Harrogate commentator just inadvertently summed it up

[DonnyBazR0ver]

It upsets me in the fact that we are back where we were in the early 90s.
Difference being we play in a better stadium with even more empty shiny seats and bills get paid on time.

Sobering thought. The amount of money on wages we waste is incredible really. Is it a 35 man squad we now have??? In League 2. That’s f**king mental. What are we thinking.

The only mitigation is McCann trying to transition the squad. I'm sure it's not by his design we've got such a big squad but when you think of the contracted players who have barely kicked a ball  and those who are on their way out, we can maybe start to see some wood for trees.

I'm sure we would love to see just a bit more quality and character out there in exchange but we're only in McCanns second window, which January was always unlikely for recruiting established quality. The summer window will be the one where he can really sort out much of the baggage.

My disappointment, along with others, is he didn't really get the quality down the spine of the team (with the exception of Ironside) Midfield, keeper and centre back being the obvious areas, which leaves us to ponder whether the decisions on Wood and Lawlor were sanctioned before McCann took control. That said, I thought Wood in the short term would bring a positive and steadying influence. Hindsight eh!?

[vaya]

It upsets me in the fact that we are back where we were in the early 90s.
Difference being we play in a better stadium with even more empty shiny seats and bills get paid on time.

Sobering thought. The amount of money on wages we waste is incredible really. Is it a 35 man squad we now have??? In League 2. That’s f**king mental. What are we thinking.

Recruitment on the law of averages.

[Michael Shaw]

The Harrogate stadium only holds 5,000 and the attendance at the match was only 1,017 and yet they can put together a team that can beat Rovers 3-1. I was in the west stand at the home match on 5th Aug and was in total disbelief that we could lose 0-1. I knew then we would be in trouble as McCann had had all pre-season to prepare this squad.

[Prez]

The Harrogate stadium only holds 5,000 and the attendance at the match was only 1,017 and yet they can put together a team that can beat Rovers 3-1. I was in the west stand at the home match on 5th Aug and was in total disbelief that we could lose 0-1. I knew then we would be in trouble as McCann had had all pre-season to prepare this squad.

The attendance today was not 1,017? We took 800.

[vaya]

The Harrogate stadium only holds 5,000 and the attendance at the match was only 1,017 and yet they can put together a team that can beat Rovers 3-1. I was in the west stand at the home match on 5th Aug and was in total disbelief that we could lose 0-1. I knew then we would be in trouble as McCann had had all pre-season to prepare this squad.

The attendance today was not 1,017? We took 800.

3137 attendance.

[ForsolongaRover]

It upsets me in the fact that we are back where we were in the early 90s.
Difference being we play in a better stadium with even more empty shiny seats and bills get paid on time.

Sobering thought. The amount of money on wages we waste is incredible really. Is it a 35 man squad we now have??? In League 2. That’s f**king mental. What are we thinking.

Recruitment on the law of averages.

The so-called “law” of averages doesn’t really exist. Misplaced anyway I think in this context.

[Donnywolf]

At least the Red Kites were a nice site. Like Wycombe away maybe the highlight *

* For those who were looking upwards and not sitting with their heads in their hands

[DRFC-Hanksie]

Very frustrating to watch. I was hoping Rowe's quick response would have set the tone for the game, wasn't so bad the first half.

Absolutely crumbled 2nd half, fitness levels prevailed. The 2nd and 3rd Harrogate goals were painful to watch, going through our defence was like a knife through butter at times, made it look so easy.

Could literally see & hear everything coming from McCann's mouth as I was right on the half way line. Constantly shouting 'Focus', in-between the odd verbal to the 4th official.

GM needs to ruffle some feathers in the dressing room & sharpish.

[Chris Black come back]

The one consistent over the last few seasons is the shoulder shrugging. It is no more evident than when we concede. Nobody is there like Pickford beating the shit out of the ground if a goal is conceded. It’s symbolic of accepting losing as an unfortunate act of god like getting a cold or it raining. Nothing we can do about it. “We go again”.

[mushRTID]

Very frustrating to watch. I was hoping Rowe's quick response would have set the tone for the game, wasn't so bad the first half.

Absolutely crumbled 2nd half, fitness levels prevailed. The 2nd and 3rd Harrogate goals were painful to watch, going through our defence was like a knife through butter at times, made it look so easy.

Could literally see & hear everything coming from McCann's mouth as I was right on the half way line. Constantly shouting 'Focus', in-between the odd verbal to the 4th official.

GM needs to ruffle some feathers in the dressing room & sharpish.

I sit in the south stand so it was a rare occasion I stood so close to the dugouts yesterday.

I was surprised how quiet McCann was. I expected him to be a lot more vocal than that.

