4 hours ago, RealSlimSladeyy said:

I agree they will turn I’m just not sure they would be rational or justified in doing so.

You think they’ll turn due to to football being a ‘results based game with a requirement for instant gratification’. Fair enough. Relatedly, there’s also the fact people spend a lot of time and money to follow their team which probably reduces patience further. I can’t say I was thrilled to have travelled to Coventry only to watch us lose 3-0.

I suppose I’m just seeing it in a different way. In my view, appointing Scott was the first big call Gibson had gotten right in a long time. And for all that appointment came in summer 2021, due to factors everyone knows about that I won’t go into here, only when Carrick was appointed did this new way of running the club fully come into being. Since his appointment, we rose from just outside the relegation spots to a playoff finish, playing some fantastic football along the way.

Now, this period following Carrick’s appointment has not been perfect. We tailed off at the back end of last season and so far have not recovered. I think it’s also fair to say our summer transfer business, whilst clearly incomplete, does not look great so far and I think it’s reasonable to be frustrated that a lot of our key business has been left until after the season has kicked off. I personally reckon the transfer window should end before the season starts (even though I understand the difficulties with implementing this).

However, Carrick and Scott have built up enough good will in my mind for me to be patient. Although I don’t think Carrick worked miracles last season as some others seem to (he took over a good squad that was vastly underperforming), he did exceed expectations in getting us into the playoffs. I understand that whilst he’s shown he’s talented, he’s also inexperienced, and given what he achieved last season I think he deserves time to learn from the mistakes/challenges he’s currently facing. There’s also other factors to consider, such as the fact the quality of the division is far higher this season than last. The recruitment team also have a tremendously difficult job in replacing the quality lost from last season, but I believe they’ve shown enough promise in the players they’ve brought in over the past few windows to again give this new-look side a chance to develop and prove itself rather than rashly writing it off. I could be in the minority with this willingness to be patient with us this year but, given the evidence on show, I think I’m right to currently have that stance.

Don't disagree with any of that but football fans of any Club are fickle and a run of poor underwhelming results along with tactical questions and team selections will result in fans expressing their frustrations as they always have and always will. As much as the Scott story and the romance of Carrick is all encouraging, sitting in a relegation spot will test the best of patience especially when there doesn't look to be much cause for optimism just yet.

That optimism may change rapidly with the two incomings this week plus a few quality loans but the season has already started and many of us were saying about how much better it will be when Carrick had a full pre season to work with the squad. The state of the squad isn't Carrick's fault but it's always the Manager/Coach who carries the can. 

For clarity I hope MC turns it around but to date I'm not seeing him react and work with the hand he has been dealt. The squad isn't as yet what most would have hoped for but it's what he has to work with and Crooks up top is going to see a lot of mumblings, sighs and cursing under breaths. If it continues don't be surprised if those frustrations and mumblings become audible as patience and understanding wears thin. 

11 minutes ago, Redcar Rioja said:

For clarity I hope MC turns it around but to date I'm not seeing him react and work with the hand he has been dealt. The squad isn't as yet what most would have hoped for but it's what he has to work with and Crooks up top is going to see a lot of mumblings, sighs and cursing under breaths. If it continues don't be surprised if those frustrations and mumblings become audible as patience and understanding wears thin.

But what's the alternative if results don't improve? Clearly they will improve but what if, come the end of October we're somewhere in the bottom third. Do we sack yet another manager? Do we sack Scott and bring in a different head of football? We can't keep doing that. At some point we have to stick to the plan and see it through. If, with 12 games to go we're in the bottom three, then it's firefighting time but no matter how much grumbling there is, sacking another manager midseason would be a sign of a club that has fallen to pieces.

Gibson always had a reputation for sticking with a manager through good times and bad. That has fallen away since we were relegated but we have set up the club now to try and build from a stable foundation. Short of Gibson sacking Carrick or Scott for misconduct, we need to grit our teeth and bear it. Maybe Engle, Latte Lath and the mysterious Third Man will fire us up the table. More likely we're going to end up midtable but if we seem to be developing a team and seeing young players improve then I'll count that as a success.

 

8 hours ago, SzilardNemethsCurtains said:

You do post some nonsense

Genuine thoughts even I you don’t wish to question the probable. I guess there will always be a few that just go with the flow and others who question the status quo’s. 

6 hours ago, Redcar Rioja said:

We can't defend to save our lives, Carrick's defence is as porous as my ten year old undercrackers. That's fine as long as we are going to score one more than you in true Vindaloo style as we did last season but we haven't got any strikers if Crooks is seemingly our best so if we can't outscore then we can't afford to concede and watching Boro currently we are woeful at both. That is in part undoubtedly down to recruitment but also in part how the squad is coached and how the Team is selected and set up by Messr's Carrick, Woodgate and Danks.

If something isn't working you need to own it, fix/repair it, that the same 11 came out for the second half yesterday was unforgiveable after the most inept 45 from a Boro side for a very long time. We have been hopeless at set pieces for a long time and now seem to have decided that the short corners where we passed it interminably and aimlessly between us before eventually passing it back to Dieng are abandoned in favour of big lads in the box but with nobody on the far side to collect and recycle the overhit or cleared balls.

