the_mighty_bosh

5 hours ago, Worcester Owl said:

We won 4 away games in the league in Nov/Dec 2020. 

21 Nov Exeter away won 2-1

24 Nov Barrow away won 4-3

5 Dec Cambridge away won 2-1

19 Dec Newport away won 4-2

On 8 Nov we beat Hampton & Richmond 3-2 away in the FA Cup 1st round, 10 Nov won 3-2 at Bradford in the EFL Trophy and 28 Nov we beat Bradford away 2-1 in the FA Cup 2nd round. So 7 away wins in a row including the EFL Trophy/FA Cup.

That period was peak Danny Rowe!

Totally understand the logic of keeping an unchanged side after back-to-back wins, but if we find ourselves in a similar position again this season (the 3rd match in a week, ideally after back-to-back wins) I'd be resting the older players in our squad and getting the more energetic and younger players in.  Nothing wrong with having Gardner come on for the last 30 mins today with a player like Ward, Willoughby or Hope running the opposition ragged in the 1st 60.

I trust Mellon though, he's still feeling his way through things at the moment and will make small mistakes.  Despite being very patchy this season (even since Unsworth left) we are still within reach of the playoffs at the halfway point and I expect us to improve more with Mellon in charge than the majority of the league will.  One of the six playoff spots should certainly be attainable.

I genuinely agreed with and believed the thread title.

Football is a prick at times isn't it?

6 hours ago, Littlemoor Lad said:

They can't defend and it could be a Grave ending 

I hear their attack isn't particularly strong either, Nor Fleet footed.

I'd be tempted to put Gardner and Norwood on the bench with Ward and Willoughby starting instead.  They would be a downgrade of course but I'm not convinced that the other two will survive Saturday's match without picking up an injury if they play more than 45 mins.

2 goals and 2 assists for Norwood tonight.

Personally, I don't think he wants it enough.

Looking good so far, but need to be taking some of these chances.

Worst half of the season that 2nd half.

Very impressed with Thompson so far and, now that he's said that he's after the job, it makes a difference to how we proceed.  But I'd still not give him the job permanently until the interview process has been completed.

How the board conduct themselves with this process is more important longer term than who we appoint now.  I would absolutely keep Thompson as Head of Recruitment if he didn't get the manager's job, although if he ends up being the best man for the job then I'd have no problem with that.

3 hours ago, Frankly Mr Shankly said:

 

 

 

I do love him though. He's a bit like Hastings on Line of Duty. 

Is this because he "likes the battle" of matches?

I mean the football is great and all and I hope we do well and win.

But more importantly...do they still sell that £4 Cottage Pie?  Best football food I've ever had.

On 9/20/2023 at 7:48 AM, Dave_Og said:

Would imagine Thompson isn't interested in the job full time, can't be many that get their first manager role aged 58.

I honestly believed that he had been a full time manager before!

Then I realised the Steve Thompson who took over Yeovil in 2005 from Gary Johnson was a different Steve Thompson! 

I'm sure he was their manager against us in that season too.

2 minutes ago, kowenicki said:

Scholes? Really?  

We are in a position where we could get plenty of proven managers at our level, so he is absolutely not the right man for us now.

That said I won't look back at his month in charge and judge him badly for it (while I understand why some will).  That month will always be a failure of the Lemsagams rather than a failure of Scholes to me.

Norman (if fit)

Freeman

Hobson

Raglan

Kitching

Green

Sheron

Gardner

Dickenson

Nuttall

Norwood (if suspended, Reid)

I quite like Hogan but I have this feeling that the Hobson and Raglan partnership would be an upgrade.

Reid deserves far more of a chance than he's got so far this season, but if we play him it should be in a front two, hence why I'd play Nuttall alongside him.  If Norwood is available I'd still pick Nuttall, seeing as that's the only partnership that's worked so far this season.

1 hour ago, basilrobbie said:

Thompson has made his career on being a very good coach, who plays the "good cop" role with the players. This is potentially an opportunity for him.

I mean he did play a big part in bringing a lot of these players in, so he should have some kind of idea how they can be used.

I'd still like someone else in on a permanent basis, but I'm happy with him for now.

It's the right call by the board and I'd say it's the right time too for what must've been a tough call for them.  They've given him time to show that he's can do the job required and I've got nothing personal against Unsworth, but the sacking had to happen.

Thompson being in interim charge is a good thing too.  Been a manager before and has an important role at the club already so can't see him having ambitions to take the role permanently, so he should be fine to keep things ticking over until we find the right man.

