O/T:- Swansea

[matt_magpie]

He couldn't get out quick enough.. The only reason we did well last season was because of the poor standard of opposition, compared to the players we had. This season he had no answer, because most other teams had key players in both, midfield and defensive positions that were much better than what we had. He saw the Swansea job has an opportunity to conserve his falling stock...

And yes, the chairman visited his house 2 weeks before LW appointment..

However you cut it Durham we were in the playoffs when he left performing above budget which is a more than a fair return.
Why wouldn’t he want to go, if you were offered triple your salary and to live back at home wouldn’t you take it? I certainly would.
I don’t know when he saw the chairman, it probably was 2 weeks before then we had the hassle of getting the best compensation, not a lot he could have done about that was there?

[durhampie]

However you cut it Durham we were in the playoffs when he left performing above budget which is a more than a fair return.
Why wouldn’t he want to go, if you were offered triple your salary and to live back at home wouldn’t you take it? I certainly would.
I don’t know when he saw the chairman, it probably was 2 weeks before then we had the hassle of getting the best compensation, not a lot he could have done about that was there?

I dont blame him for going, I would if in the same position.. I just dont think that he was as good as many seem to think. His away record was shocking and the performances were equal to relegation form, His substitutions never achieved anything, and he had no idea how to resolve our defensive problems..

[slack_pie]

I dont blame him for going, I would if in the same position.. I just dont think that he was as good as many seem to think. His away record was shocking and the performances were equal to relegation form, His substitutions never achieved anything, and he had no idea how to resolve our defensive problems..

His unorthodox substitution won us promotion at Wembley. Some people are hard to please.

[durhampie]

His unorthodox substitution won us promotion at Wembley. Some people are hard to please.

That was not unexpected, as we all knew that was going to happen if the game went to penalties. As Slocombe had never saved a penalty.

[LaxtonLad]

His unorthodox substitution won us promotion at Wembley.

Hardly unorthodox, SP. Our goalie dived the wrong way and it was only his stuck-out boot that stopped a goal. One can't have thought that just because Slocombe has a bad record on penalties, subbing him was the thing to do, can one? We don't know the record of whatsisname stopping penalties anyway. What we do know is LW's habit of multiple substitutions is unsound and has nearly cost us games.

[matt_magpie]

I dont blame him for going, I would if in the same position.. I just dont think that he was as good as many seem to think. His away record was shocking and the performances were equal to relegation form, His substitutions never achieved anything, and he had no idea how to resolve our defensive problems..

I agree this year away form has been bad but he did absolutely transform it last season. Defensive personnel has a bit to do with it and the loss of Palmer has meant the jump up and certainly away form has took a massive hit.
There’s no doubt he could have addressed it better but looking at the whole picture, record breaking season last year, play off position this year and the football we have played is why people held in him in high regard.

[durhampie]

I agree this year away form has been bad but he did absolutely transform it last season. Defensive personnel has a bit to do with it and the loss of Palmer has meant the jump up and certainly away form has took a massive hit.
There’s no doubt he could have addressed it better but looking at the whole picture, record breaking season last year, play off position this year and the football we have played is why people held in him in high regard.

You all seem to be getting the wrong end of things, He didnt transform us, it was the quality of players that were handed to him that achieved that. Apart from Wrexham, and to an extent Chesterfield, there was no way he could have failed.. The rest of the division were just not in the same league...

[matt_magpie]

You all seem to be getting the wrong end of things, He didnt transform us, it was the quality of players that were handed to him that achieved that. Apart from Wrexham, and to an extent Chesterfield, there was no way he could have failed.. The rest of the division were just not in the same league...

No way he could have failed? The team that beat us to the title had a playing budget at least twice as high as us? So with that in mind we should have been nowhere near them but we were and then there was the small challenge of getting through the playoffs.
I agree anything less than top 3 would have been underwhelming but we were 25 ish points in front of Chesterfield?? That’s some transformation to me.

We had lost Wooton and Roberts, Macca was outstanding, Jones wasn’t quite there until the end of the season building his fitness and the other guys did well who came in but he changed the whole mindset of the team, we lacked intensity under IB, LW installed it and especially off the ball.

[Old_pie]

I dont blame him for going, I would if in the same position.. I just dont think that he was as good as many seem to think. His away record was shocking and the performances were equal to relegation form, His substitutions never achieved anything, and he had no idea how to resolve our defensive problems..

You will mostly be right being critical as we are after all in the basement, after being even lower than that for 4 seasons which any idiot it seems should have got us out of earlier eliminating the need for LW.

Likely you'll only stop being critical if we go up the leagues into the Premiership and by god, then you'll really have something to complain about.

Meanwhile enjoy the weather. A touch of frost around.

[LaxtonLad]

You will mostly be right being critical as we are after all in the basement, after being even lower than that for 4 seasons which any idiot it seems should have got us out of earlier eliminating the need for LW.

Likely you'll only stop being critical if we go up the leagues into the Premiership and by god, then you'll really have something to complain about.

Meanwhile enjoy the weather. A touch of frost around.

Mustn't grumble.