Is Wilkins under-estimating how poor we actually were?

[B.W.]

its odd byf and a common theme that when you debate something and are not insulting to anyone on NSC personal insults with eventually come up, but are we really suprised, we have been consistant in not rating Wilkins but its a game of opinions and it is very much one rule for Wilkins and one rule for McGhee

MM lost the dressing room (and the fans, and some of the board)... Wendy hasn't... that is the difference

 

[Dick Knights Mumm]

MM lost the dressing room

it was up the other end of the ground ................

 

[Turkey]

GK: Kuipers - Could do better?

DR: Whing - Good
DC: Hinshelwood - Good
DC: Lynch - Good
DL: Rents - ?

MR: Reid - Good
MC: El-Abd - ?
MC: Hammond - Good
ML: Cox - Good

SC: Forster - Good?
SC: Other - ?

Rents - I think an experienced, "better than Mayo" left back would be ideal! But Rents has shown good potential, worth giving him a run in the team I think.

El-Abd - Good combatant, will certainly get a foot in. Maybe put Reid in the middle and get an out and out winger though. Don't think the above midfield has anyone who'll run at people.

Forster - Who knows. If he scores a lot we'll stay up. If we can improve the midfield to score a lot as a team we could do better. A quality striker to go with him would even further improve our chances but cant see that happening.

All in all - If Hinsh is fit and with Whing here from the start our defence is looking good. If we're not conceeding many then do we have the firepower to score many. Well we have enough strikers! Forster should score. The rest have shown they can. If we can get a good solid shape, which is hard to break down.. we have goals in us. Could do well. Wilkins likes us to play attractive football though. I admire that, but it could be costly at times. Remember O'Grady saying we played too much football vs Crewe and it was just a matter of time till we made a mistake..

 

[Seagullible]

it was up the other end of the ground ................

 

[B.W.]

Steve Coppell was not a success, he took us down

Don't be stupid... he nearly kept us up after Tinselhead gave the entire division a massive head start... he left us top/ near top in our current league...

 

[Stinky Kat]

Don't be stupid... he nearly kept us up after Tinselhead gave the entire division a massive head start... he left us top/ near top in our current league...

were we top after his last game, the 3-1 win at Rushden?

 

[B.W.]

I've said the same but got shouted and sworn at for not having any ambition and people didn't want to renew their season tickets if the club had that attitude.

And the criticism was 100% correct... you have to aim to go up, and the fans have to believe that is a possibility, or crowds will suffer...

 

[B.W.]

The fans who shouted for mcghee's head after a handfull of games and the blooms deserve to see us at the bottom reaches of this division...its a reap what you sow situation.

We get rid of one our most successful managers..and replace him with a youth coach & wonder why we nearly go down to the bottom tier again.

I really really hope he does a good job..he is albion through and through and thats always nice to feel your singing from the same hymm sheet.

But with a full pre-season and chances to bring in the faces he wants...I stick to what I said...if were in the bottom 6 or there abouts come october...it's defo not working..

But the oh so magnificant MM left us in almost exactly the same position that we finished the season in... so, no progress under Wendy... yet! MM had to go - he lost the dressing room...

 

[Sheebo]

Can I have a pint of what you're on.......and where did you get your rose-tinted specs from

Don't just say that - explain what u think is wrong or right?!

I didn't see us so much last yr - but still think Wilkins was a great signing and i think we need to stay in this div for few yrs - if we did go up then great but i cant see it till Falmer...

 

[Yorkie]

And the criticism was 100% correct... you have to aim to go up, and the fans have to believe that is a possibility, or crowds will suffer...

Which is exactly what I said about the home performances. They were dire and Wilkins has to sort it out.

 

[Captain Haddock]

The knockers on here are working on the assumption that there is going to be no improvement in the first team's application, determination, skills and desire this coming season.

This is Dean's first opportunity to take a good run really at bedding in all of his ideas and making them work with the squad at his disposal - a squad, incidentally he is busting his bollocks to try and improve by further acquisitions.

He knows that last season's home performances were a disgrace and he is no going to accept that sort of thing this season. However, he is mindful that we had a much better away record and is often keen to stress just how important support on the road is.

Dean IS a very good manager and coach, and comparisons with McGhee are completely pointless, as are last season's results. That was then - this is now. The players are very much enjoying training, and a champing at the bit to get the season started. There is genuine optimism in the squad founded on their own sense of self-belief.

