Freedman out!

[jaffka]

So that's the end of January as far as our fixtures are concerned.

A massive return of 2 points from a possible 12 on offer. Both points coming from draws at home with Boro and Forest. Nothing on the road with defeat at QPR and Reading.

Scored 5 and conceded 12.

More worryingly though sees us in 18th and separated by only 4 points with Charlton, who are in 22nd position.

Probably another defeat coming up away at Ipswich who currently are just out of the play off places, then a massive must win game at home against Bournemouth.

It's not looking good for us.

[Leyther]

Bournemouth before the Clarets I think. Burnley are starting to cough and splutter a little. They need a tonic and we're it. And surely the arrival of that very average but motivated Burnley side, with nearly double our points tally, should trigger some awkward questions within our boardroom for Dougie.

[Worthy4England]

I'm fairly sure, if he was going, he'd have gone before the Jan window.

As it happens, I reckon we're doing "balance the wage bill" this season with a lot off the books in summer and N'gog already departed. Maybe the "plan" aside from balance the wage bill is "just stay up" - 21st or better will do, then see what you can do with the revised wage bill next season...

Feels very risky at the minute.

[Leyther]

Yep. He's staying and hopefully there is some master plan behind the scenes to just ride this season out and become more like a Burnley and operate with a lower wage bill and less of a gulf between the top earners and the rest. Just got to keep a couple of steps clear of the scrap because his don't blame me blame the players routine could bite him on the backside big time come May.

I do sniff relegation. But growing up watching them through the 80s I'm trained to look down rather than up. Anybody fancy painting a brighter picture?

[Gravedigger]

Nay, Leyther. We've been to some bloody strange grounds over time. I even remember cheering like crazy when we beat Leyton Orient one time. Perhaps the Prem really isn't for teams like us but at least we need to make a fist of it nomatter what the league. We're on a merry go round so it's fingers crossed bum twitching time. But it was ever thus.

[Hoboh]

FAT PHILLY GARTSIDE, YOUR A WANKER YOUR A WANKER

Well about time someone said it!

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

As Worthy and Leyther note, it's beginning to feel very much like get through this season, clear the decks and have a go next term with a streamlined, energised squad. And as they both note, it's risky. I'm intrigued as to who might still be around - in shirts and in the stands...

[boltonboris]

We'll have the clear the decks again this time next year when we're in league 1. This is a carbon copy season of the Coyle relegation season.

Manager asking for time. "Been unlucky", "had key injuries". Players coming out with "roll our sleeves up" and "been unlucky" then getting turned over by someone shit the day after.

It's on the fvckin wall and yet again, the board are failing to take action as they're taking it seriously. This cvnt is taking us down the same way the last cvnt did.

[Wandering Willy]

He's worse than the last one.

[LeverEnd]

We'll have the clear the decks again this time next year when we're in league 1. This is a carbon copy season of the Coyle relegation season.

Manager asking for time. "Been unlucky", "had key injuries". Players coming out with "roll our sleeves up" and "been unlucky" then getting turned over by someone shit the day after.

It's on the fvckin wall and yet again, the board are failing to take action as they're taking it seriously. This cvnt is taking us down the same way the last cvnt did.

I'm pretty sure there are 3 worse teams than us and we won't go down. That's no argument for keeping him though. What happens after the clearout if we have another shocking start to next season under him? More excuses about needing time to bed his new players in, transition, blah blah blah. Time to get rid and let someone else rebuild the squad.

[boltonboris]

There are about 18 worse sets of players than us. Doesn't keep us safe.

These teams below are picking up occasional points, scoring some goals. I just can't believe the board aren't spotting the parallels with 2011/12 season.

[Wandering Willy]

There are about 18 worse sets of players than us. Doesn't keep us safe.

These teams below are picking up occasional points, scoring some goals. I just can't believe the board aren't spotting the parallels with 2011/12 season.

There's a few on here doing the same thing.

Perhaps we're wrong?

No - I didn't think so.

[LeverEnd]

Well it's just my opinion I guess. I think the players he's slated will do enough to keep us up and him in a job. Probably. We'll see at the end of the season. Ask Worthy anyway, did you see his QPR prediction? He has 'the gift'.

[Wandering Willy]

Blind squirrel that Worthy.

[coffeymagic]

I've not read his ramblings from last night but I imagine it's 'Pleased with the spirit', '...we're so close to acheiving what I want..', '...I know what the problems are and how to sort them...', 'I am a certifiable cretin...'.

There are so many issues with Douglie it's hard to know where to start (page 1 of this thread probably).

Why keep signing loan players over first team players? Surely it's better to play lads who've been at the club since school who know what the club is about and want to do well for the club rather than some lazy twonk who's interested in a) getting a move to club C or b) nothing.

Why persevere with one up front when it's not effing working?

Why persevere with any of it when it's not working?

Why not look and see if there's a bloke called Percy Vere who we could sign and see if he can turn it around?

Freedman seems more determined than ever to run this club into the ground in order to prove a point rather than change his Philos O'Fey (Irish U-18 star, signed for £500k never played a game since).

From the little I could gather from last night White played ok when he came on and Mark Davies had a good game but it's all too predicatable. There's no cutting edge and no confidence.

I was watching that 'last game at Burnden' on Youtube the other night and watched McGinlay. Talk about chalk and cheese betwwen then and now. How about a striker who knows where the space is? How about a striker prepared to barge through a brick wall if it meant getting to the ball first and how about a striker who can score more than three goals a season then claim 'I do a lot for the team'?

How about scoring 30 goals a season? That's doing something for the team.

There's no way Freedman should be sacked. Like a naughty boy caught smoking who made to sit and smoke every fag in that packet one after another until he pukes Freedman should be forced to sit and watch and be as miserable as the rest of us.

Until he gets it right. Or stops smoking.

I've confused myself now.

That's what fury does to me.

[boltonboris]

Apparently, according to Marc Iles, he picks the team 3 weeks(!) in advance and tells the players when they are and aren't playing. He only deviates from this when there are injuries. No wonder the players don't look fvckin' motivated.

He's killing this club

[LeverEnd]

Apparently, according to Marc Iles, he picks the team 3 weeks(!) in advance and tells the players when they are and aren't playing. He only deviates from this when there are injuries. No wonder the players don't look fvckin' motivated.

He's killing this club

I just read that. Should be the final nail, but sadly won't be. Play a couple of good games, get on a run and ropped. Pathetic. No wonder we never get any momentum. Or confidence.

[coffeymagic]

I thought he never planned more than three games ahead because you couldn't because of injuries.

It wouldn't surprise me if he both planned for no games and every game at the same time. Listening to him talk is like hearing some kind of experimental mind control tapes from Communist Russia.

It's all so close though Dougie, just out of reach isn't it? Don't worry you'll get it right.

Said it before - say it again. This season has all the hallmarks of the last time we dropped into Division 3.

What goes around....

[Dave Sutton's barnet]

So did he tell Beckford he'd be on the bench for Mason's entire loan?

Something smells of horseshit.

[thebish]

I thought he never planned more than three games ahead because you couldn't because of injuries.

It wouldn't surprise me if he both planned for no games and every game at the same time. Listening to him talk is like hearing some kind of experimental mind control tapes from Communist Russia.

It's all so close though Dougie, just out of reach isn't it? Don't worry you'll get it right.

Said it before - say it again. This season has all the hallmarks of the last time we dropped into Division 3.

What goes around....

I think I missed the Forum turnaround where we now rate Iles as a reliable interpreter of events! when did this happen??