Improvement on last season?

[Silkscarf]

Simple question. What constitutes improvement on last season when we finished 18th?

We hoped for playoffs but that’s not happening. So what would be a reasonable season from this viewpoint now?

Top half would be good. That’s still possible.

13th-17th disappointing but shows progress.

18th-22nd failure.

23rd-24th catastrophic.

[drfchound]

It should be noted that Man City are ten points worse off than they were at this stage last season so although we are disappointed it isn’t just us.
(Tongue in cheek emoji would be here if we had one).

[GazLaz]

We have to finish the season strongly. The last dozen games or so is key. We need to carry over some positive form into next season.

[colincramb]

Let’s be honest. This season has been an utter disaster from what the club (and McCann) told us they wanted to achieve at the start of it. I just want it over now. It’s been beyond grim for the most part.

[drfcsteve]

We have improved slightly, which should be expected with extra funds being pumped in.

McCanns current points per game this time around is 1.22 but this is bolstered by cup games, it’s only 1.04 in the league. Schofield managed 1.03 and McSheffrey 1.17.

[Chris Black come back]

On a purely points basis, we are 9 points behind last season.

We currently have 28 points from 27 games.

This time last season we had 37 points from 27 games.

[RoversInSpain]

Obviously 23th or 24th is disaster, and it’s a real possibility.
However if we avoid the drop then improvement to me would be more clean sheets, I’d celebrate a clean sheet as much as a victory because this has been our massive issue for 3 years.
Stop conceding, clearing crosses and looking solid at the back…. we can finally say we’ve turned a corner.

[Bills view]

Not getting into which manager is better but it does make you wonder how the other recent managers would have fared with what we are led to believe is more player budget support.

[keith79]

Mccann has had a lot more money to spend than the last 3 manager  we've had.

[dickos1]

He has, but the majority of the squad is still players that were signed when we were signing poor players.
The recruitment this year has been good and the new players are significantly better than the ones we had.

[In the box]

Not getting into which manager is better but it does make you wonder how the other recent managers would have fared with what we are led to believe is more player budget support.

Was there was any increase in the budget . Let’s face it if we’re paying more on wages than this is worrying as results don’t justify it ! I imo players should get large win bonuses if this is what encourages results .

[dickos1]

Not getting into which manager is better but it does make you wonder how the other recent managers would have fared with what we are led to believe is more player budget support.

Was there was any increase in the budget . Let’s face it if we’re paying more on wages than this is worrying as results don’t justify it ! I imo players should get large win bonuses if this is what encourages results .

Of course the budget increased, we’ve signed all these players without really anyone leaving. So every one of these players are due to an increase in budget.
Our wage bill must be massive with the number of players we have, if McCann can reduce the numbers next season whilst still having the same wage bill the squad will be much smaller but full of better quality

[Bentley Bullet]

Not getting into which manager is better but it does make you wonder how the other recent managers would have fared with what we are led to believe is more player budget support.

Was there was any increase in the budget . Let’s face it if we’re paying more on wages than this is worrying as results don’t justify it ! I imo players should get large win bonuses if this is what encourages results .

Players should give everything irrespective of financial incentive. If they don't they're not dedicated sportsmen and are in the wrong job.

[wilts rover]

Not getting into which manager is better but it does make you wonder how the other recent managers would have fared with what we are led to believe is more player budget support.

Was there was any increase in the budget . Let’s face it if we’re paying more on wages than this is worrying as results don’t justify it ! I imo players should get large win bonuses if this is what encourages results .

Of course the budget increased, we’ve signed all these players without really anyone leaving. So every one of these players are due to an increase in budget.
Our wage bill must be massive with the number of players we have, if McCann can reduce the numbers next season whilst still having the same wage bill the squad will be much smaller but full of better quality

Or he will be paying average players more money?

We are playing a far more attractive style of football than last season. Which is down to the manager. It's also one that lets more goals in. Which is down to...

[edlored]

At the moment people want winning football the games littered with teams what got relegated or dropped out the league trying to play attractive football

[DonnyOsmond]

We increased the budget slightly but because we've then brought in quite a few players it's diluted it. We have the biggest squad in the league on an average budget which equates in to a poor position, were probably achieving where we should be. We have quantity over quality.

[BigH]

McCann's main problem is that he inherited a squad with a rump of 20-25 players that were going nowhere. That reflects the legacy problems dating back to Wellens of poor recruitment and retention. Unless and until he can sift through that lot then we won't make meaningful progress. Plus he has his own margin for error to consider; some of his recruits haven't cut the mustard so far.

I've always said that he needed three windows to make an impact and I haven't changed my view. In the meantime, success would be staying up, regular demonstrations of defensive solidity and creation of some sort of momentum to take us into next season.

[In the box]

Not getting into which manager is better but it does make you wonder how the other recent managers would have fared with what we are led to believe is more player budget support.

Was there was any increase in the budget . Let’s face it if we’re paying more on wages than this is worrying as results don’t justify it ! I imo players should get large win bonuses if this is what encourages results .

