I'm losing faith in Chris Powell. Are you?

[GBJ]

It is more about the way they play, no effort and roll over.

They play nervously. Not without heart & willing.

You have just described a large majority of teams in this division.

For me it's the tactical ineptitude and general apathy of the side that worries me.

We can be outclassed but teams are Out working us almost every match. That's down to the manager to sort out.

I see what you’re saying about being outworked, but you have to ask why we’re being outworked.

I’d say it’s becuase we’re carrying passengers.

I’d say it’s because we have a defence, who as a collective make more mistakes than any defence I’ve ever seen at Roots Hall.

I’d say it’s because outside of Simon Cox, we don’t have goalscorers in the team.

I’d say it’s becuase we are totally devoid of any real playmakers who are able to create something going forward.

I’d say it’s because we’ve got a decent portion of the starting XI who can’t play a 90-minute match.

I’d say it’s because half of the team haven’t played at this level before, and are still learning on the job.

Those things aren’t down to the manager. And they’re problems that a new manager couldn’t solve either.

So what do you think Powell could do? What could a new manager do?

 

[Ricey]

Here we go.

We’ve got a team of yoofs, old codgers & players not good enough for this league. And people are shocked that we’ve been rolled over by one of the best teams in this league.

No manager on this planet makes this starting XI better than it currently is.

What you’re basically saying is we are doomed?

Another manager wouldn’t have had two strikers playing? Given Wabo or Kelman a start with Cox. Another manager wouldn’t have seen that Mantom has been **** so stuck Dru or Hyam on instead or not played him. Another manager wouldn’t have gone for the win and attacked rather than playing negative ****e against 10 men? I think you’re being way to kind in Powell! I always hate this saying but if we had Phil Brown in charge right now everyone would be screaming for him to leave.

 

[GBJ]

Even if it's a temporary fix with new manager bounce we need the change to stand a chance in staying up.

There’s no guarantee a new manager bounce would actually happen.

It’s even less unlikely in our case, due to the sheer amount of players we’ve got at our disposal, who aren’t good enough for this league

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

There’s no guarantee a new manager bounce would actually happen.

It’s even less unlikely in our case, due to the sheer amount of players we’ve got at our disposal, who aren’t good enough for this league

Of course theres no guarantee but it's gotta be worth a shot. I can't stand anymore of what Powell serves up. Feel humiliated after watching being demolished at home against 10 men. That's never anywhere near acceptable against anyone in the same league. It's a disgrace.

 

[South Bank Hank]

We can blame decisions and tactics (and even whether we wanted the manager here or not before he even joined us) but none of that matters when two different players taking corners don’t manage to clear the first defender. Nor does it matter when the young midfielder who’s filling in fails to convert simple passes at critical times in the game, and loses the ball in midfield to gift them a second goal when we’re of top and pressing for an equaliser.

Teams struggle when they’re missing two or three key players. Hell we’re struggling right now but I’m so pleased we have a chairman who sees the bigger picture.

 

[WestStandBlue]

What you’re basically saying is we are doomed?

Another manager wouldn’t have had two strikers playing? Given Wabo or Kelman a start with Cox. Another manager wouldn’t have seen that Mantom has been **** so stuck Dru or Hyam on instead or not played him. Another manager wouldn’t have gone for the win and attacked rather than playing negative ****e against 10 men? I think you’re being way to kind in Powell! I always hate this saying but if we had Phil Brown in charge right now everyone would be screaming for him to leave.

So true about the Brown comment and we are in just as much danger of getting related now as we where under Brown!

 

[WESTY_SUFC]

We can blame decisions and tactics (and even whether we wanted the manager here or not before he even joined us) but none of that matters when two different players taking corners don’t manage to clear the first defender. Nor does it matter when the young midfielder who’s filling in fails to convert simple passes at critical times in the game, and loses the ball in midfield to gift them a second goal when we’re of top and pressing for an equaliser.

