Yep I watched after Wigan away he got agitated telling the in-house guy “you have to understand they are involved in low scoring games”… it was obviously meant for the fanbase.
Did it again yesterday, mentioned what the passing around at the back was for…
It’s good knowing every inch of your footballing coaching manual and your patterns of play, but we’ve won 18 out of 42 League games…
That’s the bit I’m struggling with on him not being accountable or able to reflect and adapt on what he’s doing wrong, which is clear with our away performances.
Yeah.
I'm a bit fed up of the whole thing at the moment. I'm a bit fed up of moaning and grumbling at everything all the time and I'm also more than a bit fed up of Critch. I just want to enjoy it. When it's good it's like going to some mad weird party. When it's shit, it's like going to a crap pub and moaning at the weather.
It's doing my head in that I think some half decent players are getting dragged into the general vibe of constant criticism and I think we're forgetting a bit that players need a bit of love sometimes. Like, fuck, me, there were grumbles at Kaddy round me. I might actually chin someone if they actively have a go at him. I don't give a fuck - what do you actually expect from a league 1 player? I'd pay my money just to watch his first run yesterday then go home. So what, he fluffed a few passes. Don't take the frustration with the manager out on the players who are having a go at doing something. I may have mentioned once or twice that I like Carey in a similar vein.
I do wonder how much the manager constantly saying 'quality in key moments' encourages that kind of impatience. Like, if I was manager, I'd try and say 'look, we're going to make mistakes from time to time but if we're not trying to do the risky things, I'm more worried because that's how we will score goals' - it's the way the best managers create the culture and educate the crowd - the crowd then demand that and do part of their job for them. Critchley isn't particularly good at explaining his 'ethos' - Klopp is a ** genius at it as an example.
Could take season's end tomorrow. This afternoon in fact.
I think if we're completely objective, Critch has done some ok things and some shit things and some stuff that has just not worked but might have done - Like, say Norburn. He looked like the player we'd been absolutely crying out for. I could absolutely understand why he went for him - yet it hasn't worked. I would lay down £100 that if you'd shown a few clips of Norburn to 100 fans last year, 99 of them would have gone 'aye, he's got a bit of bite, he can tackle and pick a pass, get him signed up'
Joseph, I can see why you'd jump at that. You're losing Yates and in theory getting a younger, taller version of him - a player who was good at Wigan when he was 18 - I totally get that signing. It's not worked. I think it may well yet.
I could see why you'd think Lavery might tear this league up based on the fact he was prolific for a bit under Critch - he really did look good and he started well and almost immediately broke.
He didn't know Dougall would play himself into a key role and then jump ship. That was really destabilising.
I think equally, he's frustrated the hell out of me with stuff like Apter. I'm still furious he never gave him minutes when he was with us and when we had zero creativity at the time. I cannot grasp why you'd give Dale to Oxford when he's playing the best football of his career. I can't work out why you'd do the swapped over full backs thing unless you had absolutely elite full backs and we don't. Dale could do it ok (at least the attacking bit) cos he's actually ok at football but some of the other choices were weird as.
I'd personally love a fresh start and some excitement and optimism but I think the reality is we're stuck with him and everyone, Critch included, needs a good break, rest, time off football and then we go again. We might work it out, we might be midtable in November and I think that's when Sadler will, rightly or wrongly, judge it and that's the way it is.
