Announcement tonight or tomorrow?

T

Thatseasider

Guest
Just sat in the pub after the game and there’s no doubt anymore Appleton is just not talented enough to be successful with us or probably anyone at this level of football.

We had something approaching our maximum strength today and whilst we went forward well in patches within the game, we cannot defend. We look lost, with zero leaders or ideas on how to organise ourselves. There’s a reason we keep getting players sent off.

Once our forward momentum ran out we were clinging on for dear life, how Sunderland didn’t walk away with a 1-3 win in the second half I’ll never know.

He’s walked into a club in flux, the summer transfer window didn’t help him he had some very bad luck along the way but ultimately he’s no where near talented enough to navigate the difficulties a club of our size will inevitably encounter at this level of football.

I think that must now be obvious to Sadler, who appointed him with out consensus apparently, think he’ll have to swallow this one.

No hate for MA from me but he needs to be removed and I hope they’ve worked on someone else to come in to navigate us over this difficult season, to try and drag us away from relegation.
 
If they pot MA now I'm gonna put a few quid on us to go down.

Don't see an obvious successor. The quality we have is what it is. Changing the manager won't necessarily improve us.

Not saying MA will keep us up, but unless he has lost the confidence of the players I'd stick with him.

That's all.
 
Voice of Reason said:
If they pot MA now I'm gonna put a few quid on us to go down.

Don't see an obvious successor. The quality we have is what it is. Changing the manager won't necessarily improve us.

Not saying MA will keep us up, but unless he has lost the confidence of the players I'd stick with him.

That's all.
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Yeh and that’s why I say I hope they’ve worked on someone they think is more talented. Because I don’t really know.

But I’m now convinced we’re going down with MA at the helm. Not all his fault as I say but just not the standard to keep us up.

Yeh fair enough the next question is, who improves us. Not sure, I hope the men upstairs do.
 
Agreed, today was a full strength squad and we looked it too with how we played for the first 30', after that Sunderland were all over us and MA made no adjustments tactically, allowing Sunderland to completely dominate us.

The midfield three of Poveda, Patino, and Carey was being completely overrun and I would have subbed Kenny on immediately at HT.
 
voyeur said:
Cant get rid without a replacement.
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I think the board must have come to the same conclusions as most of us and if they really do constantly plan for succession should have worked on this for weeks.

Like I say I don’t really know I just hope the men at the top who know the industry have.
 
Would hope they make the announcement tonight or tomorrow, but don't think they will.

Think they are committed to giving him a January window to strengthen.

If they weren't going to sack him after losing to Sheffield United, they won't after drawing against Sunderland.
 
IF
Thatseasider said:
Just sat in the pub after the game and there’s no doubt anymore Appleton is just not talented enough to be successful with us or probably anyone at this level of football.

We had something approaching our maximum strength today and whilst we went forward well in patches within the game, we cannot defend. We look lost, with zero leaders or ideas on how to organise ourselves. There’s a reason we keep getting players sent off.

Once our forward momentum ran out we were clinging on for dear life, how Sunderland didn’t walk away with a 1-3 win in the second half I’ll never know.

He’s walked into a club in flux, the summer transfer window didn’t help him he had some very bad luck along the way but ultimately he’s no where near talented enough to navigate the difficulties a club of our size will inevitably encounter at this level of football.

I think that must now be obvious to Sadler, who appointed him with out consensus apparently, think he’ll have to swallow this one.

No hate for MA from me but he needs to be removed and I hope they’ve worked on someone else to come in to navigate us over this difficult season, to try and drag us away from relegation.
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we don’t, then we need to demonstrate

We can still stay up BUT NOT with Apple Juice
 
DJ Dudley said:
Full strength squad?? 🤣
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Jordan Gabriel, Anderson & Corbeanu aside who was missing realistically that would have made a difference today. All those three DID have comparable replacements for the game today.

Fiorini and Stewart are just nothings to us. This is as close to full as Appleton is ever gonna get a BFC squad to be.

If you want to make the argument he should have a squad full of higher quality players, that’s ok, another thread like but it’s just not where we are as a club at the minute.
 
Thatseasider said:
Yeh and that’s why I say I hope they’ve worked on someone they think is more talented. Because I don’t really know.

But I’m now convinced we’re going down with MA at the helm. Not all his fault as I say but just not the standard to keep us up.