Teams struggle when they’re missing two or three key players. Hell we’re struggling right now but I’m so pleased we have a chairman who sees the bigger picture.

We sent a senior striker out on loan without replacement. We've added to our own problems. The lack of basic intelligence shown from some disastrous critical decisions is astonishing.

 

[South Bank Hank]

We sent a senior striker out on loan without replacement. We've added to our own problems. The lack of basic intelligence shown from some disastrous critical decisions is astonishing.

And we brought in Humphreys which most would see as a fairly good swap.

If he could only try to avoid breaking his face while scoring, i think most people would be pretty happy with the decision making shown.

 

[GBJ]

What you’re basically saying is we are doomed?

Another manager wouldn’t have had two strikers playing? Given Wabo or Kelman a start with Cox. Another manager wouldn’t have seen that Mantom has been **** so stuck Dru or Hyam on instead or not played him. Another manager wouldn’t have gone for the win and attacked rather than playing negative ****e against 10 men? I think you’re being way to kind in Powell! I always hate this saying but if we had Phil Brown in charge right now everyone would be screaming for him to leave.

Doomed, No. Personally I don’t think we’ll go down. We’ll limp across the finish line. We’re gunna lose a lot more than we win, for the rest of the season & it’ll certainly be frustrating, but I think we’ll nick enough points to avoid the drop.

The changes you suggest, don’t necessarily prove a different outcome would have occurred. Going into the game, we all knew it’d be a massive ask, just to nick a point.

Kelman & Wabo are just a couple of kids. You can’t expect them to run the leagues best defence, ragged. As it was, Kelman got 30 minutes today, and looked every bit a youngster who was out of his depth.

I agree Mantom has been dire. But Hyam’s been injured for a long time, so throwing him into a game like this, would have been a risk. And Dru hasn’t exactly been ripping up trees, has he.

It’s not about being kind to Powell, it’s about being realistic. If I thought there were actual real changes he could make, that would drastically change this team & how they play, then I’d be in the same camp with you.

 

[Barling Magna]

Currently just four points clear of the relegation zone at half-time.....

 

[mfurok]

And we brought in Humphreys which most would see as a fairly good swap.

If he could only try to avoid breaking his face while scoring, i think most people would be pretty happy with the decision making shown.

You seem to have have conveniently forgotten that we didn't replace McGoalsky.

 

[mfurok]

Currently just four points clear of the relegation zone at half-time.....

Enjoy it while it lasts.

 

[GBJ]

Of course theres no guarantee but it's gotta be worth a shot. I can't stand anymore of what Powell serves up. Feel humiliated after watching being demolished at home against 10 men. That's never anywhere near acceptable against anyone in the same league. It's a disgrace.

Oh I agree with you. It’s a hard watch. There’s absolutely nothing to like about it.

As you used the term “served up”, I’ll respond with a cooking analogy... If the only ingredients at your disposal are dog poo & rotten veg, then regardless of how good the chef is, you’re still going to be eating ****.

 

[Ricey]

And we brought in Humphreys which most would see as a fairly good swap.

If he could only try to avoid breaking his face while scoring, i think most people would be pretty happy with the decision making shown.

We did say at the time we still needed one more even with Robinson here. To get rid of Robinson without anyone coming in was mental. All it takes was an injury to Humphrys (which obviously happened) or Cox then as we are we are up **** creek! God forbid if Cox got injured.

 

[South Bank Hank]

We did say at the time we still needed one more even with Robinson here. To get rid of Robinson without anyone coming in was mental. All it takes was an injury to Humphrys (which obviously happened) or Cox then as we are we are up **** creek! God forbid if Cox got injured.

As I pointed out, decisions would have been taken based on managing to a budget constraint and having broken bodies in just about every position. It’s lazy to call it ‘mental’. It’s disrespectful to call the manager a ****ing idiot, especially when he has more detailed knowledge, insight in his resources, training and experience than all of us on here.

