Manager/Coach KR needs to go

[Scotchegg]

I get your point, but result apart that was not a great display against a poor side, I thought we looked pretty mediocre last week.

However we looked great against Blackpool and walked away with nothing.

Against Coventry we looked fantastic going forward but made stupid mistakes at the back. So we've had to tighten up and stop the gung-ho approach which was exciting but leaving us exposed at the back. I'd guess that we will see more performances like Tranmere where we might not look so great but be in a position to take our chances to win games.

 

[Mellowyellow]

Appleton to Imps! ?

 

[LondonRoader]

However we looked great against Blackpool and walked away with nothing.

Against Coventry we looked fantastic going forward but made stupid mistakes at the back. So we've had to tighten up and stop the gung-ho approach which was exciting but leaving us exposed at the back. I'd guess that we will see more performances like Tranmere where we might not look so great but be in a position to take our chances to win games.

I don't know how far back you want to go to try and prove your point, lets hope there are more roll over teams in the league like Tranmere.

 

[RyanioBirdio]

I get your point, but result apart that was not a great display against a poor side, I thought we looked pretty mediocre last week.

Two pens and a deflected strike paints a slightly rosier picture than the reality of that one. We couldn’t say we were simply clinical - we created sod all in the form of clear cut chances against an abysmal looking side. Gorrin deserves a medal for that block he put in after two minutes, too.

Fair is fair, we won the game and I don’t really care about anything else in the grand scheme of things, but we’re yet to start creating real opportunities. It isn’t like the back end of last season when we went to places like Walsall and Shrewsbury, had three good chances and stuck them all away. That was just clinical play. We need to get back to that again, and find a way to actually create two or three clear, solid gold chances per match. Then we can worry about converting some of them, and eventually most of them.

 

[Steve McAvoy]

Replying directly to the title of this thread, respectfully I disagree. He needs to stay and continue to develop the squad.

 

[Scotchegg]

I don't know how far back you want to go to try and prove your point, lets hope there are more roll over teams in the league like Tranmere.

It's not about trying to prove a point, but simply to say that not playing great and winning balances out the occasions where we are by far the better team and walking away with nothing. We can look at this season and the examples I've given, or we can pretty much look at any season over the last 20 odd years to see similar issues.

Playing great football is good. Winning is good. Putting the two together - perfect. But for now I'm sure most of us would take a few scrappy wins, or the occasional goal against the run of play to get us up the table. Of course, we shouldn't have to rely on this but equally we aren't in the position to moan about deflected goals or penalties coming our way.

 

[greatunclekip]

Replying directly to the title of this thread, respectfully I disagree. He needs to stay and continue to develop the squad.

Are we developing a squad though. Or are we flinging random players together?

 

[ZeroTheHero]

... we aren't in the position to moan about deflected goals or penalties coming our way.

All goals gratefully received! But we can't rely on own goals, deflected goals and penalties to keep our heads above water. The worrying thing is that we don't look much more dangerous when Taylor is on the pitch and I think we were all hoping he'd be the missing piece of the jigsaw. Early days though...

 

[Paul Cannell]

Are we developing a squad though. Or are we flinging random players together?

We had centre-backs and full-back last season. Perhaps KR's dismantling a squad in favour of a vast, flabby midfield?

 

[Shosho]

I don’t think KR needs to go...I just think he needs to become more tactically flexible.

Use the players we have rather than trying to show horn them in. Also take into account the opposition and how they play rather than just pushing our game on to them

 

[greatunclekip]

I don’t think KR needs to go...I just think he needs to become more tactically flexible.

Use the players we have rather than trying to show horn them in. Also take into account the opposition and how they play rather than just pushing our game on to them

Two things that Robinson has never done over hos career. One thing he is not is tactically flexible.

 

[nick68]

I'm confused by some of the comments on here!

Firstly someone complaining after 2 consecutive clean sheets that we ship goals too easily?
Then someone else saying KR can't put a balanced squad together yet another fan thinks Appleton would fill his boots with this squad of players?

So which is it?

Also i keep hearing no plan B but in reality what managers ever have a plan b, they're always tweaking things mid game so to the untrained eye (including mine) it's not always obvious when the formation is flexible.

Bolton was always going to be a strange/bad time to play them and fair play to them, come the end of the season we'll see if that's a good point or not regardless of their previous results with a completely different team.

Ian Atkins provided winning football, did everyone enjoy that and many would have had Appleton sacked very early so let's not panic in September.

 

[Scotchegg]

All goals gratefully received! But we can't rely on own goals, deflected goals and penalties to keep our heads above water. The worrying thing is that we don't look much more dangerous when Taylor is on the pitch and I think we were all hoping he'd be the missing piece of the jigsaw. Early days though...

You're right about everything being gratefully received right now, be it deflected goals or opposition shots coming off the crossbar. However, Brannagan's effort against Tranmere would have troubled the keeper even without the deflection and he may have scored or forced the keeper to parry to have someone else score. Baptiste turned his player and left him dead. He could have easily pulled the ball back for someone to have an open goal to aim at. The second own goal from Cov was put on a plate for Elliott Moore to have buried. On these occasions I think it's fair to say that we've created our own luck. But, we can't rely on this and should be doing far more.

