Ex-Staff Gary Rowett

[Carpy]

1.Gary Rowett

Position: Head Coach

Nationality: England 🏴󠁧󠁢󠁥󠁮󠁧󠁿

Signed: 20th December 2024

Departed: 23rd December 2025 | Departed Posts: 1st Post

Previous Clubs: Birmingham City (Interim), Millwall, Stoke City, Derby County, Birmingham City, Burton Albion

Stats: TransferMarkt

Instagram: garyrowett1

 

[ECYellow]

Interesting comments from Joey Barton, following the sacking of Clarke at Bristol Rovers.

Resonated with me regarding the situation GR finds himself in here.

 

[LowerSouth]

So we are now back in the bottom three, is anyone really surprised?
Our last four away games have been against teams with superior squads, but all struggling to find confidence,consistency and winning ways .
In all of the above, we have generally started off reasonably well for the first10 to 15 minutes and then gradually allowed the opposition to get into the game and generally dominate.
Today’s game was similar .
In all of the games ,questions have been asked regarding the various starting eleven and even more so , regarding the timing and make up of substitutions.
Today’s game highlighted that even more so and as in the game against Blackburn, the changes made effectively nullified any attacking options we had prior.to same .
I currently do not understand what our coaches are trying to achieve .
Whatever it is, it appears to be failing.

 

[Scotchegg]

Question for you, do you still think we’re on the cusp of being a winning team?

I think we're on the cusp of being a better team.

For me there are some simple fixes. Play Currie instead of Leigh and tell him that LB/LWB is his to lose. Leigh has always been average at best defensively but got by due to scoring a few goals. But he has become a bit of a liability at both ends. 30 seconds into the Stoke game he manages to head the ball straight into the ground from a foot out and still miss, and today was not the first time he has no idea where the player is whilst defending.

Long throws. If Vaulks is going to throw the ball from anything in the opposition half, then coach them. Measure how far he can throw them and position players there, not 10 yards back. Decide if we're going to look to flick the ball on or get the ball back to Vaulks and position other players accordingly.

Corners. If BdK is going to take all the corners then measure how far he can kick it and position players accordingly. See above for more detail.

Look at what works and stick with it. Mills has looked our most creative player this season. Lankshear looks the most likeky to score. Play them both together as often as possible and build a good understanding to get the best out of each other.

Have a credible plan B. Placheta looks brilliant or rubbish, but is generally a player best in small bursts. So he becomes the change from Mills, or a starting option when looking to play on the break. Look to partner him with Prelec who does the yards that Harris does but looks more dangerous. As with Currie, give these players the confidence to know that they're getting plenty of game time even if they make the odd mistake.

Decide what you want to do on the left. We have no natural left winger, but Krastev, Tyler and even Dembele can play in that space, but won't give you width or blistering pace. So set ourselves up to match these strengths. Few teams have old fashioned wingers on both wings anymore, so its not impossible to set up to have one pacey outlet and one tricky option that cuts inside. Its also not impossible to switch these throughout the game to give different options. But commit to something, coach it, and stick with it.

And finally, get everyone to at least look like they give a s**t. I know I'm biased, but get the Sam Long attitude amongst everyone on and off the pitch. The willingness to bust a gut to get into the opposition box in the dying seconds against Norwich has kept us from being default bottom of the table (Sheffield Wednesday are long gone!). Make us nasty and horrible to play against. Win ugly is better than losing dull. Get around the ref when we get dicked for not getting penalties. Talk about it pregame to get in the officials heads. Throw yourselves around, drive across players to give them no option but to bring you down. Play smart, play dirty if we need to. But put up a bloody fight and give a s**t.

The most animated I've seen Rowett this season was when he was chatting to his Sky mates after the Ipswich win. If he wants to sit on a sofa talking about the game then let him crack on and bring someone else in who is solely focused on keeping us up.

 

[East Stand Fan]

I’m always perplexed when people say the manager cannot motivate them ? Really ? Funny that he can motivate the likes of Brown and Brannagan, they look fully motivated every time they put on the shirt. Why’s that do you think ? If these players are so demotivated that they need Rowett to fire them up then basically they’re at the wrong club and in the wrong f****** profession.

