Pre-Match View From Shrewsbury

[Snowman]

As always I hope we gain 3 points from opponents who have no reason to fear us after their last visit.
We will need to be absolutely on top of our game in every respect and in all departments.
My youngest and I will as per be observing and hoping from the Westfield Upper.

I have just been informed that this is the venue for the return of the three old men with flasks. See ya.

 

[blade67]

The line up last season for the 4-2 home drubbing

Long
Freeman
Harris
Collins
Basham
Reed
Baxter
Hammond
Adams
Sharp
Sammon

Subs

Howard
McEveley
Edgar
Coutts
Done
Woolford
Campell-Ryce

what a pathetic capitulation that was.

baxter, Collins, Hammond and McEverley were all totally shit

Adkins said their would be consequences, then there weren't any.

I was angry

 

[JohnDenver]

what a pathetic capitulation that was.

baxter, Collins, Hammond and McEverley were all totally shit

Adkins said their would be consequences, then there weren't any.

I was angry

I can only think of a couple of players who might have been unfairly overlooked by Adkins. He really did reach a point where every player he turned to was as shit as the one he dropped.

We'll never know, but surely Adkins would have engaged in a similar bonfire of contracts as Wilder did. Whether he would have recruited and reorganised half as well as Wilder has is very doubtful, but entirely unprovable.

 

[Ricky]

I can only think of a couple of players who might have been unfairly overlooked by Adkins. He really did reach a point where every player he turned to was as shit as the one he dropped.

We'll never know, but surely Adkins would have engaged in a similar bonfire of contracts as Wilder did. Whether he would have recruited and reorganised half as well as Wilder has is very doubtful, but entirely unprovable.

He initially offered new deals to McEveley, Flynn, possibly Howard and probably would've signed Edgar as well. Hammond would've still been here, and probably in the team. He also offered Long a good wage well beyond what he warrants.

Not a bad decision to sack him, really.

That capitulation against Shrewsbury last season was the most farcical, unprofessional game of professional football I've ever seen.

 

[itsinyerblood]

I can only think of a couple of players who might have been unfairly overlooked by Adkins. He really did reach a point where every player he turned to was as shit as the one he dropped.

We'll never know, but surely Adkins would have engaged in a similar bonfire of contracts as Wilder did. Whether he would have recruited and reorganised half as well as Wilder has is very doubtful, but entirely unprovable.

Well summarised JD, and it really was all down to recruitment. Wilder has got it right most of the time. Added to which the chemistry that has been obvious after the first four games has meant that we're finally seeing a United team play the way we expect them too. No one knows what might have happened if Adkins had remained as manager, but it's a safe bet that we're all happy he was replaced and Wilder was appointed.

 

[spongebobblade]

Long -Collins_hammond_sammon talk about spineless. What a manager.

So many of us said it at the time. It was more than obvious. It slapped you in the face. How the fuck did Adkins not see it?

 

[JohnDenver]

He initially offered new deals to McEveley, Flynn

I never knew that. I suppose if the board was wavering on his future (and they shouldn't have been if Hammond was in his plans), then he signed his death warrant with that.

Funny how a bloke with so much success behind him can show such poor judgement.

 

[Trigger Blade]

Went there many years ago to the original "Gay Meadow" by the side of a river, there were folks in boats waiting to retrieve any balls that were kicked out of the ground.

Coracles to you...

 

[Stretch]

I never knew that. I suppose if the board was wavering on his future (and they shouldn't have been if Hammond was in his plans), then he signed his death warrant with that.

Funny how a bloke with so much success behind him can show such poor judgement.

Adkins had a mare with us. Reading was his first failure as a manager (regardless of the circumstances) and it probably hit him hard. I reckon he saw us as an easy way back in; big club marooned in a league he had won promotion from three times with ample resources to smash out of it. Let's just say that he might not have done his homework and a few weeks into the job he must have realised what he had taken on. A bloated, unfit, injury ridden squad with a starring cast of flushing violets, underachievers and bevy merchants
( cheers NC)

Personally however I would have kept Flynn (provided he stayed off the pop) as he is a vesatile player so can see where he was coming from on that one. He may also have been a decent backup for the WB role.

 

[Bladesway]

He initially offered new deals to McEveley, Flynn, possibly Howard and probably would've signed Edgar as well. Hammond would've still been here, and probably in the team. He also offered Long a good wage well beyond what he warrants.

Not a bad decision to sack him, really.

That capitulation against Shrewsbury last season was the most farcical, unprofessional game of professional football I've ever seen.

Up there with Southend at home I think.

 

[Shalalalafenoughty]

nah i'm just seeing the old song

How's your father?
How's your father?
How's your father, referee?
You haven't got one,
you're a bastard,
you're a bastard referee.

The old song went "who's your father," didn't it?

"How's your father" has a rather different meaning.

 

[Flatulent_Bob]

The old song went "who's your father," didn't it?

"How's your father" has a rather different meaning.

 

[DifferentClass]

I never knew that. I suppose if the board was wavering on his future (and they shouldn't have been if Hammond was in his plans), then he signed his death warrant with that.

Funny how a bloke with so much success behind him can show such poor judgement.

I've seen it mentioned recently on this board that even the greatest managers can utterly bomb at another club- Clough Snr. almost destroyed his career at Brighton and L**ds and Forest were pretty much the only club that would take him afterwards.

Watch Adkins turn Charlton into Prem title contenders in five years :/

 

[blade67]

I can only think of a couple of players who might have been unfairly overlooked by Adkins. He really did reach a point where every player he turned to was as shit as the one he dropped.

We'll never know, but surely Adkins would have engaged in a similar bonfire of contracts as Wilder did. Whether he would have recruited and reorganised half as well as Wilder has is very doubtful, but entirely unprovable.

Adkins had lost his mind by the end and was effectively demanding to be sacked, both by his team decisions and his interviews. As Ricky says, we'd have been stuck with a fair bit of last seasons shit, if he'd stayed.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

The line up last season for the 4-2 home drubbing

Long
Freeman
Harris
Collins
Basham
Reed
Baxter
Hammond
Adams
Sharp
Sammon

Subs

Howard
McEveley
Edgar
Coutts
Done
Woolford
Campell-Ryce

My heart sunk when I read that - dreadful.

 

[Pollingtonblade]

what a pathetic capitulation that was.

baxter, Collins, Hammond and McEverley were all totally shit

Adkins said their would be consequences, then there weren't any.

I was angry

The thing is to defend Adkins slightly all he had to replace the shit was more shit - the players new this and consequently didn't have to raise their game.

However it was his fault he didn't identify the shit and attempt to replace in the first place.

Effectively he cost himself his job when he gave them all a clean slate.