Steve_R

1 minute ago, mick26 said:

Rather give Willoughby a go alongside Norwood.

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!

7 minutes ago, JoeP said:

 

I predict an immediate upturn in form.  2 wins incoming.

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.

47 minutes ago, BPAS said:

 

Surely that's also blaming the fans? It's not any fan's fault we've not been very good at football for a while (something we all agree on). The only differing of opinion is whether you think you know Unsworth isn't up to it, or you're happy to place your faith in the people in charge, to know whether Unsworth is up to it or not. For me (Andy), I'll trust the board's opinion over unqualified opinions (including my own) from the terrace.

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.

1 hour ago, southwaleslatic said:

If this is true , out goes his preferred 4-3-3 formation , looks like we'll be stuck with the 4-5-1 attacking formation we saw against Dorking at home . DORKING AT HOME !!! 

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!

2 hours ago, basilrobbie said:

 

What I'm saying is that 2 up out of 24 (which is what is the case in the NL) is as tough as it gets. And you are starting from a position of disadvantage as compared with some of your competitors - in my opinion. 

 

If it was easy then Chesterfield would be long gone and Wrexham, Nots County, Stockport and a host of others wouldn't have found it so tough to succeed. You may be right about the overall standard, but I suspect that it probably isn't a lot different from L2, except that there are a lot of upwardly mobile clubs who reach it as a de facto ceiling and then make it a highly competitive environment. Again, an opinion. 

 

Finally, I didn't say accept your lot. I suggested that being realistic in your expectations would take a lot of heat out of a fraught environment. But it's your environment, not mine, and I just comment as an outsider who would like to see you do well.

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 

4 hours ago, penrhyn said:

They where the only fit players we had apart from Norman /understand Tollit may possibly  have been in talks . The time to judge him is when he has been able to field a settled  team with his strongest midfield. He hasnt been able to do that yet. And besides that we/he still needs and wants 2/3 more players possibly more depending on departures . Wouldnt be suprised to see a new a new right back Sutton is a fine prospect at CB but he is a liabilty at right back .Thought Ward looked promising and can see what he will add to a full strength midfield with more game time under his belt .

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?

54 minutes ago, True Tic said:

Exactly, what if the 18 months comes up and we are embedded in a relegation spot? We were there last year at one point. I’m not sure that would have been promised to him. Just makes no sense. 

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.

45 minutes ago, frizzell54 said:

I seem to remember DU saying wanted a minimum 18 months before he was judged, that takes us to February.  Unless we are in grave danger of relegation I can see him staying to the end of the season.  This fits with what Lee was told by DU’s family.

That’s pretty much how I see it too 

1 hour ago, TheBigDog said:

I am hearing and reading the above argument more and more.

 

Whether the owners give him more time or they sack him tomorrow will be the right decision …er, yeah ….

 

Surely whatever decision they make will only be judged on what comes after?

 

Any decision they make will be what they BELIEVE to be the right one - and only that. Time will tell if proved to be the right one.

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. 

13 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

I wouldn't shed any tears if he left tonight and he probably couldn't have any complaints.

 

The next manager will need to be a very strong character to be able to deal with the expectations, however realistic or unrealistic they may be. I'm not sure managing Altrincham or Gateshead equips you for that.

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

1 hour ago, mcfluff1985 said:

Keep banging that drum

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.

15 minutes ago, nzlatic said:

Foolish, stubborn, negligent. Those are some of the words being used re Frank and the board on here and twitter. By the way, I know it can get a bit spicy in here sometimes but urgh what a cesspit twitter is. Some proper nasty hateful trolls on there.

 

Anyway, going to apply some cold light of day logic to the actions of the board:

 

Sep 2022 - DU appointed with 3 year deal. Presumably as the board anticipated a 3 year plan to get out of the league (survive, consolidate, grow).
Dec 2022 - strong calls for him to go from a section of the fans. Board don't panic - this first season all about rebuilding infrastructure.
May 2022 - performances got better (although still not attractive) and our form over 2nd half was play off form. Not going to sack him after that.
Southend - shocker, but Unsworth ill and lots of injury disruption in the run up.
Aldershot - here we go!
Halifax - good performance, bad result.
Chesterfield - defensive but got a good point
Borehamwood - difficult team, decent point. Clean sheet.
Solihull - played well, early sending off, missed 2 open goals
Gateshead - another away draw but football poor
Dorking - poor. very poor all round.

 

Looking at it from the board's point of view, that match yesterday is probably the first point at which there are clear warning signs in terms of signs of things not improving at least in some way. This ties in with a few posters on here now saying the time they were giving has probably now been used up. Myself included. 

