I'm losing faith in Kevin Bond. Are you?

[Grayson]

They get away with it because they had quickly worked out at RH you can.

Even the clear red on Elvis ends up a 50/50 with the ref because the home fans had to be dragged to their feet to protest. Still on the plus side the targeting of Elvis by Blackpool fans makes a welcome change than when our own fans target him......I'm told at last there is an investigation under way about the Millwall game, including the police.

Completely with you on this. The East Greens had complete resignation and apathy on Saturday, not an ounce of partisan reactions to anything. Gnanduillet was dying to get himself sent off right in front of our noses multiple times and nobody really reacted. The referee gives 5 mins added on (when it took that alone to sort out the red card incident) and nobody makes a peep. The ref was as weak as you'll see which enabled Blackpool to bully us (again...last season was the same) and nobody seemed to care.

As fans we have a role to play in putting pressure on officials and opposition players and management. Instead we only do it to our own.

 

[GNH]

I've never been certain about his ability to manage a team since he joined us but at the same time I dont think questioning him now does us any good whatsoever.

Time will tell and with Uncle Ron's track record of being a patient chairman nothing is going to change the current predicament we find ourselves in.

I know it's early doors in the season but the main concern from my point of view is, bearing in mind last season was an unmitigated disaster, this seasons performances have started off worse. Losing games is always a regular occurance at this level but the manor in which we have competed at is extemely concerning. 2 games in and 2 very odd choices of a starting 11 combined with formations that don't suit the personel we have at the club, along with sub standard performances from most of the players.

It just strikes me that there is something wrong at the club and not just the managers tactics and selection. I don't know this, only guessing, but i just get the feeling there is something more serious afoot than just playing poorly and losing games.

Hopefully the next few weeks prove me wrong and we start to see a significant improvement.

 

[davewebbsbrain]

.

Even the clear red on Elvis ends up a 50/50 with the ref because the home fans had to be dragged to their feet to protest. Still on the plus side the targeting of Elvis by Blackpool fans makes a welcome change than when our own fans target him......I'm told at last there is an investigation under way about the Millwall game, including the police.

Not in the South Upper. We were all on our feet going absolutely mental at the joke of a challenge screaming for the player to be sent off. So much so, I lost my voice, which I guess for some around me was a blessing.

 

[danburyshrimper]

We do need to give Bond more time , but also he does need to rethink some of his bizarre decisions.
Firstly , reading out the team randomly just makes him look stupid. I can understand him not wanting to give the opposition clues on his formation , so he could read them out as a 4 4 2 instead of a 3 5 2 for example, to throw them off , but to read out what was it Milligan , Cox , Elvis etcetc is just horrible.

2ndly , Playing a diamond of centre backs at home is just plainly ridiculous. Milligan is quality but to have 3 behind him all getting in each others way is madness. Especially when the full backs are playing way too deep to have any options or outballs for the defenders to ping it to.

3rdly . Dont bang on about our home form from last season. We only had 4 players who started both our last home games so to compare a previous bad record as an excuse is pathetic. Talking in great depth about the 13 home defeats + no clean sheets from last season does no one any good. New season , new team , move on. Be positive.

4thly , Keep it simple. It appeared our players didnt understand our formation , or what positions we were meant to be attempting. Blackpool were average + didnt have anything more than good organisation.

Lastly , His #1 priority before the window shuts is to replace Hopper with a like for like. We have such an unbalanced squad of 8 centre backs , 7 strikers - none of whom can hold the ball up when Hopper is injured ( as he will be for majority of the season again ) Without this focal point the ball comes straight back time after time. Humphries might be a lump but he needs to be playing alongside a big man to get the best out of him.

2 games in is far too early to call for Bond's head .... but i am genuinely worried that we are a million miles away from where we should be as a team.

 

[Jai]

Bond has not made a good start to the season but it's waaaay to early to start calling for his head. It's right to question some of his comments and decision so far, but it is absolutely vital that he succeeds. If he doesn't, and Ron pulls the trigger, it's three permanent managers in less than two years, and someone else has to rebuild and remodel the team again. Teams that go through managers that quickly are only on one path.

 

[GBJ]

One of the most concerning things from Saturday & Bond’s tactics, is the speed of our build-up play. It’s always at a snails pace & it’s always predictable.

We clip the ball into the channels, hold it up (occasionally) then come back on ourselves, come inside, go back outside, then go back to defence.

Again & again.

This is something Bond needs to address, sharpish.

