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  • in reply to: Cox Out #216776
    lesgeolesgeo
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    WG – if memory serves.

    In the last decade, is there any worse record, anywhere in the entire EFL, where a patently unsuccessful manager has managed to hang onto his job for this length of time?

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    in reply to: Colchester Away #216747
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Insipid, lack-lustre and utterly dismal in picking out of team mates with passes.

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    in reply to: Colchester Away #216722
    lesgeolesgeo
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    There are indeed a few ‘green shoots’:
    1) Squad fitness improving gradually.
    2) Fewer members of the squad on the treatment tables.
    3) Hackney adjusting to Division Four football.
    4) Rory looking a class act.
    5) Hippo contributing.
    6) More team spirit – Harrogate away may yet have been a turning point.
    7) Some better choices by the manager.
    8) Was there some sort of epiphany in Neil after him witnessing the consequences of uber defending at Barrow?
    9) Pugh is doing the business.

    Time alone will tell. This is not a bad squad – rather, it is an ordinary one which, if properly organised, will only be relegated if the injury list returns to its default state or worse.

    in reply to: Fans Survey #216582
    lesgeolesgeo
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    For the sake of all pity – don’t rant in the survey. It can and will be used against those who do – and those who don’t will still find themselves tainted by it.
    Toned down, carefully argued, no ad hominem attacks.
    Simple, straightforward, logical and without any sense of bitterness, please.
    You know it makes sense!

    Abuse will NOT improve the situation. Politeness may not help but at least, it won’t make matters even worse.

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    in reply to: Coaching Messiah ! #216520
    lesgeolesgeo
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    You are showing your age!

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    in reply to: Todays Attendance #216434
    lesgeolesgeo
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    I set the bait for who would be the first to make that comment Alcy … and

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    in reply to: Todays Attendance #216426
    lesgeolesgeo
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    On the pitch – a few green shoots are starting to appear.

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    in reply to: Crawley match thread #216361
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Interesting how good so many 4th division teams can look when they are given a bit of space.
    Tired legs, injuries, players have worked their socks off – subs will always be needed and need to be expected. Newey didn’t seem too bovvered.

    When a side is losing – they will throw the kitchen sink at you. That is to be expected.
    What happened at Barrow must NOT ever be expected again.

    in reply to: Crawley match thread #216351
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Pugh is turning into a real dynamo.

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    in reply to: They’ll all be wanting Watson #216350
    lesgeolesgeo
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    I agree wholeheartedly – having always tried to support Rory, even when some wanted him hanged by the goolies til blue-faced.
    I may also have been the only person to support Hippo who was due to face ritual evisceration.
    A few fans seem to enjoy and wallow in failure. Players need encouragement whenever possible.
    There are players in this squad who are young and inexperienced – often slammed but they are developing.

    in reply to: Crawley match thread #216341
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Did well. More a question of being a bit jittery at the end rather than surrendering possession as we did at Barrow.
    Hippo’s best game. A clear 8.
    GK another 9.
    Millen an 8.
    Hackney starting to get what he’s supposed to be doing – at last
    Players coming back – a cause for a little optimism.
    I had no problem with the manager today.

    in reply to: I must be mad #216333
    lesgeolesgeo
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    We need you to keep us fully informed.

    in reply to: Get Adkins NOW #216332
    lesgeolesgeo
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    I predict an Iron victory.

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    in reply to: Swann pull your finger out #216238
    lesgeolesgeo
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    If it were to be in an advisory capacity, even just two days a week, the chosen man – whether Adkins or another with a footie brain – would not be blamed if all failed but might yet save us.

    in reply to: Tactics #216147
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Moi aussi.

    in reply to: Shareholder statement #216092
    lesgeolesgeo
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    With a forward to hold up the ball and some leadership in CM this team is fine. Maybe even good enough for 14th to 16th.
    Surely, anyone who witnessed the two halves at Barrow will see: a) What can be done with these players and b) How not to play them.

    This site brought attention this week to the dangers of playing a narrow five in midfield.
    Guess what we did in the 2nd half! The logic in ceding control of the game totally escapes me.

    The main reason we didn’t lose was that Barrow held onto the ball and kept playing around the outside of our box and they ignored dozens of opportunities to swing crosses in.

    Winning the first half 2 – 0 would have been fair to us – winning the second half 6 – 0 was there for Barrow to claim.

    Incidentally, if players are unwell – they can feel unwell covering the flanks rather than feeling unwell and playing narrow.

    Our main problem remains the poor management of the team resources. With a half decent manager, this lot would have been a good half dozen places higher up the table.

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    in reply to: Barrow defeat #216091
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Notice how he corrected himself from ‘point’ and said ‘a result’?

