Bowyer ruined the season and our chances of promotion at Shrewsbury away. First his negative tactics cost us 3 points against a very poor team and secondly calling out Williams publicly on the tackle and subbing him shortly after bringing him on. I'm sure the way he was treated pissed a lot of the players off as well as costing us 2 more points. Then onto the next game Williams is on the bench against Wimbledon, comes on does the business scores 1 and sets up another only to be dropped again the following game against Swindon not even coming when we were crying out for an attacking midfielder to come on and help kill the game off costing us another 2 points. Ever since that period in the season the players have never looked the same again and who can blame. With the constant outbursts and calling out even more players since January it's no wonder they dont give a shit anymore.
You can even say Bowyers demise began even a few days before the Swindon game when he blamed the 2000 fans at the MK match for not being more vocal when the game was shit and we had nothing to shout about. Since the new year its just been a desperate situation where its obvious the players dont want to play for him, so his constantly make 5 changes a game, desperate subs and blaming anyone and everyone publicly but himself to save face. Bloke needs to go before he does anymore damage to the club.
Totally agree, excellent post, I want to believe in Bowyer, but his actions have made him untenable in my eyes. I know driving home from the MK game and heard LBs comment about the crowd on the radio, had me fuming! And then to have the dicks taking the piss out of Charlton fans, not listened to Talksport since.
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
Bowyer ruined the season and our chances of promotion at Shrewsbury away. First his negative tactics cost us 3 points against a very poor team and secondly calling out Williams publicly on the tackle and subbing him shortly after bringing him on. I'm sure the way he was treated pissed a lot of the players off as well as costing us 2 more points. Then onto the next game Williams is on the bench against Wimbledon, comes on does the business scores 1 and sets up another only to be dropped again the following game against Swindon not even coming when we were crying out for an attacking midfielder to come on and help kill the game off costing us another 2 points. Ever since that period in the season the players have never looked the same again and who can blame. With the constant outbursts and calling out even more players since January it's no wonder they dont give a shit anymore.
You can even say Bowyers demise began even a few days before the Swindon game when he blamed the 2000 fans at the MK match for not being more vocal when the game was shit and we had nothing to shout about. Since the new year its just been a desperate situation where its obvious the players dont want to play for him, so his constantly make 5 changes a game, desperate subs and blaming anyone and everyone publicly but himself to save face. Bloke needs to go before he does anymore damage to the club.
One man's straight talking is another man's bullying. No idea what has gone on or what has been said to who, but we know Bowyer doesn't really sugar coat things, he speaks his mind, even in interviews, and he;s not really too bothered if it ruffles a few feathers. He's quite old school in that respect - entirely possible he's been giving what he probably feels are a few home s truths to players and some of them maybe don't appreciate the way the message is being delivered. Possibly a bit of a generational divide there too - it's a generalization, but people over a certain age always tend to think people under a certain age are a bit soft.
I don't believe Bowyer is a bully or is out to deliberately upset or belittle anyone, but entirely possible that he's too blunt for some people and that his manner has upset some.
Agreed.
A generational clash and different expectations of what is acceptable.
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
I think that the winning run and momentum had a lot to do with it, plus the last year has really taken its toll on Bowyer. Not excusing his approach if indeed he has been bullying players, but 2 years ago he was a novice manager with no pressure, managing a club that was a circus behind the scenes.
He (Bowyer) is still very young on his managerial journey, and this is the next stage of it. Managing under more of an expectation and with poorer players. Perhaps this side of him was always there, we just didn’t ever see it because we of a) how well we were doing 2 years ago and b) the fact that last season we were in a relegation scrap and seemed to do okay in a backs against the wall situation.
As he is only 3 years into management, I think it’s important to remember he’s still learning, however I think the lessons he learning now are the ones that will ultimately be the undoing of him here and he may not get to truly show he’s learnt from them until he moves to another club.
It all seems a bit untenable for him to stay now, which is a shame
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
We need a Matt Holland situation - where he allegedly went in to see the chairman at half time and said “we can’t play for that manager”.
I think the promotion year was an easy one for Bowyer - he had some quality players and couldn’t really go wrong. But let’s not forget, that season he still managed to handle a couple of players badly - Marshall and Fosu spring to mind. He made a hash of last season (yes he did have injury problems, the Southall saga and the Lyle Taylor situation to contend with), but the way he set us up after lockdown was a joke. We had numerous opportunities to get out of jail......Brentford away 1-0 up with 15 left. Makes dreadful substitutions and we lose 2-1. Birmingham away, shocking subs at 1-0 up and we draw.