[GazLaz]

It upsets me in the fact that we are back where we were in the early 90s.
Difference being we play in a better stadium with even more empty shiny seats and bills get paid on time.

Sobering thought. The amount of money on wages we waste is incredible really. Is it a 35 man squad we now have??? In League 2. That’s f**king mental. What are we thinking.

Recruitment on the law of averages.

The so-called “law” of averages doesn’t really exist. Misplaced anyway I think in this context.

I know what he means though. Feels like a recruitment process so flimsy that such a large element is left down to luck. That luck will always throw up ok players as in Bailey and the multiple horror shows we’ve signed recently.

[dickos1]

I think this season we’ve signed more good ones than poor.
Ironside, faal, Bailey, senior, Sterry, Nixon, are all good signings.

[TonySoprano]

The team continues to cry out for leadership.

I can't think of one signing we've made in the last three years who 100% ticks this box; character, strength in adversity, physicality, a winning mentality.

Of the current bunch, Ironside shows it the most and young Bailey looks like he's got it in him. Anderson might have had it once, a long, long time ago but not any more. I thought Wood might bring a bit but he's gone MIA. As for the rest...

To me it's the key reason why our midfield-central defence-goalkeeper spine is so lacking and why we are joke defensively. I'm a bit surprised as I would have thought that GM would have been able to identify one or two in his own mould as early signings.

Wood?

Gone awol.
He's finished, complete has-been.
Poor signing

[TonySoprano]

It upsets me in the fact that we are back where we were in the early 90s.
Difference being we play in a better stadium with even more empty shiny seats and bills get paid on time.

Sobering thought. The amount of money on wages we waste is incredible really. Is it a 35 man squad we now have??? In League 2. That’s f**king mental. What are we thinking.

It's crazy, a result of the club been ran horrifically for years without any accountability.
It's going to take years to slow the decline. Never mind turn it around.

[ravenrover]

It upsets me in the fact that we are back where we were in the early 90s.
Difference being we play in a better stadium with even more empty shiny seats and bills get paid on time.

Sobering thought. The amount of money on wages we waste is incredible really. Is it a 35 man squad we now have??? In League 2. That’s f**king mental. What are we thinking.

Perhaps "we're" thinking how many of those 35 are available to play week in week out? Cut out the sick and lame and how many are left to pick from, add into that if everyone was fit how many of those currently fit would then make the starting 11?

[i_ateallthepies]

It upsets me in the fact that we are back where we were in the early 90s.
Difference being we play in a better stadium with even more empty shiny seats and bills get paid on time.

Sobering thought. The amount of money on wages we waste is incredible really. Is it a 35 man squad we now have??? In League 2. That’s f**king mental. What are we thinking.

Perhaps "we're" thinking how many of those 35 are available to play week in week out? Cut out the sick and lame and how many are left to pick from, add into that if everyone was fit how many of those currently fit would then make the starting 11?

Eleven?   

[Alan Southstand]

A more difficult question is - of the remaining fit ones, how many are good enough to get in the 11?

[ravenrover]

That's what I asked

[drfchound]

The one consistent over the last few seasons is the shoulder shrugging. It is no more evident than when we concede. Nobody is there like Pickford beating the shit out of the ground if a goal is conceded. It’s symbolic of accepting losing as an unfortunate act of god like getting a cold or it raining. Nothing we can do about it. “We go again”.

It has been that way for the last three seasons at least.

[drfcsteve]

A squad of 35 and I reckon about 9 of them are good enough for this league, and that includes Westbrooke (injured) and Nixon and Faal (not our players)

[DRFC-Hanksie]

Very frustrating to watch. I was hoping Rowe's quick response would have set the tone for the game, wasn't so bad the first half.

Absolutely crumbled 2nd half, fitness levels prevailed. The 2nd and 3rd Harrogate goals were painful to watch, going through our defence was like a knife through butter at times, made it look so easy.

Could literally see & hear everything coming from McCann's mouth as I was right on the half way line. Constantly shouting 'Focus', in-between the odd verbal to the 4th official.

GM needs to ruffle some feathers in the dressing room & sharpish.

I sit in the south stand so it was a rare occasion I stood so close to the dugouts yesterday.

I was surprised how quiet McCann was. I expected him to be a lot more vocal than that.

He was quiet compared to the Harrogate manager.

I'm not shifting all the blame onto the players, GM & CB have to take some of the flack. Questions have to be asked about how vigorous the training is during the week, because it's really affecting us now. We're at the wrong end of the table and have got to pull up our socks quickly, we're miles off the mark of the grit & determination shown in that Everton cup game (best performance i've seen this season imo).