Del Must Stay!

[Riaz]

And I am sure like many others have just read your post in disbelief.

You are the Flavio Briatore of this forum, thank **** you're not in charge

:clap: :clap: :clap:

[Park End Boy]

And I am sure like many others have just read your post in disbelief.

You are the Flavio Briatore of this forum, thank **** you're not in charge

[LondonBristolian]

Thing is McInnes was brought in due to having a track record of building a team and getting results over time. There was no evidence that he was a 'quick fix' merchant and that was always going to be a gamble. I honestly think most of the mistakes he's undoubtedly made this season are because he's been thrown into the deep end of trying to find a short-term fix and, having never had to do that before, he's tried to do things that haven't come naturally to him and forgotten some of the basic principles that worked for him at St Johnstone.

You can debate all day whether we should have got someone who had a record of keeping struggling teams up back in November (although I have to say the options were far from inspiring) but the fact is, wherever we are next season, we're going to need a manager who can build a new team for the long-term. Whatever his mistakes in achieving a short-term fix, I think McInnes to do that.

Firing him in the summer will just mean we've employed someone to do a job that doesn't come naturally to them and then fired them at the exact point they've got a chance to play to their strengths. I think we have to keep him.

[Monkeh]

Thing is McInnes was brought in due to having a track record of building a team and getting results over time. There was no evidence that he was a 'quick fix' merchant and that was always going to be a gamble. I honestly think most of the mistakes he's undoubtedly made this season are because he's been thrown into the deep end of trying to find a short-term fix and, having never had to do that before, he's tried to do things that haven't come naturally to him and forgotten some of the basic principles that worked for him at St Johnstone.

You can debate all day whether we should have got someone who had a record of keeping struggling teams up back in November (although I have to say the options were far from inspiring) but the fact is, wherever we are next season, we're going to need a manager who can build a new team for the long-term. Whatever his mistakes in achieving a short-term fix, I think McInnes to do that.

Firing him in the summer will just mean we've employed someone to do a job that doesn't come naturally to them and then fired them at the exact point they've got a chance to play to their strengths. I think we have to keep him.

Spot on well put

[Alex_BCFC]

While some of the blame for the shambles right now should definately be at McInnes' door, he should and I believe will be given the summer to sort out the mess we have regardless of division.

To get rid now would be crazy and we need a period of stability in the club once the end of the season has come. I personally think he will come good and get us going but unfortunately it might not be until next season.

[Spud55]

To blame McInnes is short sighted, as is to just blame Millen, or Johnson, Or coppel or Lansdown they all must take the blame for this mess, it hasn't just appeared overnight it has been coming for bloody years.

The club is a complete mess from top to bottom and needs completely gutting and starting again.

We are not a big club so don't have the finances of many of the clubs in this league and we should have been aware of this a long time ago, so we have to rely on picking up bargains from the lower leagues and our youth system supplementing this with a couple of big money signings (for this league) but our squad needs to be comprised mainly either academy players or younger signings from leagues 1 or 2, with 3/4 quality championship players.

Johnson started this, he prized effort above actual ability, which worked for a bit, but then he started to get rid of the players we had with some actual ability, Noble, McIndoe, Trundle et all, and then proceeded to replace them with dross like Styvar, Clarkson, etc, etc. He remained loyal to players that had done well for him in the past and rewarded them with new contracts and then proceeded to piss more money up the wall in his desperate attempts to sign more and more players, leaving us with an absolutley massive, unbalanced squad that was getting worse and worse and was well on it's way to where wer are now. The board stuck by him for 6 months to a year to long and finally got rid when the players wouldn't play anymore. Then the board made another mistake, they got rid of GJ which was too little too late, but should have also shown the door to the players that eventually forced him out and shown that the attitude shown by the players then was unnacceptable and will not be tolerated at this club.

the Coppel comes in, a good manager with a good track record, this was a terrible appointment, we were a mess at the time and then the side needed rebuilding, and the club needed tearing apart and re-building from the academy staff, scouting system to the first team squad. Coppel was never the man to do this and i don't think he honest to god realised the mess the whole club was in, when he did he bottled it and ran off.