Speaking of Taylor, Bowyer was pissed off he wasn’t going to play, but he never publicly slaughtered him in the way he has players this season. This is a bloke who left us in the shit, yet still got clapped out of the training ground.
In a nutshell, Bowyer is out of depth, lacks the fundamental man management skills that are needed and doesn’t take any responsibility.
I really hope TS pulls the trigger - if we need to lose tomorrow and Saturday for that to happen, then so be it. I’d take that if it meant we don’t have this poor excuse for a manager come Sunday.
If you want a perfect example of the selective blindness that loyalty causes, some posters are only just realising that Bowyer might not be a very nice person.
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
Bowyer has done a 180 from the man we saw in the promotion winning era. From his interviews, tactics, man management the list goes on, he has totally changed.
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
We need a Matt Holland situation - where he allegedly matched in to see the chairman at half time and said “we can’t play for that manager”.
I think the promotion year was an easy one for Bowyer - he had some quality players and couldn’t really go wrong. But let’s not forget, that season he still managed to handle a couple of players badly - Marshall and Fosu spring to mind. He made a hash of last season (yes he did have injury problems, the Southall saga and the Lyle Taylor situation to contend with), but the way he set us up after lockdown was a joke. We had numerous opportunities to get out of jail......Brentford away 1-0 up with 15 left. Makes dreadful substitutions and we lose 2-1. Birmingham away, shocking subs at 1-0 up and we draw.
Speaking of Taylor, Bowyer was pissed off he wasn’t going to play, but he never publicly slaughtered him in the way he has players this season. This is a bloke who left us in the shit, yet still got clapped out of the training ground.
In a nutshell, Bowyer is out of depth, lacks the fundamental man management skills that are needed and doesn’t take any responsibility.
I really hope TS pulls the trigger - if we need to lose tomorrow and Saturday for that to happen, then so be it. I’d take that if it meant we don’t have this poor excuse for a manager come Sunday.
I’d forgotten about Fosu. There were signs, but I, and I imagine we all, given how well we were doing thought Fosu being dropped was acceptable.
Perhaps this was correct, however, he has gone onto much better things
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
Bowyer has done a 180 from the man we saw in the promotion winning era. From his interviews, tactics, man management the list goes on, he has totally changed.
Has he changed, or is it that he’s not a manager with a plan (or the temperament) for when things start going wrong?
One man's straight talking is another man's bullying. No idea what has gone on or what has been said to who, but we know Bowyer doesn't really sugar coat things, he speaks his mind, even in interviews, and he;s not really too bothered if it ruffles a few feathers. He's quite old school in that respect - entirely possible he's been giving what he probably feels are a few home s truths to players and some of them maybe don't appreciate the way the message is being delivered. Possibly a bit of a generational divide there too - it's a generalization, but people over a certain age always tend to think people under a certain age are a bit soft.
I don't believe Bowyer is a bully or is out to deliberately upset or belittle anyone, but entirely possible that he's too blunt for some people and that his manner has upset some.
Agreed.
A generational clash and different expectations of what is acceptable.
One man's straight talking is another man's bullying. No idea what has gone on or what has been said to who, but we know Bowyer doesn't really sugar coat things, he speaks his mind, even in interviews, and he;s not really too bothered if it ruffles a few feathers. He's quite old school in that respect - entirely possible he's been giving what he probably feels are a few home s truths to players and some of them maybe don't appreciate the way the message is being delivered. Possibly a bit of a generational divide there too - it's a generalization, but people over a certain age always tend to think people under a certain age are a bit soft.
I don't believe Bowyer is a bully or is out to deliberately upset or belittle anyone, but entirely possible that he's too blunt for some people and that his manner has upset some.
Agreed.
A generational clash and different expectations of what is acceptable.
The game has changed. Bowyer’s a dinosaur. Always been a bully, hasn’t he? Wasn’t he convicted for it?
Football managers aren’t above the law where workplace bullying is concerned. Bullies need outing.
recently read an article about Andy Petterson who said he liked Curbs because he wasn’t a bully like most managers. Suggests it’s a massive problem in the game and maybe the next FA initiative.
If you want a perfect example of the selective blindness that loyalty causes, some posters are only just realising that Bowyer might not be a very nice person.
Nailed it - I have noticed this as well. As I have mentioned before, this is the man who:
Banned for 8 weeks by Charlton for his drug habits. Only played 40 odd games before leaving but somehow his time is treated as a messiah
Charged with affray, trashing a fast food restaurant and making racist remarks to the owner.
