Hurst OUT

Mick certainly won't and cannot come back I agree with this.

 

Much stranger things have happened. It's not like he is drowning in offers.

 

Sadly, there are numerous issues at our football club and the sense of decline has been apparent for a couple of years now. We're currently only have two home wins in 2018, which is a ridiculous stat but certainly helps demonstrate that Paul Hurst has not been given a stable football club from which to work. The departures this summer, most of which were out of our manager's hands, also did not help matters. But that's as far as my sympathy for him goes.

We have a three-times Player of the Year in Bart on the bench. On Saturday, he fielded a right-back at left-back, a centre-back at right-back, left Knudsen on the bench (I'm not his biggest fan, but he is a far better left-back than Donacien). Skuse and Chalobah does not work. We play strikers like Jackson out wide. One up top can work, but it won't when you punt long balls up to Freddie Sears, who is a short player not suited to winning aerial duels. These kind of personnel mistakes are not hard to identify and resolve. A back five of Bart, Donacien, Chambers, Pennington, and Knudsen looks far more solid than what is currently being thrown out on the pitch. Hurst has been let down by the more experienced players losing all form and confidence. Chambers, Knudsen, Skuse, and Ward have not covered themselves in glory this season. But Hurst's double signing of Nsiala and Nolan looks like a waste of £2m. They do not look anywhere remotely like Championship-quality players.

As bad as our defence has been, our offence is arguably worse. We struggle to create chances and we struggle even more to put away the precious few opportunities we can produce. Dozzell looked great against Swansea, but against a physical QPR side, he struggled to make an impact on the game. Unfortunately, he wasn't helped by a static, cautious central midfield duo behind him and the fact our midfield was routinely bypassed by panicked defensive clearances. We cannot play out from the back. Maybe it's the coaching or maybe it's how a few of us put it last season and it's down to the poor standard of players we have here.

Unfortunately, I cannot see how we will stay in this division. Arguably it's been a while coming as we've been stuck in this division for almost two decades and it's looked increasingly likelier we'll exit the division through the trapdoor rather than climbing out into the promised land of the Premier League. We have very few quality players in this squad, and those with the ability and experience simply are not stepping up to the plate. The manager is increasingly looking out of his depth. Mick McCarthy is not the answer, he would further break down the relationship between club and fanbase and I don't think he could do much with this squad.

 

I think the damage was done in games like Rotherham where it was there for the taking but our negative set up cost us three points and since then we have been on the back foot.

I still think we have a decent squad more than capable of staying in the division.

I can only see the full back situation as a desperate attempt to try to make something happen. But a bigger problem we now face is that Hurst has now alienated Bart, Knudsen, Nolan, Edun, Graham, Jackson. The QPR defeat was far more damaging than losing just the three points.

We now have three more matches before a probable relegation becomes requiring of a miracle.

Let’s see whether Hurst now grasps the nettle at Elland Road or remains stubborn. If the latter continues any longer then we can book our seats for the likes of Luton, Southend, Fleetwood and Coventry next season.

 

Hampy this squad is an absolute shower mate and it's going to be a slog.

This absolute cretin has come in, and somehow transformed us into this.

I'm disgusted with Hurst.

Then, he states the obvious in his pressers. He has nothing about him and couldn't motivate anything.

 

I much prefer Hurst's press conferences to Mick McCarthy's arrogant nonsense, but that's just me.

The frustrating thing is the players man for man in the squad are no worse to the last couple of seasons. Daryl Murphy was the last player of true quality to leave the club.

I don't blame Hurst because he's working damn hard - but not on the right things. The fault is of the owner not having anybody with footballing pedigree or experience at boardroom level to provide him with a support structure or call time on his tenure for footballing reasons. I don't think you can underestimate the benefit to the likes of Bobby Robson of having Cobbold pulling the strings instead of Evans and the brilliant Pat Godbold supporting the managers. I just can't imagine the present farce unfolding with those people behind the scenes, regardless of who was manager.

 

Give me arrogant nonsense over ' YAWN Sleep and state the obvious ' Hurst's press conferences may Ed Milliband look a strong leader and ooze charisma. They are absolutely pointless.

