Going forward.

[redrobo]

Sorry to say but I'm beginning to question our managers ability in getting us out of this potential relegation battle.

I'm not that confident that he will be able to bring in the much needed replacements in January as his coaching of the current squad seems to not to be working.

He talks a good game and I said previously that he may have talked himself into the job. I know that will not go down well with many but his performance to date questions his ability to coach us out of the situation.

Shades of Jimbo come flooding back and I'd hate for no action to be taken before it is too late AND costing the club money in the transfer market of players who possibly are surplus to requirements elsewhere.

I hope I'm wrong and that he can get us out of trouble. but it is of concern.

[Keith]

Yup, totally agree. Everyone had us favourites to win League One this season, what with us having the biggest budget...

...oh, hang on, no, that's not Morecambe. I was thinking of Sunderland/Ipswich/Charlton Athletic/etc/etc/etc/

Get some reality. Stephen Robinson was forced to assemble a squad in the space of about a fortnight. Give him some time. He's got a proven track record, so support him. I wouldn't be looking at sacking him even if we got relegated. Chopping & changing managers rarely works.

[mrpotatohead]

If Derek had stayed we would still be in this position, its dictated by budget, and he probably didn't want a relegation on his CV, given that the Spurs match will bring a large amount of cash in we may surprise people in the January window.

[Born again Bill]

If Derek had stayed we would still be in this position, its dictated by budget, and he probably didn't want a relegation on his CV, given that the Spurs match will bring a large amount of cash in we may surprise people in the January window.

That’s unless Boris steps in with plan B !

[glagys]

We need to ship some of these players out on loan if anyone will take them,
Ayunga probs needs to go down a league to get scoring then we’ll see his potential if there is any
where was obika, not available last night ?
Mcpake will probs go back in January as rangers have a new man in charge
Duffus we haven’t seen really yet, but I’m not impressed with what I did see,
Arthur not the greatest but puts a shift in,always tracks back to defend so would keep him
Wes needs to do the stepovers down a league again to get him the confidence needed for L1
Scott W can be released for me no better than we have

[fulwoodshrimp]

An important time for the manager. We have signed a number of players not good enough for League 1.. I include McDonald, Duffus, Gnaoua, Ayunga, and Delaney in that group and some of them were given two year contracts! We need some better players bringing in using the transfer money from Carlos and Sam and we need to be better organised than we are seeing currently. We also need the manager to appreciate quality when we have it. His misuse of Toums lately has been madness. How on earth can he justify bringing Wildig straight back after a lengthy period of injury and leave Toums on the bench. As others have said, the manager talks a good job but doesn't seem able to translate it into improvement on the pitch. He needs to improve things rapidly if he is not to be remembered as the first Shrimps manager in our history to lead us to relegation.

[Andy D]

is it me but Wootten looks way better than Delaney?

[BerlinWaller]

I like Robbo and what he is about. Given time and funds I think he will develop a squad of players that he can work with and develop the club off the field. He conducts himself very well and seems a genuine bloke. I do worry about how he sets his team up to play expansive football without players good enough to do it. We can't keep teams out, we can't go to a top side and dig in. Pretty football with average players isn't good enough and he has said we can only play that way.

If he and his Recruitment Manager aren't backed in the winter, I think Robbo would question his own position. We really can't expect to stay in this league on the cheap, we will fall well short with this current squad.

[vvm]

The main concern for me is we get beaten 4-0 by MK Dons, the manager speaks out about all the things we did wrong, where we need to improve and what we need to do differently and then we get beaten 5-0. It begs the question what are we actually doing in training?

SR has been given an incredibly tough job, building a league one team with a league two budget in a short space of time and being asked to compete with it. I certainly won't be calling for his head anytime soon but I think the next two months will be crucial for him.

We desperately need to shake things up in January, I wonder if it's a possibility to bring in some help for SR on the coaching staff too.