Once again caught up in an incident with (again) an Asian guy outside a nightclub which he got off with but begs the question why he got himself caught up in the first place.
Fought his own player on the pitch swinging punches left right and centre.
Now multiple rumours of bullying on the training ground.
‘One of our own’? Not in my book.
Powelly may not have been the greatest manager with us Hudders and Southend. But when someone says One of Our Own and Proper Charlton - step forward that man. Ten times classier than what we currently have.
If there’s any truth in this and I believe there is, just purely by the results and lack of performances, then I’m really surprised that TS hasn’t stepped in, surely he’s got enough of his own people to inform him of the situation. Bullying is a terrible thing and needs stamping on, if true, the Bowyer will never regain the respect of the players.
Bowyer ruined the season and our chances of promotion at Shrewsbury away. First his negative tactics cost us 3 points against a very poor team and secondly calling out Williams publicly on the tackle and subbing him shortly after bringing him on. I'm sure the way he was treated pissed a lot of the players off as well as costing us 2 more points. Then onto the next game Williams is on the bench against Wimbledon, comes on does the business scores 1 and sets up another only to be dropped again the following game against Swindon not even coming when we were crying out for an attacking midfielder to come on and help kill the game off costing us another 2 points. Ever since that period in the season the players have never looked the same again and who can blame. With the constant outbursts and calling out even more players since January it's no wonder they dont give a shit anymore.
The one player that I remembered from the Sunderland til I Die series was Jonny Williams. I felt sorry for him and thought he seemed to be a very nice person who needed a bit of confidence boost. Later I was glad when he joined our club. He was one of our most skillful players at the time. He made a huge difference after he came on in the Wembley game and played a big part in our victory. If Bowyer hadn't made that substitute we probably wouldn't have got promoted.
He deserved much better treatment from the manager than the above post had mentioned. He has been injured a lot in the past (which is a big shame for a player like him) so it's natural that he can never be as brave as Bowyer on the pitch - they are two completely different kinds of players and perhaps also completely different kinds of persons. As a manager Bowyer should have known how to handle different characters. I'm not saying one player is more important than the manager. But reading what happened to Williams I think it was no wonder Bowyer lost the dressing room, lost respect from other players.
People have mentioned JJ but it's difficult if the boss is a stubborn and self-righteous person - not that we personally know Bowyer but he seems to be like that. As I've said on here before, my direct boss is awful. The assistant manager is a soft man and although we complained to him and he talked to her (my direct boss) numerous times, she didn't change at all. She didn't listen to us or the assistant manager despite that I and others had been in this department much longer than her. Going over the boss and reporting to higher management people is not an easy decision. A lot of other aspects have to be taken into consideration because once you do that there's no way back. (I did it and I must say it was a both successful and unsuccessful move.)
So much supposition being dressed up as fact. Everything people know is based on third hand accounts and the circumstances, detail, background can get lost along the way.
Football dressing rooms where teams are underperfoming are rarely happy dressing rooms
Football dressing rooms will always be to a degree potentially hostile environments
Off top of my head, ask players under Shankly, Ferguson, Clough, Mourinho, Allardyce, Warnock, Wilder, Dyche, Moyes, Pearson, Keane, Hughes, Souness, Strachan Pearce etc on how they treated players. Don’t even bother thinking about European managers like Capello, Sarri etc as they are based purely on discipline and volatility.
Bowyer seems a bit ‘old skool’ In approach. That's not a right or wrong, that’s just his style. He desperately wants to win, he sets standards and he is honest with players who fall short of those standards. It’s not a style I’d personally take but it’s not unique to football. Loads of our fans want Warnock as manager whenever our job comes available.
Ask a 1996 Steve Brown or John Robinson what there thoughts of Curbishley’s management during another spell out the side and I’m sure it won’t have been flattering.
Its an massive leap from what might have been a heated dressing after a defeat and Bowyer laying into Williams for pulling out of a key tackle that led to the defeat, to then get to ‘bully’. That would happen in 95% of dressing rooms.
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
Bowyer has done a 180 from the man we saw in the promotion winning era. From his interviews, tactics, man management the list goes on, he has totally changed.
Has he changed, or is it that he’s not a manager with a plan (or the temperament) for when things start going wrong?
I have said previously that I thought that LB was lucky, as proven by the dozen or so players now plying their trade at Championship or higher, in our promotion year.
