Pointing the way. Stevenage at home Sat, 3rd May 3-0'clock

[Harry Genshaw]

What today showed I think - if it needed showing is that we aren’t much if any better than Stevenage. A number of their players would have got in our side today. A decent number.

This might be the biggest rebuild since Allardyce arrived and had to sell half a team. Only he had a fair few worth keeping but I don’t think Schumacher does.

Going to be a big big job.

Your foot is firmly planted on the exaggerator, as ever.

We’ve had a bad run, and this squad has some glaring holes, but those holes can easily be filled over the summer. I’d be fairly confident that we’re a good window away from competing for the title next season.

It would have to be one mofo of a good transfer window!

[TonyDomingos]

What today showed I think - if it needed showing is that we aren’t much if any better than Stevenage. A number of their players would have got in our side today. A decent number.

This might be the biggest rebuild since Allardyce arrived and had to sell half a team. Only he had a fair few worth keeping but I don’t think Schumacher does.

Going to be a big big job.

Your foot is firmly planted on the exaggerator, as ever.

We’ve had a bad run, and this squad has some glaring holes, but those holes can easily be filled over the summer. I’d be fairly confident that we’re a good window away from competing for the title next season.

It would have to be one mofo of a good transfer window!

Yeah, was thinking the same. It does feel like we'd need loads to leave (unlikely) and a group of good players to come in (also unlikely). And ... I do wonder if SS quite right for us. I'm not getting the vibe (fully appreciate he's only had a few months here with another manager's players).

[jmjhb]

Collins POTY

[BWFC_Insane]

What today showed I think - if it needed showing is that we aren’t much if any better than Stevenage. A number of their players would have got in our side today. A decent number.

This might be the biggest rebuild since Allardyce arrived and had to sell half a team. Only he had a fair few worth keeping but I don’t think Schumacher does.

Going to be a big big job.

Your foot is firmly planted on the exaggerator, as ever.

We’ve had a bad run, and this squad has some glaring holes, but those holes can easily be filled over the summer. I’d be fairly confident that we’re a good window away from competing for the title next season.

You are living in dreamworld. This squad is miles off. Not even close. It lacks so much. Experience. Know how. Fight. Desire. Intensity. And that’s before we list the types of players missing.

Honestly I think majority of the players we have now will never in their careers win promotion from this league.

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

Yeah, was thinking the same. It does feel like we'd need loads to leave (unlikely) and a group of good players to come in (also unlikely). And ... I do wonder if SS quite right for us. I'm not getting the vibe (fully appreciate he's only had a few months here with another manager's players).

I really like a lot of what Schuey says, but it’s a results business. You’re not a kneejerk type, Tony, and you’re the second such sensible person to say something similar to me today.

It feels to me a bit like last summer; not quite so febrile and argumentative - at least not about the manager, although some players are very divisive - but in the way that we need a fast, positive start to the new season. It’s not just no wins in 6, it’s 1 in 11. As Ilesy has warned, a bad start would soon see those numbers added to the new ones.

[Mar]

Collins POTY

Numbers game victory for Collins.

24 goal involvements in 55 games. Beats Dion Charles' 22 in 44 from the season prior and 23 in 52 the season before that.

Difference being that Collins' record doesn't surpass Charles' record in the league (12 goals for Collins, Charles had 16 and 14). So even if we dress up Collins' record, it still stands out as poor, both from an effort level and from a finishing level.

What strikes me is that we've got McAtee and Collins both looking incredibly surprised that they've missed the target consistently, despite constantly putting the ball wide. It doesn't look like they were trying to score with their efforts in the past x number of games, big difference with Schon who hit the ball against the keeper by holding onto it too long.

[BWFC_Insane]

It’s a results business for sure. If Schumacher has the ability to build a side and spend several millions of pounds on new players then you’d best believe that he will need to deliver the goods next season with a strong start, strong middle and a finish with a P next to our name.

However with where we are if he has to scrimp and save and doesn’t have the real freedom to replace the abject lot of cowards we have then I’m not sure we can expect promotion.

A lot depends on the resources he is given.

To clarify by spend I don’t necessarily mean on fees but we need to have a budget for recruitment that is competitive with top 3 or 4 in this league and given I think we are further behind than most it might need to be very competitive.

If your view is that what we have should have been good enough to go up then I think it’s fair to think Schumacher should have done better but I rather think there is no evidence to support that view.

