No Knee-jerk...

[HibbsyBCFC]

I couldn't possibly post anything last night, just as GJ saw no point in talking to the players after the game... very difficult to say anything constructive in the heat of the moment. On reflection I feel that GJ should be given to the end of the season based on the following;

1. We're 11th. Only finished higher than this in the 2nd tier of English football 3 times in 30 years.

2. Personally I feel he has recognised the following issues this season so is clearly trying to change things -

- LJ is not good enough to beat Skuse / Hartley / Sno / Elliot to a fist team place in central midfield.

- McCombe is past it and is 4th choice behind Carey / Fonts / Nyatanga.

- McCallister and Orr are not good enough going forward / distribution is too poor to play as wing-backs in a 3-5-2 or full-backs in a 4-3-3.

- In order to play 4-4-2 we needed balance, so he's played Nyatange at LB and Macca LM. He's now gone on and brought in JCR to play LM.

3. Any new manager brought in would have to work with the same squad.

4. As bad as things may seem, we will not go down. Personally I feel we will finish smack bang in the middle of the table.

HOWEVER,

I have grave reservations about the following;

Strikers

I feel the treatment of Trundle, Clarkson but most of all Akinde has been appalling. If they aren't good enough, then responsibility lies with GJ for wasting money on them. If they are good enough then play them!!! Simple as. How must they feel seeing the likes of John, Saborio and Agyemang come in on loan and go straight in above them in the pecking order? Does nothing for dressing room morale.

Man-management (or lack of it)

I worry that GJ suffers from "little man syndrome" and employs bully boy tactics. This method can wear thin quickly and looking at the confidence of our keeper and back four last night I do worry. He seems to fall out with players and many have moved on having had personal clashes with him e.g. Byfield, Basso, McIndoe, Trundle, Carle, Blackman... I really hope I'm wrong on this but the whispers I hear from people close to the club I fear for the worst, which could lead to the classic "loss of the dressing room".

Defence

As mentioned, I feel that McCallister and Orr are severely limited in their distrubution and assistance in the attacking third. I'd like to see Nyatanga and Fonts considered as LB options as well as some competition for Orr at RB... let's give Ribeiro a run out before the end of the season.

I also fear that our captain is getting very close to having to hang up his boots at this level. It's just like Carragher at Liverpool. Outstanding servant, will go down as one of the club's greats, but is really struggling with his legs. We've lost many leads in the closing stages this season because of our tendancy to sit deep, but on the flip side when we defend high up the pitch against a quality frontline (like last night) we are woefully expsoed... unfrotunatley part of that is down to an aging captain running the back four.

Conclusion

For me its a case of letting GJ play a settled side (4-4-2) for the remainder of the season, cementing a place in mid table and avoiding a relegation battle and between now and the first game of next season addressing the above issues.

I not, then my view of GJ will be just like my view of McCombe / Jevons / Showomni et al... thanks guys, great effort getting us out of League 1, leave with your heads held high for others to take us on to the next level.

Over and out...