I'd say this is the most attractive that the club has been to a new manager in years.  A good squad of players for this level already, no transfer windows and an ownership that's predominantly backed by the fans.  So I really feel that we don't have to appoint immediately (end of the month would work for me) and can make sure we get the right man for the job.

28 minutes ago, Worcester Owl said:

I don’t think people are saying that. We are 22nd in the table and 23rd on playing record. People are saying that DU does not have what it takes to turn this form around.

To be fair, I am saying that 

13 hours ago, deyres42 said:

There has to be a guarantee though surely, given the strength of the playing staff.

 

If they are unable to propel us up the table straight away then do they have to face the sack as well?

In my opinion, yes they absolutely do.

The moment you sign a player like Norwood at this level on top of what is otherwise good recruitment and on the back of a team moving slowly but steadily in the right direction at the back end of last season, it's not unfair to say that being in the playoff picture throughout the season is a minimum expectation.

Unsworth is well below that level and the way he sets his team up doesn't give any hope that things will improve.  If we were to go for a short term manager who has had success at this level before I'm as certain as can possibly be that there will be an upsurge in form in the next 15 games.

If we are looking at a medium/long term building of the club (say 2 to 3 years or more), then Pete Wild would be the perfect replacement and one that everyone could get behind, but with the way we've built the squad for short term success I would still expect a competent manager to get us to the playoffs this season if we made the change now.

Of course there are no absolute guarantees in life, although your dislike of the fanbase and contrary nature is as close as you're likely to get to it.

6 hours ago, boundaryblue80 said:

 
7 months wasted since I wrote the above and on we go

 

 

Nah, to be fair keeping him on for the rest of last season was the right call.  It settled the whole club down and there were minor improvements in the 2nd half of the season that warranted him keeping his job. 

Considering the signings he's been able to make in the summer which (rightly) built up expectations, the steep and rapid decline started at Southend on the opening day and really should be ended after yesterday.

6 minutes ago, deyres42 said:

Are we still doing the Sheri was doing a good job thing? He had an easy start and fluked a couple of wins, big deal.

 

If you think we'd have finished any higher if him in charge I can't help you.

What?  Sheridan left the club mutually at the right time in the right manner, why are you obsessing over this?

The fact that Unsworth's record is comparable to Shez's despite the substantial increase in funding that he's had available to him shows just how much he's failed.

All things being equal, Wild would be my first choice if at all possible but not expecting it to be likely.

I'd be surprised but impressed if we were able to convince the Cowleys to come back to this level.

Realistically attracting a previously successful manager at this level would be our best bet, Neal Ardley would've been a great example of this before he took the York job.

If Maher, Williamson or Alty's Phil Parkinson were able to be attracted then I'd certainly be happy with them.

Options are definitely there and if having Murray in charge temporarily would allow us to get one of the above then it would be worth it.  One thing is certain though, Unsworth must go immediately.

2 minutes ago, True Tic said:

Yep, I can’t see what’s going to change in a week. He talks in the sense that we are a whisker away from being a force to be reckoned with. Maybe we are, but I highly doubt it 

Lose at Bromley and it's W1 D4 L4, we were on W3 D2 L4 when DU took over at this point last year, with what is clearly a stronger squad.

Part of me is happy that we're probably finally going to keep a manager on for a calendar year (which I suppose you could say is some sort of progress I guess ) but that's the only thing in favour of keeping Unsworth.

Having 5 midfielders and 1 upfront starting, with 4 strikers on the bench is just stupid.  Alongside only using 2 subs in the heat.

He's just got to go.  There's more than enough quality in this team (if used the right way) that a decent manager could make them into a good team and we could surely add some extra quality to fit said decent manager's ideas if needed.  Unsworth has been given an amazing opportunity and has thrown it away, he doesn't deserve the job.

I'm pretty certain that Shelton got sent off for his reaction to the decision rather than the foul.  I'm also sure exactly the same thing happened for his first booking too.

Did we not get the memo about this?  Refs have clearly been given this directive and we've picked up so many bookings like it this season already, it's so stupid by the players and it's obviously something Unsworth isn't controlling.

We've got enough in this squad to challenge for the playoffs as a minimum and it's clear that Unsworth is nowhere near getting the best out of them.  Results would be his only saving grace and he's not getting them.  He should go.

12 hours ago, Norewgian Gunnar said:

How about some innovation?? Ask Barrow to swap managers! 

Compensation would be a fair chunk to pay Barrow anyway.

To give them Unsworth as well would probably double the compensation that we need to pay them.