We're nine points behind where we were two years ago. We finished 17 points ahead of 7th that season - and that was with a very poor finish. Yes our squad isn't as strong as it was then, but there is definitely time to turn it around with the right guy in charge. Last season Coventry had 17 points from 17 games. They still made the play-offs. Two seasons earlier they had 7 points from 10 games. Again they made the play offs. Famously, Sunderland once got automatic promotion despite only having 13 points after 12 games, and Palace got promoted after being on 22 points from 22 games. When Reading beat us to the title, they had 18 points from 15 games.
10 points off play offs and 99 points to play for with one of the strongest squads in the league. If the board act fast and make a good appointment then the season is far from over. Granted that is an absolutely huge "if"!
I don't believe this squad has the mental fortitude to charge back from here, let alone keep themselves in promotion contention
Half of them have already been promoted from this division, and that was after an awful relegation season as well. Then the likes of Fellows, Azaz, Scienza and Edwards have also shown they are very good in this league. If you get the right manager then it can definitely be done, as Martin has shown. Credit where it's due to Martin, in terms of man management and mentality he did a brilliant job to to turn things around. I
I think the 'they've been promoted before' thing is overplayed, much in the same way as 'they've been relegated' is overplayed as a criticism of a player when linked as a potential new signing. It's about the here and now, not what happened in the past when they had different teammates doing the crucial work I agree re: Martin's man management and work on the collective mentality of the club though
I see what you mean if we were looking at players that had all been promoted at different clubs in different seasons. But half of our squad all got promoted together, just 2 seasons ago. Yes, it's a different situation now and you don't have Adams or KWP, but then we have also added some good players at this level. I get that just because they did it once, it doesn't mean they will definitely do it again. But I think it shows they aren't completely useless and with the right manager they could at least be competing at the other end of the table than they are now.
They did, but they did it on the back of contributions from the likes of Adams, Stu, KWP, Bednarek, Brooks... all of whom moved on to better/other things. We've got the leftovers and there's no indication they're up to the task of a repeat promotion without those previous players
Whilst the squad is probably not as good as the one that got promoted last year, there also isn’t the Ipswich/Leeds/Leicester level of sides in the league either. At one stage about half way through the season there were 4 sides that were on track to end up on around 100 points, there just isn’t that level of side this year Get a winning mentality into the talent level of this squad and we’ll start winning games relatively comfortably. Easier said than done though and Still just isn’t that person. The way we beat Wrexham, then a solid point away at the huge favourites for the league should’ve been enough to change attitudes and kick start a solid promotion hunting season, but since then it’s been **** performance after **** performance
Regardless of how good or bad the manager is, if this squad really is one of the strongest in the league we’d have seen some evidence of that. We can’t berate the players each week for being **** and then claim to have a strong squad. The evidence tells us it’s not.
I will be honest with you, I dont think we have a 'very good' squad. We have the odd promotion worthy player and we certainly don't have the '21st' best squad on paper, but there are whole areas that aren't promotion quality and there could be a case for us having the worst striker situation in the league, it is definitely weaker than the side RM had. Goalkeepers - McCarthy and Bazunu are mediocre. Centre Back - Our defence was pretty poor when we got promoted last time anyway and now it is down Bednarek. Stephens is done, THB is overrated as they come and has always looked error prone with a strop problem, Wood and Edwards at best have been mid table Championship, Quarshie is very hit and miss so far. Full Backs/ Wing Backs - Manning and Roerslev in fairness have promotion experience, but being down a KWP on last time is a massive downgrade. Welington offers nothing. Jelert is still slightly unknown. Central Mid - Charles, Downes and Jander seems reasonable tbf. Attacking Mid / Wingers - This is the one area where I would say we are actually overflowing with potential and they have been creating plenty of chances, but that means nothing without..... Strikers - Someone needs sacking for this. Who looked at Stewart, Archer and Downs and thought 'that'll do'. Archer is nowhere near as good as people sometimes claim either. He had an 18 month purple patch three years ago. Looked off it at Sheffield United and then has never really looked good enough here under multiple managers. He was third choice behind Stewart and Onuachu by the end of last season for a reason. The lack of strikers and mediocre goalkeepers and defence make this a mid table side at best for me. No point having a bucket full of decent attacking midfielders when they have no striker to work with and an unreliable back line behind them.
After the relegation before last season, quite a few posters said that it wasn't the end of the world, the PL is ****e, the Championship is more competitive, no VAR, better fans etc etc. A virtual safe haven for football refugees fleeing the evils of the premier league despots. Given that we're not going back to the land of big team bias, VAR or prawn sandwiches anytime soon, why are people so angry? This is what we wanted and this is what we've got for the foreseeable future. First it was moving the away fans, then safe standing, this is surely just another example of SR giving us what we asked for?
I'm still much preferring this season to last. Not everyone wanted away fans moved either. Being out of the northam helps tbh.
I'm not saying we are incredible, but don't underestimate how poor this league is. We should easily be top 6.... Keepers Baz and McCarthy - Got us promoted last time so clearly good enough. Defence THB clearly isn't that bad having 2 back to back promotions under his belt. Stephens, THB, Manning, Roeslev all promoted previously. Centre mid - Agree with you, very strong. Attacking mid - Azaz, Fellows, Scienza, Fraser, Robinson. Wealth of talent and championship experience. Easily top 3/4 in the league. Forwards Arma and Archer both have very good goalscoring seasons in this league before. Although I agree we should have signed someone else here. Now compare that to the sides in the play offs... Stoke, Milwall and that bang average Preston team that beat us yesterday!
Didn’t go yesterday but having read the match thread it seems like the players aren’t playing for Still. They are more than capable of passing a ball but sounds like they can’t even manage that. So either they’ve stopped playing for him or he doesn’t give them the confidence to perform. Maybe both? As unforgivable as that is from the players, it all points to Still needing to go. Like others, I feel bad for him but ultimately you have to be ruthless. The absolute amateurism from SR to not get Rohl when they wanted him (and a decent striker) has ruined our season.
I actually give them a bit of a pass with Röhl, even though I was his biggest champion. I'm actually fairly pleased we didn't get him first time around, when we sacked Jones, as he'd have been on a hiding to nothing. Then when we tried again in the summer, we were getting Chansiried which meant we'd have had to wait for an undetermined length of time, and it felt like he might also go to one of the German clubs, so we had to move on it, or the fans would have been in revolt, so we went for Still. It was more an incredibly unfortunate set of timings than anything else with him.
Agree with this, damned if we do and damned if we don't. Same as all those posters saying we should have got rid of Martin as soon as we got promoted! Also there's no guarantee that Rohl would have been any better than Still, everyone just thinks he would. With him, we may be sitting top of the league or bottom, you just don't know, as is the risk with any manager or indeed player, especially one with little experience.
The next manager needs to be somebody who's main strengths aren't tactical but motivational. Need someone who'll take no **** and will have players running through walls for him whilst not being afraid to cast aside anyone not willing to get on board. It was a bit of a mad thought based on adrenaline yesterday but I genuinely think someone like Warnock is exactly what we need.
Well he was pissed off with the Northam crowd for dare booing their performance. He was mouthing & giving arm waving/hand gestures so the supposed end result doesn’t surprise me. He/they need to accept after a couple wins in a season of ****e results & performances isn’t acceptable.
