4 out of 5 Games at Home - What can we do?

Let's hope that Dougie gets it right with 2 upfront and we pick up 10-12 points out of this nice run at home.  That would lift all of our spirits and make our weeks ahead joyful.  If he picks up Dawson in the next fortnight, I wouldn't be too unhappy!

observer wrote:Let's hope that Dougie gets it right with 2 upfront and we pick up 10-12 points out of this nice run at home.  That would lift all of our spirits and make our weeks ahead joyful.  If he picks up Dawson in the next fortnight, I wouldn't be too unhappy!

Have we even got two strikers?

Even if we had, Dougie will stick to the tried and tested 4-5-1 that doesn't work.

Fingers crossed for an away win to finally get rid of this clown.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

observer wrote:Let's hope that Dougie gets it right with 2 upfront and we pick up 10-12 points out of this nice run at home.  That would lift all of our spirits and make our weeks ahead joyful.  If he picks up Dawson in the next fortnight, I wouldn't be too unhappy!

Have we even got two strikers?

Even if we had, Dougie will stick to the tried and tested 4-5-1 that doesn't work.

Fingers crossed for an away win to finally get rid of this clown.

Cross all you want Nat- but he's not going anywhere yet. End of February- if we've got less tan 5 points- then he might be down the road

He'll go if we lose at home to Bournemouth.

The board might be more patient than most, but even they don't want to end up in League 1.

The clock's ticking for Dougie and he knows it. We definitely need to pick up a few points this month if he's still going to be around in the summer to start building his own team. He should have some wriggle room to trade when some of the prima donna contracts are up, but he needs a few wins to ensure he's going to be around to do it.

wanderlust wrote:We definitely need to pick up a few points this month if he's still going to be around in the summer to start building his own team.

Ha ha, you write like he's only been here a couple of months. He's had 18 months to stamp his own authority on the team and tactics - look at the results! Worse off than when he arrived, with one recognised striker on the books (who is injured!).

Il be honest, ive wrote this season off and accepted that its either league 1 next season or us staying up by a VERY narrow margin.

DF will see this as a success and, in fairness, given the fact he got FUCK ALL to spend from Ngog's move to the sheep shaggers and had to send his only fit striker out on loan so we could loan a fucking midfielder... I think in a roundabout way, he could be right.

I'm still miffed about him not getting the Ngog money to spend. It's one thing to ask a manager to trade without a budget and only spend when he's saved, but it's a whole new ballgame if he can't even spend that. 
I know times are hard and we have to reduce the wage bill but the club know perfectly well that some of the players are on long term contracts, nobody wants them and so it will take time to freshen up the squad. At least let the manager have something to keep us bobbing along in the meantime or we will really be f****d.

wanderlust wrote:I'm still miffed about him not getting the Ngog money to spend. It's one thing to ask a manager to trade without a budget and only spend when he's saved, but it's a whole new ballgame if he can't even spend that. 
I know times are hard and we have to reduce the wage bill but the club know perfectly well that some of the players are on long term contracts, nobody wants them and so it will take time to freshen up the squad. At least let the manager have something to keep us bobbing along in the meantime or we will really be f****d.

Why should he have the N'Gog money? So he can bring in another Craig Davies, not play him then loan him out? Buy another Beckford, in the team one week, out the next, buy another Spearing and turn him into a dummy, or sign young players then release them without playing them? Look, just face it the guys a clown, he should be made to work with what he's got and given not one more penny until he's ensured we're safe in this division. The one position everybody knows we need more than any other is a LB so what does this numpty do? Sign yet another bloody midfielder. You really just couldn't make it up.

Only a month ago some of the daft were still talking a promotion run .... laughable.

Although the financial state is an issue that does not mean you can't play your best 11 and have some positive tactics etc etc ....now that fool will have one striker up against Bournmouth.....and now he has a proper excuse since we only have one. (in theory).

I think we will dodge relegation by a couple of points in the end but what has happened to my club?  Two years away from giving Utd a decent game.

Reebok_Rebel wrote:Il be honest, ive wrote this season off and accepted that its either league 1 next season or us staying up by a VERY narrow margin.

DF will see this as a success and, in fairness, given the fact he got FUCK ALL to spend from Ngog's move to the sheep shaggers and had to send his only fit striker out on loan so we could loan a fucking midfielder... I think in a roundabout way, he could be right.

Think this is pretty much spot on RR.

we'll get a LB in the Emergency loan window I would have thought...

We'll get a LB in the Emergency loan window I would have thought...

