It's going to be a long season

Thought the referee was pants today but the good news is despite being only 11 games into the season that's the 2nd time he has been inflicted on us so unlikely we will get him again.

Without the points deduction for Derby we would be 4th bottom and we are where we deserve to be but for me the worse is yet to come. Despite an improved performance today sadly the result seemed somehow inevitable and I believe by the end of October we will be in the bottom 3 and it's going to be a long season.

11 games into the season we are yet to score a first half goal, that's 13 if you count the 2 cup games, and I'm struggling to think of a season where that has happened before. After today we have scored just one goal in the last 5 games and when you are struggling to score you need to keep the back door closed but we have only 1 clean sheet so far this season. All that makes the perfect recipe to create a relegation season.

On Tuesday our manager waved the white flag of surrender before a ball was kicked by selecting 5 CB and 3 defensive midfielders in the team. His explanation was he was looking for a much needed clean sheet, that decision plus his continued belief in Bacuna being the answer in our forward line has led me to the point where I think he should go.

When you can't score and can't keep a clean sheet I don't see any greater risk from making a change to the manager than sticking with him. I thought at the start of the season we would be mid table and I still do, but not with MM in charge, there is a lot of speculation about Mike Flynn so why not give it a go.

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

This is a very weak championship squad no doubt. But I think another, less stubborn, manager would get better performances out of the players available. Playing CBs as wingbacks, DMs as forwards and a side of 11 made up of 7 or 8 defensive players, there's no surprise we havnt scored in the first half this season yet, scored 1 in the last 5 games and are on this terrible run.

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

This is a very weak championship squad no doubt. But I think another, less stubborn, manager would get better performances out of the players available. Playing CBs as wingbacks, DMs as forwards and a side of 11 made up of 7 or 8 defensive players, there's no surprise we havnt scored in the first half this season yet, scored 1 in the last 5 games and are on this terrible run.

If we are to replace MM then that is what I will pray for. For me its going to take someone special to pull this off.

Thought the referee was pants today but the good news is despite being only 11 games into the season that's the 2nd time he has been inflicted on us so unlikely we will get him again.

Agree with all of that

Without the points deduction for Derby we would be 4th bottom and we are where we deserve to be but for me the worse is yet to come. Despite an improved performance today sadly the result seemed somehow inevitable and I believe by the end of October we will be in the bottom 3 and it's going to be a long season.

11 games into the season we are yet to score a first half goal, that's 13 if you count the 2 cup games, and I'm struggling to think of a season where that has happened before. After today we have scored just one goal in the last 5 games and when you are struggling to score you need to keep the back door closed but we have only 1 clean sheet so far this season. All that makes the perfect recipe to create a relegation season.

On Tuesday our manager waved the white flag of surrender before a ball was kicked by selecting 5 CB and 3 defensive midfielders in the team. His explanation was he was looking for a much needed clean sheet, that decision plus his continued belief in Bacuna being the answer in our forward line has led me to the point where I think he should go.

When you can't score and can't keep a clean sheet I don't see any greater risk from making a change to the manager than sticking with him. I thought at the start of the season we would be mid table and I still do, but not with MM in charge, there is a lot of speculation about Mike Flynn so why not give it a go.

We need a manager with outstanding motivational skills to make up for our really poor and unbalanced squad. That is clearly not NM.

Remember when we moaned Manga wasn't a right back and was a better central defender? Look at our full back options now. An overload of centre halfs none of whom can make a ten yard pass most of the time, not a winger of our own in sight, and an assortment of midfielders who aren't fit to lace McPhails boots let alone Whittinghams.

And an owner who thinks Dalman and Choo are the right people to oversee it all.

After not learning the lessons, and making the most of the riches, of not one but two goes at the PL it's very very sad.

We need a manager with outstanding motivational skills to make up for our really poor and unbalanced squad. That is clearly not NM.

Remember when we moaned Manga wasn't a right back and was a better central defender? Look at our full back options now. An overload of centre halfs none of whom can make a ten yard pass most of the time, not a winger of our own in sight, and an assortment of midfielders who aren't fit to lace McPhails boots let alone Whittinghams.

And an owner who thinks Dalman and Choo are the right people to oversee it all.

After not learning the lessons, and making the most of the riches, of not one but two goes at the PL it's very very sad.

