So,  who's excited for Saturday then !

1 hour ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

He could have simply said "we were better than Saturday, but not great.

A clean sheet is welcome, though we also have a touch of fortune. 

Pleased that we're through, and I felt the players showed a better attitude"

Or words to that effect.

Spouting on about DNA, with a meaningless word salad is frustrating, patronising and actually diminishes from what was apparently a poor performance with a positive result.

As a fan that completely makes sense, I’d like to have heard that and would have accepted that as a fair and balanced perspective.

But if he is going to get the best out of these players, playing the way he plays, the players need to see that, one, he still believes in his philosophy, two, they can play the way he wants them to do and three take confidence in playing that way and winning.

Listen, I don’t agree with him! I don’t believe that to be true and I think his narrow-mindedness to move away from this DNA is going to be his downfall.

But I’m simply offering the reason he says what he says, we shouldn’t be surprised he says that and that a rational, honest and open-minded appraisal is the last thing we are going to hear from him now.

 

2 hours ago, desperado said:

As a fan that completely makes sense, I’d like to have heard that and would have accepted that as a fair and balanced perspective.

But if he is going to get the best out of these players, playing the way he plays, the players need to see that, one, he still believes in his philosophy, two, they can play the way he wants them to do and three take confidence in playing that way and winning.

Listen, I don’t agree with him! I don’t believe that to be true and I think his narrow-mindedness to move away from this DNA is going to be his downfall.

But I’m simply offering the reason he says what he says, we shouldn’t be surprised he says that and that a rational, honest and open-minded appraisal is the last thing we are going to hear from him now.

 

He wasn't that worried about getting the best of these players when he called them mentally fragile (wonder where they collectively picked that up from) as part of his taking responsibility on Saturday.

3 minutes ago, maaarsh said:

He wasn't that worried about getting the best of these players when he called them mentally fragile (wonder where they collectively picked that up from) as part of his taking responsibility on Saturday.

In his mind, that calling out will be the right thing, as the response after that was a win. “We saw a reaction” 

3 minutes ago, maaarsh said:

He wasn't that worried about getting the best of these players when he called them mentally fragile (wonder where they collectively picked that up from) as part of his taking responsibility on Saturday.

I'm glad he said that. It's true and they needed to hear it.

Whilst I want Evatt out, if the players are picking up a wage from us and not working as they should be, then they also deserve our ire. Managers have to do everything they can to get something extra out of people. Sometimes calling them out works, sometimes gaslighting the fans, by pretending they've been good boys also works. 

There's more than one way to skin a cat (I have no idea what that means, by the way)

3 hours ago, Tonge moor green jacket said:

He could have simply said "we were better than Saturday, but not great.

A clean sheet is welcome, though we also have a touch of fortune. 

Pleased that we're through, and I felt the players showed a better attitude"

Or words to that effect.

Spouting on about DNA, with a meaningless word salad is frustrating, patronising and actually diminishes from what was apparently a poor performance with a positive result.

Talking about himself there...a Deluded Negative Arsewipe

Sheehan available, apparently.

1 hour ago, Steejay said:

Sheehan available, apparently.

Excellent - a much needed bit of physicality in the middle of the park

3 minutes ago, mickbrown said:

Excellent - a much needed bit of physicality in the middle of the park

Another holding midfielder with Morley? 😁

                    Southwood

          Jones  Santos  Forrester 

Tutu                                          Schon

      Morley     Sheehan    Tommo

                Mcatee  Collins 

He’s not going 4-5-1, so if it’s 5-3-2, that’s what I’d go with. Don’t think Toals fit, so Jones and Forrester (part of the 0-0 at Wycombe) get the nod for me. Tutu can use both feet, so he could go RWB for me, to keep one of our better players in the team on the left - Schon.

3 proper midfielders. And our best strikers left should pick themselves now.

But I fully expect Evatt to go with Baxter, Johnston, Cogley, Randall and possibly even Vic! (if he’s not been sold to Turkey) 

            

11 hours ago, desperado said:

                    Southwood

          Jones  Santos  Forrester 

Tutu                                          Schon

      Morley     Sheehan    Tommo

                Mcatee  Collins 

He’s not going 4-5-1, so if it’s 5-3-2, that’s what I’d go with. Don’t think Toals fit, so Jones and Forrester (part of the 0-0 at Wycombe) get the nod for me. Tutu can use both feet, so he could go RWB for me, to keep one of our better players in the team on the left - Schon.

