LCFCJohn

I agree, I was just giving a balanced reply to Hackney. I think if he had shown signs of change at Rangers then maybe but it sounds like he doubled down. And it feels he has full support of the club itself to play as he has been known for. It’ll likely undo any positives he might bring with youth development for example. We bloody need it to work. This decline is so deep now we need something to just click and fall into place even if it is by luck more than judgement….

100% a panic buy. As I say, we don’t defend properly and haven’t for years so he was never going to fit. And it was a lot of money. But I try and separate the ‘deal’ from outright criticism of a player. Too much? Yes. Not the right fit? Yes. Unlucky with injuries? Yes. Crap player? No. A strong defender at this level as shown when he has had a chance and at Sheff Utd. Playing as one of three as well like you say. When did we last do that? Great escape season?

As I say, it’s an outlet. Most people (myself included) won’t jump on anyone for posting anything remotely positive. There are a small number of posters who defend anything the club does and that gets people’s backs up. To the contrary, these people pile on anyone who says anything negative. If, as a fanbase, we’d been allowed to question and criticise without the abuse, we’d more likely be in a position where both view points are accepted. It has and does work both ways. Its just the case now that the club have set a standard whereby they have messed up unless proven otherwise. On Martin, if he comes in and puts youth at the centre, puts the excessive possession for the sake of it to bed and smashes the league people will (hopefully) hold their hands up and say fair play (yes I know many won’t out of stubbornness).

It’s a forum for people to express their views. If you don’t like those views skip past them. What have we had to be positive about for the last few years? I admire your optimism but he didn’t change anything at Rangers following that interview after his Southampton spell. I’d love if he did. Apparently he has some of the strengths I do want to see regarding promoting youngsters. But the rigid approach to the philosophy is constantly his undoing.

So was it the is season gone to be fair. The mentality and culture around the club matter more than supposed superiority at this point. If we can suddenly turn it on and rattle off 30 wins this season after the last 2, great. But it seems unlikely to me.

Slightly tongue in cheek. But when watching him for a Sheff Utd, he can cover some ground quickly to get over to support out wide. I guess it’s like any athlete and runners. Some are long distance and other sprinters. Different strengths but I find it unfair when Souttar has been labelled as a slow lump as clearly in some ways he is not slow at all. And this is why you build a team around each others strengths. Clearly as a partnership, yeah you could benefit from someone a bit more agile next to Souttar. But he has a lot of strengths too. If you said you can have a solid dominant defender who isn’t the most agile or essentially an athlete could can’t defend for their life, I’d take the former and try to compensate elsewhere. I just think Souttar has constantly been called shit, slow, waste of space etc when actually, when he has played, I can’t think he has let us down. The problem was signing a defender when we employ managers and a style that don’t believe in such a thing!

Agreed. As above, I am just fed up of supposed style over substance managers. I want to see us hard to beat, putting in the hard yards. I want to see enthusiasm on the pitch. I don’t really give a f*** how many passes around our own half we can get in before we reach the opponents 18 yard box when there are 10 of them behind the ball…..

Because his reputation is in the bin. If he was at all humble or willing to learn he’d adapt his ways. And I know where we are. I have been clear I think promotion this coming season is not realistic and we need to just halt the decline. So I’d have rather get someone of a lesser name who could focus more on substance over style and make us hard to beat. Again, you refer to enjoying the experience. How many Rangers or Southampton fans will not laugh in your face at the suggestion Martin will offer that?

‘BuT hE’s ToO sLoW’

People saying ‘who would you get who’s better’ are completely missing the point. It’s not about names, it’s about what seems like the right fit. People would prefer a ‘lesser’ name like Challinor who would be likely to bring a more exciting style of play and results that a big name failure who no doubt thinks he is above us and the league we are in due to his ego.

Yeah true and that will be the case for lots also. Either way a sign of the barriers that have been in place for a while. It has worked for them really as this decline should have seen mass walk outs and declines in attendances but because they have withheld the opportunity from local people and like you say, kids for over 10 years, people are just desperate to get back in. Not a criticism and it’s understandable. Edit - not a criticism of the supporters that means.

