Most liked posts in thread: T&S..... sacked

I certainly aren’t taking it as a pop mate, I’ve said all along they’ve done a fantastic job from where we were and maybe in a perverse way are victims of their own success, standards may not be as demanding if we stayed up ending 4th or 5th bottom. I certainly wouldn’t argue with their record regarding points, although I think we’ve ridden our luck a lot at times, the blatant penalty Walsall didn’t get and Mansfield missing and absolute sitter come to mind in the middle of our winning run.

My main concern is the performances as I actually think they were better when they first took over, maybe nothing to lose mentality? Now we here Trueman talking about not wanting to lose(after Bolton) and yesterday didn’t want to risk 3 points against bottom of the league who were down to 10 men. To me that’s just negative and it’s coming out on the pitch as well, I think it’s important to have a set formation and square pegs in square holes not doing that is what cost Stuart his job. But I just can’t enjoy this football at all, similar to under Bowyer even when he was going well. If others can fair enough but we’ll see come December time if we’re see that week in week out and freezing our backsides off and if results tail off how quickly people change.

As I said earlier though hopefully new players in the summer and a full pre season will bring a more positive mind set within the squad and make the football less of a chore to watch, which would make my concerns a mute point. Because I’d love them to succeed but playing like this long term I don’t see it, and I think it’s harder when fans are in the ground especially somewhere like here where demands are high.

 

If City have a poor summer transfer window and are outside the play offs in December with poor or indifferent performances every game, no matter who the manager is there would be calls for them to go. It’s the way football is today, it’s not a reflection of T&S, if Liverpool hadn’t won the title last year Klopp would be getting it in the neck now,

 

The way in which impose ourselves - or don't - on games, is a worry. I worry about the mindset as much as whether T&S have the coaching ability. I first noticed it in the game against Bolton. We completely sat off until we went a goal behind and its as though that cautious mindset has never left us. Sparks talks about not accepting mediocrity - did anyone hear Canavans interview that played at half time on iFollow? The question was asked around whether the players felt a sense of pressure or expectancy around getting into the playoffs or was our late flirt with the top 7 just a bonus after our poor start. The answer was along the lines of 'if we do it, we do it, if we don't we don't but hopefully its a platform for next season'. I was so disappointed to hear that. Forget our shite start - promotion should be expected every season we're in this league. If we'd won tonight, we'd have gone a point outside the playoffs with 6 or 7 games left. We should be talking openly and bullishly about aiming for the playoffs and we should be demonstrating that in the way we start and approach games. I really worry that too many people at the club are giving themselves a free pass just because of where we were in December. The chance is there, bloody well go for it!!

 

I'm sure they have learnt from their mistakes...and can repeat them exactly!

(Not my joke; the great Peter Cook in the "Frog & Peach" sketch.)

I think that we have a mid-to-top-half-table side, which was underperforming, badly. T&S came in and got that side, with some good additions, to overperform and thus i) get us easily to safety, and ii) raise our hopes regarding playoffs and promotion. We are reverting to our side's natural level. That said, we do have a good base on which to build. Get it right in the summer, and we should be a promotion-capable side.

As for T&S, they are young and in their first real job -- real in the sense of it being in the man's game. As such, they are full of book knowledge, but lack the practical experience. Not surprising, perhaps, that they revert to caution and safety, like-for-like subs, etc. What they need to do now is show that they can move on from there. It is, perhaps, too soon to expect them to do that this season. If they don't develop by and over next season, then we will have a problem. But for now, they have done very well indeed.

RCB

 

I think a dose of reality and perspective is required this morning regarding some fans already questioning T&S.

T&S were tasked initially with halting the rot that had set in under McCall, and they did a fantastic job of doing so.

Shortly after taking the reins, temporary at that stage still, the January window was upon us, and Turnbull brought in a few players that I am sure had already been targeted and discussed with McCall. Canavan aside, and potentially Crankshaw, who I am sure can both do a job in league 1, the players brought in were mainly just average league 2 players, and with these additions, we climbed further away from the relegation spots and established ourselves in upper mid table.

In my opinion the squad we currently have is no better than top 10, and to expect T&S to achieve promotion or even reach the play offs was a tall order this season, and I, along with the likes of Fordy, have always insisted this is the case.

I am fully behind T&S and Turnbull and expect them to get rid of most, if not all, of the out of contract players and add better quality to the squad in the summer.

