Grecians from Devon? At home to Exeter Sat,31st Aug ,3-0'clock

[officer_dibble]

When not if

[Paddock]

I'm just wondering if changes in personnel are having an effect. It doesn't take much to alter the atmosphere in a dressing room and the overall determination of a squad. We may all want to see the very best coaches at the club or players in the team, but if they don't gel then you're you're not going to get the results you expected.

Aaron Collins?

It could be anyone - coaching staff or players, but I was concerned when Arfield was hired as a 'motivational team player'. If his character/attitude is unpopular with the original squad, the last thing you would want is to drop him (with his guitar) into the dressing room of a team that was smarting from the Wembley fiasco and expect them rally round him.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Plenty of us agreed we needed a new voice in the changing room. Stephen Crainey arrived as another assistant. It’s not worked yet. Nothing has, since April.

Plenty said it’d be like Phil Neal’s last season and it is, but more accelerated. And no Julian Darby to pick on (well he’s there, so fans could, but it’d be bloody harsh).

It feels like when not if. I said he needed to out wins together and instead he’s put league losses together. I said the only result that might move the dial would be a humiliating defeat and, well. I don’t think he’ll jump or be pushed immediately, and will crave the sanctuary of the international break - but surely a midweek loss at Barrow in the Pizza Cup would make trigger fingers itch. This squad is too good to play like this.

[truewhite15]

No excuses, no mitigation. Just not good enough.

[nicholaldo]

I'm just wondering if changes in personnel are having an effect. It doesn't take much to alter the atmosphere in a dressing room and the overall determination of a squad. We may all want to see the very best coaches at the club or players in the team, but if they don't gel then you're you're not going to get the results you expected.

Aaron Collins?

It could be anyone - coaching staff or players, but I was concerned when Arfield was hired as a 'motivational team player'. If his character/attitude is unpopular with the original squad, the last thing you would want is to drop him (with his guitar) into the dressing room of a team that was smarting from the Wembley fiasco and expect them rally round him.

I won't claim that isn't a possibility, but it does feel like looking a little too hard to find excuses.

[DJBlu]

Plenty of us agreed we needed a new voice in the changing room. Stephen Crainey arrived as another assistant. It’s not worked yet. Nothing has, since April.

Plenty said it’d be like Phil Neal’s last season and it is, but more accelerated. And no Julian Darby to pick on (well he’s there, so fans could, but it’d be bloody harsh).

It feels like when not if. I said he needed to out wins together and instead he’s put league losses together. I said the only result that might move the dial would be a humiliating defeat and, well. I don’t think he’ll jump or be pushed immediately, and will crave the sanctuary of the international break - but surely a midweek loss at Barrow in the Pizza Cup would make trigger fingers itch. This squad is too good to play like this.

Ian Evatt after defeat by Exeter “ We know that’s not acceptable we all have to work hard to do better “
He's not walking.

The league is aware of our style and how we play. Mentioned earlier we've been turned over by teams that we have beaten comfortably. There are no surprises with us anymore. Imagine if we played 4-4-2 the opposition wouldn't know what to do.

It would take an absolutely monumental shift in attitude and fortune for him to keep this job.

An interesting stat. His win ratio is better than that of any post war Bolton manager. It's just a shame he's lost the two most important at the wrong time. He's streaky and when we were in League two flirting with relegation something changed and we went on was it an 18 unbeaten run? It feels horrible at the minute and it will take a brave board to keep him on.

[Bertie Wooster]

It has to be done now with the international break, there are some decent managers out there who should be able to get a tune out of this squad perhaps playing a different system & style - Alex Neil, Ryan Lowe etc.

That was absolutely shocking today it really was, and Evatt threw the towel in as soon as the 2nd goal went in, sat sulking for the rest of the game and straight down the tunnel at FT, he left it for Gilks & Crainey to instruct from the touchline - what sort of leadership is that ?

SB now needs to show her leadership and do what's best for the club, not what's best for the SB / IE working relationship - we are now 6th bottom ? and won't get anything out of the Hudds game unless things change beforehand - it needs a new manager, new voice, new ideas (as it did after Oxford) - SB should have sacked him after Wembley, if she doesn't do it now the season could be a complete write off if she continues with Evatt until October / November, these players are lacking leadership. intensity, desire & a will to win - outplayed & outfought by Exeter (it could have been 3-0), also just how often do we concede just after half time, where is the motivation, HT team talk. The board can't hide from this a decision needs to be made.

There where a lot of very poor performances today, but especially Santos, JDC, Thomason & Sheehan - yet again Sheehan did absolutely nothing, but Thomason was worse IMO (shocking performance)

[BWFC_Insane]

It has to be done now with the international break, there are some decent managers out there who should be able to get a tune out of this squad perhaps playing a different system & style - Alex Neil, Ryan Lowe etc.

That was absolutely shocking today it really was, and Evatt threw the towel in as soon as the 2nd goal went in, sat sulking for the rest of the game and straight down the tunnel at FT, he left it for Gilks & Crainey to instruct from the touchline - what sort of leadership is that ?