Then we bring in Millen, it was an easy choice and after his time after Johnson left he did stabalise the ship and, gave some kids a go and looked like he could actually do something, he knew the club so must have been aware of the problems that there were, and was in a good position to sort them out, sadly then follwed 18 months or so of Gary Johnsons wierd and wonderful tactics and misplaced loyalty to players with none of the motivational skills so that was largely a disaster, and the same core of players start not bothering and get him the sack, and again the board just sit there and do nothing.

Then McInnes comes in and he looks like he could be the man to do this, he brings in some new people behind the scenes and a few go which seems to be a change in the winds at the club, results pick up then we get to January and sod all happens, we bring in Foster who is no better than we already have, Pearson who is ok, McManus who has been good and davies who has barely played, and we embark on a stunning run of 3-0 defeats, we get to leicester at home and he switches tactics, brings in Joe Bryan who has a great game, and then is not seen since. McInness is showing all the flaws of Johnson at the end and Millen, we are still sticking with 3/4 of the defence that got us promoted and has since spent 4/5 years prooving to all that it isn't good enough and we still play them.

January showed our scouting system is still terrible, we rely only on a managers own knowledge of players, where are the scouts recomending Marlon Pack, the players performing at Swindon, the Players doing well at all the other clubs in the south west and the lower league in general. McInnes knows the SPL as he's been there, and we have pretty much signed only players he has come across before bar sean Davis that people know from his prem days.

The club is a mess and it's going to take a long time to sort this out, if del is the man for that job i'm not sure but i hope he is.

[TRL]

Perhaps the players who are on the fcuking pitch!?? Most of them are just not good enough and who have been on our books for far too long now.

But McInnes said they were his players, not the previous managers when he joined

McInnes Has said on numerous times that we have quality throughout the squad

McInnes has said on City's own site that the team are good enough to stay up

So if all this is True, then McInnes has messed up big time and cannot organise a team or B McInnes doesn't know a bad player when it comes up and bites him on the arse. So if we stay up or go down, I will be interested to see what he terms as a good player..... When he signs some, if he thinks our current squad is quality and good enough.

Over to you guys to try and explain how all these Players of Millen, Coppell and Johnson are crap, but McInnes think they are quality, then bring up a relevant argument to try and back up McInnes, because everything he has said about our players would suggest we should be comfortably be mid table.

[red said fred]

In my opinion he is the right man. You can't make a silk purse from a sours ear and I don't think the players are good enough. Remember when he first came in, walking away from the Burnley game everyone was buzzing about the transformation in the team. However opponents quickly sussed us out and adapted their tactics to cope with us. This sadly means that the players can't cope with a further style other than the long ball.

After the dismal first half performance last night I started to count how many passes we could put together (yes i was that bored). The most consecutive passes was seven and that was in our own half without pressure (Pass number 8 was you guessed it a long ball to the Watford back four). In the Watford half we managed three. Swansea on Saturday managed 34 against Fulham!

I think most supporters would have started with the same team as DMac last night and the substitutions he made were arguably what most would have made from the players available. As far as his signings, he can only bring in who will come and I can't imagine we had many great players banging on his door in January knowing they were going to be involved in a relegation scrap. So lets hope we stay up and he can sort things out in the summer.

[TRL]

Ive said before I think that we are only above the relegation places on default because Pompey had points docked. Thus our true league position is a misnoma. I cannot understand how people see this as being a positive thing.

McInnes has done next to naff all in the grand scheme of things and as per, Millen before him, they are using a brief, but sadly departed spell of form caused by the departure of the previous incumbent to justify any faith that things may some how improve.

We have replaced one rubbish manager with another thus far. If there were signs of things being changed for the better I wouldnt be so hacked off. They arent so I remain hacked off

It's my view, people will disagree with it and think I'm wrong. That's cool.

If Pompey win their game in hand, then they are only 2 points behind us and thats even with a 10 point deduction.

Warnock, Palace a few seasons ago, Cotterill Forest this season to some extent. Danny Wilson for Sheff Utd in League One. Off the top of my head.

I dont expect far to much. I expect an organised and drilled team, with no disciplinary problems, one that holds its shape, does the basics right and doesnt get routed near enough every game. That's it, clearly this is too much for some, and that's fair enough.

