Steve_R

Isn’t Norwood suspended? Booked again yesterday and I’m sure that’s five now which means a one match ban

I’m not sure Mellon with his strong Tranmere past would get much time and patience here if he didn’t get off to a flyer. Something about the Cowley’s says no for me, probably how horrible they were when we played them. Darrell Clarke could be a good shout. Got Bristol Rovers and Port Vale up, and had a personal tragedy to deal with the year Vale went up, which is why I thought his sacking last year was particularly harsh. Parkinson and Williamson should definitely be considered, but would both need time to adjust to the demands here and change our playing style, which they probably won’t get. In short, I haven’t a fuckin’ clue!

Let’s hope so, but we don’t want to fall into the trap of demanding ‘give it to Thompson.’ We need a proper manager next, and the appointment has to be right and not given someone on a whim, that so often happens when a caretaker manager gives a short term boost.

As Frank has said more than once that he knows nothing about football and as far as I’m aware neither him or his family were interested in Latics before the takeover, I’m not sure I ‘trust’ them on the football side of things. Its their decision to make though ultimately, and they seem happy to give him plenty of time, which in many ways is admirable. I’m not sure what they’re seeing in him that justifies their faith, but feel we’ll pick up enough points in the upcoming games to keep him safe for a while yet, so this debate will just rumble on.

To be honest we don’t need five strikers in the match day 16, so it makes sense to leave one of them out. Whoever it is will spark rumours. Last weeks situation where we had one on the pitch and four on the bench was a joke, and shows how unbalanced the whole squad is, and how poorly thought out our recruitment has been. Even though I’ve little faith in Unsworth, I’m not sure I’m having it that he’s after shipping out half the players he’s brought in just because someone has started a rumour on here, although the balance of the squad means it needs adjusting. Unless Lundstram is the answer all along and we’ve all been panicking for nothing!

It’s the same in all the leagues below this, which are all in the pyramid, which is why we need to get out of the damn thing as soon as possible

Who knows what his strongest midfield is? Injuries happen to everyone so he may not be able to field it consistently anyway,. Can he never be judged then?

I think we’ll improve. Not to any acceptable position (in my opinion) but to hovering around the last playoff spot or ‘only’ a few points off it, which will be heralded as some sort of achievement and keep him in a job.

That’s pretty much how I see it too

That’s the problem. Sacking the manager isn’t necessarily the answer to current problems. Short term it is, as it gets shut of the manager no one likes, but if the next manager in doesn’t instantly improve us and has us flying up the league, then we’re all unhappy again. Sacking the manager isn’t the answer, appointing the right man is. Who that is, god only knows.

We’ll managing Everton’s kids hasn’t equipped him

He’s right though. Scouts wouldn’t recommend someone they hadn’t seen play for ages. The last few signings all seem to have been the sort we’ve made for years. Norwood apart, they’ve been out of work and turned up here to regain fitness after not playing much for a while. A better quality than Abdallah and Mo’s motley crew, but it doesn’t seem they’re the result of the fantastic recruitment model we now apparently operate.

Thats a very reasonable summary of his tenure so far. I wouldn’t say accurate as I think you’ve been over generous on this season’s performances, but that’s only my opinion. The board are reasonable people (I presume), so I guess this is the way they are looking at it. From what I’ve seen over the twelve months he’s been in the job I just don’t think he’s up to it. He get’s outfoxed by managers with far less resources, his style of football is boring to watch, his team selections baffling and he talks about a different game than everyone else has seen. I still don’t see him being removed yet though, as Frank and co seem to have a lot more patience than most fans. I think it’ll take an alarming drop in attendances for that to happen, as I’m sure (and I’m not sure why) that the next five or six fixtures will see us creep, or even crawl up the table.

At his very first press conference when he bought the club he said everyone had to stick behind Shez no matter how hard things got. Unsworth was sat in the stands watching us a few games later after Pete Wild had already allegedly turned us down.

I’m beginning to think he classes crossing the halfway line as a clear cut chance

Wait till the podcast comes out. They will. Unless he’s sacked before then. Then the board will have made the right decision. That’s the way they roll.

I don’t even think I’ve been moaning and groaning. Well, maybe a a bit.

4-3! What where they playing, basketball?

Not me . I haven’t even joined the ‘Unsworth Out’ brigade. Just wish he’d do his job a lot better than he is doing.

People don’t demand that we are top of the league, but there are many, myself included, who expect us to be challenging at the top of the league and trying to win it. Who are we to argue with the font of all knowledge that is Matt Dean though

Not sure I’d put it quite as blunt as that, but should be a comfortable home win. I think he’ll still be here next week though even if we get turned over.

It’s the same the football world over. Any well supported club at any level that are drastically underachieving will have the crowd on their backs if they go behind and/or are playing shite. Im not saying it’s right, but we are far from unique, apart from the fact that we’ve been waiting 33 years (and counting) for any glimmer of success.

There won’t be a new manager though. The run of fixtures coming up will probably see us rise up to ninth or tenth. That wouldn’t have been acceptable at the start of the season but would now been seen as ‘just outside the playoffs.’ Unless we’re dragged into a relegation battle(which we won’t be) he won’t be going anywhere for a while.

Gardner wouldn’t sign until Abdallah had gone, Hope was given a new deal this summer and Rooney was signed by Unsworth. I’ll give you Mgahey and Leutweiller.

The upcoming run of fixtures should mean we’ll get results to climb the table. I look at the next eight games and we have to get a minimum of 16/17 points, and when you look who we have to play we really should do. If we don’t then who knows, but we’ll pick up enough points to keep him safe for a while. We’ll probably be nowhere where we need to be or should be, but sniffing around the bottom end of the playoffs will keep a good few happy and him in the manager’s seat.