I didn't realise this squad was so stripped bare of quality until its there for all to see the last month and this

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

This is a very weak championship squad no doubt. But I think another, less stubborn, manager would get better performances out of the players available. Playing CBs as wingbacks, DMs as forwards and a side of 11 made up of 7 or 8 defensive players, there's no surprise we havnt scored in the first half this season yet, scored 1 in the last 5 games and are on this terrible run.

MM - Said when he took over this was the best squad he had inherited in his time as a manager -
So why are we were we are now ??? - Agree with your points above .

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

Totally agree. I just hope if we do get another manager, he gets the option to bring in a few players on loan.

We've got one centre forward. One winger.
No full backs. No quality in midfield.
Say no more.

A squad stripped of its quality and pace is only heading 1 way.

The changes need to start at the top from Dalman to Choo.

Appointments should start with them going then a new Manager who can rebuild over the next 2 seasons.

Maassive opportunity with 8 players out of contract in 2022, would i trust any of the present staff in situ to bring new players in, absolutely not.

It will take a miracle to stay up this season, we cant score and we cant defend.

The winger we have (Giles) was brought in as a full back . We have loaned 2 wingers out , Whyte and Murphy . MM obviously knows better than me , but we must be the only team in the 4 divisions that hasn't got any wingers or any fast players , with probably the best CF in the air in the championship . So I wish someone would ask Mick why no wingers , let alone any fast players ? don't get me started on letting Bennet and Hoillet go , surely we could have offered better terms than Reading or Wigan ???
Yes its going to be a long hard season !!!!

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

After Tuesday evening everyone I have spoken with feels the same with most thinking since MM was given his contract we have hardly set the world alight. Our summer transfer business has left us with an unbalanced squad with a massive emphasis on defenders, or rather centre backs, and little options in respect of pace or width. We do have a 20 goal striker who hardly get's a game and when he does his support comes in the form of a defensive midfield player / right back who offers little or no support to KM and little or no threat to our opposition. Every game that goes by the value of Keiffer Moore drops, our ONLY real saleable asset. For me ALL of this is down to MM.

For me keeping MM a minute longer just makes reaching a point of safety more difficult as repeating the mistakes of the first 11 games, 25% of the season, will deliver just one thing relegation.

It's time for change.

We need a manager with outstanding motivational skills to make up for our really poor and unbalanced squad. That is clearly not NM.

Remember when we moaned Manga wasn't a right back and was a better central defender? Look at our full back options now. An overload of centre halfs none of whom can make a ten yard pass most of the time, not a winger of our own in sight, and an assortment of midfielders who aren't fit to lace McPhails boots let alone Whittinghams.

And an owner who thinks Dalman and Choo are the right people to oversee it all.

After not learning the lessons, and making the most of the riches, of not one but two goes at the PL it's very very sad.

You make good points there and our biggest liability in my opinion are the 3 at the top who believe they are experts at running football clubs. For me they may be good business men but repeating the same mistakes time and time again just proves they are useless at running the "Football or Sporting" side of the business.

It's time in my opinion for the club to appoint a Director of Football or Sporting Director and someone who understands the game, the Championship in particular. You mention one such man there Steve McPhail who has been cutting his teeth as Sporting Director of Shamrock Rovers but is probably ready to make the step up. Steve knows our club and understands the game and for me would NOT have left us with this unbalanced squad the 3 Amigos has.

Then we need a coach a young coach with fresh ideas and someone who will develop a style of play better suited to the modern game.

Of course non of that is a guarantee we will survive in the Championship this season as the die may be cast but for me it's better to try.

In my opinion we should have stuck with Harris, he got us to the playoffs, his signings were excellent Moore, Phillips, NG, Wilson, Ojo and especially Morrison who has transformed our under 23’s set up.His bad run wasn’t as bad as our current situation with Mad Mick and was due to injury to our two key players Moore and Morrison and perhaps trying to change our hoofball style too quickly. MM was always only going to be a quick fix but unfounded Celtic interest panicked our Chairman to convince Tan who apparently wanted to keep Harris to give him a healthy two year contract so it will cost a fortune to again sack a manager so we will probably keep him until January! Let’s hope it’s not too late, my previous suggestion of going for Cooper has gone, he has already got Forest above us in the table. My suggestion is now Wilder but he wouldn’t come cheap!

