Adams out

[SwissBlade]

Quite an excellent summary of the predicament that we're in. I've said it before but the club needed to start planning for January 'refreshment' before January actually started, so I accept that it was a gamble.

I agree with your point on allowing Adams time to build his own squad and whilst the highlight of Bent, Collins and Doyle are perhaps the higher profile of his signings, but as you say, the story doesn't end there. Here is my brief appraisal

Bent - Unfit when we signed him, was a gamble, but clearly has the talent, if not the confidence. If he gets one goal then i'd be surprised if he doesn't get a hatful. He needs to force his way into the first team though, which on performances he is showing any signs of doing.
Collins - Truely awful, for me he is Adams' most puzzling signing, surely there were better options.
Doyle - Hit and miss, goes from average at best, to anonymous or awful. Looked decent v Leeds, v Derby he was anonymous first half, came into it 2nd half. I'd like to see more of him before I can make a proper judgement.
Lowry - Needs to be more disciplined, but looks decent alongside Lowton
Mattock - Again I need to see more of him but i've seen some good, but worryingly v QPR he got exposed, Perhaps this was a knock on from the midfield being overrun. I'll hold my judgement.
Vokes - Crap and slow to start, seemed extremely unfit, but Adams persisted with him and started to show some form, then we ran out of time (and money)
Riise - Has been a bit hit and miss, but shown cameo's of excellence. v Leeds he was just what we needed coming in. We finally have a winger that can deliver the ball and make incisive runs.

Agreed Adams needs to be much braver, he goes half the way by always setting up with his most attacking line up (sometimes too attacking leaving us exposed).

I don't agree that he's showing too much loyalty to his permanent signings, lets wait and see how Collins fits in when Lowry and Lowton are both fully fit and Collins is still playing shite.

I'll agree he's getting some players performing, but others not so.

 

[beechblade]

Fair assessment as well Swiss, I have to agree with other players not performing but then again most of those weren't before Adams arrived as well, its been a knock on effect all through the season really. I don't think the 4-3-3 suits us and when Willo comes back i'd prefer it to go to a 4-4-2 with Riise Willo Monty Quinn, the reason I said loyality to those signings is actually mainly to do with Doyle, Adams has stuck with him even in the 4-4-2 when we've had Willo on the bench, whose far more capable.

---------- Post added at 09:46 AM ---------- Previous post was at 09:39 AM ----------

Bents been a bit player. Lowry, Mattock and Riise all have more starts and games under their belts than him.

This is not true: Bent has started as many games as Riise and played in more than Mattock and Riise when you count sub appearances. Lowry has played more times and started more.

I remain staggered that anyone, let alone a professional football manager, thought that Bent might contribute something.

Incidentally, beechblade, your post trying to rationalise Adams' signings is interesting, although I don't agree with a lot of it. I will try to respond if I get more time later.

Yes your totally right about Bent and Riise, I went on my judgement on what I've seen more than looking at the facts. I just seem to remember seeing more of Riise because he has done more for me personally.

I look forward to seeing your views on things, I went for a fairly brief (even though the post was long enough) description on the players, I tried to check as much of it up with the fixtures and team reports too.

 

[Wapping Blade]

4-3-3 did not suit us at QPR. It meant that we lost Riise's skills and presence on the right, though he played OK, Quinny is far more effective on the left and I want our strikers in the box, not always out wide.

 

[davidpinder]

Adams was doomed when he took over. The situation led to certain signings such as Doyle who he's had as commander-in-chief in the past and injuries, form and most importantly lack of cash have taken care of the rest. Sure Adams would have been expected to have had a greater effect than he did and I'm sure there could have been different players brought in but there aren't many managers who could have turned us around this season after Speed left.

As plenty of people have been saying, the problems with the club in general run too deep at the moment and the management just hoped somoene could turn it round, this masterplan for the future, to me, will only start to take shape once all the big earners have gone and we're actually spending relative to the position we're in, which, unfortunately, looks like being Division 3.

As I said a few months ago, going down, whilst having a shattering effect on finances etc, may be the only way the club can get a grip on where we are and actually put this plan of building a team around young, local, decent and hungry players into operation.

