Robins (5 Viewers)

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
not disputing your point at all, but such as?

New coaches, Performance directors.

It feels very “businessman takes over business he has no experience in, hires people who convince him they can help/he likes out of lack of confidence”. There’s some things like Ryton that you don’t need much football knowledge on, there’s others where you’ll get blinded by science as long as it sounds good.

I don’t know what happened with Viveash, I’m sure someone does and maybe it was untenable, Lawrence seems to have come up against a hard wage cap, yet we’ve replaced him with twice as many people. If the rumours are true about the new players whining about coaching then we picked the wrong side because the new players frankly haven’t earned the right yet. We’ve gone from a well drilled hard working side that was more than the sum of its parts to a band of individuals who look like they can’t be arsed. What we had was a proven coaching set up that needed better resources and what we’ve done is throw that baby out with the bathwater.

Fine if what replaces it is a step up, but so far everything related to coaching and performance has been a massive retrograde step. So the guy responsible for changing it has to take the blame.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
The majority of the playoff final season was under SISU. We were fighting relegation in our first season back at the Championship but not the others.

We weren’t even really fighting relegation first season up. We were pretty comfortable.
 

PVA

Well-Known Member
Do we have the players for it?
BTA up front with Simms?
Dasilva LWB?
Where would Wright, Saka or EMC fit in?

I don't think we will, but I suppose it'd be something like:

Dovin

Thomas - Kitching - Binks

MVE - Sheaf - Eccles - Dasilva

Rudoni

Simms - Wright


But yeah it wouldn't really suit EMC or Saka except as a backup 10
 

Saddlebrains

Well-Known Member
We weren’t even really fighting relegation first season up. We were pretty comfortable.


Beg to differ

Up until the Rotherham game we had every chance of going down. QPR away the game before I was convinced we were done

It was only the great end to the season of 4 wins, 1 defeat and 1 draw that glossed over it. We were in trouble all season until that Rotherham game
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
New coaches, Performance directors.

It feels very “businessman takes over business he has no experience in, hires people who convince him they can help/he likes out of lack of confidence”. There’s some things like Ryton that you don’t need much football knowledge on, there’s others where you’ll get blinded by science as long as it sounds good.

I don’t know what happened with Viveash, I’m sure someone does and maybe it was untenable, Lawrence seems to have come up against a hard wage cap, yet we’ve replaced him with twice as many people. If the rumours are true about the new players whining about coaching then we picked the wrong side because the new players frankly haven’t earned the right yet. We’ve gone from a well drilled hard working side that was more than the sum of its parts to a band of individuals who look like they can’t be arsed. What we had was a proven coaching set up that needed better resources and what we’ve done is throw that baby out with the bathwater.

Fine if what replaces it is a step up, but so far everything related to coaching and performance has been a massive retrograde step. So the guy responsible for changing it has to take the blame.
Basically, we’re kind of like what Bristol City were when we arrived in this league. They seem better off for having changed tack more recently.
 

RoboCCFC90

Well-Known Member
Do we have the players for it?
BTA up front with Simms?
Dasilva LWB?
Where would Wright, Saka or EMC fit in?
I would go with; Dovin, Da Silva, MVE, Binks, Lati, Thomas, Eccles (Sheaf if he were fit), Torp, Rudoni, Bassette and Simms.

Wright wouldn’t start for me, Saka was wearing a protective boot so I think there is potential for a treatment room spell there, EMC and Wright on the bench give us flexibility to change things up if we need to see out the game or change something up.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Beg to differ

Up until the Rotherham game we had every chance of going down. QPR away the game before I was convinced we were done

It was only the great end to the season of 4 wins, 1 defeat and 1 draw that glossed over it. We were in trouble all season until that Rotherham game

Im not sure you wetting the bed is a sign of anything ;)

We were in the fight, but IMO never looked like going down. We were getting better as the season progressed and finding our feet.
 

StrettoBoy

Well-Known Member
I think Doug King is the best person we have had running the club since Derrick Robins, although not many of you will be old enough to remember him.

Of course we all want success on the pitch, no-one more than me, but King’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the club has a sustainable future and to put the foundation stones in place for future success. I’m impressed by what he has done in a fairly short space of time.

We have come a long way from the dark days of being on the verge of extinction or worrying that, even if we continued to exist, we might drop out of the EFL. That was only a few years ago.