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

This is a very weak championship squad no doubt. But I think another, less stubborn, manager would get better performances out of the players available. Playing CBs as wingbacks, DMs as forwards and a side of 11 made up of 7 or 8 defensive players, there's no surprise we havnt scored in the first half this season yet, scored 1 in the last 5 games and are on this terrible run.

MM - Said when he took over this was the best squad he had inherited in his time as a manager -
So why are we were we are now ??? - Agree with your points above .

that was before we got rid of the likes of Wilson and OJO.

In my opinion we should have stuck with Harris, he got us to the playoffs, his signings were excellent Moore, Phillips, NG, Wilson, Ojo and especially Morrison who has transformed our under 23’s set up.His bad run wasn’t as bad as our current situation with Mad Mick and was due to injury to our two key players Moore and Morrison and perhaps trying to change our hoofball style too quickly. MM was always only going to be a quick fix but unfounded Celtic interest panicked our Chairman to convince Tan who apparently wanted to keep Harris to give him a healthy two year contract so it will cost a fortune to again sack a manager so we will probably keep him until January! Let’s hope it’s not too late, my previous suggestion of going for Cooper has gone, he has already got Forest above us in the table. My suggestion is now Wilder but he wouldn’t come cheap!

Hindsight but some good points.

MM did well with those players when he replaced Harris. A number of those players are not here now and look how well we are doing without them. Both managers have been pressurised to use the youth. If we continue to drop I know who I am going to look at.

The only thing that looks certain at the moment is that if we stick with MM he is going to get us relegated. We can't rely on us beating worse teams than us because we are the worst side in the championship at the moment. Incredibly in the space of a few games he has made us worse than Nottingham Forest who were bottom of the league on one point when we played them.

Our squad is unbalanced but I don't buy this it's so crap there is nothing any manager could do about it. I think any competent manager could get this squad challenging for the playoffs. Think the Ipswich fans were right he was a competent if over defensive manager for them who kept them up but played dreadful football. Don't think he is even very competent at the moment still way too defensive and doesn't set the team up right.

Sadly I think the board will stick with him because it will cost well over a million pounds to sack both him and O'Connor not to mention the cost of finding a replacement. Also it makes it look like a stupid decision to sack a manager a few months after you have given him a two year contract. It's been nice while it lasted but I suspect we will be in league one next season the only bright spot being the number of good youngsters coming through and Accrington Stanley being a new ground for me.

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

The board are to blame here without a doubt. They've stripped us back too far. I understand cost cutting but the way we've done it; relying on these youngsters that have barely played a senior game is just foolish.

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

This is a very weak championship squad no doubt. But I think another, less stubborn, manager would get better performances out of the players available. Playing CBs as wingbacks, DMs as forwards and a side of 11 made up of 7 or 8 defensive players, there's no surprise we havnt scored in the first half this season yet, scored 1 in the last 5 games and are on this terrible run.

MM - Said when he took over this was the best squad he had inherited in his time as a manager -
So why are we were we are now ??? - Agree with your points above .

that was before we got rid of the likes of Wilson and OJO.

Did we sell them then or were they on loan & went back to their parent clubs? Got rid of implies we had a choice.

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

This is a very weak championship squad no doubt. But I think another, less stubborn, manager would get better performances out of the players available. Playing CBs as wingbacks, DMs as forwards and a side of 11 made up of 7 or 8 defensive players, there's no surprise we havnt scored in the first half this season yet, scored 1 in the last 5 games and are on this terrible run.

MM - Said when he took over this was the best squad he had inherited in his time as a manager -
So why are we were we are now ??? - Agree with your points above .

that was before we got rid of the likes of Wilson and OJO.

Did we sell them then or were they on loan & went back to their parent clubs? Got rid of implies we had a choice.

They were on loan but what difference does it make as they are not here now.

I don't know anyone who wants him to remain. Personally I don't think it will make any difference if we replace him or not. For me the problem lies in the squad. I just don't think its good enough to remain in the Championship.

The board are to blame here without a doubt. They've stripped us back too far. I understand cost cutting but the way we've done it; relying on these youngsters that have barely played a senior game is just foolish.

Agree, having to rely on youngsters is not a good place to be when they’ve next to no league football experience let alone championship experience. We’ve cut to much. What’s that saying “you need to spend money to make money “ ….

Won't be long season as we will be out the first rounds of the cups