I kind of agree with DtG, but I would argue that the spine of the team is not too bad. Kuipers in goal, Butters/Lynch in defence, Hammond in midfield and Forster up front, is pretty reasonable. Everyone else has to now has to prove it.

Fully agree

Without wishing to be too indiscrete, there have been certain individuals - at least one that I hear apocryphal tales of - who needed to be settled and calmed down, lest he get into more trouble. He has the entire squad facing in the same direction (that's a similie) and the players are enjoying themselves. He is offloading players who don't want to step up to the plate (Frutos, Henderson), and managing to acquire some players previously might have been unobtainable. Making Dean Hammond captain last season was a masterstroke, especially after the season he'd had before. There are other examples.

I suspect you more wanted to ask how I think he is a very good coach.

There were times last season where we looked a pretty decent side. People tend to dismiss away performances and away wins, and only judge Dean on home performances. That is wrong to do so. Of course we were diabolical at home, you can't escape that, but judging on some away performances we have the makings of a very fine side. Why we couldn't do that at home - who knows? There's probably a whole fleet of reasons. That's for Dean to sort out.

He did, however, preside over a very handsome 8-0 win. It may have only been a Conference side (only two divisions below us), but I don't recall any other manager doing that for 40-odd years.

But to automatically ASSUME that Dean won't be able to work this out, and that we are relegation fodder is pure folly, and no more based on any sense of knowing as to accurately predict where we'll finish in the league.

DW needs time to breath and develop HIS team and squad. We have a lot of youth players who are learning and learning FAST, Whing and Forster are good additions (Whing will even provide plenty of supply for Forster (better service to a better strike option sounds good to me).

As TLO said, who knows for sure how we'll do, but I'm optimistic and supportive til I have genuine reason to be otherwise.

The Cap'in thanks you for yer time. Now fer a and some

 

[Uncle Spielberg]

MM lost the dressing room (and the fans, and some of the board)... Wendy hasn't... that is the difference

Fraser
Cox

 

[Storer68]

I was prepared to give Wendy a go last season but after the appalling rubbish histeam served up (and for which I had paid nigh on £450 to watch) I've had enough.

Oh no I haven't I 've just renewed for another 3 years :thud::thud:

 

[Storer68]

Fraser
Cox

Neither good enough

 

[British Bulldog]

The board didnt give mcghee a decent budget

The board kept saying there was money for a striker while Mcghee was in charge and I often questioned it myself, But Wilkins proved there was and he managed to spend it on a proven striker.

 

[gjh1971]

The board didnt give mcghee a decent budget

McGhee splashed out £150,000 on Turienzo, and over £100,000 on agents fees for Carole and Frutos.

 

[byf]

McGhee splashed out £150,000 on Turienzo, and over £100,000 on agents fees for Carole and Frutos.

Not in january...when he needed the boards support.

carole did a decent job for us and so did frutos at the time he was brought in....

Who was the man that got an un-believable deal for virgo...1.5 MILL....took us up and kept us up.....lets see golden boy wilkins do that.......WONT HAPPEN!

 

[gjh1971]

Not in january...when he needed the boards support.

carole did a decent job for us and so did frutos at the time he was brought in....

Who was the man that got an un-believable deal for virgo...1.5 MILL....took us up and kept us up.....lets see golden boy wilkins do that.......WONT HAPPEN!

he



Maybe the board didnt trust him with spending any money anymore.

 

[Braders]

DW needs time to breath and develop HIS team and squad. We have a lot of youth players who are learning and learning FAST, Whing and Forster are good additions (Whing will even provide plenty of supply for Forster (better service to a better strike option sounds good to me).

As TLO said, who knows for sure how we'll do, but I'm optimistic and supportive til I have genuine reason to be otherwise.

The Cap'in thanks you for yer time. Now fer a and some

the most spot on post in this thread

 

[byf]

The slate is clean..for wilkins as it stands......

He would have had a pre-season doing things his way and bringng in his players that he wants....

I hope and pray it all comes good for him and we have an intresting season for the fans and maybe a mini cup run would be nice..

But and theres always a but...if we are in the bottom 6 in october, which in-turn will mean gates will be below 5k...things will have to change....no messing around.