A few thoughts after last night..

[@owlstalk]

1) Playing ANYONE out of position is a definite NO

2) The team have gone from playing poorly to playing like they are absolutely terrified

3) Does Megson ever praise anyone/anything ? The players look like they are about as flat/demotivated as they could be

4) There's absolutely ZERO 'togetherness' on the pitch at the moment - the team look like complete strangers and argue amongst themselves too

5) The basics of playing football aren't being seen - and there's no imagination being used in passing the ball (see above for possible reasons)

6) Clinton - I'm sorry but I'm getting more and more annoyed with him doing stuff like running up to the keeper as he's about to boot the ball upfield - then being offside and unable to play a part in the move if we come forward quickly from the keepers kick

7) What's the team ? What's the formation ? We CANNOT keep changing over these next few games. We should play 4-4-2 , with two wingers, two ball winning midfielders who will win the ball back and spray the ball wide for the winger and overlapping right/left back to cross the ball into Madine and have Heffernan feed off anything that drops/doesn't go goalward

8) All it would take to get the crowd right behind the team is to have a couple of really hard tackles in the first 2 minutes - right from kick off just get stuck in and put a few players on their backs through steaming in - the crowd would get on their feet and you'd have a real game

9) If we're getting drubbed at half time through lack of EFFORT then don't let the players in the dressing room - make them stand in the penalty area in front of the kop

10) I genuinely can't see anything to say that we're not going down. This is possibly the worst season of my entire life. Even when we got relegated the team showed more effort, skill and confidence than we do at the moment - and we're shipping goals every game. Can't see anything but relegation on the horizon (sorry folks)

[Guest Deleted member]

11) Booing (or not booing) makes absolutely zero difference.

[Guest PAUL.]

We're in freefall. Never have I seen such an inept display from supposedly, a bunch of professionals. We are light years away from other teams in this league for team spirit, effort, will to win, footballing ability. Call it whatever you want but we've not got any of it.

I've never left early, but I was so close to going at half time last night. I cannot excuse people who can't pass a ball five yards or control a ball properly. You've got to take some of the blame Megson, because it can't be the players all of the time. We've no tactics, the leadership on the pitch is an ABSOLUTE JOKE, no-one has a clue who is playing week in, week out, and I just don't know where we go from here.

What the hell do we do in training eh? Cor blimey.

You wouldn't think watching last night, that Osbourne, O'Brien have come from premiership clubs, and injured or not O'Brien looked a shadow of his former self.

I'm sat here at work feeling so deflated today, they are collectively ruining my life for god's sake. Even Yeovil have now gone above us!!!!!!!!

So finally, if that's the high tempo, high energy type of game we travelled to see last night Gary, then you seriously need to step aside. I was on the fence when you were appointed, but you've had zero impact on the team, we're in grave danger of the unthinkable, and your antics up to now begger belief. As we stand at the moment, I can't see where the next point is coming from, and perhaps our only lifeline is to change the manager yet again, so someone can come in until the end of the season, give the players a lift and create the impact we need to get over the finishing line to finish the season in this division.

[Geedee]

11) Booing (or not booing) makes absolutely zero difference.

I don't agree with that mate. Nobody likes been criticised. I am not saying they don't deserve it but a negative atmosphere just is not going to help.

The flip side of your point would be cheering and singing don't help when it is pretty much proven that a positive partisan crowd can act like the 12 th man

[pgmetcalf]

Not just last night is it though?

[@owlstalk]

Questions:

1) are the players GOOD enough ? (if not then why are we booing them ?)

2) If the players ARE good enough then why's the manager not motivating/training them so they win ?

3) If the players don't give a throw then why are they not training with the under 18's away from those who DO ?

[Guest chezzyowl]

We're in freefall. Never have I seen such an inept display from supposedly, a bunch of professionals. We are light years away from other teams in this league for team spirit, effort, will to win, footballing ability. Call it whatever you want but we've not got any of it.

I've never left early, but I was so close to going at half time last night. I cannot excuse people who can't pass a ball five yards or control a ball properly. You've got to take some of the blame Megson, because it can't be the players all of the time. We've no tactics, the leadership on the pitch is an ABSOLUTE JOKE, no-one has a clue who is playing week in, week out, and I just don't know where we go from here.

What the hell do we do in training eh? Cor blimey.

You wouldn't think watching last night, that Osbourne, O'Brien have come from premiership clubs, and injured or not O'Brien looked a shadow of his former self.

I'm sat here at work feeling so deflated today, they are collectively ruining my life for god's sake. Even Yeovil have now gone above us!!!!!!!!

So finally, if that's the high tempo, high energy type of game we travelled to see last night Gary, then you seriously need to step aside. I was on the fence when you were appointed, but you've had zero impact on the team, we're in grave danger of the unthinkable, and your antics up to now begger belief. As we stand at the moment, I can't see where the next point is coming from, and perhaps our only lifeline is to change the manager yet again, so someone can come in until the end of the season, give the players a lift and create the impact we need to get over the finishing line to finish the season in this division.