I do understand the concerns about our poor form and whether MR is the right man to take us forward. All I would say is that most on here lauded King for tying MR up on a long contract, when we had spent a few years haunted by the prospect of bigger clubs such as Sunderland pinching him.

No-one in football management, MR included, has a job for life. What I would say is that he has brought us some of the best times we have experienced for several decades. In my opinion he has earned the right to try and turn things around.

I wouldn’t even begin to think about changing manager before this season has run its course. That is the time to take stock.
 

Sick Boy

Super Moderator
I think Doug King is the best person we have had running the club since Derrick Robins, although not many of you will be old enough to remember him.

Of course we all want success on the pitch, no-one more than me, but King’s primary responsibility is to ensure that the club has a sustainable future and to put the foundation stones in place for future success. I’m impressed by what he has done in a fairly short space of time.

We have come a long way from the dark days of being on the verge of extinction or worrying that, even if we continued to exist, we might drop out of the EFL. That was only a few years ago.

I do understand the concerns about our poor form and whether MR is the right man to take us forward. All I would say is that most on here lauded King for tying MR up on a long contract, when we had spent a few years haunted by the prospect of bigger clubs such as Sunderland pinching him.

No-one in football management, MR included, has a job for life. What I would say is that he has brought us some of the best times we have experienced for several decades. In my opinion he has earned the right to try and turn things around.

I wouldn’t even begin to think about changing manager before this season has run its course. That is the time to take stock.
If we’re in the same position as we are now going into January, there’s no chance King will wait until the end of the season.
 

theferret

Well-Known Member
We weren’t even really fighting relegation first season up. We were pretty comfortable.

We were in the relegation mix for a while tbf, the win at Rotherham changed the direction and we ended up looking quite comfortable.

The season after that was probably the most enjoyable since promotion. We fell away at the end, but we were great to watch. Those games home and away to Fulham and at home against Sheffield Utd we were unplayable. That season we were bold, fearless, full of energy and played on the front foot everywhere we went. 3 seasons on we look like we don't have a plan, it's predictable and lethargic, and few people would argue that we don't have a much stronger squad. It's hard to fathom.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Im not sure you wetting the bed is a sign of anything ;)

We were in the fight, but IMO never looked like going down. We were getting better as the season progressed and finding our feet.
It took Matty James going ‘enough is enough’ after that QPR game and getting a team meeting done to get us over the line.

It’s hard to see who in the current group would show that kind of leadership. To be honest I’d even say a team meeting is needed now to nip these shit performances in the bud.
 

shmmeee

Well-Known Member
Robins and co spend six years improving us year on year, King comes in and changes things, improvement reverses.

“Must be that we havent got rid of Robins”

As I said last season King has yet to prove he can appoint staff, especially football staff. Sacking Robins would be a big risk. We’d likely end up with whoever has the best PowerPoint skills.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
We were in the relegation mix for a while tbf, the win at Rotherham changed the direction and we ended up looking quite comfortable.

The season after that was probably the most enjoyable since promotion. We fell away at the end, but we were great to watch. Those games home and away to Fulham and at home against Sheffield Utd we were unplayable. That season we were bold, fearless, full of energy and played on the front foot everywhere we went. 3 seasons on we look like we don't have a plan, it's predictable and lethargic, and few people would argue that we don't have a much stronger squad. It's hard to fathom.
Completely agree with this. This is just not the type of football that’s not only been entertaining but served us very well in this league.
 

itsabuzzard

Well-Known Member
Make Up Love GIF by Bounce
We need more of this optimism.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Robins and co spend six years improving us year on year, King comes in and changes things, improvement reverses.

“Must be that we havent got rid of Robins”

As I said last season King has yet to prove he can appoint staff, especially football staff. Sacking Robins would be a big risk. We’d likely end up with whoever has the best PowerPoint skills.
I find it very hard to believe that entrusting MR with 100% of a near £40 million transfer haul is the reason for a reversal. Wasn’t the head of recruitment recommended by Robins?
 

StrettoBoy

Well-Known Member
I would go with; Dovin, Da Silva, MVE, Binks, Lati, Thomas, Eccles (Sheaf if he were fit), Torp, Rudoni, Bassette and Simms.

Wright wouldn’t start for me, Saka was wearing a protective boot so I think there is potential for a treatment room spell there, EMC and Wright on the bench give us flexibility to change things up if we need to see out the game or change something up.

