saintant

I thought he'd do well and wanted him to succeed but he has been unable to even slow down our headlong hurtle into oblivion as a completely hopeless team in terms of fitness, tactics, effort and performance. Another manager welded to one system that is clearly not working. Why is it so difficult for us to appoint a manager who is adaptable and willing to try different things.

Bednarek played 12 minutes on Saturday so someone needs to explain how he can be out with fatigue.

I've supported this football club for over 60 years but now I look on helplessly as it is destroyed from within. Sports Republic arrived with promises and ambitions but all we've had from them is a complete mismanagement of the handling of an elite football club. Their complete incompetence knows no bounds and there are no signs that anything is going to change soon. Recruitments from managers to coaches to players and scouts has largely been catastrophic - everything they could get wrong they did. So, in answer to the question posed it is neither the managers or the players we should blame because the fault lies with our owners and their inability to do anything other than turn us into a complete car-crash. I'm not sure what stories they told Martin Semmens but he was conned hook, line and sinker by these charlatans and he made a bad choice. Like many others I'm beginning to care less and less. Maybe Johannes Spors will get us back on track but he has a mountain to climb. I would have expected to hear something from him by now considering we are nose diving into oblivion. He's pitched up at a club in turmoil and it gets worse with every passing game so you'd think he'd have a lot to say but we hear nothing. Somebody at the club needs to stand up and be counted. The fans deserve far better than this mess and lack of accountability.

He's proved himself a bad apple so he needs to show that he is a team player but I'm not convinced. The last thing we need is a disruptive influence. Hasn't shown much effort since his big mate Russ left so, if he's picked, needs to contribute a lot more than strolling around picking up niggly yellow cards. Man up and put a shift in for the team - it's what he's paid for.

Would you prefer we didn't play our best 11 in our best formation?

A good scout is worth his weight in gold and here I'm talking about the ability to spot ability plus potential to improve. It's clearly not just about ability as they need to be considering core strength, power, speed and stamina. I believe decent scouts have the ability and instinct to unearth hidden gems but there are too many earning a living without having the necessary qualities as we have often found to our cost. It is no surprise that our recruitment has been so poor for a long time compared with others and a lot of that is down to poor scouting. I guess good scouts are as hard to identify as good players so maybe there's no hope for us 🙂

Yeah I did see that but I'm hoping for something a little more in depth. As you say, early days so I guess I'll have to be patient. I'm wondering how people like Mowbray fit in because, to my mind, he'd been hopeless.

There is little or nothing on the official site about the appointment of Spores that I can find. I would have expected more including an interview in which he outlines his plans, ambitions and expectations.

Sorry but if he's a bad apple we should get rid.

Russ picking his mates again 🙂

Me too. He'll never use him so it's a waste of one substitute. Very strange.

You need to remove those red and white tinted glasses.

Have others become immune to defeats now? I used to really hate it when we lost but these days it hardly registers. Shame it's come to this but our owners just have zero clue about running a football club. Not sure what made them think they were cut out for this sort of business but surely they must realise now that they are in the wrong game. Dragan should clear them all out.

The club was bought by a bunch of charlatans called Sports Republic who have no clue how to buy the right players or appoint the right managers.

Don't think he was in charge for the Brentford game.

Nail hit firmly on the head and all the things that are mainly lacking in our squad of small, slow weaklings.

Rasmus looking suitably sheepish and Spors probably saying to himself, 'What the fuck have I signed up to'

Good post with many points right on the money.

Very pleased that Ivan Juric has been honest here and called out the bad attitude and lack of professionalism showed by Downes. He needs to get his shit together and start earning his money rather than throwing his toys out of the pram like a child. If not, then he is indeed a bad apple and should be put on gardening leave until the end of the season so he cannot have any influence around the other players. Should Downes not do the right thing he will be putting a red flag against his name to warn any future suitors that he has a bad attitude.

Who is going to buy a player that never plays making it impossible to appraise his strengths and weaknesses? I'd be happy to see him gone if we are so adamant about not playing him but I'm afraid it's a chicken and egg situation. Maybe you can explain what I'm missing here.

Who in their right mind is going to sign a player previously reported to have a health problem and who only ever gets selected as a sub and even then never sets foot on the pitch? The only way to sell him, if that's the club's intention, is to give him some games so he can show what he can do. How can a potential buyer have a look at him if he never kicks a ball?

Is he perhaps the proverbial bad apple?

Not sure what point you are making other than agreeing with me so thanks for that.

But if he is fit and wants to play stick him in from the start particularly in a game like today. Nobody can judge him while he's sat on the bench. If there is no intention of giving him any minutes than leave him out of the squad entirely rather than waste one spot.

He's going to need to be very good at his job. Let's hope he likes a challenge because he's got a huge one here.