Hopkin on pulse...

Vincelot ?

He was terrible at the back end of his time here, constantly giving the ball away in dangerous areas. He'd have compounded the issue not help to solve it in my opinion.

There's 3 people to blame in this sorry mess, the owners and Abbot. The amount of money wasted on talentless players with loser mentality, is astounding.

I was in the club shop on Friday when Rahic came in. He came across to me to see what i was buying. I told him we needed to start winning on the pitch. His response was that David was working on things on the pitch. I told him as a long time supporter, that we had to do away with development squad and invest in the first team. The smile from his face slipped and he said he had to run it as a business. He then left and went into the back. It would have been nice to ask him about his plans, but the first awkward question and he was away.

 

That’s the problem, he is not prepared to argue his case with the fans, mainly because his plans don’t stack up. Running it as a business is one thing, running it into the ground is quite another.

 

No surprise, the man is a coward

 

Said it previously.
More accurately he is a narcissist

 

I certainly would not his business model running my club. His model needs significant imitial investment that would o be required over the clubs income to set it going properly. I would suggest the first team budget needs increasing to ensure we get quality instead of being stuck with what we have. Our two worst defenders in Chicksen and NKP from last season were retained - does Mr Rahic watch a different game to us?

 

Exactly.

If premiership clubs with their money and top coaches, can't turn these youngsters into decent footballers, how were the three stooges and a bag full of copper expected to?

Trim the whole squad, concentrate on the first team and look to bring in half a dozen at most, to work alongside the first team.

 

Exactly that is what he should have done. The first team squad was doing ok under McCall, just needed a couple of additions to boost it towards the top. At the same time sign on a few youngsters, bring them through gradually and introduce them into a successful, confident team one at a time for a few games here and there. The experienced players would carry them along, cover their mistakes, and give them direction on the pitch. Instead it was all ripped up and we are where we are.

 

To be fair he’s hardly going to get into a debate with you about the way the club is run in the club shop is he?

He had every right to walk away.

He is trying to do what he thinks is right for the club but the starting xi is not strong enough to sustain it at the minute. It takes some serious clout to get it going and not this haphazard attempt we are going for it the minute. Results on the pitch are what people turn up for on a weekend. Not some fantasy that we will get good players in a couple of years.

If he chooses to go his way I hope he is talking to Dougie freedman and stealing ideas to how they are doing it. Or talking to anyone for that matter.

We need a clear structure in place and Edin can not be 3 or 4 of those roles on his own aswell as trying to run the business side, it takes some work to do it.

We would need a director of football. A head of recruitment. Chief scout and then scouts. And that’s a minimum

 

He approached me and not the other way round. There was no one else in there so why not have 5 minutes with a supporter who said he was concerned with how things were going? Better to have a civilised chat with me than a slanging match with a baying mob.

He needs to come out and admit that development idea needs scaling back and any surplus money, as a result will be given to Hopkin to spend with as he sees fit.

 

I wonder if we could do that or are spending max allowed under SCMP

 

City are getting a very poor return if they "are spending max allowed"-where did the quality go?

Those involved in bringing the squad in should be removed;If edin is running a business he has turned it into a loss maker.
On a weekly basis!

 

A side note on @Inspector's mention of Vincelot;

Went to Crawley in the summer but noticed yesterday he only made the bench and wasn't used.
I liked him as a player and leader but it does look like his legs have finally gone.
A shame.
Poleon did start for them but no surprise, he was subbed.
No change there dropping down a league.

 

Alternatively we have less income, drop in ST sales would account for that. We have dropped about 4K, so about 20% down

 

We had less income in McCall's last year with us, the budget was cut even though ST sales were good.

 

Agree but they were prepared to give the players and Collins a chance but the signs were clearly there early doors it was going to end in tears, Edin did Micheal Collins no favours by offering him the head coaches job, just hope he's not thinking he failed, it was far too much to expect and once again the only failure is Edin.
I very much doubt Stefan will be the White Knight come January throwing money David Hopkin's way for a few quality players (I honestly hope I'm wrong) but he certainly can't stop the rot with what he has at the moment, I think he will want older seasoned pro's bringing in, hopefully a couple of none contracted players before January, but it says it all to me when the better players recently have been the likes of O'Brien junior and Luca Colville.

 

Yet playing that way we won more games and we were in the play offs

 

We need to send back a few of the loanees and release some of the under performing seniors and youngsters. How that will effect relations with some of the clubs we’ve loaned from, who knows.

Hopkin needs a decent fighting fund to bring in players not only for the short term, but beyond the end of this season. We can’t keep turning over tens of players every season, we need stability.

 

At the moment, it does not matter whether we play 5-3-2 or 4-4-2, or whether we hoof or pass it out, or whom we pick up front. The big problem that needs addressing is the shambolic defending. Time after time a counter-attack comes through and everyone drifts over to that side. We don't get enough tackles in, preferring to back off instead of taking responsibility, and everyone ball-watches as we let one or two men drift in unmarked at the back post and a late midfielder also often arrives on the edge of the box unmarked just for good measure. It happens repeatedly and it is bloody disgraceful from professional footballers. Hopkin should be sorting it out. It's basic stuff. When you lose the ball, mark men up and try push the one with the ball wide or get a bloody tackle in so he loses the ball, gets slowed down, or gets fouled! If you tackle them or foul them, they'll think twice about taking you on again next time. Those not marking men need bollocking, fining, dropping, whatever. Make 'em tackle and stop the ball-watching! It's not rocket science! We don't need new faces to do this! (Although new faces will still be needed if we ever get a grip of the basics.)