I would select a similar team, although I would pick Wright and one of Bassette/Simms/BT-A as our starting strikers. There are arguments to be had about whether Kitching should start but I’m not unhappy with your choice.

I certainly think this formation would suit us better, principally by bolstering our midfield.
 

Boicey

Well-Known Member
Robins is an organiser and planner not a motivator.
He talks a lot about keeping shape, which probably doesn't suit the likes of Rudoni who seems most effective when he roams around making himself available to pick up the ball and move forward, something we absolutely lack.
Robins needs to look at himself far more and adapt to the squad we have.
 

Brighton Sky Blue

Well-Known Member
Robins is an organiser and planner not a motivator.
He talks a lot about keeping shape, which probably doesn't suit the likes of Rudoni who seems most effective when he roams around making himself available to pick up the ball and move forward, something we absolutely lack.
Robins needs to look at himself far more and adapt to the squad we have.
Maybe this focus on keeping shape is why nobody moves off the ball?
 

Ashdown

Well-Known Member
One thing is for sure, the international break couldn’t have come at a better time.
Gives Sheaf time to get fit and thats crucial. Gives Robins more time to work out his best 11 and how he wants them to play.
We need to stop faffing around at the back and change that up.
Simms has to regain some confidence as does Saka I think.
I just can’t see what they saw in BTA, I prefer Bassette.
They need to stop this God awful obsession with trying to get it out wide to cross the ball to players who are blatantly second best in the air.
Lots to work on !
 

Skyblue_CP

Well-Known Member
I would go with; Dovin, Da Silva, MVE, Binks, Lati, Thomas, Eccles (Sheaf if he were fit), Torp, Rudoni, Bassette and Simms.

Wright wouldn’t start for me, Saka was wearing a protective boot so I think there is potential for a treatment room spell there, EMC and Wright on the bench give us flexibility to change things up if we need to see out the game or change something up.
I don’t get the flack Wright is getting. He’s literally been our only morsel of any attacking intent whatsoever across the 4 league games.
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
I think you are forgetting first half of the season Villa were going to recall him as he wasn’t getting any game time. He only started playing really in the second half of the season


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

He scored 2 goals in the first month and played in 29 league games - 16 before Christmas
 

Grendel

Well-Known Member
Point is what’s changed isn’t Robins, it’s all the things King has brought in.

He hasnt chosen the players has he?
 

StrettoBoy

Well-Known Member
If we’re in the same position as we are now going into January, there’s no chance King will wait until the end of the season.

It’s not impossible of course but I think MR will bring about an improvement in form before then. Hopefully we will strengthen the midfield in January and then see how things go from there.

I don’t see King as someone who will make a knee-jerk reaction. Equally, I do think he is someone who demands results so a change in the summer is likely (probably inevitable) if we have a poor season.
 

chiefdave

Well-Known Member
New coaches, Performance directors.

It feels very “businessman takes over business he has no experience in, hires people who convince him they can help/he likes out of lack of confidence”. There’s some things like Ryton that you don’t need much football knowledge on, there’s others where you’ll get blinded by science as long as it sounds good.
Why the assumption that all of this has happened against Robins will and / or without his involvement. That’s certainly not the impression I’ve had when listening to him talk about the changes.

Do people really think Robins would have looked at the huge back room teams other clubs have and be thinking it’s so much better when he has to do everything himself?

Not sure I buy that idea.
 

Skyblue_CP

Well-Known Member
The problems really aren’t as deep as some are making out. The problem is quite simply the midfield. Nothing to do with coaching methods or systems. Whatever system we play we will be poor because the midfield just isn’t good enough. If you took Eccles and Torp out and swapped them with Hamer and Sheaf, we would become a totally different animal.

The back 4 have no options to pass into midfield to break lines, because neither Torp or Eccles want the ball under pressure and hide, so we go long.. the forwards are feeding off scraps and we become predictable because we either have to go round the outside of the midfield or bypass it completely.

We don’t get high enough in midfield to push the opposition back getting the ball into the forwards in good areas. They’re having to do it by themselves isolated, 45 yards from goal. It’s no good having a Ferrari if it’s got a ford engine.
 

Diogenes

Well-Known Member
The problems really aren’t as deep as some are making out. The problem is quite simply the midfield. Nothing to do with coaching methods or systems. Whatever system we play we will be poor because the midfield just isn’t good enough.

That seems like a pretty huge problem to me that can't be resolved until at least January.
 

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