reasoned conclusions to the issue that stand in both directions, when you look at this rationally you have to come to the conclusion that due to injury, illness and lack of form that we, as a work in progress are behind where we would be with all things being equal.

GM has had lots of unexpected and problematic issues that he would know could happen but you are always going to struggle to legislate for. This being the case i think its only right that the club hold their nerve in this instance and allow GM to have the benefit of the returning players to give them time to get up to speed and be integrated back into the team.

If you listen to his comments i get the impression that he's very frustrated that our problems this season have hampered his ambition with the team, that he states the team as currently constructed will struggle with his longer term plan of type of football he wants to play. Supporters should have some sympathy here, we all know he's a new, young manager still learning his trade, he does need to be given time to work with his full squad to attempt to perform to the levels he and we all expect. What would be gained in getting rid just now to have a new manager come in, he still has the same players to work with, granted you can get a different tune out of them with a different approach but seriously, how many believe this would be the case, this is his team, he selected and brought into the club many of this squad, time needs to be allowed to reach the optimum performance from this group of players. Its not happened yet(it may never happen due to ongoing issues with fitness and form) but the possibility is always there.

A change just now would be of no benefit to the players, club and definitely the supporters, you can't judge a finished product when its principle components are still to be refurbished,returned and integrated, judge the squad after this period, with luck we should be in  a position to reach that conclusion around the end of the year.

[Alickismyhero]

What makes me laugh is when people say "you can't keep using the missing key players as an excuse"

Just take the fact that we have the club captain, team captain, to a degree our striker and are old captain missing.

Things will improve I am sure.

The squad is going through a bad time surely the manager deserves support.

You can count me in as a supporter of the manager, he will turn it around.

[Alan Southstand]

Danum, if the Club are, in any way, contemplating replacing GM, then they need to be getting on with it. Working back from the January window (which could be critical), the Board’s usual ‘modus operandi’ is to advertise, interview and appoint, which could take 4 weeks. Add to that a ‘grace period’ for the new manager to review what he’s got, squad wise, before the window opens. That doesn’t leave much time……..at all!

[Campsall rover]

What a negative view point. Don't change because it can always get worse is essentially the argument. Anyone doing anything in life like running a business, football club etc has to be optimistic and look at how things can get better.

The probability now is that we would be better under a new manager. Yes not guaranteed but we've seen enough of GM to know he isn't going to turn it around.

If anything i think this attitude shows how little faith supporters have in the club to get the right manager in. Over recent years it's justified but if you go back a few more we've appointed much better.

Don't confuse people saying sack the board with everyone else who wants GM out. Insulting to be lumped in with them. Of course the summer was on the face of it a good window where majority were happy with the business. Thats just more reason to get GM gone. Only way to shut the board out people is to win games. I think deep down even they know GM is to blame at the moment.

Completely agree with this. The Board and their approach to sustainability has my backing - but they are also being tested here - not about investment or cheapness (which is nonsense in my opinion), but about decisiveness and taking responsibility to make change when it is required. So they are getting dragged into the ill-feeling, the majority of us can see the issue is McSheffrey but only the Board can change that.

The mood has definitely shifted re McSheffrey though, this isn't a few kids messing about, everyone I've spoken to (admittedly a small sample!) wants McSheffrey gone. I take Campsall as the barometer for how people are feeling on here - a poster who is passionately positive and supportive of the club now clearly articulating the view it's time for a change of manager, and I consider myself in that same group - still supporting the 'club' but desperate now for something to change.

Sorry if I'm speaking out of turn Campsall.

No you are 100% correct Reg.
Think I am a good example of o supporter who has backed the manager and wanted give him time to build his own team.
13 games this season isn’t a lot of course but 2 more and we a third of the way through.

If I could see consistent progress being made, a style of play, a team on the front foot, a team with self belief then I would be fairly happy with 8/9th place and 21 points at this stage.
But we are not seeing progress. Playing well for 20 mins a game is not acceptable.
Giving teams a 1 goal (or as in last night a 4) goal start game after game after game is not acceptable.
I don’t see the progress, I don’t see the players starting games with the self belief they should be.

This has to be the manager. He is on the training pitch with the players, He sets the team up, he gives the team talks. Something is wrong isn’t it. We have good players for this League.
Genuine question. Which squad is better than ours?  Yes we have injuries but so does virtually every other team. That cannot be continually used as an excuse.

[danumdon]

Datum, if the Club are, in any way, contemplating replacing GM, then they need to be getting on with it. Working back from the January window (which could be critical), the Board’s usual ‘modus operandi’ is to advertise, interview and appoint, which could take 4 weeks. Add to that a ‘grace period’ for the new manager to review what he’s got, squad wise, before the window opens. That doesn’t leave much time……..at all!

