I'd just like to expand on this with a little something I prepared earlier.
Belated half term report:
Darren Moore, Graeme Jones and the squad have established us as a top six side. We’re three points off the automatic places and have a manager whose been nominated for four of the last six Manager of the Month awards. He’s lost his first choice goalkeeper, an admittedly up himself yet good centre half, a centre forward who would most likely dominate Championship centre halves (yes that’s right, Rondon) and had to mend and make do during the summer with the presence of Jenkins and all that entails in terms of squad investment. Things could be better but then they could also be a hell of a lot worse.
There is currently a not inconsiderable distance between ourselves, the other relegated teams and ‘the unmentionables’ from the class of ’82 down the road. Things can change rapidly and we admittedly concede too many cheap goals (mostly down to individual mistakes), but we’re also scoring at a volume not seen since the days of Di Matteo and Mowbray before him. It doesn’t always work out but we generally try and play attacking football, something which the support base has been crying out for. It’s no coincidence that we have the best goal difference and goals for column in the division.
The right back position appears to have been sewn up, we’re in the hat for the next round of the FA Cup and potential play offs withstanding we have another nine**** league games to go. All this has been achieved under the leadership (in the minds of several) of an apparently clueless fkwhit. One who went into our last game with a team who’ve been in the top two for much of the season minus the creative services of Harvey Barnes and Matt Phillips. Not to mention the experience and steadying influence of James Morrison and Jake Livermore as Hegazi and Gayle returned for their first games following injury.
In my opinion he’s made mistakes in the transfer market, mistakes with formation and with substitutions. That said he’s also brought in some serious talent and changed the formation. From memory I think we’ve also regained more points from losing positions than any team in the Championship proving he’s more flexible tactically than often given credit for. Although he has a wealth of experience from within the game as both a player and coach he’s still a managerial novice and learning as he goes. Although there are times when he frustrates the hell out of me he’s made attending games fun again.
Thank you to the quality human being AKA Darren Moore; a B+/A- from me with an eye to improvement and a future A.
Onward and COYB .