Adkins

[robbiez666]

Before I start I think he's the best manager we could have got and I believe any talk of getting rid of him is idiotic (I notice a few have started with these kind of comments) He should get at least 2 years to sort us out given his record.

He's not had a great start to his tenure though:

Dubious signings thus far (in terms of them working within the team)
Dubious team-based decisions
Dubious team selections
Playing people out of position
The seeming inability to get players to do what he wants them to
Increasingly dubious press conferences

It's early days and he's largely working with another man's players. I think we'll see the best from him next season but he needs to up his game before then.

I have a very tiny nagging worry that Reading broke him but hopefully it was just a blip.

 

[Harry's Game]

I agree with the OP except I don't think he will get much of a chance to build his own team, reading between the lines it seems that if we don't go up this season HRH will pull the plug and once again we will be potless.

We need him to turn it around this season for all our sakes.

 

[robbiez666]

I agree with the OP except I don't think he will get much of a chance to build his own team, reading between the lines it seems that if we don't go up this season HRH will pull the plug and once again we will be potless.

We need him to turn it around this season for all our sakes.

I think he'll get longer. He may resign though. Clough seems to have pushed them to get shut of him. Adkins doesn't strike me as that kind of guy.

 

[boo radley]

I think he and I must've bumped in to each other at some stage and accidently swapped glasses!

 

[wizadry]

reading between the lines it seems that if we don't go up this season HRH will pull the plug and once again we will be potless.

Here's me thinking we already are

 

[Bladesman]

Adkins is a good manager and I like I have said a dozen times already that if he can't do anything with this squad then no one else can. I think he has a squad of mostly shite players and he has to put up with them til their contracts expire or some daft clubs come in with offers for them.

The players need to shape up because the ones in the last year of their contracts are doing fuck all to earn a new contract here or anywhere else.

 

[sheffielder]

Nobody is a good manager if they constantly make mistake after mistake. Most of us knew we wouldn't win this game. He's got some brave decisions to make, otherwise he is not worthy of a dug out.

 

[alcoblade]

Nobody is a good manager if they constantly make mistake after mistake. Most of us knew we wouldn't win this game. He's got some brave decisions to make, otherwise he is not worthy of a dug out.

What are those brave decisions?

To be honest, I wouldn't have a clue what to do with this shower.

UTB

 

[sheffielder]

What are those brave decisions?

To be honest, I wouldn't have a clue what to do with this shower.

UTB

We are a team of players who have never and will never achieve anything. Tell me a player in our 11 who has achieved anything. We bought losers

 

[Harry's Game]

Here's me thinking we already are

Think Portsmouth

 

[alcoblade]

We are a team of players who have never and will never achieve anything. Tell me a player in our 11 who has achieved anything.

I can't, I agree. So the managers decisions aren't brave, surely? They're easy - bin everyone who's contracts are up.

Before that point, God help us.

UTB

 

[yorkshirecoast]

I agree with the OP except I don't think he will get much of a chance to build his own team, reading between the lines it seems that if we don't go up this season HRH will pull the plug and once again we will be potless.

We need him to turn it around this season for all our sakes.

Please don't pull the plug HRH. We've never had it so good.

 

[Jon Bon]

I think he and I must've bumped in to each other at some stage and accidently swapped glasses!

Like strangers in the night? Exchanging glasses..?

 

[mosbolad]

Please don't pull the plug HRH. We've never had it so good.

Careful he might want his quid back!

 

[bladesmanluke]

I agree with the OP except I don't think he will get much of a chance to build his own team, reading between the lines it seems that if we don't go up this season HRH will pull the plug and once again we will be potless.

We need him to turn it around this season for all our sakes.

I'm glad it's not just me that sees this. I really hope he can somehow turn this set of wage thieves around this season otherwise we are in the shit

 

[yorkshirecoast]

I'm glad it's not just me that sees this. I really hope he can somehow turn this set of wage thieves around this season otherwise we are in the shit

We are already in the shit. This is the 2nd worst team in our entire history and our owners don't give a toss.

 

[Barney]

I know it's not the view the majority will take but he's got to go for me.

How can you have someone incapable of simple decisions being in charge of re-building an entire squad?