They'll get the day off today to recover..

Act like kids play like kids, then treat them like kids put them in detention, make them do lines,

The 90 minutes training they do a day is not working make them do a whole 3 hours per day,

But Gary don't forget to let them play with the round thing, put a bell in it if that helps the idiots out,

Let them play in their first team shirts and tell them the idea is to pass to each other not find touch from 5 yards.

Tell them you have to attack the ball to win it, it does not automatically come to you if you stand still

Tell Madine its not training so the centre half will want to win the ball, he will want the first touch and for gods sake let him practice with a real ball and not a training ball with elastic on it so the ball will not comeback to him after a woeful 1st touch.

As for Potter and teale as the wing duo, what's that about it has to be one of the worse management decisions I have ever known at S6 its up there with signing Tidman and Olsen that is.

"Start the game with tempo" yes Brentford did we took 10 minutes to get out of the traps!!

Get Smithy in to do a team talk before the game.

[Eighteen67]

1) Playing ANYONE out of position is a definite NO

2) The team have gone from playing poorly to playing like they are absolutely terrified

3) Does Megson ever praise anyone/anything ? The players look like they are about as flat/demotivated as they could be

4) There's absolutely ZERO 'togetherness' on the pitch at the moment - the team look like complete strangers and argue amongst themselves too

5) The basics of playing football aren't being seen - and there's no imagination being used in passing the ball (see above for possible reasons)

6) Clinton - I'm sorry but I'm getting more and more annoyed with him doing stuff like running up to the keeper as he's about to boot the ball upfield - then being offside and unable to play a part in the move if we come forward quickly from the keepers kick

7) What's the team ? What's the formation ? We CANNOT keep changing over these next few games. We should play 4-4-2 , with two wingers, two ball winning midfielders who will win the ball back and spray the ball wide for the winger and overlapping right/left back to cross the ball into Madine and have Heffernan feed off anything that drops/doesn't go goalward

8) All it would take to get the crowd right behind the team is to have a couple of really hard tackles in the first 2 minutes - right from kick off just get stuck in and put a few players on their backs through steaming in - the crowd would get on their feet and you'd have a real game

9) If we're getting drubbed at half time through lack of EFFORT then don't let the players in the dressing room - make them stand in the penalty area in front of the kop

10) I genuinely can't see anything to say that we're not going down. This is possibly the worst season of my entire life. Even when we got relegated the team showed more effort, skill and confidence than we do at the moment - and we're shipping goals every game. Can't see anything but relegation on the horizon (sorry folks)

Darren Potter is utter throw when playing in his proper position, so how the flip was he gonna be any better in a different one?

[Guest Deleted member]

The players weren't 'bad players' when we were 2nd in the League before Christmas.

There has been 10 new players brought in since then - and 2 major departures in Tudgay and Purse.

Blame the players all you like - I blame the 2 managers who have unsettled the team with more and more baffling decisions, negative football (and Irvine was bad enough but the ginger clown is FAR FAR worse) - and when a team is being set up NOT TO LOSE at home instead of going out to WIN AT ALL COSTS - the managers must take their own share of the blame for hammering confidence.

Personally I'd be rid of Megson this morning - and bring Laws back til the end of the season. At least his teams played football - and he could motivate them for a few 'cup finals'. All Megson has done is upset the applecart further that Irvine had started to tip over. Exactly how many players and in how many different positions has Megson played since he came here? He hasn't a clue what his best side is - and thats scandalous after this amount of time in the job.

If Megson stays - we go down. It really is as simple as that.

[Guest Deleted member]

Centre halfs used this season

Purse

Beevers

Buxton

Jones

Baath

Johnson

Reynolds

Morrison

Have I missed anyone?

That alone is testimony to what is massively wrong at the moment. I darent begin to look at central midfield

[MAL]

Questions:

1) are the players GOOD enough ? (if not then why are we booing them ?)

1a) Yep, if they are not good enough, they need supporting.

2) If the players ARE good enough then why's the manager not motivating/training them so they win ?

2a) IF they are good enough, why can't any manager seem to do anything with them.

3) If the players don't give a throw then why are they not training with the under 18's away from those who DO ?

3a) THIS

[Silkstone Owl]

The players weren't 'bad players' when we were 2nd in the League before Christmas.

There has been 10 new players brought in since then - and 2 major departures in Tudgay and Purse.

Blame the players all you like - I blame the 2 managers who have unsettled the team with more and more baffling decisions, negative football (and Irvine was bad enough but the ginger clown is FAR FAR worse) - and when a team is being set up NOT TO LOSE at home instead of going out to WIN AT ALL COSTS - the managers must take their own share of the blame for hammering confidence.

