For some reason I haven’t given up on automatic yet. 12 wins from the last 16 gives us 90 points. Beat Wigan and Rotherham and we’ll do it. We have the players. Stick in Clarke, Roberts, Matete and Defoe from the start yesterday and we’d have won, maybe 5-3. Get Keane in and it’s on.
I'm never negative, however if you knew me, and asked the people I know, I said during the week that my gut feeling was a 1-0 loss. I can see why people were optimistic, get all the knew signing in the team, but my thoughts were whomever took caretaker charge would stick with Johnsons team until the new man was in charge. When he brought the subs on yesterday it was a case of "just go on and play". We'll see how things shape up when the new manager turns up. I was impressed by the 2 new lads when they came on. Matete and Pritchard look like they could play together from the small amount I seen of them.
I’m not even sure it’s a case of underestimating Donny. Maybe a case of overestimating what our caretaker coaching staff would set up and our players approach to the game. Donny were nothing, they just did the very basic of basics, but that was enough to beat us. The last two games have been woeful from our set up, but the players are supposedly professionals who need to take some responsibility on the pitch. The 1st goal yesterday was disgusting from a defensive point of view. It was just a knock over the top. I don’t care how old Doyle is, to not go with the runner and close the space straight away was shocking. My 13 year old lad plays centre back and would have closed that out. Dodds and the coaching staff (and Johnson before his departure) seem full of waffle and buzzwords. The young lads are being over-coached and the basics of the game are being forgotten. Jesus I hope you’re right about Keane. We desperately need to simplify things. Football is only as complicated as you make it for yourself, and we’re tying ourselves up in knots.
I can’t believe we are still waiting ffs. This needs sorting well before Tuesday to give someone at least a day to kick their arses.
I don't understand the wisdom of him asking to do the interview. I'm genuinely not sure what they were trying to achieve. It was basically to tell a load of fibs (based on what you've said), presumably to manage expectations but for the sake of a day. I'm not sure I see the point. Instead all it has achieved is getting everyone in a tiz. Maybe it was just a misstep and an error of judgement.
Well said mate. All this new type of coaching, director of this,director of that...data driven,bla bla bla, they dont seem to recognise the basics. Big centre half who can hold his own without giving away pennas, and able to pass out of his own half...a must for us and back to basics with strong leadership...
Basically said that he's happy to be calm and patient about recruiting the next head coach and there's no rush to get the right appointment. Said they are in the process of drawing up a list of candidates. It was totally foolish to do before the game and idiotic to either lie about it or if telling the truth shows a level of incompetence that we don't sleep to rush it. I am blindly assuming it was bullshit and I hope Keane gets announced soon
It has made me laugh all the people saying 'great, now Keane won't be interested after that match' as if either Keane isn't aware of anything that has gone before he was approached in the week and we'd manage to keep it a secret or that he's fine with a 6-0 capitulation but a follow up 2-1 defeat is crossing the line for him to perform a complete u-turn and tell us to go **** ourselves.