[Andy D]

I like Robbo and what he is about. Given time and funds I think he will develop a squad of players that he can work with and develop the club off the field. He conducts himself very well and seems a genuine bloke. I do worry about how he sets his team up to play expansive football without players good enough to do it. We can't keep teams out, we can't go to a top side and dig in. Pretty football with average players isn't good enough and he has said we can only play that way.

If he and his Recruitment Manager aren't backed in the winter, I think Robbo would question his own position. We really can't expect to stay in this league on the cheap, we will fall well short with this current squad.

Robbo did say in an interview the other month that he wont change the system he’ll change the players first, but we don't have the quality to play a front three.

[Little Shrimp]

We also need the manager to appreciate quality when we have it. His misuse of Toums lately has been madness.

Sorry fulwoodshrimp but I just have to address this nonsense you're spouting about SR and Toums. Toums has been one of the first names on the team-sheet for most of the season. We went on a bad run, SR changed a few things round a bit, Callum Jones did excellently in the role Toums had been playing and rightly kept his place in the side. This has literally only been since the start of November! Last night, SR obviously felt that Jones needed swapping out, brought Toums on at HT and I thought he played very well coming back in. Would not surprise me to see him start the next game. The Wildig/Toums comparison doesn't hold either - they play completely different roles.

I see formation has been mentioned a few times again - it'd be nice if there was a quick fix there but I don't think there is. 3-5-2 has worked well as a mid-game switch to catch the opponent out, but whenever we start with it (Wimbledon, Cheltenham etc) the same problems just reoccur. Last night we started with 4-4-2, which was a disaster against Sunderland's 3-5-2, and the same problems reoccured. At least we looked more comfortable as a team in a 4-3-3.

I think the issue is pretty glaring - 19 players needed to be signed over summer with most of the other clubs having a massive head start. There were always going to be a few gaps in recruitment, and unfortunately they're costing us. For me, Wootton is the key one. I think he was probably recruited with half an eye on Lavelle going. Leaving out how good/bad you think he is etc, he ultimately doesn't replace the qualities that we lost with Lavelle in terms of aerial ability and physical dominance in defence. Lavelle is replaceable, but not in the manner we have done. Hopefully that can be rectified in January - it sounds like SR is completely aware of needing that steel at the back so no doubt him and Martin Foyle will be working hard to address it. Can't believe I'm seeing people moan about SR 'saying the right things' etc. Personally, I'm very glad he knows what areas need addressing.

[fulwoodshrimp]

I understand your point littleshrimp about the need to freshen things up and make changes in the midfield but most managers wouldn't have done this by omitting one of the best players in the side. I think we'll have to disagree about the manager. I see no sign of improvement in addressing the faults he identifies and my worry is he is one of those people who talks a good job but....You will no doubt throw back at me his relative success at Motherwell but I suspect there is a world of difference between League 1 football and the Scottish Premiership.

[P/T Indie]

I know he had to bring players in on a budget and at short notice but we paid cash for Ayunga and SR said at the time Ayunga was originally his first choice before Obika but Ayunga wasn;t available at the time

I do wonder if the poor standard of the SPL means the players SR was looking at could do a job in the SPL but can't cut it in league 1.

[Andy D]

I see formation has been mentioned a few times again - it'd be nice if there was a quick fix there but I don't think there is. 3-5-2 has worked well as a mid-game switch to catch the opponent out, but whenever we start with it (Wimbledon, Cheltenham etc) the same problems just reoccur. Last night we started with 4-4-2, which was a disaster against Sunderland's 3-5-2, and the same problems reoccured. At least we looked more comfortable as a team in a 4-3-3..

i will argue different.

Ayunga started on the left in a 4-3-3 cutting inside where he nearly scored. Gnaoua was tracking back that much defending unlike Ayunga(Pogba) who couldn't always be arsed tracking back and was at fault for the first goal might have given you that impression we were 4-4-2.

i was sat that high up, i had a “birds eye view” just like playing FM21 in the cold.