Replacing him with someone who hasn't proved himself either way, is a stronger position to be in than to have someone that's proved incapable of getting easier decisions right, surely.

 

[breeny]

So some players are trying to push him out because of a loyalty to Clough???! Madness. The players are simply not doing their job, regardless of contract they should be forced out as they're underperforming.

 

[Bartleby]

The seeming inability to get players to do what he wants them to

I think that may be the key one. And not just him Clough as well. I remember in an interview last season(may have been after the home defeat to Crewe actually, not sure) Morgan saying they were tearing their hair out with some of the players at their total loss of confidence once they stepped out onto the pitch.

Summat wrong with this bunch of players and I'm not just talking about actual ability but the mental side if it - doing so well in cup runs and so badly against teams at the bottom of L1 is not normal. Key factor to remember though I would say is that this is largely Clough's squad, not Adkins'.

Unfortunately I don't think he will get a chance for a total rebuild unless we do manage to get up (edit: this season).

 

[Bartleby]

How can you have someone incapable of simple decisions being in charge of re-building an entire squad?

I'm not sure an entire rebuild was ever going to be feasible or part of his remit this season given the contract situation.

 

[Blade56]

I'm a big fan of Adkins but getting worried now. I thought the Gillingham game was the blip, turns out it was the next 4 wins that were the blip!

Got to question his decisions like making McCevely captain, I can still hear the ethos of WHAT THE ****.

And Hammond, hung his coat and reputation on him. Will be interested to hear William Henry Foulkes views on him as Keiiffff Edwards said he gave the ball away in dangerous areas all afternoon.

 

[wizadry]

I know it's not the view the majority will take but he's got to go for me.

It's this sort of kneejerk reaction why we find ourselves in this position in the first place. You can't get rid of someone after such a short space of time, they need time to make it their own. Whether he gets the time is another matter. We appointed him after the release list was made, it's this decision from the board that needs questioning because although they made the right decision in getting rid of Clough they ultimately could've gone about it better in the fact they didn't do it at the right time. If this board was to organise a stag do they'd organise the fucker for after the wedding, they're fucking clueless mate.

 

[bladesmanluke]

We are already in the shit. This is the 2nd worst team in our entire history and our owners don't give a toss.

Alright, we'll be in the shit without a £13m paddle.

 

[Barney]

It's this sort of kneejerk reaction why we find ourselves in this position in the first place. You can't get rid of someone after such a short space of time, they need time to make it their own. Whether he gets the time is another matter. We appointed him after the release list was made, it's this decision from the board that needs questioning because although they made the right decision in getting rid of Clough they ultimately could've gone about it better in the fact they didn't do it at the right time. If this board was to organise a stag do they'd organise the fucker after the wedding, they're fucking clueless mate.

You can't get away from Adkins mistakes to date. They're unforgivable and easily hold him as accountable as the board for where we are at the moment.

We aren't going anywhere whilst the board remains the same, but nobody could have predicted Adkins to be as appalling as he was with the limited funds he received.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

What are those brave decisions?

To be honest, I wouldn't have a clue what to do with this shower.

UTB

After todays shambles the brave decisions are: (to list a few, if not all)

1) send Hammond back - too old, too slow - he did a job for Adkins years ago.
2) Stop playing Baxter in midfield
3) Drop Done
4) explain why Sammon is a left winger all of a sudden - and dropped when not doing too bad with Sharp up top
5) Stop playing Collins at CH and not play Basham at CH - didn't work last year and won't work this year either - ball into the box again today apparently.
6) explain why suddenly, Flynn has become a full back.
7) explain why Freeman (reasonable consistent) was dropped.
8) explain why Harris is suddenly match fit and played away from home - ease a none fit player back in to 1st team action.
9) explain why we are continually out played in midfield - add out run, out fought, out footballed.
10) explain, why he as a manager/coach (an apparent good one) is not making "some" of our players better

Adkins is doing what he said he would do - evaluate the squad - the league, just like last year (for other reasons) is slipping away, even before Xmas.

As for your last sentence - Adkins doesn't appear to have a clue and we are starting to get Clough type excuses talking up the opposition prior to playing them. Talking up Crewe FFS - whatever next?