We then have to see what he is able to do in the summer. My concern is that it’s clear he isn’t keen on many of the players and probably they know this and aren’t happy. This is fine if you can get rid of them but the concern is that forging a happy and motivated side out of the remnants of the ashes and a few new signings is difficult when said players know you aren’t keen…..

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

It’s a results business for sure. If Schumacher has the ability to build a side and spend several millions of pounds on new players then you’d best believe that he will need to deliver the goods next season with a strong start, strong middle and a finish with a P next to our name.

However with where we are if he has to scrimp and save and doesn’t have the real freedom to replace the abject lot of cowards we have then I’m not sure we can expect promotion.

A lot depends on the resources he is given.

To clarify by spend I don’t necessarily mean on fees but we need to have a budget for recruitment that is competitive with top 3 or 4 in this league and given I think we are further behind than most it might need to be very competitive.

If your view is that what we have should have been good enough to go up then I think it’s fair to think Schumacher should have done better but I rather think there is no evidence to support that view.

We then have to see what he is able to do in the summer. My concern is that it’s clear he isn’t keen on many of the players and probably they know this and aren’t happy. This is fine if you can get rid of them but the concern is that forging a happy and motivated side out of the remnants of the ashes and a few new signings is difficult when said players know you aren’t keen…..

All reasonable, but the problem is a lot of fans aren't. Reasonable, that is. There's already some on Twitter doubting Schumacher, and by 'doubting' I mean calling him shit, because on twitter 'nuance' is French for 'kiddy-fiddler'.

It's nowhere near as bad as the Evatt divisions after Oxford (and then Huddersfield, and then Stockport...) but it could get very ugly quite quickly. Players (old and new) would get it first but the gaffer wouldn't be far behind.

Just win...

[irie Cee Bee]

Schuey's stats dont look good but when I think about it, he has had a shell of a side working with due to injuries. We have barely been able to find a team of senior players recently, so I will not read too much 1 on 11, no matter how bad it looks. I want to be fair to him. And today, even with half of his starters unavailable, Tutu, Santos, Toal, Dempsay, Ade, Morley, as I watched easy chances after chances being missed, what more could he do with the players he had available ?

[Prufrock]

Came in with no window an unbalanced squad and then an injury crisis. I'm mildly disappointed we haven't made a better fist of it, but it's far too early to judge.

No idea what the money situation is, it's obviously tricky moving players in but I think it's fixable in one window *if* there's similar amounts of money to previous widows.

Inwood did fine for a kid but is miles off it atm. Needs a good loan, toughen up and stop overcommitting.

[jmjhb]

Collins POTY

Numbers game victory for Collins.

24 goal involvements in 55 games. Beats Dion Charles' 22 in 44 from the season prior and 23 in 52 the season before that.

Difference being that Collins' record doesn't surpass Charles' record in the league (12 goals for Collins, Charles had 16 and 14). So even if we dress up Collins' record, it still stands out as poor, both from an effort level and from a finishing level.

What strikes me is that we've got McAtee and Collins both looking incredibly surprised that they've missed the target consistently, despite constantly putting the ball wide. It doesn't look like they were trying to score with their efforts in the past x number of games, big difference with Schon who hit the ball against the keeper by holding onto it too long.

He's not a bad lad. Sense I got from the event was I wish we could have done better.

[jmjhb]

It’s a results business for sure. If Schumacher has the ability to build a side and spend several millions of pounds on new players then you’d best believe that he will need to deliver the goods next season with a strong start, strong middle and a finish with a P next to our name.

However with where we are if he has to scrimp and save and doesn’t have the real freedom to replace the abject lot of cowards we have then I’m not sure we can expect promotion.

A lot depends on the resources he is given.

To clarify by spend I don’t necessarily mean on fees but we need to have a budget for recruitment that is competitive with top 3 or 4 in this league and given I think we are further behind than most it might need to be very competitive.

If your view is that what we have should have been good enough to go up then I think it’s fair to think Schumacher should have done better but I rather think there is no evidence to support that view.

We then have to see what he is able to do in the summer. My concern is that it’s clear he isn’t keen on many of the players and probably they know this and aren’t happy. This is fine if you can get rid of them but the concern is that forging a happy and motivated side out of the remnants of the ashes and a few new signings is difficult when said players know you aren’t keen…..

Yeah. Barring anything new, we don't have the transfer budget of the last 18 months. For what it's worth SS knew this coming in.

[Worthy4England]

Yeah, was thinking the same. It does feel like we'd need loads to leave (unlikely) and a group of good players to come in (also unlikely). And ... I do wonder if SS quite right for us. I'm not getting the vibe (fully appreciate he's only had a few months here with another manager's players).

