How happy are you with this season?

[Mr. Tom]

36 minutes ago, g-owls said:

What I’m thinking is the same as I did a couple of months ago, and that’s under Darren Moore we will achieve nothing.

 

I don’t want to hear about how bad the situation was in the summer, or how many players have both gone, and come through the door.

 

Hull went down with a whimper two seasons ago, yet last season galvanised themselves and went up automatically, scoring plenty of goals and turning plenty of sides over without any issues.

 

This squad is better than its position but is being held back by a manager who’s seemingly too stubborn to alter things.

 

I’d lay good money, that if someone like Gareth Ainsworth came to manage us, we’d see a huge improvement in our fortunes.

 

In theory I agree, but my one real issue with this viewpoint is the line in bold. It skips over the most important part of the whole equation - how?

On paper that's exactly what we're trying to do too, we're just not there yet. I presume you think the missing ingredient is someone other than Moore? And you may be right.

[Plonk]

About what I expected. The teams going to take time, and there’s the odd flicker of improvement. But we’ve fallen a long way, so don’t see how anyone can be happy. 

[sheffield_dave]

Said before we started that if we were in touching distance of the top 6 by November, then we'd be well set ahead of the team continuing to improve, gel and kick on in the New Year.

 

We're par for that yet I'm still massively underwhelmed. The key thing is "kicking on". We're in an OK position but don't look any closer to having an established team, way of playing, standard etc than we did in August. 

 

The form tells the full story for me. We're on an unbeaten run of 10 games without an identity or that's taking us anywhere or achieving anything. Just sort of coasting along. I expect us to finish 7th-12th and to consistently squander the chances that gives us to sneak into the play-offs or ever kick on.

[Mr. Tom]

4 minutes ago, Mr. Tom said:

 

In theory I agree, but my one real issue with this viewpoint is the line in bold. It skips over the most important part of the whole equation - how?

On paper that's exactly what we're trying to do too, we're just not there yet. I presume you think the missing ingredient is someone other than Moore? And you may be right.

 

@g-owls

Actually scrap the last line, I didn't read down quite far enough at first, and yes, that's clearly your view. And fair enough.

 

For my money, I also think there's still an issue with the players' mentality though, for whatever reason.

If Hull didn't have that, why not? What's different here?

 

Genuine question, I ask myself it all the time.

Edited November 15, 2021 by Mr. Tom

[Quickly Kevin]

1 hour ago, @owlstalk said:

What do you think?

Has this season so far given us a fighting chance to succeed by the end of it?

Have all the new players gelled do you think?

Will we get into that top 6 by the end of the season?

 

Did I expect more and get excited by signings - Yes

 

Did this optimism continue during first 4 games- Yes

 

Do I have reservations about Moores ability - Yes

 

Is a shot at autos over - Yes

 

Are playoffs still possible- refer to 04/05 season for our up and down form.

 

Do you think we will make playoffs -  40% of 5th or 6th at current pace.

 

Has this season matched expectation- No

 

Have you enjoyed our football-  Been too negative in many games and too many draws.

 

What player can save season - A continually improving Corbeneau, Windass, Luongo and a new fit centre half.

[Dutch McLovin]

How can we be ??

 

Realistically I think we all would have taken being hit and miss in with a change of the top 6 at the beginning of the summer….

 

But look at the job Moore and the recruitment team did. We have a better squad than we had last year in the league above.

 

So no we can’t be happy. We have played well in 2 games so far, Wigan away and Sunderland at home. The rest we have been meh. Our tactics are negative we don’t know our best side and we worry far too much about others and not ourselves. Moore is not the man to take us up, I hoped he was going to be but it’s clear he isn’t.

 

That said I wouldn’t have faith in us appointing the right man. But if we employed someone whos instinct was to go for it, I think this team could go far.

 

So in all no I’m not happy we are massively under achieving. 

[S72 Owl]

Thought we’d be around this position. 
 

Thought we’d have lost a few more though and also won a few more with a few big wins along the way.

[Earlsfieldowl]

We are a top 5 team playing to about 60% of our potential, that’s what disappointing at the moment.

 

Everything just needs tightening up and someone to take the squad by the scruff - unfortunately I don’t think Moore can do it and I can see us finishing middtable.

[Tommy Crawshaw]

Not happy at all.

 

I really think we have a squad that should be challenging for promotion in what is a very average division.

 

There wasn't a  problem 'gelling' at the start of the season, with 10 points from the first 4 games and top of the league. 

 

Then the manager had some kind of brain fade  and decided to constantly change formations, tactics, play players out of position, being defensive and worrying more about the opposites than making us an attacking team.

 

Making bizarre decisions, unable to change tactics during a game or use substitutes effectively.

 

'Horses for courses', 'volume' blah blah.

 

Consequently with 2/3 of the season to go, we have blown the chance of automatic promotion and are now clinging onto the hope of making the play offs. 

 

Not good enough.

[Bassetts Allsorts]

Meh.

 

Started exactly how I thought we'd start, which is surprising as Wednesday never meet my expectations. Talented squad that can beat anybody in this division on its day, but against the bottom half teams we really haven't got a clue on how to break them down. It will be our downfall, the draws will kill us.

 

If we make the play offs I'll be surprised, depends if we strengthen in January. 

