Should Mark Robins be sacked? (13 Viewers)

[oucho]

Win ratio means nothing when you are falling behind your target. The target is promotion. We've lost way too many games this season and the tactics are at fault.

If we don't get promoted then that isn't a sackable offence. Being 20th is a sackable offence. Missing out by a few points in our first season-long spell of being in contention for promotion is not something that should see him sacked.

 

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[mark82]

If we don't get promoted then that isn't a sackable offence. Being 20th is a sackable offence. Missing out by a few points in our first season-long spell of being in contention for promotion is not something that should see him sacked.

I disagree that it wouldn't be failure. Whether it's sackable depends on the nature of performances, which at the moment are poor. We can probably afford a maximum of 2 more defeats all season if we are to make the playoffs.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I just don't see how he can be viewed as under-performing. Yes we've lost 3 in a row in the league but all teams go through bad patches. We've got no divine right to be top of the league but he's worked hard to ensure we're in contention and will in the play-off mix. It's not critical / urgent that we go up this season - just let the bloke do his job.

I don't want the guy sacked now but I think you're underestimating the trend we've had since 2001. Don't make it this year, we'll be mid table next year.

 

[oucho]

I disagree that it wouldn't be failure. Whether it's sackable depends on the nature of performances, which at the moment are poor. We can probably afford a maximum of 2 more defeats all season if we are to make the playoffs.

Even if I agree with you that that wouldn't constitute failure, I do not see what such a failure should be sackable.

I don't want the guy sacked now but I think you're underestimating the trend we've had since 2001. Don't make it this year, we'll be mid table next year.

That point has been made by others too but I see no reason why that past rend would continue if we fail to go up this season. We might just as well do a Portsmouth and go up in our second season.

 

[GaryJones]

No way should he be sacked - what with all the injuries right now he is dealing with more shit than Seven Trent!

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

That point has been made by others too but I see no reason why that past rend would continue if we fail to go up this season. We might just as well do a Portsmouth and go up in our second season.

Portsmouth are a fan owned club routinely pulling in 5 figure crowds and with an air of optimism about the place. We have made 10,000+ on a handful of occasions with the most hated owners in the top 4 leagues.

Nobody is hot on watching us roll over against Accrington.

 

[no_loyalty]

I don't want the guy sacked now but I think you're underestimating the trend we've had since 2001. Don't make it this year, we'll be mid table next year.

Then fighting relegation the season after that

 

[oucho]

Portsmouth are a fan owned club routinely pulling in 5 figure crowds and with an air of optimism about the place. We have made 10,000+ on a handful of occasions with the most hated owners in the top 4 leagues.

Nobody is hot on watching us roll over against Accrington.

That doesn't affect how long we give MR.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

That doesn't affect how long we give MR.

We weren't discussing that we were discussing promotion chances next season.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

We weren't discussing that we were discussing promotion chances next season.

Who would you want the club to try to get in to replace him? Who do you see as better than him?

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Who would you want the club to try to get in to replace him? Who do you see as better than him?

I don't want him sacked yet, but it partly depends on who's available at the end of the season. Any manager who has done well in this division and who has shown he knows how to get his way out of bad form.

Suppose we carry on as we are, playing the same way every week and we end up 12th. Would you keep Robins for another go next season? He has to show a willingness to change. I could accept results not going our way if we were doing all we could to improve them. But we're not, and it's coming from the gaffer.

 

[oucho]

I don't want him sacked yet, but it partly depends on who's available at the end of the season. Any manager who has done well in this division and who has shown he knows how to get his way out of bad form.

Suppose we carry on as we are, playing the same way every week and we end up 12th. Would you keep Robins for another go next season? He has to show a willingness to change. I could accept results not going our way if we were doing all we could to improve them. But we're not, and it's coming from the gaffer.

Why do you think that anyone could come in and have success in their first season with us? Other than MR, who has done that?

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

I don't want him sacked yet, but it partly depends on who's available at the end of the season. Any manager who has done well in this division and who has shown he knows how to get his way out of bad form.

Suppose we carry on as we are, playing the same way every week and we end up 12th. Would you keep Robins for another go next season? He has to show a willingness to change. I could accept results not going our way if we were doing all we could to improve them. But we're not, and it's coming from the gaffer.

