An Evening with Derek - Tuesday 11th

The only way you can tell if a squad is good enough is if by the end of the season it has the desired effect of promotion. As it stands, and Adams has pretty much admitted this, the squad isn't good enough. He even alluded to it last night, not taking chances and conceding sloppy goals. It's why he's had to bring in players from higher divisions to try and get the quality he decided not to sign in the summer. 14th tells you the level of this squad without reinforcements.
I agree with your comments regarding the forum, I've never been to one yet where you didn't find out what you already knew.

 

Comments were made after last January that work was already underway to identify targets for the summer so yes, I would think Turnbull was involved in at least the drawing up of lists. Whether Adams came in, ripped those lists up and started again, or whether he gave the go ahead for certain names on those lists to be signed is what remains unknown.

 

Was what enough to please me? The answer I got?

Well I asked about youth players and whether Derek Adams was informed it was a key policy or not, given that we were sold it as an important principle by Ryan last season, and he mentioned what he and the club had done to augment our youth programme at the younger age groups. There was a bit of discussion about the lads that broke through last season and how they were sent out to gain experience and might be sent out on loan again.

Derek Adams didn't comment on it, but I didn't ask him to. I assume he's of the opinion those players aren't ready, so they're better to gain experience elsewhere rather than in our own first team, but then that answer comes from the pressure he's under to get promotion right away.

It was only one question I could have asked about how we're planning for the future and how it's not always coherent, but it was a reasonable answer, yes.

Am I suddenly happy about the whole situation? No. But that isn't really a question, is it? "It's not good enough" isn't something that will get an answer or make anyone think anything other than "STFU, guy".

Were you happy with the forum or the answers to any of your questions? Remind me what they were?

 

Agree mate. Reading Parker’s comments it didn’t seem to be uncomfortable at all.

I’ve the impression that Sparks and Adams went home laughing at the Bradford City fans that left and will be on Zoom this morning to Rupp laughing saying us City fans are weak.

 

14TH in the league is not good enough , by anyone's standard. We might finish higher or lower or where we are, who knows. But i stick by my comment that this squad is good enough to achieve promotion, but the players are under performing , certain players have also not kicked on as you might have expected Paudie , Cooke, Watt to name 3 who all are decent players that have not improved , as they should with more games under their belts.
As i said they need to take a good hard look at themselves.

 

I am pretty certain that neither will be laughing at the fans , or the current situation ,playing wise.
They will be well aware its not good enough. To sell tickets they have to achieve and also try and entertain at the same time.
i am sure you mean well Fordy, but this constant calling of fellow supporters, does you no credit at all.
We all want to see the team win , playing good football.

 

I cant tell if it's Adams saying that he OK'd the signing of all those players, or he's saying something along the lines of 'I'm the manager, it's my job to take responsibility in the players i've brought here'. Not a chance with all those ex Scunthorpe links, after the times they've had in the last few years that Adams had some of them players at the top of his list... surely?

I remember his interview after the PJT game when we signed Robinson, Adams said something similar to "he's not the striker i'd have signed"..... is it another DA contradiction? Or is he just trying to put a line under Turnbull and just take it all on himself?

 

He's trying to take responsibility for all the players.

There's no advantage to him answering that question with 'Turnbull signed X and Y'.

It's the only sensible answer. They're in his squad, end of.

 

Thanks mate, appreciate that.

 

I’m not sure Sparks and Adams will be laughing.

 

Paudie is a bang average league 2 defender. Cooke and Watt, again its alright saying they should play higher but you are talking about individuals. Of which make up a squad. Those individuals you mention and others aren't necessarily as bad as they currently look, put them in a better squad and they might play better. But as it currently stands it's the squad that desont have the quality and balance of individuals to get us promoted. Hence talk of at least 4 or 5 players needed.

 

I'm gonna be honest I dont buy into this 100% thing that comes around when the team isnt playing well. The success of the team that got promotion under Parky wasn't down to 100%ers and running around a lot, it was down to a manager having a set plan/strategy and recruiting players to fit that strategy. Running around a lot and busting a gut helps but it's nowhere near the primary reason a team is successful. And all it would take in relative terms to have this team of apparent 'shirkers' giving that '100%' is a midfielder in the mould of Jones and Nahki Wells up front. Becuase without those two I'm pretty sure the fans would be using this very catchphrase of 100%ers toward Parkys team.

 

Thats what i thought too. Looking online this morning, i'm amazed at how many faces take words at exact face value. Especially around the Turnbull/Transfers bit and the clear Adams joke around fans and refs.

 

Thanks for the input. DA is certainly in a better position than myself to comment but that seems a very generic statement of 'run through brick walls for you' are gone'.
If true, a sad reflection of a modern day player but I'm struggling with it, as a statement.

 

It was interesting when Adams told how, as an opposition manager, he used to get his team to sit in and wait to hit on the counter when coming to valley parade, then try to get the home fans on their players back. He did it every time. Under Parky this would’ve been harder to do because as fans we dug in. Under any of the last 4/5 managers, he’d be correct.

 

Parky and his players had a lot of backing banked due to their success. None of the teams or managers since have earned that backing.

 

I agree players like them and Davies made the difference. Tbh regardless of how poor we were Saturday, if Canavan had played and we had a solid RB not even a special one just one who’s competent and Cook hadn’t have got injured I think we’d have won comfortably. It’s fine margins like making sure there aren’t glaring holes in your team and just a couple of stand out quality players that make you a success at this level, look how crap the likes of Forest Green and Swindon looked against us, we aren’t talking a team full of superstars here. Nor were our last promotion team, plenty of them players and the manager came in for stick on C & B but the right balance was struck.

That said devils advocate it did feel like some players lacked effort Saturday, but that’s a first for the season imo no way could anyone say they lacked effort against Barrow, quality yes but you don’t suddenly stop playing within a week.

 

Little things make a difference. If Songo'os goal stands and Cook doesn't get injured we win that game. But you could tell that Cook is a talisman in this side, confidence just drained out of us when he went off to a point where we made a poor side look decent. Don't get me wrong I still think we are a very average outfit and that Adams recruitment of players has been poor but the one thing we didn't want was Cook getting injured.

 

They also lacked effort against Tranmere in the 2nd half and I bet you could point to a fair few like that