[halfwayprawn]

What? has happened to Ayunga at the start of the season he was right on the ball against Blackburn and we all thought we had a decent player but then he gets injured and since coming back he seems to duck out of challenges and spend most of the time doing stepovers with no end product

[Little Shrimp]

i will argue different.

Ayunga started on the left in a 4-3-3 cutting inside where he nearly scored. Gnaoua was tracking back that much defending unlike Ayunga(Pogba) who couldn't always be arsed tracking back and was at fault for the first goal might have given you that impression we were 4-4-2.

i was sat that high up, i had a “birds eye view” just like playing FM21 in the cold.

That's not what happened though, sorry.

Was a combo of Stockton and Ayunga up top to start with, and just because Ayunga drifted out to the left at one point (which forwards often do) doesn't change that. Gnahoua started on the left wing, with Wildig on the right wing - Derek Adams also occasionally used Wildig on the wing when he first came to the club.

Big issue for me was that two man central midfield made it very easy for Pritchard to drift about and pick the ball up wherever he liked, and we never really had a spare man to go with him without sacrificing a bit of protection out wide.

Switched to 4-3-3 after their second goal with Gnahoua going to the right and Ayunga shifting full time out to the left flank. Damage done by that point, although it wasn't just down to formation. Ultimately, the players should have been better as well.

Agree that Ayunga is lazy tracking back - for that first goal he was far too easily beaten and then made no effort to recover and help McLaughlin out. He's shown at times this season that he definitely has the ability to play at this level, but his form and work rate has dipped massively recently. Would drop him for McDonald next game. I think McDonald has struggled to get to grips with the level when attacking, but he puts the yards in and tracks back better.

[Cisco Kid]

Reading this thread you could change the title to 'Bentley Out' and it is the same fans who are now calling out Robbo!

Little Shrimp is spot on with her summary in my very humble opinion.

There are half a dozen players who are not at this level and need replacing in the window. Robbo will see that too and have a plan.

The only thing I would say is drop Delaney and Ayunga now. Delaney is not good enough and Ayunga is a lazy player.

Let's keep supporting the team and give the manager time to put it right before we get the gallows out!

[Andy D]

Reading this thread you could change the title to 'Bentley Out' and it is the same fans who are now calling out Robbo!

Little Shrimp is spot on with her summary in my very humble opinion.

There are half a dozen players who are not at this level and need replacing in the window. Robbo will see that too and have a plan.

The only thing I would say is drop Delaney and Ayunga now. Delaney is not good enough and Ayunga is a lazy player.

Let's keep supporting the team and give the manager time to put it right before we get the gallows out!

And like under Sir Jim Bentley, Ayunga is like the new Phil Jevons, talented but very Lazy.

[redrobo]

Have to say that I'm worried about who will be available for us to sign in January. I can't see us being in a position to sign anybody currently playing on a regular basis who has the experience and quality needed to progress in EFL1.

Money may be available but are we really going to sign players who are not currently playing regularly for whatever reason?

There is also the problem of squad size and to accommodate the players in positions crying out for replacements then we will have to ship some of the current squad out BUT some may be on 2 year contracts so to get rid we may have to pay them off....and that will be a drain on whatever finance is available.

I hope that our Recruitment guy has earmarked those we need and that finance will not be dictated by having to pay off those facing the exit door but it could well be the case.

As for Ayunga, for me he's playing out of position and should play alongside Cole not on the wing. He was signed as a centre forward but to date has not had an opportunity to partner Cole ALSO the absence of McPake and the continued silence about his absence suggests that for some reason SR doesn't think he is up to EFL1 standard which if that is the case other players featuring regularly should be bracketed in the same category.

DA signed a good number of short term players to do a job, one of which was Letheran who we signed from Chesterfield but was NOT a regular for them and at times was not even in their match day squad....enough said...

[BerlinWaller]

Reading this thread you could change the title to 'Bentley Out' and it is the same fans who are now calling out Robbo!

Little Shrimp is spot on with her summary in my very humble opinion.

There are half a dozen players who are not at this level and need replacing in the window. Robbo will see that too and have a plan.