 

I don't think the fact that they haven't sacked him yet is any indication of a problem with the board. I think it makes sense, given how they clearly want to run the club and treat their staff. But I'd be surprised if he's still here by the end of the month if there hasn't been a big change in results.

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.

2 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

 

12 months ago he told us their was no money to spend on transfers ww then did some serious spending on player recruitment.

 

He will know that publicly he has to support the manager but privately he will have to be objective he will sack him if he has too and I think he will he's a dead man walking now.

 

Its sad when we have to do this but it feels like it's the only right thing to do.

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.

13 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

I know he's winding me up now with his drivel.

 

Their keeper literally hasn't had to save one shot but he thinks we somehow created four clear cut chances in the first half, honestly mate fuck off with your exhausting bullshit, we looked fucking clueless at times against a pub team and haven't won in six and have four points from the last twenty four, do the right thing and empty your fucking desk.

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

1 hour ago, Lags said:

It's hard to defend that

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.

4 minutes ago, kowenicki said:

So you are just doing a bit of moaning and groaning then, as the overwhelming majority are. I’ve never heard these ‘toxic morons’, if I did, I’d just think “bit of a dick” and move on.  

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

4 hours ago, TheBigDog said:

Youth lose 4-3 at Bradford in the EFL Youth Alliance League Cup conceding two late goals (86th and 88th minute)…

4-3! What where they playing, basketball?

16 minutes ago, kowenicki said:

 

Do you resort to “mindless and toxic abuse”? 

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.

23 hours ago, kowenicki said:

I don’t recognise Matt’s observation that a large number of fans are demanding we should be top. That must be a small number of morons because I’ve never heard or seen them, probably because I don’t look at social media posts from them. You’re simply helping the social media platform amplify a tiny minority… ignore them!  Most fans want it just to click and we progress. 

 

 

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

29 minutes ago, yarddog73 said:

Norman

 

Sutton

Hobson

Hogan

Kitching 

 

Sheron

 

Green

Gardner (expect a loan if injured)

Lundstrum (wishful thinking)

Dickinson

 

Norwood

 

Honestly can't see any result other than a home win against a team of scaffolders and bin men. Wouldn't surprise me if we put 4 or 5 past them tomorrow, if the unthinkable happens and we lose I think Unsworth is gone.

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.

8 hours ago, Lags said:

Absolutely brilliant and a fantastic listen. If you didn't catch it live then listen once posted up. 

He's just a football fan living a dream. 

Interesting that another manager told him put us under pressure for 5....yes just 5 minutes and the crowd will turn on the players and manager.

But abuse and booing doesn't work against us....right?

Seems we are getting a reputation. 

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.

11 hours ago, mcfluff1985 said:

If this league is as piss poor as people make out. And if our squad is as good as people make out but being held back by Unsworth, then he can be given the 15 games and after that a new manager would obviously win most of the remaining games and we'd be in the playoffs, so no need to worry

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.

On 9/4/2023 at 7:23 PM, GlossopLatic said:

 

Gardner Hope and Mgahey are the players here from the previous regime. I imagine we had to pay out for the likes of Leutweiller and Rooney. Also while we are ahead of other club's at our level interms of infrastructure. We are way behind other club's for things such as training facilities and the overall state of Boundary Park.

 

Yes booing definitely makes a difference. You can argue its important to shut the noise out and yes they just concentrate on their game and they should but they are only human and they will hear things.

 

As supporter for the last 30 years I do things that try and make me not fallout of love with the club. Going to every single away game is one of them. If I get to a stage where I'm regularly hurling abuse at the players and or the manager of the team that I support if it gets to that stage I'm just going to stop going because it's not worth me spending time and money on stuff that's going to make me angry it achieves nothing.

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.

42 minutes ago, GlossopLatic said:

Do people genuinely believe that David Unsworth is currently under no pressure from the board right now.

 

I know Frank gave his speech yesterday as he does like to addressing the people, telling us to get behind the manager. But if you were him right now would you be coming out and saying openly that he's got a month to turn this round otherwise he's gone. Knowing full well that he's surrounded by people with phones and camera's so that anything like this would be on social media and around the world within seconds.

 

I don't believe for one minute that if this form continues that they won't sack him. Their patience won't be inexhaustible certainly not when you consider the outlay they have put out. 

 

Don't forget 12 months ago they were saying we have no money to spend on transfers. Since then we've probably been on the biggest spending spree since Chris Moore's time as owner.

 

 

What is said to the media and the masses should be very different to what is said in private. That's true in the boardroom and the dressing room.

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.