RevidgeBlue

I do quite like Martin Samuel on the whole but he isn't reading the underlying situation at all there. Yes on the surface the dissent might look harsh but we only finished 7th last year thanks to an excellent Head Coach we alienated and drove out. And it's happened twice since Mowbray left. And their eventual replacement is taking us down.

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Looks like the Mowbray link is a wind up thankfully but that doesn't change the fact we're in a world of trouble. As you would expect from this shower the whole Ismael situation has been horrendously mismanaged. After Eustace was driven out the obvious thing to do then was to appoint a wise old head until the end of the season just to keep their hand on the tiller, and keep things ticking over. Then in summer, reassess. In the meantime, don't change too much and get someone in who would get the players feeling good about themselves. Someone like Warnock. Instead we got this chump and play off hopes evaporated immediately with a home draw followed by five defeats from his first 6 games. To say that was a disaster would be an understatement but bizarrely we'd given him a 3.5 Yr deal which seems ludicrous given he's barely lasted 50 games anywhere else he's been. A dire summer of recruitment followed and predictably Ismael has lived down to expectations and then some. Should have been sacked in summer after making such a balls up of the play offs and really with only two home wins on the board you could quite easily have sacked him at any point this season. Definitely no later than the Wrexham home game on New Year's Day when it was clear there was nothing left in the tank. Now due to the incompetence of management we're still stuck with the problem that he has 2.5 years still left on his contract and the January transfer window has been and gone. In my view: Worst possible case scenario: Ismael stays 2nd worst case scenario: Ismael is sacked and Mowbray is appointed until the end of the season. (In no way an endorsement of Mowbray, but shows how bad Ismael is) 3rd worst case scenario: Sack Ismael and give it someone like Damien Johnson/David Lowe until the end of the season. Ideal case scenario: Sack Ismael and make a decent appointment. If we were prepared to chuck some money at it, still wouldn't mind an Allardyce or a Warnock type until the end of the season to lift the mood around the place - possibly with the help of a younger assistant. Longer term if we go down we need to identify an up and coming young manager/Head Coach. Probably a vain hope but as I said at least a couple of months ago, it's a stark choice in my opinion. We either stick with Ismael and accept we're going down or we make a change and TRY to do something about it.

How many fingers have you got on each of your hands? We've only had 4 since 1975 if my Maths are correct!

Do you think I was lying when I said I was told Waggott said there were funds available, or my acquaintance was lying to me, or Waggott was lying to my acquaintance? The promotion bonuses seem to have been an actual thing though. It would have been odd for Waggott to tell the truth about the bonuses but lie about a fictitious war chest imo.

They might have been carrying long standing niggles or knocks but if we'd have needed to win that game to finish 2nd, Im sure they'd have played. Last game of the season, all summer to get fit.

There's no "burden of proof" on me whatsoever. It's a discussion board not a Court room. I've told you specially why I believe there were funds available (Waggott) and why (imo) Mowbray wouldnt spend them (Didn't want to fail and look bad). If you choose not to believe that that's your prerogative entirely. All you've come up with is "I dont think anyone would do that" when Mowbray has himself admitted he didnt like asking the owners for money.

Not a chance.

Why do you believe everything Mowbray says? Edit: To me he was all about self preservation. Nothing else.

I was fuming travelling down to Charlton (hoping to see us win the L1 Title) when the team news came on and we heard he'd effectively thrown it by resting everyone. Far from the worst thing he did but that sort of summed him up. No ambition for the Club whatsoever.

"You can never have too many (decent) strikers" (copyright: Neil Warnock) My only concern is whether any of them are decent.

All that said, as much as I can't stand him, on a strictly short term basis until the end of the season he'd STILL be a better bet than Ismael to keep us up. Wouldn't want him having any say whatsoever in the Club beyond that though. Definitely the second worst option. Id sooner put Damien Johnson or David Lowe in temporary charge before Mowbray

If he had any belief in his own ability he could have spun it on the basis that "I know I said I wouldn't come back and ask you for any more money but I really believe that with a little extra investment I could get this team promoted and you'll make tens of millions." He didnt want to spend and then not get promoted which would have reflected badly on him and possibly put his job in jeopardy. Sod all this ""Honourable man" crap. People fall for the "Cuddly Uncle Tony" routine every time.

It's not spinning the same thing at all. 2 entirely separate incidents. The "Calm down" comments came immediately after promotion from League 1. From Mowbray himself, dampening expectations. By your own admission he's said on a podcast he didnt feel in general that he he could ask for extra money which is a ridiculous stance for a manager to take. Waggott also told someone I know in "The Rothwell window" there was a substantial one off war chest available which matched the promotion bonuses on offer which WERE actually publicised in the LT. Waggott could have course have been lying, but presumably the bonus offers were genuine as they were publicised, and if the Club did have a war chest available, you wouldnt have expected them to divulge how much it was.

What proper manager does that? It was his job to win games not look after the owner's money for them.

Did a good job until we got promoted back to the Championship. After that an absolute disaster imo. Stagnation at a time when the owners still retained a bit of interest. We all knew they would give up and lose interest at some point and unfortunately Mowbray oversaw that. We could have done with someone ambitious like JDT or Eustace at the Club after we got promoted.

That's because he said it himself. Straight out of the horse's mouth. Said he had to "calm the owners down" following promotion from League 1. You're really boring on this point, continually denying something even Mowbray himself freely admits happened! Do you still maintain the earth is flat as well?

Before rallying and winning the last couple of games when it was too late, we had a run of something like seven games without a win. He initially guided us to a position where we almost had our noses above water and he had ample opportunity to keep us up. Not ALL or even primarily his fault of course.

Absolutely spot on.

Seen the replay and any holding was absolutely minimal imo, they were both battling for the ball. Point still stands though. The referee gave the penalty for the tackle. They dont have the power to stop the game and award a foul they think the referee has missed do they?

Absolute BS decision in the Man Ure v Fulham game. Cunyha tries to go past the Fulham player on the right near the by line and the junction of the pen area. Fulham player clearly plays it out for a corner, great tackle. Ref inexplicably gives a pen. Goes to VAR. To save the ref's blushes, they invented some non existent contact just outside the area and award a free kick which the Red scum scored from. Are they allowed to do that? Surely the decision should be limited to penalty or no foul whatsoever and goal kick. Talk about re-refereeing the game. VAR is absolutely ruining the game. Or the way they are implementing it.

I did actually say last night that Ismael is SO bad even Mowbray coming back on a short term basis until the end of the season would be preferable. Find it strange that someone's suddenly flagged it up after I mentioned it but I cant take credit for it (I don't think) That wasn't to say it's what I want. At all. Just an illustration of how bad Ismael is imo. Worst since Jim Iley. Going to gather my thoughts and address this in detail.

That's why he said "another"?

The rug and flask brigade revolt! Hope they tried hitting them with their walking sticks as well. Good on them.

It's almost as if they havent realised income will drop by at least £10m if we are relegated............ D'oh!