Everyone’s feeling the pressure , the SMT, the players, and yes even some of the fans.
I know we’ve got an injury crisis going on, but I’ve been really disappointed with the regression of our younger players, there is a case they should be in other people’s first teams, making mistakes rather than in ours, and maybe they will be loaned out at the end of the window, but we do need to sign first team signings, who are ready to, and not injury prone, the juries still out for me on Mr Appleton, I’m yet to be convinced, give him until the end of the season, unless there’s money to burn, and a much better manager available.
We do need to up our game in this transfer window significantly.
Everyone’s feeling the pressure , the SMT, the players, and yes even some of the fans.
I know we’ve got an injury crisis going on, but I’ve been really disappointed with the regression of our younger players, there is a case they should be in other people’s first teams, making mistakes rather than in ours, and maybe they will be loaned out at the end of the window, but we do need to sign first team signings, who are ready to, and not injury prone, the juries still out for me on Mr Appleton, I’m yet to be convinced, give him until the end of the season, unless there’s money to burn, and a much better manager available.
We do need to up our game in this transfer window significantly.
We have some great prospects but you can only get away with blooding one or two of them at a time and the loan system should be doing the rest. The players they are coming up against may not be as good but they know the tricks that experience gives you. Young players also need the experienced players to help them through. We don't have enough experienced players who can.
I thought @Swisdom’s insight was very useful, but I can’t reconcile how Appleton has got this reputation as a fantastic coach. If you look at his record as a coach/manager, it’s not great. Surely the results override any players that have played under him talking up his credentials
I’m sure we’ve all worked with great managers in the past that we think are good at bringing the best out of their direct reports, but they don’t deliver the results. It has to go both ways. If Appleton is as Swisdom’s comments say, one of the best coaches in the game, then a) I think his career record would look a bit better and b) why hasn’t he pursued coaching roles as opposed to taking the hot seat
I'm trying to put a positive slant on things. The two loans were Appleton picks. He's worked with them before. He trusts them But they are only loans and will probably disappear when Appleton does, which I don't think will be long in all honestly. The permanent targets will hopefully have the quality that any coach will be able to work with. So when we finally get a manager with a bit of clout then they will have players at their disposal that can actually perform in most circumstances.
There's me wishful thinking again. Will it ever end?!!
I thought @Swisdom’s insight was very useful, but I can’t reconcile how Appleton has got this reputation as a fantastic coach. If you look at his record as a coach/manager, it’s not great. Surely the results override any players that have played under him talking up his credentials
I’m sure we’ve all worked with great managers in the past that we think are good at bringing the best out of their direct reports, but they don’t deliver the results. It has to go both ways. If Appleton is as Swisdom’s comments say, one of the best coaches in the game, then a) I think his career record would look a bit better and b) why hasn’t he pursued coaching roles as opposed to taking the hot seat
I could be wrong but it might be that there's a difference between being a brilliant coach and a brilliant manager. I think Lee Bowyer was probably a world class coach... there seemed to be nothing about playing top flight football in any position that he didn't have a great understanding of. But when it came to man management he had weaknesses.
Likewise perhaps Appleton might be great "on the grass" but in setting up teams or reacting to what's happening on the pitch, not so great.
It's hard to imagine that any top coach would be absolutely glued to one formation. To me, that seems to suggest they aren't confident tactically.
To me as a keen follower of the development of our young players it feels like they are simply being exploited rather than nurtured.
I agree, but how much is Appleton to blame for that? He inherited a squad assembled with the early promotion of youth in mind it seems to me. He wants a better balance with more experienced players brought in.
To me as a keen follower of the development of our young players it feels like they are simply being exploited rather than nurtured.
I agree, but how much is Appleton to blame for that? He inherited a squad assembled with the early promotion of youth in mind it seems to me. He wants a better balance with more experienced players brought in.
Appleton is supposed to be the manager, so coaching and team selection is down to him isn’t it?
To me as a keen follower of the development of our young players it feels like they are simply being exploited rather than nurtured.
I agree, but how much is Appleton to blame for that? He inherited a squad assembled with the early promotion of youth in mind it seems to me. He wants a better balance with more experienced players brought in.
Appleton is supposed to be the manager, so coaching and team selection is down to him isn’t it?
Yes, so I presume he has more faith in the youngsters than in any senior pro's he leaving out in favour of them, unless under pressure from above. Of course how he deploys the resources at his disposal and formation used is down to him. I'm not impressed so far, but accept he has limited options at present and wants leaders in to cope better with the mental frailty we exhibit week after week when under pressure.
To me as a keen follower of the development of our young players it feels like they are simply being exploited rather than nurtured.
I agree, but how much is Appleton to blame for that? He inherited a squad assembled with the early promotion of youth in mind it seems to me. He wants a better balance with more experienced players brought in.
Appleton is supposed to be the manager, so coaching and team selection is down to him isn’t it?
Yes, so I presume he has more faith in the youngsters than in any senior pro's he leaving out in favour of them, unless under pressure from above. Of course how he deploys the resources at his disposal and formation used is down to him. I'm not impressed so far, but accept he has limited options at present and wants leaders in to cope better with the mental frailty we exhibit week after week when under pressure.
Yet we have the Chem Campbell/Louis Watson/Tyreece Campbell (and others) mysterious Hokey Cokey system at play, coupled with scattering around blame and excuses for his poor results. He is the manager, it is down to him, otherwise he shouldn’t have accepted the job.
To me as a keen follower of the development of our young players it feels like they are simply being exploited rather than nurtured.
I agree, but how much is Appleton to blame for that? He inherited a squad assembled with the early promotion of youth in mind it seems to me. He wants a better balance with more experienced players brought in.
Appleton is supposed to be the manager, so coaching and team selection is down to him isn’t it?
