It's a torrid run we've been on, but we aren't the only ones to struggle. Haven't Sheff Utd now failed to win in six or something? Think Wednesday's recent form is even worse. Leeds lost about six on the spin didn't they? Birmingham never seem to win. Bolton had a spell like that too. It's football. And among the clubs I've referred to, some have spent little, some have spent a fortune. Some have experience, some don't. It is not an exact science. It's football. I'm repeating mi sen.
A brief history of time we play well (wilson, hecky) - managers to thank, nothing to do with patrick cryne or the strategy we play well (johnson) - nothing to do with the manager or patrick cryne or the strategy, was all down to hecky in the background we play badly (wilson, hecky) - nothing to do with the manager, the strategy and cryne is failing them we play badly (johnson) - the manager & strategy are appalling and cryne is failing us all
Think that sums it up nicely for a few folk on here! When summed up like that its quite amusing. Also the fact we’ve been so well run is clearly a major reason why our new investors bought the club. A fact conveniently lost. Also Lee Johnson challenging for promotion is down to the millions he’s spent. despite their net spend in Johnson time at the club being £6m - hardly buying success in this day and age.
The Plan is working so well we probably need four players in January. Are we still determined not to sign anyone with Championship experience or are we looking at Premiership academies?
You are right lad we need 3 or 4 good experienced championship players in the squad or its down a division this crop of players would find it difficult in league one, it's all up to the new owners in what they want for me.
Wilson and hecky tinted specs, hecky has done a good job here before this run we were only one point off the points tally at that stage the previous year. We have now gone on a abysmal run of one point from a possible 21 how long before hecky is under pressure? No wins for rest of season? Bad start to league one? Some responsibility has to be taken at some stage. And I can' remember playing well under Wilson the 2nd time round some really awful to watch performances but it was all they players fault and the boards.
i'm sure you've listened the press conference as well conan. the new owners massively praised the way the club has been run under the cryne family. not perfect, but nothing ever is. they also said they wont go mental with spending and most importantly, will protect our wage structure and continue to balance the books. if you're expecting a spending spree in january, you may be disappointed. it wont be down to patrick cryne either. he's left.
The Plan has the potential to work in League One where the player development is achievable but we are expecting players to jump two divisions ,for the Plan to work we needed to recruit quality from League One. If we now have people saying the Plan is fine but Hecky is not delivering we are really moving on to dangerous ground!
I can’t see how anyone can argue with this. If you don’t adjust your plan and targets if you gain promotion you will be stuck in the rut of creating a good L1 side again. We have clearly just done this.
Your first line of this post directly contradicts your initial point. Would we have such a surplus in that column if we were unable to attract Championship quality players. The current crop are under performing, the previous crop are the exact same players you say we can't attract.
The current crop are performing to the level they are at L1. None of them were sign from the top of L1 / prem clubs other than Isgrove and McCarthy. They are all punts. In L1 we signed the best players from the league below we have not done this in the Championship. In L1 we have financial muscle in tbe Championship we have none.
Surely the plan works at different levels though. Last few years we'v been looking at players that cost up to 250k and hoping to sell them on. For the most part that means these players come from lower divisions as the premier league clubs value their players higher and 250k doesn't mean the same to them as it could do to a financially struggling league 2 club. However, with the potential for investment, we could now look at players around the 1-1.5mil mark, with the aim to improve them and sell them on again. This could then allow us to look at the promising youth players at the premier league clubs who they feel may not quite make the jump with their current teams (Drinkwater was about 750k from memory) also it could open up the more sought after league 1/2 players or a better caliber from abroad. Southampton have been doing this quite succesfully for years with Mane, Lovren and potentially Van Djik. Higher outlay but greater rewards.
The current crop are underperforming they have been for the past 7 games 1 point from 21 is abysmal. They aren't even doing the basics like closing down and stopping crosses coming in which is expected at any level.
Not really. Johnson’s getting lots more credit now about his time with us just because he’s doing well at Bristol which makes no sense at all. The facts are Johnson had a much easier job at Barnsley than Wilson (2nd time) & Hecky has had to do. Johnson had to fine tune a team where as the other 2 had to completely rebuild a team
Wilson’s big issue was that his team got ripped apart. He seemed to have got a good team & system in place & we’d been on a really good run including that win at a Sheff Utd & then in a really short space of time Bree, Ramage, Cranie, Turnbull, Williams & Winnall all got injured for several months. It was no surprise our form went downhill. Others may disagree but I don’t believe any manager would’ve kept us performing after losing that many first team players. It was a bit like Hill & that January window. I still think he deserved to at least see the season out. His sacking seemed to very cynical in that we’d just lost to 3 of the 4 runaway leaders & Winnall was just about to come back. It gave the owner the chance to get his own man in & with Winnall back fit & an easier run of fixtures he’d be able to justify it. The football wasn’t good during Wilson’s 2nd spell but I don’t believe any managers had to deal with as much as he had to, not even Hecky.
I went to the Sheffield United game and to be honest it was smash and grab. Before the united game we had been beaten by Notts county and posh and drawn at home with Bristol. The Sheffield United game was the last away win under Wilson that was early November he was sacked in Feb. With some very poor performances along the way chesterfield Donny Preston Walsall to name a few. Can't agree no manager has had it as tough as hecky to be fair. Wilson had one of the biggest budgets in league one and used it to also bring in dross like lita treacy turnbull and Reece Brown.
Really ?? Is it too much to ask for the team to be doing better than they are ? The way they are going it will not be long before we are in the bottom 3, but because some fans are not delighted to be just above the bottom 3 on Christmas Eve, then we are denigrated in every thread. Why is it wrong to want to be better? Why is it OK to accept mediocrity ? No-one is saying we should spend millions , before that gets thrown about again, just why should we HAVE to accept being just above the bottom 3 as the best we can expect ?