UTB

 

[wizadry]

You can't get away from Adkins mistakes to date. They're unforgivable and easily hold him as accountable as the board for where we are at the moment.

We aren't going anywhere whilst the board remains the same, but nobody could have predicted Adkins to be as appalling as he has with the limited funds he received.

Appalling? WTF, Are you on smack? He has done as good as he could've done with the crock of shit he's got. He couldn't get enough players in because Clough had already done the released list and chose to keep some shite and he also put other players on longer contracts than they should've got, that's why Adkins needs the time to let those contracts run out so he can get his own players in, it really isn't rocket science.

 

[alcoblade]

After todays shambles the brave decisions are: (to list a few, if not all)

1) send Hammond back - too old, too slow - he did a job for Adkins years ago.
2) Stop playing Baxter in midfield
3) Drop Done
4) explain why Sammon is a left winger all of a sudden - and dropped when not doing too bad with Sharp up top
5) Stop playing Collins at CH and not play Basham at CH - didn't work last year and won't work this year either - ball into the box again today apparently.
6) explain why suddenly, Flynn has become a full back.
7) explain why Freeman (reasonable consistent) was dropped.
8) explain why Harris is suddenly match fit and played away from home - ease a none fit player back in to 1st team action.
9) explain why we are continually out played in midfield - add out run, out fought, out footballed.
10) explain, why he as a manager/coach (an apparent good one) is not making "some" of our players better

Adkins is doing what he said he would do - evaluate the squad - the league, just like last year (for other reasons) is slipping away, even before Xmas.

As for your last sentence - Adkins doesn't appear to have a clue and we are starting to get Clough type excuses talking up the opposition prior to playing them. Talking up Crewe FFS - whatever next?

UTB

He can cut and carve this squad in multiple ways, and dance to every whim he has or reads on here. We've had years of it.

There are hundreds of combinations of shitness, with one common factor. The squad is not good enough.

I put no credence in the waffle that managers come out with in interviews, the best ones always seem to talk shite.

UTB

 

[Barney]

Appalling? WTF, Are you on smack? He has done as good as he could've done with the crock of shit he's got. He couldn't get enough players in because Clough had already done the released list and chose to keep some shite and he also put other players on longer contracts than they should've got, that's why Adkins needs the time to let those contracts run out so he can get his own players in, it really isn't rocket science.

• How long did he take to assess the squad? Was this an incredibly unreasonable length of time?

• Could he have gone on the trusted advice of the staff in situ for player assessments, thereby saving time and increasing the chance of capturing targets?

• Would it have been better if he had prioritised the positions most in need of signings?

• Would it have been better to have plan B options in those positions had he not got his first choice?

• Would it have been better to not make the most underperforming player the captain? As this undoubtedly increases the pressure on himself to play someone that is going to make the team worse.

• Is it wise to chase young and athletic players on their way up as opposed to old, slow journeymen on their way down? Do you think these players would have been much easier and quicker to negotiate with and therefore sign?

A big and indisputable yes to all of the above. All mistakes that lie with, and only with, Adkins.

 

[Fulwood Blade]

He can cut and carve this squad in multiple ways, and dance to every whim he has or reads on here. We've had years of it.

There are hundreds of combinations of shitness, with one common factor. The squad is not good enough.

I put no credence in the waffle that managers come out with in interviews, the best ones always seem to talk shite.

UTB

Whilst I agree with you that the squad isn't good enough, we are completely and utterly out played in virtually every game in midfield.

I would expect ANY manager to counteract that problem - based on experience.

We need to get back to being solid 4-4-2 and 4-3-3 is just not working and if it means going to 4-5-1 and being a tad boring then so be it - but what I expect is Adkins to try something (for once) that appears to work. He is for me, producing nothing that is working and very few players are making progress as a footballer in this team.

If he doesn't come up with a solution, even with a shit squad then he as a manager is doomed - he won't last the summer if our continued fall down the league continues. Today's performance was disgraceful considering where Crewe were and the changes he made (yet again) and were as lamentable as anything Clough did last season.

Adkins is struggling with this squad - accepted - a so called quality manager "should" find a modicum of a solution - we are at present - regressing.

UTB

 

[yorkshirecoast]

Alright, we'll be in the shit without a £13m paddle.

£13m? LOL