Taylor still looks a little rusty. As much as I can understand Henry wanting to take the penalty last week, I would have given it to Taylor to break his duck. I think that desperation to get the first goal is showing. He is snatching at chances, his touch is a little heavy and he is playing under pressure. I'd hope that once he scores he'll relax and more goals will come.

I also think that we need to find a way to get Brannagan and Woodburn in the game. Both are potential match winners, but are wanting to play in similar roles. I think Woodburn needs to start further forward to leave space behind for Brannagan to come from deep. Or we lose one of them and add Mous/Thorne to play alongside Gorrin with a slightly deeper no.10. You could then play Cadden as the right midfielder giving pace on both flanks and Long behind giving more solidity at the back.

Annoyingly, I don't think we are far away from being a decent side, but we have to change something and some tough calls are needed. Lincoln were in the auto places a couple of weeks ago, beat them on Saturday (and it's the kind of result we could get!) and we're a point off them.

Then we can look forward to beating West Ham in the week before a humiliating defeat to Gillingham a week Saturday!!!

Let's be honest, it's bloody hard work supporting Oxford, let alone managing them!!!

 

[Mad Dog]

My God!

While I can understand the concerns regarding scoring goals, and the defensive issues, I find the doom and gloom after 4 points from two games, and two clean sheets, pretty shocking to be honest.

We can’t, and won’t win every game we play, and sometimes we’ll play well, and other times we won’t, regardless of the result.

All teams will have dips in form, where they’re not scoring enough, or conceding too many, that’s football!

Things ain’t that bad guys, yes there’s room for improvement, there always will be, but 4 points from 2 games, and 2 clean sheets, regardless of the opposition, is no crisis, and certainly no need to be calling for the manager to be sacked after 9 games.

It’s a results business at the end of the day, and performing well, whilst obviously preferred, is simply a nice added bonus.

Win on Saturday, and that’s 7 points from a possible 9, in the space of one week, which would be excellent form, and I for one would be very happy with that.

 

[Shosho]

Two things that Robinson has never done over hos career. One thing he is not is tactically flexible.

He has changed when he has had to...look at the turn of this year. When in the muck he can adapt and scrape out wins - would just prefer if we didn't leave it until 2020 before doing again this year.

 

[ZeroTheHero]

My God!

While I can understand the concerns regarding scoring goals, and the defensive issues, I find the doom and gloom after 4 points from two games, and two clean sheets, pretty shocking to be honest.

We can’t, and won’t win every game we play, and sometimes we’ll play well, and other times we won’t, regardless of the result.

All teams will have dips in form, where they’re not scoring enough, or conceding too many, that’s football!

Things ain’t that bad guys, yes there’s room for improvement, there always will be, but 4 points from 2 games, and 2 clean sheets, regardless of the opposition, is no crisis, and certainly no need to be calling for the manager to be sacked after 9 games.

It’s a results business at the end of the day, and performing well, whilst obviously preferred, is simply a nice added bonus.

Win on Saturday, and that’s 7 points from a possible 9, in the space of one week, which would be excellent form, and I for one would be very happy with that.

I think that's a bit too black and white (please note that I have not called for Robinson to be sacked and actually very few on this thread have!).

I do agree that football is a results business and yes a home win and an away draw are decent results when taken as just that. But what people are trying to do is to look at the season as a whole - what has happened, where we are now and where we might end up. And to do that, you DO have to look at not only the results, but the way the team has played, squad depth, managerial flexibility, the opposition etc. Just look at the two results and anyone calling for the manager's head needs their own examining, but look at the opposition and the performances as well and it's not *quite* so ridiculous.

Of course, watching and commenting on football is all about opinions. Some on here have said that they thought we played excellently against Tranmere for example. That view is something that I simply cannot reconcile with what I actually saw on the day. I won't comment on the Bolton match as I wasn't there to watch it - although the players, manager and those who did attend have all said it was a poor performance.

Extrapolate the last two game's results over the season and we are play off contenders - but I don't think anyone thinks we have to do anything but improve the actual performances an awful lot for that to be even vaguely possible.

 

[Mad Dog]

I think that's a bit too black and white (please note that I have not called for Robinson to be sacked and actually very few on this thread have!).

I do agree that football is a results business and yes a home win and an away draw are decent results when taken as just that. But what people are trying to do is to look at the season as a whole - what has happened, where we are now and where we might end up. And to do that, you DO have to look at not only the results, but the way the team has played, squad depth, managerial flexibility, the opposition etc. Just look at the two results and anyone calling for the manager's head needs their own examining, but look at the opposition and the performances as well and it's not *quite* so ridiculous.

Of course, watching and commenting on football is all about opinions. Some on here have said that they thought we played excellently against Tranmere for example. That view is something that I simply cannot reconcile with what I actually saw on the day. I won't comment on the Bolton match as I wasn't there to watch it - although the players, manager and those who did attend have all said it was a poor performance.

Extrapolate the last two game's results over the season and we are play off contenders - but I don't think anyone thinks we have to do anything but improve the actual performances an awful lot for that to be even vaguely possible.

