It's a given this will have to take place for any chance of being able to move forward.
It's ridiculous to even contemplate a manager making the types of mistakes he has being positioned to make 25/30 more.
If the club opt for this route, they deserve every year of back-pedalling to come of it.
Giving you the benefit of the doubt as always, Barny, you raise a good point. Previous managers would have been released if they were in the position we're in.
Despite my opinion of Phipps and the summer we had, I think the rebuild is underway.
The problems that we have at the moment are due to the instability which the club has put itself through over the past 5 years (at least). We've constantly seen the answer (at board level) as sacking the manager. I've said it before and i'll say it again, we cannot keep sacking managers when we have a bad run.
I was quite ambivalent to the appointment of Adkins, not because I didn't like or rate him, but because it was yet another sacking to be replaced by more of the same.
Adkins has to have a clear out, but it must be sensible. The likes of Howard, McEverley, Alcock, JCR, Collins and Scougall have to go, however, we need to keep some others and see how they work with better footballers. Its not to say that all the squad are shit, there are several who could kick on with better players around them.
This season, for me was always going to be a rebuilding season, not the promotion season that Phipps deluded himself with. The midfield will be key, we need to look at Baxter and Coutts with either James Wallace or a new signing to come and take up the responsibility in there.
However, we need the back four to be stronger, Basham finally showed signs of stepping up to the plate on saturday, but it took us to go two down before it happened.
This season is one to enjoy the beers pre, during and post match, don't go and expect to enjoy the match...