Footballers struggle with motivation up and down the leagues and it’s perfectly normal - it can be a confidence issue, getting dropped, getting annoyed by the approach, feeling frustrated by tactics and how the team is being managed. Work is never plain sailing especially when it comes to football where there is so much pressure. Our approach today literally killed any semblance of our strengths and saw good players dropped that should’ve started. It killed so much threat potential and left gaps where we couldn’t take advantage. Maybe Gary has gone all he can and perhaps he’s feeling the strain too and it’s rubbing off on the players. His comments today won’t install much confidence going forward either.

 

[Chippy]

True. Although, he moved into Head of Football Operations in July 2024.

Agree that he has done well in his recruitment roles in general. Also agree that there are a couple of other, more serious weak links.

Has he really done well in his recruitment roles though? There’s only a handful of players at most in our current squad who seem to be consistently good enough for the Championship and would be in the starting 11 for other Championship Clubs. Of that handful Cam was already here.

I’ve lost count of the number of players we’ve brought in permanently or on loan since we got promoted, but out of roughly 25+ players very few could be counted as big successes I’d argue.

 

[kingoftheroad]

I think we're on the cusp of being a better team.

For me there are some simple fixes. Play Currie instead of Leigh and tell him that LB/LWB is his to lose. Leigh has always been average at best defensively but got by due to scoring a few goals. But he has become a bit of a liability at both ends. 30 seconds into the Stoke game he manages to head the ball straight into the ground from a foot out and still miss, and today was not the first time he has no idea where the player is whilst defending.

Long throws. If Vaulks is going to throw the ball from anything in the opposition half, then coach them. Measure how far he can throw them and position players there, not 10 yards back. Decide if we're going to look to flick the ball on or get the ball back to Vaulks and position other players accordingly.

Corners. If BdK is going to take all the corners then measure how far he can kick it and position players accordingly. See above for more detail.

Look at what works and stick with it. Mills has looked our most creative player this season. Lankshear looks the most likeky to score. Play them both together as often as possible and build a good understanding to get the best out of each other.

Have a credible plan B. Placheta looks brilliant or rubbish, but is generally a player best in small bursts. So he becomes the change from Mills, or a starting option when looking to play on the break. Look to partner him with Prelec who does the yards that Harris does but looks more dangerous. As with Currie, give these players the confidence to know that they're getting plenty of game time even if they make the odd mistake.

Decide what you want to do on the left. We have no natural left winger, but Krastev, Tyler and even Dembele can play in that space, but won't give you width or blistering pace. So set ourselves up to match these strengths. Few teams have old fashioned wingers on both wings anymore, so its not impossible to set up to have one pacey outlet and one tricky option that cuts inside. Its also not impossible to switch these throughout the game to give different options. But commit to something, coach it, and stick with it.

And finally, get everyone to at least look like they give a s**t. I know I'm biased, but get the Sam Long attitude amongst everyone on and off the pitch. The willingness to bust a gut to get into the opposition box in the dying seconds against Norwich has kept us from being default bottom of the table (Sheffield Wednesday are long gone!). Make us nasty and horrible to play against. Win ugly is better than losing dull. Get around the ref when we get dicked for not getting penalties. Talk about it pregame to get in the officials heads. Throw yourselves around, drive across players to give them no option but to bring you down. Play smart, play dirty if we need to. But put up a bloody fight and give a s**t.

The most animated I've seen Rowett this season was when he was chatting to his Sky mates after the Ipswich win. If he wants to sit on a sofa talking about the game then let him crack on and bring someone else in who is solely focused on keeping us up.

I fell asleep reading that

 

[Joey]

I’m still backing Rowett, partly perhaps because there appears no obvious candidate to replace him with but more so that you have to back a good manager - and he unquestionably is - through a sticky patch. I don’t want us to become a club that panics and fires managers at a whim, that will see us in L1.

After his excellent start he's taken 35 points from 37 games. That's relegation form for around 80% of his time here.