I don't believe  my post mentioned anything about replacing GM or allowing any such timeframe to do so. I just stated that on current predictions with players returning to fitness and being given time to be integrated back into the squad then with luck, if any is coming out way we should hopefully see the fruits of this progress by the years end.

Nothing to do with transfer windows or people leaving.

[Alan Southstand]

This being the case i think its only right that the club hold their nerve in this instance and allow GM to have the benefit of the returning players to give them time to get up to speed and be integrated back into the team.

No, you didn’t and I didn’t suggest you did. You appear to be suggesting to keep him and the Board should ‘keep their nerve’. You also mentioned about time being allowed for players to come back such  that GM can realise his ambitions with the squad. What I’m saying is we have 2 possibilities to change manager - either before January or before the end of the season. If they think (not you or I) that GM is not going to have us ‘bouncing back decisively’ (Blunt’s pre-season statement) then they need to act sooner, not later. That’s all I’m saying.

Rumours are GM has already gone!!

[Campsall rover]

This being the case i think its only right that the club hold their nerve in this instance and allow GM to have the benefit of the returning players to give them time to get up to speed and be integrated back into the team.

No, you didn’t and I didn’t suggest you did. You appear to be suggesting to keep him and the Board should ‘keep their nerve’. You also mentioned about time being allowed for players to come back such  that GM can realise his ambitions with the squad. What I’m saying is we have 2 possibilities to change manager - either before January or before the end of the season. If they think (not you or I) that GM is not going to have us ‘bouncing back decisively’ (Blunt’s pre-season statement) then they need to act sooner, not later. That’s all I’m saying.

Rumours are GM has already gone!!

Rumours where Alan? Not even seen a whisper.  I don’t go on Twitter, or other social media. but wouldn’t believe anything that is said on there. Nothing on DRFC Twitter which I have just had a peak.

[Alan Southstand]

It’s something on Twitter, who is saying it’s from a reliable source within the Club. Don’t shoot the messenger.

No smoke without fire?

[Pside]

One of the scouts has gone. Maybe he’s taken the blame

[Alan Southstand]

The ‘Scottish scout’ has gone, apparently? That didn’t last long!

[Campsall rover]

One of the scouts has gone. Maybe he’s taken the blame

Only Player from Scotland signed was Maxwell.
What does that say then?  Maybe no connection or does 2+2 make 4?

Yes he is a bit raw but will improve with experience and good coaching and man management.

[drfchound]

This being the case i think its only right that the club hold their nerve in this instance and allow GM to have the benefit of the returning players to give them time to get up to speed and be integrated back into the team.

No, you didn’t and I didn’t suggest you did. You appear to be suggesting to keep him and the Board should ‘keep their nerve’. You also mentioned about time being allowed for players to come back such  that GM can realise his ambitions with the squad. What I’m saying is we have 2 possibilities to change manager - either before January or before the end of the season. If they think (not you or I) that GM is not going to have us ‘bouncing back decisively’ (Blunt’s pre-season statement) then they need to act sooner, not later. That’s all I’m saying.

Rumours are GM has already gone!!

Someone posted earlier that Paul Hartley (ex Hartlepool) is our new manager and is being announced tomorrow.

[Alan Southstand]

I think (hope) that’s a wind-up, Hound.

[drfchound]

I think (hope) that’s a wind-up, Hound.

It isn’t me that is saying it Alan.
It was Bailey Vickerage who started a thread about it today.

[sedwardsdrfc]

There's a load of stuff on Twitter but looks to be nonsense imo. People are desperate to see the back of GM so any rumour like this gets loads of traction.

[Jonathan]

Can I be the first…

Hartley Out!

[drfchound]

He could turn out to be very jammy.

[craigdrfc]

Paul Hartley would be an absolutely shocking appointment. Nothing more needs to be said on that.

Probably, and hopefully, just a wind-up internet rumour created by a disgruntled ‘fan’.

[EasyforDennis]

Just fishing but maybe he could tempt JR back? 

[Sammy Chung was King]

McSheffrey has done his best I have no doubt about that. Every manager does their best. He just hasn’t been good enough, and the luck he has had with injuries, tells me he’s not a lucky captain, talking in shipping terms. Even Ferguson at United, Klopp at Liverpool, anybody who has had success, has had a bit of good fortune somewhere.

We need a manager full of life,that makes the players enjoy what they are doing. I see no sign of that on the pitch.  Players are scared to make a mistake, they don’t trust each other on the field. They are very low on confidence. The manager isn’t getting the best from anybody. With the exception of Miller who is really playing the best football of their career?.

[Campsall rover]

There is so much more potentially from this team. I just don’t see this manager unleashing that potential.

If we had Grant McCann as our current manager with this group of players we would be top of this league now.
I seriously think that would be the case. He would have taken the shackles off and got the players believing in themselves and their individual and collective ability to beat every team they play against.