Relegation

[NickDRFC]

McCann had a way of playing last time he was here, he has no plan this time. He looks to have lost his managerial confidence-he doesn’t seem the same manager. You could say before, that the players he had then, are much better than what we have now. I see not one player he has improved since he came in. Every player isn’t performing to the level they are capable of.

We are very accepting as a group of fans, with the deterioration of our club. We are professional losers. Terry isn’t a football man. He’s a Doncaster businessman with obviously a good heart but isn’t the right person to lead the football side. It needs a youthful, full of ideas chairman that can drive this club.

Big red flag for me watching the MTO event was that nobody seemed to really speak of any sort of strategy or plan.

It was all a bit like “I’m the chairman now and I want us to improve” but no talk of how we are going to get there.

We’re rudderless.

A good strategy always starts with a diagnosis of the current situation, and a bad strategy is usually characterised by a failure to grasp the challenge ahead. I’ve said it before but I think that even when it’s clear to the fans, those running the club don’t recognise the fundamental structural issues that we have as an operation. It’s not going to be corrected until they have a serious and radical look at how we operate before putting a strategy in place to get us where they supposedly want us to be.

Last time they did this it ended with Copps as head of footballing operations and his mate Danny Schofield as head coach.

Adopting that structure was easily one of the more sensible decisions we’ve made over the last few years. Unfortunately we spoiled it with the usual brand of chaos and confusion by a) appointing Coppinger in the first place and b) dispensing with the model so quickly.

[sedwardsdrfc]

Fairly tropical that the club identified the problem but then botched the solution. Copps has dragged us further down in that role and set us back. Then we’ve panicked and over corrected the wrong way.

We just needed a better HoF  Otto rip it all up.

As it stands I can’t even get excited when we sign players. They’ll just turn out the same as the rest. The managers are the same too. Club is rotten

[Chris Black come back]

The structure point serves two linked purposes - continuity in recruitment and playing style / ethos, and better long term decisions being made on recruitment and retention. This is all lost though if we don’t appoint the right people to make these decisions. In fact, it makes it worse.

[GazLaz]

The structure point serves two linked purposes - continuity in recruitment and playing style / ethos, and better long term decisions being made on recruitment and retention. This is all lost though if we don’t appoint the right people to make these decisions. In fact, it makes it worse.

We gave up on that structure to get GM. He wanted complete control.

[wilts rover]

The structure point serves two linked purposes - continuity in recruitment and playing style / ethos, and better long term decisions being made on recruitment and retention. This is all lost though if we don’t appoint the right people to make these decisions. In fact, it makes it worse.

We gave up on that structure to get GM. He wanted complete control.

Of course he did. Any decent experienced manager (at this level) would. It's absolute madness to think a manager/head coach call that what you want, is going to want someone else choosing the players they want to put on the field.

[Chris Black come back]

A director of football can also make appalling recruitment decisions btw. This structure would provide some protection as more expert people are involved in making decisions, but hire the wrong director of football and you get the wrong decisions.

[drfcsteve]

The structure point serves two linked purposes - continuity in recruitment and playing style / ethos, and better long term decisions being made on recruitment and retention. This is all lost though if we don’t appoint the right people to make these decisions. In fact, it makes it worse.

We gave up on that structure to get GM. He wanted complete control.

No where for him to hide then really.

I’m struggling because on Grants previous record I agree with those that say we’ll not get a better manager. But on the evidence this season we have a manager who’s got us teetering on the edge of relegation after being given a top half budget and freedom to sign a whole new team of players.

[big fat yorkshire pudding]

I'm still really pissed off with it all this morning.  But I still don't know the answer.

McCann still is the best manager we can get, I can't see better if I'm honest.

But he does need to think about his team selections. Craig to me looks a poor signing, Oluwu isn't the defender for this level and our forward players are too lightweight.  Jones has real potential but crosses are clearly a problem for him. We should stick with Jones and put in better centre halves.  I'd go with Wood, Bailey, Anderson. They all work at this level.

Keeping a proper left back fit is vital, Rowe is very poor there for me.  Sadly Tommy's days are numbered at this level, but I can't knock his effort.

Overall we have enough in the squad but we need the right players in the right positions. 

[Chris Black come back]

Is Broadbent injured? Was surprise for McCann to have allegedly told someone at the Meet the Owner event that Broadbent can be better than Whiteman. We paid a fee for him I think so he must have really wanted him. Rare we pay money for anyone.

[BigH]

As the late (great?) Tommy Docherty once said "If you sign too many Third Division players you end up playing in the Third Division".

Well, we've signed too many National League players so...

Also, none of the over 30's in the squad are doing it for us at present. And they'll be counting for the bulk of the wage bill. Whoever signed off on this as part of the recruitment/retention strategy has some questions to answer.

The kids are nowhere near ready, not good enough or both. We don't have an outstanding group of youth players like, say, in 1988.

The reason we are where we are shouldn't come as a surprise to anyone.