Hell of a sticky patch.

 

[tatabanya]

Does it not concern you that even he doesn’t seem to know how to fix our form then?

Yes of course, but I’m also not convinced he’a the root cause

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

I do think after today Mr Rowatt is confusing himself as much as the players with swapping players in and out as well as formation.
I'd say a coach who will inspire and boost the players is required, a left field selection but a massive positive force to make them feel they belong as this level rather than a shrug and a " what do you expect from these players " attitude.
Criminal to play 3 CB's today especially 2nd half when it hadn't worked .

 

[dickwalton1964]

After his excellent start he's taken 35 points from 37 games. That's relegation form for around 80% of his time here.

Hell of a sticky patch.

Footballers struggle with motivation up and down the leagues and it’s perfectly normal - it can be a confidence issue, getting dropped, getting annoyed by the approach, feeling frustrated by tactics and how the team is being managed. Work is never plain sailing especially when it comes to football where there is so much pressure. Our approach today literally killed any semblance of our strengths and saw good players dropped that should’ve started. It killed so much threat potential and left gaps where we couldn’t take advantage. Maybe Gary has gone all he can and perhaps he’s feeling the strain too and it’s rubbing off on the players. His comments today won’t install much confidence going forward either.

Weak, weak, weak. Self motivation comes from within, I’d be bloody embarrassed if ANYONE, quite literally ANYONE, had to motivate me for anything. If I was sat in a dressing room awaiting a managers team talk and thinking ‘I hope he can motivate me today’ I think I’d pack it in.

 

[Thomas/Brock/Jones]

Weak, weak, weak. Self motivation comes from within, I’d be bloody embarrassed if ANYONE, quite literally ANYONE, had to motivate me for anything. If I was sat in a dressing room awaiting a managers team talk and thinking ‘I hope he can motivate me today’ I think I’d pack it in.

Disagree in that inspiration , belief and confidence is certainly something that can be instilled that would get more from the sum of the teams parts .
I'm sure the players are all motivated its the ' we are going to play and we can win ' mentality that I think is missing .

 

[Scotchegg]

I fell asleep reading that

Glad you perked up enough to bother replying.

 

[battman]

I think we're on the cusp of being a better team.

For me there are some simple fixes. Play Currie instead of Leigh and tell him that LB/LWB is his to lose. Leigh has always been average at best defensively but got by due to scoring a few goals. But he has become a bit of a liability at both ends. 30 seconds into the Stoke game he manages to head the ball straight into the ground from a foot out and still miss, and today was not the first time he has no idea where the player is whilst defending.

Long throws. If Vaulks is going to throw the ball from anything in the opposition half, then coach them. Measure how far he can throw them and position players there, not 10 yards back. Decide if we're going to look to flick the ball on or get the ball back to Vaulks and position other players accordingly.

Corners. If BdK is going to take all the corners then measure how far he can kick it and position players accordingly. See above for more detail.

Look at what works and stick with it. Mills has looked our most creative player this season. Lankshear looks the most likeky to score. Play them both together as often as possible and build a good understanding to get the best out of each other.

Have a credible plan B. Placheta looks brilliant or rubbish, but is generally a player best in small bursts. So he becomes the change from Mills, or a starting option when looking to play on the break. Look to partner him with Prelec who does the yards that Harris does but looks more dangerous. As with Currie, give these players the confidence to know that they're getting plenty of game time even if they make the odd mistake.

Decide what you want to do on the left. We have no natural left winger, but Krastev, Tyler and even Dembele can play in that space, but won't give you width or blistering pace. So set ourselves up to match these strengths. Few teams have old fashioned wingers on both wings anymore, so its not impossible to set up to have one pacey outlet and one tricky option that cuts inside. Its also not impossible to switch these throughout the game to give different options. But commit to something, coach it, and stick with it.