[Guest Mcguigan]

Happy with Augusts 10 pts from 5 games. (2 ppg)

 

Not so happy with 5 pts from September's 4 fixtures. (1.25 ppg)

 

Bloody furious and very worried about Octobers 7pts from 6 matches (1.16 ppg)

 

Happy again to have 4 pts from 2 in November.

 

All in all, about where I expected we'd be.

[Roy Of The Roasters]

As things stand today, I'm satisfied (rather than happy).

 

Considering the downward spiral we've been on for the last few seasons and the off field problems that continue to afflict us, I never considered immediate promotion a realistic proposition. For me, this season was all about stopping the rot, establishing a degree of stability, and starting to lay some foundations for turning the club round in subsequent seasons. I believe all these things are actually starting to happen and that we should allow that process to continue.

 

I fully expected some disappointing and frustrating performances, and for 'smaller' teams to take points off us, because we just weren't in a position to hit the ground running, and that's exactly what has happened. It's disappointing, but that's the way it is, and we need to lose this sense of outrage about failing to beat teams like Cambridge and Wimbledon.

 

For me, it's all about continuity, sustainable improvement and patience. As long as the direction of travel is right, then I'm OK with taking a while to get to our destination.

 

The $6MM question, I guess, is Darren Moore. Whatever his critics say, he is not the disaster they claim, as is evident from our league position and decent unbeaten run. There most definitely are worse managers out there, and the danger is that we may end up employing one of them if DM leaves. Of course there are question marks over his team selections and tactical nous, and I can't say with any confidence that he's the man for the long term, but in the short term I think he's doing what the club needs him to do. Our results need to improve, of course, but that unbeaten run is a good platform to build on, and there have been encouraging signs of improvement in form in recent games.

 

I remain cautiously optimistic.

 

[Ash77]

5/10 at best for signings, moores performance, entertainment.

 

Expected alot more goals and entertainment with the winger signings but we've scored 21 in 17, so if it's not a clean sheet we're most likely looking at a draw, and we have drawn the most in the lg despite playing some lowly opponents.

 

We lack pace upfront, can't remember scoring a quick goal on the break, and without theo there's little flair or creativity.

 

Scraping playoffs depends on if we can get windass fit and in form and if moore can quickly get the best out of what he has, including getting more pace in the team imo

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Supersiggi2]

7 more league games takes us up to Boxing Day. 

4 at home - 2 against teams that look like they will be there or thereabouts for the playoffs (MK and Wycombe) and 2 against mid table (Accrington and Burton). 

I think those 4 games will give us a good indication of how far Moore can take us. 

 

Accrington and Portsmouth (both away) will be no pushover but if we cant win at Crewe we might as well pack in.

 

If we can start 2022 in the playoffs or within touching distance I think Moore will get til the end of the season, but one or more defeats in those home games and I think he'll lose the last of his supporters.

 

[N0rtherner]

I'm baffled we are in 8th the way we are playing. Was expecting things to take time to turn around, but only promotion is acceptable outcome for me really. We need to bounce back from all the poo that took place previously, and show that we're ready again, but I'm afraid the way we're taking time to adjust to new league, new squad, etc. we'll narrowly miss out on play offs. Something about Moore that just doesn't click; I've been both "Give him time" and "Moore out" earlier; right now I'm just baffled and watching us go through the motions, not feeling as invested I've been before.

[Owls Loyal]

Very disappointed.

 

I do not think Moore has a promotion in him and I suspect even some of those who are relatively positive realise that Moore just hasn't got it in him.

 

I would urge DC to do a Milan M now and bring in a manager who can galvanise the squad to play to its ability.

 

With a quality Manager even automatic promotion might still be possible.

[Joe Sunburn]

1. meh 

2. yes 

3. no 

4. yes 

[upperwinngardensowl]

Underwhelmed.

Wasted opportunity to do very well in what’s turning out to be a poor league.

Cant put away teams with budgets probably about  25% of ours.

 

Saturdays performance was better (dint win though)  but let’s see if that can be maintained.

 

i went from Moore in to Moore out a couple of weeks ago and not seen enough to change my mind.........yet.

[Daz]

A third of the way through and Moore continues to tinker, and he doesn’t know how to win games with poor and untimely subs and generally being too negative. Along with fragility at the back and in our mentality the results and performances have been substandard against mostly very poor teams. 

 

I thought i saw saw some light at home v Sunderland when we were working in packs to close them down and force mistakes. That’s so important in this league and we also got the ball forward quickly so they couldn’t get organized. Sadly, we only did it for one game and have reverted to type since.

 

 

You have to work your way out of this league and have an attacking outlook. We lack both and the results and performances are the end product of that dull and uninspiring approach.

[scilly owl]

It’s Wednesday isn’t it… being happy is a relative and rare luxury.

For what it’s worth I don’t think that we will achieve anything under Darren Moore as he’s a complete dullard who talks in riddles. I accept that if Big Dom, Windass, and Luongo had all been fit and ,more importantly ,stayed fit from the get go then we would be further up the table. 
I want to be proved wrong but I’m just not feeling it with Moore. 
I know that he wants us to succeed as he says twice in every interview “ we wanted to win this game” so we do have something in common.