I was disappointed but not surprised with yesterdays result as I believe that Leicester are a premiership team in waiting. what struck me the most was MM`s body language after the game, he looked a bit lost and seemed to have lost his spark, his edge. Since arriving he has done a terrific job and to be in 10th position at this time of the season and only a few points off the play offs, I think we would have taken that at the beginning of the season. But if he is loosing his fervour or passion if you like this will very quickly spread to the dressing room in general. I think he is so frustrated with ME I wouldn't be at all surprised if he retired from football for good come the end of season, such is his general malaise. What a shame this would be, because I believe with the right financial backing and an open letter of commitment to further the clubs progress from ME we could be real contenders next year. But I have this feeling that things are going to get considerably worse in the money/boardroom department. As I said I hope I`m wrong but.................................
There are plenty of sad fcukers on TWTD who are demanding Mick to leave! What a bunch of clueless morons!
JWM, I wonder if they want him to leave more as a result of the stubbornness to change that a lot of fans comment on rather than the fact they think he has done a bad job. I dont want him to leave but I think the most frustrating thing from my POV is the fact he was done such a good job so far but i sometimes think if he was just slighly bolder then we could be in a much better position. There is no doubting the fact that he knows what he is doing but does he possibly stay in his comfort zone too often for some fans liking?
Thats a little bit harsh Warky - we're all entitled to our own opinion. As you probably are aware, i'm not Mick's most ardent of supporters, not because he's done a bad job and i have to take my hat off here to him, for not making us a laughing stock anymore), but as has been pointed out previously, his decision making and team selection is just so negative and frustrating. Now, i understand that players need to work hard, and show in training something that will make the manager pick him, but when you constantly pick one player over another (i'm going to pick on poor old Frank, and Taylor here) and he is STILL not doing his job (i.e score/create goals) then to me that reeks pure stubborness from Mick. I also understand that probably Taylor's attitude and work ethic and are not exemplary, but surely being one of (if not the ONLY) creative spark we have in our team, should be given a chance to prove what he can do on the pitch. This is what i've been saying for most of this season, Mick only seems to be a one trick pony,and even though he was perfect for us last season, i don't think he's the man to take us to the next level. He's extremely dilligent, and profficient in his manangement style, and he's wonderful at organising teams not to lose - but, Blackpool away aside, has no attacking nouse or balls to go out and in games. Now, this may well be because Evans won't give him any finances to strengthen the team, but surely getting another defensive midfielder in on loan (and one that couldn't get into another championship team) is, to me, desperation and bad decsion making. We have no creativity in the team, we are reliant on one player to score the goals, and one player (defender) to supply the ammunition. Surely then you'd think a creative midfielder or another forward shouod be brought in, and not another workaholic journeyman that is even being played out of position. THIS is why i would like Mick out at the end of the season - not having the balls and the courage to try things differently, being too stubborn in his ways by picking the same players week in week out regardless of how they played. And to top ot off, the way he handled Loachey this week was attrocious - to publicly say that it doeasn't matter how well Loach played against Blackpool, i was going to pick Gherken in instead - another bit of poor man management from Mick. So, to say that wanting Mick out means we're a bunch of clueless morons is harsh, and in my opinion misjudged. If Mick picks the same team against Brum next weekend, then he really is a complete imcompetent manager - period!
Just what the hell is he supposed to do without any serious money? He has raided the freebies from the bargain basement and unfortunately decent creative midfielders are at a premium! If they are any good they will be playing regular football for their clubs and their clubs will demand a decent fee which quite franklly we cant match! Given these circumstances Mick has had to make do with what he's got so dont give me all this bollox about him being incompetent! Just look at what Jewell did when he had a bit of cash to spend on creative midfielders! He bought has beens in on big wages and we were getting tonked every week. This team is very much a work in progrress and until Evans decides that he is actually interested in being our owner and gives Mick the money he so badly requires we shall be a mid table, mediocre team!
Have to agree with tractorbhoy) although I do still believe if given time he will get us at least competing at the top of the division and hopefully to the PL. He is just soo frustrating in that he limits his own talent as a manager. I know he hasn't had alot of money to spend but we've done that in the past and had less limited players in our team playing with more creativity and less caution. Some of Royle's teams had some very limited players in them and journey men but we were bold, nothing dissapoints me more when I don't see an Ipswich team try to take the game to the opponent, no matter who they are playing. Looking at our team on saturday there are some decent players in there but putting them all in the same team it makes you just want to not bother following them team but just going out and doing something more interesting and then looking for the result at 4.45. Teams need industry and need to work hard but god they're not the only elements in successful sides!!!