Yes, so I presume he has more faith in the youngsters than in any senior pro's he leaving out in favour of them, unless under pressure from above. Of course how he deploys the resources at his disposal and formation used is down to him. I'm not impressed so far, but accept he has limited options at present and wants leaders in to cope better with the mental frailty we exhibit week after week when under pressure.
Yet we have the Chem Campbell/Louis Watson/Tyreece Campbell (and others) mysterious Hokey Cokey system at play, coupled with scattering around blame and excuses for his poor results. He is the manager, it is down to him, otherwise he shouldn’t have accepted the job.
Despite what was said tonight about giving Appleton time I still don't think he's the man to take this club forward. When he eventually leaves we will still be stuck in league one.
Despite what was said tonight about giving Appleton time I still don't think he's the man to take this club forward. When he eventually leaves we will still be stuck in league one two.
Despite what was said tonight about giving Appleton time I still don't think he's the man to take this club forward. When he eventually leaves we will still be stuck in league one.
I still have faith in him - think he'll turn us around and if we stick with him for the next season or two, he'll get us promoted. Noticeable tonight that they didn't even entertain the question about how long Appleton has got / why he's still here.
I still have faith in him - think he'll turn us around and if we stick with him for the next season or two, he'll get us promoted. Noticeable tonight that they didn't even entertain the question about how long Appleton has got / why he's still here.
Hardly going to say he’s got one game to save his job.
I still have faith in him - think he'll turn us around and if we stick with him for the next season or two, he'll get us promoted. Noticeable tonight that they didn't even entertain the question about how long Appleton has got / why he's still here.
Hardly going to say he’s got one game to save his job.
The word that kept coming up during the live stream was “stability”. At one point GC even said if sacking managers was a measure of success, we’d be in the Premier League already.
That was music to my ears after going through Adkins, Jackson, Garner, Holden and now Appleton in three years if the fans had their way currently. I think at the very least 3/5 of those would be able to get us promoted if they had been properly supported. Instead they were disposed of at the first sight of trouble.
The SMT could go back on their word and sack Appleton if we lose at the weekend. But I’m happy to take them at their word for now when they preach stability.
I still have faith in him - think he'll turn us around and if we stick with him for the next season or two, he'll get us promoted. Noticeable tonight that they didn't even entertain the question about how long Appleton has got / why he's still here.
Hardly going to say he’s got one game to save his job.
The word that kept coming up during the live stream was “stability”. At one point GC even said if sacking managers was a measure of success, we’d be in the Premier League already.
That was music to my ears after going through Adkins, Jackson, Garner, Holden and now Appleton in three years if the fans had their way currently. I think at the very least 3/5 of those would be able to get us promoted if they had been properly supported. Instead they were disposed of at the first sight of trouble.
The SMT could go back on their word and sack Appleton if we lose at the weekend. But I’m happy to take them at their word for now when they preach stability.
You want Appleton to have another 2 1/2 seasons to get us out of League 1?
I have no issues with backing a manager who has a team that looks like there giving there all, are fighting for the shirt and he has the tactical nouse to change things when they aren't working, do we really see any of those things from Appleton? A very rigid 4-3-3 continues to stick square pegs in round holes and hasn't attempted anything other than a 4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1. I hope for our own sanity he can turn it around, but there is hardly anything screaming at me that his the guy for us. I've seen more life in a ICU unit then on the touchline from him. Sorry last lines abit dark but you get my drift
If Appleton looked like he had a decent plan, I would happily back him through this bad run. At the moment his plan seems to be May playing on the right wing, I can’t get behind that.
If the plan was 4-2-3-1 with May as a 10 or 3-5-2 with May and a partner then I’d be fine to give him time.
We do need to give a manager 2-3 windows and time to build. I’d rather it be a good manager that has a sensible plan, than Appleton, who’s selections and tactics have been baffling and results poor
I still have faith in him - think he'll turn us around and if we stick with him for the next season or two, he'll get us promoted. Noticeable tonight that they didn't even entertain the question about how long Appleton has got / why he's still here.
Genuine question if I may - what have you seen from him that gives you confidence he'll get us promoted?
I still wouldn't be surprised if he's gone by early March if the new signings and returns from injury don't produce a big uptick in form. Just feels like a bad fit that's never going to work out.
Comments
I know we’ve got an injury crisis going on, but I’ve been really disappointed with the regression of our younger players, there is a case they should be in other people’s first teams, making mistakes rather than in ours, and maybe they will be loaned out at the end of the window, but we do need to sign first team signings, who are ready to, and not injury prone, the juries still out for me on Mr Appleton, I’m yet to be convinced, give him until the end of the season, unless there’s money to burn, and a much better manager available.
We do need to up our game in this transfer window significantly.
I’m sure we’ve all worked with great managers in the past that we think are good at bringing the best out of their direct reports, but they don’t deliver the results. It has to go both ways. If Appleton is as Swisdom’s comments say, one of the best coaches in the game, then a) I think his career record would look a bit better and b) why hasn’t he pursued coaching roles as opposed to taking the hot seat
The permanent targets will hopefully have the quality that any coach will be able to work with. So when we finally get a manager with a bit of clout then they will have players at their disposal that can actually perform in most circumstances.
There's me wishful thinking again. Will it ever end?!!
Likewise perhaps Appleton might be great "on the grass" but in setting up teams or reacting to what's happening on the pitch, not so great.
It's hard to imagine that any top coach would be absolutely glued to one formation. To me, that seems to suggest they aren't confident tactically.
He is the manager, it is down to him, otherwise he shouldn’t have accepted the job.
The SMT could go back on their word and sack Appleton if we lose at the weekend. But I’m happy to take them at their word for now when they preach stability.
So we MAY be in the Chamionship in 2026/27?
Great.....