Can’t help but think a lot of people have rushed out to buy season tickets expecting us to run away with the league and will lose interest once we are struggling. Possibly some even think this is a blip and we will be winning the PL in a few seasons…..

I really need to stop coming to Cornwall! Was here last year and Cifuentes gets announced and again this year and this happens. I promise not to come next year and maybe we will appoint someone more bearable next summer! Also the comments about accountability and high standards from McCarron. What planet is he on! Complete drip. Clearly a waste of a salary and as we thought, a shield for Rudkin to hide behind. Those saying expectations are to win the league/get promoted, in what way is that a realistic aim? When you are on a fall as steep as ours, you don’t go from winning, what less than 20 games over a 2 season period to suddenly winning 30 odd in a season. The realistic expectation is to try and halt the slide which means staying up and not having a third relegation on the bounce!

I like it. Kids are growing up too fast now and there’s pressure to do so. Yes it’s needs to be regulated properly and sure people will find a way around it but as a parent, if it takes the pressure off the decision as to whether to try and encourage your child to have a childhood or the worry you are going to make them stick out like a sore thumb if you don’t give them access to all this, it’s a good think in my opinion.

You can just see already that as the financial situation gets worse as we stay in the lower leagues, the narrative will shift again. Soon it’ll be how KP saved us from administration…..

Basic research. Fair enough as a player signing in 2015, I’m not saying he should have (although it’d be nice if players did have an understanding of the club they are joining) but if he is going to do media work in retirement and talk about the club, he should have basic facts that a quick only search can off….

Huth talking nonsense here.

This. When do EFL clubs ever play friendlies against a side in the same league that nobody outside of the clubs care about? Never. It is either the case that the club genuinely haven’t realised Burton are in the same league or think despite being in the same league, we are in a ‘different leagues figuratively speaking which we aren’t.

Joined in January on a short term deal and played in 20 games so the minutes in terms of Bristol City is slightly misleading without that context. To be fair, for all the ‘experienced’ players we have signed, none of them are both good characters and leaders. None are leaders. It’d be a bit harsh to refer to say Skipp though as a bad character. I am also scarred from Coady particularly who was meant to be that. But Morsy did captain Ipswich from L1 to the PL and has a bit of the bastard on the pitch about him. I’m done trusting our recruitment until I see them perform but Morsy seems more the type Pearson would have picked up on a free to complement a younger squad. And that is the key, someone like Morsy to replace Winks/Skipp and complement the younger lads would be good.

I think they already have ruined us. Even if new owners came tomorrow, it would take years to get us back to a decent level. The financial position is awful and the embarrassment of the points deduction will last for a long time. I suppose yeah, by completely you are talking out of business or administration. But as a serious football club, they have ruined us.

Appreciate you clarifying which one there Raj mate given the common link in names

If I haven’t been clear enough in my posts, I am very much central politics. I agree with some right principles (justice system too soft/benefit system/immigration to be managed etc) but a more left way of dealing with it, I.e not the right wing way of burning and smashing up our towns and cities. The far right need to stop crying about the flag thing. They are the ones that have weaponised it and made it a symbol of division not celebration. I’m all for England flags when it comes to a national celebration like a World Cup. But due to the right wing, when you go through an area with lots of flags now you just think, intolerant, riots, racism as that is the symbol they have created. To any who try and argue, 2 words. Why now?

Well no it’s not is it…

That was my thought. Were they expecting him to keep them up or something? Bizarre. They were record breakingly back up until he came in, they were never going to stay up and even having for that would have translated to I don’t know, 50/60 points over a season would be unrealistic given where they were. It seemed they had kind of levelled out and bit, accepted relegation was coming and were preparing for the Championship but maybe their owner did think he would keep them up? And why not as soon as the season was finished or relegation was mathematically confirmed?

Like the ‘League One 2026/2027’ of 12 pages further down the page