So back to empire building again? Despite that coming undone, being part of the reason as to why we are here? It's not surprising that as a club, we never learn, when we are so keen to repeat the same mistakes over and over. Again its my view, people will undoubtedly think I'm wrong

As for the pros and cons thing. I was just summising what had been said in this thread so far, no more no less

What's that supposed to mean? I'm the Flavio Briatore? Give us a clue please

You are a fat grey rich Italian, that likes a bit of motorsport and footie on the side?

[Red Exile]

To blame McInnes is short sighted, as is to just blame Millen, or Johnson, Or coppel or Lansdown they all must take the blame for this mess, it hasn't just appeared overnight it has been coming for bloody years.

The club is a complete mess from top to bottom and needs completely gutting and starting again.

We are not a big club so don't have the finances of many of the clubs in this league and we should have been aware of this a long time ago, so we have to rely on picking up bargains from the lower leagues and our youth system supplementing this with a couple of big money signings (for this league) but our squad needs to be comprised mainly either academy players or younger signings from leagues 1 or 2, with 3/4 quality championship players.

Johnson started this, he prized effort above actual ability, which worked for a bit, but then he started to get rid of the players we had with some actual ability, Noble, McIndoe, Trundle et all, and then proceeded to replace them with dross like Styvar, Clarkson, etc, etc. He remained loyal to players that had done well for him in the past and rewarded them with new contracts and then proceeded to piss more money up the wall in his desperate attempts to sign more and more players, leaving us with an absolutley massive, unbalanced squad that was getting worse and worse and was well on it's way to where wer are now. The board stuck by him for 6 months to a year to long and finally got rid when the players wouldn't play anymore. Then the board made another mistake, they got rid of GJ which was too little too late, but should have also shown the door to the players that eventually forced him out and shown that the attitude shown by the players then was unnacceptable and will not be tolerated at this club.

Some very good points but I'm not sure I recognise the characterisation of the Johnson years. Nobes flattered to deceive...very inconsistent as a Championship player. McIndoe wanted out didn't he?...a serial mover from club to club and actually one of the GJ regulars who'd played for him before. Trunds...flattered to deceive...did very little in his final season with us...

Clarkson didn't payoff, but joined at the same time as Hartley and Sno - both of whom could have done/did. Johnson's signings weren't all bad, although Styvar was a mystery!

That GJ lost how way isn't in doubt. But that was the time for Lansdown to step in. GJ - for me - lost his way not long before he went. I'd put very little of the blame at GJ's door. he was the sort of manager he was - all his strengths and weaknesses were on view. He was the perfect man to revive the club, but not to take it on. And I think he knew that. We can't blame him for that.

What we can blame the Board for is not finding a suitable replacement.

[Bar BS3]

Thing is McInnes was brought in due to having a track record of building a team and getting results over time. There was no evidence that he was a 'quick fix' merchant and that was always going to be a gamble. I honestly think most of the mistakes he's undoubtedly made this season are because he's been thrown into the deep end of trying to find a short-term fix and, having never had to do that before, he's tried to do things that haven't come naturally to him and forgotten some of the basic principles that worked for him at St Johnstone.

You can debate all day whether we should have got someone who had a record of keeping struggling teams up back in November (although I have to say the options were far from inspiring) but the fact is, wherever we are next season, we're going to need a manager who can build a new team for the long-term. Whatever his mistakes in achieving a short-term fix, I think McInnes to do that.

Firing him in the summer will just mean we've employed someone to do a job that doesn't come naturally to them and then fired them at the exact point they've got a chance to play to their strengths. I think we have to keep him.

+1

[Aberporthbcfc]

this thread is just shocking. How can you blame Del in the situation that he is in!? People on here go way to in depth and complicate things and believeing what you think is indeed the true story. Let Del finish off the season and bring in his OWN team who he can motivate and play to his style.

For those saying sack him just **** off and get behind the team and be positive!! COYR!

[Spud55]

Some very good points but I'm not sure I recognise the characterisation of the Johnson years. Nobes flattered to deceive...very inconsistent as a Championship player. McIndoe wanted out didn't he?...a serial mover from club to club and actually one of the GJ regulars who'd played for him before. Trunds...flattered to deceive...did very little in his final season with us...