You can't keep comparing Mick with both PJ and RK - I'm purely basing my thoughts on Mick as a manager today - and for me, he's not the right man for our club at this moment in time. I also have to disagree that there are not enough creative players out there on freebies i'm sure there are hundreds of players around Europe who would be willing to play for us, and we could get for next to nothing, including players from a lower league. I really don't know why we are paying our scouts, as they have not come up with one good signing (bar McG)
Stretchy I really dont think that you appreciate just how big a mess our club is in right now! The very last thing we need as yet another change of manager and coaching staff. This will create more turmoil and more transition. Who do you seriously think will want to come to a club that has bugger all money to spend on players? Do you honestly believe that we are such an attractive proposition for an up and coming young manager from a lower league club? If you do then I think you are in serious need of a reality check! In our current state we will not be considered as a step up for the likes of Karl Robinson et al. We have the right man here already unfortunately we do not have the right owner!
I think we could keep arguing 'til we are both blue in the face - we'll just have to agree to disagree. I honestly don't know who i'd want as manager tbh, i previously did state that i liked Mowbray, but i'm slightly going off of that. I dunno, maybe someone in the mould of Zola (not necessarily him, but maybe an ex-player who had some creativeness in him) Mick is managing us like he used to play..very defensively and not creative.
You cant make a silk purse out of a sows ear, and basically in terms of quality Championship level players thats exactly what we have. How many players of genuine quality do we have? 3 possibly 4 at best which means that two thirds of the players which take the field are extremely mediocre at this level, and if we lose any through injury as we have McGoldrick they will have to be replaced with sub standard players such as Nouble because we have no others of quality to bring in, the cupboard is bare. So unless Evans unlocks the purse strings and stops hiding behind this Financial Fair play nonsense nothing will change because of the lack of quality in the team. Has MM done a good job for us? With this squad bloody right he has. Can he make this team perform even better? Without investment no chance and neither could anyone else, we are reaping what was sown in the RK and PJ eras, huge amounts of money wasted on has beens and never was players and the biggest pisser of all is that we now have a competent and experienced management team but the coffers are empty, thats the legacy of past " managers " and it makes me sick.
I have to agree with Stretch... in that I haven't ever been the most ardent Mick fan but have got fully behind him and enjoyed parts of this season, which as we all know is a 'work in progress' But that said, is he going to improve us from where we are now? Probably. But through being belligerent and efficient, not through entertaining purposeful football, which again is a trait of ITFC that I seriously miss. I think Mick knew the score when he joined and how many clubs (in our situation) have splashed any real cash? Also to think that Derby assembled their side on a shoestring and a number of other clubs have signed talented young players from Premier league clubs.. Josh Mceachran for example who would have been a welcome addition to our side.. so there are talented players around who we seem to be oblivious of at times.. Do I want Mick to leave? No, Not really. I think he is doing a good job with the resources he has.. But if he were then I would be happy in the knowledge that he leaves us far more stable than when he joined and a great club for a young manager* to come into and really build on the strong foundations Mick has put up in double quick time.. * Paul Tisdale being the man I am eluding too.....
I'm sure you would have been saying the same when we appointed Sir Alf and Sir Bobby... "never won anything..." <yawn>
Just to correct your point KOPR about other similar clubs not spending much cash. What about Leicester, Forest, Blackburn, Huddersfield, Middlesborough, Yeovil, Bolton, Bournemouth, Brighton, Wigan to name but a few!
Pretty much agree with everything you say KOPR. I'd like to see us spend more money, but I'd prefer to see us live within our means and be sustainable. There will be players out there who we can get on the cheap who will improve our team, we just have to be clever. I mean who has been our best signings over the past few years..?? Cresswell and Walters and you may in a couple of seasons be able to add McGoldrick to that, and they cost about a combined total of 400k max
In case you hadn't noticed football has moved on a great deal from those halcyon days of yore! Instant results these days are demanded by the fans and the owners alike and few clubs will take the risk of appointing non-entities who have not achieved a great deal. Tisdale falls into this category and it would be a massive gamble to appoint someone like him.