There had been an under current of reasons/blame for the situation we found ourselves in last season with the likes of Solly and Taylor being the ones at the head of that queue. That then progressed to the extent that he started to hold individuals responsible and accountable for defeats. I questioned the lambasting of Bonne immediately after the game but was told that this was just LB being honest and that the player needs to "grow some" if he didn't like it. This is what he said:
“You can say that’s cost us but Macauley [Bonne] has to score. You can’t keep missing chances like that. Three yards out. Connects with the ball properly and you score. Can’t miss chances like that. It ain’t good enough."
LB might have been right about that but you cannot say that in private let alone public because all it does is to reinforce the doubts a player might have about himself and it also demonstrates a fundamental lack of support from the manager. Do that then to at least a dozen individuals and all of a sudden you have lost the dressing room because those players have no way of responding on the same basis i.e. via the press.
Being a manager is the easiest job in the world when things are going well. Ask Klopp about that. What Klopp hasn't done, though, is hang his players out to dry. The only one that does it at the top level is Mourinho but then that is the reason why he has had nine jobs in 20 years - because he has short term success doing what he does. But he never builds a dynasty because when things go wrong he always blames certain players and then they stop playing for him.
The Court of Charlton Life has found Lee Bowyer guilty of all charges. Thankfully I am sure TS is too intelligent to act on he said she said gossip and will be fully conversant with all the facts. What is without question is that something is seriously amiss and it looks like TS may be forced into a decision a lot sooner than he would have liked
So Bowyer is a bully for wanting to win and speaking honestly, but a random fan tells the team in no uncertain terms how shit they have been at a train station but that is a good thing. Righto.
Bowyer is not getting the best out of these players and TS should have moved him on by now IMO but to cast aspersions based on rumour and no context is totally unfair.
Criticise his management, be concerned about bullying players but to suddenly realise that you never liked him doesn't ring true unless you were one of the few who was concerned about some of his history when he became our manager.
It's going to be interesting to see the number of people who now come out of the woodwork saying 'actually, I've always hated Lee Bowyer, he's always been a racist/thug/bully and I've never agreed with him being manager. I just didn't say anything much over the past 3 years because we were winning the football'. Bold stance bros.
So if I'm correct the current state of play on behind the scenes dressing room harmony is that:
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
What’s possibly changed is Lee Bowyer. He’s certainly not that same upbeat, calm supportive, thoughtful fella that took charge back then is he ? That’s not to say the allegations are justified either.
I used to love hearing Bows speak, I'd watch back interviews, sky plussed the training ground programme they done and rewatched a few times.
He was almost gushy about the players club, his ambitions but its been a slow decline since Swansea at home 2019 with nothing really new or inventive on the pitch.
I dug him out a bit at half time of Sunderland game in October and said he needs to step up as a coach which got quite a few LOLs at the time.
After that game we went on a 7 game run but I honestly felt we were poor bar Ipswich away.
I'd love nothing more than for us to win every game and make me look a dickhead but I just fear the players have downed tools.
I'll still watch every game regardless but it's more out of scratching my head and praying we can't be worse than the last game.
There is an awful lot of revisionism about Bowyer this morning, but I go back to what I said at the weekend, he looks like a boxer who has taken one too many punches, and the corners need to do the right thing now take him out of it.
It's going to be interesting to see the number of people who now come out of the woodwork saying 'actually, I've always hated Lee Bowyer, he's always been a racist/thug/bully and I've never agreed with him being manager. I just didn't say anything much over the past 3 years because we were winning the football'. Bold stance bros.
I for one won't be one of those people. I wrote before against rewriting history to devalue his Wembley win as I thought and still think that was a huge achievement.
However, things have gone wrong and he's not coped in recent times. I don't know why exactly and I don't know whether Bowyer then or now is the "real" Lee Bowyer.
But I do know he's not capable of turning it around any more.
Comments
@Covered_End_Lad - has mentioned an incident where Bowyer reduced Williams to tears and other senior pros had to step in.
@MuttleyCAFC - has mentioned that Bowyer is apparently wierd/unsupportive around the younger players.
@J-Block - was told by a player in the dressing room the Bowyer has lost the plot.
If these things are true. The two questions I have are:
Why was the dressing room apparently so great during our promotion year. What's happened to change that ethos.
If things are as bad behind the scenes as people are making out, why would it change under a new set of players, and indeed would good players would even want to come to us?
As he is only 3 years into management, I think it’s important to remember he’s still learning, however I think the lessons he learning now are the ones that will ultimately be the undoing of him here and he may not get to truly show he’s learnt from them until he moves to another club.
It all seems a bit untenable for him to stay now, which is a shame
Speaking of Taylor, Bowyer was pissed off he wasn’t going to play, but he never publicly slaughtered him in the way he has players this season. This is a bloke who left us in the shit, yet still got clapped out of the training ground.