Personally I'd be rid of Megson this morning - and bring Laws back til the end of the season. At least his teams played football - and he could motivate them for a few 'cup finals'. All Megson has done is upset the applecart further that Irvine had started to tip over. Exactly how many players and in how many different positions has Megson played since he came here? He hasn't a clue what his best side is - and thats scandalous after this amount of time in the job.

If Megson stays - we go down. It really is as simple as that.

How is megson supposed to know what his best squad is when the players are so inconsistent it's becoming unreal!?

The sole reason he has stated for picking his players is they perform better in training, clearly megson is trying too many different things though and we desperately need some stability on the football pitch.

By the sounds of last nights performance we are only goin one way and god only knows what will happen to the club then

[Guest Deleted member]

How is megson supposed to know what his best squad is when the players are so inconsistent it's becoming unreal!?

The sole reason he has stated for picking his players is they perform better in training,

How can a team become consistent when it is consistently changed?

I bet we are awesome in training - because we are playing against ourselves and we are poo poo

[The Batman]

A dip in form in January has become a total capitulation, unfortunately IMO it started with MM. He decided we needed 6 new signings, probably made possible with money from Tudgay and our little cup run, but PR wise it looked like we had a new era of spending, these changes unsettled things and a dip after 2 good months started to snow ball. Some of the signings, lets just say the jury is out on, but the fact is, changing a back 4 half way into a season is suicidal. Then changing the manager that had the backing of the players and bringing in Megson who came in like a bull in a china shop! started blaming individuals in public (even when watching the game back it looked to me like he was blaming the wrong people) chopping and changing the team every game, formation and personnel. I honestly think under Irvine, we'd still be mid-table now, flirting with the play offs, with people on here still going mad that we aren't weeing the league or at least in the top 2.

I'd never left a game early until recently (in 20 years of watching football), I never normally miss a second of a game, win, lose or draw. I never understood how people can leave early at HT/FT to beat the queues or traffic, I'm too into the game. But under Megson I've left early 3 times now and wont be back this season. I haven't the heart for it any more, it's a total shambles. My heart sinks as soon as I see the line up and another load of unforced changes when we need stability. We no longer have a 'team' there is zero cohesion. It's just too depressing.

Just 1 ray of hope seems that I'm a HappyClapper^TM - my only hope is, we get our signings in early in the summer, have a good pre season and have a team next year, the novelty of playing Wednesday has worn off and our expectations have settled to a more realistic level, oh and I hope it's in this division. (if we do stat up it wll be more luck than judgement).

Right off to work, I'm going to volunteer to work the next few Saturdays.

[Silkstone Owl]

How can a team become consistent when it is consistently changed?

I bet we are awesome in training - because we are playing against ourselves and we are poo poo

Fair point - I'm starting to wonder whether it could even be considered a 'team' at hillsborough, no togetherness, no 'one for all' attitude!

My guess is meson has 'em playing against stickmen

[pgmetcalf]

My thought is that megson should tell the players to go out and do the opposite of last night .... might be a double bluff though ... poo poo

[Guest PenangOwl]

Fair point - I'm starting to wonder whether it could even be considered a 'team' at hillsborough, no togetherness, no 'one for all' attitude!

My guess is meson has 'em playing against stickmen

Them orange traffic cones can be lethal from 6yds!

[danblakemore]

When we scored half the kop didn't even move ( including myself).

Mist of us dint give a throw anymore, funny how the atmosphere rubs off on everyone!!!

[Guest Buxtonian]

Then changing the manager that had the backing of the players and bringing in Megson who came in like a bull in a china shop! started blaming individuals in public (even when watching the game back it looked to me like he was blaming the wrong people) chopping and changing the team every game, formation and personnel. I honestly think under Irvine, we'd still be mid-table now, flirting with the play offs, with people on here still going mad that we aren't weeing the league or at least in the top 2.

Agree with much of what you say. I'm rapidly losing faith in Megson, but the bit about 'having the backing of the players'? Surely, one of the main reasons for our drop in form initially, and one of the reasons for sacking Irvine was that he'd 'lost' the dressing room, and their performances didn't seem like they had confidence in him.

The trouble is - who CAN motivate this spineless shower who call themselves footballers. I've seen better Subutteo sides.

[Guest armchairfan]

i understand megsons frustrations and anger at our performances but everytime he speaks he's slagging someone or something off. This can't be good for morale imo.

Maybe he should look at himself a bit more and do his job as a motivater and try and instill confidence in the team. He has said that if the players play well then they will stay in the team. We were robbed against D & R but he still made 4 changes to the starting line up. Irvine did this and he was getting slated for not knowing his best side.

I've said that i'll judge megson next season (whatever division we are in) once he has had a clear out and seen what kind of people he can attract to a league one (hopefully) club and gets players in who want to play for us. But MM is surely thinking that GM job is in the line of fire as he's already lost £7m this season if we stay in this league as a minimum