Fuber

It's huge. Simply with regards to how many areas with regard to staffing need an overhaul. Medical is in Rennie's capable hands. Fitness there are possible question marks, but that could be still due to the work of the previous team under Rolls' guidance. Coaching - Downing and Simpson (you assume) must have been sacked on some reasoning, in progress. Squad - Major overhaul needed, however the most expensive area, added to which we have no funds available. The only area where we appear fine is academy. It's a huge task. Arguably even worse than what O'Driscoll had, as the fitness team then with Carr, etc, was at least capable - never too many injuries. That aside there are many parallels. Lack of identity, expensive flops, cutting costs.

Wouldn't agree with that. Compared to most owners at this level is net spend is very substantial. I also don't doubt SLs commitment to the club. The fundamental issue is that basic decisions have been wrong, name at the top of the heirarchy and with regards to all management appointments.

Yet still achieved better recruitment under him than Ashton. How shite must the latter have been?

They're the ones who in the large aren't performing. If they try taking Nige aside I hope he ****ing outs the boot into them.

Barnsley came fifth last season with near that same squad, less one player. The difference was their manager. The replacement for whom has now been sacked.

I agree 100% with the above in bold. Only point of contention I'd raise is that confidence goes a major way, re Blackpool. When that inertia wears off will be their acid test. Confidence is short term, ability longer.

Think it's the impact of the historical misdiagnosis under Rolls' medical team, where he went missing for half a year. That long out with no treatment may have taken much more of a toll than many, including Rennie, may have realised.

Martin has scored 7 goals in 70 games across 4 years. I just do not think he offers enough. Wells is, for me, part of a wider problem with regards to squad balance.

Williams isn't league one standard. But evidently unfortunately cannot be relied upon. Just my personal ultra critical take.

Not sure I agree 100% with this. I can't compare to the second half of last season, as players simply downed tools altogether. It wouldn't be fair. No manager is getting anything from that squad, ie. the previous fitness disaster earlier last season, let alone the morale impact of the contractual situations being what they were i.e. Pato, Hunt, Diedhiou, Watkins, Walsh, etc. I agree to us having gone backwards, but that's as has been highlighted is something with regards to the coaching. Of whom we have sacked our two most senior in the last 10 days aside from Fleming. Likely no coincidence. My suspicion is that part of the reasoning for NP's watching from the stands is to see how well organised and communicative we are with regards to movement between phases - basic coaching for a match day, I.e. pressing. I assume he hasn't been pleased with his findings, hence Downing and Simpson being shown the door. Will be interesting how soon any appointment to the staff will come. Add in Benarous coming on against Barnsley and Pearson's ethos on training and match day performance deciding his squad for him, it makes you question the dedication behind the scenes when Ayman is beating Palmer and O'Dowda to the first 11, among others. Ive said it before, but if we avoid relegation this season, can only be a positive in my book.

I agree - many of them can indeed do better. But in my opinion, which is open to disagreement, I simply do not think the large majority of this squad are good enough or suited to this league. Which I think is a larger factor. The only members of this squad on paper I'd keep concrete for the first eleven are Bentley, Atkinson, Massengo, Scott, Williams (if fit), and James, possibly Weimann. Add in a couple of younger players as squad options and the academy prospects (I.e. Tanner, Pring, Benarous). The rest of them I simply wouldn't miss. Even Kalas - who while outstanding in his own right, does not get basic communication right whatsoever, which is imperative when you have two inexperienced defenders either side of you. Of course, I could be completely wrong, NP gets sacked down the line, and things improve. But that's a matter of hindsight.

If rumours with regards to his time at Derby are correct, he all but walked out on Morris but was apparently 'sacked'. The latter interfering with his running of the club, again, if believed. Leuven, foreign club, different league, always was going to be a challenge. Many other managers aside from NP have tried and failed who are better than him. Moyes, etc. Watford - bottom when he took over, 17th when they sacked him. Went onto lose their last two with an absolute whimper and got relegated. If anything it's a plus on his CV rather than a negative.

We may have broke even on the initial fee, but we still blew wages on them for a year apiece in Sammie and Eisa's cases. They're a small portion of the profits blown that I could name, I could go on to list Magnússon, Djuric, Taylor Moore, Hegeler, Gary O'Neil, Joel Ekstrand, Giefer, Marinovic, Adelakun, among many others. The list goes on and on with regards to Money wasted on the wage bill.

Worth noting that all said teams are able to write off the majority of their COVID losses with regards to FFP where their wages were moderately more sustainable than the likes of us, Derby, Reading, Cardiff, and 'Boro. We blew all our profit, on wages I.e. up the wall for mediocre options. Blame is square on LJ for that, and MA for allowing/encouraging it.

Was Dawe not Chairman until 2016?

On what evidence? Bentley, Kalas, DaSilva, Atkinson, James, Baker - arguably would agree, Championship Quality. Massengo - likely too good for us. Pring, Tanner - Solid squad options, but only young and lacking experience at this level. Note the common theme, no forward players anywhere have I listed. And barring Massengo and James, no midfielders. The rest? - wouldn't touch any of them with a barge pole for the first eleven given a choice. Especially on their supposed wages.

LJ got us into this mess. Along with MA. Pearson's signings are the only ones barring a handful of individuals who seem to care, we're still bogged down by the likes of O'Dowda, Palmer, etc on the books who shouldn't even have a career at this level imo.

Unfortunately gets it wrong when it counts. MA, LJ, etc. Cotts was a Dawe appointment iirc.

This ignores the tens of signings made under LJ and MA's purview that didn't make it with us. Engvall, Szmodics, Eisa, plus a multitude of others.

This

We shall see. Simpson and Downing being booted out means something must be in the works, or at least being sorted, with regards to coaching setup. I quite like the way NP is diagnosing the issues piece by piece. Communicating that with the fans in an open and honest manner. I think by clearing our the deadwood he wanted to see how KD and PS dealt with a smaller core group, as in theory the time per player should've been higher and the training and instructions more effective. Obviously (as we've seen) things improved initially this season, and have now nearly reverted to last season's awful standard, in spite of said smaller core of players. Ergo he pulled the trigger on both. A note on Recruitment, I think he's handed over to Gillespie, and barring his own connection signings (Simpson, King, James), and the supposed shabby running or replying to agents on the former's part that were commented on here, I have to say that Tanner and Atkinson have been very astute bits of business. Can't criticise in that respect. Hopefully if that keeps up and we can sign lower league gems with the same dedication and the odd PL cast offs, can only improve. Onwards and Upwards.

This.

'Don't Have An Opinion'. If we didn't have an opinion you wouldn't be fishing. Woe is me, people disagree with me. Do you want everyone to simply agree with your view? - I which case - narcissism of the highest order, congrats. Never mind the fact you consistently say he should be sacked if X, then say the second part in bold - which evidently is not true, otherwise there's no point to this thread, you evidently think he should be sacked. Just say who you want to replace him, I'll wait. A driver can't do much to save the car when the wheels have been stolen, engine's not turning over, and the brakes are seized. Just try to keep it rolling and fix things a step at a time. We need patience as a fanbase. If that can't be managed, politely, bugger off. Also, yet another pointless thread.

A fifth of it more like.

I do question whether the reason for the switch to more a 3 is the sheer unavailability and or number of wide players in the squad. Alternatively however - I'd be interested in a comparison between games where we've played Baker-Pring compared to JD. I always feel Jay flatters to deceive going forward and is a liability defensively.