Yeh fair enough the next question is, who improves us. Not sure, I hope the men upstairs do.
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Who will improve us that would be willing to come?
 
We just got a point against a team in the play off places and have the best away record in the league behind Burnley, with a threadbare squad including a number of players who aren't good enough and 9 players out injured and you think Appleton has to go!! Give your head a wobble and then open your eyes. That was a cracking performance today, full of spirit and fight against a team that are so far ahead of us in quality that you can only praise the players and MA for being able to get that result.

You just keep going on about MA out, MA out, MA out, on and on and on yet you haven't really given any legitimate reasons because the main reason isn't his fault, it's the boards.
 
hertfordseasider said:
We just got a point against a team in the play off places and have the best away record in the league behind Burnley, with a threadbare squad including a number of players who aren't good enough and 9 players out injured and you think Appleton has to go!! Give your head a wobble and then open your eyes. That was a cracking performance today, full of spirit and fight against a team that are so far ahead of us in quality that you can only praise the players and MA for being able to get that result.

You just keep going on about MA out, MA out, MA out, on and on and on yet you haven't really given any legitimate reasons because the main reason isn't his fault, it's the boards.
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Evening mate.

Listen, this threads great got some fantastic points coming out of it.

Your contribution’s been shit.

Happy New Year 🥳😜
 
Thatseasider said:
Evening mate.

Listen, this threads great got some fantastic points coming out of it.

Your contribution’s been shit.

Happy New Year 🥳😜
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It's just your same old rhetoric, you can't stand Appleton, end of. I have already said they should never have appointed him, but they did and they are reaping what they sow, so they either sack him, which I don't think they will or they back him, which I don't think they will so where does that leave us? League 1 I reckon.

By the way I have no malice towards you, we used to agree on a lot of stuff, it's just heated opinions and we just happen to have differing ones, I'm not going to fall out over it. Let's hope for a good 2023 and a Happy New year to you.
 
That’s now one loss (to a side challenging for promotion) in the last 5 games. A solid set of results and a platform to push on from.

I think they really have to give their man every opportunity to try and turn this around (within reason) and that means access to new signings and some winnable games.

The key for me as we traverse this difficult period is simply remaining in touch with ‘the pack’ as opposed to getting too carried away with one result or another…. So long as we’re in touch, then there’s no need to press the ejector button just yet.
 
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The players gave their all today. We deservedly went in 1 up at the break. However, to not change it in the second half and bring Kenny on was criminal. We were getting completely overrun in midfield…again. We are so easy to play against. Mowbray showed what a good championship manager he was by changing it at half time. Appleton makes no changes to counteract them. His in game management is shocking. He needs to go but I cannot help think that it is a reflection of Mansford if he does. Sadler needs to pull the trigger.
 
No way is he getting sacked tonight or tomorrow. That was a decent performance today, against a good side amidst an ongoing injury crisis.
Sounds like he’s expecting some players in imminently, so let’s hope so and give him some time to work with them
 
hertfordseasider said:
It's just your same old rhetoric, you can't stand Appleton, end of. I have already said they should never have appointed him, but they did and they are reaping what they sow, so they either sack him, which I don't think they will or they back him, which I don't think they will so where does that leave us? League 1 I reckon.

By the way I have no malice towards you, we used to agree on a lot of stuff, it's just heated opinions and we just happen to have differing ones, I'm not going to fall out over it. Let's hope for a good 2023 and a Happy New year to you.
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This reply is unfair. I’ve no rhetoric against Appleton, I can’t stand him? I literally said in the post, ‘ I have no hate for him’. Having seen what I’ve seen in the last few weeks I just don’t think he’s talented enough to keep us up. 🤷‍♂️

I was the same as you, didn’t think it was a great appointment, but really did want to give him a fair crack of the whip and see what he could do. I said that at the time of his appointment. It’s all documented on here. I just think I’ve seen enough to show me he’s too limited to manage at this level of professional football. That’s all.

You dislike the board, I don’t, but I do think Sadler made the biggest error of his tenure by addressing the fans distain for HIS decision just before the start of the season. He really should have just kept schtum and let Appleton & his players do the taking as he must have believed in him because he brought him in, in the first place. He’s now backed himself into a corner where he’s damned if he does damned if he doesn’t. Massive learning curve of a fan dominated business.

