Hugh Jarse
Well-Known Member
I think we'd still be talking about this if we are in the Conference!
The clock is ticking again Robins... (7 Viewers)
- Thread starter SkyBlueRuffian
- Start date
I think we'd still be talking about this if we are in the Conference!
Cavan O'Doherty
Well-Known Member
It’s like telling the truth on here is forbidden. Don’t get me wrong I wouldn’t sack him as it hasn’t worked any other time we’ve done it; the underlying factor is Sisu and it’s no coincidence since they’ve been here good managers have failed to get promoted. I wouldn’t be confident going into the play offs, as I wouldn’t trust them not to bottle it with the losing mentality that is ingrained within the club.
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
I don't disagree, SISU are clearly difficult to work under. However, what about the previous 37 years of a losing mentality?
Cavan O'Doherty
Well-Known Member
I can’t comment on that as I haven’t been around that long, but I assume it’s been apart of the club long before Sisu as well. They’ve just continued the trend.
letsallsingtogether
Well-Known Member
Yes but for most of them years we held our own and had our best years.
clint van damme
Well-Known Member
it's a pity not many appreciated it at the time.
Captain Dart
Well-Known Member
I think the essential difference is that previous owners were interested in sports and winning, while they couldn't produce a winning team (except for one famous exception) they always had a team that fought tooth and nail to stay up and did what they could to ensure that.
Richardson started the rot by a series of bad, some might say crazy and irresponsible, financial decisions.
SISU on the other hand has let the club drop 2 divisions, I don't think they care anything about sporting success.
steve82
Well-Known Member
Totally agree with this line of thought.
Sack Robins you start again with likely another failed sacked manager with his own ideas and another turn over of players yet again.
Just look at the top 4 currently all settled sides with a manager in the position for over 2 years and several windows to build that steady side.
Bouncing back up at the first attempt was never a given, it takes time. Yes it’s poor league, but both MR and most the players a year wiser to the requirements of the league weekly and the tricks deployed by the senior pros we’ve seen do to us, like the Accrington’s who were more street than us, even Notts County had players “playing” the officials cleverly Saturday.
I feel we will be stronger to go again with MR should we fail to seal a play off spot or in the lottery of it than starting again with a failed manager or worst still a Sol Campbell type
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ccfcway
Well-Known Member
I want him here, top 7 or not
rupert_bear
Well-Known Member
Not his biggest fan think he’s bit overrated for me, but he has us winning and likely to be in play-offs which is the very minimum for me.
ccfcway
Well-Known Member
curious, who is over rating him ?. Not really been linked with one better job all season and has many threads on here saying he is on a tightrope.
To me, his stock seems low
JulianDarbyFTW
Well-Known Member
I get what you're saying, but over his two spells with us he has a 50% win ratio. That's not far of Wenger's at Arsenal!
ccfcway
Well-Known Member
and crazily, he's been slated all season
Brendan Rogers favourite.
rupert_bear
Well-Known Member
Just think MR’s early season defensive minded tactics cost us points and looking at the table now probably automatic promotion and we seen last night a different Liam Kelly playing a more forward thinking role.
stevefloyd
Well-Known Member
Liam Kelly was superb last night
steve cooper
Well-Known Member
IMO MR has learned a lot from this season, particularly about this division. He obviously wanted to get the defense sorted out first and for the whole season we have had the best defensive record, so that plan was successful. Now we are playing various more attacking formations we are conceding more goals but results are still coming. Its definitely preferable not to be messing around too much with formations and what your best team is at this stage of the season, but considering our lack of continuity from last season to this, in terms of players, manager, and the division we find ourselves in, and of course our bad luck with injuries to key players, I don't think MR has done too badly at all. OK mistakes have been made but most people agree that it is unusual for a team to get promoted from L2 in their first season following relegation. There is obviously a reason for that.
SkyBlueRuffian
Well-Known Member
Top 7 was minimum for me, still pissed off at not reaching the automatic positions plus there’s a strong chance we still might not go up.
There has been some improvements in the attacking side of our play, so that is positive. Shame that couldn’t be shown at home against Forest Green and Yeovil.
Elvis Pressley
Well-Known Member
SkyBlueTROLLian
fatso
Well-Known Member
Couldn’t agree more!
Gazolba
Well-Known Member
All managers make mistakes and miscalculations from time to time.
You just have to hope they learn from it and not keep repeating the same errors over and over.
I have to agree that overly conservative tactics against lower table teams and extreme reluctance to make substitutions when they are needed (often making them far too late) are mistakes Robins doesn't seem to have learnt from so far.
You just have to hope they learn from it and not keep repeating the same errors over and over.
