S-Clarke

Yep true, but it's nice to hear something from the background! I think a lot of assumed that they were blocking out the noise and were steadfast in their decision, if there are doubts then any more defeats are going to give them a decision to make for sure.

I blame Eric Black. In all seriousness I'm sure the underlying recruitment team are still there, working to the same criteria as set. It's only the 'heads' of that department which keep shuffling around. Needs a bit of a restructure in my eyes.

Thanks for sharing, it's somewhat reassuring to know that they haven't got their fingers in their ears.

Not against that at all, but that really does bring to the fore the horrendous recruitment we've had to endure over recent years. He was allowed to go as he was a squad player and we were evolving the squad, yet here we are a few years down the line and we want him back as first choice. Heads should roll over the state of our recruitment over the last few years. Financially constrained at times, yes, but we must find better than Lyanco and Perraud surely.

I do somewhat agree, as I said in another thread I don't think their approach in the summer was all wrong - it was the right idea, but they executed it wrong. They went balls deep in youth and underestimated the level of experienced quality at our disposal, in fact we actually diluted that. There is no doubt that this regression has been happening for many a year, we've been hindered by a lack of investment and resorted to having to punt on Lyanco's and Perrauds. So whilst it was totally accepted we needed a big change up in the squad, it needed to be a balanced approach. To me they've come in with two eyes fixed on the long-term rather than looking at the here and now, but we needed help 'now' and they miscalculated that in the summer.

I liked Ralph, not going to hide from that. I was sad to see him go but it did get to the point where it was recognisable that change was needed, but the problem is they've made the wrong change. Like you said under Ralph we had a plan, our identity somewhat diluted this season, but you could still see the basis of what we were trying to do. Had he been given a goal scorer in the summer and another wide player we would be having a different chat right now in my opinion, but that's where we are. We have been poor all year, but the games since we've come back have been worse than anything I've seen in many, many, many years - going back to the Wotte and Poortvliet days. From having a somewhat diluted identity to having no identify, after having worked with the team for 6 weeks, is a huge, huge concern.

That's very damming, and from another manager who often sit on their side of the fence even more damming. Fair enough he's a fan, but he still has the other view point and that's not even changing his views. I agree, he looks totally out of his depth. Rabbit in headlights is what I'd say, and I can't help but feel sorry for him as Paul said in there - he's been thrown under the bus, he should not be at this level. It worked at Luton because he was able to create an environment which worked for him, players he knew, players who could suit that way. He's come in here to a team full of International players and I don't think he has any idea what to do. The 'hit it long' tactic is something you see most teams try at the end of games when they're desperate and they're throwing tactics out of the window, but to play that way in every game for 90 mins is indictive of no tactical plan or tactical skills - just hit it long and hope for something. Our players, whilst very limited, are still better than that. I don't see how he goes though, that's my concern. There are a lot of egos which would need to be hit very hard in order for the change to happen.

I agree, I don't like to knee-jerk either and you have to give people a fair crack but he isn't helping himself in any way. I still think it's going to be exhausting if we keep hoping for him to be sacked though, I cannot see how they'll ditch him today, tomorrow, next week or next month. He's going to be here and it will dictate our survival chances, and SR will live and die by that call.

I think you're right, and this is why stats and stats alone in isolation of everything else doesn't work. There's every chance you could get lucky once or twice, but in the grand scheme of things stats should be used to backup opinions/views on an approach rather than entirely dictate it, which sadly seems like it has done here. Too much is given to stats when at the end of the day it's what you see in front of you that matters, not probability statistical data.

It's going to be mentally exhausting if we go on like that every week, wanting to lose so it gets rid of him etc. I think we need to accept that he's not going anywhere today, tomorrow, next week or next month.

The main thing which stuck out to me was his 'looking' backwards and saying ''well, we didn't do this well before me'' ''well, we were lucky to win at Bournemouth'' etc etc. That's not really what anyone wanted to hear. Whilst he did take the blame for this, as he mentioned in some later press releases, he still focused on deflecting criticism away from him when possible. This was picked up by some neutral fans as well who I spoke to today, a reluctance to accept full responsibility for our issues and to try and pass the blame away.

