I actually agree, I regret starting this thread. I just couldn’t believe what I was watching at how badly we defended in those games. I think after the Jones and then Selles’ appointments I didn’t trusty their choice of manager at all. But he has done OK. Like you said, he has United the dressing room and is a decent guy. I guess the question is: Has he learned enough from this season to address the problems going forward?
Some of our results have been so frustrating this season. Most recently, Boro and Blackburn, but even further back to Norwich away, Rotherham at home, Hudds away, Millwall home, and I'm sure several others. There have been some shockers that we really should have won. Had we turned just three of those results into a win, we'd be two points behind first with two in hand... In all honesty I feel a bit disappointed because we could (should?) be much higher than we are, but it seems strange feeling like that while there's still an outside chance of autos. I guess what can be said while we don't know what league we'll be in next season, is I'm not sure I like Martin's faith in certain players. Maybe that's also a positive trait of his in terms of building bonds with players, but his insistence on doing things that haven't worked, where there are clearly better alternatives (shoe-horning Stephens into the team, taking Che off and putting Armstrong through the middle, persisting with Smallbone at DM etc) are all decisions that I think are costly and obvious to everyone but him. We've seen that blind faith before in managers, and it can be infuriating. It's something I hope changes if he's here next season, but I'm not sure it would.
Every team has drawn/lost games frustratingly that they should have won. So either all managers are ****, or sport involving humans is complex.
You missed the obvious third option - no other team has the Lemons - Laces duopoly, guaranteeing success
Martin is such an enigma to me. When he keeps it tactically simple we are so good. We have all been crying out for a settled team, keep the solid back 4 from the unbeaten run and to play Charles when Downes is out… and hey presto it works. I just don’t get how he can coach the players so well and then get such basic stuff so obviously wrong. Love the togetherness of the team and club at the moment though. I am now at the point where even if we don’t go up, I would be very happy for Martin to stay on into next season
I don’t mind Martin and I do like the possession football, but he needs to pick the right players in the right roles more consistently. Also, doing well in a league where you have the best players is not enough - will judge him after next season when there will either be prem opponents or better teams in the Champ.
There's no denying that when the team are "on it" they are very good to watch, some of the interplay around the box was inventive and a delight to witness. Russell's biggest assets I believe are his coaching and his man management but he does tend to overthink it sometimes and experiment when playing players in their best positions is the way to go forward IMO.
I do genuinely think he has been hamstrung by the squad this season too. We have league-best players in some positions but not everywhere. GK, LB, DM backup and Strikers have all been very poor this season. (Some of this is Martins fault though imo - he brought manning in for example) I would like to see what he can do with a properly built squad.
He built his squad at Swansea and MK Dons I think we are going to be hugely hamstrung next season with squad building, if we don’t go up of course
I thought he wasn't given any backing at Swansea. Had to sell most of their better players, such as Downes.
Yeah but brought his own players in as replacements. We will have to let everyone go this summer who is any good, and replace with bargain basement so will probably be similar to his time at Swansea
Yeah will be interesting when they have to halve the wage bill and still attempt to put out something like a competitive side. Can see it going well
I think we will have more spending power than you think - for next year anyway. After that we are right up the proverbial creek.
Stu Armstrong (contract expires) - 3.4m David Brooks (end of loan) - 2.6m Alex McCarthy (contract expires) - 2.6m Ryan Fraser (end of loan) - 2.2m Charly Alcaraz (likely sold) - 2m Kamaldeen Sulemana (likely sold) - 2m Che Adams (contract expires) - 1.5m KWP (likely sold) - 1m There you go. I've just shaved over 17m off our reported 40m wage bill. If we sell Aribo (3.6m) or Bednarek (3.1), then that will clear half our wage bill. And we'd still have this as our starting team; Baz Bree Stephens Bednarek Manning Downes Smallbone Charles Adarma Stewart Amo-Ameyaw And let's face it, we're not broke. There'll be players coming in. Also, I don't think it's even true that we have to half our wage bill anyway. Norwich are apparently paying 25m a year.
Yeah we are in a much better position than Leicester and Leeds, that’s for sure. I’m honestly ready for championship football again next season. I don’t even want to go up. As long as we have money to compete in the league I want to be here again. Premier league is awful for a club with our budget
Yeah we need to go up and come straight back down so we can renew parachute payments The club of course would be ****s and try and stay in the PL but hopefully they **** it up again