SB now needs to show her leadership and do what's best for the club, not what's best for the SB / IE working relationship - we are now 6th bottom ? and won't get anything out of the Hudds game unless things change beforehand - it needs a new manager, new voice, new ideas (as it did after Oxford) - SB should have sacked him after Wembley, if she doesn't do it now the season could be a complete write off if she continues with Evatt until October / November, these players are lacking leadership. intensity, desire & a will to win - outplayed & outfought by Exeter (it could have been 3-0), also just how often do we concede just after half time, where is the motivation, HT team talk. The board can't hide from this a decision needs to be made.

There where a lot of very poor performances today, but especially Santos, JDC, Thomason & Sheehan - yet again Sheehan did absolutely nothing, but Thomason was worse IMO (shocking performance)

Thomason had a shocker but let’s be honest he’s one of the few who has done themselves any credit this season. Schon on the list of ‘why on earth did we sign him’ too. Mcatee was dire, stunk up the place. The Collins came on and managed to do worse. Dempsey dire.

[TANGODANCER]

The real reason games like today happen can't just be blamed on the manager or players. The real reason is outside the club altogether; it's the Referees Association who have let a once entertaining sport of skill and talent become nothing more than a pub brawl without beer. Defenders are allowed to jump all over players, throw themselves into wild reckless challenges and if they don't work, scream in pretended agony in an effort to get opponents sent off. Shirt and shorts grabbing are fouls, whichever way you look at it, and the whole sport below the Premiership and Championship level has become nothing but thuggery in club colours. Worse still, clubs know they can get away with it all and bullying opponents into submission.

You will, of course, say I'm wrong, but neither Ian Evatt, his staff or the players can do xxxx all about it and cop the blame..

Amen.

[Worthy4England]

I will indeed say I don't think you're right TD...

You play what's out there in front of you, including the ref, and adapt accordingly.

[BWFC_Insane]

I will indeed say I don't think you're right TD...

You play what's out there in front of you, including the ref, and adapt accordingly.

And the referee had very little to do with the result today.

[Bertie Wooster]

Thomason had a shocker but let’s be honest he’s one of the few who has done themselves any credit this season. Schon on the list of ‘why on earth did we sign him’ too. Mcatee was dire, stunk up the place. The Collins came on and managed to do worse. Dempsey dire.

They didn't really have a clue any of them, it has to be the manager & the tactics, the training - we've been awful since NYD, they looked like they didn't want to know, how to play etc, frightened to death, shell shocked. We where losing 2-0 at home and he still kept 5 at the back - nothing to lose at that stage take off a CB and go for it.

He won't walk because he'll want some compo, but come on SB has to grow a pair and do what most fans now want - its not now 50/50 its more like 75 / 25 for him to go, he's lost the fans - if he stays until after Huddersfield and we lose the fans will turn on him and surely he (and SB) doesn't want that, it was very close to everyone turning today - but most voted with their feet and just left totally despondent, its all empty words from Evatt, nothing has changed since Wembley we play exactly the same way - slow, slow & fecking slow, we are still soft and get bullied, we still lack leadership on the pitch.

It's like death by a thousand cuts....

[GhostoftheBok]

I said I expected a slow start. This is worse than I expected.

Evatt put a side out today with no ball-carrying ability. We started brightly. Exeter's keeper went down with a fake injury so they could reorganise and they went man-for-man. We had none of the lads on the pitch we signed to deal with that and it was the same old shite.

You can't play this system without any of Collins, Matete or Tutu. All teams need to do is play 1 v 1 and it's basically done.

If you drop Collins you have got to start the other two. You have to. If not, you can't drop Collins.

This is really basic stuff.

We didn't add another set piece taker and we left Morley go, so if Schon and Sheehan go off you've got nobody who can put a corner or freekick in.

I could go on.

Charlton you could blame players. There were enough performances there today to win, but Evatt was useless during the 90.

[Bertie Wooster]

We needed a response after Wembley, but what we have had is just more meaningless 'heard it all before many times' shite soundbites from Evatt - every manager has sussed him out and his boring tactics. What has he come out with post match. “We know that is unacceptable, we know that is not our standard, we have to work hard to do better".

Just go, Evatt Out

[Bertie Wooster]

I said I expected a slow start. This is worse than I expected.

Your mate Sheehan was good again today.

[knobpolisher]

The excuse that the players are tired and fatigued made me chuckle in a vomit type way.

[Bertie Wooster]

“It was below our level, below our standards,” he said. “We lack rhythm at the moment, we look tired, fatigued.

“I don’t think 2-0 was a fair reflection of the game. They have scored two set pieces, one brilliant free kick and a corner, and the second one in particular hurts because we didn’t give ourselves a chance to build any momentum second half."

[GhostoftheBok]

Your mate Sheehan was good again today.

He's not going to be in that 11.

Exeter could just mark-up and the only threat was in behind, where the ball had to be perfect.

Thommo was also poor for the same reason.

[officer_dibble]

He’ll be here like a bad smell till we are firmly entrenched in a relegation battle and he has to go. That’s the fecking utterly depressing probability. To save the season he should go now.

[GhostoftheBok]

One thing that's certain, Evatt can't say "It's not like us" (which he has now said, as I listen to it).

It's been us for a bit now.

I doubt they'll sack him at the minute, but if we play like that Huddersfield will hammer us and that should be him gone.

If he stays that is now a decider on his future, you feel.

Toal is apparently injured and Northern Ireland have refused to let him stay back during the break. Insanity.