Whitesince63 wrote:

wanderlust wrote:I'm still miffed about him not getting the Ngog money to spend. It's one thing to ask a manager to trade without a budget and only spend when he's saved, but it's a whole new ballgame if he can't even spend that. 
I know times are hard and we have to reduce the wage bill but the club know perfectly well that some of the players are on long term contracts, nobody wants them and so it will take time to freshen up the squad. At least let the manager have something to keep us bobbing along in the meantime or we will really be f****d.

Why should he have the N'Gog money? So he can bring in another Craig Davies, not play him then loan him out? Buy another Beckford, in the team one week, out the next, buy another Spearing and turn him into a dummy, or sign young players then release them without playing them? Look, just face it the guys a clown, he should be made to work with what he's got and given not one more penny until he's ensured we're safe in this division. The one position everybody knows we need more than any other is a LB so what does this numpty do? Sign yet another bloody midfielder. You really just couldn't make it up.

Basically White, if someone writes (as you just have) that Freedman is directly responsible for Craig Davies' goal drought (zero in the last 11 appearances for us), Beckford's injury and Spearing's loss of form then what else can I think other than they have lost the plot?

I may be wrong, but I can't think of any young players he has signed and then released. He had Jan Gregus on loan for an extended trial and then sent him back, but Gregus was a triallist, not a signing. He sold Gary Fraser but that lad had issues. That apart, all I've seen as far as young players are concerned are considerable efforts to sort the wheat from the chaff following on from his initial clearout.

I do have concerns over Freedman, but not in these areas and I probably have greater concerns over the state of the squad regardless of who the manager is.

wanderlust wrote:

Whitesince63 wrote:

wanderlust wrote:I'm still miffed about him not getting the Ngog money to spend. It's one thing to ask a manager to trade without a budget and only spend when he's saved, but it's a whole new ballgame if he can't even spend that. 
I know times are hard and we have to reduce the wage bill but the club know perfectly well that some of the players are on long term contracts, nobody wants them and so it will take time to freshen up the squad. At least let the manager have something to keep us bobbing along in the meantime or we will really be f****d.

Why should he have the N'Gog money? So he can bring in another Craig Davies, not play him then loan him out? Buy another Beckford, in the team one week, out the next, buy another Spearing and turn him into a dummy, or sign young players then release them without playing them? Look, just face it the guys a clown, he should be made to work with what he's got and given not one more penny until he's ensured we're safe in this division. The one position everybody knows we need more than any other is a LB so what does this numpty do? Sign yet another bloody midfielder. You really just couldn't make it up.

Basically White, if someone writes (as you just have) that Freedman is directly responsible for Craig Davies' goal drought (zero in the last 11 appearances for us), Beckford's injury and Spearing's loss of form then what else can I think other than they have lost the plot?

I may be wrong, but I can't think of any young players he has signed and then released. He had Jan Gregus on loan for an extended trial and then sent him back, but Gregus was a triallist, not a signing. He sold Gary Fraser but that lad had issues. That apart, all I've seen as far as young players are concerned are considerable efforts to sort the wheat from the chaff following on from his initial clearout.

I do have concerns over Freedman, but not in these areas and I probably have greater concerns over the state of the squad regardless of who the manager is.

Trouble is Lusty I just think yourself and the likes of 74 are being far too generous to Freedman. You seem to dismiss poor performance as none of Freedman's fault despite the fact many of these same players were better before he came and imposed his unenterprising methods on them. Others, he's signed or loaned and discarded so he must be to blame for that. Anybody would have found the situation difficult here I do agree but surely you must accept that much of our demise has to be down to Freedman. We now have a run of home games and these will I think determine whether he stays or goes. I've never wanted my team to lose and I don't now but I genuinely fear for our status under him in what's left of this season.

Reebok_Rebel wrote:Il be honest, ive wrote this season off and accepted that its either league 1 next season or us staying up by a VERY narrow margin.

DF will see this as a success and, in fairness, given the fact he got FUCK ALL to spend from Ngog's move to the sheep shaggers and had to send his only fit striker out on loan so we could loan a fucking midfielder... I think in a roundabout way, he could be right.

A bit of a turnaround Rebel, last week you were blaming Freedman for everything, including global warming and the fact your dog had worms.

Firstly, there's a very good chance the board had no faith in Freedman to find a player of decent quality. Let's face it, the board are intelligent people who will know as well as us that the writing is on the wall for Freedman if results don't improve quickly. Why be lumbered with another donkey.

But even if that isn't the case, we seem to have become obsessed with replacing players with loanees or budget signings. We seem to have forgotten it's the managers job to improve the players he has - how many of the squad are better players now than when Freedman took the job? None I would suggest.

i feel the same as Rebel about this season, they won't sack him until it is impossible not to (like Megson and the Hull game springs to mind). It does seem like the club are just happy to plod on and hope we don't get relegated.
 