I would keep him for next season, yes. If you look at his record when he took over Rotherham in this league I think he fulfills your criteria.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Why do you think that anyone could come in and have success in their first season with us? Other than MR, who has done that?

Because of the dreadful level we have found ourselves playing at in combination with, for that level, a strong side.

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

I would keep him for next season, yes. If you look at his record when he took over Rotherham in this league I think he fulfills your criteria.

So you would keep a manager who would carry on doing things that clearly don't work and that have us underachieving in the league?

 

[Terry_dactyl]

Portsmouth are a fan owned club routinely pulling in 5 figure crowds and with an air of optimism about the place. We have made 10,000+ on a handful of occasions with the most hated owners in the top 4 leagues.

Nobody is hot on watching us roll over against Accrington.

Sorry to be a pedant...Pompey are no longer fan owned.
I think your point is right to an extent, we aren’t like for like with Pompey. How do we explain blackpool’s promotion though...?

 

[Brighton Sky Blue]

Sorry to be a pedant...Pompey are no longer fan owned.
I think your point is right to an extent, we aren’t like for like with Pompey. How do we explain blackpool’s promotion though...?

They got back out at the first attempt. What we're talking about is what happens if we don't. Though even Blackpool have a ground they can call their own...

 

[Terry_dactyl]

They got back out at the first attempt. What we're talking about is what happens if we don't. Though even Blackpool have a ground they can call their own...

Curses! I realised that just as I posted it!
I think my point is though that ‘basket case’ clubs can get out of this league and I’m not sure that it has to be done first time of asking. Our current squad are signed mostly to two year contracts so we should have the bulk of this team plus one or two additions next year...if we don’t get promoted this. Yes this season is becoming worryingly familiar to the season we had under Mowbray, and one or two years we had in the championship but I don’t think it’s written in law that teams must bounce back first time of asking in this league or resign themselves to non-league football.

 

[Skyblueweeman]

They got back out at the first attempt. What we're talking about is what happens if we don't. Though even Blackpool have a ground they can call their own...

I assume you're talking about Blackpool there as Pompey were in L2 for 4 seasons before going back up.

Blackpool finished 7th so only just scrapped it. That is 100% well within our grasp!

 

[Skyblueweeman]

So you would keep a manager who would carry on doing things that clearly don't work and that have us underachieving in the league?

On the basis that he has not only the best win % of any manager we've had in the past 30 years, but also the 4th as well, then yes.

To currently have the 4th best win % of what, 20 managers in the past 30 years with a squad severely knackered by injuries, is enough for me to keep him now and next season.

This is a blip...every team has bad runs/blips. We're no different. We need to stick by him, have some faith and realise that there's still soooo much to play for this season. Knee jerk reactions are not what we need.

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

So you would keep a manager who would carry on doing things that clearly don't work and that have us underachieving in the league?

It’s keeping a manager who has brought in his own team and for three quarters of the season (don’t know what will happen in the final quarter) has kept us in contention. If you could guarantee that manager number 11 of the Sisu reign was going to be successful I would be with you. The truth is you can’t give that guarantee just as I can’t be sure Robin’s will succeed. I liked Thorne’s description of the Coventry job as “swimming the Channel with a cooker tied to your back.” It can be argued that none of these managers were given a chance to succeed given the circumstances they worked in, certainly those from Thorne onwards. For once I hope a manager is given time to make mistakes, rectify them and build for success.

 

[thekidfromstrettoncamp]

The guy is managing in the 4 division most of the others were doing it in the top division as for rectifying mistakes the guy is a" Maggie" he wont change..

 

[oucho]

So you would keep a manager who would carry on doing things that clearly don't work and that have us underachieving in the league?

I don't think we have underachieved. You simply can't EXPECT us to succeed in a manager's first full season. There's no rush, give him a few years to figure out what works or not. It will do no good making him work against the clock. It's never worked before.

 

[Nick]

I don't think we have underachieved. You simply can't EXPECT us to succeed in a manager's first full season. There's no rush, give him a few years to figure out what works or not. It will do no good making him work against the clock. It's never worked before.

Surely a decent manager doesn't need a few years to figure something out? If it doesn't work in training, in matches etc then you alter it.

