- Joined
- 5 Dec 2017
- Messages
- 8,814
That’s childish though, whether we get topLike I’ve said for months, top 6 or I’d be for moving him on.
Through our own failings, but yeah, our points total and performance is either what the board want, or it isn’t. I hope they are looking at their January outlay very closely indeed.That’s childish though, whether we get top
six now depends on how other teams do.
Yeah of course, I just meant that the judgement needed to be more nuanced than purely league position. Jury is really out for me but I expect he’ll be given the chance to do his thing over the summerThrough our own failings, but yeah, our points total and performance is either what the board want, or it isn’t. I hope they are looking at their January outlay very closely indeed.
For me, the fact we are dependent on other teams failing suggests performance hasn’t been where it needs to be.
So that's now 1 win from 14 (fourteen) matches against the sides currently occupying the top half of this division?
Or, if you prefer, just 3 wins from 20 games against anyone outside the bottom 6?
Say what you want about individual games -referee decisions, fatigue, xG and the like - but the incredible lack of nous against well-drilled opponents (or, to be honest, those with any sort of backbone) is undeniable.
I remember thinking exactly the same when we lost Paul Simpson..... then Joey (RIP) came along.If we do lose Murphy I worry that, unless he’s replaced with someone else who can be the clear MOTM and by far the best player on the pitch every game, Des’ ‘style’ might struggle - he relies on his wingers being on it and beating their man easily. All of our big wins (especially Peterborough) came from Murphy basically scoring and creating goals singlehandedly. Replace him with an average League One winger and we aren’t winning those like that.
When was Aldridge unfit? Probably never. He was not injured when he joined us and scored in his second appearance, Bolton Good Friday in a five nil victory. As for doing "quite well" for us.... God help me. Ninety odd goals in 130 appearances.I was really concerned a couple of months ago that Buckingham was a poor appointment. But I’ve seen enough in the last few weeks to show that I was wrong. Even if we make the playoffs, I don’t think we’ll make it. We’re pretty good, but not good enough. We’ll need 5-6 good standard L1 players in this summer. Shame that Goodwin is injured, but it’s not a concern. We had a forward join us in the 80’s who was injured for quite a while. But once he got himself fit, John Aldridge did quite well for us.
He was injured when he joined. Came on for his debut at Bristol Rovers as a sub.When was Aldridge unfit? Probably never. He was not injured when he joined us and scored in his second appearance, Bolton Good Friday in a five nil victory. As for doing "quite well" for us.... God help me. Ninety odd goals in 130 appearances.
PS. 'Quite well' was a joke btw.He was injured when he joined. Came on for his debut at Bristol Rovers as a sub.
Yes I was saying last night that Stevenage did the tough, defensive, slightly shithousy thing but largely within the rules and didn’t P**s me off anything like as much as Lincoln, who basically cheated. Refs need to get more of a grip on teams like that.Port Vale successfully kicked Manning’s team and won. Sparky was sent off.
(Neither Port Vale nor Evans's Stevenage were anywhere near as downright nasty as Lincoln. one of the most cynical and dirty anti-football sides I've seen for many a year)
Out of interest, if you were in charge, what would you do with Buckingham? Would you back him, or sack him?
I think that’s well put. Is he building something or just randomly floundering around? I suspect it’s a bit of both. I don’t think he deserves to be sacked now but I hope the club are asking your questions, because I don’t want him recruiting a new team then being fired after a hopeless start.Get the feeling you're trying to call me out somehow, but I'll answer as though it were asked at face value anyhow...
First off, I'd only have recruited Buckingham if he was the stand-out candidate who offered the best chance of continuing on the excellent start to the season. So if I'd been in charge all that time, I'd hold him to those standards, and presumably would be very miffed at why he had not fulfilled what he had promised.
But, for the sake of argument, let's pretend I took over tomorrow, and so had had no say in his recruitment, and had to make a call as to what to do going forward...
I would need to speak to him. I would want some reassurance from the manager that he knows what he is doing. That he knows why we are so flaky. Why we've taken just 3 points from 18 available in six home games against Reading, Orient, Lincoln, Northampton, Barnsley and Stevenage in the last 3 months.
Is he learning? Does he know why we didn't win on Tuesday? Does he know why we didnt win last night? What does he propose to do to remedy it? And why on earth didn't he do that sooner?
I would need to get a feeling from the man that he has a grip on things and they can and will improve. I'm not seeing enough of that as a supporter.
If I were in charge I'd be asking pertinent questions before making any decisions.
Unfortunately, I suspect none are being asked. And the same lackadaisical relationship between senior club leadership and team manager that allowed KR to remain as long as he did, and has apparently prevented Buckingham from being given the support he needs, is now effectively allowing him to meander along into next season with negligible signs of improvement.
As a supporter, we're not party to any more insight than what we watch on a matchday. And so we have to hope that Buckingham does have those answers. At least until such point as it's unequivocal that he does not.
We're not quite there yet.