Clarkson didn't payoff, but joined at the same time as Hartley and Sno - both of whom could have done/did. Johnson's signings weren't all bad, although Styvar was a mystery!

That GJ lost how way isn't in doubt. But that was the time for Lansdown to step in. GJ - for me - lost his way not long before he went. I'd put very little of the blame at GJ's door. he was the sort of manager he was - all his strengths and weaknesses were on view. He was the perfect man to revive the club, but not to take it on. And I think he knew that. We can't blame him for that.

What we can blame the Board for is not finding a suitable replacement.

McIndoe didn't want to leave, he was offered to Sheff U and said he wanted to stay and turned it down, then Gj made it clear he wanted him gone so off he went to Cov, that was an insane decision, we have not had a midfielder since who has provided the assists or goals that McIndoe did, without looking i'd say in his two seasons as a regular he's got more goals and assists then the rest of our midfield combined since (or at least close to), and until playing Joe Bryan we haven't had a natural left sided player in the side and it's been what 3 years and 3 managers (including Johnson)

Noble and Trundle were a bit inconsistant but importantly both of them could win us games on their own, and sometimes it's ok to carry a player for 85 minutes if they can change the game in an instant, we now have 1 player who can potentially do this and thats Pitman.

Johnson is as guilty as Millen for failing to sort out our defence, in our first season we were decent at the back, but the cracks were obvious to see by the next season before the rediculous late goals and shambolic defending really kicked in.

Johnsons failing was his loyalty to his players, he let them go on far, far too long not being good enough and Millen more than hapily continued this leaving us now with a back 4 consisting of 3 players that got us promoted and have steadily got worse, and worse since until now they are to a man bloody terrible, Maccas positional sense is an absolute joke, Careys is barely any better, Fontaine consistantly gets bullied by strikers and gives away countelss stupid fouls and makes upteen mistakes. I can accept this from Willson, but players who have 100+ pro appearances under their belt should not still be making the mistakes that a 20 year old are making.

That shows how poor our coaching has been for years, Fonts is still making the mistakes he made when he first started here, they really should have been largely coached out of him by now. It's not just the defensive side, either, we've had albert for 18 months now and still we haven't taught him to run into the space behind the opposition full back, Joe Bryan did this more effectively in his first 20 minutes of playing than Albert has in his whole time here, he still can't shoot, and he still can't cross, what exactly have we been coaching him on since he's been here?

Johnson did make some good signings and in his first 3 full seasons he was fantastic, after that though he started to go to pieces and took his clubs in the bag mantra to the extreeme, coppels comments after he arrived speak volumes of Johnsons last season and a bit at the club, without saying it he basically said in manager speak that the squad was a bag of turd, horrible unbalanced and lacking ability, and Millen has made it worse.

If i had to put it in order of blame id go this, 1) Sl / The board, 2) Millen, 3) McInnes 4) Johnson, 5) Coppel.

This isn't a mess created by one manager, this is a mess created by years of mismanagement, the clubs infrastructure is so poor i'd say many Leage one clubs have better scouting, youth, and coaching set ups.

We have bounced around for years only working in the short term, spending huge amounts of money on masses of players and not once investing the money in the backroom of the club so to speak. I hope with Del there is a long term plan in place, that accepts relegation as a possibility but allows Del to mould the whole club from top to bottom, to put some investement on the coaching staff, we need to be looking at new coaches coming through the systems at Arsenal and other good academys, not bloody Gary Owers coming from Bath or where ever, we need to be getting in scouts to scour the lower leagues and forging links with clubs in other countries to scour there for players as well. The whole club needs a change of direction and as we have Del now i see no reason not to let him grow along with the club, yes it might mean relegation and mincing around in League 1 for a bit, but at least if we did go down it might give the board the impoetus to actually re-build the club. even bringing in a director of football may help, depending on if he's still there Lenny Lawrence could do a job, look at how Palace are faring with freedman and Lawrence at the helm.

[Red Exile]

McIndoe didn't want to leave, he was offered to Sheff U and said he wanted to stay and turned it down, then Gj made it clear he wanted him gone so off he went to Cov, that was an insane decision, we have not had a midfielder since who has provided the assists or goals that McIndoe did, without looking i'd say in his two seasons as a regular he's got more goals and assists then the rest of our midfield combined since (or at least close to), and until playing Joe Bryan we haven't had a natural left sided player in the side and it's been what 3 years and 3 managers (including Johnson)

Noble and Trundle were a bit inconsistant but importantly both of them could win us games on their own, and sometimes it's ok to carry a player for 85 minutes if they can change the game in an instant, we now have 1 player who can potentially do this and thats Pitman.