No I’ve no malice to you mate and if things have got too heated from my end in the last few weeks it wasn’t really intentional I just disagreed with some of your core points. So my apologies and yes All the best for the new year.
 
AmericanTangerine said:
Agreed, today was a full strength squad and we looked it too with how we played for the first 30', after that Sunderland were all over us and MA made no adjustments tactically, allowing Sunderland to completely dominate us.

The midfield three of Poveda, Patino, and Carey was being completely overrun and I would have subbed Kenny on immediately at HT.
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Full strength?

Missing Keshi … for me exactly what we need.

Stewart and Birdcutt? More midfield options …
 
AmericanTangerine said:
Agreed, today was a full strength squad and we looked it too with how we played for the first 30', after that Sunderland were all over us and MA made no adjustments tactically, allowing Sunderland to completely dominate us.

The midfield three of Poveda, Patino, and Carey was being completely overrun and I would have subbed Kenny on immediately at HT.
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We still had chances after 30 minutes before half-time.

Would have been stupid to make a change at half-time & if he had you’d probably have blamed him for making a change if they scored.

Full-Strength? Yes it is, if you miss out our best right-back, best holding midfielder and left sided midfielder. So just the 3 players from the starting 11
 
On another thread the team last year was posted and it was far stronger, Bowler, Keogh, Wintle, Sterling to name four, plus we’re missing Keshi and Gabriel. Yes we got Patino, Thompson, Poveda, Fiorini, but how many of those were MA choices. I’m sure that will be his argument to the board.

If they’re not getting rid now, I can’t see them getting rid until at least March, they’ll be backing him in this transfer window and they’ll need to give him time to settle those players in.
 
Adams Kebab said:
Full-Strength? Yes it is, if you miss out our best right-back, best holding midfielder and left sided midfielder. So just the 3 players from the starting 11
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That’s as close to full strength as you’re ever likely to get.

If you’re waiting for all 22 players to be 100% injury free with no suspensions, then get comfy ‘coz it don’t happen.

Which is why I tried to frame the post as I did, you’re always going to have to battle not perfect conditions in professional football, this was and is now, the closest we’re likely to get and I just don’t think Appleton can do that.

Just after a quick search I found the following:

West Brom - 2 first team players out Bryan & Bartlett
Reading - 2 first teamers out Fornah and Moore one bench player out Tetek
Sheff U - 4 first team players now out Norrington - Davies - Fleck - Brewster - O’Connell
Stoke - Clucas and Sterling out
Brum - Dean Friend Gardner Placheta out for a long periods.

The list goes on and you get my point. At some point the mitigation stops.
 
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Thatseasider said:
That as close to full strength as you’re ever likely to get.

If you’re waiting for all 22 players to be 100% injury free with no suspensions, then get comfy ‘coz it don’t happen.

Which is why I tried to frame the post as I did, you’re always going to have to battle not perfect conditions in professional football, this was and is now, the closest we’re likely to get and I just don’t think Appleton can do that.

Just after a quick search I found the following:

West Brom - 2 first team players out Bryan & Bartlett
Reading - 2 first teamers out Fornah and Moore one bench player out Tetek
Sheff U - 4 first team players now out Norringtpn David - Fleck - Brewster - O’Connell
Stoke - Clucas and Sterling out
Brum - Dean Friend Gardner Placheta out for a long period.

The list goes on and you get my point. At some point the mitigation stops.
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You’ve compared us to West Brom and Sheff Utd, who are getting parachute payments & spend double figures in the millions on players, so guess what? They’ll have better players. Stoke still paying PL wages. So that’s 3 out the 4 unrealistic.

You know why you’re framing it like you are let’s be honest.

We’ll always have injuries, but we are nowhere near full strength so why say it?

I’ve said it from the transfer window closing that we didn’t have enough quality or players to cover key positions, like right back, central midfield and centre forward. You thought we’d had a great window though 👍🏼 still buzzing over Emmerson and Moffat signing 🫣
 
Adams Kebab said:
You’ve compared us to West Brom and Sheff Utd, who are getting parachute payments & spend double figures in the millions on players /9 guess what? They’ll have better players. Stoke still paying PL wages. So that’s 3 out the 4 unrealistic.

You know why you’re framing it like you are let’s be honest.

We’ll always have injuries, but we are nowhere near full strength so why say it?

