28 Apr 2024 21:45:13
I'd like to think I've not quite lost my mind with our manager to the extent that most of you have, but my birthday was ruined by our Leicester drubbing.

The best we've played this season was the first half vs Preston. Essentially the policy was make runs, create space, line breaking passes, shoot on sight. And we were awesome.

There was no pressure then. We'd been written off again, then the second hope is back on the table we lose three in a row. I can't think of the last time we were a side massively under pressure AND delivered.

I think it was our win at Swansea under Hughes to stay up, and that was six years ago. It looks like we'll have Norwich in the play-offs and we will go down 2-3 on agg I reckon.

But this isn't just an issue with our manager - yes he's stubborn beyond belief and an arrogant sod, but our squad doesn't have the mettle to handle pressure and imagine this lot in the PL next season.

I also don't see how the board sack him. He will say 'most years 84 points gets you promoted (I think the average before this year was 79?) and the play-offs is a lottery' and our board are renowned for being lenient - Pellegrino, Hughes and Jones all outstayed their welcomes. I hope it happens, but also who do we bring in? Potter? Cooper? I doubt it. Go cheap and hope it comes off has been the policy for a decade plus and that'll probably be the continued thinking.

I almost hope we don't go up because we will never ever stay up next year and at least this year we've won games.

And on the discussion around players listening to their manager - a bit different but I'm a cricket captain, and the main philosophy is 'have fun, go for it, back yourself'. If I told everyone to play one way we would never win, there needs to be flexibility and that is something we absolutely do not have.

Even when losing in the last minute we pass it round the back, and the players need to have some bravery and belief in themselves to do what they think. It isn't all on one man and in August I'd have taken the play-offs. But I fear stagnation and a Bristol City type season (boring mid table) next campaign.

1.) 30 Apr 2024
30 Apr 2024 21:36:07
Preston was an interesting one. We were quite simply superb… as you say, we changed things. I honestly thought that was the start of changes.

I remember when we started to play balls over the top, H-B particularly good and clever at it . I worked … but we stopped it.
it is almost like RM had sleepless nights worrying that he had gone against his possession obsession.

Possession obsession to the extreme.