Perhaps this was correct, however, he has gone onto much better things
The game has changed. Bowyer’s a dinosaur. Always been a bully, hasn’t he? Wasn’t he convicted for it?
Football managers aren’t above the law where workplace bullying is concerned. Bullies need outing.
recently read an article about Andy Petterson who said he liked Curbs because he wasn’t a bully like most managers. Suggests it’s a massive problem in the game and maybe the next FA initiative.
Banned for 8 weeks by Charlton for his drug habits. Only played 40 odd games before leaving but somehow his time is treated as a messiah
Charged with affray, trashing a fast food restaurant and making racist remarks to the owner.
Once again caught up in an incident with (again) an Asian guy outside a nightclub which he got off with but begs the question why he got himself caught up in the first place.
Fought his own player on the pitch swinging punches left right and centre.
Now multiple rumours of bullying on the training ground.
‘One of our own’? Not in my book.
Powelly may not have been the greatest manager with us Hudders and Southend. But when someone says One of Our Own and Proper Charlton - step forward that man. Ten times classier than what we currently have.
Very different in tone to the "Bowyer needs more time" piece.
Still balanced though.
Football dressing rooms where teams are underperfoming are rarely happy dressing rooms
Football dressing rooms will always be to a degree potentially hostile environments
Off top of my head, ask players under Shankly, Ferguson, Clough, Mourinho, Allardyce, Warnock, Wilder, Dyche, Moyes, Pearson, Keane, Hughes, Souness, Strachan Pearce etc on how they treated players. Don’t even bother thinking about European managers like Capello, Sarri etc as they are based purely on discipline and volatility.
Bowyer seems a bit ‘old skool’ In approach. That's not a right or wrong, that’s just his style. He desperately wants to win, he sets standards and he is honest with players who fall short of those standards. It’s not a style I’d personally take but it’s not unique to football. Loads of our fans want Warnock as manager whenever our job comes available.
Ask a 1996 Steve Brown or John Robinson what there thoughts of Curbishley’s management during another spell out the side and I’m sure it won’t have been flattering.
Its an massive leap from what might have been a heated dressing after a defeat and Bowyer laying into Williams for pulling out of a key tackle that led to the defeat, to then get to ‘bully’. That would happen in 95% of dressing rooms.
There had been an under current of reasons/blame for the situation we found ourselves in last season with the likes of Solly and Taylor being the ones at the head of that queue. That then progressed to the extent that he started to hold individuals responsible and accountable for defeats. I questioned the lambasting of Bonne immediately after the game but was told that this was just LB being honest and that the player needs to "grow some" if he didn't like it. This is what he said:
“You can say that’s cost us but Macauley [Bonne] has to score. You can’t keep missing chances like that. Three yards out. Connects with the ball properly and you score. Can’t miss chances like that. It ain’t good enough."
LB might have been right about that but you cannot say that in private let alone public because all it does is to reinforce the doubts a player might have about himself and it also demonstrates a fundamental lack of support from the manager. Do that then to at least a dozen individuals and all of a sudden you have lost the dressing room because those players have no way of responding on the same basis i.e. via the press.
Being a manager is the easiest job in the world when things are going well. Ask Klopp about that. What Klopp hasn't done, though, is hang his players out to dry. The only one that does it at the top level is Mourinho but then that is the reason why he has had nine jobs in 20 years - because he has short term success doing what he does. But he never builds a dynasty because when things go wrong he always blames certain players and then they stop playing for him.
Still , passes the time
Thankfully I am sure TS is too intelligent to act on he said she said gossip and will be fully conversant with all the facts.
What is without question is that something is seriously amiss and it looks like TS may be forced into a decision a lot sooner than he would have liked
Bowyer is not getting the best out of these players and TS should have moved him on by now IMO but to cast aspersions based on rumour and no context is totally unfair.
He was almost gushy about the players club, his ambitions but its been a slow decline since Swansea at home 2019 with nothing really new or inventive on the pitch.
I dug him out a bit at half time of Sunderland game in October and said he needs to step up as a coach which got quite a few LOLs at the time.
After that game we went on a 7 game run but I honestly felt we were poor bar Ipswich away.
I'd love nothing more than for us to win every game and make me look a dickhead but I just fear the players have downed tools.
I'll still watch every game regardless but it's more out of scratching my head and praying we can't be worse than the last game.
However, things have gone wrong and he's not coped in recent times. I don't know why exactly and I don't know whether Bowyer then or now is the "real" Lee Bowyer.
But I do know he's not capable of turning it around any more.