I’ve said it from the transfer window closing that we didn’t have enough quality or players to cover key positions, like right back, central midfield and centre forward. You thought we’d had a great window though 👍🏼
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You’re being hyperbolic and honestly not putting forward a good point in my book.

The money argument is lazy, West Brom we’re having a poor season, injuries most likely impacted somewhat but a manger change made the difference and they’re looking some way back to getting towards their aims.

Sheff U and likely going to hit their target of promotion competing against other wealthy clubs despite 4/5 first team players out.
They’re will be more teams I just couldn’t be arsed looked through them all, half I didn’t as the only argument is, they have a bigger budget 🤷‍♂️
To just say people have more money there for the point is moot - really lazy. What’s the point in even being in the division? We’re always going to be outspent.

No no, said we made mistakes in the last window, stated that Ben Mansford had delivered on he said he would identifying a young developmental player. The errors were made not getting experienced players around them. But there were mitigating factors around that. Just like MA had mitigating factors during his tenure. Funny how you battle for one and not the other. I honestly don’t know why?

But ultimately for this point and as you’ve just stated yourself you will always have injuries. When do the excuses stop? If the board have two more poor windows I hope I’ll judge them fairly and state there’s now a pattern of poor performance things need to change. Just like I think I’ve now seen enough with Appleton to suggest he isn’t right to keep us up.

A lot of fans have drawn battle lines between the board and Appleton and chosen a side, I’m really not sure why as it’s destructive.
 
Adams Kebab said:
still buzzing over Emmerson and Moffat signing 🫣
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don’t worry if they turn out to be stars in a year or two I’ll dig this thread up and write a smug I told you style post about it.

Clearly I won’t as only daft twats would do that. 👍
 
AmericanTangerine said:
Agreed, today was a full strength squad and we looked it too with how we played for the first 30', after that Sunderland were all over us and MA made no adjustments tactically, allowing Sunderland to completely dominate us.

The midfield three of Poveda, Patino, and Carey was being completely overrun and I would have subbed Kenny on immediately at HT.
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Full strength?

Last time I looked, we were missing 9 injured, some of whom would walk into the team, into the positions where we are weakest.
 
Wizaard said:
Full strength?

Last time I looked, we were missing 9 injured, some of whom would walk into the team, into the positions where we are weakest.
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I dunno Wiz.
Is it 9?

He’s never had nor will ever likely have Stewart or Firorini to pick from. That’s a cluster fuck of a renewal from the powers that be and bad luck.

Keshi, Ward, Birdcutt and Gabriel likely get into a match day side but is there a gulf in class between their replacements which were on the field yesterday? Marginal at best in my mind. You’d likely replace Carey with one - but then again you had Dougall available. It points to something else for me now in MA’s set up and structure.

Gabriel’s the biggest miss because it actually takes two first team players out, him and Connolly.

We were mad not to get some cover there, or delay the Lyon’s deal.
 
Thatseasider said:
You’re being hyperbolic and honestly not putting forward a good point in my book.

The money argument is lazy, West Brom we’re having a poor season, injuries most likely impacted somewhat but a manger change made the difference and they’re looking some way back to getting towards their aims.

Sheff U and likely going to hit their target of promotion competing against other wealthy clubs despite 4/5 first team players out.
They’re will be more teams I just couldn’t be arsed looked through them all, half I didn’t as the only argument is, they have a bigger budget 🤷‍♂️
To just say people have more money there for the point is moot - really lazy. What’s the point in even being in the division? We’re always going to be outspent.

No no, said we made mistakes in the last window, stated that Ben Mansford had delivered on he said he would identifying a young developmental player. The errors were made not getting experienced players around them. But there were mitigating factors around that. Just like MA had mitigating factors during his tenure. Funny how you battle for one and not the other. I honestly don’t know why?

But ultimately for this point and as you’ve just stated yourself you will always have injuries. When do the excuses stop? If the board have two more poor windows I hope I’ll judge them fairly and state there’s now a pattern of poor performance things need to change. Just like I think I’ve now seen enough with Appleton to suggest he isn’t right to keep us up.

A lot of fans have drawn battle lines between the board and Appleton and chosen a side, I’m really not sure why as it’s destructive.
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If you don’t think money plays a massive part in football then i’m struggling. Teams who have parachute payments are at a massive advantage, that’s just basic stuff.