I understand what your trying to say here Jim but look at the clowns down the road, if it wasn't for the "its not what you know its who you know" they would have been in admin and relegated this season now that seriously could be us next season i really can not see us doing a Norwich or even forest and coming back stronger now if we do then great i'd happily take relegation if we are to walk the league next season, but i see us going down the same route as scum and thats admin now scum got lucky and ended up better off but that won't happen now.

 

[Mendi]

Releasing Adams now would be as bad as the knee jerk reaction of getting rid of KB after 3 games of the start of this season after giving him the summer to prepare, the club desperately needs a stable footing, and Adams has to be given a chance to build his own squad with a pre season. Now on the back of signings like Bent, Doyle and Collins, then this looks rather worrying but, and for me its a big but, Adams was appointed a matter of days before the January transfer window, he had a matter of days and weeks to assess the situation, I think he gambled on some players he has previously worked with and it hasn't really worked, but he also gambled on others that have looked better.

Lets have a look at the situation though… when he took charge, the team had a patch work defence, with Ertl and Nosworthy playing CB against Burnley. Bartley came back the following game at home against Doncaster to partner with Ertl there but we had to then bring Kozluk and at the time barely tested Parrino in the fullback positions, we were scratching around to build a proper defence, I think his first dip into the loan market shows he does have a better eye to spot a player when given a few weeks to really look, as Lowry looked and still looks very capable, Mattock also looked steady before the injury and is slowly starting to look steady again, these two were on hand to see us to our first clean sheet in 6 games. Bent seemed like an ok but bizarre move, but in tough test against high flying Norwich, he looked to be a comfortable player, despite tiring quick, his touch looked good and he tried to bring other players into play (sadly this player was lost shortly after and hasn’t been seen since) and on a whole we looked very comfortable against them until Simmo dropped the ball under pressure and then fluffed a punch again under pressure.
The young defence Parrino, Mattock, Lowry and Bartley showed its first signs of naivety, there clearly wasn't a older more relaxed head to help them organise at the back and find free players, they hesitated and failed to pressure the Norwich player, with Britton wanting out or going at that time, Adams had another problem to address, with 9 days to go of the January transfer window.

Collins was cheap and available, not the answer clearly but a chance for us to have a contracted player in the centre of defence. He’s a cover player and I think he still would have been had Bartley not left for Rangers, some rumours had already suggested Bartley wanted out, maybe the signing of Collins gave him a sufficient excuse to seek a way out. Doyle may have also been cheap and available and with Britton out of the frame, Adams probably felt he needed another midfielder, however Doyle was the silliest transfer of the lot, we already had Monty and Ertl to do the role he does. I honestly believe they can both do it better too.

Problems continued and it showed at the back we didn’t field a consistent defence since Bartley had left till the Palace and Scunthorpe games, after that though Adams has relied too much on the experience of Collins and Nosworthy for me, certainly for Nosworthy, we’ve had better options on the bench at times with Lowton and Parrino. I’d even stretch and say Kozluk and Calve would be better options as they don’t prat about with the ball as much. Riise has looked his best signing and again with time allowed shows Adams can spot a player, but it also shows which market the board have backed him in more. Adams please for the love of god, utilise Riise more, even if you stick with your 3 man midfield, you could use, Quinn – Monty – Riise, or have a midfield of Willo – Monty – Quinn and use Riise in the front third to give us a proper channel player there. Adams success with signings is about on par with every other manager, 50/50. 3 bad, 3 decent even good ones and Vokes wasn’t too bad. The real change for me that needs to be made is Adams being braver, which in this situation is easier said than done, I don’t think he’s a bad manager, he’s certainly got some of our players playing far better, but he’s showing too much loyalty to his permanent signings, just because they’re scrappers. When a bit of flair and youth will also aid the scrap.

I think alot of us know that the situation we are faced with comes from mistakes and problems created by others as well as those mistakes Adams has made, the board, knee jerking at KB, Speed bottling it and creating an unstable enviroment, the board not backing the signing of decent permanent signings and prefer to tread water in the loan market again, players under performing and not taking part of the blame are all other parts of a very big equation in reason why we are in this position.

Great points mate