Current Staff GR - Next season

[Steve Gilbert]

If we carry on playing like we did in the first half we could be back there.

Or if we go back to playing how we did before these last 3 games we will be absolutely fine.

 

[Cass63]

Or if we go back to playing how we did before these last 3 games we will be absolutely fine.

Yep

 

[Ewes]

This is the biggest question for me, that people seem to avoid.

Me too. We’ve consistently, in every single transfer window since he’s been here, brought in players who are crocked or lack fitness therefore get injured easily. It’s more than just bad luck, it’s looking like poor research now.

Plus change the coaching staff is my view.

 

[Foley]

So 3 people want us to change manager even if we stay up.
Even on here I am amazed by that.

 

[Scotchegg]

So 3 people want us to change manager even if we stay up.
Even on here I am amazed by that.

And the coaching staff. And Ed and the recruitment team. And the ball boys really p**s me off when they go chasing after the loose ball rather than giving the ball right next to them on its little stand! And I lost my glasses yesterday. Someone must have picked them up but were they handed in? No! I want them sacked too!

 

[Foxy]

I don't know the length of GR's contract, but he was brought in to keep us up. If we do stay up, he will surely be given the budget to keep us up again next season, which is all we can realistically hope for. We need to be in the new stadium to be able to push on in the championship IMO. Gary Rowett is as good as we are going to get ATM, unless we go down the rookie manager road.

 

[Roge]

https://www.twtd.co.uk/league-table...Dec-21/todate:2025-Feb-16/type:home-and-away/

The table since Gary Rowett took over. Not a great game yesterday but look at the overall record

 

[Oxfordpete]

I think the next 4 games are massive (as if they all aren’t) would like 9 but perhaps 6 more realistic minimum of 5

 

[Basham Wonderland]

Or if we go back to playing how we did before these last 3 games we will be absolutely fine.

I'd say last 5 games (or 6 if Exeter counts)

It is becoming concerning how long it has been since we have played well.

 

[Foxy]

I think the next 4 games are massive (as if they all aren’t) would like 9 but perhaps 6 more realistic minimum of 5

I would take 6 points from the next 4 games, that would put us on 44 points with nine games still to play. Reaching distance of staying up.

 

[Steve Gilbert]

I would take 6 points from the next 4 games, that would put us on 44 points with nine games still to play. Reaching distance of staying up.

3 wins...Coventry (H), Hull (A), Cardiff (A)
4 draws...Watford (H), QPR (H), Sheff Weds (A), Swansea (A)
6 defeats...WBA (A), Noriwch (A), Boro (A), Sheff U (H), Leeds (H), Sunderland (H)

Points total at end of the season: 51

 

[TailsWeWin]

We’ll win at WBA on Saturday.

 

[Scotchegg]

3 wins...Coventry (H), Hull (A), Cardiff (A)
4 draws...Watford (H), QPR (H), Sheff Weds (A), Swansea (A)
6 defeats...WBA (A), Noriwch (A), Boro (A), Sheff U (H), Leeds (H), Sunderland (H)

Points total at end of the season: 51

13 wins or I'll be having that Positive Bus badge off you!!!

 

[Wicko]

Football moves quickly these days mate, if you get a new manager every month you get a constant new manager bounce.

Great theory - not worked very well at Watford

 

[m]

And the coaching staff. And Ed and the recruitment team. And the ball boys really p**s me off when they go chasing after the loose ball rather than giving the ball right next to them on its little stand! And I lost my glasses yesterday. Someone must have picked them up but were they handed in? No! I want them sacked too!

Ah, Scotchers, there you are, I found these yesterday:

 

[Corbo]

We’re not a hiring and firing type of club which is why letting Des go was extra gutting. Rowett should get plenty of time to build his team.

 

[kingoftheroad]

We’ll win at WBA on Saturday.

 

[Essexyellows]

Why keep changing the box if the contents remain the same?

Can see why Des went (fear of relegation) can see why GR arrived (stoic/experienced enough to prevent relegation).

So we stay up he stays, see how the next season starts and who we sign with the extra ££`s then review.

 

[Ewes]

There is, of course, another option for the poll:
Stay up = new manager. Relegated = keep him.

The rationale behind this could be: we know our precarious position when GR first came in and even if we do get relegated, he’ll know better than most what is needed to thrive in Lge1 next season.

Whereas if we stay up, but continue to stutter performance-wise, not scoring goals, insufficient shots on target, but staying tight at the back, we recognise we need someone to push us further next season because we’re no longer happy with the basic ‘stay up at all costs regardless of how dreary the football is’.

This season is all about staying in the division. Next season is all about increasing our profile, income and attendances ahead of the stadium move.

 

[tonyw]

This is the biggest question for me, that people seem to avoid.

Can’t polish a turd. Perhaps there’s a question for what should happen to Ed Waldron?

Yeah, tend to agree on this.

I think we will stay up because a) I think under GR we'll be super-organized, fight like hell and scrape to enough points and b) I think there's a number of bad teams in the division this year.