I really like a lot of what Schuey says, but it’s a results business. You’re not a kneejerk type, Tony, and you’re the second such sensible person to say something similar to me today.

It feels to me a bit like last summer; not quite so febrile and argumentative - at least not about the manager, although some players are very divisive - but in the way that we need a fast, positive start to the new season. It’s not just no wins in 6, it’s 1 in 11. As Ilesy has warned, a bad start would soon see those numbers added to the new ones.

I think Schumacher deserved his "free hit" to the end of the season. That season has ended. One of my large gripes about Evatt was our abitiy to organise defence and use that platform. Ignoring, momentarily, mitigating circumstances, of which there are plenty, I've not seen much evidence of it being any better. But we have seen it's capable of being better in some games. Couple under Jules and Brum spring to mind.

A slow start next season would not be a great thing, and if you look at his season with Plymouth, it wasn't the tightest defence in the league by a fair chunk. And, a little like Evatt's time here, there's more chatter about wingers and 9's than how we're going to change so we don't have to score at least two per gsme to bag three points.

He says the right things, but not sure he's backed it up with much, yet.

[Abdoulaye's Twin]

Lets not forget that for many of these players SS has to reverse several years worth of Evatt hive mind. The current malaise in the squad was bred over time and I think it is fair SS is given some breathing space. Yes, results have been poor, but hopefully a few of his own and a preseason to download his own content will bear fruit.

[BWFC_Insane]

Lets not forget that for many of these players SS has to reverse several years worth of Evatt hive mind. The current malaise in the squad was bred over time and I think it is fair SS is given some breathing space. Yes, results have been poor, but hopefully a few of his own and a preseason to download his own content will bear fruit.

I think it’s going to take time since I feel the whole culture of the club needs to change. I wonder how much of a shock it’s been for him since coming in and seeing the reality of what he has to work with.

But there is no doubt he will not have a huge amount of time to show that he can put together a competitive side in this league. That is football.

[Worthy4England]

I think most people will trade seeing progress for more time. If they rock up August with new additions and look like the last three months, I think legitimate questions will follow.

[Bertie Wooster]

Lets not forget that for many of these players SS has to reverse several years worth of Evatt hive mind. The current malaise in the squad was bred over time and I think it is fair SS is given some breathing space. Yes, results have been poor, but hopefully a few of his own and a preseason to download his own content will bear fruit.

I think it’s going to take time since I feel the whole culture of the club needs to change. I wonder how much of a shock it’s been for him since coming in and seeing the reality of what he has to work with.

But there is no doubt he will not have a huge amount of time to show that he can put together a competitive side in this league. That is football.

I'm sure that I've read something this week about SS and his team being shocked with the culture and players attitudes in training.

[TANGODANCER]

Lets not forget that for many of these players SS has to reverse several years worth of Evatt hive mind. The current malaise in the squad was bred over time and I think it is fair SS is given some breathing space. Yes, results have been poor, but hopefully a few of his own and a preseason to download his own content will bear fruit.

Agreed. The real biggest deterrents to managerial success are governed as much by the players and fans, as other reasons, the latter seriously affected by the former. Fans can destroy players confidence and Schumacher can at least claim he hasn't yet had a first team to send out, but even then "La Donna Immobile" ( the woman/man " is fickle) was never truer. His record so far is easy to improve on as it's less than good. Time, as ever, will tell.

[BWFC_Insane]

I think most people will trade seeing progress for more time. If they rock up August with new additions and look like the last three months, I think legitimate questions will follow.

Yeah I agree but football progress is not always apparent or indeed linear. Bruce Rioch had a pretty poor start and indeed there were catcalls in McGinlay’s debut iirc. Allardyce lost three semi finals in his first season including to Tranmere which many considered a sackable offence at the time.

I feel that it’s a total rebuild time and that doesn’t necessarily correspond to a cracking start to the season. I don’t know what reaction that gets but for me it will very much depend on what resources he’s had and how many spaces he’s managed to free up. If he can only add 3 or 4 in the summer then I’d buckle up for needing another two windows to sort it - no doubt many will not have that patience but comes down to how the club sees it.

[Prufrock]

He's going to have to do some coaching too. He talked yesterday about the players still doing mad things. Couple of times they played themselves into trouble. Still a hangover of the last content for me. There's a lot of quality in there still. Unless there's absolutely no money and no wiggle room we should be play offs minimum. I think we can win it, but there's work to be done.