For anyone that doubted the appointment of Karl Robinson......

Standing back and giving a, hopefully, balanced view.
No manager can be written off after a few games. He accepted the job, more fool him.
The regime of RD, KM etc is rotten. There is no positive football plan or objective. The local management team are incompetent and have lost the supporters totally.
The atmosphere in the ground is non existent. As a result of no atmosphere ( mainly as people are giving up going) the protests are half hearted or non existent.
The so called supporters that criticise CARD are making CARDs position awkward and, I assume they are afraid or apprehensive of continued major disruption protests.
There is only one solution the regime must go or the club will wither away.

I like Robinson. Really warmed to him. I think he will do very well.

Scoham said:

Not seen every one of Robinson's games but like he's talked about plenty of times he's trying to play attacking passing football, changing formation almost every game. That makes a huge difference, Slade generally played a defensive 4-4-2 based around getting the ball to Lookman or Holmes. Not great to watch but the players could play that way, we competed, drew a lot of games and won a few. Now we concede a lot and struggle to score.

To play his way we need a number 10, a mobile, box to box CM, probably another option for the lone striker, at least one more winger (depending on Holmes). Probably need at least one attacking full back as well. He needs a lot of players - will he really get them (and that's before anyone leaves)?

So he's trying to get the squad to play beyond their current limitations.
As opposed to getting them to play to their strengths and wait to add players to get to what he wants.
That sounds like incompetence to me.

i total agree give the man a chance he took over not his players the fat man brought them

Rob said:

It is concerning with Magennis. His downturn in form since Robinson has come on board is the most glaring. Not sure what's going on there.

Yes agreed, that is a concern.

Scoham said:

Not seen every one of Robinson's games but like he's talked about plenty of times he's trying to play attacking passing football, changing formation almost every game. That makes a huge difference, Slade generally played a defensive 4-4-2 based around getting the ball to Lookman or Holmes. Not great to watch but the players could play that way, we competed, drew a lot of games and won a few. Now we concede a lot and struggle to score.

To play his way we need a number 10, a mobile, box to box CM, probably another option for the lone striker, at least one more winger (depending on Holmes). Probably need at least one attacking full back as well. He needs a lot of players - will he really get them (and that's before anyone leaves)?

That kind of overhaul is usually something that has to happen in a summer transfer window. Very few times have teams significantly changed their fortunes due to signings in a January window. Prices go up and player availability goes down in January. Usually a successful January transfer window either allows you to consolidate what you have, or build on it a little bit and maybe gain 3 or 4 league places. That might be enough to get us into the play-offs, I guess, but it's more likely, at best, going to move us from the lower half to the top half of the table, but still only mid-table.

Robinson is trying to change the way we play, wholesale. A bit like Powell did when he replaced Parky. Poyet at Brighton is another example of that happening in recent memory. Short term that can result in backwards steps. I'm an actions speak louder than words kind of guy and Robinson's constant self promotion rubs me up the wrong way a bit, so I am far from convinced by him, but the change in approach, if successful, will likely be to the long term benefit of the club.

I'd love us to become a club that is synonymous with playing good football in a way that transcends changes in manager (like Swansea did starting with Martinez). Robinson might potentially be the man to lay those foundations for others to build on (again, like Martinez did at Swansea). The trouble is, for us to become that club will take a patience and consistency of approach from the very top to the very bottom of the club, but those very things are lacking everywhere right now, and, at boardroom level at least, there is no one remotely capable of showing the leadership necessary to make such changes and make them stick.

Henry Irving said:

palarsehater said:

@Henry Irving 15th after losing to swindon

Thanks, compared to 14th now.

Yes but it was seven points from Nugent that lifted us up the table. We've dropped back under KR.

Dave2l said:

seth plum said:

The Karl Robinson/Chris McLoughlin relationship has Shakespearian potential.

Love that

Towards the comedy or the tragedy?

Lincsaddick said:

Leeds_Addick said:

Rob said:

It is concerning with Magennis. His downturn in form since Robinson has come on board is the most glaring. Not sure what's going on there.

He was brilliant at Bradford tbf

he was .. but last night he looked tired, slow and dispirited, took a pounding from the Millwall centrals .. he's worked his crown jewels off since he signed .. he needs a rest and/or support on the field not a heart to heart with the 'new gaffer';

I think this is the issue and is one thing that Robinson is right on.

Got to remember that he was at the Euros in the summer has come back, signed for Charlton and has played every week for both club and country without getting any sign of a rest.

He wasnt dreadful against Peterborough either as he got no Service, the one time he did chase a lost cause he hit the post (again!!)

So how did we end up with a poor squad especially with all the advice the Managers receive from Roland! Surely the squad cant be that poor! De-moralised perhaps to see another puppet in charge!

ShootersHillGuru said:

Red7Oak said:

So how did we end up with a poor squad especially with all the advice the Managers receive from Roland! Surely the squad cant be that poor! De-moralised perhaps to see another puppet in charge!

Who exactly would you see appointed and not regard them as a puppet ?

He appears to have openly accepted his role in Roland's weird world. Whilst I am not a fan of Slade I do think there was more to his departure than just performance on the pitch! Yes anyone appointed under this regime will be expected to accept and take advice from the football guru that is Roland Durlachet!

Hitting the woodwork is NOT a shot on target (unless tipped onto by the keeper)

I'd like to see them in training to see if they need to work on their shooting accuracy or if they are genuinely unfortunate on match days

mogodon said:

ShootersHillGuru said:

Red7Oak said:

So how did we end up with a poor squad especially with all the advice the Managers receive from Roland! Surely the squad cant be that poor! De-moralised perhaps to see another puppet in charge!

Who exactly would you see appointed and not regard them as a puppet ?

It's a fair point. Few managers who want to be completely independent would agree to the control Roland seems to exercise, so by nature of his ownership anyone he appoints is likely to be a puppet. The only question is to what degree, and I think Slade and Robinson are less so than Fraeye and Riga. That said, anyone who walks in and accepts that he will have to work with Chris O'Loughlin has made a statement from the off that he will do as he is told when push comes to shove.

Robinson also got off to a rather naive start with his praise of Meire and Duchatalet. Having managed in the same division as us last season he would have had to be unprofessionally blinkered not to have some idea of what is happening at The Valley even assuming he couldn't be bothered to do even cursory checks before taking the post

He's definitely naive and blinkered if he thinks we will believe his statement the other night that he hadn't heard Roland's 'stupid' comment.

I'm worried about raytreacy69. Had anyone seen him lately?

Uboat said:

I'm worried about raytreacy69. Had anyone seen him lately?

He'll be back when we win a game no doubt.