I'll remember him as trying to play possession and pressing football, which is adorable and incredibly difficult at our level and with our budget. He brought in and helped nurture good footballers. But ultimately he (and his staff because I don't think he's helped by having only two coaches with no experience prior to this year) were not good enough at the way they wanted to play football, and weren't good enough at getting players to transition between different phases of play.
I personally think too much is made of a lack of plan B, because when you're up against 11 men behind the ball for most of a game, a plan B is easier said than done. It's more a matter that plan A wasn't good enough. That we weren't able to dominate enough games from start to finish. That we weren't make our advantages count. That when it came to the attacking third we relied too heavily on individuals to produce moments of brilliance instead of intricate team moves, despite having players well suited to the latter.
I don't. It's not necessarily about changing tactics when your 1-0 down in the 80th minute or 1-0 up, it's also about not playing the same formation for 46 games.
Our opponents can spend all week on the training pitch preparing for our tactics because they're always the same.
Our plan A was reasonably sufficient IMO. Better luck with injuries and a striker who could score and we would be a few places higher easily.
I think K the formation thing is a red herring. As far as I know Wigan have always played 4-2-3-1 this year. Shrewsbury have always played 4-1-4-1. How many times did Powell change formation from the start in the title winning side?
I do agree about not being able to change things 0-1 down.
But how often have Shrewsbury and Wigan had to? Robinson has stuck with the same formation and style whether we were unbeaten in 4 or hadn't won in 4.
I see your point that teams can perform without having to change, but the bottom line is we were not one of them. There have been times we were in desperate need of a change and he's just been too stubborn towards his 4231 to even consider it.
The thing with Shrewsbury and Wigan not needing to change is what I describe as plan A not working. Because they have had enough success with it, they have not felt the need to change it. I think it was @Sage who said we have struggled to out in one good, consistent performance this whole year. I think Fleetwood and Northampton are probably the closest, but that was a long time ago.
Now, there are a lot of mitigating circumstances with us, including having one senior center forward and having that rash of injuries in November-December-Jan which is the worst time to have them. But I still think we should have more good performances and wins than we do. Some of that is seeing out games, and I agree with you on making a change to the formation there, the caveat being we've struggled to keep CBs fit. But there are stil times, like against Oxford, where bringing in another center half to shut up shop was needed.
And beyond that, I think some of our defensive shape is wobbly. We concede a lot of goals and chances from balls worked down the right hand side and out swinging crosses from deep. And that's coaching a defensive shape and ways to track runners from midfield which we've also struggled with a lot.
Maybe we should turn it around - it really isn't for fans to come up with better tactics, but we can observe how easy it is to play against us at the Valley. The way to beat us, or at least get a result against us, more often than not is to press, be a bit physical (as close to over physical as the ref will allow) and makes sure you always have bodies in the box you are defending. Defensively, it helps to know Charlton are prone to losing focus too. It is obvious to us so it will be even more obvious to half decent managers!
A great example is the Bradford game. For the first 20 minutes we looked so much better than them it was almost embarassing. Then they started fouling a bit and making the game messy, stopping us playing - which for me is always far too easy to do and they could have ended up getting all three points in the end. So I am watching us totally outclass them and am waiting for what I have described to happen - and it did. Why?
It was only 5 minutes against Shrewsbury, but we looked so much better than them in those five minutes, we could have scored two goals. They just started the spoiling tactic sooner than Bradford did. I am not criticising these clubs, just observing it is too easy for them.
Oh, what because we won the league under completely different circumstances..
No because he got us to 9th in the Championship when the Spivs pulled the 'Cash' plug
He'd already had the money to build a competitive championship side. Karl has been drip fed funding rather than being given a cash dump.
Karl is still not good enough in my opinion, but i believe he will one day be a mid to high level championship manager as ageing generally makes the individual grow more wise.
Oh, what because we won the league under completely different circumstances..
The club were in a prolonged downward spin when Powell took over, which he reversed. I’d also say this squad has arguably more quality and monetary value than Powell’s - possibly Kermorgant aside.
We were 5th in L1 when Parkinson was sacked after a 4-2 defeat to Swindon (2 goals for Charlie Austin, 1 for Matt Ritchie). On a poor run, but still in a very competitive position.