God forbid Cox gets injured? What difference would it make? All I’m hearing on here right now is how injuries don’t make a blind bit of difference. You said so yourself.

That we’re so threadbare that we’re bemoaning the loss of bloomin’ Theo Robinson just proves the point further. If he’s the answer, we’ve been forced to ask the wrong question.

 

[Ricey]

Doomed, No. Personally I don’t think we’ll go down. We’ll limp across the finish line. We’re gunna lose a lot more than we win, for the rest of the season & it’ll certainly be frustrating, but I think we’ll nick enough points to avoid the drop.

The changes you suggest, don’t necessarily prove a different outcome would have occurred. Going into the game, we all knew it’d be a massive ask, just to nick a point.

Kelman & Wabo are just a couple of kids. You can’t expect them to run the leagues best defence, ragged. As it was, Kelman got 30 minutes today, and looked every bit a youngster who was out of his depth.

I agree Mantom has been dire. But Hyam’s been injured for a long time, so throwing him into a game like this, would have been a risk. And Dru hasn’t exactly been ripping up trees, has he.

It’s not about being kind to Powell, it’s about being realistic. If I thought there were actual real changes he could make, that would drastically change this team & how they play, then I’d be in the same camp with you.

Drastic times mean drastic measures. Remember when United had a massive injury list a few years ago and they had to rely on a youth player to start, a certain Marcus Rashford and that worked out. I don’t get this youth player rubbish. They are professional footballers and have obviously been deemed good enough to be offered a professional contract. Which means they’re obviously good enough to play otherwise they would still be on YTS scholarships or deals. I’m sorry I just don’t buy the but they’re youth players.

Plenty of options, but time and time again he goes with the same options. If they aren’t working have some balls to let the ‘youth’ players step up and show some heart and passion because the old ****ers and crocks aren’t showing that.

 

[Barling Magna]

As we slide towards the abyss surely it's worth giving Kelman and/or Wabo a full match alongside Cox....? Those lads could hardly let us down any more than half the current team are doing.....

 

[South Bank Hank]

As we slide towards the abyss surely it's worth giving Kelman and/or Wabo a full match alongside Cox....? Those lads could hardly let us down any more than half the current team are doing.....

Someone mentioned McGoalshy earlier. We’re there again. Everyone can clamour for alternatives as they surely did for that guy, but there’s no guarantee it’s a better answer. If it was likely, they’d have unquestionably had their chances to dominate by now. Obviously, you’d have to assume that Powell had some degree of competence to believe that’s true, but many are currently set against that.

 

[GBJ]

Drastic times mean drastic measures. Remember when United had a massive injury list a few years ago and they had to rely on a youth player to start, a certain Marcus Rashford and that worked out. I don’t get this youth player rubbish. They are professional footballers and have obviously been deemed good enough to be offered a professional contract. Which means they’re obviously good enough to play otherwise they would still be on YTS scholarships or deals. I’m sorry I just don’t buy the but they’re youth players.

Plenty of options, but time and time again he goes with the same options. If they aren’t working have some balls to let the ‘youth’ players step up and show some heart and passion because the old ****ers and crocks aren’t showing that.

Comparing Marcus Rashford, to any of our yoofs, is frankly mad mate, come on, you know that.

I don’t see why it’s so hard to grasp that the youngsters aren’t upto it? Physically and mentally, they’re not fully developed yet. Neither do they have the experience of playing against players of this calibre.

Aside from the, once-in-a-blue-moon wonderkids like Rooney, that’s just how it is.

But he has given yoof a chance: Bishop, Elvis, Dru, Hutch, Kelman, Klass, Kyprianou.

 

[Chairman Trigg]

People seem to forget the midfield problem brought about by Powell's poor judgement on personnel . Has he even registered how this creates most of the other area's issues.
Today again showed we lack people who can physically mix it and control a game.Also no creative players to link up with the one man strike force!.
How many goals have come from midfield this year,and how many have we conceded because of our light weight tackling and lack of commitment