No Steffen, Chuba, Giles, Ramsey and Archer are all fair excuses as is the absence of our geriatric midfield enforcer but these were all knowns yet collectively the Club has started the season with our pants down around our ankles. That we spluttered to a halt at the end of last season should have been another early indicator that not everything was functioning as it should and reasons and lessons seemingly have not been learned. The exacerbation of all the above culminated yesterday with Forss and McGree on the bench and the loveable but lamentable Crooks up front with the very predictable end result. CT has also made a very telling point a few pages back about Carrick's substitutions seem pre planned and totally detached to any in game requirements on the pitch, maybe great if you are a Man City (or a Man Utd during his time there) but of no value if you are struggling and need to react.

There are a lot of reasons for questions being asked now and not all of it can be put down to really poor recruitment, (as weak short term as that appears thus far), there are now quite reasonable and understandably many questions about our tactics being fit for purpose. Carrick is learning but he needs to learn a little faster if things are not going to turn sour come the Autumn. Hopefully the two newbies and a few loans can patch things up but no Club is so good that they can give their opponents a 4 or 5 game head start.

A positive in the darkness is that Rogers looks like he can play the No.10 role, the worry is that why that hasn't been spotted in training sessions before now?

Great post

Carrick’s going no where…unless he chooses too. He’s shown some inexperience but he’s learning and it’s to be expected. Shouldn’t need to say but a little bit of patience is required.

6 hours ago, RealSlimSladeyy said:

Why should they turn sour? I agree regarding the tactical shortcomings - I posted about it before we kicked the season off. But why should the fanbase turn toxic based off a poor start? Why not be patient and let them build and learn? I appreciate it’s frustrating when we’re not getting positive results but are people not ready to give the management team the benefit of the doubt for longer than a few months? 

How long and what would be an acceptable standard to call it success. Fans have already paid good money and shown plenty of patience over the years, do you expect them to remain placid regardless and continue buying a product or service regardless of quality. At least they should be made aware of the plan. 
I think it right to debate the subject even to voice frustration. 

1 hour ago, Bruce said:

But what's the alternative if results don't improve? Clearly they will improve but what if, come the end of October we're somewhere in the bottom third. Do we sack yet another manager? Do we sack Scott and bring in a different head of football? We can't keep doing that. At some point we have to stick to the plan and see it through. If, with 12 games to go we're in the bottom three, then it's firefighting time but no matter how much grumbling there is, sacking another manager midseason would be a sign of a club that has fallen to pieces.

Gibson always had a reputation for sticking with a manager through good times and bad. That has fallen away since we were relegated but we have set up the club now to try and build from a stable foundation. Short of Gibson sacking Carrick or Scott for misconduct, we need to grit our teeth and bear it. Maybe Engle, Latte Lath and the mysterious Third Man will fire us up the table. More likely we're going to end up midtable but if we seem to be developing a team and seeing young players improve then I'll count that as a success.

 

Should we grit our teeth and bear it if we are in League One next season because "the plan" hasn't had a chance to bear fruit?

I don't think we will be but Football is a results business and if the results aren't forthcoming I would be amazed if Scott and/or Carrick survive the onslaught from the terraces. If Warnock gets one over on us this week I don't think the fans will turn per se but there will be rumbles from the terraces, fast forward another 8 weeks without signs of improvement and it's a question of when not if. Setting the club up with a stable foundation is all very laudable but only if the execution is performed by individuals with the ability to deliver. Should a change be required it doesn't necessarily have to mean that the plan is scrapped, just those executing it are switched out.

Personally I think we will cough and splutter and end up in and around 8th with a better second half of the season as the squad settles providing cause for hope next season but I'm not sure an extended run of poor results and poor decisions from the dugouts over the next two months will be accepted by the 26,000 SC holders quite so readily. Best laid plans and all that!

Hi guys. Been camping this weekend so had no signal at all apart from little bits here and there. Managed to see the team sheet before KO and have obviously saw the result afterwards. Expected the absolute worst when I saw the 11 so not surprised at all that we’ve lost 3-0. 

Can someone kindly give me a match report of how it went? Player’s performance etc. good, bad…Were we worth 3-0 losers or did that scoreline flatter Coventry? 

thanks!

11 hours ago, BoroSmoggie said:

Hi guys. Been camping this weekend so had no signal at all apart from little bits here and there. Managed to see the team sheet before KO and have obviously saw the result afterwards. Expected the absolute worst when I saw the 11 so not surprised at all that we’ve lost 3-0. 

Can someone kindly give me a match report of how it went? Player’s performance etc. good, bad…Were we worth 3-0 losers or did that scoreline flatter Coventry? 

thanks!

I too was camping over the weekend but sadly had a perfect signal.

We weren't battered like Sky said we were, but we conceded early, were wasteful in attack (Silvera missing an absolute sitter) and Rogers nearly scored an early contender for goal of the season.

It's obvious we have some positions that glaringly need sorting, but it's early days and the window is still open. 

Three signings coming shortly if rumours are to be believed, at least two are fairly concrete and likely to be announced this week, Emmanuel Lath and Lukas Engel.

Edited August 14, 20232 yr by Denzel Zanzibar

13 hours ago, Humpty said:

Great post

Agreed 100% terrific post