Rochdale - 2 points clear of relegation with 5 games to go

We know !! .............. AND ? ..............
The schitt was daubed all over the walls in August.

And FWIW ....... Hopkin couldn't wait to throw himself overboard, he just left it a couple of months late. January told him all he needed to know.

 

I guess Moron Math tells us Bowyer is the problem, right?

 

Totally agree, but I'd draw the line at laying the blame strictly at willingness and character.

While there is a deficit of those characteristics, we have a nonsense squad derived of players too similar to each other, and who don't compliment each other in the slightest.

The fact we have assembled the single worst team/squad in the football league in terms of tactical sense almost gives the players a pass from me.

Almost.

 

I agree. ANY player can perform as an individual, but not in a dysfunctional team as a collective.

 

If you believe the rumours HopkinS would have gone after Gillingham if he could have found someone to hand his notice in to.

 

6 where on earth you getting that number from? You do know it's nearly impossible to just keep 6 when we've 16 contracted players?

How has Rhodes done a magnificent job keeping Bowyer? Bowyer is extremely lucky to still be here. Bowyer has failed to gain results as the OP is highlighting and like it our not football is about results and Bowyer is in a no lose situation because the club is in a mess at board level. Bowyer isn't Pepe. He wasn't really wanted by other clubs.

Bowyer hasn't proved himself at Bradford City yet.

Remember this is a football club and lots of managers would be keen to work here so don't give me Rhodes has done this great job line. Utter sh@te.

Don't make excuses for failure. We better go up next season! The excuses for failure is becoming embarrassing at this club!

 

On that basis, we should have sacked Parky after his first season?

Can't believe he didn't get that team of Guy Branston/Lee Bullock/Craig Fagan in to the play-offs.

 

Your right with this assessment. When we hammered Rochdale 4-0 at Spotland it looked a clear bet we would finish ahead of them at the end of it all. But it proved a hollow victory as things disintegrated under Hopkin and have further under Bowyer.

My question would be if Bowyer had taken over on 01/02 with more games left and had a "like record" as he has now except over more games. Would he still have the support of the fans and been handed a two year contract ? The answers is No ! and No !

Bowyer came in with 11 games that's 33pts and out of 18pts so far as secured just three !. Even allowing for how disjointed this motley squad are those stats reflect poorly on Bowyer. He's basically been given a "bye" into the job by Rhodes on the basis that the players aren't up to it just do what you can.

Rhodes hasn't set Bowyer any target to achieve so he hasn't changed anything rather he's made it worse with some questionable team selections ?

I don't 100% buy that this squad are the "complete lost cause" they're made out to be? Are we saying Payne, Ball, Butterfield, O'Brien aren't decent footballers sure they are. Too similar maybe but not lost causes. The issue is that we failed to add the right sort of players in January. We were promised a striker and it never materialised.

Then Hopkin goes and we just fall into a malaise from which we have never been able to recover. Whatever Bowyer has done ? The players still haven't been motivated by his message. To me it mirror's 2007 when Rhodes sacked Todd and handed the job to Wetherall. He failed miserably and the result was a 7 year stay in League 2 with the club nearly out of the Football League at one stage.

Rhodes and the majority of the support seem to be sold on Bowyer. But he has shown very little to me so far other than being "a decent type" and "looks safe enough". It's seems to have all been "let go" and "it's a lost cause we need to go down and start again".

Rochdale have shown that changing their manager at a later stage than us ? ! has had the desired effect and they are battling to stay in this League. That's not happened with us over a longer period so we can continue to say it's the players. But when do we question Bowyer or in the "World of Julian Rhodes" was that never going to be a question ?

 

You’ve been Forded

 

Well I don’t think I am ready to throw yet another manager under a bus, because a number of fans think that the manager is to blame as he is unable to motivate or galvanise our team. Both Hopkin and Bowyer have been unable to turn this squad around. Not to mention the previous managers Collins and Grayson, and of course McCall. Julian Rhodes came back to try and get this club back on track, and without him knowing this club inside out I am not sure where we would have been!

Now has Rochdale had all the problems we have had over nearly 3 years?

 

We can analyse until the cows come home. Fact is we just aren't any good as a team at playing football.

 

The Parky was totally different.

Bradford City are in a different place now. Don't you see that?

From a business point of view we need to go up next season. We are losing fans already.

 

I'm extremely glad Julian is here but i don't want to hear Bowyer praising him.

I want Bowyer coming out and saying I have demanded Rupp and Julian to back him with what I want next season. I am convinced this is the case anyway but don't make out it's a mates club.

I don't want to hear the media man praising Rhodes or Rupp.

This club is soft! Soft fans, soft players! Soft!

It needs to get a winning mentality!

Even now we make excuses for losing!

We won't get anywhere with a losers mentality

 

Its nothing like the Todd/Wetherall situation.

Wetherall had no experience whatsover, and didnt get the job beyond the summer.

Bowyer has good experience and had success at Blackpool, and has been handed a 2 year deal to turn us around

 

How old are you? Genuine question. The reason I am asking a personal question like that is, you come across as having only limited experience. There is more than one way to skin a cat! Just because ppl wish to work in an amicable atmosphere it does not mean the job is not being done. Edin had a bullying mentality and a way of working that stood no rebuke, that worked out well. I am not in favour of chumminess if it prevents the job being done. You also accuse fans of being soft! Have you read some of the postings on here and twitter far from soft.

 

Parky's first season was a success!!! He took a team hurtling in to the bottom 4 and in to what looked like certain non league football and turned us round first to avoid relegation and then on to promotion and Wembley.

Bowyer has taken the team from possible relegation but with lots of games to improve to what now looks like certain relegation,

 

The Walsall game killed all hope for me. Agisnt ten men and leading and we just fell apart. Hopkin could have still turned it around had we won that but that defeat was then critical.

Then we pissed about with Drury as caretaker and got hammered 5-1 by Pompey when we needed a shot in the arm and a battling performance. Players were at a low ebb then.

Bowyer did get a reaction in the game against peterborugh. A very good 3-1 win.

However after that the late oxford winner put the final nail in the coffin and we are now on a downward spiral.

I think the thing for me is we can only play one way. Straight down the middle with one average striker and no wingers. We don’t score enough goals and inevitably at this level we will eventually concede a goal. Goals take pressure off the side but we cannot score for fun.

I think another new set of ideas is just a step too far for this poor squad. 3rd possible 4th set of ideas if you look at the caretaker and different personnel used each time. Compare that to Rochdale who have had one manager for a decade and maybe just a freshen up as they have now is working for them. Our chance had already gone before bowyer has had an impact

 

Head if and seen it before. Excuses!

I don't care for Edin. Edin left in Oct/Nov and we have failed since.

The people who worked with or under Edin have to ask could they've done more but it's done with.

We've to move forward but not with the losers mentality we gain under Edin.