It's a weird one, not complaining as he seems a good player and the word 'Intelligent' sticks out to me, but why does he want to come here?? I guess we've thrown a lot of $$ his way! We certainly need a player with some intelligence in the final third though and have done for many years. This is only one part of the puzzle though, the goal scorer still remains the absolutely critical no-excuses addition.

He's as good as we've got as an attacking threat, as sad as that is to say. We've got nothing else. It's been the case for some time whereby KWP has been our best attacking outlet, and it's gone unchecked in every transfer window.

Frighteningly I don't think they did, evidence points to this managerial change costing a fair chunk of money (in both pay off for Ralph and compo to Luton)

It looked like Che was caught in two minds, he seemed to be directing some frustration at Elyounoussi not being at the far post. But really he needed to take full responsibility in that situation and just smash it, but part of his mindset and as with a lot of the players in this team is to pass up responsibility where possible. It's been a trait of us for years. Edozie had a knock in the last game, so wasn't fit enough to start tonight as far as I know. He'd certainly play every game if he was fit though. Quite bizarrely the only football we played was at the back, where it was the wrong place to do it and it was creating errors all the time. DCC certainly just as culpable as Lyanco with his braindead decision making.

I don't think it's fair to throw this back at the fans, although I'm sure the club are chomping at the bit to do just that. Like you said, we've witnessed crap for many years. This has been a miserable 'pleasure' trip for too long now. I get frustrated myself with the impatience football fans in general have, but surely after watching that and everything that has proceeded it you have to understand why there are reactions like that? Some of the reactions are over the top, irrational and emotional, but they will be - and the club need to understand that will be the case. It's not even like we're fighting on the pitch, there's nothing to get behind right now.

If moving the ball means picking it up at the back and launching it in the air, then yes - we did that a lot, and some of those players hit some blinding long balls. But if he's talking about moving the ball in open play then I assume he wasn't there tonight, and he was watching another game.

Why is he focusing on clean sheets? We don't look like creating a chance, let a lone scoring a goal. That's where our real core problems lie. Those quotes strike me of someone passing the buck and saying ''we've been shit for ages, why blame me'' - well, we look a hell of a lot worse now that's for sure.

Thought the same myself, a polite ripple of applause as he walked around the pitch. The bloke is just terrible. For all his chest pumping and celebrating conceding a corner, he is probably the worst CB we have ever had. And I remember watching Alan Bennett against Palace and Calum Davenport.

I just don't see the point in these sorts of threads. Do you see us changing owners again? What good is it going to do, just over a year of them being in place, to shout for them to leave? We have been dysfunctional for years, very poorly run and looked after by an ownership model who couldn't invest. That has eroded the squad to the level we see today. Quite typically the one time we have had a bit of investment, in the summer, it's all gone a bit wrong. I think the approach is right in what they're trying to do, but they're getting the execution all wrong at the moment. Like everyone we need to see their decisions working sooner rather than later, but a lot of what they have done so far is with the long-game in mind rather than the short-term and that's where I think they've got it horribly wrong.

Not so much points, but I'd love to see an open play goal! There's nothing in our play that seems to suggest we know how to make an opening. Our only goals have been a penalty (which was missed tbf) and a free kick since our return, our approach play is just non-existent and bordering on embarrassing for this level.

At this rate we'll be playing each other in L1 by 2024.

We've also equalled our record for consecutive losses tonight, one more game to go before we can tick that record off. We're good at this record smashing stuff.

I guess the most important question, are we able to sell on those wrist bands and make a profit? I'd hope so.

I have no idea what he brings to the party, but I do feel sorry for him. None of this is all on him, he's been dealt an incredibly shit hand having to craft something out of Adams, Armstrong, Elyounoussi. But how he is using what he has at his disposal is quite surreal. He doesn't seem like he's got anything about him to galvanise, attract or change the course though it has to be said.