Johnson is as guilty as Millen for failing to sort out our defence, in our first season we were decent at the back, but the cracks were obvious to see by the next season before the rediculous late goals and shambolic defending really kicked in.

Johnsons failing was his loyalty to his players, he let them go on far, far too long not being good enough and Millen more than hapily continued this leaving us now with a back 4 consisting of 3 players that got us promoted and have steadily got worse, and worse since until now they are to a man bloody terrible, Maccas positional sense is an absolute joke, Careys is barely any better, Fontaine consistantly gets bullied by strikers and gives away countelss stupid fouls and makes upteen mistakes. I can accept this from Willson, but players who have 100+ pro appearances under their belt should not still be making the mistakes that a 20 year old are making.

That shows how poor our coaching has been for years, Fonts is still making the mistakes he made when he first started here, they really should have been largely coached out of him by now. It's not just the defensive side, either, we've had albert for 18 months now and still we haven't taught him to run into the space behind the opposition full back, Joe Bryan did this more effectively in his first 20 minutes of playing than Albert has in his whole time here, he still can't shoot, and he still can't cross, what exactly have we been coaching him on since he's been here?

Johnson did make some good signings and in his first 3 full seasons he was fantastic, after that though he started to go to pieces and took his clubs in the bag mantra to the extreeme, coppels comments after he arrived speak volumes of Johnsons last season and a bit at the club, without saying it he basically said in manager speak that the squad was a bag of turd, horrible unbalanced and lacking ability, and Millen has made it worse.

If i had to put it in order of blame id go this, 1) Sl / The board, 2) Millen, 3) McInnes 4) Johnson, 5) Coppel.

Can't disagree with that order. For me that buck stops at the top. The failure to capitalise on all the good will built around the club in that first year back is a failure of Steve Lansdown's...sadly, that was great time to be a City fan. All that positive spirit lasted a long time under GJ - just look out that bounce around youtube clip from the Newcastle match, just a few months before he left. Shame it was all allowed to walk out the door with the man himself.

On GJ - I think history will be kind to him. Wore his faults on his sleeve.

[Spud55]

Can't disagree with that order. For me that buck stops at the top. The failure to capitalise on all the good will built around the club in that first year back is a failure of Steve Lansdown's...sadly, that was great time to be a City fan. All that positive spirit lasted a long time under GJ - just look out that bounce around youtube clip from the Newcastle match, just a few months before he left. Shame it was all allowed to walk out the door with the man himself.

On GJ - I think history will be kind to him. Wore his faults on his sleeve.

I think it will too and it bloody well should be, he did for 3 and a bit season a bloody fabulous job, he reaced his limitations and it went a bit wrong, but unless you are Wenger, Ferguson, Mourinho or guardiola then most managers reach this point and it ends in failure. Johnson did more than enough good to be remembered as a great manager for this club despite the poor ending.

[cider_dog]

Point one...We are still a championship club, back the man till the maths make it impossible to stay up

Point two...if we do go down it will give del a chance to start rebuilding the team, i use the term start

coz there is no way that he will be able to do such a massive job during the summer break

Point three..The thing that is needed is stability within the club, from top to bottom, and all working towards

the same objective...Prem football...imo del will see this thru

Thats three points,

No offence mate, but DM will never get promotion to the Premier League for BCFC. The very best he could achieve would be mid-table Championship status, personally I am happy with being a competitive Championship side but I understand the ambitions some fans hold dear. Players aside we are a NON competitive team on the pitch with no direction or balance, we gifted 2 goals to Watford last night and failed to create 2 decent opportunities ourselves, I am not saying DM should go as he deserves a full season, but he is not the long-term solution for sustained success believe me.