3 proper midfielders. And our best strikers left should pick themselves now.

But I fully expect Evatt to go with Baxter, Johnston, Cogley, Randall and possibly even Vic! (if he’s not been sold to Turkey) 

            

Matete needs to start - been our most consistent player

21 minutes ago, RUREADY2ROLL said:

Matete needs to start - been our most consistent player

Toss up between Matete and Thomason for me.

In the main I’ve liked Matete, but there’s certain games (Tuesday was one of them) where he regularly gets caught in possession and when this happens he goes quiet.

For all the talk of Thomason’s poor form (which is fair) he never goes hiding. I just want to get some control and mettle into the middle of the park and  I think Tommo offers us the best chance of that.

 

Everyone's pretty much made their opinions over SM and after all the fuss, be nice to get back to the actual football and hopefully put this lot, and their ultras, to the sword.

I expect us to win and hopefully, no protests, which would surely be counterproductive. Save the whinging for when we fail to turn up (again) in the next big fixture. Or at 90 minutes if we've lost this one.

1 hour ago, Cheese said:

 

For the large majority who aren’t bothering listening to him (apart from when there’s some negative snippets), he doesn’t really say much wrong there, and if you were to pull that interview away from the current dark cloud and judge it on its own merits, he comes across pretty well.

5 minutes ago, desperado said:

For the large majority who aren’t bothering listening to him (apart from when there’s some negative snippets), he doesn’t really say much wrong there, and if you were to pull that interview away from the current dark cloud and judge it on its own merits, he comes across pretty well.

Aye. All perspective has gone though. Doesn't really matter what he says any more. The only way he turns this around and gets the "fans" back onside is performances and wins. And from this point, that would be considered a miracle in footballing terms.

4 minutes ago, Cheese said:

Aye. All perspective has gone though. Doesn't really matter what he says any more. The only way he turns this around and gets the "fans" back onside is performances and wins. And from this point, that would be considered a miracle in footballing terms.

Yep, well put.

I’ll be honest I nearly didn’t listen, his words are shallow without results to back it up.

But I thought it was worth pointing out for balance that that one wasn’t too bad! 

If ever there was a quick start required then tomorrow is pretty much up there.   

Team selection will be interesting,  sheehan,Morley,thomasson,Randall and matete ,  who's getting the nod?

If vic starts then can see him getting grief if he is not winning or attempting to win challenges .

Gonna be an interesting afternoon.

1 hour ago, desperado said:

For the large majority who aren’t bothering listening to him (apart from when there’s some negative snippets), he doesn’t really say much wrong there, and if you were to pull that interview away from the current dark cloud and judge it on its own merits, he comes across pretty well.

As has been said before, his pre-match interviews are generally pretty good. It’s his post-match comments where he doesn’t come across well.

Whether it’s because he doesn’t have much time to prepare, or he becomes too defensive when the result isn’t great, or maybe the subject matter (preparation/injuries/optimism v performance/critique/often negative result) he needs to improve that side of his media duties.

Should be a home banker this one.

We need to leap out of the blocks, show lots of crisp pass and move and get 3 goals up by half time... they won't know what hit them

1 - 1

We’ll play shite, a sub will get an equaliser in injury time and Evatt will point to a tactical masterclass

Just now, mickbrown said:

1 - 1

We’ll play shite, a sub will get an equaliser in injury time and Evatt will point to a tactical masterclass

I hate realists 

5 minutes ago, Dimron said:

I hate realists 

😁

I think we'll win this.

3-1.

Collins, McAtee, Thomason.

19,241 (13,564)

Come On You Whites!!!

4 minutes ago, DaveTheRave said:

I think we'll win this.

3-1.

Collins, McAtee, Thomason.

19,241 (13,564)

Come On You Whites!!!

I know they're fearsome ultras but that'll be a hell of an away following! 

Just now, Duck Egg said:

I know they're fearsome ultras but that'll be a hell of an away following! 

Just hope our players don't get intimidated by them this time.