 

For all @wetherbywhaler talks about five years to repair Edin’s damage, there are few if any remnants of his reign left. The last 25 games under T&S have shown the team can win games.

This summer is the time to recruit better players than Evans, Clarke, Watt, Novak, Ismail, Pritchard, Burrell and to finally forget about the worst thing to come from Stuttgart since the original A class Mercedes. Bradford City, its supporters and its staff cannot keep blaming Edin or Geoff Richmond forever. This summer and the following season is the time for Ryan, Conor and Mark to own everything that happens at Bradford City for better or worse.

 

In fairness, I'm not sure you can lay all of the blame for Grimsbys position on Hurst.

 

I'm not laying all the blame on Hurst for Grimsby's demise. However, the fact remains after a few months in charge they are actually lower in the table than when he took over, rock bottom now of the football league, so forgive me if I think he has done a poor job there.

 

Let’s make this an out thread. I don’t want them here next season.
Far too negative and absolutely shocking to watch.
Bowyer was bad but this is on a par

 

And start again and be calling for another manager in September. We can not look to get rid of managers every time they hit a poor patch. I think Ryan Sparks has had a good start at transforming this club but if he was to give into what some want that opinion would soon change . T&S will be here next year and will start with a clean slate and will be judged from then. The way it should be

 

I've seen nothing to suggest they can achieve automatic promotion next season.

If I were Ryan, I'd be making a change in the summer. And from listening to his recent interviews I don't think he's scared to make such a decision if this carry on.

 

Yep. That was sorted weeks ago. The chance to really go for the top 7 was there and they never went for it.

 

Worryingly McCall-esque interview post match last night. While their record is still very impressive overall it is a worry that their approach has remained safety first when we basically had a free hit at chasing a play-off place. Even if we ultimately fell short it would have been more encouraging if we'd actually looked like we were going for it, and would have given more confidence that they were the right people to be in charge longer term.

 

They'll be given the summer, I cant imagine Sparks or Rupp are even thinking about getting rid already. Trueman with delusional comments like after last nights game doesn't help though. If we did cut in the summer that would be 6 managers gone inside 3 years, 2 sackings in 6 months under Sparks, would surely put off some potential bosses.

It's surely a mentality thing why we didn't jump on the chance to challenge? Been 10 games since the Newport match, after that we were 7 points off with a few in hand, we've only gained 11 points out of 30 available since, and we are still 7 points off. None of the pack pulled away from us but we never got out of 2nd gear and pushed for it. I fear the reaction those performances would have had in front of a crowd. Needs some people with experience of winning.

But that spine, ROD has spent his time at City facing nothing but relegation and poor results, same with AOC and Paudie who had inconsistent moments under McCall but since Canavan came in have looked much sharper, maybe needed that experience? Watt and Sutton hadn't started 30 league games between them in their careers before this season, yet had been expected to start and play 90 mins, every game in a relegation scrap that turned into a play off push, because we didn't bring anyone else in to cover. In front of them since Cooke went down it's been Evans, Clarke or Donaldson playing at 10, Don doing the best of a bad bunch but at 37 he isn't the answer. Cook up top has been the best of the spine and offers a lot to the team but given Mansfield have an option on his contract, might not be back. Big summer ahead.

 

I'm sceptical too. Rowe, Cook , Cooke, Vernam, Crankshaw, Watt, Wood. There's no reason whatsoever that we couldn't have at least tried to play more expansive football with those players. Even Billy Clarke - and before anyone scoffs, Ian Holloway had Grimsby playing an attractive style with Vernam and Clarke as 2 of a front 3.

 

And have them walking out onto the pitch to hi ho silver lining just to complete the nostalgia view?

 

What is it with our fans and this fixation with 4-4-2? Just because it worked once for one club doesn't mean its the default setting for every club.

 

Most of this squad is more than capable of doing a job in league 2, just not with this squad. NKP and Kelvin Mellor have shown that with the right players around and the right philosophy from the manager then you can quite easily be a success. Truth is there is little between all the sides in this division, its all about getting the right synergy between the players. It's why the 4-2-3-1 worked for us, the players we had fit to it better than other formations. Forget plan B, C or D, concentrate on getting plan A right. If Trueman believes in 4-2-3-1 then he should stick with that and target better players than we currently have to affect better use of the system.