[kit]

But McInnes said they were his players, not the previous managers when he joined

McInnes Has said on numerous times that we have quality throughout the squad

McInnes has said on City's own site that the team are good enough to stay up

So if all this is True, then McInnes has messed up big time and cannot organise a team or B McInnes doesn't know a bad player when it comes up and bites him on the arse. So if we stay up or go down, I will be interested to see what he terms as a good player..... When he signs some, if he thinks our current squad is quality and good enough.

Over to you guys to try and explain how all these Players of Millen, Coppell and Johnson are crap, but McInnes think they are quality, then bring up a relevant argument to try and back up McInnes, because everything he has said about our players would suggest we should be comfortably be mid table.

You are right McInnes should have come out and said the following:

-These are not my players and I want nothing to do with them.

-This squad has no quality.

-We will never be able to stay up.

The fact that he didn't come out and say these things is a disgrace and has given our players a false sense of belief that they might be good enough to stay in this league. I say sack McInnes for this alone.

[BristolCharlie]

The manager can't go around saying these players are nothing to do with me. You have to work with what you've got and in this respect it was good man-management. You have to stick by the manager and give him time but I have to say on occasion during a game McInnes doesn't react quick enough to situations and isn't very adaptable.

[TRL]

You are right McInnes should have come out and said the following:

-These are not my players and I want nothing to do with them.

-This squad has no quality.

-We will never be able to stay up.

The fact that he didn't come out and say these things is a disgrace and has given our players a false sense of belief that they might be good enough to stay in this league. I say sack McInnes for this alone.

He clearly thinks they are good enough or he would not of taken the job

He clearly thinks his permanent and loan signings are good enough or he wouldn't have signed them.

Or do you believe del thinks they are not good enough? Is that what you are saying? In which case he/the club are taking our money under false pretences!

[TRL]

The manager can't go around saying these players are nothing to do with me. You have to work with what you've got and in this respect it was good man-management. You have to stick by the manager and give him time but I have to say on occasion during a game McInnes doesn't react quick enough to situations and isn't very adaptable.

My whole post concerns what people here are saying, backing mcinnes, when mcinnes himself, has said the complete opposite to those same fans arguments.

[Riaz]

He clearly thinks they are good enough or he would not of taken the job

He clearly thinks his permanent and loan signings are good enough or he wouldn't have signed them.

Or do you believe del thinks they are not good enough? Is that what you are saying? In which case he/the club are taking our money under false pretences!

How would he know if they were good enough?

I reckon he might regret taking the job deep down!

[TRL]

How would he know if they were good enough?

I reckon he might regret taking the job deep down!

By doing his home work, like any other self respecting manager. If he hadn't, surley he would have been found out in interview.

[Riaz]

By doing his home work, like any other self respecting manager. If he hadn't, surley he would have been found out in interview.

He no doubt he would have done his homework - but there is only so much "homework" you can do. Its not until he works with the players that he can judge how good they are collectively. Whats the interview got to do with it?

[WellRedPhil]

To blame McInnes is short sighted, as is to just blame Millen, or Johnson, Or coppel or Lansdown they all must take the blame for this mess, it hasn't just appeared overnight it has been coming for bloody years.

The club is a complete mess from top to bottom and needs completely gutting and starting again.

We are not a big club so don't have the finances of many of the clubs in this league and we should have been aware of this a long time ago, so we have to rely on picking up bargains from the lower leagues and our youth system supplementing this with a couple of big money signings (for this league) but our squad needs to be comprised mainly either academy players or younger signings from leagues 1 or 2, with 3/4 quality championship players.

Johnson started this, he prized effort above actual ability, which worked for a bit, but then he started to get rid of the players we had with some actual ability, Noble, McIndoe, Trundle et all, and then proceeded to replace them with dross like Styvar, Clarkson, etc, etc. He remained loyal to players that had done well for him in the past and rewarded them with new contracts and then proceeded to piss more money up the wall in his desperate attempts to sign more and more players, leaving us with an absolutley massive, unbalanced squad that was getting worse and worse and was well on it's way to where wer are now. The board stuck by him for 6 months to a year to long and finally got rid when the players wouldn't play anymore. Then the board made another mistake, they got rid of GJ which was too little too late, but should have also shown the door to the players that eventually forced him out and shown that the attitude shown by the players then was unnacceptable and will not be tolerated at this club.

the Coppel comes in, a good manager with a good track record, this was a terrible appointment, we were a mess at the time and then the side needed rebuilding, and the club needed tearing apart and re-building from the academy staff, scouting system to the first team squad. Coppel was never the man to do this and i don't think he honest to god realised the mess the whole club was in, when he did he bottled it and ran off.