If we don't win on Saturday i think the bedsheets will be out for the Burnley game and once that starts it's only a matter of time before he goes i would hope.

Whitesince63 wrote:

wanderlust wrote:

Whitesince63 wrote:

wanderlust wrote:I'm still miffed about him not getting the Ngog money to spend. It's one thing to ask a manager to trade without a budget and only spend when he's saved, but it's a whole new ballgame if he can't even spend that. 
I know times are hard and we have to reduce the wage bill but the club know perfectly well that some of the players are on long term contracts, nobody wants them and so it will take time to freshen up the squad. At least let the manager have something to keep us bobbing along in the meantime or we will really be f****d.

Why should he have the N'Gog money? So he can bring in another Craig Davies, not play him then loan him out? Buy another Beckford, in the team one week, out the next, buy another Spearing and turn him into a dummy, or sign young players then release them without playing them? Look, just face it the guys a clown, he should be made to work with what he's got and given not one more penny until he's ensured we're safe in this division. The one position everybody knows we need more than any other is a LB so what does this numpty do? Sign yet another bloody midfielder. You really just couldn't make it up.

Basically White, if someone writes (as you just have) that Freedman is directly responsible for Craig Davies' goal drought (zero in the last 11 appearances for us), Beckford's injury and Spearing's loss of form then what else can I think other than they have lost the plot?

I may be wrong, but I can't think of any young players he has signed and then released. He had Jan Gregus on loan for an extended trial and then sent him back, but Gregus was a triallist, not a signing. He sold Gary Fraser but that lad had issues. That apart, all I've seen as far as young players are concerned are considerable efforts to sort the wheat from the chaff following on from his initial clearout.

I do have concerns over Freedman, but not in these areas and I probably have greater concerns over the state of the squad regardless of who the manager is.

Trouble is Lusty I just think yourself and the likes of 74 are being far too generous to Freedman. You seem to dismiss poor performance as none of Freedman's fault despite the fact many of these same players were better before he came and imposed his unenterprising methods on them. Others, he's signed or loaned and discarded so he must be to blame for that. Anybody would have found the situation difficult here I do agree but surely you must accept that much of our demise has to be down to Freedman. We now have a run of home games and these will I think determine whether he stays or goes. I've never wanted my team to lose and I don't now but I genuinely fear for our status under him in what's left of this season.

Agree that the next month will probably determine his fate. 
I think Freedman is partly to blame as he hasn't adapted his tactics to the situation - and I don't think he's that great tactically anyway.
However the situation is dire and I'm not convinced he has that many options and his luck hasn't been great either.
The blame should be shared with the players for underperforming and with Gartside/the Board for not releasing the Ngog funds.
So for me he remains in the balance and I guess the next few matches will be decisive. Minimum requirement is restore confidence that we will remain in the Championship.

If he goes, I'd be surprised if a new manager (that's if there actually is anyone willing to work under these constraints) would make any difference whatsoever.
In fact a new manager would have less to work with than Dougie as it would cost the club to get rid - money that could be spent on the squad instead.

wanderlust wrote:

If he goes, I'd be surprised if a new manager (that's if there actually is anyone willing to work under these constraints) would make any difference whatsoever.

If the Bolton job became available there would be a mountain of applicants. It's still a top job within football.

Natasha Whittam wrote:

Reebok_Rebel wrote:Il be honest, ive wrote this season off and accepted that its either league 1 next season or us staying up by a VERY narrow margin.

DF will see this as a success and, in fairness, given the fact he got FUCK ALL to spend from Ngog's move to the sheep shaggers and had to send his only fit striker out on loan so we could loan a fucking midfielder... I think in a roundabout way, he could be right.

A bit of a turnaround Rebel, last week you were blaming Freedman for everything, including global warming and the fact your dog had worms.

Firstly, there's a very good chance the board had no faith in Freedman to find a player of decent quality. Let's face it, the board are intelligent people who will know as well as us that the writing is on the wall for Freedman if results don't improve quickly. Why be lumbered with another donkey.

But even if that isn't the case, we seem to have become obsessed with replacing players with loanees or budget signings. We seem to have forgotten it's the managers job to improve the players he has - how many of the squad are better players now than when Freedman took the job? None I would suggest.

I'm not saying im happy with freedman. im just trying to take a different perspective on it.

Reason is, ive stayed away from the last 2 home games and spent the time doing other non-football related things, mainly with my son instead.

i just feel rather apathetic about this, ive accepted my club is going down the pan big time and there is fuck all I can do and the board/management look like they are not going to do/cant do fuck all either.

Its a shit state of affairs but im trying not to let it ruin my life anymore.