I see your point, and I agree, performances matter, and I enjoy dissecting and rating performances, and discussing/debating afterwards, regardless of the results, otherwise I’d just stay at home, and switch on final score at 4:45!

But I just don’t understand people saying we were poor against Tranmere, we weren’t, we played well, and got the job done. It wasn’t champagne football, but it won’t always be, the important thing was that we got the win, and played perfectly well, although some will obviously disagree!

Against a much improved Bolton side, who yes, got hammered on Saturday, we underperformed, but still got a point out of it, but people thought we were gonna smash 5 or 6 past them, but they’ve now got better, more experienced senior players than they had in previous weeks, so they were always going to tighten up at the back, and make themselves hard to beat.

Very rarely do senior professionals let in bagfuls of goals two games running, and neither do the team that scored a bagful in the previous game, go out and do it again the next match, hence Rotherham only scoring one in their next game!

But people still expected a cricket score, then went mental when it, inevitably, didn’t happen, started throwing insults Robbo’s way, and calling for his head!

And then this bloody thread started!

I agree, since the first few games, we have been underperforming, but there have also been times when we’ve shown what we’re capable of, with the right formation, and players in the right positions, but sometimes even that won’t be enough, and we’ll lose, or we’ll play crap, but win, but either way, sacking our manager 9 games into the season is not the answer, we’re in too deep now, and it would be too disruptive, and I can’t think of anyone who would be worth sacking Robbo, and then having to pay off the remainder of his contract for.

Unless of course Mapp was interested! ?

 

[ZeroTheHero]

But I just don’t understand people saying we were poor against Tranmere, we weren’t, we played well, and got the job done. It wasn’t champagne football, but it won’t always be, the important thing was that we got the win, and played perfectly well, although some will obviously disagree!

And that IS where we disagree, at least partially. I thought Tranmere were marginally the better side for the first half hour (they certainly created more chances and had more shots) but that although we played better - and better than them - for the rest of the game, for much of the time to me it looked like a poor team beating a poorer one!
BUT (as you rightly say) we got the job done - which is in the end what you have to do, however badly (or well!) you play. And if we play the way (I think) we played against Tranmere every week and win 3-0 you wouldn't hear me moaning. I just don't think that if we play that way that is in the least likely and indeed against Bolton it wasn't.
For me, the hope is that Taylor starts firing (and we provide him with the type of opportunities he needs), Baptiste regains fitness bloody quickly, we shore up the right back position defensively (either by putting Long back there or by specifically detailing a midfielder to go back there and fill the gap when needed if Cadden is up the pitch) and that we avoid more injuries.
You don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but there do need to be changes and improvements made. I don't think that will include getting rid of Robinson any time soon, whatever I think of him as a manager.

 

[Mad Dog]

And that IS where we disagree, at least partially. I thought Tranmere were marginally the better side for the first half hour (they certainly created more chances and had more shots) but that although we played better - and better than them - for the rest of the game, for much of the time to me it looked like a poor team beating a poorer one!
BUT (as you rightly say) we got the job done - which is in the end what you have to do, however badly (or well!) you play. And if we play the way (I think) we played against Tranmere every week and win 3-0 you wouldn't hear me moaning. I just don't think that if we play that way that is in the least likely and indeed against Bolton it wasn't.
For me, the hope is that Taylor starts firing (and we provide him with the type of opportunities he needs), Baptiste regains fitness bloody quickly, we shore up the right back position defensively (either by putting Long back there or by specifically detailing a midfielder to go back there and fill the gap when needed if Cadden is up the pitch) and that we avoid more injuries.
You don't want to throw the baby out with the bathwater, but there do need to be changes and improvements made. I don't think that will include getting rid of Robinson any time soon, whatever I think of him as a manager.

I agree, changes and improvements do need to be made, and this IS where Robbo falls short, in his inability to accept if/when his ideas aren’t working, such as stubbornly sticking with 4-2-3-1, when we clearly have players more suited to a 4-3-3, and a quality striker desperately in need of the support he would get in that formation.

Robbo does seem reluctant/unable to accept these obvious mistakes, but if us mere mortal supporters can see it, then why can’t he?

Is it arrogance, and not wanting to “lose face” and do what he knows most fans are calling for? Or is it naivety and he really believes 4-2-3-1 is the best way to go?

Either way, he’s here for the long haul, so we don’t have any choice but to turn up each week, and be the twelfth man, support him and the lads, and just hope to god that he really did know what he was doing all along, and all our worries and concerns were for nowt!

The team really is nearly there, and with just a couple of tweaks, with an addition or two in key areas in January, and a bit more ruthlessness, I still feel it can still be a successful season.

Here’s hoping...

 

[Left Wing Cross]

Robbo does seem reluctant/unable to accept these obvious mistakes, but if us mere mortal supporters can see it, then why can’t he?

Is it arrogance, and not wanting to “lose face” and do what he knows most fans are calling for? Or is it naivety and he really believes 4-2-3-1 is the best way to go?

To be fair, he went 4-4-2 against Burton when we were chasing the game. Admittedly, we conceded the 4th a few minutes afterwards.