The only one?

[The Large One]

Are they REALLY backing him....?

Not much action on the transfer front seems to suggest otherwise.

I think so. Churlish not to, otherwise they'd have sacked him, and asked someone else to work miracles for no money. But there's bugger all transfer activity anywhere, not just here, and everyone wants to improve their squads.

I've got a theory on that.

But it's quite long and probably full of holes.

 

[cjd]

I think so. Churlish not to, otherwise they'd have sacked him, and asked someone else to work miracles for no money. But there's bugger all transfer activity anywhere, not just here, and everyone wants to improve their squads.

I've got a theory on that.





But it's quite long and probably full of holes.

Could it be, that we can't actually afford to sack him, following Mr.Knights catastrophic decision to sack a young and successful manager in Wilkins....?

 

[The Large One]

Could it be, that we can't actually afford to sack him, following Mr.Knights catastrophic decision to sack a young and successful manager in Wilkins....?

I meant a theory on why so few players are being signed this January.

 

[NMH]

I accept i am in the minority here but i am still in favour of adams staying. I fully appreciate that much of what has been served up this season has been terrible but i still think he will succeed in the long term. when he came back in the summer i set my sights high and although there were acceptions most felt the same, so now were 20th in the league with a pathetic 5 wins all season ofcourse i'm disappointed but whats the solution? If mickey left tomorrow who could we realistically attract to us? In my opinion no one capable of saving us from the drop. Mickey in for me please, am i the only bloody one??

Firstly, I don't think most people, including you, set your sights high to start off with. i.e. people didn't actually think it would be instantly a huge surge up the league. Personally I was fairly open-minded because I wasn't around for his previous tenure, and really - I liked Wilkins and believed he would bring us long-term success.
What is "the long term" in your view though? The PLUNGE down the table from such abject failure this season is the short-term perhaps, but ....that's with a relatively decent squad of players who WERE getting results last season. Embellishing the squad is alright, and hopes were raised by those new faces too - but tactically Adams has defied belief! How can you put those players out there and have them play so ineptly, so abjectly devoid of tangible tactical idea and formation?
I asked Magoo "did we train for this?" during one debacle of his, and he remained arms-folded staring at the shambles that offered no positive answers. Now I can see that the training offers no belief or understanding between the players - maybe fitness and ability to kick a ball, but no insight of tactics, interaction between positions, confidence to take anything from their own ideas. It's just a turn-up-on-the-day and hope for the best. Players know the position they play like any player beyond schoolkid level should, but they collectively own none of the pitch.

Bottom line is that ANY side who wants to turn up at Withdean, and wants to score a goal against us - can go ahead and do just that. Adams doesn't appear to have got his finger out from the start, he's talked about bad luck and sorry-for-the-lads sympathy, but that's not comforting to hear. I feel sorry for the fans who pay to watch this, and I felt sorry for Dean Wilkins for having his good hard work stopped suddenly and unraveled like this.
No Micky, the players are not getting roundly booed off the pitch - the fans do NOT need to 'cuddle' them any more than they have patiently sat, paying high-enough prices to hope that a change is gonna come.

It's surely a moot subject for the board and the man himself - but I would like to see Dean Wilkins managing this team, and nothing I see from Adams has made me think otherwise. No, that concept has in fact been cemented by what I've witnessed this season.
It's now beyond embarrassing.

 

[davidjp]

The Little Chap at Withdean

The question to be asked is this:

Why is Mickey only going after players that he has either managed or worked with and/or who have been at clubs that he has been associated with?

This is so limiting. Has the club withdrawn any funding for scouts? Has Mickey got no contacts at any other clubs? Is Barry Lloyd still employed by the club or has Jonny Dixon put an end to that?

The way we are playing it would be better use of Dean White's and Bob Booker's time to go and seek out new players on a saturday afternoon as clearly they are having little positive effect on the teams performance.

Mickey has got 2 weeks to get the players in and this time his judgement has got to be right.

 

[NMH]

I agree - Adams needs support and the team need support.

How would you do at work if thousands of people kept telling you how bad you were everytime you did anything? If must be great for our players to run out at Withdean and know how badly our "fans" will treat them. I wonder why it may be hard to attract new players?

