So who's fault is this?

I do find it odd that Calderwood is apparently looking after the defence but escapes any criticism when we concede silly late goals?
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
Its got nothing to do with gelling

Another avftt myth that will go down in folklore I'm afraid

Half the players who play now didn't start the season and several players who did start the season are nowhere near the first team or have left the club

Its quite simple to me

We were allowed to bring in better players once the season started

Fcuk all to do with gelling...
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I think there's a very short answer to that. The squad is complete when the transfer window closes and you send that e-mail to the EFL telling them who's in it.
That's when the budget, which was fixed by the wage cap then, is generally spent.
There was no more to add.
You get another go at it in January.
I'd be interested to see your list of clubs who's got every signing spot on.
I'll give you mine:
.
😉
 
I will never understand how people get so entrenched in their views on certain things. I was supportive of Critchley's appointment even though it was a step into the unknown really. But if we were still fighting relegation right now then i'd have to be asking questions of whether he was a good appointment. Similarly if you didn't want Critchley, I don't get how anyone could still be overly critical of everything he does considering what's happened in recent months - and I suspect not many are tbh. But you can guarantee that after a long unbeaten run, one loss will mean all the same tiresome accusations will resurface. It's bizarre, it really is.
My view is that the main reason for our poor start was that several players, who turned out to be very good, hadn't signed for us before the season began. Nothing more, nothing less. So I find it highly doubtful that a more experienced manager would've had us in a higher position now. But that's just my opinion, we'll never know for a fact.
There's nothing we can do about the poor start now, it's gone. So let's just enjoy what's happening now!
 
Insider said:
I think there's a very short answer to that. The squad is complete when the transfer window closes and you send that e-mail to the EFL telling them who's in it.
That's when the budget, which was fixed by the wage cap then, is generally spent.
There was no more to add.
You get another go at it in January.
I'd be interested to see your list of clubs who's got every signing spot on.
I'll give you mine:
.
😉
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Obviously

However starting the season with only one recognised centre half and no defensive midfielder is extremely naive
 
voyeur said:
What is an anti critcher if 'being critical of his intransigence' isn't?

This was a few games in his first job with an entirely new set of players.

Those of us who stick up for at the time didn't criticise Calderwood or anybody else. We supported the whole set up. The owner, his choices of personnel, all the personnel. We said it would come good. It did. While others basically moaned and criticised and in many cases said get rid. The match thread today was the usual 'moan moan moan moan moan moan moan GOAL! What a strike!'

There's a whole mentality. A really shit one. It never budges. It's ingrained in some people. Moan and complain unless we win. 12 games unbeaten but still moaning and criticising until we are in front.
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Moaning that is subsequently claimed to be constructive criticism that is invariably anything but
 
Phil, I defend your right absolutely to be a miserable old git in the face of this excellent season

But really

 
Had we signed the players like Dougal and Gretarson and other latecomers etc before the season started we would of been automatic challengers, the team that started the season wasn’t good enough and had to quickly evolve, which it has done. I don’t know whether that was a mistake starting the season understrength and then having to quickly bring players in or? We waited for the right players to be available which was part of the plan.
Either way we’ll probably never know, but it’s working now, no matter what was the original plan was. 🧡🍊⚽️😁👍
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
Mocking?

I certainly wasn't mocking

Losing so many games with inept performances and poor tactics certainly were not laughing matters

I didn't want Critchley as manager that isn't a secret and who knows if we had of gone for a more experienced manager where we would be now

You can't get away from the fact that Critchley has had more investment and support from the board than probably any other manager in our history
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Another AVFTT myth. Critch has probably had to work with the smallest budget of all recent managers. I've not looked back at the accounts recently so you can dispute my comment by doing so but I pretty sure the wage bill was running somewhere between £3.5 to £4.5m. Critch had to work with about £2.2m and 22 players. On top of that he inherited the highest earners, Madine, Nuttall and Hardie, I believe.
 
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Phil_bfc deux said:
Mocking?

I certainly wasn't mocking

Losing so many games with inept performances and poor tactics certainly were not laughing matters

I didn't want Critchley as manager that isn't a secret and who knows if we had of gone for a more experienced manager where we would be now

You can't get away from the fact that Critchley has had more investment and support from the board than probably any other manager in our history
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You can't get away from the fact that Critchley has had more investment and support from the board than probably any other manager in our history

Not hard really Phil when you look at our past owners.
 
Phil_bfc deux said:
Mocking?

I certainly wasn't mocking

Losing so many games with inept performances and poor tactics certainly were not laughing matters

I didn't want Critchley as manager that isn't a secret and who knows if we had of gone for a more experienced manager where we would be now

You can't get away from the fact that Critchley has had more investment and support from the board than probably any other manager in our history
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That's bollocks though with no facts to back up, off the top of my head Allardyce spent a lot more and I would imagine Grayson did second time around.
 
By Grayson's own admission, we spent a lot of money on Nuttall. I don't know for definite, but I strongly suspect he spent more on Nuttall than Critchley has spent on any single player this season. Grayson had a lot of backing, but decided to blow it all on one player who turned out to be ineffective.

What is also telling is that when mentioning all this investment from the board compared to what previous managers have had, there is no mention of what percentage of that investment has been on the treatment table. I bet the value of the boards investment that Critchley has actually had available this season has been significantly less than previous seasons.

Either way you look at it, these little attempts to dumb down the manager's performance are looking sillier by the game.
 
Chunkylad said:
You can't get away from the fact that Critchley has had more investment and support from the board than probably any other manager in our history

Not hard really Phil when you look at our past owners.
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But not actually true.
 
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