And finally, get everyone to at least look like they give a s**t. I know I'm biased, but get the Sam Long attitude amongst everyone on and off the pitch. The willingness to bust a gut to get into the opposition box in the dying seconds against Norwich has kept us from being default bottom of the table (Sheffield Wednesday are long gone!). Make us nasty and horrible to play against. Win ugly is better than losing dull. Get around the ref when we get dicked for not getting penalties. Talk about it pregame to get in the officials heads. Throw yourselves around, drive across players to give them no option but to bring you down. Play smart, play dirty if we need to. But put up a bloody fight and give a s**t.

The most animated I've seen Rowett this season was when he was chatting to his Sky mates after the Ipswich win. If he wants to sit on a sofa talking about the game then let him crack on and bring someone else in who is solely focused on keeping us up.

I agree with pretty much all of this, but the problem is Rowett and Sale should have identified all of these things weeks ago. They are professional coaches whose job it is to come up with ways to win football matches with the players they’ve got. And yet we can all see what the issues are, and can come up with actionable solutions to at least start to resolve them.

I’ve been Rowett In for a while because we can’t just keep sacking managers when we need someone who can get the best out of what is actually in the building, but if he can’t do that and is admitting he’s out of ideas in press conferences, then maybe there’s someone out there who can get a better tune of these players.

Charlton is big now. We’ve already looked turgid against Norwich, Swansea and Blackburn; but if we can’t pick up three points against a Charlton in free-fall then what’s even the point in Rowett continuing?

 

[Joey]

Weak, weak, weak. Self motivation comes from within, I’d be bloody embarrassed if ANYONE, quite literally ANYONE, had to motivate me for anything. If I was sat in a dressing room awaiting a managers team talk and thinking ‘I hope he can motivate me today’ I think I’d pack it in.

Where did I say anything about motivation? I just pointed out that for the best part of a full season we've averaged less than a point per game. Do you think that's acceptable?

As for motivation, a team who know what they're doing and have belief in the manager are going to be more confident on the pitch. That's hardly a ground breaking opinion. It's not just a case of being up for it.

 

[Yellow and blue]

I fell asleep reading that

Dunno why,that was one of the best posts on here today.

 

[SirAndyOfCrosby]

You could give him the transfer window, but which players are going to join an uninspired Rowett team?

This is a concern.

The likes of Helik or Matos could probably be convinced last season on the back of the new manager bounce and the whole 'new leaf' for the club.

A year on, and we're potentially in a worse League position going into the window, with no 'bounce' and a manager that doesn't scream 'play for me'. We are surely going to struggle to recruit beyond overpaid mercenaries at this point - even the Jack Curries and Brodie Spencers of this world (i.e. top League One/Two talent) would surely swerve our current predicament.

But could a new manager change that? With new ideas? Perhaps with exisiting connections? Maybe even from another country? Win a couple of games, new impetus, 'new leaf' for the club, new confidence and players enjoying themselves - suddenly recruitment feels a whole lot easier.

And this doesn't just apply to new recruits. Even if we keep Rowett and stay up I can still see BDK (or agent) agitating for a move. In which case we would be back to square one and all this 'we need x numbers of windows' goes out of the, er, window.

But imagine a new manager who wants to play a bit of football, get the best out of the technical players, tells BDK he intends to build a really decent Championship football team around him.

And before the inevitable 'who is that man?' arises - we find out during recruitment. For me, it would be someone who has watched us, who can see our potential, and would be able to postively impact our position from day 1 by playing to the strengths of our best players. There would be plenty who fit the brief.

It's getting to the point where it's bigger than Rowett and whether he can keep us up in the short-term - it's the impact on our mid to long-term ability to continue to build a team of players who want to be here, and can thrive.

I like Rowett, I wanted him to be the one to take us to the next level. But if we're at a point where we risk losing BDK or Currie or we are in danger of letting a Prelec or Krastev slip through our fingers then perhaps we have to start looking at the bigger picture...

 

[headingtonoldboy]

We have some very talented players (BDK, Prelec, Krastev to name but 3) and I don't think GR knows what to do with them as they don't fit in with Rowettball. Maybe a different manager would be able to get the best from them. I was in the Rowett in camp but after today, my opinion has changed. We have better quality players (on paper at least) compared to last season but have gone backwards in terms of results. A change is needed.