Can someone please tell me, realistically, what manager would have done a better job in these circumstances with the budget he had along with dealing with RD and co
Yes, he's made mistakes but Jesus Christ we are 7th in the league 2 points of the play offs with 2 games in hand considering all the crap going on around him!
If it was CP, you'd all be signing his praises
Is that the one where you do the thumbs up on each hand and roll them over each other?
Oh, what because we won the league under completely different circumstances..
No because he got us to 9th in the Championship when the Spivs pulled the 'Cash' plug
He'd already had the money to build a competitive championship side. Karl has been drip fed funding rather than being given a cash dump.
Karl is still not good enough in my opinion, but i believe he will one day be a mid to high level championship manager as ageing generally makes the individual grow more wise.
Not really... the majority of the League One winning squad were freebies
Then when we went up; we signed seven players with Wilson and Button the only ones we paid fees for
7th is crap. Robinson's aim at the begging of the season was promotion. Then it was the play-offs and now its 6th. Would you be happy with finishing 6th? I wouldn't. All the 'big games' since Robinson has been in charge we have lost. I have zero faith that we would win 3 play-off games under him. Yes he has had no money, but not many teams in League One do. Look at our team on paper compared to most teams we have played. We should be in a lot better position than we are.
Promotion is still the goal and is in reach... We just don't have the strength in depth or tactical nous from our manager to go all the way.
Or players that are good enough?
We have the players - we don't have the manager. Look at the dross that is in the play off's this season, it is a scandal that we're not AT MINIMUM comfortable in the play offs.
If we give him until the end of the season we won't be promoted.
If we get a new manager under Roland we'll still be in the shit.
If we get a new manager under new owners within the next few weeks they might pay what needs to be paid to get a decent manager and we may get a new manager bounce.
Robinson is a rubbish football manager, it’s that simple. The squad we have should be top 3/4. I reckon there are plenty of managers out there who Could get us there just through changing tactics with no additions.
Oh, what because we won the league under completely different circumstances..
More likely because he has rocked up at Southend (a team massively struggling this season) and got 13 points from his first 6 games...
How did he do at huddlesfield?
Given the resources that he was allowed, I'd say not bad at all - okay, the football may not have been always enthralling, but I find only limited pleasure in watching/listening to KR's teams fail to register a strike on goal for most of a half.
Even if SCP was replaced by someone who got promotion, the owners gave the repalcement much more money.
Robinson isn't anywhere near the level of ability, IMHO.
At the start of the season promotion was the target and play offs minimum. If we miss the play offs the season is a failure , sorry Robbo but I won't shed any tears if you move on , the team have under performed.
We still have a very good chance of getting sixth place and then promotion will still be possible, that lot down the road managed it so why not us aswell
Robinson is a rubbish football manager, it’s that simple. The squad we have should be top 3/4. I reckon there are plenty of managers out there who Could get us there just through changing tactics with no additions.
And he’s an annoying bastard.
You think so?
When other teams get physical (which at the end of the day is when we look our most vunerable) what do you suggest we do? Apart from bringing on a third centre back to add height I think we are hamstrung by the deficiencies of our squad. Too many small players, no physical types in midfield.
There are those who blame Karl for that, but there are plenty of you who think we've got a top three squad. Personally I think our squad is unbalanced and lightweight.
Robinson is a rubbish football manager, it’s that simple. The squad we have should be top 3/4. I reckon there are plenty of managers out there who Could get us there just through changing tactics with no additions.
And he’s an annoying bastard.
You think so?
When other teams get physical (which at the end of the day is when we look our most vunerable) what do you suggest we do? Apart from bringing on a third centre back to add height I think we are hamstrung by the deficiencies of our squad. Too many small players, no physical types in midfield.
There are those who blame Karl for that, but there are plenty of you who think we've got a top three squad. Personally I think our squad is unbalanced and lightweight.
So who built this unbalanced and lightweight squad over the past three transfer windows?
Robinson is a rubbish football manager, it’s that simple. The squad we have should be top 3/4. I reckon there are plenty of managers out there who Could get us there just through changing tactics with no additions.
And he’s an annoying bastard.
You think so?
When other teams get physical (which at the end of the day is when we look our most vunerable) what do you suggest we do? Apart from bringing on a third centre back to add height I think we are hamstrung by the deficiencies of our squad. Too many small players, no physical types in midfield.
There are those who blame Karl for that, but there are plenty of you who think we've got a top three squad. Personally I think our squad is unbalanced and lightweight.