What we have to do is recruit wisely and smartly, which is a lot harder than see say Sheff Utd spending 20m on Sander Berge or having McBurnie and Brewster to come on when we played them away, who cost about 30m between them. We can still compete as we did that day but we’re always going to be punching till we are able to start spending more on players through selling our better players or we have a massive cash injection (unlikely).

Injuries aren’t the only excuse, recruitment is another. That’s why having no fit and able holding midfielder and no proper back-up right back has cost us massively in this 1st half of the season.

I’m not an Appleton fan, just think he’s our manager and he’s been dealt a bad hand. Granted he doesn’t help himself, but people are so entrenched now in disliking him that rationale goes out the window. A prime example is saying we were at “full strength” yesterday.
 
Thatseasider said:
don’t worry if they turn out to be stars in a year or two I’ll dig this thread up and write a smug I told you style post about it.

Clearly I won’t as only daft twats would do that. 👍
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That’s the point though isn’t it, a year or 2. We needed players back then to make an instant impact to go in the squad, but those 2 signings were being lauded by a few back when the window shut, which was the point at the time.

I hope they both turn out to be great, feel free to dig up the thread.

Oh and please calm down. Calling someone a daft ** at 10am on a bank holiday on a message board can’t be good for your health 🤗
 
Adams Kebab said:
If you don’t think money plays a massive part in football then i’m struggling. Teams who have parachute payments are at a massive advantage, that’s just basic stuff.

What we have to do is recruit wisely and smartly, which is a lot harder than see say Sheff Utd spending 20m on Sander Berge or having McBurnie and Brewster to come on when we played them away, who cost about 30m between them. We can still compete as we did that day but we’re always going to be punching till we are able to start spending more on players through selling our better players or we have a massive cash injection (unlikely).

Injuries aren’t the only excuse, recruitment is another. That’s why having no fit and able holding midfielder and no proper back-up right back has cost us massively in this 1st half of the season.

I’m not an Appleton fan, just think he’s our manager and he’s been dealt a bad hand. Granted he doesn’t help himself, but people are so entrenched now in disliking him that rationale goes out the window. A prime example is saying we were at “full strength” yesterday.
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Thing is I agree with everything you’ve written there. But I don’t think you got my point I probably didn’t lay it out well tbh.

I get that money is a big factor, it’s a discussion in itself. But my point was a raft of injuries hasn’t derailed Sheff U in their goal of promotion nor have a few injuries stop a new manager coming in at West Brom and turning it around. When we all know they could have, as we’ve seen ‘cash rich’ sode be poorly managed and languish. Decent coaching staffs work around this. We have to do that within our own means for our own goal survival - The most glaring example for me is last year with Critchley, no one mentioned the injuries he got around because he managed it so well. Not that it was all singing all dancing ( far from it at times) but he changed formation and personnel when needed and stopped us ever getting in this situation. Something I now think MA couldn’t and can’t do.

I wasn’t making an argument we should compete with the PL sized teams (there were others that I could and did use as examples) but that other managers and coaches have navigated their difficulties, whereas we haven’t.

I’ve given Appleton over half a season, before coming to the conclusion he can’t keep us up? Is that too soon? Who knows. Can only go off what my eyes tell me.

Ultimately, this is likely as good as it gets for a BFC manager at Championship level, we’ll always be with out 2/3/4 starters.
 
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Adams Kebab said:
That’s the point though isn’t it, a year or 2. We needed players back then to make an instant impact to go in the squad, but those 2 signings were being lauded by a few back when the window shut, which was the point at the time.

I hope they both turn out to be great, feel free to dig up the thread.

Oh and please calm down. Calling someone a daft ** at 10am on a bank holiday on a message board can’t be good for your health 🤗
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Come on you’re making an argument where there isn’t one.

Again I agree and agreed with you at the time that the error lay it not getting the 2/3 first teamers that we needed.

I pushed back against yours and others entrenched position of ‘Bullshit Ben’. He made mistakes but did what he said he would get developmental players for our budget. If he does that for the next 2 years and we get no quality in which leads to relegation or stagnation on Lg 1 I’ll be there with you calling him out.

But ffs he’s made a few errors after delivering promotion and Championship survival, he must have more credit in the bank with us surely.
I really don’t get why people get on his back currently with what he’s delivered but are will to fight for MA when he’s shown scant success or ability.
 
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