The Issues

[ManorFarmMiller]

As I see it, we have 99 problems and.....

Firstly, we have too much wage budget tied up in players with zero value, players who will all leave on a free in the summer, Dawson, Raggett, Hughill, James, Rafferty, Kelly, Jules & Powell. I am pretty certain with the exception of Nombe, these will be the biggest drain on wages. All of which are a bit average and not Hamshaw players. This means Hamshaw is limited to young kids to gamble on - Hall, Martha, Agbaire, Spence, Kaleta or experience that comes with baggage (in our case injury history) - Benson & Yearwood. Similar approach with loans, gamble on a kid - Sherriff, Gore & Baptiste or go for experience with issues - Etete. The one saving plus this season has been the emergence of Douglas.

This leaves us with a huge issue. Half the squad he kind of doesnt want - but cant get rid and half the squad lacking in experience who look to the players we dont want for that experience.

For me the answer is not to get rid of MH, but he needs some help. Not sure what Tongue or Wood bring. Tongue was assistant to Darren Ferguson - a team well known for conceding a lot of goals and Wood is in his first role (we would probably benefit more from him actually playing!). He needs an old head in the dug out with him, someone like a Blackwell or Jepson (that Warnock had).

MH needs supporting in the window, we need a leader of the field - ideally a Wood-esque Centre half. Someone in midfield that can do what Benson can without the injuries and width - we need some wingers. Along with this, a change in system and style, back to the 433 championed by Warnock with Douglas sitting in front of the back 4.

This season should be about not going down, clearing out the deadwood - which there is a lot of and seriously recruiting in the summer.

[Derbymiller]

Ah the MH is a victim argument, he brought in 13 players in the summer. I agree with you that we have players he inherited that take a large proportion of the budget, but out of the list Rafferty and James are excellent L1 full backs, Powell had one of the best records in L1 last season for assists, chances created and distance travelled.

Dawson is a capable L1 keeper, not brilliant but capable and Jules is also above average at this level. Raggett and Kelly have fitness issues and are past their best and Hugill has been covered many times. Also look at availability Powell, James, Dawson and Rafferty have excellent records, they put themselves on the pitch for Hamshaw, a lot of his players are never available, or is that someone else?s fault as well?

Now MH chooses to not play with FBs so he isn?t getting the best of Rafferty and James, that is his decision and one he chooses not to change. Hall is no wing back, but he bought him to play there!! He chooses to try to get width from wing backs but he didn?t recruit any quality there and they also play too deep.

Every manager inherits someone else?s squad and yes it is a factor, I agree with you in that, but his recruitment has been shocking and our best players have been players he inherited or academy.

[Heliosphan78]

Derbymiller, I'm as disappointed as anyone with recruitment but you've got to factor budget into it.

For instance, if MH had the same budget as SE, do you think he would have signed Etete? A player with an appalling injury record and equally bad goalscoring record. Course he wouldn't. He was a panic signing before the season started because we probably failed to get our main target, whoever that was. You could say the same thing about Tom Holmes. We signed him on deadline day. Another croc who can't get into Luton's team because he wears his boots on the wrong feet. Clubs do things like this when the budget is rubbish.

And it doesn't end there. We have the likes of Dru Yearwood who has probably found it hard to adapt because he's been coasting along in the MLS for 4 years. Josh Benson, an excellent player who can't stay fit but we gambled on him. And apart from Spence, the rest have been young players from home or abroad who are not yet the finished article and are bound to be inconsistent.

So he's had to spread whatever budget he's had amongst 13 new players and meld them into a team capable of a top half finish whilst also playing attractive football, because that's the minimum some of our fans expect.

It's a tough gig for a seasoned manager, never mind a rookie and ultimately he'll be accountable but I think he deserves a bit of slack.

[Tigerish]

This is ridiculous. He didn't have to sign these inadequate or unreliable players but he did. It lies at his door, don't you get that?

[Timbertop]

We have a head of recruitment who continually avoids criticism for the rank bad signings he has recommended. Wonder why he keeps his job !!

[Old_time_miller]

Anyone who thinks dawson is a capable L1 keeper should take a look at the errors he makes on a regular basis. It?s embarrassing.

Ed. Basic errors a rookie would blush at, costing goals.

[Timbertop]

Dawson is the reason the defence is hesitant and jittery but the (current) manager continues to to praise him. Worrying.

[ManorFarmMiller]

Dawson = highest paid GK in L1.

[Heliosphan78]

This is ridiculous. He didn't have to sign these inadequate or unreliable players but he did. It lies at his door, don't you get that?

You understand that when a club wants to sign a player, they don't always get their first choice? They might not get their 2nd or 3rd choice and when that happens you're already looking at lower calibre players or maybe players who haven't achieved their full potential for whatever reason. When you're a lower league club with no money, you might call it fishing in a pond full of ****.

One thing Hamshaw has done is sign a handful of young players who may or may not come good. Some are 6 months into a 3 year contract, give them a chance.

