Stockport

[jackal2]

Exactly. I'm sick and tired of hearing how teams like Aldershot are tough because they're well organised or whatever. It's Aldershot, for god's sake. No offence to the vast majority of teams in this league, but with our resources, we shouldn't be losing to teams like like Aldershot, no matter how well organised they are.

I don't expect us to win every game. I expect us to try to win every game, and if we fail, I want it to be that we gave absolutely everything but were just outclassed/unlucky. To simply not turn up - like Notts do once every five games - is shocking for a club in our position, with our ambitions, at this stage of the season.

Bring in someone who can instill a ruthless winning mentality in our players. And bring in players who can win a battle. No more Zak Brunts, please.

The two messages I wanted to hear from IB after yesterday's shambles were that he accepted some responsibility for the result in terms of a poor team selection, but also that he wouldn't accept that kind of lethargic, half-arsed crap ever again from any team he sends out. It was a completely unacceptable performance and result which needed to be declared as such inside and outside of the dressing room.

Instead, we got a shrug of the shoulders, a moan about a penalty decision and a story about how Aldershot had set up to make life difficult for us. If the manager starts making excuses and showing such a lack of passion, then it's hardly surprising that the players do the same. I repeat, I'm not calling for the manager's head at all, but I am saying he needs to recognise what's missing and demand more of himself and his players. That's the only way we'll stand any chance of pulling off a surprise in the play-offs.

[slack_pie]

The two messages I wanted to hear from IB after yesterday's shambles were that he accepted some responsibility for the result in terms of a poor team selection, but also that he wouldn't accept that kind of lethargic, half-arsed crap ever again from any team he sends out. It was a completely unacceptable performance and result which needed to be declared as such inside and outside of the dressing room.

Instead, we got a shrug of the shoulders, a moan about a penalty decision and a story about how Aldershot had set up to make life difficult for us. If the manager starts making excuses and showing such a lack of passion, then it's hardly surprising that the players do the same. I repeat, I'm not calling for the manager's head at all, but I am saying he needs to recognise what's missing and demand more of himself and his players. That's the only way we'll stand any chance of pulling off a surprise in the play-offs.

Indeed. All we hear after a performance like that are reasons why it was difficult. They were well organised, the were fighting for their lives, they made it difficult for us, etc.

These aren't valid reasons.

The 'they were fighting for their lives' one really pissed me off. Like it's not possible for our players to fight for promotion with the same level of desire.

It's obviously a personnel issue. I don't think our players are deliberately not trying, I just think they aren't the kind of players who are up for a battle. Desire and passion are just like technical skills in that you have to recruit for them. I just don't think our players have it in them, regardless of the manager. We badly miss balance. Yes, have a few lightweight and skillful attacking midfielders, but also have a some hard-tackling, hard-running midielders. It isn't rocket science.

[Elite_Pie]

The 'they were fighting for their lives' one really pissed me off.

Yep, the reason 'they were fighting for their lives' is because they had lost more than twice as many games as they had won. In other words, they're not a very good team who we should have beaten without too much trouble.

Desire and passion are just like technical skills in that you have to recruit for them.

That's my worry about this supposed #radarlove. The stats might be evidence of their technical skills etc, but does it work when your opponent says "stick your stats up your arse, I want it more than you"? Saturday suggest it might not.

[Big Bob]

Yep, the reason 'they were fighting for their lives' is because they had lost more than twice as many games as they had won. In other words, they're not a very good team who we should have beaten without too much trouble.



That's my worry about this supposed #radarlove. The stats might be evidence of their technical skills etc, but does it work when your opponent says "stick your stats up your arse, I want it more than you"? Saturday suggest it might not.

Absolutely spot on