But if, God forbid, we go into a tailspin and can't right ourselves, I'm still not sure it's going to be the fault of Rowett - it's going to be the fact that our forwards are in the main not Championship calibre. We've had some good spells from a couple of players at one time or another (Placheta & Tyler in particular) but we are not consistently able to create chances against Championship defenses (only Plymouth are below us on xG) and our forwards (but not our defenders, thankfully!) seem to keep missing them on the rare occasions we do.

Now I'm a realist, and understand that with our budget we are not going to be able to bring in established peak-career Championship forwards - we're going to be restricted to loanees, young players on their way up the league, older players on their way down and overseas. Buuuut surely a great recruitment team comes up with a couple of gems here and there? And I'm not sure that we have.

 

[WE Yellow]

He should stay and be allowed to rebuild the squad in the way he wants, just like Des should have been given time with a fully fit squad of players. I despise the thought of us becoming a Watford/Stoke like club and getting into the habit of hiring/firing willy nilly.

The issue is, he will be judged in the same amount of time that Des was due to the board's quick, cold dismissal of him. If, next season (provided we stay up) then Rowett has us lingering outside the relegation zone and no real sign of progression, there will be question marks surrounding his position, and rightly so. The worry and main issue I have with this board is, do they then follow their protocol and dismiss of Rowett or do they hold out and give him the time that Des probably deserved? It'd be a horrible look for them if we're languishing and Rowett's football is being served up - it would get toxic real quick.

Then, if we're without a manager, what profile do we then go for? We've tried the young head coach route with incredible success, and we've gone for the pragmatic old school safe bet with Rowett. I can't see us then ripping it up and going head coach again, we'll be in a dour cycle of firefighter managers who get linked to every job under the sun (Neil Harris, Alex Neil types) until we eventually fall out of the league.

For what it's worth, I think we will stay up this season, however the past 5 or so games there have been disturbing red flags appearing, which are right to be pointed out. No doubt that if Rowett keeps us up he's earned himself the chance to prove himself next year.

 

[tatabanya]

So we have a manager who has a track record of estabishing unfancied sides in the Championship, who had Millwall on the fringes of the play-offs season after season on a similar budget to ours, who came into a sinking ship and oversaw an unbeaten run of nine games which took us from the relegation zone into mid-table, but because we threw in two poor performances against Derby and Portsmouth we're losing faith?

 

[Carpy]

but because we threw in two poor performances against Derby and Portsmouth we're losing faith?

The poll quite literally suggests the opposite...

 

[Foley]

So we have a manager who has a track record of estabishing unfancied sides in the Championship, who had Millwall on the fringes of the play-offs season after season on a similar budget to ours, who came into a sinking ship and oversaw an unbeaten run of nine games which took us from the relegation zone into mid-table, but because we threw in two poor performances against Derby and Portsmouth we're losing faith?

It is just the extreme members of the forum really suggesting he is sacked.
If we stay up, that would be ridiculous.

 

[tatabanya]

The poll quite literally suggests the opposite...

View attachment 25495

Aimed at those saying otherwise

 

[Carpy]

Aimed at those saying otherwise

A minority that will always exist. I wouldn't worry yourself about the rest.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

There is, of course, another option for the poll:
Stay up = new manager. Relegated = keep him.

The rationale behind this could be: we know our precarious position when GR first came in and even if we do get relegated, he’ll know better than most what is needed to thrive in Lge1 next season.

If we went down then the capitulation that caused it would literally be the worst in Championship history. No team has ever been relegated from this division having amassed 37 points from 31 games, which is where we were prior to the Derby game.

There is therefore no scenario where he could possibly or reasonably stay if the unthinkable were to happen. He would factually and provably have overseen the biggest collapse in the history of the division.

 

[Foley]

If we went down then the capitulation that caused it would literally be the worst in Championship history. No team has ever been relegated from this division having amassed 37 points from 31 games, which is where we were prior to the Derby game.

There is therefore no scenario where he could possibly or reasonably stay if the unthinkable were to happen. He would factually and provably have overseen the biggest collapse in the history of the division.

8/ 9 points in 13 games is likely to be enough .
So 2 wins 3 draws and EIGHT defeats.
As you suggest,this wouid be a monumental collapse.

 

[East Stand Fan]

Although we have tailed off after a promising start and 9 game unbeaten run, I still think we have potential to get more than enough points on the board to finish comfortably safe. If we go down then it'll largely be because of the first half of the season and the signings that were made during the summer. Under Des, we only won 3 games yet we achieved that under Rowett in a week plus more. I am slightly concerned with our recent form though and approach to matches but no other manager would be able to do any better with what we've got.

Sacking him either way isn't really an option especially for our reputation or finances.

 

[tonyw]

Although we have tailed off after a promising start and 9 game unbeaten run, I still think we have potential to get more than enough points on the board to finish comfortably safe. If we go down then it'll largely be because of the first half of the season and the signings that were made during the summer. Under Des, we only won 3 games yet we achieved that under Rowett in a week plus more. I am slightly concerned with our recent form though and approach to matches but no other manager would be able to do any better with what we've got.

Sacking him either way isn't really an option especially for our reputation or finances.

PEDANT ALERT

It was four - Norwich, Preston, Stoke & Hull.