Irvine Out

[i used to be sc_owl]

To be fair, the fans were great. I think they were hoping (praying for a miracle). Enternal pessimist me knew it was all over at 2-1. But then we scored - so slagging of wouldn't have helped. (although it might have made you feel better).

I thought bloody hell, typical Wednesday, we are going to ****** this. I am an utter nob. Then it was scuppered with the third goal.

Thus, I don't think we (they) were apathetic. They just never stopped hoping and supporting TBH. It was a game, that at the time, regardless of individual performances, we could have got something from. Especially at 2-2.

Esajas looked quite lively when he came on. Should have been on for Soares much, much earlier. Can't work that one out.

That's why I referred to the fanbase "at large"

We have a fantastic core of supporters. They are passionate and supportive and vocal.

However, I sometimes think it would be better if the other 20,000 fans were a little harder to please, a little more vocal and little less accepting of a mediocre team.

[stompingowl]

A totally uninspiring appointment so we should we be surprised by the position we are in now. He should be sacked at the end of the season even if we stay up

[Glaser]

Esajas looked quite lively when he came on. Should have been on for Soares much, much earlier. Can't work that one out.

Neither can Alan unfortunately

[web_owls]

The main problem I have with AI and the comments about allowing him to have is own team, is the constantly picking Soares. He truly is an awful player for us and yet AI must believe he is capable of producing something. Before anyone says he made an assist today, 1 assist doesn't make up for months of mediocrity although I don't even think he qualifies for being as good as mediocre.

He has his preferred system but the players cannot fit into it, so rather than adapt his system he keeps the same one and hopes something good could come of it. It is percentage football in it's truest form.

[tomhollywood]

flip me there are some thick people on here. Great idea, lets sack another manager.

FFS.

[ReadingOwl]

flip me there are some thick people on here. Great idea, lets sack another manager.

FFS.

Let's not eh? Let's wee wee some more money up the wall. Much more preferrable.

You just don't get it do you. Or are you being cryptic?

[owls66]

It will be interesting to see what Irvine does in the summer.

[victorturner]

You judge him partly on which players he picks/leaves out; and how they play. He does not have to pick Soares, Clarke and leave out Gray, Esajas and Jeffers ( if he's fit). Jeffers may be poor but he can score whereas others played upfront cannot score and never have.

The improvement in the defence under AI has also been reversed. Gray not playing has removed a midfielder who was prepared to tackle back, so exposing Spurr once again.

And there is no energy about the team. That's down to AI too.

[Aren't we?]

WHY WAS J.JOHNSON BROUGHT OFF AT HALF TIME?

[owls66]

WHY WAS J.JOHNSON BROUGHT OFF AT HALF TIME?

Good question. Can anyone answer this? I've heard it's his hamstring, I bloody well hope not.

[enigmamedusa]

WHY WAS J.JOHNSON BROUGHT OFF AT HALF TIME?

BECAUSE HE HAD TIGHT HAMSTRINGS.

[Glaser]

flip me there are some thick people on here. Great idea, lets sack another manager.

FFS.

Why should we not sack him then ?

[lowedges-owl]

Get Rid - Poor tactics - Poor team selection.

Similar to Laws. Nice guy but shybo with team selection.

WTID

[Guest intercity0wl]

On threads tonight we have had people saying we need A fit JJ and Esajas and Jeffers on the pitch. add Clark to these and there you have the reason why we are where we are. None of the players mentioned should even make it into a matchday progamme never mind a Championship football team. yet some of our supporters rate them but cannot undrstand why we are where we are, mind blowing.

Bed time me thinks as reading some of the drivel on here tonight has made my brain hurt.

Edited April 24, 2010 by intercity0wl

[owls66]

I think people should give Irvine his time, he's dealing with the tripe Laws signed. Okay, it is his job to run the team, get results etc, but how can he possibly work with players that are so bad? In the summer the tripe will exodus and hopefully we will have better players!

[scram]

flip me there are some thick people on here. Great idea, lets sack another manager.

FFS.

I think you have to look it 2 ways

Either cut your losses and run (which is what i would do)

Or give the manager a couple of seasons

I know what will happen with all the "give the manager time" drones - give it half a dozen games next season and if things are looking a bit dodgy then most will be squealing "sack the manager"

I have said the same now with Shreeves, Yorath, Turner and Laws

Either change something or resign to what is happening

[the gaffer]

Grant

Nolan

Beevers

Purse

Gray

JJ

JOC

Potter

Esajas

Tudgay

Varney

Would have been my side for today, and would be for the Palace game providing were still in with a shout.

Irvine on the other hand plays Soares who is a gash central midfield player as a winger, Varney who is a right footed centre forward on the left of midfield, and JJ who is a winger, upfront.talk about square pegs in round holes.

No logic for me at all, the system and players was negative IMO, I dont no if id trust him with what limited funds we have during pre-season.

We need a character, a leader, who will install discipline, motivation and passion. There the key elements, sadly I dont think Irvine ticks any of those boxes.

Hes had 23 games to turn it around and hes failed, i didnt agree with the appointment in the first place, he was the cheap, safe option, in the typical Wednesday fashion1

The fact that PNE deemed him not good enough says a lot, so why would he be good enough for us?

[kingsidney]

I said at the time A.I. was appointed it was madness to give him a 3 year contract, but got shouted down by the happy clappers led by davey boy 66.

If a rolling one year contracts good enough for alex fergeson, why not for us. How many managers even make it to 3 years these days. Should have snapped warnocks hand off when we had the chance.

[fife_owl]

So to summarise, we should sack Irvine for 3 failings:

1) He's boring. Geat reason to sack a manager - we don't want another Wilko do we?

2) Hes wasted the flip all he had to spend. He should have spent his flip all on 20 goal a season striker.

3) He failed to turn a team of poo into promotion chasers in less than half a season.

I say sack him.

[edinburghowl]

It seems unbelievable, but he managed to made us play even more crap than Laws ever did.

We look unorganized, un-confident, and clueless of what to do.

Definitely not the man to take us forward.

That mate I'm afraid is nonsense. We look far better organised than what we did under Laws. The defensive organisation, team shape, and the amount of goals conceded has dropped considerably under Irvine compared to Laws. That was only the second time in the last 12 games that we have conceded 2 or more goals in a match. We only looked clueless under Laws

The lack of confidence is hardly new and the players looked far worse under Brian when we went nearly 10 games without scoring under him.

The results recently haven't been good enough and he has to take some of the blame for that, but the players are Laws', and he was the man who led us into trouble in the first place.