The only thing I would say is drop Delaney and Ayunga now. Delaney is not good enough and Ayunga is a lazy player.

Let's keep supporting the team and give the manager time to put it right before we get the gallows out!

Different name, same divisive rubbish from MPH. I must have missed the Robbo out comments? Quite a few differences to The Bentley out thread, we are League 1 after finishing 4th, winning at Wembley, 2 FA cup 3rd rounds, crowds of 4k, almost £1000000 in player sales.

[sandgrown]

An important time for the manager. We have signed a number of players not good enough for League 1.. I include McDonald, Duffus, Gnaoua, Ayunga, and Delaney in that group and some of them were given two year contracts! We need some better players bringing in using the transfer money from Carlos and Sam and we need to be better organised than we are seeing currently. We also need the manager to appreciate quality when we have it. His misuse of Toums lately has been madness. How on earth can he justify bringing Wildig straight back after a lengthy period of injury and leave Toums on the bench. As others have said, the manager talks a good job but doesn't seem able to translate it into improvement on the pitch. He needs to improve things rapidly if he is not to be remembered as the first Shrimps manager in our history to lead us to relegation.

spot on Fulwood

[fulwoodshrimp]

I am not calling for the manager's head but I am disappointed with several of the signings made. I understand the argument that he had to assemble players quickly but I am surprised several of them were given two year contracts. I also want to see players improved by the coaching they receive. The crunch comes in January. Are we able to sign players with the quality required and see improvements made to the squad ? If not, then I think SR will come under pressure.

[KenH]

We've more "coaches" than ever before, yet there's absolutely no evidence of any improvements in the players. Something is going wrong.

They need to be giving some intensive training to Arthur and Wes in particular to get them to make more of their "skills".

Sometimes, I'm reminded of the early days of Carlos, where he tried to use his skills to keep the ball and trick the opposition players, but had no finished product as he kept it too long and then failed to make a pass. Carlos improved massively in a very short period of time and soon learned to use his skills to actually help his team mates by passing rather than keeping the ball and losing it. We need the same kind of training/coaching for Arthur and Wes (and Ayunga).

[KenH]

I am not calling for the manager's head but I am disappointed with several of the signings made. I understand the argument that he had to assemble players quickly but I am surprised several of them were given two year contracts. I also want to see players improved by the coaching they receive. The crunch comes in January. Are we able to sign players with the quality required and see improvements made to the squad ? If not, then I think SR will come under pressure.

I agree. I think we should have kept 2 or 3 more of our 20/21 season players, as I genuinely don't think some of those we've brought in are any better than some of the ones we released. Keeping a few more would have really helped with the team building mentality, cohesion and continuity etc even if they didn't regularly get game time and just came off the bench when needed - a few "vocal" players on the training pitch could have helped gel the new team. (Yes I know we were never going to keep Songo'o but perhaps we should have tried harder to keep O'Sullivan, and maybe one of the centre backs).

[Keith]

The main concern for me is we get beaten 4-0 by MK Dons, the manager speaks out about all the things we did wrong, where we need to improve and what we need to do differently and then we get beaten 5-0. It begs the question what are we actually doing in training?

We've more "coaches" than ever before, yet there's absolutely no evidence of any improvements in the players. Something is going wrong.

It could be as simple, as the players aren't good enough to improve. If they aren't good enough for League One, then no amount of coaching will change that.

As for Ayunga, for me he's playing out of position and should play alongside Cole not on the wing. He was signed as a centre forward but to date has not had an opportunity to partner Cole

On this, I'm 100% in agreement. Cole is known as our [only] danger man and is now being marked so closely, he can only feed off scraps [something he is still doing superbly]. Having someone alongside him may either create more space for Cole or, take advantage of the space created if the defence focus on him.

I'd go with three centre backs, Greg Leigh & Ryan Cooney, Diagouraga, Jones & A.N.Other in Midfield, Ayunga & Stockton up front.

Whatever... ...something needs to change, and change quickly.