You won't give it chance though because you're fickle and reactive. You're not capable of looking past the result. That's why you're always one of the first into the post match threads when we lose and nowhere to be seen when we win.

[ManorFarmMiller]

Where did I say he was the victim here?
Rafferty & James are not "excellent" L1 full-backs - far from it - both bang average. Powell's form has dipped this season v last season, maybe last season was the one-off?

Jules doesnt get in another L1 team.

So, we will not sell any of previous managers signings for a fee - not one. We might sell Nombe, but he was signed by Taylor. If, and i know it is a big if, they play, get game time and develop - all of MH's signings could command fees (with the exception of Benson & Yearwood) - big difference.

[SdnMiller]

The main part of this that's missing is accountability, is it the recruitment teams fault for suggesting players that are not good enough, is it the owners fault for not offering enough budget to sign better players, is it the managers fault for signing off on those players. Frankly none of us know

For me the lack of sporting director is the problem. Taylor moved us away from signing younger players to sign championship experience, in came Richardson to play a different way, Evans who played a different way entirely then hammy who's back to the Warney way of football. There's now a mishmash of signings who are here to fit different managers styles how are any of them meant to succeed.

It constantly feels like there's no long term planning at the club, evident by the lack of academy and poor training facilities.

[Derbymiller]

Where did I say he was the victim here?
Rafferty & James are not "excellent" L1 full-backs - far from it - both bang average. Powell's form has dipped this season v last season, maybe last season was the one-off?

Jules doesnt get in another L1 team.

So, we will not sell any of previous managers signings for a fee - not one. We might sell Nombe, but he was signed by Taylor. If, and i know it is a big if, they play, get game time and develop - all of MH's signings could command fees (with the exception of Benson & Yearwood) - big difference.

The tone of your original post came across as if MH was a victim of circumstance, and I don't agree with that sentiment. Powell was excellent at Burton as well his drop in form coincides with MH coaching. I do not agree with you about Rafferty (L1 title winning full back) or James (only player in our team capable of putting a good cross in), Jules is debatable. Regarding Dawson I am not a fan but he is a good shot stopper and overall he isn't the worst we could have, and he plays because MH won't play the keeper he recruited and he didn't bring in a 3rd keeper. We can disagree on individual players and we will always have our own opinions on them, and the point made on the thread about the budget being a bigger factor is fair, however MH hasn't recruited well and most of them don't even turn up to work, and as said many times before the best ability is availability, the contract extension for JJ and jack Holmes sums up MH recruitment for me.

[CAMiller]

The tone of your original post came across as if MH was a victim of circumstance, and I don't agree with that sentiment. Powell was excellent at Burton as well his drop in form coincides with MH coaching. I do not agree with you about Rafferty (L1 title winning full back) or James (only player in our team capable of putting a good cross in), Jules is debatable. Regarding Dawson I am not a fan but he is a good shot stopper and overall he isn't the worst we could have, and he plays because MH won't play the keeper he recruited and he didn't bring in a 3rd keeper. We can disagree on individual players and we will always have our own opinions on them, and the point made on the thread about the budget being a bigger factor is fair, however MH hasn't recruited well and most of them don't even turn up to work, and as said many times before the best ability is availability, the contract extension for JJ and jack Holmes sums up MH recruitment for me.

Here's a question for you DM. If Dawson is a good shot stopper shouldn't he have stopped at least a couple (or maybe more) of those Blackpool shots that went in? No doubt he has saved many goals this season but it is his job and he needs to do more to earn the huge sack of corn we're paying him.

[mellowmiller]

We have a head of recruitment who continually avoids criticism for the rank bad signings he has recommended. Wonder why he keeps his job !!

I completely agree. I suspect he has far more say in who we sign than any of us know and then whoever happens to be manager has to work with what he's given.

[Derbymiller]

Here's a question for you DM. If Dawson is a good shot stopper shouldn't he have stopped at least a couple (or maybe more) of those Blackpool shots that went in? No doubt he has saved many goals this season but it is his job and he needs to do more to earn the huge sack of corn we're paying him.

Yes he should, I said I am not a fan, he should be able to play the ball with his feet, should command his area more, I am only saying he stops a lot of shots on target, shouldn?t the question be why is he having to, the blackpool keeper and hudders keepers at our place could have sat in the stand with us, their defence reduces the number of shooting opportunities. My general point is I don?t think overall the players he inherited are our main issue, there are some like useless Hugill but the main issue is the way MH is trying to play, I genuinely feel a more experienced L1 manager would have this squad harder to score against and higher up the league. Please do not take that as a ?he must go? statement, I don?t think we can afford for him to be sacked at this point, I think we have to hope he drops on a couple of decent players, he adapts his style and finds a way to train the players that doesn?t make their hamstrings like they are made of tissue paper. I would be delighted if he took us on another 9 game unbeaten run and got us into that middle third, I love this club and hate to see us in this situation, hate the thought of us being relegated again. Like a lot on here I have watched over 50 years of football, week in and week out and you can sense it when a manager just isn?t going to sort it, and that is my gut feeling now with MH, I hope he proves me wrong.