 

[wildheart]

What do you want him to do? Jump up and down waving his arms around like a demented lunatic calling a grown man a ****? How does that help?

The same people that think he’s bang out of order for criticising players in a press conference think it’s ok to publicly act like a lunatic slaying his players live in front of a full house?

Oxley made a mistake. Some poor goalkeeping. I know it, you know it, KB knew it, 6000 people knew it and Oxley himself knew it!! What’s the point of shouting and screaming about it when he wouldn’t hear you anyway?

If you made a monumental error (and let’s be honest we’ve all made them!) at work that you and everyone else knew you’d made how would you feel about your boss standing in front of you calling you a wan**r in front of everyone? Or would you have more respect for him if he quietly walked away and left you to try and put it right ?

This obsession we have with needing to jump around on the sideline drives me mad!! He didn’t show any emotion when we beat Sunderland either but I don’t remember people questioning whether he’d done his job well that day.

Sorry I don't agree, football is a passionate game. All of us wear our hearts on our sleeve when it comes to our club.
I'm not talking about behaving like a demented lunatic, but show concern when your team orders are not being followed?
He was a very strange choice in the first place, maybe he'll get a chance to motivate and get some order in amongst Saturdays shambolic performers. Ridgewell was obviously unfit so why play him? Cox & Humphrey's miles apart as a forward partnership?
Lets hope he has some master plan that will unfold and start putting a few points on the board. If so I will applaud his cricket umpire stance!

 

[MK Shrimper]

Anyone think firing Phil Brown was a bad idea?

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

Alarm bells have certainly been raised but this is way too early

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

Anyone think firing Phil Brown was a bad idea?

Bring him home, all is forgiven

 

[Grapevine]

Sorry I don't agree, football is a passionate game. All of us wear our hearts on our sleeve when it comes to our club.
I'm not talking about behaving like a demented lunatic, but show concern when your team orders are not being followed?
He was a very strange choice in the first place, maybe he'll get a chance to motivate and get some order in amongst Saturdays shambolic performers. Ridgewell was obviously unfit so why play him? Cox & Humphrey's miles apart as a forward partnership?
Lets hope he has some master plan that will unfold and start putting a few points on the board. If so I will applaud his cricket umpire stance!

It is for you and me watching it....but for a manager there has to be a different outlook. He can’t watch a game the same way we do.

 

[RHB]

Bring him home, all is forgiven

No it's not!

 

[dusterman]

Bond’s interview pre-match and after with BBC Essex was pathetic and cringeworthy. Problem is he is pretty unlikeable which isn’t an issue when you are winning but get magnified when you are losing and playing badly.

 

[Napster]

Bond’s interview pre-match and after with BBC Essex was pathetic and cringeworthy. Problem is he is pretty unlikeable which isn’t an issue when you are winning but get magnified when you are losing and playing badly.

I couldnt care less if he was the most unlikeable person. Powell was very likeable.

Clearly he has friends like Harry who's employed him at various clubs.

 

[twobob]

I have never been that enamoured with his selection as manager so wasn't expecting a lot from him. But he's there and I want him to do well. However, I thought his interview after Saturday's game was rambling and slating players in public isn't going to help

 

[Napster]

I have never been that enamoured with his selection as manager so wasn't expecting a lot from him. But he's there and I want him to do well. However, I thought his interview after Saturday's game was rambling and slating players in public isn't going to help

Im sure the players can take it. They would have been told as much straight after the whistle anyway.

 

[FarmdogSUFC]

No it's not!

I miss him

 

[twobob]

Im sure the players can take it. They would have been told as much straight after the whistle anyway.

In private is fine. Few people react well to being called out in public. If Bond wants them behind him this isn't the way to do it

 

[GBJ]

In private is fine. Few people react well to being called out in public. If Bond wants them behind him this isn't the way to do it

I thought it was mentioned on here at the time, how Brown had (partially) lost the dressing room after publicly digging out the team?

I will never understand it. By all means, give them the dressing down they so richly deserve, but keep it inside the changing room.

Slating players publicly, comes across as a bit of a sulky & childish “it’s not my fault” attitude.

 

[Napster]

I thought it was mentioned on here at the time, how Brown had (partially) lost the dressing room after publicly digging out the team?

I will never understand it. By all means, give them the dressing down they so richly deserve, but keep it inside the changing room.

Slating players publicly, comes across as a bit of a sulky & childish “it’s not my fault” attitude.

I think players should stop being so sensitive all the time. Theyre paid to do a job.