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Has James Fowler (assistant manager) left?

Discussion in 'Sunderland' started by marcusblackcat, Sep 19, 2019.

  1. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    I agree. I’m still not ‘Ross out’ as such, but I’ve no faith whatsoever he can take us on.

    If the owners want to change it I’ll have no issues whatsoever.
     
    #61
  2. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

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    They were absolutely disgraceful and blatantly robbed dozens of businesses with their fake 'liquidation'.

    Then they had rich new owners to finance their rise.

    I admire your ideals in principle but, in practice, football is all about money these days.
     
    #62
  3. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    Let’s not forget, for all that the current owners aren’t wedged, they provided Ross with a budget, in their own words ‘10 times the size’ of an average league one club.

    We finished 5th lads. 5th. Charlton are ****ing bankrupt. Pompey have ****ing Jackett. Still both beat us.
     
    #63
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  4. Smug in Boots

    Smug in Boots Well-Known Member

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    I rarely call for the managers head but this football is awful to watch.

    Winning a third of the last 30 games, in League One, is shameful.
     
    #64
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  5. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

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    That's precisely my point. We've been in the position where a billionaire owner has come in, chucked money around with little idea of what he's doing, got bored, buggered off, and left the club up **** creek.
    Targeting managers like Howe, Dyche and Allardyce looks like exactly the same model to me. Football isn't a game of FIFA. The manager doesn't control every movement that each player makes on the pitch and so bringing a Premier League manager in isn't going to suddenly make these players better. It's just going to lumber us with big wages or a big severance payment which could hit the club further down the line when/if these chaps decide the whole thing is harder than they thought.
     
    #65
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  6. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    I agree. That’s the issue. I admire folk trying to keep faith but it’s not the patchy start to the season, this goes back to March.

    That’s a long run of ****, and as you say it’s ****ing dire to watch.

    The biggest annoying is that we do look capable when we go at teams, then it’s like we get reigned back in.

    It’s bullshit. How many times under Ross have we gone at teams last 20 mins and either saved a point or won? So ****ing do it all the time. We are better than the sides we are facing, make them fear us not enjoy a day out for **** sake.
     
    #66
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  7. Nacho

    Nacho Well-Known Member

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    I don't agree we had the best squad last season and we don't this one either. Our keeper was probably our best player and he didn't get keeper of the season, no chance our CBs were the best in the league, neither were our CM, or our forwards. Grigg and Wyke the best in the league? Not even close.

    McGeady is better than league one and Maguire has ability but apart from that I'm struggling to see who our standout players are/were. I think Ross has done well with a mediocre bunch not done badly with a team of superstars.
     
    #67
  8. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    I get this, but Short came in blind and went about things in a wreckless manner.

    I very much doubt asset managers would be that naive about it.
     
    #68
  9. clockstander

    clockstander Well-Known Member

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    I'm a reluctant admirer of Lee Bowyer and was not surprised he ran circles round Ross at Wembley, he is a bit of a street fighter combined with a real grasp of what is required to be a good manager imo,
     
    #69
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  10. Jack TheLad

    Jack TheLad Well-Known Member

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    I think the club is too big for Ross. Even in league one.

    It's a mentality thing why we don't finish teams off.

    If the owners want to oust Ross then I'm fine with that.
     
    #70
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  11. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

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    That's what I thought. And like I said, it's not how they do it with Marlins. Which is why I find the Dyche thing so strange.
     
    #71
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  12. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    Barnsley has better CB’s, Pompey had one. There weren’t any truly outstanding CM but surely Catts and Leads were in there? Grigg under decent gaffers has scored for fun in this league. McGeady is easily the best player individually, top keeper, then players like Maguire and Gooch would get into most sides.

    We had more of the better players than anyone else in my opinion and we ****ed it.
     
    #72
  13. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    Bowyer looks a top manager. He was a very good player and he was a leader, it’s doesn't surprise me he’s done well, it’s a bit of magic just how well he’s done.

    Really tough circumstances but he’s nailed it, fair play to him.
     
    #73
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  14. Nordic

    Nordic Well-Known Member

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    I'm all for continuity, but not if that means scraping results, especially in this league.
    We look above average and have never looked like we can stick the knife in to kill a game. The only game I recall that we bossed was Donny at home last season, and that was only the first half...
    He has his own squad now and we look naive and toothless, far too often
     
    #74
  15. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    I can’t recall a really big win under Ross off the top of my head. Few 3-1 load of 2/3-0 no pastings.

    Am I forgetting one? Probably his best result was 4-2 at home to Barnsley and my days we pinched one there they completely outplayed us.
     
    #75
  16. Nacho

    Nacho Well-Known Member

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    I think our squad was at or below par for the most part. Gooch's form went AWOL after his kid was born and most games I saw a more effective CM than either Catts or Leadbitter although in the right setup Grant's quality does shine. I dunno what's wrong with Grigg but I think he'd have the same problem with any team, he looks half asleep. Maybe he's done.

    Looking at the PFA team of the season for last year only McGeady is on there and I'd agree with that although McGlaughlin did great. How much input did Ross have into recruitment and how much did he have to play with the cards he was dealt?
     
    #76
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  17. Nads

    Nads Well-Known Member

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    I’m not disputing any of that mate, I’m disputing that as individual players, if they were performing, they were the best squad.

    If that many players are underperforming or drifting, that’s the manager, surely?

    Who’s pushing? Motivating? Who’s making the players feel like they can beat anyone?

    That’s the manager. It all feeds back to the same thing, he’s coming up short mate.
     
    #77
  18. Nacho

    Nacho Well-Known Member

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    I don't think they were underperforming though I'd say that if anything Ross got decent performances out of average players, apart from a couple of standouts. There's only so many clean sheets you're going to get from the likes of Baldwin and Flanagan, only so much you get from Cattermole who wasn't even picked up for free by another league one side despite being our best CM. That speaks for itself.

    I think our players listen to Ross and trust in his methods and we're way more resilient than we used to be as a result I just don't think they're very good players compared to the best teams around us.
     
    #78
  19. clockstander

    clockstander Well-Known Member

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    Disagree mate Coventry tore this lot to shreds at the Sol last season, and many players in this league are individually as good if not better than ours, we have not dominated or won comfortably, a single game under Ross, and only one of our players made the league eleven. We do have a big squad but we have a manager who does not know his best eleven, or how to use them.
     
    #79
  20. The Norton Cat

    The Norton Cat Well-Known Member

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    4-1 away at Gillingham?
     
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