Good Bye Mr Gray

[gurujuan]

Important time now for our Stuart. He needed help in this window and for whatever reason, that hasn't happened. He needs to get back to basics, realise his limitations and stop trying to be something we aren't. If he continues down that road, he'll find he really does have problems.

[Sonny]

Our ultra defensive tactics are all of Grays making. He should take credit for our defensive record but the flip side is that he/we can't just pass the buck when it comes to our terrible attacking record. Likewise if he takes the credit for our good start then he must shoulder some blame for this dreadful run. Must do better.

[Corneliusreeve]

Not at all convinced by this “Good Bye Mr Gray” sentiment, nor that there’s an “Inevitable conclusion now looming”. What exactly has Stuart Gray done wrong? Has anyone picked up signals from Hillsborough’s boardroom than SG’s days are numbered?

 

The only person who can sack Stuart Gray is the chairman. MM doesn’t discuss these matters with fans, but I’d have thought he would look at SG’s position pretty dispassionately.

 

On the plus side, it would be hard for MM not to conclude that 13^th in the league with a modest squad was acceptable. Add in superb defensive record and some fine performances that have, unluckily, led only to draws. Also on the plus side, SG presides over no dressing room bust-ups or players getting into trouble away from the ground. All seems settled below decks. Finally, the fans keep turning up and there’s no real life (as opposed to cyber life) sign of supporters boycotting Hillsborough. Lot of pluses.

 

Set against this the chairman will be unhappy at the number of draws and the lack of scoring. It’s MM’s role to weight up the pluses and negatives of keeping SG as manager.

 

Right now, it’s hard to see the negatives outweighing the positives. Not sure there’s anything remotely ‘inevitable’ about SG being shown the door in the very near future. Things change, and football’s a results driven industry, but doubt SG’s on his way out at the moment.

 

Good post agree 100%

[steelcityowlsfan]

There should be a rule which means no manager can be sacked during the season. Football would be so much better for it.

So many clubs just go around in circles it beggars belief that anybody can suggest Gray will lose his job.

Why? If you or I were judged to be under performing in our jobs do you think we would be exempt from the sack inside 12 months?

 

I get where you coming from but football is a business much like any other. If the boss thinks you're not up to it anymore you are out. That's the way of the world.

 

I do agree that Gray could have been supported better though.

[since59owe]

And we haven't even seen all his 50 shades.

Scene 49 ...

[prowl]

If you have very limited resources like Gray did you build from the back. Good goalkeeper and central defenders are a must. Get a good platform, retain possession and hope to nick a goal. Exactly what Gray has done.

Give him more money and he will buy a decent midfielder and a striker.

 

He's not had anything like enough backing. We can't hope to compete with the top clubs in this league with the present budget.

Gray has done a good job in my opinion but that won't save his job if Milan needs a scapegoat. Bring in a new manager and he will get a honeymoon period  while fans hope for an improvement.

 

We are just muddling through but that at least is better than the position we were in before Milan bought us.

[Jim]

I personally don't believe Gray has been backed in the loan market like some of his predecessors under Mandaric but whether that's down to finance, current position in the table or perhaps Gray's inability to attract players, I don't know?

As I've said before Gray wasn't my first choice and I don't believe he's the answer long term but as things stand despite the current run, we are now in a position we'd have all taken had it been offered at the start of the season given all the fears of whether the squad was big enough, strong enough or good enough?

I think the next 6 weeks will make or break our season and to be honest I saw enough last week from the likes of Drenthe and May to suggest things may change for the better pretty soon and with McGugan getting up to speed we could be in a much better place come the beginning of January than seems likely now?

[theowlsman]

I personally don't believe Gray has been backed in the loan market like some of his predecessors under Mandaric but whether that's down to finance, current position in the table or perhaps Gray's inability to attract players, I don't know?

As I've said before Gray wasn't my first choice and I don't believe he's the answer long term but as things stand despite the current run, we are now in a position we'd have all taken had it been offered at the start of the season given all the fears of whether the squad was big enough, strong enough or good enough?

I think the next 6 weeks will make or break our season and to be honest I saw enough last week from the likes of Drenthe and May to suggest things may change for the better pretty soon and with McGugan getting up to speed we could be in a much better place come the beginning of January than seems likely now?

We need a goal. To provide confidence, then kick on as you say. The signs are there. Just need to stay positive.

[Spookone]

Gray would stay as coach and we'd her a new manager to take that position if we was to do anything imo

Would he want to stay as coach?

[gurujuan]

Clearly he hasn't had the backing, but that isn't gonna change any time soon

[Spookone]

I don't think he will go this side of Christmas even if we don't win.

 

I think we will get a couple of wins before then anyways.

[Freshfish]

..nothing will change until January...wtf is everyone getting so lathered up? SG isn't going anywhere. We'll pick up a couple of wins over the Xmas period and we have players coming back from injury in key areas...bloody hell talk about folk wettin' them 'sen for no reason.

[since59owe]

..nothing will change until January...wtf is everyone getting so lathered up? SG isn't going anywhere. We'll pick up a couple of wins over the Xmas period and we have players coming back from injury in key areas...bloody hell talk about folk wettin' them 'sen for no reason.

Well said

[Dagmeister]

Would he want to stay as coach?

Doubt it. Suspect he'd take the compo and move somewhere else.

[gurujuan]

..nothing will change until January...wtf is everyone getting so lathered up? SG isn't going anywhere. We'll pick up a couple of wins over the Xmas period and we have players coming back from injury in key areas...bloody hell talk about folk wettin' them 'sen for no reason.

The one area that isn't working is up top What key players are we expecting back in that department?

[Dagmeister]

I expect goals and a win tomorrow.

[Guest WoodhouseOwl77]

Gray isn't going anywhere right now, he makes all the right noises for Milan unlike Megson's approach to being frustrated.

The Gray way is by far the best for keeping the club as stable as possible, and fans should recognise that and get behind him and the team

[airborne_rat_of_s6]

Be a shame if he was given the push - not like MM has ever supported him.

[Guest TheMayor1867]

Milan wont sack him!!

[swfc-dan]

Think the Charlton cup game was by far the biggest clanger he's dropped.  A potential cash-cow for the Club and he ballsed it right up that night.

 

I agree he's doing an OK job in difficult circumstances, but that's as far as I'd go.  Not calling for him to go, but he can't hide behind finances, lack of loans etc forever.  He knew the deal when he took the job regarding lack of finances - its then up to the manager to work his best in the situation he is taken on under.  This system he's playing at home at the minute is almost unforgivable.  

Yep still frustrated at the Charlton debacle. Quarter final against the pigs and potentially a semi-final date at Wembley. 

 

After all the poo we've endured over the years was really looking forward to that possibility, then of course we flip it up at home vs Charlton...