Match Thread Away v Carlisle Utd Sat 8th Jan @ 3.00pm

The general feeling up until yesterday was that Adams needs time, and the constant changes of management does nothing. I see that as a fair and understandable point, but at some point we need to start to see some fruits of his labour so to speak.

What is his plan, and what is he trying to achieve? I'm lost on what that is at the moment and genuinely cannot see any sort of improvement game by game, nor have any sight on what he is building for the future.

The formation•
We play a system that invites every teams full back to carry the ball deep into our half before been pressured. Its causing us issues every week.
The players can't play it, they aren't fit enough nor fast enough to ensure we can cover the wide areas constantly and not fast enough to break quickly on the counter attack,which is the whole point of the formation.

Youth•
It's quite clear Adams doesn't rate any of our youth players. People would maybe more understanding if there was a 2 or 3 year plan which involved blooding youth players into the team, which ended with us benefiting from either a well moulded team with many academy graduates or the youth players at such a level they could be sold for profit, creating a sustainable model.

Transfer market•
Again this is very patchy, all the signings thus far have appeared very random almost without any thought of where that player would fit in the team. At one point we had what could have been argued as five wingers in the squad yet essentially we don't play with one winger most games as the front three, is seemingly instructed to be as deep and narrow as possible.
Areas that need improvement have been vastly overly looked. That's obvious to us mere fans, why can't the club see it?

I just don't see the plan here yet, we are aren't building for anything, we are just wasting game after game carrying on with the same old same old. Nothing is changing except for perhaps while three months ago we were creating umpteen chances per game and missing sitter after sitter now we are creating nothing. Games are just passing by.

A big push has been made to get fans inside and this resulted in a plenty getting behind the team even with the 33% price increase but they have been treated to a season of nothingness yet again.

I want promotion, I won't demand or expect it however I will expect to not have the piss taken week after week. Someone is going to have to grow some balls, hopefully Tuesday, and tell us what the F is going on because quite frankly it's turning into a shambles.

 

Rupp is a businessman, he's only interested in the cash side. But how long before he realizes that his "investment" is slowly going down the pan. Fans deserting, season ticket numbers going with them, a manager and CEO who will cost a fortune to get rid of, no hard assets - the Club doesn't own the ground and his reputation with the former fans of the Club in tatters. Get used to it Rupp. If you don't do something now then this is the future of your "investment".

 

Great post and pretty much mirrors my tweets on the 'other forum'.
As it stands what is our long term plan, if I could see one then I could possibly forgo not having a short term plan but based on what I've seen we have neither. I can't describe it any better than your post, we've actually managed to regress since the end of last season, which takes some doing considering what happened last time out. That second half yesterday was a pivotal point in our season, the players clearly didn't play for the manager, it cries of Adams 'losing part of the dressing room'.

 

Unless injured/not fit, I don’t know how Sutton doesn’t play ahead of them. Aside of Songo’o there was zero pressure on any Carlisle player all game, Gibsons goal been the most fatal example.

They were on Watt all game and he didn’t have the nouse to figure out how to overcome it in what was a horror of a performance from him which is reflective of the majority of his season so far.

If we are to play 3 CMs how Sutton and Songo’o aren’t two of them is beyond me.

All that said, the performance was another reflection of the disappointment we’re all feeling about this club at the moment.

 

Rupp wouldn't even need to go to that much trouble. He could easily join via a video link if he was even the slightest bit arsed about it.

 

I saw a tweet last night about Cooke's dad being in the stand with the away fans, and when some fans made comments about his performance, his dad apparently kicked off and before walking out, said Adams wasn't playing him the right position and was ruining his career. Whether that's right or whether his son isn't quite as good as he thinks he is, it sounds like he doesn't want to be here.

 

Oh right.

I'd thought Callum was playing like he knew he was leaving.

I guess not.

 

The flight thing isn’t that much trouble either.
A certain poster on here will bang on about how hard it is for him to travel with the restrictions in place.
Complete nonsense.
If he genuinely cares about the club,show your face in person and tell us your plan.

 

My point is that in this day and age, travel and distance are no longer viable excuses. I haven't been physically present in a work meeting for nearly two years, doesn't mean I haven't attended them though.

 

I couldn't agree more, all those things you identify can be offset somewhat if the plan is clear, coherent and consistent.

I don't know how many times we need to give the club the same message, but until there are knowledgeable, strong, competent FOOTBALL PEOPLE at board level then there will not be a long term plan to back up our short term failings (or successes for that matter).

Relying on Sparks and Rupp is an absolute joke. What do they have to do with anything? What do they know? What experience do they have? What knowledge do they have that nobody else has? What makes them expert decision makers?

Have they worked under world class characters? Have they experienced the highs and lows as professionals or coaches? What advantages do they have over ANYONE ELSE IN THE EFL?

Do they have an aura that lifts all around them? Are they legends, heroes, big characters, do they have a big picture focus, are they micromanagers, are they statistical eggheads who see patterns others do not?

Or are they two individuals with no real knowledge of the sport flip flopping from one idea to the next, hoping someone comes in and takes care of everything for them so they can say 'we made that appointment; we created this change; we brought this success.'

Rhetorical questions, of course.

We know what they are.

 

Last two months I’ve been to Germany twice, Austria and France. Not hard to travel at all if you’re organised.

 

Bang on the money.

We're all sick of the managerial merry-go-round and the constant reset button being pressed, but we are getting steadily worse. There's the odd chink of light performance like Sutton at home, but the vast majority have been predictable, disappointing let downs.

Most of us believed Adams is/was the man but on evidence it's not happening. Yet another second half which was totally unrecognisable from the first. This can only be down to him. Do we need another stronger coach alongside him who isn't a yes man? Parky had Parkin, a manager in his own right, we've an inexperienced man in Trueman and a fanatical conditioning coach. Question is, would he accept having this position imposed on him, probably not.

Is now the right time to act, no. He's got to see the season out, but if there isn't significant improvement on what we're seeing at the moment, then his position has to be considered, along with that of Sparks.

 

Exactly.
I understand @Petrov point about video calls and have done the odd one myself over the last couple of years.
But this is the first fans meeting for ages with people actually attending.
I just thought it would be a good chance for Rupp to actually attend in person rather than the remote experience of a zoom call.
No hiding place and no blaming a crap broadband connection when you are actually in the room.

 

Why does he have to see out the season?

The man can’t even get back to back wins.
We play dire football
The players look lost
He does seem to be able to cope with expectations
He has no long term plan.
Does connect with the fans
Has Sparks by his balls and which will harm the club because Adams doing as he pleases without success.

Football is about results! He needs to go ASAP. Let’s stop wasting our time.

 

I wouldn't be bothered with this so called fans meeting on tuesday, who would believe that anything that might be said would be implemented anyway...?

 

By the time the new man is in place, the window will be effectively closed. Would you risk the rest of the season with this bunch for the rest of the season? You've said it yourself, we lack quality.

Give him a full window, with his men in place then there's no excuses. We've been down that road too many times and we know we'll be having the same conversation in 12 months time.

 

NO!!!

 

It'll be a chance to actually hear from the horses mouth, the answers to unscripted questions hopefully. Maybe they should zoom it live for those unable to attend.

 

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