daddylonglegs

Good first 5 mins, very very poor following 60 mins, good final 25 mins. Some horror shows in there defensively. It's not an exaggeration to say we need 4 starters in January (Providing Winks/Ricardo are out for a while).

I was thinking about our 11 this morning and we've got some absolutely gaping holes in terms of quality. Right back - Justin isn't fit for purpose but we have no realistic alternative (BDR would be an unknown entity). Centre half - if we're playing a four then we basically have to start Faes, who is a disaster waiting to happen. Okoli injured, JV/CC nowhere near the level needed (Coady) or fast enough (JV) to play in a four at this level Central midfield - Wilf is the only one who can win the ball but Saturday looked like he'd forgotten how to do it. Soumare sporadic, Skipp clearly not up to it, Winks injured, Choudhury a league 1 player Up front - relying on a 38yo to get the goals. Only one out and out winger available. It's not a stretch to say that we need 5 new first team players in January

By all accounts it sounds like the players are indifferent towards him. The 'Rudkin out' thing is significantly larger on foxestalk than it is in reality. I would estimate 5-10 thousand fans even know who he is. He'll continue pottering along on ~half a million a year until someone with respect for accountability is in charge (Which certainly isn't Top or Susan Whelan).

The thing is he’s one of the few players at the moment where I don’t question his effort & intensity, he’s just rubbish 😂

One of the very worst performances I can remember watching in the post Pearson era. Utterly shameful from at least 4 individuals and as a collective they were pathetic. I disliked cooper as much as the next bloke, but the problems are significantly deeper than his tactical ineptitude.

Over the past 4 years, what has the club done at board level to suggest this level of due diligence is carried out?

Absolutely vintage Top if he thinks the only two appropriate options are Ruud and Carsley.

I'm not sure there are many on here are there? From a quick glance over the past 6 weeks or so, I'd say this is about as united as the fanbase has been in terms of a decision about a manager...

I hope everyone is prepared for the condescending attitude from the media where our PPG is worse under Ruud than it was under Cooper after this next run of 6 or 7 games.

Infuriates me that like Rodgers, Cooper will not have a relegation on his CV if we go down.

Just have to hope he's forgotten everything ETH taught him in the meantime.

I just typed out an answer but want to make sure this is a serious post before responding? You're using one metric from one season (where they finished 9th, 26 ((twenty six)) points clear of the drop zone) from a 5 year tenure to suggest he wouldn't be a good fit?

He's magic

I would relax a lot about survival if Moyes took over. I'd be extremely nervous if Ruud took over. It's a completely different kettle of fish managing this shit show to his two other managerial experiences.

Feels like Top has an opportunity to get the fans really back on side over the next month or so. 1) Appoint a manager the fans can stand 2) Boot Rudkin 2) get KDH back on loan in Jan.

Disappointing in 44 pages of foxestalk that no one is even pretending to be ITK. This used to be a real forum. Bring back the Tinder thread

It's harsh on Smith to even include him, he wasn't very good but he had a pretty much impossible job on his hands. I spend £600 a year or whatever it is on a ST and no one has made me want to go to the football less than Steve Cooper. That puts him firmly bottom of the pile for me.

It's not about the squad being brilliant, it's about getting a performance level out of the squad that we have that will sustainably lead to points. We have 10 points on the board and I don't think we could sit here with any complaints if we had 5. That is not sustainable. The management showed no sign of improving the players, or for the majority of the time even any signs of wanting to win football matches. Our squad is absolutely relegation fodder, but with a competent & importantly inspiring manager, we can stay up.

I have recently finished it for the second time. The writing in S7/S8 is, as you say, awful. A lot of hugely disappointing climaxes which had taken seasons building up. However - there was less pressure in the actual story when i was watching the second time, and actually I think it's better on second viewing. Some fantastic episodes (from a production & "action" perspective) in S7/S8 if you can look past the naff writing & disappointing ending.

We need 2015 Robert Huth & 2016 Claudio Ranieri.

The league table.

If Rodgers in 2022/23 taught you anything, it should be that Foxestalk is not consistent with total fan opinion. The fan that brought a big sheet to Brentford had it ripped down immediately, and that's in an away end where supposedly the more 'real' fans are. Majority of fans will look at us as a side that is newly promoted, lost our """"best"""" player, and are on track to a 35 point season. Performance, context & underlying statistics are not relevant to the vast majority, and it seemingly doesn't look as if its relevant to the board either.

Reckon we can sneak another player on the pitch Ric?

The end of the year is definitely too late. The next 10 fixtures are so tough on paper, but there's a solid bank of 3 or 4 in a row in the middle where we should be aiming to pick up points. The issue with Cooper's way of playing is he'll approach all 10 games with the same attitude - don't get hammered and try and nick something. That is not going to be enough to keep us in the division.

£20 to charity says that any team on 35 points+ come the end of the season this year will stay up.