Then we bring in Millen, it was an easy choice and after his time after Johnson left he did stabalise the ship and, gave some kids a go and looked like he could actually do something, he knew the club so must have been aware of the problems that there were, and was in a good position to sort them out, sadly then follwed 18 months or so of Gary Johnsons wierd and wonderful tactics and misplaced loyalty to players with none of the motivational skills so that was largely a disaster, and the same core of players start not bothering and get him the sack, and again the board just sit there and do nothing.

Then McInnes comes in and he looks like he could be the man to do this, he brings in some new people behind the scenes and a few go which seems to be a change in the winds at the club, results pick up then we get to January and sod all happens, we bring in Foster who is no better than we already have, Pearson who is ok, McManus who has been good and davies who has barely played, and we embark on a stunning run of 3-0 defeats, we get to leicester at home and he switches tactics, brings in Joe Bryan who has a great game, and then is not seen since. McInness is showing all the flaws of Johnson at the end and Millen, we are still sticking with 3/4 of the defence that got us promoted and has since spent 4/5 years prooving to all that it isn't good enough and we still play them.

January showed our scouting system is still terrible, we rely only on a managers own knowledge of players, where are the scouts recomending Marlon Pack, the players performing at Swindon, the Players doing well at all the other clubs in the south west and the lower league in general. McInnes knows the SPL as he's been there, and we have pretty much signed only players he has come across before bar sean Davis that people know from his prem days.

The club is a mess and it's going to take a long time to sort this out, if del is the man for that job i'm not sure but i hope he is.

Fantastic post.

[TRL]

He no doubt he would have done his homework - but there is only so much "homework" you can do. Its not until he works with the players that he can judge how good they are collectively. Whats the interview got to do with it?

You have to pass it to get the job, so his vision and belief in our crop must have been high, and he must have been sure he could work with that talent pool to stave off relegation and push on up the table, which was the boards vision at the start of the season.

His interview must have been compelling enough concerning players and funds at his disposal to get the job.

All of this suggests he thinks our players are more than good enough, which he is continuing to state like a broken record as we slowly get worse and worse.

[SJC]

He won't be, and shouldn't be, sacked until Xmas at the earliest.

He has a track record of success, something Millen crucially didn't have. That fact shouldn't be underplayed, McInnes has shown that he can put together a winning football team, Millen hadn't, therefore the two situations are ultimately very different. McInnes has demonstrated an ability to be a success and therefore, in a cut throat world, has earned the right to be given time. Millen was a leap of faith and once things started going poorly only had faith or personal agenda to earn him support.

Given the hand he was dealt I would say staying up is an achievement, certainly not a miracle, but he should be congratulated for achieving his goal.

If we don't stay up our season will be dissected and he will cop some flak, some deserved, some perhaps not.

Either way talk of sacking him now is lunacy.

[6oclockcrew]

The bottom line is if we would have won last night we would be saying were almost safe. We didnt because of one man, david james....... did anyone see steads tweet after the game?

[semblar]

did anyone see steads tweet after the game?

no - what did it say?

[Monkeh]

Woke up with Horrendous feeling after last night! Will shake it off today cus feeling down won't help! Got to prepare for sat #alwaysbelieve

last tweet from stead the one before is before the game

[RedWitch]

I seem to remember the support on this forum for him to be appointed manager was overwhelming. Very few knew of him and all we had to go on were the rave reviews from the St Johnstone fans. There was some concern at the time about whether a successful manager in the Scottish league could transfer that success here. What manner of stick would the Board have received on here had they appointed Mark Robins when most were in favour of Del? It cannot, surely, have been another 'cheap' option to appoint not only the manager, but the coach as well and to pay KM off. The manager and his no 2 have been here since OCTOBER - a quarter of the way into our current season. Surely that is enough time for anyone to begin get the best from the players, regardless of whether he had his own pre-season or not. Examples: Cotterill with Forest and GJ here. Long string of losses and then the teams began to improve. We have gone in the opposite direction. String of wins and now look at us.