Managers need to be reactive.

 

[thekidfromstrettoncamp]

There are 6 to 7,000 "managers" go up to every game and if you took a vote if he has his tactics right the overwhelming view would be no . I know we are not doing his job but it's plain to see he got them wrong. As for giving him a few years to figure it out if he needs a few years he is in the wrong job ,you don't get a few years in management.

 

[Colin Steins Smile]

Surely a decent manager doesn't need a few years to figure something out? If it doesn't work in training, in matches etc then you alter it.

Managers need to be reactive.

I don't think we have underachieved. You simply can't EXPECT us to succeed in a manager's first full season. There's no rush, give him a few years to figure out what works or not. It will do no good making him work against the clock. It's never worked before.

I appreciate that we are all passionate for our club to start the climb up the leagues, but as I previously stated this club needs to have developed an effective "System". All successful sporting structure develop mature systems and this takes years. MR inherited a very weak infrastructure, he has had to make compromises about where he's placed resources, as there were so many weaknesses [i.e. scouting system] that not all the areas could be addressed immediately. Obviously, he has tried to sort the scouting and recruitment first, so he could develop a competitive first team.
There are still obvious gaps in the system and this is reflected in the all areas of the clubs operation, however, given the state of the club he inherited he's made significant gains in addressing some of the key areas.
To change again will mean someone new starting to develop "their system" and directing resources to undoing the systems that MR is developing. This will mean less resource to the first team.
In short, give this man the time to allow the development to mature.

 

[Nick]

I appreciate that we are all passionate for our club to start the climb up the leagues, but as I previously stated this club needs to have developed an effective "System". All successful sporting structure develop mature systems and this takes years. MR inherited a very weak infrastructure, he has had to make compromises about where he's placed resources, as there were so many weaknesses [i.e. scouting system] that not all the areas could be addressed immediately. Obviously, he has tried to sort the scouting and recruitment first, so he could develop a competitive first team.
There are still obvious gaps in the system and this is reflected in the all areas of the clubs operation, however, given the state of the club he inherited he's made significant gains in addressing some of the key areas.
To change again will mean someone new starting to develop "their system" and directing resources to undoing the systems that MR is developing. This will mean less resource to the first team.
In short, give this man the time to allow the development to mature.

Again, that's nothing to do with what I was on about.

It may well take years to develop a playing style but we aren't talking Champions League, we are seeing teams with less resources out-do us by just doing the basics right and every player knowing their role as well as playing to their player's strengths.

This is where a manager earns their money.

 

[Liquid Gold]

The resounding answer to this poll is people don't want him to be sacked so I think the argument is slightly moot. What is frustrating though is people seem to be backing him to the hilt without any reasoned criticism to the way we set up and his inability to see flaws in our tactics. I said before the season anything other than promotion is failure, we've improved the squad from last season and Robins had that squad on better than relegation form in league 1 but I do see the merit in continuity for another year if we just miss out. What I can't abide is another year of two defensive midfielders sitting just in front of the back 4 when we're chasing a goal, I can't have another year of missed opportunities because he won't get fresh legs on when we're chasing a game. I bet there is a marked difference of opinion between those who got soaked at FGR watching a terrible performance from a team that didn't seem to have any idea of how they were playing to those who just saw the result and thought 'that's football, away games are difficult'.

The point I'm trying to get at is that I'll be assessing Robins at the end of the season not so much by the league position we're in but the football that got us there. He has to recognise what's going wrong and change things.

 

[Terry_dactyl]

There are 6 to 7,000 "managers" go up to every game and if you took a vote if he has his tactics right the overwhelming view would be no . I know we are not doing his job but it's plain to see he got them wrong. As for giving him a few years to figure it out if he needs a few years he is in the wrong job ,you don't get a few years in management.

Paul cook did at Pompey.

 

[oucho]

Surely a decent manager doesn't need a few years to figure something out? If it doesn't work in training, in matches etc then you alter it.

Managers need to be reactive.

Yes but unless we're down below 15th I wouldn't even think of sacking him regardless. My expectations / requirements of a manager just are not as high as some others on here.