So who built this unbalanced and lightweight squad over the past three transfer windows?
Their salaries weren't league one salaries, their sign ons weren't league 1 sign on fees.
I don't know what the salaries were but they were a clear step up from what they replaced.
If you think any of those players were on anywhere near as much as some average squad players are on this season you are mad. I'd bet (with a hint of inside info) that the likes of Sarr are on more now than Kermorgant etc were on in the championship.
If having "worked in football" was a requirement for having a valid opinion then it would make sense to shut down this whole board.
The same illogic would be applied to not being able to comment on Trump unless you worked in US politics or about movies unless you worked in Hollywood.
To go up we will need to beat one of Blackburn, Wigan or Shrewsbury in the playoffs. Can anyone seriously see that happening?
Not necessarily, we have three games in hand over Scunthorpe and Plymouth are the in form side. Win our games and we knock Scunny out of the top6 and take their spot in 5th. Plymouth could play one of the three you mentioned and beat them and our route to the championship could be Rotherham then Plymouth at Wembley. Obviously that's an unlikely scenario but we don't have to beat one of the better 3 sides and play offs is anyone's game as always
I’d be interested to see how he does under the freedom and security of a normal owner at our club. I feel like he cares about the job he does and understands (or at least pretends to) what CAFC means to us. We’ve been begging for that for years.
Comments
I see your point that teams can perform without having to change, but the bottom line is we were not one of them. There have been times we were in desperate need of a change and he's just been too stubborn towards his 4231 to even consider it.
The thing with Shrewsbury and Wigan not needing to change is what I describe as plan A not working. Because they have had enough success with it, they have not felt the need to change it. I think it was @Sage who said we have struggled to out in one good, consistent performance this whole year. I think Fleetwood and Northampton are probably the closest, but that was a long time ago.
Now, there are a lot of mitigating circumstances with us, including having one senior center forward and having that rash of injuries in November-December-Jan which is the worst time to have them. But I still think we should have more good performances and wins than we do. Some of that is seeing out games, and I agree with you on making a change to the formation there, the caveat being we've struggled to keep CBs fit. But there are stil times, like against Oxford, where bringing in another center half to shut up shop was needed.
And beyond that, I think some of our defensive shape is wobbly. We concede a lot of goals and chances from balls worked down the right hand side and out swinging crosses from deep. And that's coaching a defensive shape and ways to track runners from midfield which we've also struggled with a lot.
A great example is the Bradford game. For the first 20 minutes we looked so much better than them it was almost embarassing. Then they started fouling a bit and making the game messy, stopping us playing - which for me is always far too easy to do and they could have ended up getting all three points in the end. So I am watching us totally outclass them and am waiting for what I have described to happen - and it did. Why?
It was only 5 minutes against Shrewsbury, but we looked so much better than them in those five minutes, we could have scored two goals. They just started the spoiling tactic sooner than Bradford did. I am not criticising these clubs, just observing it is too easy for them.
Karl is still not good enough in my opinion, but i believe he will one day be a mid to high level championship manager as ageing generally makes the individual grow more wise.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/eng_div_2/9312957.stm
Looking at the league table, amazingly the 4 teams above us are all currently in the PL
Brighton
Southampton
Bournemouth
Huddersfield
Then when we went up; we signed seven players with Wilson and Button the only ones we paid fees for
I don't know what the salaries were but they were a clear step up from what they replaced.
They are bound to listen more to King Karl than Kluivert. What has he ever done?!
Happy for him to at least see the season out.
If we get a new manager under Roland we'll still be in the shit.
If we get a new manager under new owners within the next few weeks they might pay what needs to be paid to get a decent manager and we may get a new manager bounce.
And he’s an annoying bastard.
Even if SCP was replaced by someone who got promotion, the owners gave the repalcement much more money.
Robinson isn't anywhere near the level of ability, IMHO.
And he is full of shite.
When other teams get physical (which at the end of the day is when we look our most vunerable) what do you suggest we do? Apart from bringing on a third centre back to add height I think we are hamstrung by the deficiencies of our squad. Too many small players, no physical types in midfield.
There are those who blame Karl for that, but there are plenty of you who think we've got a top three squad. Personally I think our squad is unbalanced and lightweight.
The same illogic would be applied to not being able to comment on Trump unless you worked in US politics or about movies unless you worked in Hollywood.
The question is non sequitur.