Of course the budget increased, we’ve signed all these players without really anyone leaving. So every one of these players are due to an increase in budget.
Our wage bill must be massive with the number of players we have, if McCann can reduce the numbers next season whilst still having the same wage bill the squad will be much smaller but full of better quality

Or he will be paying average players more money?

We are playing a far more attractive style of football than last season. Which is down to the manager. It's also one that lets more goals in. Which is down to...

So we play better and loose or play rough and scrappy and earn points . We played reasonably well yesterday but up and front not for the first time  we lacked a final punch . I think results matter and how you get there should be fluid and transitional . Players need to do the basics well whilst competing to get the results . Teams are coming here and rolling us over because the way we play is allowing the opposition to fight and win possession too often . You’re nothing without possession and it’s what you do with it that gets results and upfront we’re not delivering .

[RoversInSpain]

McCann's main problem is that he inherited a squad with a rump of 20-25 players that were going nowhere. That reflects the legacy problems dating back to Wellens of poor recruitment and retention. Unless and until he can sift through that lot then we won't make meaningful progress. Plus he has his own margin for error to consider; some of his recruits haven't cut the mustard so far.

I've always said that he needed three windows to make an impact and I haven't changed my view. In the meantime, success would be staying up, regular demonstrations of defensive solidity and creation of some sort of momentum to take us into next season.

Yes, this exactly.
And perhaps the ‘some sort of momentum’ is staring us in the face…THE BSM pot.
We beat Hull, scared Everton to death and gave Posh a run for their money, so on a one off what’s to say we can’t turn over Wigan? Then our season does get interesting .

[StocksArmy]

Given the extra funds being provided and bringing in a manager and staff tried and tested at a higher level, I would say there has been next to no improvement. The style is better but the supporters have still been presented with dross. Lose games with a whimper, no characters when we are up against it, squad too young, signing a goalkeeper who sat on the bench for Dundee, offering the other a contract who we all knew wasn't good enough, a right back who had a series of previous injuries, a 37yr old (say no more), Broadbent (say no more), Tyler Roberts (say no more) Sotona (say no more), new contract for Seaman (say no more). McCann is a big part to blsme for this season make no mistake. Brought in some very capable players but he has also had some absolute shockers. For this club to be in the position it is having no learned lessons from previous seasons and still clubs such as Harrogate and Newport do the double over us scoring 1 and conceding 9 in those 4 games is diabolical. Its unacceptable for all paying supporters yet for some it is very acceptable so they must be enjoying what is going on.

[In the box]

Blind  faith in McCann and all he brings to the club is what’s at the root of this . He has brought in players , staff and has got the backing of the owner . Only time will tell if this faith is to rewarded but how long will it take before even McCann sees that it’s not going to plan ?

[GazLaz]

He has, but the majority of the squad is still players that were signed when we were signing poor players.
The recruitment this year has been good and the new players are significantly better than the ones we had.

He’s signed 16 players hasn’t he?

[wilts rover]

Blind  faith in McCann and all he brings to the club is what’s at the root of this . He has brought in players , staff and has got the backing of the owner . Only time will tell if this faith is to rewarded but how long will it take before even McCann sees that it’s not going to plan ?

So what should change?

[Padge_DRFC]

We've gone backwards in the last 2 months. Apart from 40 ISH minutes against Mansfield and a first half against MK. Other than that we've been as poor as last season of late.

[Filo]

In my opinion we are in trouble, our next two league games are Bradford and Stockport, nailed on two defeats, we could then be very close to the bottom two

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

Why so defeatist?  If we look back perhaps McCann has put too much faith in what have now become failed players (Oluwu, Anderson, Biggins). He's also had a mass of injuries and constant top and changing.

We are better than last year to watch albeit results aren't great. I do think we've underperformed in terms of results.

I think we need a good second half of the season, we shouldn't be where we are so it's clear underperformance.

We do need to stick by the manager for the long term and show some patience.

[pib]

If we change manager again then we’re even more clueless than I already thought.

Get a new plan which is the best plan since sliced bread, and then chuck it out of the window again after 6 months. Just like we have with the last 3 plans.

[colincramb]

He has, but the majority of the squad is still players that were signed when we were signing poor players.
The recruitment this year has been good and the new players are significantly better than the ones we had.

He’s signed 16 players hasn’t he?

Exactly. There is barely any evidence that we’ve signed better players. If anything, the evidence points to this team being worse.Only Ironside and Bailey look better than what we had.

Of yesterday’s starting 11, only Rowe, jones, close and molyneux were here last season. The rest are grants signings.

[BillyStubbsTears]

We've gone backwards in the last 2 months. Apart from 40 ISH minutes against Mansfield and a first half against MK. Other than that we've been as poor as last season of late.

11 points in the last 13 games.

That is inexcusable with the players available.

[Jonathan]

We've gone backwards in the last 2 months. Apart from 40 ISH minutes against Mansfield and a first half against MK. Other than that we've been as poor as last season of late.

11 points in the last 13 games.

That is inexcusable with the players available.

What do you suggest we do about it?