What? I have pretty decent hearing, and have NOT heard the fans berating the team so badly they can't effectively perform. The players walk through the Withdean door signing autographs, shirts, and taking the respect from fans. They walk out of the changing rooms and their names have been cheered as the squad is read out. Every good movement on the field, is greeted with acceptance and encouragement. The fans berate the ref on their behalf, the lino's offside flag is angrily sworn at, and any player who dares to risk one of our team's legs is soundly shouted to, with requests that he be carded.

At half time there was tangible hope in the air, the feeling was that we could beat Leeds. BUT....what did the Leeds manager say right, that Adams did not? "we can beat this lot - they are there for the taking. You have the playing ability to beat every one of them, trickery to go round them and score goals". So, they could have won by 4, we had just 2 shots on target easily saved by an average keeper. And we were the home side.

Embarrassing, painful to watch, and the right result - ultimately.

 

[BensGrandad]

t

At half time there was tangible hope in the air, the feeling was that we could beat Leeds. BUT....what did the Leeds manager say right, that Adams did not? "we can beat this lot - .

There lies the problem, in most games this season we have competed well in the first half but MA and his staff have been out thought at half time by the opposing managers.

 

[The Grockle]

Sorry. I hate to comment on my own thread just to pull it up the list, but after the dust has settled please tell me more people in favour of Adams staying?

 

[Simster]

I actually can't believe what an utterly shit job he's doing, I really can't. And yet despite this, I think it would be folly to sack him now - I still think we'll finish clear of the bottom 4.

Then again, I'm delighted to say I didn't spunk hundreds of pounds on season tickets, so maybe I'd have a different opinion if I had done so.

 

[Silent Bob]

I actually can't believe what an utterly shit job he's doing, I really can't. And yet despite this, I think it would be folly to sack him now - I still think we'll finish clear of the bottom 4.

There is no reason at all for you to think that.

 

[countrygull]

I am in favour of him staying. Give him time: and btw, don't give him some of the disgraceful personal abuse handed out to him by some on this message board. I respect everybody's right to have their opinion - but to articulate it in such abusive terms is neither helpful, decent nor necessary. Use reasoned arguments and strong emotions: but please, as Albion fans, let's steer clear of undiluted personal vitriole against our own manager.

 

[Il Duce]

No, you're not the only one. For me he has to stay. If we got a new manager now they wouldn't have a clue what players we need. It's hard enough for Adams trying to get players in, let alone a manager who doesn't know who we want. I firmly believe Adams' position should only be under threat if we get into a position where we are adrift of safety.

Another in complete agreement. I didn't want Wilkins to go in the summer, but right now sacking Adams would get us nowhere. After the way our fans have treated our last few managers, I'd be amazed if anyone decent would want to come here too.

 

[Mendoza]

On the basis of us having to pay THREE managers, we shouldnt sack him. He has to stay even though what is happening is completely shite.

Adams asked for more time in October with the "didnt realise we had to be..." quote. The transfer window is half way through, yet we are in a worse position than we were in October having signed 14 players, with most of them not at the club anymore.

I think he should probably go, but I want him to stay for fear of Glenn Hoddle still being unemployed and Dean White being promoted to the top job.

 

[Man of Harveys]

Then again, I'm delighted to say I didn't spunk hundreds of pounds on season tickets, so maybe I'd have a different opinion if I had done so.

I think that's the point - never mind the shit results, for me it's the fact that the performances are, week after week, showing precious little sign of anything constructive coming out of them. Every single week, an unquestionably talented squad plays exactly like a team of people that have never actually MET before, let alone been instructed or coached on what they're supposed to do.

 

[The Oldman]

I cannot see any point in Adams going now, as much as I deplore the standard of football played by us since his return. The transfer window is open for 2 more weeks, let's see what happens. I have said for some time that we are relegation bound. Our performances have not been good enough. 2 or 3 decent players and perhaps different approach to coaching might just save us. If MA can turn it round, fine. If we are relegated then we have to sort out the squad and our coaching staff. I doubt if the Chairman will sack Adams if we go down by a couple of points. However, if we are really adrift by Easter then the pressure on the board to sack Adams will be immense.

 

[Elder for England]

Of course most of this season hasn't been great, but sacking Adams won't improve the situation, and I cannot understand anyone that thinks it will. He definitely has to stay, the board have got behind him and the team and so should the supporters.