 

[RgYellows]

Weak, weak, weak. Self motivation comes from within, I’d be bloody embarrassed if ANYONE, quite literally ANYONE, had to motivate me for anything. If I was sat in a dressing room awaiting a managers team talk and thinking ‘I hope he can motivate me today’ I think I’d pack it in.

Love the idea of Winston Churchill giving his “fight them on the beaches” speech and you telling him to shut the f**k up because you motivate yourself.

 

[holdsteady]

Weak, weak, weak. Self motivation comes from within, I’d be bloody embarrassed if ANYONE, quite literally ANYONE, had to motivate me for anything. If I was sat in a dressing room awaiting a managers team talk and thinking ‘I hope he can motivate me today’ I think I’d pack it in.

A player who got us promoted is a great example of how a player who needed motivation can still benefit you though.

 

[90syeIlow]

Love the idea of Winston Churchill giving his “fight them on the beaches” speech and you telling him to shut the f**k up because you motivate yourself.

If there was a contender for post of the year, this would be it.

 

[Salaghaf]

I fell asleep reading that

A similar experience to watching us play today then!
A loss or a draw against Charlton, and he has to go.

 

[Sutton Yellow]

I think we're on the cusp of being a better team.

For me there are some simple fixes. Play Currie instead of Leigh and tell him that LB/LWB is his to lose. Leigh has always been average at best defensively but got by due to scoring a few goals. But he has become a bit of a liability at both ends. 30 seconds into the Stoke game he manages to head the ball straight into the ground from a foot out and still miss, and today was not the first time he has no idea where the player is whilst defending.

Long throws. If Vaulks is going to throw the ball from anything in the opposition half, then coach them. Measure how far he can throw them and position players there, not 10 yards back. Decide if we're going to look to flick the ball on or get the ball back to Vaulks and position other players accordingly.

Corners. If BdK is going to take all the corners then measure how far he can kick it and position players accordingly. See above for more detail.

Look at what works and stick with it. Mills has looked our most creative player this season. Lankshear looks the most likeky to score. Play them both together as often as possible and build a good understanding to get the best out of each other.

Have a credible plan B. Placheta looks brilliant or rubbish, but is generally a player best in small bursts. So he becomes the change from Mills, or a starting option when looking to play on the break. Look to partner him with Prelec who does the yards that Harris does but looks more dangerous. As with Currie, give these players the confidence to know that they're getting plenty of game time even if they make the odd mistake.

Decide what you want to do on the left. We have no natural left winger, but Krastev, Tyler and even Dembele can play in that space, but won't give you width or blistering pace. So set ourselves up to match these strengths. Few teams have old fashioned wingers on both wings anymore, so its not impossible to set up to have one pacey outlet and one tricky option that cuts inside. Its also not impossible to switch these throughout the game to give different options. But commit to something, coach it, and stick with it.

And finally, get everyone to at least look like they give a s**t. I know I'm biased, but get the Sam Long attitude amongst everyone on and off the pitch. The willingness to bust a gut to get into the opposition box in the dying seconds against Norwich has kept us from being default bottom of the table (Sheffield Wednesday are long gone!). Make us nasty and horrible to play against. Win ugly is better than losing dull. Get around the ref when we get dicked for not getting penalties. Talk about it pregame to get in the officials heads. Throw yourselves around, drive across players to give them no option but to bring you down. Play smart, play dirty if we need to. But put up a bloody fight and give a s**t.

The most animated I've seen Rowett this season was when he was chatting to his Sky mates after the Ipswich win. If he wants to sit on a sofa talking about the game then let him crack on and bring someone else in who is solely focused on keeping us up.

There's an awful lot to like in this post.

We need to get as many round pegs in round holes as we can. Rowett should be picking as many of his best performers in the best combinations as he can, and I just don't think he is.

We must dispense with all of the pre-planned substitutions, play the game as it is, be proactive. If some players get a bit fatigued, then we deal with it, just as he said he would when he first came in, but don't chop and change for the sake of it. Today was a prime example. The selections and subs were just weird.