Of course we're man for man worse.

Keepers - the same.
Defence - Far worse. 1 clean sheet vs 10 man would indicate that
Central midfield - worse, again.
Wings - Maybe the same.
Strikeforce - what strike force? If this carries on one of them may hit 4.

Absolutely painful side as a collective.

Individually, Edwards is good - however he's the glaring threat for the opposition so take him out and what else do we have? Nothing.

Hurst's created a very very poor side - and coupled with his embarrassing management - it's a recipe for disaster.

Sidenote - one of the first things Hurst did was slate Adeyemi - questioning him as a professional player. The simpletons lapped it up.

Turned out he needs surgery.

Just about sums it up

 

I welcome Hurst's honesty compared to Mick's belligerence, but I think he reveals too much and is maybe a bit too willing to drop players in it, even if that's not his intention. Hurst's type of straight talking is fine for League One and Two, but the higher up you go where there is more exposure and more media interest, I think you have to be slightly economical with the truth and less willing to reveal so much about your opinions. Speaking as somebody with a sports journalism degree and previous experience in a newsroom, I bet the likes of Stu Watson and Phil Ham eagerly anticipate Hurst's press conferences where he is arguably the most 'open' manager they've interviewed.

I was of a similar opinion a month ago, or that the squads did not differ too much in quality. However, now we're a third through the season and seeing the multitude of issues we are experiencing, I think it's a bold claim to state we've not declined in quality. Largely, the transfer incomings have not performed consistently enough and we have failed to replace the quality of players that departed in the summer and throughout the previous season. We have definitely got a lot worse in defence and up front.

Largely agreed with this, although you're arguably being too nice on Hurst. The buck ultimately stops with Evans and he has scaled back his investment into this club to the point that he now puts £400,000 a year into this club rather than the frequently misquoted £6m. He has had a mostly disappointing record appointing managers and has failed to back managers in the transfer market. I agree Hurst had a strong £5m to spend, which is more than Mick got in terms of paying transfer fees, but Hurst arguably should have got more as the squad was in urgent need of refreshment even before we sold out best striker, best defender, and Joey Garner. But with the benefit of hindsight, would you trust Hurst to spend more in the market?

 

True but I don't think it's having a detrimental effect on the players. In fact I think he is too nice to one or two of them. He SHOULD be calling on individuals like his captain to step up and show a bit more courage.

No, if we had budget I would have gone for someone else in the summer.

 

Hurst is responsible for signings, training, coaching, team selection, tactics, and everything else to do with the first team, in my book that makes him responsible for the appalling state of affairs at ITFC, and yet there are people who are still making excuses for him and don't apportion blame his way in any shape or form, well if Hursts not to blame who is?

 

Give me things being internal any day of the week.

I'd rather have a manager that was like getting blood out of the stone from the press than one that cannot wait to hang you out to dry.

Half the squad would have thought Hurst was an absolute melt post Exeter. That was moronic. Mind you, he's a moron so not surprised.

 

The ultimate responsibility is always that of the person at the top. They make appointments, are responsible for resources and set the culture of the club. Hurst can only suggest players he wants. He doesn’t have free reign to necessarily buy who he wants. Same even with Mourinho.

 

So Hursts not responsible then?

 

Everybody from the kit man to the owner is responsible for their own piece of the jigsaw and Hurst has got some things horribly wrong, but the ultimate responsibility lies with the owner.

 

That's alright then, for a moment I thought the team manager was responsible.

 

Kind of sums things up nicely.

 

Hurst's absolutely wrong.

 

No he isn't Westy it's all Evans fault.

 

Based on some of the absolute donuts he's signed to date I wouldn't trust him with a big budget. He's already blown a good £5 mill plus and these clowns are picking up a weekly wage somehow.

His ' transfers ' have been an absolute disgrace so far, as have his ' tactics '.

It's ineptitude of the highest order to date. Forget Keane, Jewell, Duncan and others - this clown takes the biscuit.

 

fieldmarshall whoever you want to be responsible is responsible.