Expectations of McCall this season?

Play offs are looking a tough ask for me now. Twice in McCall's 3 games we've been leading 1-0 going into the late stages of matches yet only got 1 point from them which has to be a concern whether that be managers tactics, players ability to see out matches or a combination of them both. We are still needing 20 or 21 points probably to get play offs and with only Newport (a), Leyton Orient (h), Macclesfield (h) and Walsall (h) left of teams in the bottom half so even if we get 4 wins from 4 against them we'd still be needing 8 or 9 points from the remaining 8 games and of them 8 5 are away from home and with our current away record that's a big ask.

 

Of course and at the moment it’s still well within our reach.

 

It is, it's definitely within reach - but that doesn't mean it's likely.

I genuinely don't know yet, there hasn't been enough time.

 

Hi again, guys.

Your present situation is not unlike ours when we sacked Phil Brown and brought Wellens in. Knocking about the play offs, standard of football pretty dire. Wellens’ first game we lost 4-0 at home to Carlisle! He steadied the ship, though, and we had a tilt at the play offs without ever really threatening to make it.

He had said since that the squad he inherited was nowhere near good enough, unbalanced and not capable of playing the way he wanted. Big clear out in the summer, loads of players brought in - with the financial backing of Power it must be said - and, hey ho, here we are.

So what I’m trying to say is that it seems likely McCall is facing similar problems. Give him a summer to sort the wheat from the chaff and start anew if you fall short this season.

 

You'd Paul Jewell helping Wellens! Jewell is still helping him now.

I understand what you're saying and you're corrrct but Swindon have football people running their club we have a poor accountant and an owner in Germany that has no interest in the game.

If Wellens leaves Swindon at the end of the seas Power and Jewell will have a plan. We don't.

You hired Wellens in Nov 18 then appointed Jewell in December 18. Power changed things from Brown and went with a younger manager & and sporting director. We just go back to Rhodes and McCall. So, it's not the same at all mate. Swindon learn from their mistakes and try different things.

The club needs a sporting director urgently

 

I think at this stage any semblance of a plan would be nice, let alone a sporting director.

 

Plenty of hints from McCall in todays piece in the T&A that he knows promotion with this current squad is unlikely and appears to already have eyes on promotion next season instead.

 

Lowering expectations already. Why as a club do we always seem to do this to ourselves? What other club sitting just outside the playoffs with a dozen games of the season left would talk themselves down like we do? Where is the positivity and belief? Where is the motivation for the players to give their all and actually achieve something this season? There are clubs much lower down the table than us still talking about pushing for a play off place but we are gently putting out the message that it might just be a step too far this season. Unbelievable.

 

Totally agree. Either reverse psychoIogy or getting his excuse in early. Take your pick

 

strange how the same squad under Bowyer should be sitting in the automatics, play-offs minimum.. but now under a manager who plays better and more attacking football and the squad isn't good enough for the even the play-offs.

 

It was when you have the two best strikers in the league at your disposal. Replacing Vaughan/Doyle with Guthrie seriously diminishes the quality of the squad. Had Bowyer played the right way we would have been and he'd have still been in the job. How many unnecessary draws did he have when playing against seriously poor opposition. The damage was done by Bowyer. Shame he wasn't sacked a couple of weeks prior then Stuart could've brought some others in or kept hold of Vaughan.

 

It's very strange. Under Richmond, the rallying cry would be about how we will make it, how there are enough points to play for, etc

Even if we made such statements and we failed, it's not Stu's fault - the fans know that - so why the negativity?

 

I think McCall’s piece in the T&A is pragmatic and I don’t think he is deliberately trying to dumb down our chances of promotion this season. Yes we are still sitting within reach of the playoffs, and he and Kenny will be working flat out to find the right combination of players to get us into the playoffs. However, he talks about attitude today as well, “spaces don’t score goals men do” and concentration and the absolute will not to be beaten and to not give way when you are in the lead. Twice he has seen our team throw away a lead; that is what has been happening under Bowyer and why we have been dropping down the table.

We had that soft underbelly all last season, and this is just more signs that our squad are not robust or have the right attitude. He has been given 16 months to turn us around, I personally think that is much more realistic, yes he is going to try and get us there this season if he can “toughen” them up, if not they are gone in the summer.

 

Can city get a sporting director please. Just announce one, we don't have to pay him and he doesn't have to do much but just get one so we don't have to put up with this broken record day in day out.

 

But you're happy with Rhodes coming back then McCall coming back!

Who else should we bring back from the past?

Clearly happy with the club living in the past and getting overtaken while everyone moves forward!

No broken record here mate, just pointing out facts!

 

But prior to McCall didn't we try Grayson, Collins,Hopkin, and Bowyer they all went well.
I'm not saying McCall is the answer but I can understand why Julian went down this road, the last time we had any success as a football club since Parkinson's days was under McCall.
And of course because its Stuart McCall he would get the backing of most fans, having read the article in today's T&A I find it amusing that fans are saying hes given up on this season and is looking longer term exactly what you are suggesting longtermism rather than a quick fix.
It looks to me whatever he says he can't win, but we all know McCall & Black will be doing all they can to get us back into a play off place.

 

McCall and Black won't have given up on the play offs but I think comments like every player will get a chance doesn't help when clearly we haven't got time for that mindset. Needs to figure out quickly how he wants involved and doesn't.

Look, of we're all honest McCall wouldn't be here if he wasn't a legend at the club. I am glad he's back but he's back to sell the season tickets. Rhodes went safe and fair enough but no what?

We need to finish in the play offs this season. It's a must for McCall because the honeymoon period will end quickly & I would fear for this club on & off the pitch.

Just read the T & A comments and I just think McCall feels it might be tough getting into the players this season. He changed his tune a little since taking the job. Him and Black will think most of the squad can't do what they want. It's rebuild again time!

 

As I posted he can't win then can he, if he does not get us promoted the honeymoon period will be over, yet you say you are happy with a longer term plan, which is what Stuart is suggesting in that article.

Why would you fear for the club, Rupp has too much money invested in Bradford City to walk, so it's either stay as we are with Rupp investing as little as possible to keep us ticking over, or he sells the club and once again there are no guarentees we may get future owners who talk the talk but don't walk the walk.

 

The only thing he is doing is trying to give himself time like Bowyer was doing when he said he needed 3 transfer window rubbish. He can win.. just concentrate on the here and now.

McCall isn't the problem. I have said I would of given him a 4 year contract. McCall is here and we need to give him time but he needs help. The club needs help. It needs to think about when McCall has gone.

I fear for the club due the points you've said. Rupp shows no ambition as an owner so why would a new owner? Rhodes running the club like he owned it. Rhodes is a yesterday's man and we need people that move with the times now.

We're standing still and that's why I fear for the club but some would say we are going backwards.

 

We don't need a sporting director to accomplish that though.
All we need to do is employ managers with a similar playing style. That way we will be able to use the player base we have with minimum disruption.
Why spend money we don't really have in a position that we don't need.