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    in reply to: Tactics #216090
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Argument by insult is seldom profitable.

    in reply to: Barrow defeat #216060
    lesgeolesgeo
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    We controlled the first half and let them pass the ball in their own half and on the halfway line. Hence the huge imbalance in possession first half. I may dare suggest that we controlled the half.

    Repeating this tactic in the second would have probably won us the game – but the whole attitude changed. Defend deep! Abject surrender of the ball and position. This game was there to be won and it feels like a defeat.

    Fair dos to the defenders – great effort. I was close to giving my first ever 10 to a keeper but finally gave Rory a 9.

    in reply to: Barrow defeat #216055
    lesgeolesgeo
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    We KNOW, because we KNOW because we’ve seen it all before!
    I am displeased!
    Was that a new record for defending ultra deep? We surrendered territory as if it didn’t matter.

    BRILLIANT GK kept us in the game – but would all those saves been needed if we’d not sat back defending around the penalty spot.

    in reply to: Forest Green #215938
    lesgeolesgeo
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    I did mean not booking Rory.

    in reply to: Forest Green #215908
    lesgeolesgeo
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    I don’t believe that the ref booked him, either.

    in reply to: Forest Green #215823
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Wind back about a month and the team played as it had done previously – a bit of heart and no real thoughts that the match could be won.

    Three appalling match-changing decisions/non-decisions by the ref had me reminiscing about the first third of last season when reffing had hit a new low.

    There was much to like. I watched the game with a now ex-supporter who knew nothing about the team. A man steeped in league football from within the game, he criticised no Iron player – coming the nearest to doing so with O’Malley. He applauded Rory, Hippo and Loft and showed astonishment that Pugh is not an auto pick.

    Effectively a neutral now, he was not displeased with the efforts of either players or Cox.

    I needed someone I trust to look at us afresh for me.

    The conclusions were that we are a CB short; we need leadership in CM and we need a player in the style of Paul Hayes or similar.

    If I read him right – we are three players away from being a decent team – and just two if we can muddle by with 3 CBs.

    My thoughts were that we created some good chances and were thwarted by a super goalkeeping display.

    Barrow awaits.

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    in reply to: The Whartons versus Swann #215680
    lesgeolesgeo
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    To see the Iron relegated or go under would tarnish the chairman’s reputation throughout football – which is of relatively little importance, I suppose.
    But I am sure that he would not want to see the Swann name vilified beyond football and into the business sphere which would be an inevitable consequence.
    People who wreck community assets can quickly become pariahs – even in what can sometimes be a shark-eat-shark world.

    By whatever means possible, he now has to attempt to resolve this mess – and very quickly. I would imagine that his entire credibility is now at stake.

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    in reply to: Cox Still Here ? #215432
    lesgeolesgeo
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    I am puzzled.
    Has the Swann family been tragically reduced to the status of paupers?
    As far as I am aware there appears to be loadsa money still – it is just that it is only peanuts now being directed towards the football project which now bores them.
    Previous losses seem to have been recouped.

    When the going gets tough – the ‘tough’ go absent?

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    in reply to: Cox Out #215260
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Yes, Alcy.
    Sounds roughly right. 700 from the league leaders and 1,647 diehards.
    FG were the best team I saw last season and seem to have improved.

    in reply to: He may well go! #215256
    lesgeolesgeo
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    If Swann goes and the club goes under – what difference will that be to Swann staying?
    Based on that thinking – I prefer to see him depart.

    Muses. I wonder if Fenty might be available …

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    in reply to: Harrogate match thread #215244
    lesgeolesgeo
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    I think you meant to say that he is in the same category as Dickie Rooks and Ron Bradley.

    in reply to: Cox Out #215159
    lesgeolesgeo
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    Newey and Cooper suggested that finding a manager might be a problem.
    This is not so. There are scores of experienced managers who think that they’ll never get back into the league and will take us on as a longshot to resurrect their career.
    If you were ever get to see the list of applicants you would gasp at the number of well-known names – desperate to get back into football.
    We need someone who is intolerant to lackadaisical effort and who will gladly put juniors in when more senior players do not deliver.

    Yet again, we have to look at the dismal quality of loan players on show.
    None of them is worth a place. I warned pre-season about the dangers of continuing with this failed policy.

    The real problem is centre midfield where we are hopelessly inadequate. They are so bad, the defence is wrongfooted far too often. The same inept CM means that we do not construct decent forward moves.

    Green allowing that cross to be made showed a couldn’t-care-less attitude which has to be expunged.

    If Cox goes and a new manager can’t turn it around – there will be only one person left who’ll be 100% at fault – and who will then not be able to argue otherwise or try to divert blame.

    Anyone want to guess the next home attendance, BTW?

    in reply to: Cox Out #215141
    lesgeolesgeo
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    That’s FIVE, BTW.
    Cox cannot and must not survive this horror.

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