We need to be more positive from the start. We struggle when we go behind, so get up the bloody pitch early and set the tone. Don't wait to get a bloody nose from the opposition.

The attention to detail is poor. Set plays, both the delivery and routines, are unacceptably bad. We do not look an organised and drilled side.

Those who think Rowett is the only who can get results seem to overlook that we are not getting his peak 100% version. He doesn't have a firm grip.

If he remains in post then the way forward for him and us has to be the same: show some desire and some fight! We only come out and play when forced. It's not good enough.

I believe we have enough to compete, but we are getting brushed aside far too easily. We can change it, but the manager has to believe he can change it.

Does he believe?

 

[Village-Yellow]

Dunno why,that was one of the best posts on here today.

Straight out of the “football for dummies” book.

Silly really that it’s so obvious, yet somehow difficult to implement.

 

[Twiggy85]

I think we're on the cusp of being a better team.

For me there are some simple fixes. Play Currie instead of Leigh and tell him that LB/LWB is his to lose. Leigh has always been average at best defensively but got by due to scoring a few goals. But he has become a bit of a liability at both ends. 30 seconds into the Stoke game he manages to head the ball straight into the ground from a foot out and still miss, and today was not the first time he has no idea where the player is whilst defending.

Long throws. If Vaulks is going to throw the ball from anything in the opposition half, then coach them. Measure how far he can throw them and position players there, not 10 yards back. Decide if we're going to look to flick the ball on or get the ball back to Vaulks and position other players accordingly.

Corners. If BdK is going to take all the corners then measure how far he can kick it and position players accordingly. See above for more detail.

Look at what works and stick with it. Mills has looked our most creative player this season. Lankshear looks the most likeky to score. Play them both together as often as possible and build a good understanding to get the best out of each other.

Have a credible plan B. Placheta looks brilliant or rubbish, but is generally a player best in small bursts. So he becomes the change from Mills, or a starting option when looking to play on the break. Look to partner him with Prelec who does the yards that Harris does but looks more dangerous. As with Currie, give these players the confidence to know that they're getting plenty of game time even if they make the odd mistake.

Decide what you want to do on the left. We have no natural left winger, but Krastev, Tyler and even Dembele can play in that space, but won't give you width or blistering pace. So set ourselves up to match these strengths. Few teams have old fashioned wingers on both wings anymore, so its not impossible to set up to have one pacey outlet and one tricky option that cuts inside. Its also not impossible to switch these throughout the game to give different options. But commit to something, coach it, and stick with it.

And finally, get everyone to at least look like they give a s**t. I know I'm biased, but get the Sam Long attitude amongst everyone on and off the pitch. The willingness to bust a gut to get into the opposition box in the dying seconds against Norwich has kept us from being default bottom of the table (Sheffield Wednesday are long gone!). Make us nasty and horrible to play against. Win ugly is better than losing dull. Get around the ref when we get dicked for not getting penalties. Talk about it pregame to get in the officials heads. Throw yourselves around, drive across players to give them no option but to bring you down. Play smart, play dirty if we need to. But put up a bloody fight and give a s**t.

The most animated I've seen Rowett this season was when he was chatting to his Sky mates after the Ipswich win. If he wants to sit on a sofa talking about the game then let him crack on and bring someone else in who is solely focused on keeping us up.

Completely agree with especially the currie, corner, long throw points,
But what you list out there is proper coaching and management.
As I have said previously - it doesn’t feel like Rowett is all in and just question weather he is turning over every stone or just going through the motions.

 

[OX14]

A good workman can only work with the tools he is given.

Poor kit can make the best look average.

He`s not been here 12 months yet ffs.

People should remember its a marathon not a sprint.............

12 months and 2 transfer windows is a long time for managers in today's football. Des had less and got us a promotion. A good tradesman never blames his tools or lack off he always finds a way round obstacles.

 

[dickwalton1964]

Love the idea of Winston Churchill giving his “fight them on the beaches” speech and you telling him to shut the f**k up because you motivate yourself.