I have to agree that overly conservative tactics against lower table teams and extreme reluctance to make substitutions when they are needed (often making them far too late) are mistakes Robins doesn't seem to have learnt from so far.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
Why are you 'pissed off' we haven't reached autos? Our best player has been injured since game 19, and I'm convinced Andreu would've been a key player had he also done his ACL. It'd be like taking out Billy Kee of Accrington or Akinfenwa from Wycombe. Take fixtures like Notts County, Exeter, Lincoln where he made the difference for us. We're 7pts off autos now? I think Jones is worth more than that over the 24 games he's missed so far - imo, he would've passed 10 goals and assists had he managed 40-odd games. Andreu over his career gets roughly 10 goals a season too. Incidentally, goals from midfield has been a weakness of our since Jones and Nazon have left...
I think with a fully fit squad, I think we're good enough to finish top 3 for sure. But, we've been particularly unlucky with injuries. Assuming we miss out on promotion via playoffs, we're in good stead. With injured players coming back, and few additions to the squad, I'd make us favourites to go up next season I think. Jones, McNulty and Andreu in the same team on form is a very entertaining prospect.
Context is everything too. Most teams capable of bouncing straight back up went down with strong teams, and probably shouldn't have got relegated in the first place. Our team was a mess last season and we've completely rebuilt from the bottom up. There's a reason why only Doncaster have managed to get promoted at the first time of asking in the last 5-10 seasons.
This season is undoubtedly a learning curve for the players and MR. This season has shown him to be tactically flexible, a good instinct in signing players and identifying young talent. He's a good fit for the club, and any notion of sacking him shouldn't be entertained unless we fail miserably next season.
Irish Sky Blue
Well-Known Member
When the extent of Jones’ injury at Stevenage was announced, I thought it could be a real hammer blow to our season, particularly following on from that of Andreu. If you had told me at that stage that we would also lose Nazon at Christmas, I would have said we had no chance of promotion. However, Robins has managed to keep us trundling along, mostly in the top 7 and has given us an excellent chance of doing something no other manager has since relegation from the top league, a place in the play offs.
The notion that his substitutions are too late, too early or just wrong I don’t think stacks up either. Off the top of my head, in recent games his substitutions have brought goals, assists or changed the game at: Newport (Reid, Biamou), Yeovil (Biamou), Crawley, (Biamou).
His win ratio is one of the best among managers since Jimmy Hill (if not the best). He seems to have a method and a plan. If we don’t go up this season, why would you want to undo all of his good work in building a team to have another stab in the dark with someone else? For once I think Fisher will make the right decision and leave things alone.
Amcoventry
Well-Known Member
Agreed BUT this is only recently and maybe because hes been on this site lately and taken some advice. Remember him bringing Ponti on with 5 minutes to go a number of times and some other strange subs. Admittedly most pre Christmas. Things have improved and looking up!
steve82
Well-Known Member
Could not agree more with this.
Autos was not a given, plenty of strong squads bonded by a season or more in this league who’ve been up there all season
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Malaka
Well-Known Member
You can not come on this forum and write sensible posts, who the hell do you think you are? :happy:
For me the question is Have we improved? that is difficult as it is our first season in this league. However, I really don't think that there is'nt that much difference between league one and two. I think we have improved, there is greater effort on the pitch, Doyle's signing IMO was a stroke of genius, he kept faith in McNulty and he has, apart from the odd blip, sorted out our defensive frailties. Yes, some bad decision making by some of our younger players in games have cost us, but this is a learning process. We will get to the play offs and if we get promoted, we will go straight up to the championship
covcity4life
Well-Known Member
THIS
it keeps getting forggoten. to make playoffs is still good achievemnt and robins should remain in job
Skyblueweeman
Well-Known Member
Brilliant post.
And as ccfc4life has pointed out again, the loss of Andreu and Jones has had a massive impact. To still be largely top 7 all season with that, is a great achievement.
Mucca Mad Boys
Well-Known Member
I think its crazy talk. We can all about the occasions where lost to the likes, of Yeovil x2, Morecambe, Newport and FGR x2, but the same applies to other teams around us. Some of these games are deceptively difficult games for a team that is unknown to L2 in the modern game. I'm not arguing Robins can do no wrong, because he has made mistakes.
Also, to be frank, we haven't really had an impact sub for most of the season since Nazon has left. The loan players have proved disappointing, and nature of the injuries we've had has weakened the squad. Reid, Biamou and JP have all, to their credit, started to make an impact in the last few games.
It's not like we've done a Mansfield and totally collapsed at any point this season, with a few new signings, I really am optimistic, for once!
SkyBlueRuffian
Well-Known Member
I didn’t realise Jodi Jones was Lionel fuckin Messi ???
fernandopartridge
Well-Known Member
Nobody has said that.
What he was though was our top scorer and maker. 5 goals and 8 assists at the time of getting injured.
Otis
Well-Known Member
And at the time, one of the very few players we had with pace.