 

[Nick]

The resounding answer to this poll is people don't want him to be sacked so I think the argument is slightly moot. What is frustrating though is people seem to be backing him to the hilt without any reasoned criticism to the way we set up and his inability to see flaws in our tactics. I said before the season anything other than promotion is failure, we've improved the squad from last season and Robins had that squad on better than relegation form in league 1 but I do see the merit in continuity for another year if we just miss out. What I can't abide is another year of two defensive midfielders sitting just in front of the back 4 when we're chasing a goal, I can't have another year of missed opportunities because he won't get fresh legs on when we're chasing a game. I bet there is a marked difference of opinion between those who got soaked at FGR watching a terrible performance from a team that didn't seem to have any idea of how they were playing to those who just saw the result and thought 'that's football, away games are difficult'.

The point I'm trying to get at is that I'll be assessing Robins at the end of the season not so much by the league position we're in but the football that got us there. He has to recognise what's going wrong and change things.

That's the point I try to make and ask them about watching the games when it is pretty obvious to anybody watching that we need to attack them.

This was refreshing to hear from the U23

“During the first half, even though we weren’t at our best I think we still had our chances and were creative, but we were just a little open to transition, so we addressed that at half time and changed a few things tactically and second half we ran all over them.

There's been so many games this season where we should have killed the opposition off.

Colchester at home, it's 0-0 and they get a player sent off. We still sit with 2 defensive midfielders rather than bring a striker on and go all out because they had every man in their half for about 20 minutes and we had Kelly and Doyle stood just in front of our defence.

 

[Colin Steins Smile]

Again, that's nothing to do with what I was on about.

It may well take years to develop a playing style but we aren't talking Champions League, we are seeing teams with less resources out-do us by just doing the basics right and every player knowing their role as well as playing to their player's strengths.

This is where a manager earns their money.

On a micro level - you are right and that's a coaching issue and needs to be addressed.
However, other managers do not have to deal with the increased variables that MR does. He inherited a weak business environment and some of his time has been spent on issues that others don't. CCFC is a difficult club to manage due to the instability of the governance and this has clearly affected the recruitment process, in that, some players opted for other clubs not merely because of money. Hence MR has not been able to recruit the preferred player on a number of occasions.

 

[Nick]

On a micro level - you are right and that's a coaching issue and needs to be addressed.
However, other managers do not have to deal with the increased variables that MR does. He inherited a weak business environment and some of his time has been spent on issues that others don't. CCFC is a difficult club to manage due to the instability of the governance and this has clearly affected the recruitment process, in that, some players opted for other clubs not merely because of money. Hence MR has not been able to recruit the preferred player on a number of occasions.

On the other hand, players have opted for us over other clubs.

This is where a manager earns their money, they get the best out of what they have. They have a gameplan to suit what they have to get the best out of what they have.

 

[Covstu]

The resounding answer to this poll is people don't want him to be sacked so I think the argument is slightly moot. What is frustrating though is people seem to be backing him to the hilt without any reasoned criticism to the way we set up and his inability to see flaws in our tactics. I said before the season anything other than promotion is failure, we've improved the squad from last season and Robins had that squad on better than relegation form in league 1 but I do see the merit in continuity for another year if we just miss out. What I can't abide is another year of two defensive midfielders sitting just in front of the back 4 when we're chasing a goal, I can't have another year of missed opportunities because he won't get fresh legs on when we're chasing a game. I bet there is a marked difference of opinion between those who got soaked at FGR watching a terrible performance from a team that didn't seem to have any idea of how they were playing to those who just saw the result and thought 'that's football, away games are difficult'.

The point I'm trying to get at is that I'll be assessing Robins at the end of the season not so much by the league position we're in but the football that got us there. He has to recognise what's going wrong and change things.

similar to where I am with this. Promotion was a non negotiable in my opinion and I think of most at the start of the season. We have been unlucky with injuries no doubt but our setup has been wrong so many times, anyone who attends away games in particular will echo the negative play we show on the pitch until its too late. Even at home, we don't seem to want to control the play as you see the away team grow in confidence as the game progresses.

I like MR but his stubbornness might be his undoing. I would however give him one more season

 

[Irish Sky Blue]

I was at Forest Green (seen all but two games this season). Some of the football has been poor. We have been too defensive. Despite all the negatives I would still want him to stay and build again next season.