I can’t imagine Roy Keane pleading with Ferguson to stir him up, get him going for the next 90 minutes - it’s a ridiculous thought! Or John Terry sat there slumped on the floor needing a pick me up speech from Claudio Ranieri. On an Oxford level, the exact same with Brannagan, Brown, Long - it’s there already, self motivated to give their all game in, game out. Is it really that difficult to motivate yourself for a game of football in front of an adoring audience? Talk about over egging the pudding !

 

[90syeIlow]

I can’t imagine Roy Keane pleading with Ferguson to stir him up, get him going for the next 90 minutes - it’s a ridiculous thought! Or John Terry sat there slumped on the floor needing a pick me up speech from Claudio Ranieri. On an Oxford level, the exact same with Brannagan, Brown, Long - it’s there already, self motivated to give their all game in, game out. Is it really that difficult to motivate yourself for a game of football in front of an adoring audience? Talk about over egging the pudding !

Not everyone has the same loyalty to the club as Brown and Brannagan do.

For most, this is a temporary stepping stone in their career and they will often need some extra encouragement from the coaching staff.

 

[holdsteady]

I can’t imagine Roy Keane pleading with Ferguson to stir him up, get him going for the next 90 minutes - it’s a ridiculous thought! Or John Terry sat there slumped on the floor needing a pick me up speech from Claudio Ranieri. On an Oxford level, the exact same with Brannagan, Brown, Long - it’s there already, self motivated to give their all game in, game out. Is it really that difficult to motivate yourself for a game of football in front of an adoring audience? Talk about over egging the pudding !

Or Joey Beauchamp, Josh Murphy? I mean we have had a few players who have needed a manager who motivated them, that turned out alright.

 

[TheDukeOfBanburyshire]

There's an awful lot to like in this post.

We need to get as many round pegs in round holes as we can. Rowett should be picking as many of his best performers in the best combinations as he can, and I just don't think he is.

We must dispense with all of the pre-planned substitutions, play the game as it is, be proactive. If some players get a bit fatigued, then we deal with it, just as he said he would when he first came in, but don't chop and change for the sake of it. Today was a prime example. The selections and subs were just weird.

We need to be more positive from the start. We struggle when we go behind, so get up the bloody pitch early and set the tone. Don't wait to get a bloody nose from the opposition.

The attention to detail is poor. Set plays, both the delivery and routines, are unacceptably bad. We do not look an organised and drilled side.

Those who think Rowett is the only who can get results seem to overlook that we are not getting his peak 100% version. He doesn't have a firm grip.

If he remains in post then the way forward for him and us has to be the same: show some desire and some fight! We only come out and play when forced. It's not good enough.

I believe we have enough to compete, but we are getting brushed aside far too easily. We can change it, but the manager has to believe he can change it.

Does he believe?

Nope. He's decided he's on a hiding to nothing and has checked out, essentially.

He's refused to adapt and the game is passing him by.

His reputation as a bottom half championship specialist is in danger and I don't think there's much he can do about it this time around.

 

[Scotchegg]

In regards to coaching, I think that the game has evolved a lot in the last few years and Rowett may just find himself out of touch.

We have seen time and time again that other managers seem to be able to make subtle changes at numerous times during games that significantly change the outcome. We very rarely seem able to adapt in any meaningful way.

Even when we were winning games under Rowett last season, it was generally on the back of scoring first and holding on.

No reason why you can't stick with that, but you have to set up to defend as a block while transitioning the ball quickly forward to spread the play and give an attacking threat. Arguably, we even recruited to strengthen into this style with Spencer, Currie and Davies in defence, BdK to provide the transition, and Lankshear, Prelec and Krastev to add to the attacking options.

It wouldn't necessarily be pretty but you feel it would have been more effective and consistent with Rowett's style.

But we can't even manage that and we have no clear identity.

As much as I loved Des, I think that the Championship was a step too far and he got found out quickly last season. But we at least looked like we were giving it ago before the wheels fell off. And we will always have the playoff final and the way he coached us to completely negate everything Bolton had.

I'm not advocating for a return of Des, but we're desperately crying out for a more modern approach to coaching to get the best out of what we have.