Sorry got to disagree, 60+ games in a season has to have an effect on the team be it mental or physical, this includes the manager, we are not equipped to play this many games some where down the line the nucleus of the team breaks down and we become fragmented this has been evident in the past couple of months, to win at Swindon will not come from tactics but from pure heart and desire in simple terms, fighting spirit
Bladebri , i can remember Clough saying thats the reason we have accumulated a big squad to cope with all eventualities . I bet Bristol City is not far off the mark relating to the number of games .
Why have a big squad if the players are not found good enough to fit in to a supposed fixed system. Yes some players have had long term injuries ( Higdon , Wallace ) , but are they actually game changing players , with being injury prone it seems when we bought them.
It has to be down to the manager , or a curse on the lane , or the board , or the fans expecting too much (, after our near escapade with relegation , then the Eddie Howe rise up the league finishing 7th.) or we are work in progress .
Yes agree , that to win at Swindon , it will be with heart , desire and fighting spirit . Why has this been missing every time a player pulls the shirt on . If this had been the case for 80% of the season , we would not be even having this post , as we would have walked the league.
If players are not good enough to play in your system , don't buy them in the first place or don't wait until half the season has gone ( JTW) , before you go bonkers in buying half a team again , and then saying it takes time to bed them in.
Do your business early , and sort out early the players list you are after . If we had one , we would be sacking the Director of Football for incompetence.
Pro Clough but even i am flummoxed , and so desperately wanting a positive , winning formula and overall stability for this club as we all are BUT something is not right behind the scenes , which is evident on the field of play.
I do not have a answer , and the consensus at board level , may be neither does Clough . We will soon find out after Monday.
UTB